How A Ride-Hailing Driver Comes To Dominate The World? [EN]: Chapter 322

What, the Shura War God? That’s it?

South Myanmar is a chaotic place, teeming with mercenary groups of all sizes.

To invest there, you need either your own private army or a very reliable one. Otherwise, you’re just throwing money away.

Yang Chen comforted Tang Xia, “Don’t cry. Crying won’t solve anything. Let’s figure this out.”

Tang Xia said, “But I don’t know how! I can’t just send people to fight them, can I?”

Yang Chen said, “South Myanmar is easy. I’ll have someone negotiate. If that works, great. If not, we’ll wipe them out. How did you structure the oil deal? Wasn’t there a delivery deadline?”

Tang Xia explained, “We agreed on a one-month delivery window, but there was a ‘force majeure’ [unforeseeable circumstances] clause. They keep delaying, citing unstable international conditions, and there’s nothing we can do. International issues technically qualify, and we didn’t fully consider it. It was our mistake. Now our domestic buyers are giving us one last week. Either we deliver the full amount, or we pay a penalty of three times the contract value. That’s about 4 billion USD. I could sell the entire Tang family and still not cover that. Ah Chen, what do I do? Waa…”

It was a failure to fully consider all angles. That force majeure clause had painted them into a corner.

However, Tang Xia wasn’t entirely to blame. Almost every contract includes such a clause. It’s just that it rarely comes into play. Tang Xia was simply unlucky to encounter the current international instability.

Yang Chen wiped away her tears. “Don’t cry. I’ll handle it.”

He immediately called Zhang Lijun.

“Brother Chen, what can I do for you?” Zhang Lijun asked.

Yang Chen said, “Contact our people in South Myanmar. Find out which mercenary group robbed the Tang Corporation’s three gold mines. Negotiate nicely and get them back for no more than 10 million USD. If it costs more, tell Bangcai to wipe them out. For our side, compensate 2 million for each death, 500,000 to 1 million for injuries depending on severity, and reward each unharmed brother with 500,000. Take it directly from my Jiaye Mining dividends.”

Zhang Lijun replied, “Understood! I’ll get on it right away!”

Yang Chen added, “Oh, and have Bangcai investigate *why* they robbed the Tang Corporation’s mines. I doubt they did it for no reason. There’s probably something else going on.”

Zhang Lijun said, “Okay, Brother Chen, I understand. I’ll handle it immediately! I’ll be in touch!”

With Yang Chen’s backing, Zhang Lijun controlled over 1,000 well-equipped mercenary groups in South Myanmar.

Whoever robbed the Tang Corporation’s gold mines wouldn’t dare to be difficult, right?

And if they did, they’d be in for a rude awakening.

You raise soldiers for a thousand days, use them for one. They’d been spending Yang Chen’s money; it was time they proved their worth.

So, Yang Chen wasn’t worried about the gold mines. The oil order was the real problem.

Yang Chen didn’t have any business connections in the UAE, except for Maya, the little princess.

But even if Maya asked her mother for help, her mother, being a woman, probably couldn’t solve such a big issue.

Besides, Maya probably wouldn’t dare contact her family. Her brother had already come to Dragon Country [China] looking for her. She was in hiding and wouldn’t want to risk exposure.

Just then, Ye Xuan called Tang Xia.

Tang Xia looked at Yang Chen.

Yang Chen smiled, already knowing who was behind it.

“Answer it. He’s about to show his hand,” Yang Chen said.

Tang Xia asked, “You think he’s behind this?”

Yang Chen replied, “One hundred percent.”

Tang Xia’s expression turned angry. She answered and put the call on speaker.

“Hello, Miss Tang,” Ye Xuan said.

“Why are you calling me?” Tang Xia asked.

Ye Xuan said, “Oh, nothing. I heard the Tang Corporation’s three gold mines in South Myanmar were robbed, and there’s a problem with the oil order from the UAE. I was calling to see if you needed any help. I have connections in Southern Xinjiang. I can’t guarantee a 100% solution, but I’m at least 80% confident. I don’t have connections in the UAE, but I can help you get more time from Haicheng Petrochemical Group. What do you say? Need any help?”

Tang Xia asked, “How do you know so much? Are you behind this?”

Ye Xuan laughed. “Haha… I told you, I have connections, and I’ve been paying attention to the Tang family. I hear about things as soon as they happen. If the gold mines are lost and you have to compensate for the oil order, you won’t be able to afford it even if you sell the entire Tang family. I’m in room 1208 of the Four Seasons Hotel. Come find me, and we’ll talk about how to solve this disaster.”

The guy had even booked a hotel room, clearly knowing everything about the Tang family’s situation and confident he could manipulate Tang Xia.

Yang Chen smiled and nodded. Tang Xia immediately replied, “Okay! I’ll come find you now.”

Then, she hung up.

Yang Chen grabbed a coat and put it on Tang Xia, then took her to the hotel to confront Ye Xuan.

Meanwhile, Ye Xuan was lying on the bed in the hotel, gloating. “I’ve got you this time! I don’t believe Yang Chen would be willing to spend tens of billions to help you pay the penalty. No one is that stupid!”

Normally, no man would be stupid enough to spend tens of billions to solve a problem for his girlfriend. Even the big shots on the rich lists probably wouldn’t spend that much on a woman.

So, Ye Xuan felt he had Tang Xia right where he wanted her.

About half an hour later, there was a knock on the door.

Ye Xuan jumped up excitedly and deliberately took off his clothes, changing into a bathrobe before opening the door.

But when he saw Yang Chen hugging Tang Xia at the door, his expression froze.

“Yo, Young Master Ye is eager, already showered?” Yang Chen said with a playful smile.

Ye Xuan slammed the door shut and changed before opening it again.

Yang Chen and Tang Xia entered the room.

“What is the meaning of this, Tang Xia?” Ye Xuan demanded.

Yang Chen said, “I should be asking you that. What do you mean by harassing my girlfriend in broad daylight?”

Ye Xuan asked, “Tang Xia, don’t you want to solve the Tang family’s problem?”

Tang Xia said, “I do. But I don’t need you to solve it. Ah Chen will help me. I just came to see if you’d admit you’re behind this.”

Ye Xuan was silent.

After a moment, he nodded. “Fine, I’m behind it. So what? You can’t get the gold mines back, and you can’t deliver the oil. You have three choices. First, obediently marry me, and I’ll help you solve the problem. Second, the Tang family will be removed from the list of major families in Haicheng. Third, Yang Chen will spend tens of billions to help you. But, as far as I know, he only has a little over 20 billion in cash. Is he willing to sell his assets to raise tens of billions for you? There’s no such fool in this world.”

Yang Chen whispered something to Tang Xia. She looked at him for a few seconds, then nodded and left.

As soon as she closed the door, Yang Chen launched an attack on Ye Xuan.

Wasn’t he the Shura War God? Yang Chen wanted to see how much of a war god he really was.

Ye Xuan didn’t expect Yang Chen to attack him directly, but his reputation wasn’t for nothing. He had some skills and reacted instantly, dodging Yang Chen’s first punch.

The two fought in the presidential suite.

Ye Xuan had indeed made contributions in Southern Xinjiang, and his skills were good.

But against Yang Chen, the strongest on the surface, he only lasted eight seconds.

Yang Chen’s speed and strength were overwhelming. Ye Xuan could only manage three exchanges before he couldn’t keep up. Then, he was sent flying several meters by an Iron Mountain Lean [a martial arts technique], crashing into the wall and landing on the sofa.

Although he didn’t fall, the blow broke two of his left ribs, causing him to grit his teeth in pain and lose his ability to fight.

Yang Chen smiled. “That’s it? Shura War God, is that all you’ve got? I thought you were so tough. You can’t even last eight seconds against me. Can you even be considered a man?”

Ye Xuan clutched his chest and said through gritted teeth, “You… don’t be so arrogant! Have you even trained?”

Yang Chen said, “That’s none of your business. Just know this: Tang Xia is my woman, and you better not harass her again. I’ll remember this. When I solve this problem, I’ll have a good talk with the Ye family. But if you dare to harass Tang Xia again, I guarantee I won’t let you live!”

Ye Xuan said, “Okay, let’s see. I’ll see how you stop me! I, Ye Xuan, will only die of old age. No one dares to touch me!”

Yang Chen smiled and nodded, turning to leave.

Ye Xuan struggled to pick up his phone to make a call. Yang Chen said as he walked, “Don’t bother. Your four guardians and twelve vajra [elite bodyguards] are surrounded by my people. It’s a stalemate. If I don’t let them go, they’ll have to desperately break through to get to you. What a load of crap war god, just a false reputation!”

With that, Yang Chen walked out and slammed the door.

Tang Xia saw Ye Xuan lying on the floor through the crack and quickly asked, “Did you hurt him?”

Yang Chen nodded. “Just a reckless fool.”

“But… isn’t he the Shura War God? I heard he earned a lot of credit through his own strength,” Tang Xia said, sounding doubtful.

Yang Chen said, “Do you believe the nonsense he tells little girls? He just uses that as a gimmick to deceive naive women. Do you really believe he’s some Shura War God? Have you been reading too many novels?”

Tang Xia giggled, hugged Yang Chen, and kissed him. “I think it’s not that he’s not capable, but that you, my dear, are too amazing. Let’s go back to the music room. I wore such beautiful clothes for you to see. You have to take a good look.”

Yang Chen said, “How about we just get a room in this hotel? Let’s skip the music room.”

Tang Xia said, “Hee hee… okay, okay. Let’s go get a room. You have to look quickly, and for a long time, at least an hour.”

Yang Chen said, “…”

It’s not good to be too handsome. My waist suffers.

…

In the evening, Yang Chen walked out of the hotel, energetic, with Tang Xia, whose legs were weak, in his arms.

Yang Chen escorted Tang Xia home and then went online to his DiDi [Chinese ride-hailing app] account to get a ride home to sleep.

Tomorrow, he had to get up early to talk to the chairman of Haicheng Petrochemical about Tang Xia’s oil order.

Yang Chen filtered through the options and didn’t find a ride, so he chose a carpool, as long as it was going towards the Pearl Tower.

He found two carpools going to the Pearl Tower, and coincidentally, both orders were at the Haicheng Hotel.

Yang Chen immediately accepted both and followed the navigation to the Haicheng Hotel, two kilometers away, to pick up the first passenger.

This big brother looked like he had drunk a lot. His face was completely red.

Yang Chen said, “Hello, sir. Please fasten your seat belt. We’ll wait a moment. I’ll call the other passenger to see if they’re here.”

The passenger said, “No need. The other order was also placed by me. I’ll cancel it now. You don’t have to wait, just drive.”

Yang Chen was dumbfounded. What the hell? What kind of operation was this?

Using two accounts to place a carpool order, canceling one after getting in the car, and only paying one carpool fee to enjoy a private car service. That was a brilliant calculation.

Yang Chen didn’t care about the ten or so yuan fare. He had to go home anyway, so he drove off.

However, if this jerk was so calculating with the driver, other drivers would definitely lose money, and they might even fight.

Yang Chen asked with a smile, “Sir, it’s just ten or so yuan. Do you have to play tricks like this? I happened to pick you up. If another driver had, they would definitely fight you. It’s smart, but that’s not how you use your smarts. You’re getting a private car service for the price of a carpool. The gas money isn’t even enough. What about the drivers who rely on this to support their families?”

The passenger said, “If you think it’s too little, you don’t have to take the order! I didn’t see anywhere that says I can’t place an order with two accounts. Besides, I wasn’t trying to take advantage. I was going to place orders with two accounts, and whichever came first, I’d take that one and cancel the other. Who knew you’d pick up both?”

Yang Chen said, “It’d be different if you did this with a private car order, but you placed a carpool order. I see your account has over 500 trips. Don’t you know the platform assigns orders nearby?”

The passenger chuckled. “Why are you talking so much? As long as the platform doesn’t prohibit it, I can do what I want. I’ve done this hundreds of times, and no other driver has talked as much as you. Just drive, and if you keep talking, I’ll complain.”

Yang Chen wasn’t keen on picking up drunk people. It was unhygienic and unsafe.

However, driving a DiDi meant encountering all kinds of people. He disliked it, but he wouldn’t easily refuse a ride.

But since this jerk was acting like this, there was no need to indulge him.

Yang Chen pulled over. “Get out!”

The passenger exploded. “Are you refusing a ride? You dare to refuse a ride! I’m calling to complain right now!”

Yang Chen said, “Complain all you want, but get out now!”

The passenger said, “You’re out of line! Do you know who I am? I’m Wang Baoxi, the CEO of Haicheng Petrochemical. I’m just too drunk to drive, so I’m taking the DiDi of you poor ghosts. Otherwise, even if you begged me, I wouldn’t look at you. It’s an honor that I’m in your car, and you dare to kick me out? I can have your account banned with one phone call tomorrow!”

Yang Chen waved to his bodyguards.

The five bodyguards got out and ran over.

“Throw him out!” Yang Chen said.

The bodyguards nodded and pushed him out, getting Wang Baoxi out of the car.

Yang Chen sprayed air freshener, ended the order, and left.

Wang Baoxi looked at the five strong men surrounding him and didn’t dare to say a word.

After Yang Chen’s car drove away, the five bodyguards got in their car and followed.

Yang Chen’s car had a GPS tracker, so they just followed the red dot.

Wang Baoxi shook his head and muttered, “A DiDi driver with bodyguards?”

His drunkenness was peaking, and he felt like the most important person in the world.

“Damn it, I don’t care who you are, I’m complaining!” Wang Baoxi said.

He called customer service to complain that Yang Chen violently evicted him.

Customer service said, “Okay, we’ll check Master Yang’s in-car video. We’ll give you feedback after we have a result.”

Wang Baoxi said, “Okay! Hurry up. You must give me an explanation, or I’ll call your boss tomorrow and complain about you!”

Customer service said, “Okay, sir. I’ll hang up and check the monitoring.”

Hanging up, Wang Baoxi gave Yang Chen a bad review.

“You son of a bitch, you’re done for. If I don’t make you lose your job, I’ll change my name! Damn it!”

At that moment, Yang Chen received a system notification.

“Congratulations to the host for receiving a bad review. The system rewards the host with 9% equity in Haicheng Petrochemical Group. Relevant materials will be delivered by SF Express [Chinese delivery company] before 8:00 AM tomorrow.”

Before Yang Chen could react, the system issued another reminder.

“The system detected that the host was complained about, triggering a critical reward. The system rewards the host with 5% equity in Dragon Country Petroleum Group. Relevant materials will be delivered by SF Express before 8:00 AM tomorrow.”

Damn, those were amazing rewards. Finally, he was entering the oil industry.

Both groups were controlled by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission [SASAC], with high shareholding ratios.

For Haicheng Petrochemical, the SASAC’s total direct and indirect shareholding was over 83%.

Therefore, it wasn’t easy for the system to get a 9% equity reward for Yang Chen.

For Dragon Country Petroleum Group, the SASAC’s direct and indirect shareholding was as high as 90%.

Therefore, it was even harder for the system to get a 5% equity reward for Yang Chen.

This was because the total share capital of these groups was very large. Even with high controlling shareholding, many stocks could be distributed to other institutions and retail investors.

Yang Chen had considered two ways to help Tang Xia.

First, ask Buffett for help and negotiate with the UAE through his investment in Occidental Petroleum to get the 1.5 billion USD of oil.

This would mean owing Buffett a favor.

Second, Yang Chen could use his social status and relationships in Haicheng to discuss extending the delivery date with Haicheng Petrochemical.

This was simpler, but Yang Chen needed a good discussion with the relevant people.

Now, neither was needed. Tomorrow, Yang Chen would get the equity certificate and call the chairman of Haicheng Petrochemical to explain.

Yang Chen felt much better.

At that moment, Li Yunxi, a master’s student in history at Haicheng, sent Yang Chen a WeChat message.

“Big brother, can you pick me up at TAX-A [a bar]? I drank too much and I’m worried about my safety. Please.”

Yang Chen still wanted to use Li Yunxi’s father, Li Chuanen, to challenge those foreign historians, so he should help her if he could.

Moreover, it was on the way, so Yang Chen replied.

“Okay! I’m going now.”