It was evident they didn't expect the Guo Shang merchants to make such a choice, nor was this the first time they had faced such situations.
"Who wants to listen to their thoughts? What good ideas can a bunch of old men come up with? Isn't it just following our lead?" The young man with dyed hair didn't give Zhang Liunian any face, nor did he think the Guo Shang merchants' ideas were worth listening to.
On this point, the members present had reached a consensus.
"The members of the Guo Shang Chamber of Commerce have rigid thinking and can't come up with any good projects."
"Besides causing trouble behind us, they're incapable of anything else."
"They are indeed useless. It's not that I look down on them; it's just that in my three years in Pengcheng, I've never seen anyone from the Guo Shang Chamber of Commerce come up with a good project."
"Indeed, besides following us and causing trouble, they also like to fight with us and hinder Pengcheng's development."
"If you ask me, it's better not to let those old good-for-nothings develop in Pengcheng. In this way, Pengcheng can develop even better."
"I support this view."
"I agree."
"..."
A perfectly good topic suddenly veered into the Guo Shang Chamber of Commerce.
Seeing this, Gu Sanqing glanced at Zhang Liunian, for reasons unknown.
Zhang Liunian didn't have the time to consider his thoughts. At this moment, he watched them spewing venom about the Guo Shang merchants with united animosity, listening impassively.
Chen Jiayuan had been paying close attention to Zhang Liunian's expression. Seeing that he wasn't too upset, he finally felt relieved.
"Zhang Liunian, don't change the subject. There's no need to reveal the ideas of those Guo Shang old fogies, but you leaked our ideas to them, giving them a chance to snatch this project. If our project fails, can you take responsibility?"
Seeing everyone drifting further off-topic, the young man with dyed hair kept his gaze fixed on Zhang Liunian, unwilling to let him off the hook.
The young man with dyed hair was very agitated. Before Zhang Liunian could speak, he continued, "President, do you think I'm right? If our automotive project cannot proceed smoothly because of Zhang Liunian, this blabbermouth, is it his fault?"
Chen Jiayuan was secretly pleased. This young man was supportive and knew how to find fault with Zhang Liunian. He was a perceptive youth. Next time they tried to trick the Guo Shang merchants, he would make him pay more and then give him a larger share.
"That's not wrong. Comrade Zhang Liunian, although we don't mind them knowing our project direction, it was indeed not proper of you to leak this matter to them."
Chen Jiayuan didn't have much affection for Zhang Liunian. If it weren't for the ninety million yuan he was waiting to get from him, he wouldn't have invited him over time and again, nor would he have tolerated his refusals.
"..." How was he supposed to answer? Should he say that this was what they wanted, and he was just going with the flow to convey their message?
If the truth were told, they were the ones using him. How could they shift the blame onto him?
If their automotive project failed, it would absolutely not be due to the capabilities of the Guo Shang merchants, but rather because they themselves didn't want to do it. If they wanted to do it, how could those people from the Guo Shang Chamber of Commerce resist?
While his mind churned with unspoken thoughts, Zhang Liunian remained silent.
Because this was inherently their predatory behavior, anything he said would be wrong.
Seeing Zhang Liunian's silence, Chen Jiayuan was not surprised and continued, "Alright, let's not discuss this for now. Let's hear Comrade Zhang Liunian's thoughts on this project and his intended investment amount."
"..." So that's what they were waiting for. Zhang Liunian was speechless.
After a moment, he still insisted on his idea, "Let's talk about your specific plans first!"
"..." Chen Jiayuan could no longer maintain his composure. He gave a signal to the crowd, and immediately someone stepped forward to accuse Zhang Liunian.
"Zhang Liunian, don't be ungrateful. Our president said that only after confirming your intentions and investment amount will he show you the detailed proposal. Can't you understand what's being said?"
The one speaking was President Ren, who had led the charge for the automotive project last time. Following him, a second person stepped forward to criticize Zhang Liunian.
"Exactly. If you're deaf, just say so. We can use a loudspeaker to talk to you; no need to be embarrassed."
"Stop your incessant rambling. Just say whether you're investing or not. Don't make excuses."
"We've always done things this way. Why can't you? Who do you think you are? Just because you have some money?"
"Indeed. Don't think you're so great just because you have tens of millions. We can do it without you, but it's not like you're indispensable."
"That's right. If our president hadn't wanted to make money together with you, you wouldn't even be here."
"..."
These Hong Kong merchants were almost all Chen Jiayuan's people, because they had been making money with Chen Jiayuan all along. Whether through legitimate or illicit means, as long as they made money, they recognized Chen Jiayuan as their leader.
Chen Jiayuan was delighted by this. As long as Zhang Liunian was having a bad time, he was happy.
"Comrade Zhang Liunian, please don't mind. Everyone just has different ideas from yours, so they think you're being particularly fussy and troublesome.
As the saying goes, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.' Why don't you just tell us directly how much you can invest in this project? We can then discuss the more detailed matters."
Chen Jiayuan smiled outwardly, but his words conveyed nothing but his dissatisfaction with Zhang Liunian.
Zhang Liunian was amused by their performance. These people were truly something else, so united in their effort to get money from him.
Unfortunately, without a more detailed project report, he would absolutely not hand over money easily.
It was true that he had money, but he couldn't just give it away. At most, he could state a figure.
"President Chen, it seems our philosophies differ, and we cannot achieve a win-win cooperation.
Your idea is that as soon as someone arrives, regardless of the circumstances, they should state how much money they're putting in.
But my thinking is to consider the investment intentions and amounts after understanding the situation clearly. Your hasty demand for me to show sincerity makes it seem as though you're just trying to swindle my money. I cannot agree to this."
As soon as Zhang Liunian spoke, most of the members present changed their expressions.
They were indeed all after the money Zhang Liunian had. This was their unanimous agreement with the president, but Zhang Liunian saying it in front of them made them lose face.
"Hmph! I said he came here not to invest and cooperate but to toy with us. You all didn't believe me, but now you do!
Look, even now, he can still find an excuse to refuse to invest. This shows that he never intended to invest with us from the beginning. He just wanted to get information from us to do it himself.
President, you can't let him succeed so easily."