Qi Xuan felt rather helpless. He genuinely suspected that if he were to say, "I like you" right now, Ye Zhi would likely laugh heartily and reply, "That's a funny coincidence, I like myself too."
Perhaps, when dealing with certain people, some things couldn't be rushed. He could practice his patience.
He said no more, lowering his head to review the proposal.
Soon, Qi Xuan looked up in surprise, "Your next plan is to acquire a courier company?"
"Yes." Ye Zhi nodded. "Taoxun is an online shopping platform. Couriers are almost the lifeline of Taoxun. If possible, I still want to have control over it myself."
Qi Xuan nodded slightly and continued reading.
Ye Zhi went on, "I've learned that the domestic courier companies Feitong and Shunda have been locked in a fierce battle for years. Over time, Feitong has gradually acquired smaller courier companies across the country, and many courier companies are connected to it.
They have been squeezing Shunda's market, and Shunda is having a very difficult time now, with severe financial problems. If it weren't for Shunda's boss refusing to bow to his competitors, they probably would have given up long ago.
It's a good time for us to enter the market now. Moreover, I privately inquired about Shunda's boss's intentions, and he has a very good impression of Taoxun and is not opposed to Taoxun acquiring it."
"Shunda is indeed a good choice, but..." Qi Xuan frowned slightly. "Capital is profit-driven, and your approach, in essence, is to reform the current courier industry, which isn't very profitable."
Ye Zhi replied, "Making less profit isn't the same as not making any profit. Besides, the profit we forgo is being given to those who deserve it, going to where it should go. I believe this will fully mobilize the employees' enthusiasm and be beneficial for the company's long-term development."
Qi Xuan's brow remained furrowed. He was, of course, willing to invest.
However, even if he agreed, it would still require going through proper procedures at Qi's. While this proposal could convince him, it might not convince others.
He said in a deep voice, "I didn't expect you to be an idealist."
"Aren't you one too?" Ye Zhi chuckled.
Qi Xuan looked at her with some surprise. "Why do you say that?"
Ye Zhi met Qi Xuan's gaze directly and stated with conviction, "When Qianbai was first established, you saw its potential and wanted to invest. Although you were rejected, Qianbai's development hasn't been smooth sailing in the past few years. As long as you wanted to, you had countless opportunities to get involved with Qianbai and turn it into another cash cow for Qi's. But you didn't, simply because you disdained associating with people like Ou Minghan, didn't you?"
Qi Xuan looked at her with a complex expression. Why was this girl, Ye Zhi, so slow in matters of romance, yet always managed to resonate with him on a spiritual level in such peculiar ways?
Yes, just as Ye Zhi said, after his initial investment was rejected, he hadn't considered Qianbai again. It was purely because he disliked Ou Minghan and didn't want to be tainted by association with such a person.
He had his own bottom line and principles he wouldn't compromise for money. Perhaps, as Ye Zhi suggested, he was also an idealist.
"Qi Xuan, don't you want to see if I can really bring about new and better changes to the courier industry?" Ye Zhi asked softly.
Qi Xuan closed the proposal and said in a deep voice, "There's no problem with the proposal. Since you want to reform the courier industry, provide more detailed data."
"Alright." Ye Zhi smiled faintly. "I'll prepare it as soon as possible."
She didn't actually expect Qi Xuan to agree to invest today, as she knew her proposal was too idealistic. Ye Yongxian, being her father, naturally saw everything good in his daughter.
But for other investors, they cared more about profit. To them, anything that didn't involve cutting the last strands of profit was a loss.
So, this time, she was more interested in seeing Qi Xuan's reaction and whether there was any hope for the investment. Now, it seemed the hope was quite high.
Seeing Ye Zhi's mind wandering back to business, Qi Xuan's gaze held a hint of melancholy.
Couldn't she think about something else for a break?
"You should go back now," Qi Xuan said, a little displeased.
"Huh? Aren't we exercising tonight?" Ye Zhi asked, bewildered.
"I've taught you everything you need to know. Practice by yourself," Qi Xuan stated firmly.
"Oh," Ye Zhi asked casually, "Will I still need to come here in the future?"
Qi Xuan: ...
He finally understood what it meant to lift a rock only to drop it on one's own foot. He just wanted to be a little upset, and Ye Zhi was already preparing to burn the bridge after crossing it?
"Of course, you will!" Qi Xuan said in a deep voice. "This is just the end of the first phase of training. Next, we'll focus on strength training for you."
"Okay, I'll follow your arrangements," Ye Zhi agreed, nodding.
Afterward, Ye Zhi bid farewell and left.
Looking at the flowers Ye Zhi had brought, Qi Xuan felt a mix of amusement and exasperation.
Whenever Ye Zhi faced him, she was forthright, her intentions pure, devoid of any romantic notions. He was the one overthinking and trapped by his own inhibitions.
It seemed he would have to adjust his mindset and not be impatient. Some things couldn't be rushed, and they wouldn't be rushed. He and Ye Zhi had plenty of time to spend together, and feelings could be cultivated slowly.
***
At the Ou residence, Ou Minghan's expression was unusually grim.
His day had been absolutely terrible.
The public opinion online kept shifting. Initially, it was all criticism against their Qianbai, but then it turned into a 'praise one, criticize another' situation, with Qianbai being attacked while Taoxun was praised.
Later, however, more and more people became engrossed in exploring Taoxun's app features and sharing amusing anecdotes about people they knew using Taoxun. No one was bothering to criticize their Qianbai anymore.
Being cursed at was one thing; being ignored was quite another, offering no chance for redemption.
After all, if users couldn't even be bothered to curse at you, why would they care about what kind of app you were, or whether it was good or not?
Even the person in charge of company H had called him directly, demanding to cancel their cooperation.
No matter what Ou Minghan said, the other party refused to get involved in this mess, even if it meant paying breach of contract fees.
With even this last chance of turning things around gone, Ou Minghan was left with only impotent rage. It seemed it was time to play his trump card.
"Minghan."
Ye Qin Ya's voice came from behind him.
Ou Minghan quickly adjusted his facial expression, putting on a look of deep affection. He turned around, intimately wrapping an arm around Ye Qin Ya's waist.
"Qin Ya, you're so beautiful," he said, feigning emotion, and then kissed her.
By the time the kiss ended, Ye Qin Ya's face was already flushed with shyness.
She said with a hint of bashfulness, "Minghan, we haven't been this close in so long."
"It's just that I've been too busy lately and neglected you," Ou Minghan said. "Qin Ya, how have your relations with your family been recently?"