Xie Qian didn’t know why his blood was boiling with excitement.
In the past, he didn’t care much about anything.
Now… the Xie Qian from a year ago wouldn’t recognize the person he’d become.
Xie Qian strode out of the airport.
“Young Master Xie, over here!”
Gong Sheng waved from beside a car.
Gong Sheng hadn’t expected Xie Qian to make the trip just for him. Though a seasoned player, he was still touched.
Xie Qian’s visit to Shanghai didn’t mean Gong Sheng would agree to manage the logistics company, but it showed Xie Qian’s respect and value for him—something that, from another slick operator, would feel like a calculated move. Coming from Xie Qian, young as he was, it carried sincerity.
A young man with an air of nobility, tall and lean, carrying just a black backpack, arrived in Shanghai so simply and cleanly. Who’d believe he was here to discuss a multimillion-yuan company?
“Brother Gong, thanks for picking me up.”
“No trouble, no trouble, it’s only right,” Gong Sheng said, opening the back door.
Xie Qian shook his head, “Brother Gong, you’re too polite.” He ducked into the front passenger seat.
—Hey, this Young Master Xie’s got something!
Gong Sheng mentally summed Xie Qian up in three words: well-mannered.
Gong Sheng had planned to put Xie Qian on a pedestal—his background was too big to offend, so better to treat him with deference.
But Xie Qian didn’t see himself as above others. Gong Sheng wasn’t his driver, so he took the front seat.
On the road, Xie Qian brought up the logistics company.
“Brother Gong, I want to start a logistics company. You thought the location was advantageous, but when I invited you to join as a manager, you’ve been hesitant. You’re optimistic about the industry but not about me, right?”
Gong Sheng quickly denied it, “Young Master Xie, you’re so promising, how could I not believe in you? It’s just that I’ve got established business I’m reluctant to abandon, and I worry my skills might not be up to par, potentially holding you back!”
With Xie Qian coming all the way to Shanghai, Gong Sheng had to offer some solid reasoning for his reluctance.
He genuinely worried about mismanaging new business.
But the real reason was his unwillingness to give up his current, profitable ventures.
In Shanghai, Gong Sheng had built a reputation. Clients came to him based on word-of-mouth, ensuring a comfortable living—not wildly rich, but secure.
As the saying goes, stick to what you know. Asking Gong Sheng to ditch his familiar, money-making business to gamble with Xie Qian… if Xie Qian were a seasoned business tycoon, Gong Sheng might’ve jumped in. But Xie Qian’s age—sigh, even a few years older, say post-college, Gong Sheng might’ve taken the risk. Failure wouldn’t be the end; he could return to his old trade. But Xie Qian was just too young!
Gong Sheng wasn’t so moved by Xie Qian’s trip to pledge loyalty. The gesture touched him, but not enough to make a seasoned operator lose his senses.
Xie Qian didn’t push, instead asking, “Brother Gong, did you know that on the 10th of this month, the ‘National Modern Logistics Inter-Ministerial Conference’ was approved?”
Gong Sheng knew!
During the May Day holiday, Xie Qian had extended the invitation, which Gong Sheng had no intention of accepting.
Still, as a broker sensitive to information, Gong Sheng had researched the logistics industry’s state in China and recommended a professional manager with logistics experience to Xie Qian.
But right after rejecting Xie Qian, just days after the holiday, the conference was approved… a sign the government was integrating the logistics sector?
Gong Sheng, initially dead-set against joining, was shaken by the news, his refusal wavering to a third open to the idea.
He didn’t believe in such coincidences, suspecting Xie Qian’s connections gave him insider info to enter the logistics game.
Now, with Xie Qian bringing it up face-to-face, Gong Sheng was even more conflicted.
Familiar business, a young boss’s unpredictability—none of that mattered in the face of real opportunity!
What man doesn’t crave adventure in his bones?
Making money and building something big were different beasts!
Seeing Gong Sheng’s silence, Xie Qian lowered his eyes: smart people overthink. He’d only dropped a hint, and Gong Sheng was probably spinning a whole novel in his head.
Who’s to blame? Not Xie Qian.
His plan was simple: rent the land near the airport if possible; if not, use it himself. Logistics made sense because the location was ideal—no insider scoop involved.
Besides, with the Yangtze Delta’s rapid growth these past years, logistics would thrive even without the conference.
The market was there.
Regional logistics, national logistics—the opportunity was obvious. Xie Qian wasn’t aiming to dominate the industry; that was too ambitious. He just saw money to be made.
Why not try?
No try, no money falling from the sky.
At the hotel, Gong Sheng went to open Xie Qian’s door, but Xie Qian was already out.
“Young Master Xie, about what you said, I really need to—”
“No rush, Brother Gong, I understand. You don’t need to answer now. I’m in Shanghai for two days to meet the managers you recommended.”
“…?”
—So Young Master Xie’s meeting others?
He’d clearly not wanted those managers before!
Xie Qian’s plan aligned with Gong Sheng’s expectations—he could safely earn his broker fee. Yet, with Xie Qian no longer pressing him to join, Gong Sheng felt a pang of loss.
“Alright,” Gong Sheng adjusted quickly.
As an experienced player, he shouldn’t be led by a kid like Xie Qian. No matter how smart or well-raised Xie Qian was, he wasn’t yet an adult. No one’s born all-knowing.
Too hasty, too hasty—almost got emotionally played by Xie Qian.
Gong Sheng settled Xie Qian into the hotel. Xie Qian was polite throughout but didn’t mention partnering again.
Even knowing Xie Qian was playing hard-to-get, Gong Sheng still felt a twinge.
—That’s what a true prodigy looks like, huh!
“I’ll arrange the manager meetings for tomorrow,” Gong Sheng said.
“Thanks for the trouble, Brother Gong.”
Gong Sheng left, leaving Xie Qian alone in the hotel.
Gong Sheng saw it as hard-to-get; Xie Qian called it psychological warfare. He wanted Gong Sheng to feel valued, not worshipped.
The world keeps turning without any one person.
Though Gong Sheng was his top pick, if he refused, Xie Qian wouldn’t force him.
One manager doesn’t work? Try another. Every business needs room for trial and error.
