The boss spoke very plainly, and even from afar, Yu Zhou could feel the arrogance in his words.
Indeed, weren't these people here precisely to declare their victory?
If Yu Zhou didn't cooperate, they would resort to force.
Seeing their arrogant demeanor, Yu Zhou felt incredibly vexed, yet at this moment, he couldn't afford to lose his composure.
So, he merely let out a cold laugh and then looked at these middlemen, saying, "Who my factory supplies goods to doesn't seem to be any of your concern, does it?"
He didn't want to fall out with these people just yet, but their blatant arrogance forced Yu Zhou to take a stand.
Skipping the middlemen, was this truly a good choice?
Yu Zhou knew it wasn't, but they had already used the previous shipments from the dried fruit factory as a threat. What else were they capable of doing?
"You want to bypass us? Fine. From now on, none of your goods will be able to enter Jiangbei. Let alone leave Jiangbei."
"I'd like to see how you'll keep this factory running if you can't ship your products."
The fat man maintained his condescending attitude. He had come today specifically to put Yu Zhou in his place, and if he didn't get something out of this, it would be a wasted trip.
"What did you say? You won't let our goods leave the factory? Do you have that kind of power?"
Before Yu Zhou could even speak, Liang Xiaohai was the first to lose his temper.
He became enraged, almost smashing a cup at that moment.
He had seen people bully others, but he had never seen anyone come to their doorstep and threaten them.
Their tone and demeanor made it seem as if they held the entire factory in their grasp.
How could anyone in their right mind feel anything but anger?
The fact that he hadn't immediately exploded and kicked them out already showed remarkable restraint.
"Whether we have that power or not, won't you know if you try?"
"Oh! Excuse me, am I arriving at an inopportune moment? Mr. Yu, we meet again."
Just as the conference room fell into silence, and a conflict was about to erupt between them, a familiar voice emerged.
He pushed open the conference room door, walked in with a smile, and without any preamble, pulled up a chair and sat down, looking at Yu Zhou with a smile.
"Manager Zhang?"
Yu Zhou's expression turned grim. He knew this person would appear today, but his emotions were difficult to control when he actually did.
"Allow me to introduce myself, I am Zhang Yuan, the factory director of Weihong Bread Factory. Mr. Yu, have you considered my offer?"
"My previous offer was quite generous! Or how about I acquire fewer shares, and you can do me a favor?"
His domineering attitude was evident, and this behavior immediately drew the displeasure of everyone from the dried fruit factory.
They all knew the Weihong Bread Factory.
It was one of the leading enterprises in the food industry within the factory district.
Their total assets reached several million, making them a relatively large factory in the area, especially since they were a private enterprise.
Suddenly, even though many were still enraged, they couldn't hide their apprehension.
By this point, it would be strange if anyone didn't understand what was going on.
It was clear they intended to oust their new boss and take over their factory.
How could anyone be willing for the dried fruit factory, which had finally stabilized, to change hands again?
Therefore, the high-ranking officials of the dried fruit factory in the conference room all shifted their gaze to Yu Zhou.
Clearly, they were waiting for an answer, Yu Zhou's answer.
"There are many who want to acquire my shares, and you are not the first."
"Manager Zhang, do you really think I'll just let you bully me? Or that this factory can't be sold?"
"You come to me at this time, so full of confidence!"
Yu Zhou took a sip of his large-leaf tea. Although he understood perfectly that they had started their move by now, and if there was no resolution today, they might not get through this challenge.
However, even so, he didn't believe that these people were so foolish as to think they had him cornered.
So, he spoke these words and even directly took several contracts from Liang Xiaohai.
"These are supply contracts with several large supply and marketing cooperatives in Jiangbei. They not only specify the quantity of goods."
"But also the liquidated damages for breach of contract. So, do you truly believe that your threats alone can completely control the dried fruit factory and force me to yield?"
Before, Zhang Yuan had been making the moves, and now it was his turn.
As expected, after Yu Zhou tossed the contracts onto the conference table, the middlemen immediately became uneasy.
They hadn't expected that Yu Zhou would have a counterattack.
Had he started looking for ways to retaliate as soon as they spread the word?
Indeed, their relationship with the supply and marketing cooperatives was closer than Yu Zhou's.
However, once formal written contracts were signed, their attempts to interfere would be much more difficult than before.
Even if they could persuade the smaller cooperatives, what about the larger ones? Did they have that kind of influence?
"It seems you're not entirely unprepared!"
Zhang Yuan's tone remained unfriendly, but a cold sneer appeared on his face, as if he didn't take Yu Zhou's countermeasure seriously at all.
He merely picked up the contract, glanced at it, and then continued, "One million, for all your shares. It seems this offer is no longer sufficient."
"Now, I apologize, but it's only eight hundred thousand, because the remaining two hundred thousand I need to use to lobby those supply and marketing cooperatives to tear up the contracts and pay liquidated damages to my factory."
These words were spoken casually, but those who heard them all changed color.
Good heavens, this guy wouldn't stop until he had completely destroyed Yu Zhou.
He had revealed his plan in the conference room, without any concealment.
What was he trying to achieve? Was he truly determined to acquire this factory?
"Yu Zhou, I know you have some ability. If you wish to continue operating the dried fruit factory, we will leave some shares for you as well."
"However, if you're going to be in the processed food business, you must abide by our rules. If you don't, what awaits you will likely be more than just financial loss."
Perhaps it was the money that gave him confidence, or perhaps he had backing from influential people.
Whatever the reason, Zhang Yuan spoke without any politeness at this moment.
Even if Yu Zhou came up with any countermeasures, in his eyes, they would all be futile.
At worst, he would spend money. Problems that could be solved with money were not problems at all.
Moreover, this time he wasn't just seeking to acquire the dried fruit factory; he also wanted face, the undisputed face in Jiangbei's processed food industry.