Chapter 60: Acquisition

The atmosphere at the starting line was a bit awkward.

Although Fang You had been somewhat unreasonable, there were still some students among the spectators who agreed with his viewpoint.

After all, Li Dong wearing jeans to compete did seem somewhat disrespectful to the event.

However, when Fang You demanded a one-on-one match with Li Dong, those who had supported him before quickly changed their stance. Damn, this guy is a fool; supporting him would just make oneself look foolish too.

The starter was furious with Fang You for causing trouble. Without waiting for Li Dong to speak, the starter said angrily, "Fang You, do you think the school sports meet is a playground? I'm warning you now—either continue competing or withdraw yourself. Otherwise, I'll report this to the academic affairs office, and you'll definitely receive a warning!"

Upon hearing this, Fang You immediately cooled down.

He wasn't really an idiot; idiots don't get into Jiang University.

If he got a warning, it could jeopardize his graduation, and repeated offenses could even lead to expulsion. Jiang University's rules were very strict.

Glaring at Li Dong with resentment, Fang You muttered, "I'll compete!"

"Hmph!"

The starter huffed heavily and said sternly, "All competitors, take your positions. The race will begin shortly!"

Although Fang You had been reprimanded and had calmed down, Li Dong was still somewhat displeased.

Being arbitrarily targeted by someone wasn't enjoyable for anyone.

Li Dong even suspected that this guy named Fang You was intentionally causing trouble, as he couldn't believe Jiang University would have such a fool.

But there was no time to think about it now; the race was about to start.

Originally, Li Dong had planned to just go through the motions and leave, but now he was more determined. After Fang You's fuss, if he lost, it would be humiliating.

To avoid embarrassment, Li Dong decided to give it his all. Regardless of anything else, he definitely couldn't lose to that idiot Fang You!

Fang You had a similar mindset and looked at Li Dong with a provocative expression.

---

"Ready!"

"Bang!"

As the starting gun fired, Li Dong shot off like a rocket!

Fang You on the side also moved quickly, closely following Li Dong. The two were running almost side by side.

The 100 meters wasn't very long. In reality, a race could be over in just a little over ten seconds.

However, Li Dong and Fang You were completely in competition with each other, pushing hard. If Li Dong accelerated, so did Fang You; if Li Dong sprinted, so did Fang You. In just a short 100 meters, they managed to leave the other competitors several meters behind.

Only when they crossed the finish line did they slow down, panting heavily and glaring at each other in silence.

Li Tie, who had been running alongside Li Dong, caught his breath and hurried to the referee, asking, "Teacher, who came in first?"

Since Li Dong and Fang You had both crossed the finish line almost simultaneously, it was hard to tell who was first from the sidelines.

Li Dong also perked up his ears, listening. To be honest, he had given his all in the run.

He didn't expect that idiot Fang You would be just as fast. It seemed he was not to be underestimated.

Li Dong's physical condition was excellent, especially after his rebirth. He felt his body was even better than before.

Though wearing jeans affected him somewhat, Fang You being able to keep up meant he had some skill.

The referee looked at the stopwatch and hesitated.

This was just a school sports meet in 2004, with no advanced timing devices. The referee was using a stopwatch.

Since Li Dong and Fang You had crossed the finish line almost simultaneously, any discrepancy wouldn't exceed 0.1 seconds, and his hand speed wasn't that fast.

The referee thought for a moment and said, "Let's consider them tied for first place. Both can advance to the finals."

Originally, the preliminary round was divided into eight groups, with only the top of each group advancing to the finals. Now, both Li Dong and Fang You advancing to the finals was clearly an exception.

Hearing the referee's decision, Li Tie was pleased. He didn't care who won between Li Dong and Fang You, as long as Li Dong could make it to the finals.

Li Dong and Fang You, however, were both dissatisfied. Fang You complained, "Teacher, clearly I was a bit faster than him. How can it be a tie for first place?"

"Ridiculous! Anyone who can see knows who was faster. You were trailing behind me, and you still have the nerve to say you were faster!"

"Who are you talking about?"

"Talking about you. Not happy? Try and do something about it!"

"..."

The argument between the two drew the attention of the crowd again. Everyone was enjoying the spectacle.

A 100-meter preliminary usually wouldn't attract much attention, but with this drama, everyone was thoroughly entertained.

Eventually, it was Li Tie who pulled Li Dong away, bringing the argument to an end.

Li Dong actually didn't want to argue with the fool; he didn't want to become a laughingstock. But with that idiot's repeated provocations, Li Dong couldn't just ignore him.

Once Li Tie had pulled him off the field, Li Dong didn't leave immediately but asked, "Which department is that guy from?"

"He's from the School of Business and Management, majoring in Business Administration. Are you planning to get revenge on him?"

Seeing Li Dong deep in thought, Li Tie advised, "Forget it. It's better to avoid trouble. Besides, he didn't actually gain anything."

Li Dong shook his head, saying nothing further. He said, "I have to go. Find someone else for the 800 meters. If you can't find anyone, consider me forfeiting."

After the earlier incident, he wasn't in the mood to compete. If there was another fool like Fang You, it would only make him more frustrated.

Li Tie looked a bit troubled but nodded in agreement.

Seeing Li Dong about to leave, Li Tie asked, "What about the 100 meters final tomorrow?"

Li Dong paused, then nodded, "I'll definitely participate!"

Putting aside everything else, he would go just because Fang You made it to the finals. If he didn't beat that guy, Li Dong would feel he wasted all these years.

---

At 11:10 AM, Li Dong arrived at Jingyuan Café.

Upon entering, he saw Sun Tao was talking to a middle-aged man in his forties. Li Dong hurried over.

"General Manager Chen, hello!"

"Hello, General Manager Li!" Chen Hua quickly stood up and shook hands with Li Dong.

Li Dong sat down opposite Chen Hua, apologizing, "I'm truly sorry for being late. I had a sudden matter to attend to."

"It's alright, it's alright." Chen Hua waved his hand and added, "General Manager Li, you're busy, so having Sun Tao here with me is enough. You're too polite."

Li Dong smiled without responding and chatted with Chen Hua for a while.

After the pleasantries, Li Dong glanced at Sun Tao, who gave a barely perceptible nod. Li Dong was informed.

Straight to the point, Li Dong said, "General Manager Chen, I have a basic understanding of Qinghua Logistics. Please state your price."

Chen Hua was taken aback by Li Dong's directness and hesitated.

Although Qinghua Logistics was not large, it had been operating well, and he had never considered selling the company until now.

Unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances had arisen. Recently, one of Qinghua's heavy trucks was involved in an accident, and the compensation and economic losses exceeded two million. This forced him to decide to sell the company.

Chen Hua hesitated for a moment and didn't give a direct price. Instead, he said, "General Manager Li, Qinghua Logistics has been in operation since 2001. Currently, we have 12 light trucks, 6 medium trucks, and 4 heavy trucks… Each transport can carry over 120 tons…"

Li Dong knew that Chen Hua was preparing for the pricing and listened without interrupting, also using this opportunity to understand the specifics of Qinghua Logistics.

With five branches in Qingyang, their shipping volume would only increase. Relying solely on other logistics companies was not only risky but also costly.

If one day their shipping channel were blocked, it could deal a fatal blow to Yuanfang. Therefore, building their own logistics channel was necessary.

As for constructing a dedicated logistics distribution center for Yuanfang, Li Dong couldn't afford it at present, so acquiring a small logistics company was a mutual decision with Sun Tao.

After talking for about four or five minutes, Chen Hua finally said, "3.5 million is my bottom line. Otherwise, I wouldn't sell."

Li Dong didn't speak but nodded at Sun Tao.

Sun Tao immediately responded, "General Manager Chen, 3.5 million is too much! I understand your company's situation. More than half of your trucks are subcontracted…"

The two debated heatedly.

However, one wanted to buy and the other wanted to sell. As long as the price was acceptable to both parties, the acquisition was not very difficult.

In the end, Li Dong made a decisive offer: "2.6 million. If General Manager Chen agrees, we'll sign the contract. If not, we'll look for another company."

Chen Hua pretended to hesitate, but after a long time, he reluctantly nodded. In reality, he was quite satisfied with this price.

Although his trucks were purchased for over 2.6 million, selling them as used vehicles could only fetch a bit more than a million.

Li Dong was also satisfied with the 2.6 million price.

Acquiring Qinghua not only saved them a lot of time but also meant they didn't have to buy new trucks since the contracts for the subcontracted vehicles were not yet expired. This would save them a considerable amount of expenses.

With the price settled, the next step was to discuss the specific details.

Li Dong didn't interfere and let Sun Tao and Chen Hua handle the discussion.

It was only after noon that both sides reached an agreement.

Thus, in addition to the six supermarkets, Li Dong now owned a small logistics company with a transport volume of over 100 tons.