Chapter 208: He Is Fearless!

Regarding what Shen Fei had proposed, if considered only in the short term, it was certainly tempting.

After all, with six hundred million in funds, he could completely revamp “A Skewer of Life”. Achieving the goal of dominating the BBQ markets of major cities within a year would no longer be a challenge.

However, if this plan succeeded, the brand would indeed flourish, but Ji Lu’s shares would shrink to only 30%.

To be honest, six hundred million for 70% of the shares—was it worth it?

Certainly not.

No investor would put such a huge sum into an unknown, barely-established brand, let alone ask for “only” 70% of the equity. Realistically, if Shen Fei demanded 95%, it wouldn’t be unreasonable.

Logically, Ji Lu should have happily accepted the offer. Missing this chance meant that future opportunities might not come close to six hundred million. After several rounds of financing, he might not even retain 10% of the shares.

Yet Ji Lu hesitated.

What he cared about wasn’t merely equity, but the brand he had painstakingly built from the ground up.

The risk was enormous. If “A Skewer of Life” failed, then all the hard work he poured into it would be for nothing.

Whether or not Shen Fei would falter, Ji Lu certainly would. It was all or nothing—either spectacular success or devastating failure.

Thus, Ji Lu remained silent, lost in thought, weighing the pros and cons carefully.

Seeing Ji Lu’s hesitation, Shen Fei didn’t rush him. After a long pause, Ji Lu finally asked tentatively,

“Mr. Shen, are you saying this six hundred million will be paid upfront in full?”

“Yes! Furthermore, if you need more funds later, as long as the reason is sound, I’ll invest more,” Shen Fei affirmed.

Hearing this, Ji Lu swallowed hard and nodded with difficulty.

“Alright, Mr. Shen. Give me some time to think about it.”

This decision involved his life’s work, so Ji Lu couldn’t afford to be careless. Even if he accepted Shen Fei’s terms, he needed to thoroughly investigate him first.

“Sure! Take your time. If you decide to accept the investment, prepare the necessary equity transfer documents and related paperwork. Next time we meet, we’ll sign directly,” Shen Fei said with a smile.

“Okay,” Ji Lu replied, feeling conflicted.

Just as Shen Fei was about to leave, Ji Lu stopped him.

“Mr. Shen, can I ask why? There are plenty of other, more appealing projects out there. Why would you choose ‘A Skewer of Life’? How are you so bold as to invest six hundred million without really knowing us? Even with our solid proposal, this seems overly confident.”

Ji Lu’s question didn’t surprise Shen Fei. Smiling, he explained,

“Your question is valid. To most investors, ‘A Skewer of Life’ is completely unheard of. The restaurant industry today is booming, and without something unique, it’s easy to fade away like a viral trend. But your proposal vividly illustrates your ambition. Just from that, I can see ‘A Skewer of Life’ will rise to success, no less than the hotpot giant Haidilao.”

Hearing this answer, Ji Lu felt a mix of emotions—excitement, disbelief, and urgency. Shen Fei’s words were exactly the validation he hoped for.

Before Ji Lu could speak again, Shen Fei added,

“Take your time and weigh the pros and cons. I’ll wait for your answer.”

“Alright,” Ji Lu nodded, realizing how passive he had become in this negotiation. Despite Shen Fei being a decade younger, Ji Lu had been led the entire time.

This disparity made sense. Ji Lu was merely an entrepreneur, while Shen Fei was already a CEO capable of investing six hundred million. Given that gap, how could Ji Lu keep up?

“Alright, let’s end it here for today. Contact me when you’ve decided,” Shen Fei concluded.

—

Shen Fei wasn’t worried about the waiting period at all. In his previous life, “A Skewer of Life” hadn’t secured its first round of funding until next April. More importantly, who else besides him would dare to offer six hundred million and leave 30% of the shares to Ji Lu?

With such favorable terms, Ji Lu would inevitably sign the deal. His hesitation was simply about taking some time to process it.

As Shen Fei stood up, Ji Lu also rose. Smiling at each other, they walked toward the exit, only to bump into two familiar faces—Jiang Tiancheng and Hu Yuantai.

“Fei-ge! What a coincidence!” Jiang Tiancheng exclaimed, grinning as he hurried over with Hu Yuantai.

“Indeed! What brings you two here?” Shen Fei asked with a smile, while Ji Lu froze on the spot.

Though Jiang Tiancheng and Hu Yuantai didn’t know him, Ji Lu certainly knew them. Recently, while seeking financing, Ji Lu had thoroughly researched the prominent figures in the local business scene.

What baffled him was how these two treated Shen Fei so warmly, even lowering their status to call him “Fei-ge”.

How was this normal?

“We’re here to discuss a liquor deal. And this gentleman is…?” Jiang Tiancheng asked, glancing curiously at Ji Lu.

“A BBQ restaurant owner—Ji Lu,” Shen Fei answered directly.

“Ah, Mr. Ji! Nice to meet you!” Jiang Tiancheng and Hu Yuantai greeted Ji Lu enthusiastically.

Though surprised, Ji Lu courteously exchanged business cards with them. He understood that their cordiality was entirely because of Shen Fei.

Inside, Ji Lu grew even more curious about Shen Fei’s background.

After Ji Lu left, Jiang Tiancheng couldn’t resist asking,

“Fei-ge, who is this Ji Lu?”

“He’s the founder of ‘A Skewer of Life’,” Shen Fei replied casually.

“I know that brand! I’ve eaten there a few times—it’s pretty good! But, Fei-ge, why were you with him? Are you planning something?” Hu Yuantai asked curiously.

“He’s seeking investment, and I showed up. Simple as that,” Shen Fei said.

“Wow, Fei-ge, you’ve got a new project already? Can we get a piece of the pie?” Jiang Tiancheng asked quietly, leaning in.

“Forget it! But there are two other projects you might want to consider,” Shen Fei teased, rolling his eyes.

“Oh? Tell us, Fei-ge!” Both Jiang Tiancheng and Hu Yuantai instantly perked up with interest.