章節 540: Chapter 540: Smooth Sailing
Wu Chengde and his grandson's thoughts were beyond Xia Yu's control, but he could roughly guess their intentions. Having interacted with Wu Hongyi for so long, Xia Yu had also figured out his true nature.
While Wu Chengde was old and suspicious, his grandson Wu Hongyi was less burdened, with a more flexible mindset and a more pragmatic approach.
In fact, Wu Hongyi had likely guessed Xia Yu's thoughts or at least had a similar worst-case scenario in mind.
To push Wu's family to lead the integration of Chinese capital in Britain and establish the Chinese Business Consortium, Xia Yu had to gain benefits, whether immediate or future. He wanted them all.
If Xia Yu didn't have the necessary connections and prestige, he wouldn't have dared to encourage the Wu family to step up.
After all, there was a significant difference between the founder of any organization and its successors!
However, Xia Yu was confident that as long as the Chinese Business Consortium was successfully established, he had many ways to infiltrate and make it work for him.
Even if the consortium was established, it would only be a medium-sized consortium in Britain. If he couldn't secure this, what chance did he have with the Sanhe Consortium of the island nation?
As long as he held firm control over the shares of the Chinese Business Bank, he would have a foothold. At that time, with a major capital offensive, he didn't believe the Wu family or other Chinese capital enterprises could withstand it!
The extent of control would depend on the value of the Chinese Business Consortium and the situation at hand!
It was pointless to think too much now; the key was whether the Wu family would take action and whether they could indeed lead the establishment of the consortium.
If it couldn't be established, it was futile to think about it.
---
After leaving the Marriott Hotel, Xia Yu made a detour to the Treasure Pavilion. As soon as he arrived, he saw a small truck parked at the entrance of the Treasure Pavilion, with Hua Lao directing workers to carefully unload boxes from the truck. The bottoms of the boxes were cushioned with thick white foam.
"Mr. Xia, what brings you here!" Hua Shengshi immediately greeted with a smile upon seeing Xia Yu and Li Xi.
"I was passing by, so I thought I'd stop by. Hua Lao, what's this?" Xia Yu asked with a smile, looking curiously at the boxes being moved.
Hua Shengshi's face glowed with pride and happiness as he said, "I bought all the Chinese antiques from a baron's collection. There are a total of 968 pieces. This is the third truckload; we've already brought two trucks full. They're all stored in the inner hall. Mr. Xia, would you like to take a look?"
Xia Yu laughed heartily, delighted by the achievement, "Of course, I'd love to see it and appreciate your accomplishment, Hua Lao!"
Hua Shengshi nodded happily and told his apprentice, "A-de, watch over here and make sure they're careful. Mr. Xia and I will go inside."
"Got it, Master!"
"Let's go, Mr. Xia. Please follow me!"
Hua Shengshi led Xia Yu and his group into the inner hall.
Upon entering, Xia Yu saw a corner piled with sealed boxes, at least a hundred of them, nearly blocking the stairway.
"Mr. Xia, I've already taken a small portion upstairs. The majority is still here."
Hua Shengshi said, walking to a stack of boxes and opening one. He revealed a beautifully crafted porcelain vase, a round-mouthed bottle with a diameter of about thirty centimeters, slightly smaller than the box's diameter. The box was filled with foam to prevent damage.
After admiring it for a moment, Xia Yu asked, "Hua Lao, are these all to be unpacked and taken upstairs? Is there enough space?"
Hua Shengshi showed a wry smile and quickly replied, "With over nine hundred pieces, it's impossible to unpack and display them all at once. We're just bringing them back for now."
"Mr. Xia, could you find a place to store the antiques? Otherwise, it might affect future acquisitions. Using a random warehouse is too unsafe."
Xia Yu thought for a moment and casually suggested, "Then let's move the antiques to my estate. I have plenty of vacant rooms and unused basement space. We can figure out how to transport them to Hong Kong later."
"Let's not let them unload any more now. Just bring everything directly to my estate."
Hua Shengshi agreed immediately, "Okay, there are at least three more truckloads. I'll tell them to stop unloading."
Hua Shengshi hurriedly went out to stop the unloading. Xia Yu didn't linger and took Hua Shengshi with him, leading the truck carrying the antiques to his estate.
Soon, Xia Yu returned home and showed Hua Shengshi around, particularly the rooms and basement he had chosen for antique storage.
With the location set, Hua Shengshi wasted no time and quickly directed the workers. He seemed to have boundless enthusiasm.
That day, in addition to the truckload of antiques, another truck arrived, filling half a room. Hua Shengshi stayed for dinner at Xia Yu's home and then had the driver take him back.
The next morning, Xia Yu returned to the Guangming Fund to continue working.
It was still interviews with elite talents.
Sitting in the interview office, Xia Yu had just finished an interview, sipped some tea, and was about to move on to the next candidate's information when he almost thought he had seen wrong. As he glanced at the new interviewee who had just entered, he nearly spilled his tea.
Seeing the standard smile and fresh, elegant appearance of Elena as she sat down and formally handed him her resume, Xia Yu was astonished and uncertainly asked, "Elena, what are you doing here?"
Elena maintained her smile and replied seriously, "Hello, I'm here for an interview!"
Seeing that Elena was still answering formally, Xia Yu was both amused and speechless. After checking Elena's resume and confirming she wasn't a twin, Xia Yu leaned back in his chair and asked casually, "Alright, Elena, let's pause the interview for now. How did you end up applying to my company? This is completely unexpected!"
Realizing Xia Yu wasn't planning to continue the interview, Elena had no choice but to return to a friendlier demeanor, blinking her big eyes at Xia Yu, "Xia Yu, your company announced job openings, and it didn't explicitly forbid me from applying, did it?"
Xia Yu shook his head with a wry smile, "It didn't, but Elena, your family has many companies. There's no need for you to work here. The Guangming Fund is just a small company, nothing particularly outstanding."
Xia Yu bluntly pointed out Elena's background, but she was not surprised. Instead, she smiled beautifully and explained, "Xia Yu, I don't intend to work at my family's companies. I'm about to graduate from university, and my mentor arranged for me to find an internship on my own. I came to London specifically to find a company where I can develop my skills. After observing, I found that your company offers the space for performance and growth, so I applied."
"Moreover, working here allows me to take better care of my younger brother. You know, my brother comes to your company every day and even ignores my advice as his sister. So, it's better for me to work here!"
"Don't worry about any awkwardness between us. While you're my boss during work hours, we're still friends outside of work. Don't think you'll still be my boss after working hours!"
Elena ended with a playful wink, half-joking and half-serious.
Xia Yu chuckled and was excited about the opportunity.
Hiring Elena would be highly beneficial for him. Her presence would serve as a bridge connecting him with the Howard family, which would enhance his future plans significantly.
Moreover, he wanted to place Elena in the Rolls-Royce acquisition team. With her background, it would greatly reduce the difficulty of the acquisition.
Xia Yu wasn't worried about Elena revealing his acquisition plans for Rolls-Royce to her father, Carter Howard. If Carter Howard knew, it would be even better. Xia Yu never planned to acquire Rolls-Royce entirely at the beginning; that would be unrealistic!
He needed to bring in partners, and the Howard family was undoubtedly a prime candidate.
So, during this period, Elena often brought her brother Henry to the company. Xia Yu didn't deliberately avoid it and even intentionally let her know about his plans to acquire Rolls-Royce.
Of course, having a beautiful British girl as an employee was something any normal man would welcome!
Xia Yu and Elena looked at each other for a moment before Xia Yu asked seriously, "Elena, are you sure you want to work for my company?"
Elena smiled warmly, "Of course. I know you're acquiring Rolls-Royce, and I admit it's quite challenging. I want to be involved. I think if I succeed in this challenge, it will be a great achievement for my mentor and a perfect conclusion to my university career."
Xia Yu nodded slightly, considering it. He decided to clarify things first to avoid any misunderstandings with Elena.
"Elena, I'm of course welcoming your addition, but there are some things I need to clarify. If you still wish to proceed, I will welcome you with open arms."
"Go ahead."
Elena's smile remained, and she looked at Xia Yu calmly.
"If you join the Rolls-Royce acquisition team, I will place you in an important position and give you significant opportunities for development. However, I also plan to leverage your family background
."
Xia Yu said, looking directly at Elena with a slight apprehension in his heart.
Elena maintained her sweet smile and, after a moment, responded with a blooming smile, "Xia Yu, you're very honest and haven't deceived me. I'm very pleased!"
Xia Yu smiled and nodded slightly, waiting for Elena's response.
Elena's expression was carefree and natural, "If I can help, I'm happy to do so. You don't need to worry about me overthinking things. It's impossible to escape the marks one is born with in this society. This is also part of a person's value. I won't be narrow-minded or fixated on personal abilities."
"Being able to navigate relationships and fully utilize all advantages to achieve one's goals is also an important ability, isn't it?"
"What a smart girl!"
Xia Yu thought to himself, filled with admiration. He hadn't expected Elena to not only be beautiful but also intelligent and insightful. Her qualities were exceptional!
Since Elena had no objections, Xia Yu felt no reservations.
He stood up, extended his hand to Elena, and smiled, "Elena, welcome aboard!"
"It's my honor, charming boss!"
Elena also stood up, extended her slender hand, and shook hands with Xia Yu, playfully blinking her beautiful eyes.
"Haha…"
---
Elena's interview was the biggest surprise since he started hiring.
Although Elena, nearing university graduation, was not as experienced as seasoned professionals, her value for the Rolls-Royce acquisition plan was unmatched.
Therefore, Xia Yu immediately appointed Elena as the deputy head of the acquisition team, allowing her to be fully involved.
As for the position of team leader, Xia Yu had no intention of taking the spotlight. It would be handled by George Berkeley.
Xia Yu's involvement with the Rolls-Royce acquisition team was primarily to build the team, focus on personnel allocation, and establish systems, rather than leading the hands-on work.
If George Berkeley were unavailable, Xia Yu might have to step in himself.
But with the Financial Times Group acquired, and the remaining 50% of The Economist's shares acquisition smoothly in progress, and negotiations for The Daily Telegraph progressing well, Xia Yu's media tycoon ambitions were advancing further.
Since the acquisition was going smoothly, George Berkeley had been freed up. Xia Yu wanted to assign him the role of head of the Rolls-Royce acquisition team, which George Berkeley accepted with enthusiasm and dedication.
Before taking over, Xia Yu specifically called George Berkeley to the office to explain the background and importance of one of his deputies, Elena. George Berkeley understood immediately and grew even more hopeful about the acquisition plan.
The Guangming Fund's matters were becoming easier, but Wu Hongyi approached Xia Yu again. Xia Yu was rather excited about this, as Wu Hongyi was seeking advice on establishing the Chinese Business Consortium!
Wu Hongyi had come to consult Xia Yu!
This was exactly what Xia Yu wanted!
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票