In his previous life, Guangming Distillery was quickly sold to a large conglomerate from Wenzhou after seeking investment.
But now Xu Qian told him that the distillery still hadn't been sold.
Xu Xiuwen didn't know if this was the butterfly effect of his rebirth.
But he was surprised.
Xu Qian suddenly wiped away her tears and said to Xu Xiuwen, "I'm sorry, Mr. Xu, I shouldn't have cried in front of you."
Xu Xiuwen waved his hand and said, "It's okay, it's normal to feel sad after going through something like that. You don't need to blame yourself."
After saying that, he checked the time and felt it was getting late, so he stood up and said, "It's getting late, you all should rest early. Xu Qian, don't overthink, just get a good sleep. If you encounter any difficulties, you can talk to me."
"Thank you, Mr. Xu." x2
"It's nothing, I'll be going now."
Xu Xiuwen stood up and walked toward the door.
After putting on his shoes, Xu Xiuwen walked outside. The two women wanted to see him off downstairs, but he stopped them.
Xu Xiuwen turned and walked downstairs, and the two women closed the door.
After closing the door, Lu Xinyao immediately asked, "Qian Qian, what happened just now?"
Xu Qian was reluctant to say.
Lu Xinyao said, "Good Qian Qian, just tell me. If you don't, I won't be able to sleep all night."
Xu Qian had no choice but to recount what had happened.
After listening, Lu Xinyao exclaimed, "A hero saving a beauty! Wow, that's so romantic!"
Hearing this, Xu Qian blushed and argued, "What hero saving a beauty? Sister Xinyao, don't say that."
Lu Xinyao laughed, "Of course it's a hero saving a beauty, and it's a domineering president saving a poor little employee. So romantic."
Xu Qian's face turned as red as blood.
Lu Xinyao continued, "Qian Qian, don't you think tonight's experience was just like a TV drama? I think if you try hard, you might win over President Xu. Look at President Xu, young, rich, and a big star. Being his girlfriend would be great."
Xu Qian lowered her head and whispered, "Sister Xinyao, stop saying that. I'm tired. I'll go to sleep first."
After saying that, Xu Qian ignored Lu Xinyao and ran back to her room with her head down.
Once back in her room, she immediately lay on the bed, as if this could make her less embarrassed.
After a while, she gradually calmed down.
She recalled the events of the evening.
At that time, she was very desperate, but Xu Xiuwen suddenly appeared and protected her.
His broad and steady back was so reassuring.
His domineering look while fighting was also impressive.
Thinking of what Lu Xinyao had just said, Xu Qian's heart trembled.
...
Xu Xiuwen came down from the second floor and was about to leave the building.
He saw a woman approaching him.
He immediately recognized her—Zhao Yatong.
Zhao Yatong also saw Xu Xiuwen.
The woman looked surprised, "Mr. Xu? Didn't you leave just now?"
Xu Xiuwen explained, "I had something to do, so I came back."
Zhao Yatong didn't ask what it was.
She was very tactful.
Xu Xiuwen saw the plastic bag in her hand and asked, "Did you just go to the supermarket?"
Zhao Yatong nodded, "Yes, Mr. Xu."
Xu Xiuwen said, "Then you should go back. I'm leaving."
Zhao Yatong suddenly said, "Mr. Xu, would you like to come upstairs and have a drink of water?"
Xu Xiuwen stopped in his tracks upon hearing this.
He glanced at Zhao Yatong.
He felt it was inappropriate to go upstairs so late.
After all, Zhao Yatong was different from Xu Qian and the others; she lived alone in 301.
Xu Xiuwen's gaze unintentionally fell on Zhao Yatong's beautiful legs in black stockings.
His breath instantly became quicker.
He impulsively said, "Okay, I'll go up and have a drink. I'm a bit thirsty."
Hearing this, Zhao Yatong led Xu Xiuwen upstairs.
Xu Xiuwen followed her, his eyes fixated on Zhao Yatong's legs in black stockings.
At this point, he couldn't avoid looking even if he wanted to.
Because Zhao Yatong was walking in front of him on the stairs, his gaze couldn't escape.
Following Zhao Yatong, they arrived outside the door of 301.
Zhao Yatong took out her key and opened the door.
Xu Xiuwen followed her inside.
Once inside, he remembered there were no slippers.
Zhao Yatong lived alone, but the house was very clean.
The floor of the living room was so shiny it reflected light, giving a spotless impression.
Just when Xu Xiuwen was in a dilemma.
Zhao Yatong took out a pair of men's slippers from the wardrobe and placed them in front of Xu Xiuwen.
Xu Xiuwen was taken aback, "Zhao Yatong, why do you have men's slippers here?"
Zhao Yatong chuckled and explained, "I was out shopping with some friends, saw them buying a pair, so I got one too. I thought, just in case one day you, Mr. Xu, come over, you'd have slippers to wear and wouldn't have to be barefoot."
Xu Xiuwen nodded, indicating he understood.
Zhao Yatong said, "Mr. Xu, please wait a moment. I'll make you some tea."
"No need to trouble yourself, I'll sit for a bit and then leave."
Zhao Yatong insisted and walked towards the kitchen.
She soon returned with a teacup.
Zhao Yatong placed the teacup in front of Xu Xiuwen and then sat down on the sofa to his right.
With the tea brought, it would be impolite not to take a sip.
Xu Xiuwen picked up the teacup, gently blew on it, and was about to take a sip.
His gaze drifted to Zhao Yatong.
"Pfft!"
Xu Xiuwen spat it out.
It wasn't because the tea was too bitter or burnt his mouth.
It was because Zhao Yatong was crossing her legs, and just as Xu Xiuwen looked over, she switched her legs.
She was wearing a tight skirt today, and in that instant of switching legs...
Xu Xiuwen seemed to see something he shouldn't have, but wasn't sure because the light was dim.
Zhao Yatong, unaware of the reason, thought Xu Xiuwen had burnt his mouth and quickly said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Xu, the water is a bit hot. I'll get you a glass of cold water."
Xu Xiuwen watched Zhao Yatong stand up and walk towards the kitchen.
His gaze involuntarily followed Zhao Yatong's beautifully legged figure in black stockings.
Xu Xiuwen didn't know that, facing away from him, Zhao Yatong's face had a touch of redness.
Zhao Yatong quickly returned with a glass of cold water.
She had a faint smile on her face.
Xu Xiuwen waved his hand, "I'm fine now."
Zhao Yatong nodded and sat back in her previous spot.
But this time, she didn't cross her legs.
Xu Xiuwen pretended to sip his tea and asked, "Is it okay living alone on the third floor?"
Zhao Yatong smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Xu. It's quite nice and quiet."
"That's good. If you have any difficulties, feel free to let me know."
"Sure, Mr. Xu."
After a few more questions, Xu Xiuwen started drinking his tea.
After a couple of sips, Xu Xiuwen stood up and said, "It's getting late. I'll head off now, you should rest early."
"Okay, Mr. Xu. I'll see you downstairs."
"No need, I can go down by myself."
Xu Xiuwen walked to the hallway, put on his shoes, and left apartment 301.
He waved at Zhao Yatong and then went downstairs alone.
After Xu Xiuwen left, Zhao Yatong neatly placed the slippers he had worn on the top of the shoe rack.
Then she walked to the living room to tidy up the cups.
After tidying up, Zhao Yatong muttered to herself, "Mr. Xu doesn't seem as honest as he looks."
Just now, his gaze kept sneaking glances at her beautifully legged figure in black stockings.
She wasn't slow to react and had long noticed.
Thinking of Xu Xiuwen sneaking looks at her legs, trying to be discreet but failing, she couldn't help but laugh.
She looked down at her long, beautiful legs in black stockings.
She thought to herself: It seems my legs in black stockings are quite attractive, even someone as outstanding as Mr. Xu couldn't help but sneak a peek.
She wondered if she should continue wearing them next time.
After leaving 301, this time Xu Xiuwen didn't run into anyone else.
He drove away directly.
Less than half an hour later, Xu Xiuwen returned to Jiangling.
Tonight, he didn't go to Jiangning Huayuan again.
Doing that every day would exhaust even a saint.
Xu Xiuwen didn't drive directly to the dormitory building, as that would be too conspicuous.
He chose to park where the teachers often parked.
After getting out of the car, he walked back to the dormitory.
Returning to his dorm, Xu Xiuwen heard loud voices inside before he even reached the door.
His roommates were chatting loudly.
Without listening carefully, Xu Xiuwen pushed the door open and walked in.
The chatting roommates immediately stopped when they saw Xu Xiuwen enter.
Xu Xiuwen glanced around and saw that Shi Xiangming and Wang Juncai were back.
He asked, "What were you guys talking about? Why did you stop?"
Liu Zhihao said, "We were just talking about you, Xiuwen!"
"Oh, what about me?"
Liu Zhihao said, "We were discussing whether you'd come back to the dorm tonight. Didn't expect you to actually come back."
Yang Baishan said, "Xiuwen, be honest, where did you go last night and where did you sleep?"
Xu Xiuwen laughed and said, "Would it kill you guys not to gossip?"
"It would!" his roommates said in unison.
Jin Haonan said, "Xiuwen, if you don't explain yourself clearly, don't expect to sleep tonight. We won't let you."
"Yeah, Xiuwen, you better confess. Confess and you'll be treated leniently, resist and you'll be dealt with harshly!"
"Alright, alright, I'll confess. I went home yesterday because of some family matters."
"Really? Don't lie to us." The roommates were skeptical.
Xu Xiuwen said irritably, "Why would I lie to you? Where else do you think I could have gone?"
Seeing Xu Xiuwen's serious expression, Liu Zhihao and Yang Baishan started to believe him and lost interest.
"Not interesting!" x2
Shi Xiangming suddenly said, "Xiuwen, I need to thank you. Thanks to you giving Yue'er the opportunity, she's so famous now."
Xu Xiuwen waved his hand, "No one can guarantee a TV drama will be a hit. It was just good luck, no need to thank me."
Yang Baishan suddenly asked, "Brother Shi, Bai Yue'er is famous and has become a big star. Why do you seem unhappy?"
Liu Zhihao added, "Yeah, Old Shi, you now have a celebrity fiancée, and you're not happy?"
Shi Xiangming was indeed in a bad mood.
Bai Yue'er's sudden rise to fame surprised him.
He still remembered when they were taking the train back to school, someone recognized Bai Yue'er.
A group of boys surrounded her, asking for autographs and her phone number.
Shi Xiangming had to spend a lot of effort to get rid of them.
And that was just the beginning.
Many boys at school were asking for Bai Yue'er's phone number and trying to pursue her.
How could Shi Xiangming not be worried?
He felt the gap between him and Bai Yue'er was growing.
If not for their engagement, he would almost feel like he had lost her.
Even with the engagement, he still felt a strong sense of crisis.
Shi Xiangming sighed, "I'm happy for Yue'er, but do you know how many boys are chasing her? During the winter break, many boys from our school called her, saying they wanted to treat her to a meal when school starts. Many others sent her ambiguous messages. It was driving me crazy."
Jin Haonan asked, "Did Bai Yue'er agree to any of them?"
Shi Xiangming replied, "No, she doesn't answer calls from strangers or reply to messages."
Liu Zhihao said, "Then there's nothing to worry about. Bai Yue'er doesn't seem like the type to be unfaithful, and you two are engaged. What's there to be afraid of?"
"You're right... I'm just overthinking it."
The roommates then started talking about failing their courses.
Except for Jin Haonan and Xu Xiuwen, the other four roommates had all failed some courses, to varying degrees.
Talking about grades made the four of them gloomy.
Liu Zhihao complained, "The teacher is so mean, I was just one point short. Couldn't they give me one more point? It's too heartless!"
Xu Xiuwen didn't join their conversation.
He recalled the earlier conversation with Xu Qian.
He quickly turned on his computer and searched for news about the Guangming Distillery.
He soon found several news articles.
"Guangming Distillery Listed for Sale"
"Guangming Distillery Restructured"
"Guangming Distillery Bankrupt"
Xu Xiuwen searched carefully for a long time but didn't find any reports about Zhejiang Wenzhou Group buying Guangming Distillery.
There wasn't even a trace of Zhejiang Wenzhou Group in any of the news about Guangming Distillery.
Xu Xiuwen stopped searching.
He finally confirmed that in this world, Zhejiang Wenzhou Group had not bought Guangming Distillery.
Before this year, Guangming Distillery was still a major state-owned liquor enterprise in the province.
However, due to continuous losses, it became unsustainable, and the government had to intervene and seek restructuring through investment.
Zhejiang Wenzhou Group took the opportunity to buy Guangming Distillery, turning a state-owned liquor enterprise into a private one.
Since the reform and opening up, examples of occupying state-owned assets through various means have been common.
Xu Xiuwen hadn't thought about this matter before.
But upon suddenly learning that Guangming Distillery hadn't been sold, he realized this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
He wanted to buy Guangming Distillery.
Xu Xiuwen felt that Guangming Distillery shouldn't decline like this.
At its peak, countless people came to buy liquor from Guangming Distillery, and trucks from other places formed long lines in front of the distillery.
Large trucks from all over the country coming to Guangming Distillery for liquor once caused severe traffic jams on National Highway 104.
But how did it decline?
Possible reasons include:
First, severe internal strife, complex employee composition, and excessive infighting.
Second, chaotic management, with leaders lacking decisiveness and capability.
Third, problematic development strategies and directions.
Eventually, due to funding issues, the distillery even skimped on raw materials.
The difference between top-grade and inferior raw materials is significant.
Liquor made from such materials naturally lacked quality, leading to market elimination. Except for local residents, almost no one else bought it.
The once-scarce liquor scene disappeared completely.
Even so, after being acquired by the large Wenzhou group, Guangming Distillery, despite its rocky development, managed to stay alive and was eventually acquired by the leading distillery company in the province.
To use stock market terminology, Guangming Distillery is now at its lowest point; it can't go any lower.
This is the best time to buy in.
Moreover, Xu Xiuwen believes that as long as Guangming Distillery can shed its chronic issues, it still has significant development potential.
The distillery covers a large area, the plant is spacious, and the equipment is well-maintained.
The most valuable asset is this batch of equipment.
At its peak, the distillery had more than 3,000 employees. Xu Xiuwen hasn't checked the current numbers, but quite a few must have left.
However, this is actually a good thing for the distillery.
It never needed that many employees; many were just leeches attached to the factory. Without them, the distillery's burden is reduced.
The most important framework of the distillery remains intact. Buying it and ensuring the quality of the raw materials and the production process, and managing it diligently, it still has a chance to develop and experience a resurgence.
Keep in mind, this is not a market dominated by industry giants yet, as it will be in a decade.
There is still an opportunity for new players to emerge.
On this point, the once-prosperous Guangming Distillery has a solid foundation.
The worst-case scenario is that the distillery fails to develop.
But Guangming Distillery spans 400 acres, with a building area of 120,000 square meters.
In a few years, just selling the land would be enough to break even.