Living in a county town, starting as a stock market maker...

Longquan Winery, Chairman's Office.

Zhou Jianjun personally poured tea, pushed a cup of tea in front of Gu Ming, and smiled warmly.

"Mr. Gu, come and try my Da Hong Pao tea, it's not something you can easily find on the market."

He adopted a very humble attitude, showing no airs of an elder or industry veteran, but rather acting as if he were entertaining some important figure.

"Jay Chou, you're too kind."

Gu Ming picked up the teacup, took a sip, and without commenting on the quality of the tea, simply looked at the other person calmly.

He knew that this cup of tea wouldn't taste good.

"Wow, Mr. Gu, you're so young and accomplished! You're truly remarkable!"

Zhou Jianjun slapped his thigh, his tone of praise exaggerated.

"That song 'The Sky Over Hegang,' and its music video, were truly brilliant! Our Longquan Winery spent millions on marketing, hired a professional team, and the buzz we generated didn't even compare to the impact of that young girl's song under your management!"

He was telling half truths.

On the one hand, they were genuinely shocked by Gu Ming's abilities; on the other hand, they were also trying to get closer to Gu Ming and create an atmosphere of being one of their own.

"If my good-for-nothing son had even half of your talent, I'd be laughing in my sleep."

Zhou Jianjun changed the subject, let out a long sigh, and the smile on his face instantly vanished, replaced by a look of sorrow and exhaustion.

"To be honest, Mr. Gu, Longquan is currently facing difficulties both internally and externally, and is on the verge of collapse."

He began his performance.

"The previous quality issues caused us to lose a large number of distributors, and the banks are pressing us for repayment every day. The interest on the hundreds of millions of yuan in loans is almost crushing us."

"My son, Zhou Tianhao, has gotten into trouble again and disappeared. Now the entire company, inside and out, is being held up by this old man of mine alone."

As he spoke, he observed Gu Ming's expression, trying to find some sympathy or emotion on that excessively young face.

But he was disappointed.

Gu Ming's expression remained unchanged as he listened quietly to his opponent's statement without offering any opinion.

"Mr. Jay, every company has its own difficulties."

Gu Ming finally spoke, his voice flat and devoid of emotion, "Let's talk about the specific details of this collaboration."

With just a few words, he pulled Zhou Jianjun's carefully crafted atmosphere of playing the victim back onto the cold track of business.

A hint of gloom flashed deep in Zhou Jianjun's eyes.

This young man was more troublesome than he had imagined.

His original plan was to first flatter Gu Ming and then play the victim, placing Gu Ming on a moral high ground so that he would be embarrassed to be too concerned about money.

But the other party simply didn't respond.

"Okay, okay, let's talk about cooperation, let's talk about cooperation."

Zhou Jianjun's expression was somewhat stiff. He forced a smile and personally refilled Gu Ming's tea.

"President Gu, look, this time you helped Longquan Winery turn the tide in public opinion. I, Zhou Jianjun, acknowledge this favor."

"However... the company simply doesn't have that much cash on hand right now."

After all this buildup, he's finally about to reveal his true colors.

Gu Ming didn't speak, but picked up his teacup and waited quietly for him to continue.

Seeing Gu Ming's reaction, Zhou Jianjun felt more at ease.

If you're willing to listen, it means there's something to talk about.

He cleared his throat, leaned forward slightly, and said in a seductive tone:

"Mr. Gu, how about this?"

"We'll offset this service fee with other assets, ensuring you get excellent value for your money!"

"I have a batch of aged Guofang 1915 wines that our distillery kept from the late 1980s. They've been stored for over 30 years, and they're practically priceless treasures on the market! Any bottle of these would fetch hundreds of thousands at auction!"

He described this batch of waste liquor, which was impossible to sell due to packaging issues and changes in taste, as a priceless treasure.

"Also, don't we have an idle production line imported from Germany in our factory? It cost us tens of millions back then! Although the technology is a bit outdated now, the quality is top-notch! Even the parts from it would be worth a lot of money if sold as scrap metal!"

"As long as you give the nod, Mr. Gu, you can pick whatever you like! Take whatever you fancy! I, Zhou Jianjun, will not say a word!"

He spoke with such fervor that it was as if he were bestowing a tremendous favor upon Gu Ming.

In the office, only his voice remained for a moment.

He's finished speaking.

He looked at Gu Ming expectantly, waiting for the other party's reaction of surprise, hesitation, or bargaining.

Gu Ming smiled.

He first glanced down at the tea in his cup, then slowly raised his head, a faint smile appearing on his face.

There was no anger or mockery in that smile, only a calm that saw through everything.

Under Zhou Jianjun's astonished gaze, Gu Ming slowly stood up.

He didn't look at Zhou Jianjun, but instead straightened the collar of his shirt, smoothing out a non-existent crease.

The movement was slow and unhurried, yet it carried a silent and immense sense of oppression.

After making this move, Gu Ming turned his gaze back to Zhou Jianjun, who was still stunned.

"Jay Chou".

His voice wasn't loud, but it resonated clearly in every corner of the office.

"Our cooperation is cash-only."

After saying this, he didn't even give Zhou Jianjun any time to react.

"It seems that we cannot reach a consensus on the most basic premise of cooperation."

"The tea is excellent today, thank you for your hospitality."

Gu Ming nodded politely, then turned around and walked towards the office door.

Without the slightest hesitation or lingering attachment.

"Bang."

The office door was closed gently.

Zhou Jianjun stood frozen behind the tea tray, his expression shifting from bewilderment to shock, and finally to exasperation.

He slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacup to bounce and spill scalding tea all over his hand.

"How ungrateful!"

He stared intently at the closed door, his face ashen.

He couldn't understand how this young man dared to do that.

What makes him dare to do that?

How dare a newbie, facing the chairman of a company worth hundreds of millions, flip the table in such a way?

Isn't he afraid that I, as a local bully, will make it impossible for him to move an inch in Hegang in the future?

Zhou Jianjun was still immersed in his arrogance and anger, completely unaware that times had changed.

His so-called local advantage was worthless in Gu Ming's eyes.

We walked out of the Longquan Winery building.

The afternoon sun was a bit too bright.

Gu Ming narrowed his eyes slightly, his face showing neither frustration nor anger at the breakdown of negotiations.

Everything was within his expectations.

Zhou Jianjun, an old-fashioned businessman, will not easily change his inherent arrogance and speculative mentality.

He always felt he was in control of everything and always wanted to gain the greatest benefit with the least cost.

Unfortunately, he chose the wrong opponent.

Gu Ming took out his phone from his pocket without looking back at the old building behind him.

He found a number and sent a message.

Recipient: Su Qingying.

The content is very simple, consisting of only one line.

"Activate Plan B-2. If Longquan Winery does not transfer the full one million service fee to our account within one hour, we will send the in-depth value analysis and risk warning report on Longquan Winery that we have prepared to all securities firms and financial media."