DCEO VS DCEO | Chapter 6

The next day, there was finally news about the partnership.

Unfortunately, it wasn't good news.

The other companies involved were extremely unhappy that Slungshot had suddenly tried to join the project midway through negotiations. No matter what, they refused to renegotiate the preliminary agreements.

Gu Zhan personally went to Fu Group several times for meetings. Although Fu Hongping felt that Gu Zhan's proposal was impressive, the other companies simply wouldn't budge.

The negotiations dragged on for nearly a month.

By the end, Gu Zhan had almost given up hope.

Then Fu Yan informed him that the deal had gone through.

Fu Group would allocate a small percentage of the project to Slungshot, while the partnerships with the other companies would remain unchanged.

Just getting a few percentage points was already a good result.

Gu Zhan wasn't shortsighted.

A self-built logistics network wasn't a short-term project. If Slungshot could participate in the first phase, there would naturally be opportunities later.

More importantly, this cooperation would serve as a stepping stone toward a stronger relationship with Fu Group.

The first logistics hub was planned for a suburban area several hundred kilometers from the capital. The land had already been approved, construction permits were secured, and once the contracts were signed, work could begin immediately.

Fu Group made the groundbreaking ceremony a major event.

There was a banquet, extensive media coverage, and plenty of publicity.

As a partner company, Gu Zhan was invited to attend.

Since the location was far from Beijing, returning the same day would be rushed, so Gu Zhan packed a few travel essentials and planned to stay overnight.

The area was known for its beautiful scenery.

Not far from the future logistics center stood a resort estate where many people vacationed and enjoyed hot springs.

The hotel arranged by Fu Group for guests was nearby.

Gu Zhan knew very well that the partnership wouldn't have happened without Fu Yan.

Eager to make up for his earlier misunderstandings, the Fu heir had personally visited several smaller partner companies multiple times before finally persuading them.

After years in business, Gu Zhan had met countless wealthy second-generation heirs.

But someone as sincere as Fu Yan was genuinely rare.

To put it bluntly, he was almost too sincere.

In a business world filled with cunning operators, Fu Yan was practically an endangered species.

Gu Zhan decided that he needed to cultivate this friendship properly.

If he could truly become close friends—or even brothers—with the Fu heir, Slungshot would never lack opportunities again.

Gu Zhan had always been good at managing relationships.

Since Fu Yan had worked so hard for him this time, he felt he should show his appreciation.

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The banquet was winding down.

Lights glittered softly throughout the venue.

Holding a glass of red wine, Gu Zhan quietly approached Fu Yan and leaned close to his ear.

"President Fu, we're staying at the same hotel tonight, right?"

Fu Yan nodded.

"Yeah."

"I've prepared a surprise for you."

His voice rose teasingly at the end, carrying a mysterious and suggestive tone.

Fu Yan looked at him.

The corners of Gu Zhan's lips curved upward. His phoenix-shaped eyes narrowed slightly, revealing an ambiguous gleam.

Though Fu Yan was new to the business world, he was certainly not inexperienced in romance.

He immediately understood what that expression implied.

Over the years, many people seeking connections with Fu Group had tried similar methods.

Now that he was actively involved in business, there were even more.

Most of the time, Fu Yan wasn't interested.

Partly because he had high standards.

And partly because he had no desire to get involved with random strangers and invite unnecessary trouble.

So after hearing Gu Zhan's words, he merely smiled.

Gu Zhan blinked.

"I guarantee you'll like him. I picked according to my own tastes."

This made Fu Yan laugh.

Indeed.

If anyone knew what kind of person he liked, it was probably Gu Zhan.

After all, their entire acquaintance had started because they had both been interested in the same person.

Seeing that Fu Yan was interested, Gu Zhan continued:

"I had someone keep an eye out for a long time. He's a college student. Meet him first. If you like him, you can keep him around for a while."

Fu Yan took a sip of wine.

His Adam's apple moved as he swallowed.

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The two returned to the hotel together.

During the ride, Gu Zhan called the intermediary to confirm the arrangements.

The man had been matching wealthy clients with companions for years and prided himself on providing high-quality introductions.

He reported that the student was driving over from Beijing and had nearly reached the highway exit. He should arrive within half an hour.

Gu Zhan then gave him Fu Yan's room number and instructed the student to go directly there.

After making all the arrangements, Gu Zhan tactfully returned to his own room.

The moment he closed the door, he sat down with his laptop and began reviewing Slungshot's plans for the second half of the year.

The more he calculated, the happier he became.

With Fu Group's cooperation, Slungshot's performance targets could easily double.

President Gu sat there grinning to himself.

After a while, he decided such a pleasant mood deserved a drink.

He disliked drinking competitively at banquets.

But when alone, opening a bottle of good wine and watching a favorite movie was one of his favorite ways to relax.

This hotel even owned its own winery and employed French winemakers.

He had heard several of their wines were excellent.

So he called the front desk.

"Please send a bottle of red wine to my room."

He named a particular wine.

The receptionist replied politely:

"Certainly, sir. Is there anything else you need?"

"No."

Then he paused.

"Actually, do you have anything more unique? Something high-end and distinctive?"

The receptionist answered:

"We do. We have a wine called Tipsy. It was specially created by our winemaker for his first love. It uses a unique process and has a very smooth taste. It's quite popular."

"That sounds fine. Send it to Room 3204."

The receptionist hesitated.

"Sir, I'd like to confirm something. Because of its unique formula, this wine contains a special ingredient developed by the winemaker. It has... certain aphrodisiac properties. Are you sure you'd like to order it?"

Aphrodisiac?

Gu Zhan glanced at his watch.

At this time, the college student should be arriving soon.

Sending it to Fu Yan's room seemed perfect.

Gu Zhan was almost touched by his own thoughtfulness.

A friend as considerate as him was truly invaluable.

One day, he was definitely going to win over the Fu heir.

"Yes. Send it to Room 3204."

He smiled and hung up.

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After drinking wine and watching a movie for a while, Gu Zhan began feeling sleepy.

Since he had work the next day, he decided to shower and go to bed.

He had just stepped out of the bathroom when he heard his phone vibrating nonstop on the sofa.

Drying his hair, he picked it up.

Fu Yan.

And there were already two missed calls.

Why wasn't he busy enjoying his evening?

Why was he repeatedly calling in the middle of the night?

Something must have happened.

Frowning, Gu Zhan answered.

"Hello? What's wrong?"

A furious voice exploded from the speaker.

Even through the anger, Gu Zhan could tell Fu Yan was trying hard to restrain himself.

"Gu Zhan! What the hell did you make me drink?"

Ever since they had reconciled, they had always addressed each other politely as "President Gu" and "President Fu."

This was the first time in a long while that Fu Yan had directly used his name.

Gu Zhan was baffled.

He had gone to so much effort arranging everything.

Why was the Fu heir upset?

The issue seemed too complicated to explain over the phone.

Since their rooms weren't far apart, Gu Zhan simply decided to go over.

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He had barely rung the doorbell twice when the door flew open.

Before he could react, Fu Yan grabbed him by the collar of his bathrobe and slammed him against the wall.

Their faces were inches apart.

Gu Zhan could feel the heat in Fu Yan's breath.

"Did you drug my wine?"

"What are you talking about?"

Gu Zhan hated being pinned down like this.

He pushed Fu Yan's hand away and walked straight into the room.

"Where's the guy? Did he leave?"

Fu Yan glared at him.

His hair was damp with sweat.

His skin was flushed red from face to neck.

Even the wrist visible beneath his rolled-up sleeves was crimson.

Looking at him, Gu Zhan couldn't help recalling that drunken photo Yao Jing had once sent him.

The hazy eyes.

The broad chest.

The—

He coughed and quickly looked away.

The room was spotless.

Both the bed and sofa were untouched.

On television, Animal World was replaying scenic nature footage.

Then his gaze landed on the half-empty bottle of wine sitting at the minibar.

"Wow. That stuff has quite a kick."

Realization dawned.

"Don't tell me you drank all of it?"

He paused.

"The college kid still hasn't shown up?"

Meeting Fu Yan's burning gaze, he finally pieced everything together.

"Oh..."

He hurried to explain.

"It's the hotel's specialty aphrodisiac wine. That's my fault. I should've warned you beforehand."

Then he added:

"But why isn't that kid here yet? Don't worry, President Fu. I'll call and find out."

Honestly, none of this had been part of his plan.

Yet seeing the mixture of frustration and embarrassment on Fu Yan's face made him want to laugh.

Unfortunately, his amusement only made Fu Yan angrier.

Fu Yan clenched his fists and sat heavily on the sofa.

His dark eyes followed Gu Zhan like knives, never leaving him for a second.

Meanwhile, Gu Zhan paced around the room while making the call.

"Hello? Why hasn't he arrived yet?"

His hair was still damp from his shower.

Without styling gel, it fell softly across his forehead, making him look younger.

Without his glasses, his fair features were fully exposed.

He looked completely different from the polished businessman people knew.

"What?"

He stopped.

"He got into a rear-end collision on the highway?"

His expression darkened.

"Then why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Frustrated, he placed his hands on his hips.

In the process, his bathrobe slipped partially open.

A stretch of pale skin became visible.

At the center of his collarbone sat a small crimson mole.

Every movement made it catch the eye.

"Listen, I don't care. Find me someone else immediately—"

Before he could finish speaking, a powerful arm yanked him backward.

The next second, he landed directly in Fu Yan's lap.

"What are you doing now?"

Gu Zhan's eyes widened.

Fu Yan wrapped an arm around him.

His deep voice burned against Gu Zhan's ear.

"Stop looking."

Then he murmured:

"A distant source can't put out a fire that's right in front of you."

"Fu Yan, are you crazy?!"

Gu Zhan tried to stand.

Fu Yan pushed him right back down.

The drug was taking effect.

Every inch of Fu Yan's body felt unbearably hot.

His blood surged through his veins.

The more he resisted, the worse it became.

The harder he tried to stay rational, the more chaotic his thoughts became.

Eventually, desire overwhelmed reason.

His entire focus narrowed to the enticing figure wrapped in a bathrobe before him.

His hot breath brushed repeatedly against the back of Gu Zhan's neck.

The sensation made Gu Zhan's heart race.

It was dangerous.

And intensely seductive.

"The person you arranged never showed up."

Fu Yan's voice dropped lower.

"So, President Gu..."

His breath lingered against Gu Zhan's ear.

"...you'll have to substitute for him yourself."