Chapter 124: Wang Xinrou’s Obsession

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He Tian was also keeping an eye on the afternoon stock market.

He had to admit that He Jiansheng possessed considerable influence. To drive the stock price up to thirty yuan in such a short time required not only power, but tremendous nerve.

He could even imagine how pleased He Jiansheng must be right now—how smug and self-satisfied he must look.

“Enjoy your triumph while you can. Tomorrow, we’ll keep watching. The final day—that will be the true moment of reckoning.” He Tian murmured to himself.

“Brother He Tian!” Wang Xinrou came over to him with a sugary smile.

The moment he heard that form of address, He Tian felt uneasy all over.

Because he knew Wang Xinrou far too well. Whenever she called him that, it meant she wanted something from him.

When she needed your help, her words were as sweet as honey.

But when she did not need anything, she could be so fierce that she would not even spare you a glance.

“Why do I have a bad feeling about this?” He Tian looked at Wang Xinrou with his arms folded tightly across his chest, his expression guarded.

“For goodness’ sake… what kind of pose is that? I’m only showing concern for you!” Wang Xinrou rolled her eyes. Her adorable side vanished in an instant, leaving only her inherently fierce nature.

“You’re showing concern for me?” He Tian stared at her in utter astonishment, his face filled with disbelief.

His expression offended Wang Xinrou.

“I wanted to ask whether you’ve reached the fourth level of Inner Strength yet. Honestly, you’re like a dog biting Lü Dongbin—you can’t recognize a good person when you see one!” Wang Xinrou said indignantly. She felt that her kindness had been completely wasted.

“Please. Aren’t you just waiting to see me naked?” He Tian blinked at her. “Are you really that impatient?”

“Get lost!” Wang Xinrou exploded.

She had discovered that He Tian was truly infuriating. Every word he spoke seemed capable of instantly igniting her temper.

“Actually, I know what you want to ask. So let me ask you a question first, all right?” He Tian’s expression turned serious as he looked at her.

“Go ahead. But I’m warning you—don’t ask anything that’ll make me angry. Hmph…” Wang Xinrou raised a small fist and shook it at him threateningly.

“Do you think Lan Ji is powerful?”

“Of course Sister Lan Ji is powerful!” Wang Xinrou spent every day with Lan Ji and Qing Wu, so she had long since learned just how formidable Lan Ji was.

“Then did you know that Lan Ji never cultivated Inner Strength?”

“Sister Lan Ji never cultivated Inner Strength?” Wang Xinrou clearly had no idea. Shock appeared on her face.

“Of course she didn’t. And yet Lan Ji is still incredibly powerful.” He Tian smiled. “So whether someone cultivates Inner Strength has very little to do with whether they are strong or not. You don’t need to obsess over cultivating Inner Strength. As long as you properly practice the techniques I’ve taught you, you can become an expert just the same.”

He Tian had no choice but to persuade her against his better judgment.

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Wang Xinrou had been fixated on Inner Strength, and during her martial arts practice these past few days, she had become increasingly distracted. Her progress was nowhere near as fast as before.

Of course, what He Tian had just said was, ahem, merely something to say. A martial artist with Inner Strength was unquestionably far superior to one without it, especially once the practitioner reached the higher levels.

But he was trying to persuade Wang Xinrou, so he had no choice but to downplay the advantages of Inner Strength.

“Really?” Wang Xinrou’s eyes lit up.

With Lan Ji as a living example, his argument did seem rather convincing.

“Of course it’s true. Could I possibly be lying about something like that?” He Tian said with absolute certainty.

“Then why can’t I stop thinking about Inner Strength?” Wang Xinrou tilted her head and pondered for a moment.

He Tian was utterly helpless.

Why was this girl so stubborn?

“You just haven’t experienced the techniques that come with being a true expert. How about this? Set your mind at ease and practice these nine methods of applying force with me. After that, study properly under Lan Ji. Compared with her, I’ve always believed that you have much better natural advantages.” He Tian spoke with utmost seriousness. “I believe you’ll eventually become even stronger than Lan Ji.”

Fine. In order to stop Wang Xinrou from pestering him about Inner Strength, he had no choice but to sacrifice Lan Ji.

“All right, then.” Wang Xinrou thought it over carefully before finally nodding.

“Then it’s settled. From now on, if you lose focus during martial arts practice, don’t blame me for showing you no mercy.” He Tian’s expression was stern. “You’ve seen that the house is under construction. If I start shouting, plenty of people will be able to see you.”

“You’re ruthless! I’ll practice properly, all right?” Wang Xinrou glared at him and said helplessly.

Wang Xinrou cared deeply about her dignity. If so many people saw He Tian reprimanding her, how could she possibly live it down? She absolutely would not allow that to happen.

“That’s more like it.” He Tian nodded. He gazed at the distant sea, listening to the waves rolling ashore, then asked, “How are things going at Tianrou Investments?”

“Sister Cao has already begun working. She’s currently recruiting professionals.” Wang Xinrou looked embarrassed. “Watching Sister Cao work made me realize how simplistic my previous ideas were. It also made me see how many shortcomings I have.”

Wang Xinrou did have one admirable quality.

She was able to face her shortcomings honestly instead of hiding them or trying to cover them up.

That was something He Tian greatly appreciated.

Only someone willing to acknowledge their shortcomings could lay the foundation for progress.

If a person did not even have the courage to confront their weaknesses, how could anyone believe they would truly be able to correct them?

All that talk about making secret efforts was nonsense. Even if someone ultimately improved, the psychological barrier would sooner or later become a powerful shackle.

“You’ve realized that founding a company—especially managing one—isn’t as simple or easy as you imagined, haven’t you?” He Tian said with a smile.

“I understand now! You’re making it sound as though I used to be unbearably stubborn.” Wang Xinrou rolled her eyes.

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“Tsk, you still refuse to admit it? If I hadn’t asked Xinmeng to come and help you, who knows where you would have led the company by now!” He Tian looked at her with amusement.

“Enough. Even if I had taken a few wrong turns, I would have corrected myself soon enough,” Wang Xinrou insisted stubbornly.

“All right, all right. I believe you,” He Tian said.

“Anyone can tell you’re just humoring me!” Wang Xinrou pouted.

“What are your plans for the company’s next stage of development?” He Tian asked.

“Right now… our main focus is on the many projects at Tianhai University. We’re looking to see whether any of them are suitable for us. But after exchanging shares with my sister’s clothing conglomerate, we don’t have much capital left.” Wang Xinrou blinked.

“Even after losing ten billion, you still have another ten billion left,” He Tian said. “How much can’t you accomplish with ten billion?”

“We had twenty billion before, all right? Besides… my sister’s clothing conglomerate now counts as part of Tianrou Investments. It’s our first investment, and that will greatly enhance our reputation and appeal. Many projects may come knocking on our door. But if we encounter a good project and lack the funds to invest, wouldn’t that have a serious impact? For a newly established company like ours, it could be a devastating blow.” Wang Xinrou was clearly worried.

“All right, then. How about I give you two companies with a combined market value of thirty-five billion yuan? Both are in good condition and have excellent prospects for development.” He Tian smiled at her.

“What? Two companies worth a combined thirty-five billion yuan?” Wang Xinrou’s eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief.

Recently, Wang Xinrou had been either busy attending classes and studying, handling the many affairs of Tianrou Investments, or learning various management methods from Cao Xiaomin. She had barely had any time to pester He Tian.

Naturally, she had no idea about the series of moves he had made recently.

“Yes. One is Haisheng Supermarkets, and the other is Tongda Auto Repair.” He Tian smiled. “Have you heard of them?”

“Haisheng Supermarkets… Isn’t that the chain supermarket with a respectable share of the market throughout Tianhai and the surrounding areas? As far as I know, it has always had an excellent reputation. It’s just a shame that it has never achieved any major expansion. They seem quite content to maintain the status quo.” Wang Xinrou continued, “As for Tongda Auto Repair… it’s extremely famous throughout Tianhai. One-third of the city’s 4S dealerships work directly with them. Their repair services are excellent.”

“You mean those two companies belong to you?” Wang Xinrou could not help being shocked. The news was simply too astonishing.

“They didn’t belong to me before. Their owners have only just changed their names to mine.” He Tian smiled faintly.

“That’s wonderful! Were you planning to place both companies under Tianrou Investments?” Wang Xinrou looked at him with excitement and anticipation. Bringing two companies of such scale into Tianrou Investments would significantly enhance its reputation, image, and strength.

“That was precisely my plan. After all, I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving both companies to develop entirely on their own.” He Tian smiled.

“That’s fantastic! Oh, wait… in that case, the company’s shares will have to be adjusted again.” Wang Xinrou frowned. “Our percentages will be reduced even further.”

“We can just leave them as they are,” He Tian said indifferently. At present, only two people held shares in Tianrou Investments: Wang Xinrou and Cao Xiaomin, each owning twenty percent.

And as far as He Tian was concerned, there was no need for formalities between the two of them.

There was no need to alter the shareholding structure at all.

“How can we do that? Obtaining twenty percent of the company for nothing is already more than generous. I can’t be greedy. Besides, although Sister Cao is very kind, we can’t be careless about something like this.” Wang Xinrou spoke with complete seriousness.