Rebirth Begins with Rejecting my Childhood Friend - Chapter 494

In Lu Xinyao’s eyes, Xu Xiuwen was, without a doubt, a hopeless womanizer.

There were simply too many beautiful women around him.

Although Lu Xinyao was somewhat confident in her own beauty, she didn’t think she could hold Xu Xiuwen’s attention forever.

The only way she could think of to free herself from his relentless pursuit was to wait. Wait until the day Xu Xiuwen grew bored and lost interest in her. Then she could finally walk away freely.

So, even though she appeared utterly compliant and accommodating in front of Xu Xiuwen, it was all just an act. Deep down, she couldn’t wait to get away from him.

But something had changed in recent days—because of one incident.

She found herself thinking about Xu Xiuwen from time to time. Whenever she thought of him disappearing without a word recently, most likely off sweet-talking another woman, her mood soured inexplicably.

Her foul mood had been evident at work, where she wore a perpetually icy expression, as though someone owed her millions.

Her concerned colleague, Song Xiaomi, even whispered to ask if it was that time of the month.

But only Lu Xinyao knew the real reason behind her irritation—Xu Xiuwen. And it wasn’t something she could talk about. Not something she would talk about.

Lu Xinyao suddenly recalled something Xu Xiuwen had said earlier.

She couldn’t help but think, “Have I really gained weight?”

This made her want to pull out her compact mirror to check if her face looked rounder.

But then she snapped out of it. Why should she care if Xu Xiuwen thought she’d gained weight? What did it have to do with him anyway?

Realizing her train of thought, Lu Xinyao bit her lip and glared angrily at Xu Xiuwen.

But she quickly gave up on that, sighing silently as she turned to look out the window instead.

—

The dinner Xu Xiuwen was attending tonight was no ordinary gathering.

The attendees were liquor distributors from Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province.

Xu Xiuwen’s Guangming Distillery was doing well and had successfully entered Anhui’s liquor market, gradually securing a foothold.

Now, Guangming’s new liquor was available in cities across Anhui.

But Xu Xiuwen’s ambitions weren’t limited to that.

He had long set his sights on the liquor market in Nanjing, the de facto capital of Jiangsu.

Nanjing’s annual liquor sales amounted to approximately 1.4 billion yuan, with the mid-to-high-end market alone accounting for around 500 million yuan.

With such a lucrative market, anyone claiming they weren’t tempted would clearly be lying.

Xu Xiuwen had been targeting Nanjing’s market for a while, leading to tonight’s gathering.

At just before 5 p.m., Xu Xiuwen arrived early at a high-end seafood restaurant in Qinhuai District, Nanjing.

This restaurant was the largest and most luxurious banquet venue in Nanjing. It could accommodate 5,000 diners at once, with a 4,000-square-meter kitchen.

Xu Xiuwen had organized tonight’s dinner, so he was, of course, the host.

Hosting an event at such a prestigious venue came with a hefty price tag—easily tens of thousands of yuan.

But as the saying goes, “You have to spend money to make money.” For the chance to break into Nanjing’s liquor market, the expense was worth it.

As soon as Xu Xiuwen stepped inside, the lobby manager approached him to confirm the private dining room number.

After confirming the details, the manager personally escorted Xu Xiuwen to the room.

Just as Xu Xiuwen reached the door of the private dining room, he happened to run into a middle-aged man.

Before organizing tonight’s dinner, Xu Xiuwen had specifically researched the liquor distributors in Nanjing and reviewed photos of some of them.

The man standing before him now was someone he recognized—Jiang Yuanzhou, one of the more influential distributors in Nanjing.

It was evident that Jiang Yuanzhou also recognized Xu Xiuwen. His eyes lit up, and he greeted him with a smile.
“Well, they say meeting in person surpasses reputation, and it’s absolutely true! President Xu, you’re truly talented and accomplished at such a young age.”

“Not at all, President Jiang. You are the epitome of maturity and poise, truly distinguished. I’ve heard so much about you, and it’s an honor to finally meet you,” Xu Xiuwen responded smoothly.

The two men immediately began exchanging flattering remarks, regardless of their sincerity. On the surface, at least, the interaction was harmonious and pleasant.

At this point, Jiang Yuanzhou’s gaze shifted to the woman standing next to Xu Xiuwen.
“President Xu, and this lady is?”

Seizing the opportunity, Xu Xiuwen introduced her, “President Jiang, this is my secretary, Lu Xinyao.”

Hearing that Lu Xinyao was Xu Xiuwen’s secretary, Jiang Yuanzhou’s smile didn’t falter. He even offered an earnest compliment.
“President Xu, your secretary is truly a rare beauty.”

Lu Xinyao responded politely with a soft “thank you.”

“Xinyao, let me introduce you. This is President Jiang Yuanzhou. In Nanjing, when it comes to the liquor business, no one can establish themselves here without his approval.”

This statement was a bit of an exaggeration.

Based on Xu Xiuwen’s research, Jiang Yuanzhou was, at best, the third most influential distributor in Nanjing. Two others were significantly more powerful than him.

Naturally, Xu Xiuwen’s words were just polite flattery.

Jiang Yuanzhou, knowing he was being elevated intentionally, waved his hand modestly.
“President Xu, you’re too kind. I don’t deserve such high praise.”

“President Jiang, you’re being too humble…”

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Xu Xiuwen smiled and said,
“President Jiang, it’s truly an honor to have you grace us with your presence tonight. Please enjoy yourself to the fullest. If our hospitality falls short in any way, I’ll be too embarrassed to face you again.”

“Oh, not at all… President Xu, you’re far too courteous!”

The two then entered the private dining room together.

The room Xu Xiuwen had reserved was an oversized private suite. It contained a single table but was large enough to accommodate 50 diners.

By this time, quite a few people had already arrived in the room. A quick glance revealed over 20 attendees.

When Xu Xiuwen and Jiang Yuanzhou entered, many of the attendees stood up.

Jiang Yuanzhou, as the third most influential distributor in Nanjing, was known to nearly everyone present.

And though most had never met Xu Xiuwen in person, they recognized him too—thanks to his first television production, Boys Over Flowers. The drama’s popularity had undoubtedly boosted his fame across Jiangsu Province.

With Jiang Yuanzhou making introductions, Xu Xiuwen went around greeting the attendees one by one.

Thanks to his excellent memory, it took him only a short time to match each person’s face with the information he’d gathered.

However, as the introductions concluded, a sense of disappointment crept into Xu Xiuwen.

Most of those present were indeed distributors, but their capabilities were far from impressive.

How bad were they? Some of them only managed scattered channels, dealing with small shops and ordinary restaurants.

Aside from Jiang Yuanzhou, none of the truly influential distributors had shown up.

This realization dampened Xu Xiuwen’s mood.

He clearly remembered that when he’d invited these people over the phone, they’d all agreed readily and enthusiastically.

Still, since it wasn’t yet the agreed-upon time, Xu Xiuwen suppressed his dissatisfaction and patiently waited. He eventually took his seat.

It was worth noting that Jiang Yuanzhou didn’t sit in the main or secondary guest seat but instead chose the third guest seat, intentionally leaving the two most prominent positions vacant.

As the time for the dinner approached, more attendees gradually arrived.

By 5:00 p.m., nearly all the distributors had shown up, except for the top two most influential ones.

Just as Xu Xiuwen was beginning to think they had stood him up, a man and a woman walked in.

The man appeared to be in his forties, with a slightly overweight build, though his features were decent. Xu Xiuwen instantly recognized him.

It was Liu Yang—the distributor who controlled the largest number of channels in Nanjing’s liquor market.

Beside Liu Yang was a woman who entered alongside him. She was wearing a black bodycon dress, the low-cut neckline making it seem like she was one breath away from spilling over. Her makeup was heavy but skillfully done, her hair cascading over her shoulders. At first glance, she was undeniably eye-catching.

Shortly after Liu Yang entered the room, less than a minute later, another person walked in.

This time, it was a woman Xu Xiuwen didn’t recognize.

However, it was evident that others in the room knew her. The moment she entered, about a third of the seated distributors immediately stood up to greet her.

This was a level of enthusiasm even Liu Yang hadn’t received.

The woman didn’t hold back as she strode directly to the main guest seat, sat down, and fixed her gaze on Xu Xiuwen. Her tone was cold as she said,
“I’m Wu Fang, Secretary to President Wu. He’s very busy today and sent me to attend the dinner on his behalf.”

Her words left Xu Xiuwen feeling irritated.

The “President Wu” she mentioned was Wu Gaohe, the most prominent liquor distributor in Nanjing.

Many of Nanjing’s well-known supermarkets, restaurants, and hotels sourced their liquor from him.

If Xu Xiuwen wanted to break into Nanjing’s liquor market, he couldn’t avoid dealing with Wu Gaohe.

But he hadn’t expected Wu Gaohe to be so dismissive—refusing to attend personally and merely sending a secretary in his place.

Xu Xiuwen clenched his jaw, suppressing the anger rising in his chest.

He knew now wasn’t the time to show his frustration. Even if he did, it wouldn’t change anything. Wu Gaohe wasn’t someone he could confront directly—unless he involved Li Haimei’s connections.

But even then, Wu Gaohe likely had his own backers, and Xu Xiuwen didn’t want things to escalate to that point.

Swallowing his frustration, he forced a smile and politely welcomed Wu Fang.

Once everyone had taken their seats, the restaurant staff began serving the dishes.

This being the largest seafood restaurant in Nanjing, the service was nothing short of impressive.

The waitstaff, all women, were dressed in elegant teal cheongsams, reminiscent of high-end clubs.

As they served the dishes, their graceful movements and swaying figures drew the attention of many.

Xu Xiuwen noticed that some of the men’s eyes were practically glued to them.

His gaze swept across the faces of everyone in the room but stopped abruptly.

His eyes locked onto the seductive woman Liu Yang had brought with him.

At that moment, she was also looking directly at him.

Their eyes met.

The woman smiled faintly at him.

Xu Xiuwen gave her a slight nod before withdrawing his gaze.

Xu Xiuwen couldn’t help but ponder: What’s with this woman?

He had noticed from the moment she entered the room that she had been sneaking glances at him. What was she trying to convey? Was she interested in him?

Once the waitstaff had finished serving the dishes, they thoughtfully filled everyone’s wine glasses before retreating from the room.

The atmosphere shifted as all eyes in the private room turned toward Xu Xiuwen. He instantly became the center of attention.

Xu Xiuwen, however, didn’t falter.

Lifting his glass, he said, “Let me first propose a toast to everyone here. Thank you all for honoring me with your presence tonight.”

The guests reciprocated his gesture, raising their glasses and taking a sip of their drinks.

While Xu Xiuwen had invited everyone to this dinner primarily for business, he didn’t plan to jump straight into negotiations. It seemed more appropriate to ease into the conversation over dinner.

But someone else was far less patient than he was.

As soon as Xu Xiuwen put down his glass, a man in his forties spoke up. “President Xu, we’ve had the wine—how about we get down to business?”

“No rush,” Xu Xiuwen replied with a smile. “Let’s enjoy the meal first. Once everyone’s happy, we can talk business.”

The man sneered. “Who’s in the mood to eat before sorting things out? Did you think we came here just to have dinner with you?”

His words were sharp and utterly disrespectful.

Xu Xiuwen was momentarily stunned, his irritation barely contained.

Glancing around the room, he noticed that several people seemed to share the man’s sentiment.

What stood out most, however, was Liu Yang and Wu Fang, who were both sitting nearby with amused expressions, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

Xu Xiuwen suddenly remembered that when Wu Fang had entered earlier, this man had been among those who stood up to welcome her.

In contrast, when Xu Xiuwen himself had arrived, this man had remained seated, not even offering basic courtesy.

The stark difference in attitude, combined with the man’s current provocative behavior, made it clear to Xu Xiuwen: this was an intentional attempt to embarrass him.

Whether he was acting on his own or under someone else’s orders, Xu Xiuwen wasn’t sure just yet. But it was evident that this group wasn’t entirely friendly.

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Xu Xiuwen addressed the man.

“You’re Li Zengli, correct?”

“That’s me,” Li Zengli replied with a nod.

“You own two liquor stores, two restaurants, and a supermarket. Did I get that right?”

Li Zengli’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

Xu Xiuwen’s information was spot on. But how did he know?

Without explaining, Xu Xiuwen smiled and asked, “How would you like to negotiate?”

Suppressing his curiosity, Li Zengli responded, “What’s the entry fee for your Guangming Distillery?”

The term “entry fee,” also known as a placement fee, refers to the money paid by liquor manufacturers to restaurants in exchange for exclusive promotion and sales of their brand.

This practice was widespread across the country but particularly rampant in Nanjing.

Jiangsu Province, with its strong drinking culture and economic prosperity, was one of the largest consumers of liquor in China.

As its de facto capital, Nanjing naturally attracted numerous liquor companies vying for a share of the lucrative market.

This intense competition led to the widespread adoption of entry fees. Companies willing to pay could significantly suppress competitors while boosting their own sales.

The practice of paying for store placements began with Kouzi Liquor, and Heyang Distillery took it to the extreme.

Before 2000, Yinghe Liquor and Wuliangye dominated the white liquor market in Nanjing.

However, after 2000, Kouzi Liquor entered the Nanjing market, rapidly overtaking Yinghe Liquor and Wuliangye through the use of store placements, becoming the “leader” of Nanjing’s white liquor market.

This situation lasted until 2006.

In 2006, Kouzi Liquor’s sales in Nanjing alone exceeded 200 million yuan.

Naturally, the local Jiangsu distillery, Heyang, could not let such a massive market slip away.

In an effort to grab market share, Heyang also began aggressively buying store placements—so much so that they outpaced Kouzi Liquor.

In 2004, Heyang’s sales in Nanjing amounted to only about 60 million yuan.

But through its frenzied store-buying strategy, Heyang’s sales in Nanjing reached over 200 million yuan just the following year.

From that point on, Heyang began to squeeze Kouzi Liquor’s market share, leaving no room for the latter to breathe.

Ultimately, in 2009, Kouzi Liquor withdrew its branch from Nanjing.