Night fell, but in Manhattan, everything was just beginning.
Entering the main gate of Mix, there was a long corridor, surrounded by blue linear lights. At the end of the corridor were three large human-shaped lightboxes, looking stylish and distinctive. To the right of the end of the corridor was the newly opened smaller hall. The smaller hall had a terraced layout, with the dance floor at the bottom and two levels of booths above. The booths were embedded in the wide platform connecting the second and third levels. Of course, some booths were also scattered around the dance floor. The bar was long and narrow, and behind it were also decorated with large human-shaped lightboxes. The most distinctive feature was the wide marble platform in front of the booths on the third level and the outer edge of the large human-shaped lightboxes behind each booth, which could actually be used for dancing! The wide platform was like a stage, and the outer edge of the large human-shaped lightboxes extended outwards by about half a meter, wrapped in gold metal. Dancing on it, with the human-shaped lightboxes as a backdrop, felt amazing. It truly made you the center of attention, like a stylish night elf dancing in the dark.
It was still early, and there weren't many people yet. The opening was at nine o'clock, and to avoid the noisy crowd, Alex had deliberately scheduled the meeting for eight o'clock.
"Boss, everyone's here!" Grant entered the room and said to Alex.
"Okay!" Alex nodded and followed Grant downstairs.
The location was arranged in a corner on the second floor, but it offered a view of the entire dance floor below.
"Gentlemen, I apologize for the wait!" Alex said with a smile as he approached the eight men sitting in the corner. These eight men were not considered wealthy tycoons, at most they were middle-class, and naturally, they were incomparable to Alex's family.
"Not at all, Mr. Stone, we arrived early!" Seeing Alex's arrival, the group stood up with flattering smiles.
"Haha, no worries, please have a seat, everyone!" Alex said, looking at them. "There's nothing special to offer you here. You're all experienced men, and nothing's too extravagant for you. How about some Chivas?"
In fact, this liquor was not very expensive, only a few hundred yuan a bottle. Alex didn't want to waste good wine on these people.
"Sure, sure...!" How could anyone object to Alex's suggestion? In fact, this nightclub was famous for its Chivas Regal and its set meals.
After the drinks were served, Alex stood up and personally poured a glass for each of them, which flattered them greatly.
"Mr. Stone is too kind...!"
"How is Chairman Stone's health?"
"Oh, my father is still as healthy as ever!" Alex said with a smile. Having a father who was the vice president of the Chamber of Commerce, it was hard not to be known!
"Let's drink to everyone's future business success!" Alex raised his glass. Drinking first and talking business later was always a good approach.
"To Mr. Stone's continued success...!" All kinds of flattery came out at this time, making even Alex feel a little fake. But who cares, he had business to discuss with these people. He had to endure!
"You're all my seniors. I hope you'll all guide me in the future!"
"Mr. Stone, you're too modest!"
"Of course, of course!"
"I wonder, Mr. Stone, what did you invite us here for today?" After finishing his drink, one of the men sitting closest to Alex asked, and the others listened intently.
"Since you're all straightforward people, I'll get straight to the point," Alex said with a smile. "Actually, the reason I invited everyone here today is for one thing. I believe you all know about the piece of land outside the Fifth Ring Road that E-Shine Real Estate is auctioning off? I know you all have signed up to participate in the auction. I want to tell you that I want this land. I wonder if you'll give me this face?"
Hearing Alex's words, the eight men were taken aback. This was the reason. Most of them had been eyeing this land for a long time, but E-Shine's asking price was a bit too outrageous, which led to the current auction.
"I'm sorry, I might be cutting off your path to wealth. Actually, I don't have a problem with you, I just have a little... friction with E-Shine's Mr. Jin. I heard he bought this land for nearly thirty million, a very cheap price, but after only a short time, he's asking for fifty million. Such a person is truly insatiable. In fact, if it goes to auction, the price might even reach that amount. I can't stand to see that Mr. Jin acting so arrogantly. I heard the reserve price is twenty million. I want to buy it for that price, to teach that Mr. Jin a lesson. I wonder what you all think?" Alex said to the group while swirling the wine in his glass. The rich amber color was indeed beautiful.
After hearing Alex's words, the eight men exchanged glances. Even a fool could tell that Alex had a grudge against Jin Biao, the owner of the land. A small friction? Who would believe that? Jin Biao had indeed spent nearly thirty million to buy that land because he was confident about it. He believed he could get a price higher than his asking price of fifty million, which is why he opted for an auction. Buying it for twenty million? Wouldn't that make Mr. Jin lose a lot of money? Ten million was not a small amount for a medium-sized company, especially for a real estate company, which relied heavily on cash flow! Losing so much money... the consequences were unimaginable!
"Mr. Stone, we have no problem agreeing, but at the auction, the seller will definitely try to inflate the price. Can Mr. Stone guarantee to get it for twenty million?" one of them asked Alex.
"I've already seen the list of participating companies. There are eight, and that includes all of you here. I'm not aware of anyone else!" Alex said.
"That Mr. Jin won't be that foolish, Mr. Stone. When this list is released, the auction house will consult with the seller. I think that Mr. Jin definitely won't put the people he sends on this list. Wouldn't that be giving himself away?"
"Yes, you're right. If I can't get it, I won't let him off easily either. If he tries to inflate the price, then let him buy his own land. The non-auction fees aren't small either."
"If that's the case, then it's a small matter. Why would Mr. Stone need to come in person? A phone call would have sufficed. You're giving me too much face. Twenty million reserve price, twenty million winning bid, Boss Guan supports it!" One of them was the first to react and smiled at Alex.
"Haha, Boss Guan has a big heart!" Alex laughed, looking at the man. This person... was quite astute!
"Mr. Stone, it's just a word from you. We'll just not bid on that land. We don't need to rely on it for anything anyway. That Mr. Jin wants to make a quick buck. We've had our eye on him for a while!"
"Right, we should teach him a lesson!"
"We won't go!"
The others, one after another, expressed their stance. In fact, they had no choice but to agree. This young man's family background was not something ordinary people could compare to. He was someone who played in both the underworld and the legitimate business world, and his father was the vice president of the Chamber of Commerce. Did you think that position was just for show? This was Beijing, the capital, at the feet of the emperor! For those like them, who were in the middle, how could they survive without being careful? One "economic sanction" and you could lose everything. It was better to give him this favor and make things easier for themselves in the future. They had all been in the business world for most of their lives. Didn't they understand this simple logic?
"Then I'll thank you all here. But I hope everyone will still attend the auction next Monday, just to make it look good, okay?" Alex was very satisfied with their reactions, and he also knew what these people were thinking. Alex smiled. A wise man knows when to yield!
"Don't worry, Mr. Stone, we'll definitely be there!"
"Yes, we'll go and show our support for Mr. Stone!"
"We'll go and see that Mr. Jin's unlucky face!"
"Haha, thank you for your support!" Alex said with a smile. The goal had been easily achieved. It seemed these people were quite sensible.
"It was too abrupt to call everyone here tonight. Grant, take a few of the bosses upstairs to relax!"
"Yes, boss!" Grant nodded.
"Mr. Stone is too kind!"
"Yes, yes!" These people were not saints, and they were used to dealing with business in social settings. These old foxes, how could they not understand what Alex meant by "relax"? Who could get into the upper floors?
"It's nothing!" Alex said with a smile. The eight men made some polite excuses before following Grant upstairs.
"This wine... is not bad!" Looking at the eight men going upstairs, Alex sat on the sofa with a smile, holding his glass and gently swirling it. He brought it to his nose, inhaling the mixture of soft, sweet floral aroma, rich fruity aroma, and that faint tobacco scent, which Alex found very nostalgic.