Chapter 61: Chapter 59 Asymmetric Cooperation
Chu Mo didn't rush downstairs, instead he took off his pajamas and changed into casual clothes. After dawdling for a while and feeling it was about time, he leisurely descended the stairs.
In the nearly two hundred square meter main hall on the first floor, the butler Danny stood waiting with eight maids, all silent beside him.
Chu Mo remembered that when he had returned earlier, there were only two maids on duty. It seemed there must have been a visitor, which was why the butler had summoned all the maids.
The bodyguard Shou Bo also stood quietly in the living room, while on the sofa, a tall and robust figure was silently waiting.
As Chu Mo's figure appeared, the eight attractive maids bowed in greeting at the same time. The butler Danny quickly approached Chu Mo and respectfully said,
"Mr. Chu, this is Mr. Jiang Tao, introduced by Shou Bo!"
As the butler made the introduction, the middle-aged man who had been quietly sitting on the sofa also stood up. It wasn't until the man was actually in front of him that Chu Mo realized that at his own height of 1.82 meters, he didn't even reach the other man's chin.
By conservative estimates, the other man must be at least two meters tall!
"Hello, Mr. Chu, I'm Jiang Tao, Shou Bo's teammate. It's presumptuous of me to come late at night, and I apologize for disturbing you!"
The man's voice was booming and his bell-like eyes conveyed an almost tangible coldness. His body might not have had the explosive muscles common in gyms, but his entire presence exerted a strong oppressive feel.
The man extended his hand, the large palm covered with calluses.
Chu Mo, who had merely glanced at the man in front of him without shaking his hand, simply said,
"Mr. Jiang, please take a seat!"
There was no sign of awkwardness due to Chu Mo's rudeness; the muscular man naturally retracted his hand and sat opposite him with dignity.
The butler Danny personally poured a glass of water for himself, and after Chu Mo picked up the glass in front of him and took a gentle sip, the oppressive feeling that had made it hard for him to breathe finally started to dissipate.
This man was truly intimidating!
A guess lingered in the back of Chu Mo's mind; had he shaken hands with the man earlier, under that strong pressure, all the initiative in any subsequent action would likely have been in his opponent's hands,
"Shou Bo mentioned that you helped out with the situation this afternoon, I haven't had the chance to thank you yet!"
Two maids naturally stood on either side of Chu Mo, while the other six maids stood two by the door and the remaining four not far away, ready to serve at any moment.
Butler Danny stood slightly behind the maids, while Chu Mo, the center of attention, leaned back lightly on the sofa, his expression neither cold nor warm.
The man opposite him, with a square face that was not particularly handsome but exuded an exceptional air, nodded slightly upon hearing this and earnestly said,
"Shou Bo and I have a life-and-death friendship. Such a trifle is not worth mentioning... I came here this time to ask for Mr. Chu's assistance with a matter!"
As the night grew late, Chu Mo didn't want to engage in riddles with a grown man, so he nodded lightly and got straight to the point,
"I heard from Shou Bo that it's about a financial matter, isn't it?"
Upon hearing this, the man who had up until then maintained a righteous expression couldn't help but sigh softly. However, after a moment, he composed himself, and looking directly at Chu Mo, Jiang Tao said in a deep voice,
"Indeed, last year, after I left the team, I faced continuous setbacks with job searches, so I gathered a few brothers to start a detective company. I thought that with my connections, getting by wouldn't be an issue... but...
"The pace of modern society is too fast, and I was overly optimistic. The company hasn't been able to pay salaries for four consecutive months. The brothers, out of trust, have had no complaints, but unlike me, a man with no family to speak of, they have a lot of pressure at home. If this continues... I'll have no face left to meet their families."
"I'm here this time to ask Mr. Chu to invest in our detective agency. As long as we can get through this difficulty, whenever Mr. Chu encounters any trouble, just give us the word, and we brothers will do our utmost!!"
Chu Mo felt no surprise; the situation was almost exactly as he had anticipated.
Glancing briefly at Shou Bo across from him, Chu Mo suddenly spoke with a hint of curiosity in his eyes:
"Shou Bo, you can take on three ordinary men by yourself, but how many of you would it take to overcome Mr. Jiang?"
In Chu Mo's mind, Shou Bo, who could fight three people at once, was already considered a top-notch expert. However, having met Jiang Tao today—a man whose mere presence exerted a strong sense of oppression—had left a profound impression on Chu Mo.
So, Chu Mo was quite curious about how strong this man, who had the presence of a mighty tiger, really was!
"Mr. Chu, Jiang is my instructor, and he taught me all my skills... If it's a regular sparring session, probably four of me using brute force could subdue Jiang. But if it's a life-or-death fight, probably ten of me could only be evenly matched with Jiang!"
Standing about 1.8 meters tall and also possessing a robust physique, Shou Bo did not hesitate but quickly gave his answer.
He really is a fierce one!
With a glint of anticipation in his eyes, Chu Mo nodded slightly and inquired:
"Mr. Jiang, how much funding do you need?"
"500,000... Apart from myself, we have six brothers in total. I want to give each of them 50,000 RMB to settle down, and the remaining 200,000 would be used for marketing. As long as the company can get on the right track, no matter the issue, we brothers will certainly do our utmost for Mr. Chu in the future!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Mo waved his hand lightly and said nonchalantly:
"I'll give you a million RMB!"
Seeing that the other party did not show any joy, but instead raised an eyebrow slightly, Chu Mo straightforwardly asked:
"With a million RMB, do you have the confidence to establish your company?"
Jiang Tao did not thump his chest with assurances or say much; instead, he said in a resolute tone:
"Mr. Chu, do you have any suggestions?"
Chu Mo did not answer directly but instead said with a smile:
"You didn't come here merely for a mere 500,000 RMB, did you?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Tao nodded slightly without any concealment and said:
"Indeed, although the company is in urgent need of money, we're not yet out of options. If I'm willing to swallow my pride and reach out to former comrades-in-arms, we could still get a few hundred thousand. The reason I came to Mr. Chu... I heard from Jiang Tao that Mr. Chu's operation has just begun, and you're still in need of capable people.
Additionally, Shou Bo told me Mr. Chu is a principled person, not the type to bully men and dominate women...
Mr. Chu, you need people; we have them. We need capital; you have it. It's a win-win situation, and I believe you will consider it seriously!"
Chu Mo nodded with a smile, but then suddenly shook his head and sighed:
"That's just wishful thinking on your part!" Pointing at Shou Bo across from him, Chu Mo continued:
"Shou Bo's original salary was 15,000 RMB per month, which was already not low considering he didn't have any special skills. I raised it to 20,000 RMB. With a monthly 20,000 RMB salary, forget about eight or ten; even a hundred retired bodyguards could be recruited from the ranks.
So, your so-called partnership doesn't stand!"