Chairman!

Chairman!

Seeing Xu Jia walk in, Liu Zhuo and Xiao Qiang reflexively stood up from the sofa.

"Chairman Xu, it's an honor to meet you!"

Without putting on airs of arrogance, Ye Chen also stood up and smiled faintly at Xu Jia as he entered.

In his previous life, though he had amassed personal wealth of 400 billion yuan and mingled with countless influential figures, Ye Chen had never crossed paths with Xu Jia.

The reason lay in Xu Jia's grand ambitions, which ultimately dragged the Hengda Group into decline.

Starting in real estate, Xu Jia was evidently dissatisfied with an industry destined to face a bubble sooner or later. Thus, he expanded into numerous other sectors—food and oil, water, tourism, insurance, genetics, hotels, smartphones, and even automobiles and energy.

However, due to Hengda Group's lack of expertise in many of these fields, the company ultimately exemplified the age-old adage: taking too big a step can lead to trouble.

In Ye Chen's previous life, the Far Suburb project, intended as Hengda's pivotal comeback strategy, could have succeeded under ideal circumstances.

But fate had other plans.

Before Hengda could turn the tide with the Far Suburb project, one subsidiary after another faced financial crises. Pressed for cash, Hengda had to resort to its real estate business, but the funding gap was too large. Even by aggressively liquidating real estate assets, Hengda failed to stabilize its cash flow.

Ye Chen remembered that Hengda eventually sold off the Far Suburb project, which was less than 30% completed, along with other assets. It retained only its real estate division and its automotive sector, which could still benefit from government policy incentives.

Thus began the decline of Hengda Group, once seen as a rising commercial empire.

Ironically, the company that acquired the Far Suburb project doubled its market value through its successful development.

By abandoning the Far Suburb project to preserve its automotive sector, Hengda effectively traded a watermelon for a sesame seed. When government policies for the auto industry later shifted, Hengda not only lost the ability to exploit incentives but also found itself mired in the hyper-competitive automotive sector.

In the end, Hengda couldn't even secure a foothold in the auto market.

As Ye Chen gazed at the spirited Xu Jia before him, he couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy.

He didn't deny Xu Jia's achievements and legendary status, but he couldn't condone his ambition. That very ambition, coupled with overly aggressive moves, ultimately shattered his legacy, leaving behind a cautionary tale of overreach.

"Haha, impressive! I, Xu Jia, have navigated the business world for decades, rising from nothing to establish Hengda Group here in Jiangzhou's CBD. Yet, I've never encountered a young man as strategic and bold as Mr. Ye!"

Clapping his hands, Xu Jia walked over to Ye Chen with a smile.

Clearly, he was already aware of everything that had transpired in the meeting room earlier.

His gaze toward Ye Chen brimmed with admiration and a sense of regret.

It was as if he saw his younger self.

"Chairman Xu flatters me," Ye Chen replied with a calm smile.

"What's your opinion of Hengda Group, Mr. Ye?" Xu Jia suddenly shifted the conversation.

"Oh?" Ye Chen narrowed his eyes.

He knew Xu Jia wasn't fishing for compliments. Hengda's reputation as a world-class enterprise spoke for itself; it hardly needed his praise.

"Haha, what I mean is: are you interested in Hengda Group? You name your salary, pick your position—how about it?" Xu Jia asked candidly.

Swoosh!

Both Liu Zhuo and Xiao Qiang widened their eyes in shock.

Just one meeting?

Just because Ye Chen had leveraged a piece of land in Jinzong Village to gain the upper hand against Hengda, Xu Jia was now offering him a blank check for both salary and position?

This... this was utterly reckless and irrational!

Even for top-tier talent from the Forbes list, such an offer would be unheard of.

Yet, to their surprise, Ye Chen merely responded with a light smile.

"Chairman Xu, you jest. I'm here to negotiate a deal with Hengda, and now you want to recruit me? What's that about? That's not a very funny joke, you know."

"I'm not joking," Xu Jia said earnestly. "I'll buy the Jinzong Village land from you for 660 million yuan. At the same time, I'd like to bring you into Hengda Group—even as a consultant. What do you say?"

"Chairman Xu, I appreciate the offer," Ye Chen replied, smiling. "But I'm not suited to being a consultant for Hengda. My success is just a mix of clever tactics and good luck. Besides, I value my freedom and dislike being bound by rules. With a few hundred million in hand, I'm even less inclined to work for others!"

From Xu Jia's demeanor, Ye Chen could tell he was serious.

But so what?

Even if Xu Jia offered him an annual salary of a hundred billion yuan, it wouldn't sway him.

Leaving aside his past life as a billionaire mogul, Ye Chen now had sixty years of foresight. There was no way he would subordinate himself to anyone.

His goal was to create an unparalleled business empire with his own hands!

"Not even a second thought?" Xu Jia frowned.

"Not even a second thought," Ye Chen replied firmly.

Shrugging, Xu Jia sighed in disappointment. "Well, I won't force you. But if you ever change your mind, Hengda's doors will always be open to you."

"Thank you, Chairman Xu! Now, let's get back to business. The Jinzong Village land—no objections to the 660 million yuan price?" Ye Chen asked.

"Would it change anything if I did?" Xu Jia chuckled bitterly.

"Nope!"

"Then Hengda accepts the price. Deal!" Xu Jia extended his hand.

"Deal!" Ye Chen shook hands with him.

"I'll have my team draft the acquisition contract. We'll notify you once it's ready for signing," Xu Jia said.

"No problem!"

A massive 660 million yuan transaction was sealed with Xu Jia's decisiveness.

It wasn't carelessness on Xu Jia's part; he simply knew that haggling with someone like Ye Chen would be futile.

After some polite farewells, Ye Chen turned to leave.

But just as he reached the door, Xu Jia called out.

"Mr. Ye!"

"Yes?" Ye Chen paused and looked back.

"What's your opinion of Hengda Group now?" Xu Jia asked, almost instinctively.

"Hmm..." Ye Chen hesitated briefly before replying with a meaningful smile.

"Taking too big a step can lead to trouble. Of course, buying my Jinzong Village land isn't part of that—it's a wise move!"