Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 487: What? It's Him!?

Zhou Yuwen had originally been playfully flirting with Lu Wanting. She was wearing a red dress and saying something witty when he gave her buttocks a hard squeeze. It was incredibly firm and bouncy, making Lu Wanting blush beet-red. Suddenly, a man appeared and greeted him.It genuinely startled Zhou Yuwen.

The man looked to be in his thirties and wore a black suit. Because they were in America, a place built on money, and Zhou Yuwen was used to being a freelancer, he was usually solitary day in and day out, at most bringing along a young lass.

But this person was different. No matter where he went, he was always accompanied by a few cold-looking bodyguards in black suits, giving off a completely different aura.

After figuring out who the other party was, Zhou Yuwen adopted a slightly more serious demeanor. He took the initiative to shake Shen Ya's hand and asked what he needed.

Seeing that Zhou Yuwen was easy to talk to, Shen Ya let out a sigh of relief and asked, "Could we speak in private for a moment?"

In principle, an individual holding five percent of a company's shares was considered a major shareholder and was required to be publicly disclosed. The two percent Zhou Yuwen held was substantial, but not overwhelmingly so. Furthermore, Zhou Yuwen held the shares across multiple accounts, making it practically impossible for an average person to trace them back to him.

Of course, if someone really investigated seriously, who couldn't dig up a few clues?

Not to mention anything else, Zhou Yuwen's name was already circulating within certain domestic circles.

Two days, twenty-four million dollars.

The fact that Vipshop was backed by foreign capital was a tightly kept secret. It was something even some top-tier circles were unaware of. Yet this young man, Zhou Yuwen, had inexplicably bought in a week ago. Was he truly a genius, or did he have other channels?

Shen Ya knew that seeking out Zhou Yuwen like this was a bit presumptuous. But as the head of Vipshop, there were certain things he absolutely had to understand. Most domestic companies adopted a dual-class share structure, meaning the majority of shares had long been distributed. The founder only held a small amount of equity but retained significant voting control.

Even so, he still had to guard against those who might want to overthrow him.

Take Elder Brother Li of Dangdang.com, for example. Even the most careful plans could have a loophole. No one expected that his closest confidant, his own wife, would steal his official seal while he was sleeping.

Ever since then, wherever the elder brother went, he had to keep the company's official seal strapped to his waist.

Every day on the internet, he forced a smile and played the fool.

Elder Brother Li was truly a pitiful person. After all, he used to be a highly influential figure. If given a choice, who would choose such a path? But then again, at over fifty years old, with his company swindled away by his wife, what face or reputation did he have left? Whether he came out to humiliate himself or not, he was already a laughingstock to others. He might as well come out, make some petty cash, and buy himself a drink.

Getting back on track, Shen Ya had no other intentions in seeking out Zhou Yuwen this time. He simply wanted to ask why Zhou Yuwen had purchased shares in his company. Was it for speculation, or did he intend to hold them long-term?

Shen Ya did not ask how Zhou Yuwen knew to buy Vipshop shares. After all, there is always someone better out there. Zhou Yuwen's entire track record looked completely unfathomable. No one could guarantee he wasn't acting as someone else's white gloves.

Therefore, he didn't underestimate Zhou Yuwen because of his young age. Instead, he took great pains to host a banquet for him in Chinatown. No matter where people from their country went, they could never separate themselves from discussing business at the dinner table.

Only after three rounds of drinks and sampling all the dishes did they finally bring up the main topic.

Zhou Yuwen smiled and asked him, "Does it make a difference?"

"What I mean is, whether it's speculation or long-term holding, that seems to be my own business. According to regulations, natural person shareholders with less than five percent don't need to publicly disclose their actions."

"Certainly. Whether President Zhou decides to sell in the future or continue holding, it is completely your freedom. As you know, President Zhou, it is not easy for companies from our country. It's rare to make it here and go public. The capital pool has suddenly expanded, making things even more uncontrollable. As the helmsman of Vipshop, I simply don't want the great ship I worked so hard to build to encounter any accidents."

Shen Ya spoke in a steady and reliable manner, pouring Maotai from a measuring cup as he talked.

After pouring, he moved to place the glass in front of Zhou Yuwen.

Zhou Yuwen did not refuse. Shen Ya continued his actions and went on, "If President Zhou is looking to speculate, I'm sure you've also noticed that this is a critical juncture for Vipshop. I don't want any unexpected surprises."

"I am willing to acquire the two percent of shares in your hands at a price thirty percent higher than the market rate. What do you think, President Zhou?"

Shen Ya did not hold a large amount of Vipshop shares. Acquiring an additional two percent would serve as a safeguard for himself.

Zhou Yuwen shook his head and said, "President Shen, to be honest, if you're willing to pay a thirty percent premium to buy my shares, it only shows that you lack confidence in your own company."

"?" Shen Ya was puzzled.

Zhou Yuwen explained, "The domestic market of the future will be an era of an e-commerce explosion."

"The reason I purchased shares in Vipshop wasn't for speculation, but because I genuinely believe in its future. The fact that Vipshop chose to focus on vertical e-commerce as early as 2012 already demonstrates the company's development prospects, as well as the foresight of its leader. In addition, your recent policies have practically monopolized the cosmetics market across all e-commerce platforms."

"There is a saying back home right now: behind every successful man is a woman working silently."

"But behind Boss Ma's success are tens of thousands of women."

"Although this is just a joke, it highlights that the primary consumer power in e-commerce belongs to women. And President Shen was able to strike with precision a long time ago, identifying two massive hotspots: women and flash sales."

"I honestly cannot think of a single reason why Vipshop would fail."

"Right now, Vipshop's stock price is only a little over a hundred dollars. If you offer me a thirty percent premium, President Shen, that brings it to a hundred and thirty at most."

"Vipshop's value is definitely far more than that. I believe Vipshop can absolutely soar to two hundred, three hundred, or even a thousand dollars! In my mind, Vipshop's value is vastly superior to Taobao and JD.com. President Shen, trying to buy me out with a mere thirty percent premium... you aren't trying to trick me into exiting early, are you?"

Zhou Yuwen ended his speech with a joke.

Hearing this, Shen Ya couldn't help but burst into laughter. He replied, "President Zhou, you are young after all. A thousand dollars... I wouldn't even dare to dream of that."

Shen Ya was genuinely startled by Zhou Yuwen's numbers, but his words certainly felt good to hear.

It was worth noting that he was the founder of Vipshop, yet he had never imagined the stock price would surpass two hundred. From Shen Ya's perspective, he would be thanking the heavens if the price stabilized at a hundred and fifty dollars.

He never expected this young man to be so incredibly optimistic about his company.

Thinking it was even more formidable than JD.com and Taobao?

It was beyond his wildest dreams.

The only reason Vipshop had room to grow was thanks to Boss Ma showing mercy.

"In that case, President Zhou is highly optimistic about Vipshop and intends to hold the shares long-term?" Shen Ya asked.

Zhou Yuwen stated, "I certainly have no plans to sell in the short term."

"But I heard that your funds were obtained through margin financing?"

"Haha, I can't hide anything from Boss Shen. But it doesn't matter anymore. With your esteemed company's stock climbing ever higher, I believe there are countless banks on Wall Street willing to provide me with capital."

"That is true."

Shen Ya nodded. Compared to Vipshop's upward trajectory, a few percentage points of interest from a bank meant absolutely nothing.

He raised his wine glass, gesturing for a toast with Zhou Yuwen.

Zhou Yuwen did not refuse.

Speaking of which, this Zhou Yuwen was quite a legendary figure himself. He looked to be only around twenty years old, yet he had already founded his own food delivery brand domestically and sold it for sixty million.

When his own child was twenty, he had been busy embracing foreign blondes in London.

After pondering for a long time, Shen Ya decided that if he couldn't buy back the shares from Zhou Yuwen, his only option was to pull Zhou Yuwen into his own camp.

He still had a Plan B; he had even drafted the contract in advance. After downing his drink, Shen Ya said to Zhou Yuwen, "President Zhou, you should pay back the institutional lenders."

"The funds you used to purchase the Vipshop shares, I will personally lend to you, interest-free. I only have one requirement: when you eventually decide to sell that two percent stake, I hope you will give me priority consideration."

Since he couldn't buy the stock back outright, forming a good relationship with Zhou Yuwen was the next best step.

He handed Zhou Yuwen a contract that clearly outlined Shen Ya's right of first refusal. If Zhou Yuwen accepted this, it essentially meant he was joining Shen Ya's side.

Furthermore, Shen Ya implied that if Zhou Yuwen was certain about holding long-term, he might as well publicly disclose it.

Two percent didn't legally require public disclosure.

But it could be disclosed if he wished.

It simply meant including Zhou Yuwen's name in the company's officially published reports.

Moreover, Shen Ya mentioned that since Zhou Yuwen had experience in the delivery sector, he could take up a Vice President position within Vipshop's exclusive logistics department—a position that would mostly be an idle, honorary role.

In reality, Zhou Yuwen's plan was to hold the shares for about three months. Once Vipshop's stock surpassed two hundred dollars, he would sell it outright.

But seeing Shen Ya's immense sincerity, Zhou Yuwen thought it over briefly and ultimately chose to accept.

Making money together benefited everyone; it was a win-win situation.

Seeing Zhou Yuwen sign the contract without the slightest hesitation, Shen Ya was overjoyed. The subsequent conversation became incredibly pleasant. Shen Ya asked what brought Zhou Yuwen to America, joking that he couldn't have come just for Vipshop.

Zhou Yuwen shook his head, clarifying that it definitely wasn't the case.

"My girlfriend is studying abroad, so I came over to see her," Zhou Yuwen stated.

"Oh? Which of the colleges and universities is she attending?" Shen Ya asked, glancing over at Lu Wanting.

Zhou Yuwen chuckled. "Oh, not her. A different one."

"Oh, oh!" Shen Ya realized his slip of the tongue, but he didn't feel awkward about it.

After all, such things were commonplace in their circle. However, he did admire Zhou Yuwen a bit. How could a twenty-year-old say something like that as naturally as breathing or drinking water?

Recently, many domestic entrepreneurs had come to America, such as the Li Qingguo couple and Da Qiangzi.

Perhaps because Zhou Yuwen had brought along a beautiful young girlfriend, Shen Ya immediately thought of Da Qiangzi's new girlfriend. Unable to hold back, he shared a bit of gossip with Zhou Yuwen.

Gossip was simply human nature. Once the proper business was concluded, it was time to chat about rumors.

Of course, if Zhou Yuwen had been anyone else.

Shen Ya definitely wouldn't have gossiped about this with him.

But now that Zhou Yuwen was a shareholder in Vipshop and considered one of their own, Shen Ya naturally wanted to find a good topic to build rapport, especially since they were just getting acquainted.

What else besides gossip could bring their connections closer?

As the two huddled together to chat about forty-year-old Da Qiangzi finding a twenty-year-old girlfriend, didn't their relationship naturally grow closer?

Shen Ya then mentioned that he would host a gathering another day to introduce Zhou Yuwen to them.

"President Liu's new girlfriend is even a celebrity," he added.

"I imagine you must know her."

"That sounds great. When the time comes, this underling will be the host and make sure to treat you older brothers to a fine meal."

"Since I am here, how could I let you be the host?"

The two men exchanged a few more pleasantries. Lu Wanting, dressed in her red dress, sat off to the side without saying a single word.

This lass had a very clear understanding of her status; she knew perfectly well that her current role was merely to be eye candy.

By the time they returned that night, Zhou Yuwen was a little drunk. Chuckling, he pushed Lu Wanting onto the bed.

Lu Wanting pouted and whined coquettishly, "How about taking a shower? You reek of alcohol!"

"Reek of alcohol? What smell? You mean this?" Zhou Yuwen grinned, blowing a heavy breath directly at her nose. The overpowering scent of alcohol made Lu Wanting furrow her brows instantly. "Ugh, you're so mean!"

Zhou Yuwen let out a soft laugh as his hand slid smoothly under her skirt. He asked with a teasing smile, "Mean? I can be much meaner."

Lu Wanting continued to whimper playfully, trying to coax Zhou Yuwen into taking a shower because the smell of alcohol really was strong.

But Zhou Yuwen had no desire to wash up.

He simply climbed on top of her and proceeded to do exactly what one would expect.

Before long, Lu Wanting's face was burning hot and flushed red.

Zhou Yuwen kissed her earlobe and whispered, "Sister Wanting, if it weren't for me, would you have ended up with my brother?"

By this point, the two were in the most intimate of states. Lu Wanting had her eyes closed, completely surrendering to his movements. Suddenly hearing this question, she froze and her eyes snapped open to look at him.

Zhou Yuwen chuckled lightly, planting two more kisses on her. "If it weren't for me, you would have been my sister-in-law."

"It hurts," Lu Wanting cried pitifully.

Since Shen Ya had covered the cost for the two percent stake, Zhou Yuwen freed up a massive sum of money to invest in other stocks, whether it was Dangdang.com or JD.com.

Their growth might not have been as terrifying as Vipshop's, but they were still climbing in a straight line.

In the following days, Vipshop saw steady growth, surging from an initial ten percent increase to thirteen and then fifteen percent. Of course, there were times when it was only five or six percent.

But the crucial fact remained that it was consistently on an upward trend.

The daily rise in Vipshop's stock price thrilled investors both domestically and internationally.

The reason for Vipshop's surge wasn't solely because the company itself was highly resilient; it was also due to a massive e-commerce boom sweeping across foreign markets. Boss Ma's speeches everywhere also helped drive Vipshop's upward momentum.

It was around this time that Vipshop released its latest public announcement. At the very end of the shareholder list, an inconspicuous name had suddenly been added. It was quite an intriguing name.

The bosses of these major corporations were almost entirely from the generations born in the 60s and 70s. Their names carried distinct generational characteristics, naturally giving off the vibe of mature, steady and reliable tycoons.

But unexpectedly, mixed into this list was the name 'Zhou Yuwen'.

The name sounded incredibly young. Who exactly was this person? Why did it feel so familiar?

Wait a minute...

Was it that university student from Jinling?

What?! It's him!?