The purpose of these people coming here was very clear: they wanted the dried fruit factory.
Whether their goal was to capitalize on the "Xiang Guazi" (sunflower seeds) which was bound to be a hit in the future, or simply to get an opportunity to cooperate with Qin Siyue.
In any case, some of them were now acting weak, while others were being aggressive.
Their objective was singular: to acquire the dried fruit factory, no matter the cost.
"If I recall correctly, the shares of this dried fruit factory should belong to me, shouldn't they? How come I'm hearing that it's already in your hands?"
"Or do you think that I, Yu Zhou, am just a pushover who can be easily manipulated?"
If Yu Zhou had wanted to be polite to the other party before, now he couldn't even be bothered to maintain any semblance of courtesy.
These people had no known origin, and they hadn't even introduced themselves.
They started by demanding his factory. Even if they appeared amiable and spoke of mutual benefit, their inherent arrogance was evident.
Under such circumstances, it would be absurd for Yu Zhou not to be angry.
Therefore, even though he knew their show of force was merely an act, he still displayed his displeasure.
You came here with a condescending attitude, your arrogance almost palpable. Why should I show you any pleasantries?
Am I, Yu Zhou, born to be bullied?
"What are you talking about, Boss Yu? We sincerely want to exchange shares, and if you're not satisfied, we can also offer some cash as compensation."
"We definitely won't let you lose out."
The man in the suit leading them addressed Yu Zhou as "you" repeatedly, yet his tone remained condescending.
A hint of gloom began to flicker in his eyes. Clearly, if Yu Zhou didn't cooperate at this point, his attitude would no longer be as amicable as before.
Did Yu Zhou not understand the other party's intentions? He understood them perfectly.
However, there were certain principles he had to uphold, and he didn't believe that these people, no matter their background, could truly do anything to him.
So, he smiled calmly and said, "I'm sorry, I have no plans to sell my shares at the moment. You've come to the wrong person."
These words were tantamount to showing them the door. Having reached this point, he had no intention of saving face for these people.
They had blocked his doorway early in the morning, presenting themselves as business partners, yet their sincerity was nowhere to be seen.
Even if they acted somewhat humble, Yu Zhou could clearly see their condescending demeanor.
It was precisely because of this that Yu Zhou knew that this so-called cooperation would be a troublesome affair, regardless of whether he agreed or not.
So, why would he continue to show them any pleasantries?
"You won't sell?"
"This was within our expectations. However, Boss Yu, have you ever considered that you might not necessarily be able to run the dried fruit factory successfully?"
The boss leading the group still had a smiling demeanor, as if he was certain he had Yu Zhou cornered.
His gaze turned sharp, and at this moment, Yu Zhou had a strange feeling, as if these people had some influential figure backing them.
Whether he agreed or not, it seemed he had to agree anyway.
"Oh? Does Boss Zhang, you have some knowledge of my dried fruit factory?"
Looking at these people, who were regarding him with an unappreciative gaze, Yu Zhou felt no agitation.
Not to mention that Qin Feng was by his side. Even if Qin Feng wasn't, this was his home.
He believed that there must be some influential figure supporting these people, otherwise, they wouldn't have set their sights on him. However, they couldn't possibly resort to violence in broad daylight at someone's home, could they?
They were all civilized people. Although his courtyard was a bit run-down, it was his best shield.
"Indeed! We not only know the current state of your dried fruit factory but also that you are developing a new flavor of sunflower seed called 'Xiang Guazi' and plan to sell it in small packages."
"I'll be blunt today: we are all in the snack industry. Jiangbei is a small pond, and the pond is only so big. If someone wants to share our meal, we wouldn't object if they had the capability."
"But if you dive in headfirst trying to snatch food, we'll have to see if you, Boss Yu, have the ability."
This Boss Zhang spoke very directly, without any pretense.
But as soon as these words were spoken, Qin Feng was the first to react.
Before Yu Zhou could even speak, he preempted him, "So, are you gentlemen here to issue a challenge, rather than to discuss cooperation?"
His tone carried a hint of contempt.
After spending so much time together, Qin Feng was well aware of the temperaments of Yu Zhou and his sister.
Not to mention his sister, who had already left and was extremely formidable.
Even Yu Zhou was certainly not someone who could be easily threatened.
Now that these bosses had made their intentions so clear, it was obvious that if Yu Zhou wanted to develop, he would either have to sell his shares to these bosses or face a battle.
He didn't believe that Yu Zhou, whom he considered very capable, would actually lose.
The market, especially in this era, was ultimately about the product.
So, even if Yu Zhou didn't step up, he was prepared to inform his sister and have her take charge of the matter.
"It's not like that. If Boss Yu is willing to sell us his shares, then naturally we are in a state of cooperation."
"As far as I know, the dried fruit factory's so-called new product isn't exactly a big secret."
The Boss Zhang started speaking again.
This was actually normal. In this era, it was difficult for any industry to keep secrets among its various factories.
Why did they want to acquire Yu Zhou's shares from the beginning? The reason was simple: they were interested in Yu Zhou's partner and the new product, Xiang Guazi.
Perhaps, the new product hadn't been launched yet, and not many people knew if it would succeed.
But once successful, the market would gain another snack brand, and potentially a large factory.
This was something these bosses absolutely did not want to see.
When facing an opponent, the bosses' choices were simple: either bring them under their wing or destroy them.
There weren't many factories in Jiangbei's circle, and they didn't believe that Yu Zhou could disregard this circle and oppose the entire circle with just one factory.
"As I said, I have no plans to sell my shares at the moment."
"Therefore, our cooperation can only be temporarily put on hold."
Yu Zhou stood up, making it clear that he was seeing them out.