All The Villain Wants Is Money - Chapter 11

Mu Qi’an was one of the contenders for the position of the next head of the Mu family, as well as the Executive President of the family’s business empire, Muhe Group. She was also destined to become Xu Yucheng’s patron in the future.

The Mu family primarily operated in real estate. After rapidly expanding into a behemoth during the years where the state policy was favourable to them, it then fell into a precarious situation for the same reasons. When the economic and policy tides receded, they weren’t able to withdraw in time and were left to struggle like saltwater fish in the shallows.

The Mu family was one of the largest of these stranded fish. Its sheer size made transformation all the more challenging.

It was during this period of crisis that Mu Qi’an emerged as a contender for the family’s leadership.

This woman was nothing like Bai Ying. She didn’t rely on mingling with the elite to elevate her status because she was strong enough on her own.

Mu Qi’an had worked steadily in the family business for nearly a decade. When the group faced its crisis, she managed to convince the current family head to parachute her into the role of president. She immediately began implementing drastic reforms within the Muhe Group.

By the time she had eliminated most of the parasites and harmful elements within the organization, the family’s finances had drastically shrunk, but the group was preserved.

And now, the real problem arose. Everyone knew that Mu Qi’an was essentially just a sharp scalpel wielded by the Chairman to excise the rot from the group. Now that the parasites were gone, the next step was to discard the scalpel itself. Otherwise, the backlash from those eliminated would come, dragging Muhe Group back into the abyss.

Mu Qi’an was well aware of this predicament. But, as always, great risks came with great rewards. She had made her choice when she took the position of president. For now, the Mu family dared not act against her due to her accomplishments. However, once this momentum subsided, it was likely that she would be promptly accused of some offense and ousted.

To break out of her predicament, Mu Qi’an had to demonstrate overwhelming strength in other areas, enough to make her position unshakable—whether to her competitors within the Mu family or the losers she had ousted.

This was why she had been actively exploring avenues for transformation, and it just so happened that Xie Gu extended an invitation to her.

In the original storyline, Mu Qi’an had set her sights on the emerging entertainment industry. Xu Yucheng was the first hidden treasure she unearthed, and she used him as the spearhead to carve out a significant share in the fiercely competitive entertainment sector. This success ultimately secured her position as the head of the Mu family.

But now, Xie Gu swooped in before Mu Qi’an could finalize her intentions. As the president of Gu Fei Catering, he proactively extended an invitation to her.

Mu Qi’an had heard of Xie Gu. Putting aside the prior reckless antics of this young and promising president, his expansion strategies over the past six months far surpassed her own. Moreover, his approach was nothing like the Mu family’s previous blind overexpansion during the economic boom.

Gu Fei might be lacking financially at the moment, but its potential was boundless. Xie Gu’s resolute style was exactly what the aging Muhe Group needed.

Thus, Mu Qi’an wasn’t concerned about Gu Fei’s relatively smaller scale and readily accepted the invitation.

Of course, having a willingness to cooperate didn’t mean she would immediately show goodwill. In business, revealing one’s hand too early was a fatal mistake; it would only give the other party an opening to exploit.

Thus, Mu Qi’an kept her demeanor reserved. She simply gave a cold, yet respectful, nod. After all, no matter how much Gu Fei had expanded, it still wasn’t even half the size of Muhe.

Xie Gu didn’t mind her attitude. Setting aside how Mu Qi’an was fundamentally different from Bai Ying, even if the two were similarly arrogant, Xie Gu didn’t care as long as the other party was valuable and could help him make money.

So after Mu Qi’an replied to his greeting, Xie Gu waved his hand for the manager to leave the room. Then, he pulled out a chair and sat down. “Since President Mu prefers to get straight to the point, I’ll skip the pleasantries. I invited President Mu over today to propose a partnership with the Muhe Group.”

Mu Qi’an raised an eyebrow. She did not expect Xie Gu to be so direct the moment he arrived. However, she found his straightforwardness refreshing. “Young Master Xie is quite direct, but what I want to see is your bargaining chip.”

Xie Gu chuckled. “Is Gu Fei’s performance over the past six months not enough?”

Before Mu Qi’an could respond, Xie Gu continued, “President Mu, you’re inherently a risk-taker. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have taken over the Muhe Group. I know you’re currently seeking breakthroughs to transform the company. You have many industries to choose from, but I believe Gu Fei is your best option.

“Nowadays, real estate is on the decline, while the service industry and tech sectors are on the rise. I suspect your focus is on one of these two. However, while the tech sector is promising, finding talent is challenging, and much of the core technology is monopolized by the state. Therefore, you’re likely leaning toward the service sector, particularly companies that are in their growth phase. Only then will you have the greatest possible influence.

“Gu Fei is in the food and beverage industry, part of the service sector. Food is the most basic necessity of life. Now with the masses growing richer with the development of the economy, the consumption of leisure-oriented goods and services will increase dramatically. The market potential is clear.

“As for growth potential, I believe you already know of the speed with which Gu Fei has expanded over the past six months. Our chain of restaurants has grown from just five to nearly one hundred. We’ve also launched several lines of packaged food products. After being on the market for nearly two months, the sales feedback has been excellent. It’s projected to be the top seller next quarter. And I’m confident that Gu Fei’s future won’t stop here.

“Finally, I’d like to add a bold remark.” Xie Gu interlaced his fingers and rested his chin on them, his expression both confident and lofty. ” I hope Gu Fei can go global. Gu Fei’s focus is on Chinese cuisine, so wherever Gu Fei reaches, it spreads a piece of our country’s culture. We’re businessmen and can’t meddle in politics, but we can contribute what little we can within our capabilities. If you join us, I believe this journey will be even smoother.”

His words were ambitious, but Mu Qi’an caught the underlying implication: Gu Fei’s expansion could be framed as promoting cultural heritage. In the current environment that highly values cultural export, there was a significant chance Gu Fei could secure state support.

Mu Qi’an knew all too well how Muhe had relied on policy support to rise a few years ago. Xie Gu’s final statement, in particular, became the decisive factor that reassured her entirely.

Mu Qi’an spoke up, “President Xie’s argument is quite convincing.”

The title had shifted from “Young President Xie” to “President Xie.”

Xie Gu raised an eyebrow. “You’re too kind, President Mu.”

“I am indeed intrigued,” Mu Qi’an continued. “But President Xie, as a talented young entrepreneur, why did you choose Muhe?”

The real reason, of course, couldn’t be revealed, but Xie Gu had already prepared an answer. “Muhe specializes in real estate, which aligns perfectly with Gu Fei’s upcoming expansion plans. Additionally, on a personal level, I greatly admire your capabilities, President Mu. I believe you’ll be an excellent partner in the future.”

Mu Qi’an nodded and didn’t probe further into Gu Fei’s expansion plans. She could already guess the general direction. Standing up, she extended her hand to Xie Gu. “Then, let’s have a pleasant collaboration.”

Xie Gu also stood, shaking her hand. “A pleasant collaboration indeed.”

The two had reached a preliminary agreement, though specific details still needed to be worked out. Mu Qi’an stayed to finish the meal, using the opportunity to discuss conditions and the distribution of interests on both sides. By the time she left, her gaze toward Xie Gu had completely changed.

Many people had claimed that Gu Fei’s rise was purely luck and fueled by the money from selling the coal mine, but Mu Qi’an now understood: Gu Fei’s success was entirely due to this young man standing before her.

As the time approached, Mu Qi’an’s secretary arrived to pick her up. Xie Gu politely escorted her to the door and was about to bid her farewell when a commotion erupted outside.

Mu Qi’an frowned and asked her secretary, “What’s going on?”

The secretary thought for a moment, recalling what she had heard on the way in, and replied, “It seems to be the grand opening of a nearby store. They’ve invited a lot of celebrities for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.”

“Celebrities?”

The secretary nodded and listed off several names.

Among them was Xu Yucheng.