Rebirth begins with studying hard

Chapter 39 Don't be too greedy

The shop assistant who spoke was a part-time college student, the kind of person who would be reading online novels at that age.

Seeing the shop assistant's curiosity, Lu Jie didn't hide anything and asked directly, "Have you read 'Battle Through the Heavens'?"

However, the store clerk's reaction exceeded his expectations.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!"

The shop assistant was so excited he almost jumped up.

"You wrote 'Battle Through the Heavens'!"

"So you're Chestnut Master!"

"Yes, yes! You mentioned at the end of the book that you were in school, I thought you were a college student!"

"So young!"

"I absolutely love this book! The first time I read it, I forgot to go to sleep that night!"

He was so excited he was almost incoherent. Forgetting all about getting ready for work, he grabbed a notebook and a pen.

"Could you give me your autograph?"

"I have to go back and brag to my roommates that I actually ran into Kuriko in person!"

Xie Bai looked at the excited shop assistant in surprise.

In his memory, although this part-time shop assistant was young and just a college student, she was quite steady and not easily startled.

Why would someone get so excited about a storybook written by Lu Jie online?

It feels like it's almost on par with fans chasing after celebrities.

Lu Jie was also somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected to encounter a fan of Kafka's works.

He took the pen from the shop assistant, signed his name as he wrote, and said, "Thank you for your support."

Seeing the shop assistant holding Lu Jie's autograph with such a precious look, Xie Bai couldn't help but ask curiously:

"Chen Yu, you really enjoy fighting..."

He couldn't recall the book's full title at first, so he changed his mind and said:

"You like Lu Jie's novels that much?"

He and Lu Jie had developed a tacit understanding: in front of outsiders, he would call Lu Jie by his full name, while Lu Jie would call him Brother Bai.

Although he repeatedly asked Lu Jie to call him by his full name, just as he would call Lu Jie by his first name.

But Lu Jie insisted on calling him Brother Bai, so he stopped saying it.

He was ten years older than Lu Jie, and he could handle being called "Brother Bai".

"I love it!" Chen Yu's excitement had not subsided.

In his eyes, Lu Jie was no different from a celebrity.

He essentially met his favorite celebrity, and in such a close, face-to-face way.

Words cannot express my excitement.

"Not only do I like it, but my roommates all enjoy watching it too!"

Seeing that Xie Bai seemed somewhat surprised, he explained:

"Battle Through the Heavens is one of the most popular novels online right now!"

"Anyone who reads online novels will basically know about 'Battle Through the Heavens'."

"It's absolutely gorgeous!"

"Mr. Bai, I recommend you check it out; I'm sure you'll love it!"

"Chestnut's book is so well-written!"

"That's amazing!"

Hearing the endless praise, Xie Bai was surprised again.

One of the most popular novels online?

Although he doesn't read online novels, he doesn't think they're anything special.

In his mind, only published physical books can be called literature or novels.

Aren't all the stories online just fantasy?

But no matter what, if it can truly be called one of the most popular novels online, then it is quite valuable.

He also recalled that a novel called "Those Things of the Ming Dynasty" had recently become very popular after being published online, and it was subsequently published in print. The book received excellent reviews and sold very well.

Therefore, is Lu Jie's book at a similar level to "Those Things of the Ming Dynasty"?

That's really impressive.

Thinking of this, the way he looked at Lu Jie changed.

Although Lu Jie had previously demonstrated an understanding of the tea beverage industry, no matter how much he understood, Lu Jie was ultimately just an ordinary high school student.

He wasn't even a student at No. 1 Middle School; he only attended a very ordinary No. 12 Middle School.

He acknowledged Lu Jie's understanding of the tea beverage industry and was willing to treat Lu Jie as an equal with whom he could communicate.

But deep down, he didn't really acknowledge Lu Jie's skill level, or rather, he didn't think highly of him.

He was just an ordinary high school student.

But now that I know Lu Jie can write a book on a similar level to "Those Things of the Ming Dynasty", my impression is completely different.

Literature is considered a high-end field by most people, and those who achieve something in literature are very talented.

He thought so too.

At this moment, Lu Jie had become a very talented young man in his mind.

What was he hesitating about just now?

There are concerns that Lu Jie is too young and the future is unpredictable. If he cannot keep up with the future development of the industry, it may bring negative risks to Kafka.

Originally, Lu Jie's concern was justified, given that he was an ordinary high school student with no outstanding qualities.

But now that he knew Lu Jie was so talented, his worries immediately disappeared.

In fact, if you look closely, there is no necessary connection between literary talent and starting a tea business.

But in Xie Bai's mind, the talented Lu Jie made him feel more reliable.

After the shop assistant calmed down and returned to her post, he no longer hesitated:

"Young man, thank you for your recognition of Kafka and of me."

"I do need funds, and I would be happy if you were willing to invest."

"But I only have one small request: if funds keep flowing in, your share price will increase..."

He considered his words carefully and said, "No matter how high, I can only give you 49%."

"I need to own 51% of the shares."

Seeing the change in Lu Jie's expression and worried that Lu Jie might misunderstand something, he immediately began to explain:

"After all, I founded Kafka, and I have a personal emotional attachment to it. I still hope that this brand belongs to me."

"Of course, I won't let you suffer a loss. If the subsequent investment is relatively high, I will also find a way to ensure that my investment is no less than 51% of the total investment."

To his surprise, Lu Jie interrupted him at this moment, saying in a somewhat surprised tone:

"Brother Bai, can you give me 49% of the shares?"

Xie Bai was taken aback, unsure of Lu Jie's meaning.

Is the shareholding too low? Or is it that they don't want to invest that much money?

Lu Jie was even more surprised.

Based on his understanding of Sherpa from his previous life, Kafka was a precious gem in his heart.

Except for the most difficult time, when they gave up 20% of their shares to survive a period when they almost went bankrupt.

At other times, he didn't give up even a tiny bit of shares.

No new investments were introduced.

Why would they be willing to give him so many shares?

He was certainly willing to take 49% of the shares, because once they got through this period, things would be on the right track.

It truly is a case of small investment yielding big returns.

He was very tempted.

But he quickly calmed down.

No, I can't be too greedy.

The future development of this brand will require Xie Bo's hard work and effort. Even if he is willing to put in the effort, he is studying and may not have that much time.

Even if he invested hundreds of thousands when the brand was struggling, in terms of amount, he could still hold a 49% stake.

However, in terms of the value given to the brand, the effort and time invested, it is completely unworthy of a 49% stake.

If Kafka remains a small brand with only two or three stores, acquiring a 49% stake might not be a big deal.

After all, the return on investment isn't outrageous.

But he knew how far Kafka would develop in the future, and at that time, the profits that could be obtained from a 49% stake would be very high.

For an investment of several hundred thousand, the return on investment is outrageous.

There are significant hidden dangers.

Moreover, the reduction in Xie Bai's shareholding may cause him to become less attentive to the brand, or even give rise to the idea of ​​starting his own business.

That would truly be a losing proposition.

Greed is not enough to swallow an elephant.

There's no need to take that risk.