Yuan Ye’s car was parked right at the main entrance. Only after getting into the car did Li Sheng notice Yuan Ye’s attire for today; although he had shed his work aura, he still couldn’t shake off his innate sense of oppression. “Manager Du didn’t come?”
Yuan Ye smiled: “You two chat pretty well. I heard you’re also a Northerner.”
“Yeah, that’s right. What a coincidence, we’re from the same hometown as you.”
“Do you go back every year?”
“Yeah, once a year. There are some relatives and friends over there, and we go back every year to get together.”
“Is there only you in your family?”
“No, there’s also an older brother. Tomorrow is his wedding.”
“What’s your brother’s name?”
“Li Fan.”
“I’m also going to attend a wedding tomorrow, probably your brother’s, at Central Garden, right?”
“Right, what a coincidence. You know my older brother?”
“Yeah, we had a few contacts with the military and used our tables and chairs a few times, so we got to know each other. Your brother is truly young and promising.”
“Yeah, our whole family are soldiers. Regarding this aspect, my father is still quite dissatisfied with me.”
“You’re also very good and very outstanding. Your father should feel proud of you.”
Li Sheng stopped responding, turned his head, and glanced at the expression on Yuan Ye’s face. He didn’t look much like someone who could talk about family matters and daily trivia, and he didn’t know if it was because of his older brother, but this whole way down made him feel a bit more relaxed around Yuan Ye.
The restaurant Yuan Ye chose this time was a Chinese restaurant with very authentic Hunan cuisine. At the entrance, there were also many photos of the boss and celebrities displayed, making it a very popular restaurant. The boss seemed very familiar with Yuan Ye and led the two of them into a private room. The private room was by the window with floor-to-ceiling glass, and looking down from the fifth floor gave a slight sense of dizziness, but the decoration style was still very special—very modern yet mixed with a lot of antique charm. Li Sheng liked this place very much.
Yuan Ye ordered some signature dishes and handed the menu over. Li Sheng glanced at it a few times, ordered only one item, and handed it back to the waiter. Yuan Ye softly inquired: “Is there nothing that suits your appetite?”
Li Sheng shook his head: “Not very hungry. You’ve already ordered too much, it’s enough.”
Yuan Ye ordered a bottle of wine, and Li Sheng only found it familiar, belatedly exclaiming: “You really like this brand of wine. Manager Du specifically introduced it last time.”
Yuan Ye nimbly popped the cork and poured wine for Li Sheng: “Yeah, as long as I only like one thing, I won’t like anything else anymore.”
Hearing this, Li Sheng didn’t know how to respond. His heart skipped a beat, unable to describe the feeling, yet hard to put into words—he only felt a tightness in his chest.
Unaware, Yuan Ye said straight to the point: “I’ve been hearing that you intend to go out on your own.”
Li Sheng nodded slightly, taking a sip of Yuan Ye’s wine: “Yeah, such a small matter, yet it got made known to everyone.”
“With your capability, many bosses must really want you to slave away for them for life.”
“That’s really flattering me too much. My career has just begun, and I’m still far behind.”
“Going it alone always carries a lot of risks. First of all, you have to have a very good business partner. Living and walking alone in this society makes survival impossible.”
Li Sheng took a large gulp, tasting the flavor in his mouth: “You’re right, but a reliable partner is not that easy to find.”
Yuan Ye nodded slightly: “I recently have the intention to acquire other companies. The advertising industry is so hot right now, and I want to find someone to manage it.”
Li Sheng finally understood Yuan Ye’s intention. Saying it so straight out actually left him a bit baffled; professionals far more capable than him were countless in the industry, and he didn’t understand why Yuan Ye picked him out of all people.
As if to clear up his doubts, Yuan Ye slowly put down his chopsticks: “After conversing with you twice, your operational maturity and customer communication skills are far stronger than many famous designers many times over. I don’t plan to hire you; I’ve come to talk to you about a partnership. This company is done in my personal name, so it’s just my solo investment, and we’ll split the profits. If it goes well and involves expanding the scale or bringing in other partners, we can discuss it then.”
Li Sheng had to admit that he was about to be persuaded by Yuan Ye’s few words. Regarding funding, he indeed wasn’t as bold as Yuan Ye. Even if he went out to start a company, he would definitely need to talk about partners. Now the money was piled right in front of him, and this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Yet, Li Sheng sighed and replied: “This matter can’t just be done on a whim. I’m signing a contract with the company tomorrow; let’s deal with your matter first.”
Yuan Ye nodded: “Think about it. The contract has a three-month window, and it will take some time for me to set up the company here as well. We’ll talk again when the time is right.”