If it were anyone else, Yu Zhou would have been direct and blunt in his reminder.
But the person in front of him was Song Qing.
The CEO of Tailong Light Industry, rumored to have an extremely deep background, a formidable woman whose name was well-known throughout Jiangbei.
Furthermore, there was an existing cooperative relationship between them, and Song Qing had helped him a lot since his reincarnation. Therefore, Yu Zhou's words were, to some extent, more tactful.
But what kind of person was Song Qing? She was a shrewd individual, and naturally, she understood Yu Zhou's unspoken meaning.
However, she merely smiled and did not dwell on Yu Zhou's misunderstanding.
Instead, she stated directly, "You don't think I have any intentions towards you, do you?"
"Don't worry, I'm not interested in married men like you."
"The reason I asked you to have coffee is simply to let you take a share of the pie."
Song Qing's strong female aura was evident, and her sharp demeanor was tempered with a touch of composure and confidence.
Indeed, what kind of enterprise was Tailong Light Industry? Even in the early 1990s, its assets were close to tens of millions.
It was easy to imagine how successful the general manager of such a large enterprise must be.
In fact, if only comparing assets and not cash flow, Song Qing might be even wealthier than Qin Siyue.
After all, in Jiangbei City at this time, Tailong Light Industry was the only large private enterprise. From this perspective, this formidable woman was a true, bona fide female tycoon.
It would be strange if she truly fancied him.
Yu Zhou suddenly realized this and, to some extent, felt relieved.
His feelings for his wife had always been genuine.
In his previous life, although he had been involved with many women, and after his wife's passing, he had considered new relationships, none of them had led to marriage.
In this life, with his wife still by his side, Yu Zhou would never do anything ambiguous with others that would hurt Jiang Jie.
No matter what, he would not use such means to seek advancement.
It wasn't that he was being conceited, but rather this meeting made him feel somewhat at a loss. Before this, he had genuinely wondered why Song Qing would meet him alone, especially in such a private setting as a coffee shop, if she had no ulterior motives.
Yu Zhou didn't dwell on the matter any further. He picked up his coffee, took a sip, and raised an eyebrow, saying, "A share of the pie? Do you have a new project again?"
In fact, Song Qing had previously hinted to Yu Zhou about wanting to collaborate with him on something.
However, at that time, it had been mere casual banter between them.
Yu Zhou hadn't truly believed they would cooperate in business, as he understood that business wasn't as simple as eating or drinking; it wasn't something that just happened.
Moreover, who was she? The general manager of Tailong Light Industry. Such a person was likely busy every day, with little time to partner in business with someone at his level.
"What? You don't believe me?"
"I've always kept my word."
"I mentioned before that I wanted to do some business with you, and now that the opportunity has arisen, I've come to find you."
Song Qing remained composed throughout. Her seeking to do business with Yu Zhou, of course, had a primary objective beyond just Yu Zhou himself.
Perhaps, someone like Song Qing possessed considerable influence and resources in Jiangbei City, or even in the entire Zhongnan Province.
However, for her to extend her reach nationwide and to grow her business, she needed allies and deeply committed partners.
In Song Qing's eyes, there was no one more suitable as a partner than Qin Siyue.
Many people wanted to cooperate with Qin Siyue, but why did Yu Zhou become the one?
It wasn't just because Yu Zhou himself had virtually no background, but more importantly, Yu Zhou possessed a powerful capability that others lacked.
What he lacked was merely a platform, and both Song Qing and Qin Siyue were well aware of this.
It was precisely because of this that Song Qing didn't hesitate to offer benefits.
Even though she knew that sometimes the benefits offered might not necessarily yield returns, she was still making every effort to foster a good relationship with Yu Zhou.
Because such relationships only grow stronger with cultivation, and by recognizing Yu Zhou's potential, this was a sure bet, even if it was considered an investment.
"What business? I don't have the capital to cooperate with you on new ventures right now."
"As for taking a share of the pie, I'm afraid I don't have the ability."
Yu Zhou knew that this was Song Qing's way of extending an olive branch.
He also understood that she wouldn't have approached him and arranged this meeting without a purpose.
However, even so, he couldn't cooperate with her at the moment.
After all, Yu Zhou was well aware of his current financial situation.
He hadn't yet figured out how to fund the follow-up investments for the dried fruit factory.
Combined with the loan, he had almost exhausted his financial potential.
Under these circumstances, attempting to invest in another industry or partner in business with someone else would truly be beyond his capabilities.
In such a scenario, further development could very well lead to more losses than gains.
Yet, this was Song Qing's kind offer, which made Yu Zhou feel conflicted.
Naturally, he wanted to participate in such a windfall, but without money, nothing was possible.
Could he continue to invest and borrow from the bank again? That wasn't his style.
"No money? For this partnership, I don't need you to contribute money."
"Oh, that's not entirely accurate. You will need to put in some money, and it won't be a large stake, but you can definitely afford it."
Song Qing maintained her calm and confident demeanor. However, her expression while offering this deal began to confuse Yu Zhou.
So, he braced himself and continued, "What investment? And how much money would I need to contribute?"
He actually knew very well that there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
Since she said he could afford it, she must have investigated his situation.
Given this, her continued assertion meant he would indeed have to make some contribution, and Yu Zhou was still hesitant to agree rashly until he understood whether he could afford this contribution.
"One yuan, for five percent of the shares, how about it? You wouldn't tell me you don't even have a yuan right now, would you?"
As soon as Song Qing uttered these words, Yu Zhou's eyes widened.
One yuan?