Zhou Tong said with a hint of helplessness, "The matter isn't complicated. They just want to use a price war to force us out of the Shangjing market."
"I've thought about this. Money. We need a large amount of capital right now, even if it means operating at a loss. This battle absolutely cannot be lost. Once we lose, we'll have to switch tracks and start over."
Li Chonglou pondered for a long time.
"Alright, as long as you have a plan, that's good. Leave the money matters to me. I'll transfer a sum to you in the next two days."
It would take a day or two for Luo Feng's money to be retrieved. This had been agreed upon when they parted ways, and the amount wasn't small. Li Chonglou believed it would be enough for a while.
With his most pressing concern handled, Li Chonglou didn't rush to contact others. He called for the convoy team to pick him up.
It was Old Five, the first time he had chauffeured for him.
"Wutaoshan? I'm familiar with that place."
Li Chonglou had merely asked Old Five subconsciously if he knew the place, and the latter immediately affirmed he did. However, what Li Chonglou didn't expect was that Old Five also brought up the matter of money.
"Boss, Old Gao has prepared the proposal for the cooperation talks. When can we have the funds to implement it?"
Li Chonglou was taken aback for a moment before recalling his previous discussion with Gao Baisong about the convoy's development. Gao Baisong had outlined a general plan then.
But why hadn't he heard Zhou Tong mention this?
Li Chonglou asked with a hint of confusion, and Old Five quickly explained, "Just as Old Gao was about to bring it up, our company was targeted. We needed money for everything, so Old Gao said we'd discuss it when you returned."
Old Five added, "Boss, although Old Gao was reluctant to mention it, fearing it would put pressure on our company, I feel it's necessary to bring it up. The sooner this is implemented, the more beneficial it will be for us, especially since no one has noticed this point yet."
"If someone with the same idea suddenly emerges later, it will be several times more difficult for us to execute it then."
Li Chonglou nodded, "Mm, I understand. I'll discuss this with Old Gao as soon as I get back. By the way, how is Old Gao doing?"
Old Five grinned, "He's already out of the hospital and back to work, but he's returned to Fengzhen. He was the one who started this assignment and is unwilling to give up."
Li Chonglou smiled, "As long as he's fine."
After that, Old Five fell silent. As a professional driver, he only focused on driving. He didn't actively inquire about where they were going or what they were doing.
By the time Li Chonglou arrived at Wutaoshan, it was already afternoon.
After instructing Old Five to wait for him there, Li Chonglou strode up the mountain.
When he spotted the villa in the distance, he noticed a few familiar faces.
They were Luo Qingqing's subordinates.
"She's here too?"
Li Chonglou approached with curiosity and, after a brief inquiry, confirmed that Luo Qingqing was indeed inside.
"Mr. Li, perhaps I should go in and report first?"
Li Chonglou immediately shook his head, "No, I'll go in. If you're worried, you can follow."
Their relationship had already shifted from subtle to open after that meal, and Luo Qingqing had given prior instructions. Therefore, when Li Chonglou decided to go in first, her subordinates didn't have much to say. They could only discreetly take out their phones to send messages.
When Li Chonglou reached the basement, Luo Qingqing was already waiting there.
"Brother Li!"
Seeing Li Chonglou again, a hard-to-explain happiness bloomed on Luo Qingqing's face. Li Chonglou asked curiously,
"What are you doing here?"
Luo Qingqing smiled, "Taking care of the sacred beast for you. My grandfather said that when sacred beasts are in hibernation for evolution, they are most sensitive to their surroundings."
As she spoke, she turned around. Behind her, an opened cabinet revealed a layer of grey grass.
"This is Lingku Grass I bought from the black market. Although it only contains a small amount of spiritual energy, it's better than nothing."
Li Chonglou's brows furrowed slightly. He worried that Luo Qingqing was doing this for him again.
"Xiao Qing, how much did it cost? I'll transfer it back to you later."
Even with true friends, Li Chonglou did not have a habit of taking advantage. If it wasn't absolutely necessary, what he least wanted was to owe favors.
As the saying goes, monetary debts are easy to repay, but favors are hard to settle. Favors can be said to be the most complex form of debt.
However, what he didn't expect was that Luo Qingqing's entire demeanor changed the moment she heard this.
"Brother Li, you still don't trust me? I'm not doing this for you; my sacred beast is also curious, and I'm doing this willingly."
Li Chonglou was stunned for a moment. Seeing that Luo Qingqing didn't seem to be joking, he immediately apologized.
"I'm sorry, I was overthinking."
Luo Qingqing finally nodded, then, as if nothing had happened, she began to tell Li Chonglou about Xiaobai's recent changes.
"Your sacred beast seems a bit unusual. I heard my grandfather say that the talent and strength of sacred beasts are generally judged by their size, but Xiaobai's size has never changed."
Li Chonglou walked over and directly picked Xiaobai out. Just as Luo Qingqing had said, the little fellow's appearance had not changed at all.
However, this suited Li Chonglou's wishes. Although a fully evolved sacred beast was several times stronger than the previous Xiaobai, that size and appearance were clearly not suitable for appearing in China.
Instead, this small size, which made it look like a pet, allowed it to stay.
Surprisingly, although Xiaobai's size hadn't changed, its aura had significantly strengthened.
Luo Qingqing sighed, "That's what I meant by unusual. Xiaobai's strength doesn't seem to be judged by its size. I asked my grandfather about this, and he said it's likely a variant among sacred beasts, but it's impossible to use conventional references for its adult and fully evolved forms."
"That doesn't matter. I don't need it to be that strong."
Li Chonglou stroked Xiaobai's back. The smooth feeling was no less than that of any valuable pet. He already had plans for Xiaobai's future.
To be his wife's personal bodyguard!
Therefore, Li Chonglou cared more about its appearance than its strength. However, for the future, it could still help him now.
"By the way, do you know when it's expected to wake up?"
Luo Qingqing pondered for a moment and said, "Theoretically, it should have been a couple of days ago. But it seems to be still evolving because of the Lingku Grass. I don't know why. I just feel like it's perfecting something."
Li Chonglou was taken aback. He suddenly remembered the first time Xiaobai went into hibernation. At that time, due to the urgency of the situation, he had forcibly woken it up.
Could it be because of that?
Li Chonglou couldn't help but touch Xiaobai's body again. Yes, it was purely because he wanted to touch it, not out of guilt.
"Then I'll take it with me. I have some things to attend to recently, and I might need its help."
Xiaobai was his in the first place, so Luo Qingqing naturally couldn't say much. She could only nod with a hint of reluctance.
As Li Chonglou turned to leave, he suddenly remembered something.