svetikya Page 133
Page 133
“Victor, where are you? Come to Sapphire Cafe on the Upper East Side right now.”
Blair's voice carried its usual unquestionable tone.
"Now? I just finished talking with Mr. Chen. Is there anything I can't say over the phone?"
Victor frowned slightly; he didn't like this sudden disruption.
"Let me introduce you to a girl."
Blair was blunt, giving Victor no chance to refuse: "Listen, Victor, we've said this before, you need a white girlfriend. This isn't advice, it's strategy."
This will allow you to be accepted into this circle much faster, which has unimaginable benefits for your business expansion. Think about it: how many invisible barriers does a successful Asian entrepreneur with a respectable white partner break down?
Viktor felt a sense of absurdity and resistance.
When will his love life become a bargaining chip in his business strategy?
"Blair, thank you for your 'kindness,' but I don't need it. My business is based on products and models, not..."
“Victor! This is America. If you don’t choose to integrate, you won’t get a chance.”
Blair interrupted him, his tone hardening, "Here, you're an outsider! If you want to truly integrate into the top ranks, if you want to access more resources, there are certain rules you must follow, even exploit. I'm not negotiating with you."
Caroline Channing, my college classmate, comes from a wealthy family, is good-looking, and is very interested in you. Just think of it as meeting a new friend and expanding your network, okay? I already have plans with her, don't embarrass me.”
Viktor remained silent for a few seconds.
He loathed the feeling of being controlled, but Blair's words, though harsh, somehow touched upon the helplessness of reality.
He knew all too well that in the American business world, especially in New York, a place of fame and fortune, connections and "image" were sometimes indeed an invisible passport.
He sighed, a hint of self-mockery in his compromise: "...Send me the address."
·······
The "Sapphire Café" is filled with the rich aroma of coffee beans and a sense of understated luxury.
In a window seat, a blonde woman sat alone, her posture elegant; it was Caroline Channing.
She saw Viktor approach and gave him a well-trained, perfectly timed smile.
“Victor Lee? I’m Carolyn Channing. Blair often mentions you, saying you’re young and promising, with your own successful restaurant business.”
She extended her hand, her nails meticulously trimmed.
“Nice to meet you, Miss Channing. Blair, you flatter me. It’s just a small business.”
Victor shook her hand gently and sat down opposite her.
He quickly sized her up. She was a typical pampered rich girl, tall, beautiful, and dressed exquisitely, but her eyes held a curious yet detached gaze toward the world, as if everything was an exhibit to her, including him, Victor Lee.
The ensuing conversation confirmed his premonition.
Caroline is indeed very talkative, ranging from art exhibitions to charity galas, her words revealing the knowledge and taste shaped by her privileged life.
She expressed amazement and admiration for Victor's "food truck empire," but this admiration was more like admiring a novel and interesting toy.
"It's so cool that you could think of using a motorhome for catering! It's a mobile revolution, isn't it?"
She blinked as she spoke, but Victor felt she didn't really understand the supply chain management, standardized production, and the hard work of the ground sales team behind it all.
Viktor remained polite and answered her questions briefly, but his heart was unmoved, and he was even somewhat tired.
He had no interest in this kind of superficial social interaction, or in these carefully kept canaries.
His world is the aroma of cooking in the kitchen, the numbers on financial statements, the coordinates on an expansion map, and the desire to gain status through boxing!
Rather than casual conversations in salons and fashion week trends.
The two are on completely different wavelengths.
The conversation quickly became dry—Victor didn't understand what damn beauty or fragrance meant.
Caroline seemed to sense Victor's perfunctory attitude, and her enthusiasm cooled slightly as she turned to talk about boxing—but then she started by saying how well-defined the boxer's muscles were, and so on.
Before they had even finished their coffee, they both tacitly agreed that it was time to end the meeting.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Li."
“Me too, Miss Qian Ning.”
When it came time to pay, Victor took out his wallet, and Caroline expertly suggested, "Let's split the bill."
Victor did not object, which was consistent with his assessment of the nature of the meeting—a purely business-related social gathering where neither party owed anything to the other.
Leaving the café, the autumn wind brushed against his face, and Victor actually felt a little more relaxed.
He put this little incident behind him and continued analyzing Tyson Fury's fight videos.
However, that very evening, there was a knock on the door of his hotel room.
Outside the door stood a middle-aged man in a suit, with impeccable manners.
"Good evening, Mr. Li. Excuse me for bothering you, I am Mr. Martin Channing's secretary."
The man handed over a finely crafted invitation: "Mr. Qian Ning cordially invites you to lunch at the 'Oak Hall' at 12:30 pm tomorrow. Your driver will be waiting downstairs at the hotel."
Victor was stunned.
Martin Channing?
That Wall Street financial tycoon, a prominent figure with a net worth exceeding two billion US dollars?
How could he know him?
Why invite me so formally?
"Mr. Qian Ning, is there something you need to discuss with me?"
Viktor asked cautiously.
The secretary maintained a professional smile: "Mr. Qian Ning simply expressed his interest in you and your career and hopes to have the opportunity to communicate with you. Please do me the honor of attending."
After seeing his secretary off, Victor looked at the heavy invitation in his hand, his mind filled with doubts.
His first thought was Blair, but he immediately dismissed it, noting that while Blair had extensive connections, he didn't seem to be at Martin Channing's level.
Could it be... Caroline Channing?
The surname Qian Ning is not common.
He recalled the blonde girl from that afternoon; she seemed to have mentioned that her father "also worked on Wall Street"... A vague guess formed in his mind, but this only made him more incredulous.
To go or not to go?
Opportunities coexist – they are all opportunities.
Martin Channing is a financial tycoon, but he has always kept his distance from the capital games of Wall Street, and even sensed that a storm was brewing.
What if you can't see eye to eye?
But it is also an invitation that cannot be refused, one that may hold tremendous opportunities.
Ultimately, a strong sense of curiosity and business instinct drove him to make the decision: he had to go.
The following morning, Victor made careful preparations, not only reviewing his company's data and future plans, but also repeatedly considering the current economic situation and the basis for his judgment.
At noon, a luxury car picked him up on time and took him to "Oak Hall," a private club located in the heart of Manhattan.
The environment here is completely different from yesterday's café. The heavy oak decorations, the understated yet expensive artworks, and the near-absolute quietness all showcase the heritage and power of a long-established wealth.
Martin Channing was waiting for him in a quiet booth at the back.
He looked younger than in the magazine, with neatly combed blond hair, sharp eyes like an eagle, and a seemingly easygoing smile on his face.
"Mr. Li, it's a pleasure to have you here."
Martin rose and shook hands with Victor, exuding confidence. "My daughter Caroline mentioned that she had a very pleasant conversation with you yesterday. She spoke highly of you, saying you are pragmatic, perceptive, and quite different from many of the 'empty talkers' she has met."
It was indeed because of Caroline.
Victor understood, but remained outwardly calm: "Thank you for your kind words, Miss Qian Ning. Mr. Qian Ning, it is an honor to receive your invitation."
After exchanging pleasantries, lunch proceeded in a seemingly relaxed atmosphere.
Martin Channing is extremely adept at guiding the conversation. He started by talking about the New York restaurant market, then moved on to the macroeconomy, and then casually steered the conversation toward Victor's business model and expansion plans.
He had clearly done his homework and was very familiar with the operational details and advantages of SHW.
“Great business, Victor—may I call you that?”
Martin cut into the lamb chops on his plate, his tone appreciative. "You've grasped the demand and satisfied it in the lowest-cost, most efficient way, achieving replicable scale. That's the charm of manufacturing. But..."
He abruptly changed the subject, put down his knife and fork, and leaned forward slightly. "Have you thought about making it faster? Bigger? Relying on your current profit accumulation for rolling development is too slow. Wall Street can provide you with enough fuel—a funding round, or a direct IPO, and I can get your brand in every major city in the US within a year."
The typical mindset of a financier: leverage, speed, scale.
Viktor sensed the allure, but also the danger.
He pondered for a moment and decided to be honest about his thoughts.
"Mr. Channing, thank you for your high regard. I have no doubt about the power of Wall Street."
Viktor spoke cautiously but firmly, “However, please forgive my frankness, I am relatively pessimistic about the current state of the U.S. financial market.”
Martin raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly surprised that the young man would refute him so directly, especially in his area of expertise.
"Oh? Pessimistic? How so? The economic data still looks strong."
“Data may be misleading, but purchasing power will not. Beneath the surface of strength, excess liquidity, inflated asset prices, and the risks of subprime loans are being transferred and accumulated layer by layer.”
Chapter 112 Price Listing
Victor listed these as judgments made by Blair after long-term observation and research into the economic situation: "I think a huge adjustment is likely unavoidable. The question is not whether a financial crisis will come, but when it will come and how severe it will be."
He looked at Martin with unwavering eyes: "At this point in time, if we introduce a large amount of capital for rapid expansion, once the financial environment tightens and consumption declines, high leverage will instantly become a fatal burden."
I believe the priority now is to solidify the foundation, optimize the model, build up cash flow, and weather the storm. While manufacturing may be slower, a strong foundation makes it more resilient to adversity. Rapid expansion is better suited to calm times, not times when trouble is brewing.
After he finished speaking, a brief silence fell over the booth.
Martin Channing did not respond immediately; he simply re-examined the young man before him with his sharp eyes—he had failed; his idea of finding an investor to sustain the business had failed.
He has seen too many entrepreneurs who are excited about capital and eager to seize opportunities, but it is rare to find someone as calm and even "conservative" as Victor, who can clearly and rationally express his concerns about macroeconomic risks.
Suddenly, Martin broke the silence with a low laugh.