After Rebirth, I Married My Rival - Chapter 06
Chapter 6: The Scam Company (New Author Signing, Seeking Favorites and Votes)
After sending Li Xinran home, Xu Yuan said to her, « Wait for me obediently tomorrow, and remember to charge the scooter fully. »
« You’re coming again tomorrow? » Li Xinran clearly hadn’t expected this, her pretty face showing surprise.
She didn’t want to keep troubling Xu Yuan like this—she could manage on her own. That’s how she’d always gotten by in the past.
« Your foot needs proper rest, or how will you come with me to Mount Tai to see the sunrise? » Xu Yuan smiled, casually introducing his idea of inviting Li Xinran to climb Mount Tai.
« To Mount Tai? When did I ever agree to that? » Li Xinran touched her face, tilting her little head in apparent confusion.
It’s not too late to agree now. You said I helped you retrieve your exam admission ticket, and today I delivered your takeout for you.
« After helping you so much, don’t you think you should repay me? » Xu Yuan said, leaning in closer.
As Xu Yuan drew nearer, Li Xinran looked like a helpless lamb awaiting slaughter. She could only turn her head away and press her hands against his chest to stop him, not daring to meet his gaze that seemed ready to devour her.
« But… I don’t have that much money to take you traveling. How about later? I promise I’ll definitely take you to see the sunrise someday. » Li Xinran kept pleading for mercy.
« That won’t do. What if someone else sweeps you off your feet by then? You have to go this time—on my dime!
If you refuse, you’ll break my heart. After all I’ve done for you, you wouldn’t want to see me sad, would you? » Xu Yuan shamelessly played the guilt card, figuring that while the future might be uncertain, now was the perfect time to wrap Li Xinran around his finger.
« You’re standing too close… Can’t I at least think about it first? » Thoroughly defeated by Xu Yuan’s shameless tactics, Li Xinran could only stall for time.
« Just considering? » Xu Yuan deliberately furrowed his brows, leaning closer and closer.
« I promise, I promise… You should go home now, it’s getting late. » Li Xinran finally gave in—this guy was just too shameless.
« You said it yourself—whoever goes back on their word is a puppy! » Seeing his goal achieved, Xu Yuan stood up straight again with a grin.
This feels amazing! Bullying a competitor is just pure bliss!
No wonder Li Xinran always opposed me in my previous life—even when she couldn’t win, she probably still felt a secret thrill.
But how did my persona suddenly turn into a domineering CEO? Not gonna lie, it feels pretty good.
..
Lin Wan’er returned home and sprawled on the soft Simmons mattress, swinging her fair, jade-like legs while staring at the chat window on her phone. She seemed hesitant, her delicate face filled with inner conflict.
Seemingly having made up her mind, Lin Wan’er finally sent a message to Xu Yuan.
« Would you like to go see a movie together tomorrow? Xia Ke said there’s a good one showing. »
……
After a tiring day, Xu Yuan, who had just finished showering, was planning to go to bed early when he suddenly received a call from Qi Wei.
« Bro Yuan, you’re not being a good friend! Going to Mount Tai for fun and not even inviting me? » Qi Wei’s voice on the other end of the line sounded like a resentful wife.
« How did you know? » Xu Yuan was slightly taken aback. What was going on?
« Xia Ke told me. The school belle invited her, and she told me. » Qi Wei spoke very calmly, as if it were the most natural chain of events.
Hearing this, Xu Yuan couldn’t help but chuckle a couple of times—turns out this young couple had gotten together back in high school.
If he remembered correctly, their classmate Li Xinran had been admitted to the Imperial Capital Medical University as the city’s top scorer.
Although Xu Yuan’s grades weren’t among the very best, he still got into Imperial Capital University of Finance and Economics, which counted as a first-tier institution.
Both Lin Wan’er and Xia Ke had excellent grades—they were admitted to Imperial Capital Business School that year, a prestigious 211 university.
As for Qi Wei, due to poor performance in the college entrance exams, he directly fled to the far northwest.
So in his previous life, when Xu Yuan learned that Qi Wei and Xia Ke had gotten together, he was quite surprised—after all, they were worlds apart!
« Brother Yuan, I’m coming too! You can’t leave me behind. Without you, I don’t feel safe. »
« You just want to stick to Xia Ke, don’t you? » Xu Yuan almost felt bad exposing his little scheme.
Brother Yuan… what… what nonsense are you talking about? That violent woman… why would I… cling to her?
Qi Wei, whose thoughts had been exposed, appeared extremely nervous, stammering as he spoke.
Alright, I’ll give you credit for your unyielding integrity! You’re a real man!
Maybe it’s better you don’t admit it, lest you end up living off her in the future. »
Xia Keke was a bona fide little rich girl—her family wasn’t just ordinarily wealthy, but the kind that’s obscenely rich.
In his previous life, Qi Wei got married shortly after graduating from university and lived a life of complete comfort, wanting for nothing.
The key was that Xia Ke’s parents absolutely adored him—Qi Wei could be called the gold standard of successfully eating soft rice with hard teeth. At every class reunion, everyone jokingly called him the « Tiger of the Serious Crimes Unit. »
This kind of heaven-defying good fortune would make any man grind his teeth in envy!
When Qi Wei later approached Xu Yuan, saying he wanted to join him in business to realize his life’s value, Xu Yuan genuinely felt like breaking his legs!
After hanging up the phone, Xu Yuan also noticed the message Lin Wan’er had sent him.
Strangely enough, why would this girl take the initiative to invite him to watch a movie?
He still had to deliver takeout tomorrow, so Xu Yuan simply replied that he didn’t have time.
……
Lin Wan’er, who had been waiting for Xu Yuan’s reply, wondered if he might have fallen asleep.
Normally, he would respond much faster.
Finally, Xu Yuan replied. Lin Wan’er couldn’t help but smile slightly, but when she saw the words « no time, » she froze for a moment before burying her head in the pillow in frustration.
So annoying…
……
……
Son, why have you been leaving early and coming back late recently? You return home sweaty every day.
Xu Yuan hadn’t eaten at home for three or four days. Li Xiang finally noticed someone was missing at the dinner table, so when she saw Xu Yuan about to leave again early in the morning, she casually asked.
« Investment project, » Xu Yuan replied jokingly.
A love project counts as a project too—it’s not exactly lying.
« You’re such a smooth talker. But speaking of which, your dad went out early this morning with Uncle Lin, saying something mysterious about making big money. I feel a bit uneasy about it. » Li Xiang pressed a hand to her chest, sensing an ominous premonition.
Their family wasn’t wealthy, but they had enough to get by. After living this simple life for so long, they’d stopped striving for anything more.
« Making big money? » Xu Yuan was taken aback as distant memories suddenly surfaced.
Back in his previous life, during his freshman year of college, Xu Yuan’s family had faced a financial crisis for a period of time.
It seems it was because Xu Donglai and Lin Wan’er’s father Lin Jiadong invested in a barbecue restaurant.
As a result, both families lost quite a bit of money. Lin Jiadong was a mid-level executive at his company, so the loss wasn’t devastating. But for the modest Xu family, it was truly a crippling financial blow.
« Mom… where are Dad and Uncle Lin right now? I’m heading over immediately! » Xu Yuan hurriedly put on his shoes. Since he’d been given a second chance at life, he naturally wanted to smooth out any unnecessary hardships this time around.
……
I might not be able to deliver takeout for you this morning. Your foot injury hasn’t healed yet, so stay home and rest.
Xu Yuan immediately hailed a taxi and rushed to the address Li Xiang had provided, also notifying Li Xinran along the way.
« I’m not in a hurry, and you shouldn’t rush either. Be careful. » Although Li Xinran didn’t know what had happened to Xu Yuan, she could sense the urgency in his voice and couldn’t help feeling worried.
…
« You two gentlemen have visionary foresight. What’s currently the most profitable sector in the food and beverage industry?
It’s definitely barbecue! Low investment costs with high profit margins.
Whether it’s ingredient suppliers or grill masters, our company considers every need for merchants.
Even if you operate at a loss and can’t sell, our company guarantees buyback. »
The so-called regional manager sitting across from them was speaking with great eloquence.
Lin Jiadong and Xu Donglai, seated opposite, still seemed hesitant. The conditions the other party proposed were unbelievably favorable.
It’s impossible not to be tempted by such a project that sounds so profitable right from the start.
If you two have any reservations, we’ll have no choice but to seek other franchise partners. In that case, we can only apologize to you both.
After all, we have to consider regional competition—it wouldn’t make sense to have two identical stores in close proximity, right?
Our company has always prioritized the interests of our franchise partners. » Seeing their hesitation, the person in charge immediately adopted an attitude that suggested, « If you don’t join, plenty of others will.
Well…
« Dad, Uncle Lin, what are you doing here? » Xu Yuan finally arrived, though he didn’t immediately stop them from signing the contract.
After all, in terms of seniority, he was still the younger generation. Social etiquette had to be observed, or it might backfire.
« Xiao Yuan, what are you doing here? » Xu Donglai was clearly surprised by his son’s sudden appearance.
Xu Yuan smiled but didn’t explain, simply plopping himself down right next to the person in charge.
Somehow, despite his vast experience, the person in charge felt a chill run down his spine when he met Xu Yuan’s intensely aggressive gaze. Subtly but unmistakably, he found himself completely overpowered in terms of presence.
Seeing that he had almost convinced both of them, the sudden interference made the person in charge quite annoyed, though he maintained a polite smile on his face.
« Xiao Yuan, I remember you plan to study finance in the future. This is a good opportunity to listen in and gain some experience, » Lin Jiadong said cheerfully, looking at Xu Yuan. He was quite tempted by this franchise opportunity, and since it was introduced by a friend, he felt relatively at ease.
Although Lin Jiadong was only a mid-level manager at his company, he earned nearly twenty thousand a month—a figure that was quite high compared to the average worker.
Once people have money, they naturally want to make it grow. So, it wasn’t surprising that he had the idea of opening a store. But fearing losses if he went solo, he felt more secure joining a franchise.
« Is that so? I’d like to hear it and broaden my horizons. » Xu Yuan grinned at the person in charge, curious to hear what kind of flowery tale the other could spin.
« Our company adopts a flat management structure, » the person in charge cleared their throat and continued.
Not many people, » Xu Yuan suddenly interjected, but seeing everyone staring at him, he chuckled and said, « Just a random thought, please go on.
……
Always stay on top of market trends.
No clear development direction for now.
……
Precise brand positioning ensures every penny is well-spent to safeguard clients’ fundamental rights.
We don’t have much money yet, there’s an issue with the cash flow. No credit problems, right? Can you get a loan?
……
All ingredients guaranteed to be transported via cold chain.
Can’t tell if they’re fresh just by looking.
…..
The two of them, one pitching and the other debunking, made Xu Yuan feel like these sales pitches were utterly clichéd.
The person in charge, visibly irritated by the pushback, kept insisting, « We can guarantee the basic interests of our partner merchants, including ingredient recycling. »
« Hmm, recycling ingredients from barbecue joints—now that’s an idea. What if the food goes bad and can’t be sold? Will you still take it back? At a discount or full price? » Xu Yuan smirked at the manager, amused by how unshaken the guy was. He had practically spelled out that the company was shady, yet the other party was still trying so hard.
There’s no denying that this work ethic is commendable.
