Chapter 614: Wouldn't it be over if you just killed him?
Faced with Lu Yiming's question, Ji Qi remained silent.
There is no doubt that he helped to create Ctrip, and it is impossible to say that he has no feelings for it. However, as a founder, he was kicked out of Ctrip by other shareholders, but he was unwilling to accept it and wanted to stage a comeback like Steve Jobs.
After thinking for a moment, he said: "If Home Inns and Ctrip join forces, they will definitely be able to immediately secure victory and become the absolute overlord of this emerging industry. On the contrary, if they continue to fight, the outcome is still uncertain."
Lu Yiming didn't embarrass him. Instead, he laughed, patted his shoulder and said, "Don't worry too much about the interests of me as an investor. If you want to fight, then I will fully support you in going to war with Ctrip. You will get it back in the same way you lost it in the first place. If you want to negotiate, think about whether this can make you vent your anger. And whether you are sure you can deal with those people from Ctrip."
Ji Qi smiled bitterly and said, "I'm not sure I can control them. I'm not cut out for this."
Lu Yiming said: "Then let's fight. Isn't it enough to kill Ctrip?"
Ji Qi was very moved when he heard this: "Boss Lu, I..."
He didn't expect that Lu Yiming, as an investor, would not just cut his losses and run, but would be willing to join him in this shocking gamble.
Lu Yiming waved his hand, signaling Ji Qi not to say more: "I'm waiting to see your performance, but you must win."
Ji Qi nodded solemnly: "I will do my best and never let you down, Mr. Lu!"
Lu Yiming stood up, ran to the football field, and said, "It's my turn to play. Old Ji, do you want to come with us?"
Ji Qi waved his hands repeatedly and said, "Forget it. I'm old and my body can't bear it."
Looking at Lu Yiming's back as he ran towards the court, Ji Qi sighed in his heart.
"It seems that I really met a noble person this time ."
"But why is Mr. Lu willing to accompany me and fight Ctrip to the end?"
"Could it be that Mr. Lu is more vindictive than me, and is still thinking about the rejection of his investment in Ctrip?"
Although the media and newspapers have long said that Lu Yiming is very vindictive and always seeks revenge.
But after getting along for a while, Ji Qi felt that Lu Yiming was quite generous and spoke in a very kind manner, and did not seem like a petty person.
But for this kind of thing, Ji Qi decided to rather believe it than not.
He secretly reminded himself: Never offend Mr. Lu in the future, otherwise he will retaliate against you even if he spends a lot of money and drives you bankrupt. Who can withstand this?
On the Ctrip side, Shen Nanpeng and others who received the news were dumbfounded, their eyes full of incomprehension and disbelief.
"How could he say no?"
Even Liang Jianzhang, who has always been extremely smart, couldn't understand why Ji Qi didn't accept Ctrip's olive branch.
"It's obviously a situation where both parties can benefit from cooperation. Do we have to fight to the death to decide the winner?"
Fan Min had expected things to develop to this point, so he was the calmest and asked in a deep voice: "Now that it's all right, what should we do next?"
Liang Jianzhang couldn't understand why Ji Qi had changed so much. Before he left, they had not fallen out with each other, but now they were acting like they would never stop fighting.
But he was a rational man after all, and he quickly made a decision: "Since peace is impossible, we have no choice but to go to war."
When Shen Nanpeng heard the word "go to war", he felt very annoyed. As a capitalist, he is naturally risk-averse.
The biggest risk is to "start a war". Now Home Inns and Ctrip are competing for the industry dominance, and in the end only one of them will survive.
As for who will have the last laugh, only God knows.
If you lose, you will lose everything.
However, Shen Nanpeng had no other choice but to fight to the death. He promised Liang Jianzhang: "We have just accepted financing from Carlyle Group. We still have at least 10 million US dollars in funds. We hope that we can support it until the end of this year."
Then he reminded Liang Jianzhang, saying: "The Internet winter is still going on, so it is very difficult to raise funds. You have to use this money sparingly."
Liang Jianzhang nodded seriously and said, "I understand the principle of using good steel on the blade. Don't worry, I know what to do."
China Overseas.
Lu Yiming suddenly received a call from someone claiming to be from the Zhonghai branch of the Xia Country Tourism and Hotel Association, inviting him to attend an event.
Of course, Lu Yiming had no interest in participating in this kind of event, but Ji Qi was also among the invited guests. He came over to encourage Lu Yiming, saying that many investors were present and asked Lu Yiming to give him courage. Lu Yiming thought that Home Inn was going to kill Ctrip, so he agreed.
When he got home that night, Lu Yiming told Shi Qingxue about this. He originally wanted Shi Qingxue to go with him to prevent him from being too bored, but Shi Qingxue happened to be working on a project, so Lu Yiming had no choice but to take Yu Jiayi with him.
Since entering university, Shi Qingxue has been very self-aware and knows that it is impossible for her to go to Fu Ri University with her real level. Now everyone knows that she is Lu Yiming's girlfriend. In order not to embarrass Lu Yiming, and now that her heart knot has been untied, she studies very hard. Not only does she learn the university courses well, she also takes time to catch up on the knowledge she learned in middle school.
At five o'clock in the afternoon, Yu Jiayi returned to the dormitory after finishing a day's work.
Although she has found a job with Lu Yiming, she is actually only a senior and will graduate in more than two months.
The other people in the dormitory also found a job locally, so the four-person dormitory group is still there.
"Yo, our richest man's secretary is back."
"How is it? Is it fun to be a secretary to the richest man?"
Yu Jiayi dedicated herself to the dormitory, and several people in the dormitory immediately started to make fun of her.
After all, being a secretary for the richest man is a job that is so mysterious and enviable.
Yu Jiayi sat in her seat with a tired look on her face, put a stack of documents in her hand on the table, and said, "What fun is this? Mr. Lu is very busy, and he talks about hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars worth of business. I have to do a lot of work, and I dare not relax at all. If I make a mistake in a number, I probably won't be able to pay it back in my lifetime."
There is a saying: Never think that rich people are as happy as you think. Yu Jiayi has deeply realized this after following Lu Yiming for a few months. She always thought that if Lu Yiming had so many thoughts and could buy whatever he wanted, his life should be carefree. But in fact, what Lu Yiming needed to think about was far more complicated than she imagined.
Yu Jiayi opened the folder and began to check and verify, fearing that if she made a mistake in a word, she would have trouble reporting to the team the next day.
At this moment, the phone on the table rang. Yu Jiayi took a look, quickly pressed the answer button, and put it to her ear: "Hello, Mr. Lu."
When the other girls in the dormitory heard that it was Lu Yiming who called, they all came over and eavesdropped.
Yu Jiayi wanted to dodge, but was held down by several people and couldn't move, so she had to ignore them.
On the other end of the phone, Lu Yiming had no idea that there were several people eavesdropping on Yu Jiayi's end, so he asked, "Do you have time tonight?"
Hearing this, several roommates suddenly widened their eyes and looked at each other, with the fire of gossip burning in their eyes.
“It’s started, it’s started!”
"The love-hate relationship between the overbearing president and the arrogant secretary!"
"Sure enough, there is nothing the secretary can do..."
Yu Jiayi waved her hand to drive away several roommates, and said to Lu Yiming carefully: "Yes, what can I do for you, Mr. Lu?"
Normally, apart from the normal working hours of nine to five every day, Lu Yiming never calls Yu Jiayi, and Yu Jiayi has never had the experience of working overtime.
Coupled with the chattering of several roommates around, Yu Jiayi's heart beat faster. She thought of many plots in youth novels and felt a little dry in the mouth.
Over there, Lu Yiming had no idea that there were so many people around Yu Jiayi, and he said to himself: "I remember you didn't seem to have an evening gown? Come on, I'll take you to buy an evening gown tonight."
Evening gown?
Yu Jiayi's mind suddenly flashed with many scenes of princes and princesses, and she couldn't help but say, "Mr. Lu, you don't usually need to wear that kind of clothes, right? You want to..."
Lu Yiming said, "Ah, there is an official event in a few days, and I am invited to attend it. I just remembered that you told me last time that you didn't have an evening gown for the event. I happen to have time tonight, so we can go buy you a suitable one."
After hearing what Lu Yiming said, Yu Jiayi let out a long sigh and said, "Okay."
When they heard that Lu Yiming was going to take Yu Jiayi to buy an evening gown, several roommates immediately started making a fuss.
"Wow, Mr. Lu wants to buy you clothes? I heard that when boys buy clothes for girls, it means they like them."
Yu Jiayi rolled her eyes and said, "What? Mr. Lu just said that there will be a formal event in a few days and I need to wear an evening gown. What are you guys thinking about?"
Qi Xuecheng smiled and said, "If that's the case, then you must take me with you. I'll help you choose."
Yu Jiayi frowned slightly and said, "Is it okay?"
"That must be possible."
After a while, Yu Jiayi packed up her things and went to the downstairs of the girls' dormitory with Qi Xuecheng.
Lu Yiming was already waiting downstairs in his Audi. When he saw Yu Jiayi coming downstairs, he waved and said, "Here."
Yu Jiayi walked over and said to Lu Yiming, "This is my best friend Qi Xuecheng. I want to bring her along to help me with some reference. Is that okay?"
Lu Yiming smiled and said, "Sure, I don't know much about women's clothes, so you have to choose."
Half an hour later, they arrived at the largest luxury goods mall in Zhonghai. Evening dresses, except for custom orders, can probably only be bought in places like this.
Lu Yiming said to Yu Jiayi, "Since you brought your best friend with you, you can go shopping for clothes. I'll go shopping too."
Yu Jiayi was a little worried, but Qi Xuecheng pulled Yu Jiayi and ran away: "You said it, don't say we paid too much."
Lu Yiming smiled slightly and said, "No."
It’s just an evening gown, how expensive can it be?
The second floor was full of luxury stores, such as Hermès and Donald Trump. Not to mention Yu Jiayi, even Qi Xuecheng, who came from a wealthy family, didn't dare to come here casually. The luxury goods that cost five figures were not something she could afford.
"Wow, there are so many beautiful clothes here, it's simply a paradise for women!" Qi Xuecheng tightly grasped Yu Jiayi's arm and said pitifully: "Sister, can you help me ask Mr. Lu if he still needs a secretary? I can do that too."
Yu Jiayi scolded with a smile: "Okay, stop fooling around, help me with some advice quickly, buy one and leave, don't let Mr. Lu wait too long, there are so many here, it makes my eyes dizzy."
"Okay."
Qi Xuecheng curled his lips, looked around, pointed at one of the women's clothing stores and said, "I think the style of that store is more suitable for you. Let's go and take a look."
This is a store that sells high-end women's clothing. The overall style is calm and restrained, which is indeed more suitable for the temperament of intellectual women like Yu Jiayi who study law.
The two walked into the store. Yu Jiayi casually picked up the tag of a piece of clothing in front of her and took a look. She was immediately shocked: "This short-sleeved cheongsam costs more than 20,000 yuan?"
The salary Lu Yiming paid her was already very high, but her annual salary was only enough to buy this one piece of clothing.
It's really outrageous.
Qi Xuecheng said: "After all, it is a dress, and it is an international brand, so the price is reasonable."
Yu Jiayi shook her head and said, "It's too expensive, too expensive. Let's see if there's anything cheaper."
As a result, the two of them took a look around and found that the cheongsam-style dress at the door, priced at 15,999 yuan, was the cheapest in the store.
Qi Xuecheng said: "I think it's good, why don't you try it, it will definitely look good on you."
While talking, Qi Xuecheng went to get clothes from the rack. As a result, a female clerk came out and saw the two people getting clothes. She immediately scolded them: "What are you two doing?"
If it was any other customer, she would definitely not shout like that, after all, women who can shop in such a store must be either rich or noble. The reason she spoke was because she recognized Qi Xuecheng and Yu Jiayi at once.
Qi Xuecheng and Yu Jiayi were also frightened by the shout. They both looked towards the source of the sound, and then a look of surprise appeared on their faces.
Yu Jiayi asked in surprise: "Tang Zhu? Why are you working here?"
Qi Xuecheng asked, "Does your family own this store?"
After all, it was a top university like Fu Ri University, and it was unexpected that she would sell clothes after graduation, so Qi Xuecheng thought that this girl might have come back to inherit the family business. After all, the distribution of such an international luxury brand was not something that ordinary people could handle.
Tang Zhu usually has a rather scornful personality and never interacts with classmates from poor families. She did not answer the two people's questions, but said, "If you don't want to buy it, don't touch it. If you break it, you can't afford to pay for it."
She knew that neither Yu Jiayi nor Qi Xuecheng were from wealthy families, and it was impossible for them to buy clothes that cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Qi Xuecheng was immediately upset and responded sharply: "Hey, you are looking down on others. Who said we can't afford it?"
Tang Zhu said disdainfully, "We've been classmates for four years, how could I not know whether you have money or not? This Yu Jiayi has been eating steamed buns for half of the semester, how can she buy clothes from me? Okay, stop embarrassing yourself here. I didn't pursue you because we're classmates. Otherwise, I would have called someone long ago."
At this moment, shop owner Zhu Chongliang, who was drinking tea in his office, came out and asked, "What happened?"
He had been in the luxury goods business for decades and had a very sharp eye. He took one look at Yu Jiayi and Qi Xuecheng and determined that they were not rich people. People who usually came to his store to consume must have been wearing famous brands, but the two people in front of him were dressed neatly, but they were not wearing any branded goods.
However, people who can do this kind of business are not reckless. Although Zhu Chongliang judged that the two people in front of him were not customers, he still smiled and said, "Two ladies, I am the store manager. May I ask if I can help you?"
Qi Xuecheng pointed at several evening gowns hanging on the wall and said, "Take these down for me, and let's try them on."
Tang Zhu laughed and said, "You can't afford it, so why try it?"
Zhu Chongliang said hypocritically: "How can you talk to guests like this?"
Although he did a good job on the surface, Zhu Chongliang was very resistant to Qi Xuecheng's request.
For those who obviously can't afford an evening gown, it would be a waste of time to let them try it on.
At this time, Lu Yiming walked over slowly, looked at the two people with empty hands, and asked: "What? Haven't you chosen yet?"
Zhu Chongliang raised his head and looked at Lu Yiming, then his eyes widened.
He didn't recognize Lu Yiming's identity as the richest man, but recognized the watch on Lu Yiming's wrist.
Franck Muller!
The Franck Muller brand is not very famous in the country, but it is expensive!
The starting price is at least several hundred thousand dollars, which is enough to keep most people away. And because it is not well-known to ordinary people, there are almost no counterfeits.
So Zhu Chongliang could be sure that what was on the wrist of the young man in front of him was definitely the real thing!
A watch worth millions, it’s not just a watch, it’s like wearing a villa on the street!
Qi Xuecheng was about to speak when Zhu Chongliang came over with a smile and said, "You two beauties have already taken a fancy to the evening gowns in our store. I was just about to bring the sizes over for you to try on. Tang Zhu, quickly take down the dresses and let the guests try them on."
Tang Zhu was not happy and grumbled, "Manager, they really can't afford it. They are just here to tease us."
Zhu Chongliang wanted to strangle this intern to death.
You are f*cking blind, but I am not. How could I not know that they can't afford it? It's enough if the men behind them can afford it!
In order to prevent Tang Zhu from saying anything rude and making the situation awkward, Zhu Chongliang said, "Okay, I'll get it for the customer myself. You clumsy fellow, go to the warehouse and sort the shelves."
He explained to Lu Yiming and the others with a smile: "I'm new here and I don't know much. Please forgive me."
Tang Zhu, who had found this internship job thanks to her family's connections, felt aggrieved and couldn't understand why the manager scolded her when she was telling the truth.
