After Zhang Xingke had left, only the four of them remained in the lounge. They were silent for a while, all digesting the news that had just been thrown at them. Zhang Xingke might have been preparing for a long time regarding this matter, but it indeed came as rather sudden to Hucheng.
Xu Tingsheng included, all of them had only been thinking about how to expand and develop previously as they had not considered how they might deal with such troubles in the very least.
âBro Xu, sorry. I might have spoken a little too much just now,â Old Wai said a little awkwardly.
âItâs fine. It would have been the same even if you hadnât said those things,â Xu Tingsheng patted Old Waiâs shoulder.
Under such circumstances, perhaps he indeed shouldnât have spoken out of turn like that. Still, Xu Tingsheng understood how he had been feeling very well. The lifeblood that he had invested into Hucheng was really no less than that by Xu Tingsheng at all. That being so, how could he just have soundlessly watched on like that as Hucheng was wrested away by someone else?
Also, he and Li Linlin possessed a ten percent share in Hucheng as well. It was not strange at all that his âownerly instinctsâ were rather more intense.
How much was ten percent of Huchengâs shares worth?
It was still fine when Old Wai and Li Linlin hadnât known about this. Having learnt the price at which Fang Chen had become a shareholder of Hucheng through Lu Zhixin afterwards, the two of them had been shocked to the point of rushing over to find Xu Tingsheng in the middle of the night, adamantly insisting on returning the shares.
âYou canât return them. Since when has there been the logic of returning something after having received it? Just focus on conscientiously working for me,â Was what Xu Tingsheng had said at the time.
In the lounge, Old Wai hung his head in guilt before asking, âIs it really as serious as that Zhang Xingke said just now? Really to the point where it is either one side or the other who survives?â
Old Waiâs tone carried quite a bit of incomprehension. The reason for his incomprehension was actually very simple. As Hucheng had yet to begin charging fees and had yet to begin making a profit, all he currently saw was a simple home tutor platform and its unceasingly changing data as it was hard for him to gain a proper realisation of it.
As soon as Hucheng began rolling in the cash in the tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands every single day, he wouldnât have to ask such a question anymore. Where there were benefits to be had, conflicts would naturally arise, let alone these benefits being so great.
While Hucheng had still yet to begin charging fees, just from Zhang Xingkeâs current income situation alone, it was already sufficient to determine that as soon as Hucheng got started, it would immediately become a money-making machine. Also, this was just limited to Yanzhou alone. What about when Hucheng began expanding into other cities in the future?
âDidnât you hear him just now? He originally had more than 200000 entering his account every month. How much do you think he still has left now?â Xu Tingsheng asked.
Old Wai just shook his head.
âAccording to our data, he might not even have a fifth of that left now,â Lu Zhixin analysed.
âThatâs why, Old Wai. If someone is taking over a hundred thousand away from you every month, wouldnât you want to duke it out with him?â Xu Tingsheng asked before he smiled, âDidnât you hear him just now? Breaking off oneâs inflow of cash is just like killing oneâs parentsâŚstanding in his way is precisely what weâre doing now.â
Xu Tingsheng had given a very clear explanation of things. All that remained was self-evident.
While it appeared just to be a conflict between two university students on the surface, not being to the extent that it warranted an all-out battle to the death, due to the benefits that lay behind thisâŚunless Xu Tingsheng was willing to hand over Hucheng or Zhang Xingke was willing to give upâŚit was indeed an irreconcilable situation for both sides.
âIf he really wants to destroy our platform, what will he do then?â Li Linlin asked rather worriedly.
âI donât know,â Xu Tingsheng answered, for he really didnât know.
On a certain level, due to having spent a long time striking it out in society, Zhang Xingke could already no longer be viewed as simply a mere university student.
While Xu Tingsheng couldnât specifically know what methods Zhang Xingke was capable of executing, just based on him having control over so many resources just as a mere university student, just based on his earlier tone of speech as well as utterly confident, cocksure mannerâŚ
Xu Tingsheng knew that he had definitely already long been prepared for if negotiations fell through, having accumulated some plans for dealing with Hucheng beforehand. Thus, his methods definitely wouldnât be simple, wouldnât be so easy to deal with.
âWhat should we do then? How about we make some preparations first?â Lu Zhixin asked.
âLetâs just wait and see. Thereâs no way we can prepare for it now. Iâll be returning to my dorm first,â Xu Tingsheng yawned, âYou lot should remember to get some good rest as well. A warâs going to break out.â
âŚâŚ
Xu Tingsheng was waiting for Zhang Xingkeâs first wave of actions. If Zhang Xingke had indeed long been prepared like he thought, this should be coming very soon. Thus, Xu Tingsheng didnât turn off his campus handphone for once as he slept.
As for his other handphone, the one whose number Xiang Ning knew, he had never ever turned it off before.
The next morning, Xu Tingsheng was roused by the ringing of his handphone, Lu Zhixin telling him, âGet over to the computer and have a look. The forums of the various universities as well as the academy cityâs âXishan Towerâ forum.â
âI should just come over and take a look,â Xu Tingsheng mumbled indistinctly.
After eating breakfast, Xu Tingsheng hurried over to the riverside residence. Reaching the office on the third floor, the employees of Hucheng were all already gathered. Upon his arrival, they all directed âunfriendlyâ gazes at him.
âWhatâs up? These vengeful gazesâŚwhy does it feel like I am Zhang Xingke?â
Xu Tingsheng came to the computer and had a look. There was a similar thread on the forums of virtually all the universities as well as the main forum of the academy city. This thread had induced an intense flurry of discussion, thus having become a hot topic on these forum sites.
After reading the contents of the main post, Xu Tingshengâs face turned red, âNo wonder theyâre looking at me with such gazes.â
The post was actually about just that single incident, the one when Xu Tingsheng had previously continuously sealed Gu Yanâs home tutor account on the platform for no rhyme or reason. In order to become Xiang Ningâs home tutor, Xu Tingsheng had indeed been rather âinsaneâ back then.
This post narrated the course of the entire matter, also having added a few lines after. The crux was in these few lines, in which the other party was purposefully trying to muddle oneâs senses.
1. The so-called free platform is merely a means with which to tie down the student home tutors. When they have grasped sufficient parental resources and established a monopoly, all the student home tutors will be nothing but money-making tools in their eyes. Youâve got to be obedient, or otherwise, your account will be sealed, with no reason required for it at all.
2. According to our knowledge, Gu Yan is a first year university student with a poor family background who is working diligently to make ends meet, all her living expenses as well as school fees being reliant on home tutoring. Thus, how are Huchengâs actions different from smashing her rice bowl, breaking off her route to living? Does a platform like this even have a conscience?
3. What did Gu Yan do wrong? Should we allow impoverished students to be bullied just like that? Is it also wrong for us to work hard to be self-sufficient?
4. According to our knowledge, the one who was competing for the same home tutor position as Gu Yan was a Hucheng personnel. Also, he won. How did he win? We believe no explanation is needed.
5. Can we still continue to place our trust in such a platform?
The post intentionally overlooked the fact that Gu Yanâs account had swiftly been unsealed. However, this was actually no longer important. More important was how they had employed an idea that was sufficient for leveraging on the wills of many: Poor university students have been bullied.
Be they poor themselves or just acquainted with impoverished classmates, even if this was completely unrelated to they themselves, this idea would still be enough to rile up the fury of most university students.
Xu Tingsheng scrolled down the thread and read the replies. Almost the entire screen was filled with the explosive righteous indignation of university students. They were chastised and cursed at, with many people even indicating that they were willing to stand up for Gu Yan and go smash Hucheng.
Even while there were occasionally a few who spoke up for Hucheng, these were very quickly overwhelmed by the furious crowds.
The fault for this evidently lay with Xu Tingsheng.
âThatâs too shameless,â Xu Tingsheng forced out a smile, âThis Zhang Xingke is really too shameless. See, heâs clearly just talking rubbish.â
Everyone ignored him apart from their stares along the line of âYou unbecoming wastrelâ, âYou calamityâ and âLook at what youâve gone and done nowâ that they all directed at him.
âItâs fortunate that the matter of the 5-Star home tutor wasnât exposed,â Old Wai sighed.
âSomeone mentioned it later on in the thread,â Li Linlin said.
ââŚâ Xu Tingsheng scratched his head, the sins that he carried having gone up yet further.
âXu Tingsheng, what do we do?â Lu Zhixinâs furious gaze met his.
âI want to think first. Iâm going to the toilet,â Xu Tingsheng evaded Lu Zhixinâs gaze, fleeing outside.
âHow about I give Gu Yan a call and ask her? Maybe I can get her to help?â Li Linlin yelled at him from behind.
âLetâs wait a few days first,â Xu Tingsheng said as he thought of Gu Yan.
That was an extremely valiant female warrior. If this post had been of her own intentions or if she was willing to cooperate with Zhang Xingke, it wouldnât be of use even if Li Linlin called her and pleaded with her.