Chapter Fifty-Nine: Buying In

No, that's not right! Zhang Ye suddenly realized that Wu Dongjun’s joining might not be a bad thing after all.

In his previous life, Wu Dongjun had managed to grow the computer house into a large internet café without relying on anyone. His skills were unquestionably solid, especially in business management. In the future, Zhang Ye knew he would not have much time to spend at the internet café. With Wu Dongjun’s involvement, even if a problem arose, he could quickly handle it.

Liu Wentao was steadfast in his work, always completing whatever Zhang Ye tasked him with, but in terms of management, he lacked Wu Dongjun’s finesse. At heart, Liu Wentao was someone who refused to suffer any losses—a good trait in many situations, but sometimes, it could be detrimental.

In such cases, handing things over to Wu Dongjun would be far better.

Furthermore, even if Zhang Ye and his group refused Wu Dongjun’s entry, with his intelligence, he would quickly set up a similar computer house. After all, there was nothing particularly technical about it; anyone with enough money could do it. That would only create another competitor.

With this in mind, Zhang Ye quickly made up his mind and said, “Where is he now? I’ll go talk to him!” Since he had basically agreed, it was time to negotiate the division of shares in detail.

Wu Dongjun was not like Liu Wentao or Zhao Haidong—he wasn’t someone Zhang Ye knew inside and out. Zhang Ye’s first impression of Wu Dongjun’s character was not very positive.

Zhang Ye found Wu Dongjun at his home.

Wu Dongjun ran a recycling station. In front of the house was a large yard piled high with discarded aluminum and iron goods, waste plastics, and ceramics.

“Haha, Boss Zhang, please come in, please come in. It’s a bit messy here, I hope you don’t mind,” Wu Dongjun greeted Zhang Ye warmly, quickly standing up, fetching an iron stool, patting it down, and placing a clean book on top as a cushion before setting it in front of Zhang Ye.

They sat at Wu Dongjun’s front door, from which one could clearly see outside, ensuring business wouldn’t be disturbed.

Zhang Ye smiled, “Thank you,” and as he glanced around, he was stunned.

The room was crammed with countless books, some neatly arranged on several battered bookshelves, each sorted meticulously, with clear categories labeled: textbooks, business management, theoretical journals—everything imaginable. Though most were old, Wu Dongjun had kept them in good condition, some even looked brand new.

“Haha, when I have nothing to do, I read books. To be honest, I’ve learned quite a lot from them,” Wu Dongjun chuckled.

“No wonder your conversation is so refined,” Zhang Ye replied politely, sitting on the iron stool. As he considered how to begin, he finally decided to be straightforward, “I heard you want to do business with us.”

Through their recent interactions, Zhang Ye had realized Wu Dongjun wasn’t particularly malicious, so his tone had become more familiar.

“Yes,” Wu Dongjun became serious, paused briefly, and nodded. “I know you’re capable, Brother Ye. Following you feels promising. It’s much better than running this recycling station.” He’d heard Liu Guangxiang and the others call Zhang Ye ‘Brother Ye’, so when Zhang Ye showed friendliness, he adopted the same address without embarrassment, despite being much older.

From his books, he’d learned a valuable lesson: in business, one must have a thick skin.

“Thank you for the praise,” Zhang Ye smiled. “So, how much are you able to invest, and what share are you hoping for?” Zhang Ye was blunt and direct, disliking any unnecessary roundabout talk.

“I’ll sell my recycling station, plus my savings, I can muster fifty thousand,” Wu Dongjun said, his eyes burning as he looked at Zhang Ye. “How much capital do you have?” He was planning to stake everything, investing all his money into Zhang Ye’s venture.

He didn’t even know exactly what Zhang Ye intended to do. Such a person was either extremely foolish or possessed great courage.

“Altogether, we have one hundred and fifty thousand,” Zhang Ye raised his brow, surprised by Wu Dongjun’s boldness.

“Alright, then I’ll take a twenty percent share. Is that acceptable?” Wu Dongjun calculated quickly and spoke up.

Actually, with his capital, he could claim twenty-five percent. But he knew Zhang Ye’s capabilities: turning twenty thousand into ten times that in half a month, with some luck involved, but the sales tactics were innovative and remarkably effective.

What he admired most was Zhang Ye’s vision.

He understood that being allowed to join was already a great favor; without their previous dealings, he wouldn’t even be considered. So he chose to accept a loss at the outset, taking only twenty percent. He believed that as long as he was on Zhang Ye’s ship, he would reach the other shore sooner or later.

Moreover, whether it was truly a loss was yet to be seen.

“Brother Wu, you have remarkable courage. Very well, let’s settle on twenty percent. But I must clarify one thing: if you ever wish to transfer your shares, you must give us priority. Only if we can’t take them should you sell to others,” Zhang Ye said, seeking to avoid being constrained by outsiders.

He wanted the internet café to remain firmly in the hands of his own people.

“No problem,” Wu Dongjun agreed after a moment’s thought. It was only right, and even if Zhang Ye didn’t mention it, he would have brought it up.

Then Zhang Ye began to explain the details of the computer house: the operational strategies, ways to attract customers, its prospects, and direction. He gave Wu Dongjun a broad overview.

Wu Dongjun was sharp and knowledgeable; with just a little thought, he could sense the feasibility and vast potential of the computer house Zhang Ye described. His mood grew excited.

Now, he truly felt reassured—his choice was the right one. Once the computer house was up and running, it would be hard not to make money. He was even more amazed by Zhang Ye’s vision. Computers were rare at this time; a company having just one was impressive. Yet Zhang Ye had thought to gather them together, letting people use them, allowing countless eager souls to finally touch a computer.

That alone would attract crowds.

Thinking this, Wu Dongjun felt not only fortunate but also full of anticipation.