Chapter 1

The city's night lights were bright and dazzling, with tall buildings overlooking the ground. The sky above, however, was dark and heavy, without a single star or moon. Zhang Han glanced up through the sunroof of the car, then lowered his head to continue reading his book.

The Mercedes S400 had a solid chassis, driving smoothly on the wide streets with almost no vibration.

Through the fogged-up car window, one could see that Zhang Han was around thirty-five years old. He had outgrown the naivety of youth but had not yet succumbed to the weariness and sluggishness of middle age. His build was moderate, showing no signs of putting on weight. Overall, he had the appearance of a very charming and successful person.

Especially the gold-rimmed glasses on his face added a touch of elegance to his demeanor.

At this moment, the driver's phone rang. The driver picked it up and said, "Boss..."

Zhang Han scolded with a smile, "Damn you, Zeng Liu, I told you to call me Chairman!"

"Uh, yes, Chairman. I received a text message. Wang Biao has lowered his prices again."

"What? That damn dog, hand me the phone."

Zhang Han's elegant demeanor vanished instantly. He took the phone, glanced at it, and his face turned dark.

Zeng Liu looked at Zhang Han's expression and said, "Chairman, if Wang Biao makes the first move, we'll go all out. I'll burn down their warehouse."

Zhang Han took off his glasses and tossed them aside, saying, "Zeng Liu, we're about to take the company public. We can't do such things at this critical juncture, and we shouldn't do them in the future either."

"Yes, yes, I'm a rough person. I'll follow Chairman's instructions."

Zeng Liu's eyes were full of respect. The Chairman had developed a small workshop into a company of this scale, always making decisions with a clear mind. He was ruthless when necessary, daring to fight and charge forward. Now that the company had grown, he immediately cleaned up his act. He no longer used the various tactics to suppress competitors, and this kind of determination and patience was not something ordinary people could match.

Zhang Han was actually a bit impulsive inside. His company and Wang Biao's both operated in cosmetics. Both companies had started from the bottom, initially wholesaling in local markets, then opening small factories to produce their own products, starting with counterfeits and then creating their own brands. The competition had been long and intense, with each side having a group of people. They weren't proper gangsters, but they were willing to take action when necessary. In the past, they would smash each other's stores and burn down each other's shops, using all sorts of tactics. Now, as he was about to take the company public, Wang Biao, out of jealousy, was doing everything to cause trouble for him. What Zhang Han really wanted to do was to have someone put Wang Biao in a sack and throw him into the river...

But he couldn't do that.

Higher-ups had already given him a warning. With the company's size, more people were watching, and not everything could be solved with money. If things got out of hand or the company was labeled as a criminal organization, the future consequences would be even more severe.

Zhang Han understood that both the political and business worlds had their own rules and bottom lines. The lower levels had their own ways of playing the game, but now he had to dance to the new rules and adapt to them.

"I can play by any rules!"

Zhang Han shouted fiercely in his heart, also recalling the high-ranking official who had warned him. He remembered the official's firm refusal to accept bribes. He shook his head, put away his fierce expression, and his face naturally took on a calm and composed demeanor.

He had grown the company using various dark and even violent means, but what truly made a difference was his innate business acumen and vision. Once he set his mind, ideas came quickly.

"Wang Biao is slashing prices, which means his profit margins are thin, and the quality will definitely decline. You find some people to spread rumors—about allergies, dry skin, and other issues—pour mud on him. He definitely has some problems. Then report him to the business and quality inspection departments, expose him in the newspapers and online, and use the journalists we have on retainer. This period, we need to create the impression that his products are cheap and of poor quality... On our side, we'll get a few big-name celebrities to endorse our products, and we'll tell the packaging department to make them more exquisite. We'll do more TV marketing and set high prices. We won't lack for buyers... People nowadays prefer to buy expensive things, believing that quality comes at a price. Once I establish a clear distinction between our products and Wang Biao's, his efforts will only be a joke."

Zhang Han laughed as he spoke, and Zeng Liu turned around, his face full of admiration. He was also the company's vice president, but in terms of business acumen, he couldn't even catch up to Zhang Han's quick thinking.

"Zeng Liu, watch the road... I still need to read. If I had been this studious when I was young, I would have been at Tsinghua or Peking University long ago..."

Zhang Han had been clever since childhood. In elementary school, he knew how to make money by trading toys at school, but he never put his mind to studying. Mainly because he had lost both parents at a young age and no one could control him. Living under others' roofs, the urge to earn money was too strong.

Now that the company had grown, the level of involvement was completely different. Zhang Han was very clear in his mind. At each level, one must do the things appropriate to that level. The old gangster-like methods and tactics were best put away, and it was time to clean up and go legit!

At this moment, the car suddenly spun out of control. Zeng Liu, who had just turned to speak, hadn't been paying attention to the road. A large truck was coming from the opposite direction, and he swerved sharply, causing the car to lose control and crash violently into a sycamore tree.

"Damn..." The car rolled in mid-air, and Zhang Han's mind went completely blank.

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