Morning. Huanya Century Center.
Top-floor Meeting Room.
Shi Yuyang sat on the sofa in the reception area, wearing a well-tailored suit with his hair meticulously styled. The Patek Philippe on his wrist reflected a cold light under the sun.
His back was ramrod straight, yet his gaze drifted toward the door from time to time, betraying a flicker of subtle anxiety as he occasionally glanced down at the time on his watch. He had arrived fifteen minutes early, and the receptionist had invited him here to wait.
Shi Yuyang stared at the closed door, his hand unconsciously brushing over the armrest of the sofa. It was a top-tier Fendi Casa custom leather piece, a set that cost as much as a down payment for a small apartment, yet it was placed casually in a meeting room for guests. Even though he had long known of Huanya’s immense wealth, its depth still felt unfathomable in this moment.
Just as he was immersed in his thoughts, the door to the meeting room was pushed open.
More than the sound, what Shi Yuyang noticed first was a captivating fragrance. It was a lush, luxurious floral scent with a velvety texture, opulent and grand, like a dangerous temptation.
He immediately stood up from the sofa and looked toward the door.
Yu Yanzhuo was wearing a slightly formal casual suit today. The pale pink hue complemented his skin, making it look even more porcelain-white. Beneath the V-neck inner shirt, a section of his slender neck and a patch of cold, white skin were visible, almost reflective in the sunlight.
An assistant followed behind him holding a folder, while Yu Yanzhuo’s hands were empty. He walked straight toward the head seat with his hands in his pockets before finally casting a glance toward Shi Yuyang.
“Are you the representative sent by Hua Yuntang?”
His gaze swept over the somewhat nervous Shi Yuyang.
“Yes, I am Shi Yuyang, the Vice General Manager of Hua Yuntang.”
As Shi Yuyang finished speaking, he leaned forward proactively and extended his hand toward Yu Yanzhuo, his fingers slightly curved in a gesture of deep humility.
Yu Yanzhuo glanced at him, raised his hand for a brief handshake, and then turned to sit on the sofa.
“I heard your father is a director?” Yu Yanzhuo looked at him.
Shi Yuyang looked to be only twenty-five or twenty-six. To become a Vice General Manager at such a young age, he had likely relied on his father to rise through the ranks, just like Yu Yanzhuo himself.
Shi Yuyang offered a smile. “Yes, Young Master Yu. Due to my comprehensive performance at work, my father appointed me to this position a year ago to oversee the company’s key projects. My visit today is also to demonstrate our company’s sincerity to you.”
The assistant leaned in and whispered something in Yu Yanzhuo’s ear. Yu Yanzhuo nodded, crossed his legs, leaned back casually against the sofa, and jerked his chin toward Shi Yuyang.
“Go ahead.”
Shi Yuyang cleared his throat and spoke in a steady voice. “Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to discuss this with our company. First, regarding the cooperation model, we fully accept any requirements Huanya may have.”
He leaned forward slightly, his tone sincere. “Whether it is a pure commission-based model, fixed rent, or a ‘guaranteed minimum plus commission’ model, whichever is higher, the proportions and amounts can be set according to Huanya’s standards. We have no objections. If a commission model is adopted, we are willing to proactively give up an additional three percentage points on top of the industry standard as a sign of our sincerity.”
Yu Yanzhuo listened while propping up his chin. He casually took the proposal submitted by Hua Yuntang from his assistant, flipped through a couple of pages, and nodded nonchalantly, signaling for Shi Yuyang to continue.
“Secondly, regarding marketing investment,” Shi Yuyang paused. “We plan to set up a dedicated fund specifically for our entry into Huanya, totaling no less than 40 percent of our annual marketing budget. We are also willing to exclusively bear the costs of the theme decorations for that area of the mall for at least two quarters.”
He emphasized his tone. “We are willing to sign the strictest exclusivity agreement. Within Huanya and its surrounding business circles, none of our group’s brands will cooperate with any competing malls.”
The terms were indeed generous, proving that Hua Yuntang, as the previous research report suggested, desperately needed the Huanya platform to expand its market.
Yu Yanzhuo looked at him. “What about the commission percentage?”
Regarding this point, Shi Yuyang had already made plans. He smiled humbly.
“We are willing to accept a 23 percent commission. This is already a very competitive rate in a business district of this caliber. At the same time, to show our confidence in Huanya’s foot traffic, we are willing to set a reasonable monthly guaranteed sales target of 3 million yuan. If we fail to reach it, we will still pay the commission to your side based on the 3 million base.”
According to most mall profit-sharing standards, these were already incredibly favorable terms.
Shi Yuyang continued, “We believe that with Huanya’s top-tier foot traffic and our brand’s full dedication, we can definitely achieve a win-win situation.”
“Twenty-three percent,” Yu Yanzhuo repeated. “A 3 million guarantee.”
He thought for a moment, nodded slightly, and the corners of his mouth curled up.
Seeing this, Shi Yuyang was overjoyed, thinking the deal was in the bag. However, he then heard Yu Yanzhuo speak with that same smile.
“Too low.”
His voice was unhurried, carrying its usual hint of a smile.
Too low?
Shi Yuyang froze and asked tentatively, “You mean”
“Commission, 30 percent.”
Yu Yanzhuo’s eyes crinkled as he flashed a brilliant smile.
“As for the guarantee,” he paused, “let’s forget about it.”
Shi Yuyang was momentarily stunned, as his mind could not quite process it. No guarantee? It sounded like a concession?
But immediately after, Yu Yanzhuo’s next sentence sent him into an abyss of cold.
“However, we need to sign a ‘Performance Bet Agreement’.”
Yu Yanzhuo leaned back into the sofa and spoke lightheartedly. “We will use a monthly average turnover of 8 million for the first year as the benchmark. If that figure is not met, 50 percent of the shortfall will be paid to Huanya as liquidated damages. For the portion that exceeds the benchmark, the commission rate can drop back to 20 percent.”
Shi Yuyang looked at the man in front of him in disbelief.
Truthfully, he had heard of Yu Yanzhuo’s reputation long ago. Including their accidental encounter at the bar, everything seemed to confirm that Yu Yanzhuo was merely a flamboyant second-generation rich kid who only flourished because of his father, Yu Mingzhen. He was someone who was essentially unlearned and cynical.
It was a fact that Shi Yuyang wanted to flatter and get close to Yu Yanzhuo, but he never felt that Yu Yanzhuo had any extraordinary qualities other than his face and family background.
But now he realized he was wrong.
The plan Yu Yanzhuo just proposed forced Hua Yuntang to work desperately to achieve an ultra-high turnover, otherwise, they would face massive losses. While high turnover brings huge profits and popularity to the mall, Yu Yanzhuo was binding the brand tightly to the mall, sharing the glory, while the brand alone would shoulder the massive losses if they failed.
Shi Yuyang’s throat felt a bit dry. “Young Master Yu, isn’t this percentage a bit high?”
Yu Yanzhuo glanced up at him, his tone unchanged. “Is it high?”
Shi Yuyang was about to nod when he saw Yu Yanzhuo glance lazily at the assistant behind him. His voice was not loud, but it was crystal clear.
“How many alternative brands are left? Ones that can accept my terms.”
The assistant bowed respectfully and made a few marks on the tablet in his hand before handing it to Yu Yanzhuo. Yu Yanzhuo glanced at it, nodded, and looked back at Shi Yuyang with that same smile.
“Manager Shi, I have no desire to guess what your psychological price point is. What I can tell you is that Huanya is never short of partners.”
Shi Yuyang’s breathing became rapid. He looked into Yu Yanzhuo’s smiling golden eyes, and his chest heaved violently a few times.
He closed his eyes and finally spoke with a tone of grim determination.
“We accept. Thank you very much for your company’s willingness to cooperate with us.”
“That is wonderful.” Yu Yanzhuo’s eyes curved. He raised his hands and clapped twice. “The legal department will contact you later. Thank you for your hard work.”
Shi Yuyang forced out a smile. “It is only what we should do. We are honored that Huanya is willing to give us this opportunity.”
Yu Yanzhuo stood up and checked the time. Seeing it was almost time for lunch, he was about to speak when Shi Yuyang spoke up as if he had been prepared.
“Young Master Yu, I wonder if you would do me the honor of having a meal with me?”
“Now?”
Shi Yuyang nodded. “I have already had someone reserve a table at Yunding in advance.”
Yunding was well-known among the wealthy, expensive with excellent service, and requiring reservations far in advance. It seemed Shi Yuyang had planned this for a long time.
Yu Yanzhuo thought it over. He had no other plans for lunch, so he simply agreed.
In the car, Yu Yanzhuo sat on the right side of the back seat, while Shi Yuyang was on his left, a body’s length away. Shi Yuyang took the initiative to find a topic of conversation.
“Young Master Yu, I do not know if you remember, but I have actually met you once before.”
Yu Yanzhuo, who had been staring at his phone, looked up at him with a puzzled tone.
“Have I met you?”
He did not recall ever seeing the person in front of him.
Although Shi Yuyang had expected this, seeing Yu Yanzhuo’s complete lack of memory still gave him a sense of frustration.
“It was last time at the PULSE bar. We met there.”
The bar?
Yu Yanzhuo narrowed his eyes. Recently, he had only been to PULSE once.
He stared at Shi Yuyang for a few seconds and suddenly remembered.
This was the person who had been with Shi Jingyan last time.