From Wage Slave to Tycoon

The next day!

Su Chen woke up bright and early. Considering the annual meeting that afternoon, he had specifically found a top-tier barbershop near Ocean View No. 1 to get his hair styled.

He even changed from his usual casual style, taking out the formal suit custom-made for him in the Imperial Capital by the Louis Vuitton Group’s head tailor.

In January, the temperature in Shanghai was around seven or eight degrees, making the suit just right.

Standing before the full-length mirror in the walk-in closet, Su Chen examined his reflection and nodded in satisfaction.

Before he could properly admire his handsome appearance, Chen Fei appeared at the door and said softly, "Sir, it’s time to go. Sicong just called to say they’re already in the garage!"

"Alright, let’s go." Su Chen adjusted his collar, then turned and walked out of the room.

Just as he was about to get into the elevator, a call came in. Su Chen glanced at the caller ID, a flicker of doubt in his eyes. ’An international call? Don’t tell me it’s that old fox Arno, but this isn’t the number he used before, is it?’

Though puzzled, Su Chen answered the call. "Hello, who is this?"

"Mr. Su, hello. This is François Pinault."

’François Pinault?’ The name sounded very familiar to Su Chen, but he couldn’t place it at the moment.

As if sensing Su Chen’s confusion, the man on the other end introduced himself again. "I am François Pinault, the chairman and CEO of the Kaiyun Group."

Hearing the name Kaiyun Group, it dawned on Su Chen. He quickly explained, "Mr. Pinault, my apologies. The signal was a bit weak in the elevator just now."

Chen Fei, who was holding the elevator, couldn’t help but twitch his lips when he heard this. ’The boss doesn’t even bother drafting his lies anymore.’

"Hahaha... I was wondering, is now a convenient time for you, Mr. Su? I’d like to discuss something with you."

Su Chen checked the time. It was 1:10 PM. With fifty minutes to go before the annual meeting started, he had plenty of time.

"It’s perfectly convenient. What important matter did you wish to discuss, Mr. Pinault?" Su Chen said, waving a hand at Chen Fei, signaling not to go down yet and to let Sicong and the others know.

Su Chen turned and walked back into the apartment. He knew this call wouldn’t be a short one; it was better to sit down and talk.

The two chatted briefly about the current development of the Kaiyun Group. After all, Su Chen was the group’s largest individual shareholder, so it was only natural for him to be updated on its progress.

After a while, Pinault felt the time was right and changed the subject. "I saw that the Arno family returned the snake and sheep heads, along with some other precious cultural relics, to Huaxia these past couple of days. It’s caused quite a stir in Europe."

"As it happens, I also have quite a few precious Huaxian artifacts in my possession, including the dog head from the twelve zodiacs and some other national treasures. I was wondering if you, Mr. Su, could act as a go-between? I would also like to return these artifacts to your country!"

Pinault’s words really threw Su Chen for a loop. ’Why don’t you just contact the relevant departments directly?’

’Why go out of your way to call me?’

Thinking about Pinault’s mention of the Arno family, Su Chen quickly figured it out.

The Pinault family and the Arno family were both famous luxury goods conglomerates from Gaul. One was the world’s largest, the other the third-largest. Both were headquartered in Paris. The enmity between the two families could be traced back decades.

Their feud wasn’t a life-or-death hatred, but a commercial rivalry. After all, they were both in the luxury industry. As the saying goes, "competitors are rivals," and they were no exception. The two groups had been clashing in various ways since the 1980s and ’90s.

The Arno family acquired Hennessy, and the Pinault family countered by bringing Gucci under its wing.

The Arno family ventured into the wine industry, and the Pinault family responded by flaunting the most expensive winery—Latour.

Whether in investments, hobbies, or other areas, the heads of the Pinault and Arno families were locked in a fierce cycle of one-upmanship.

So, after seeing the Arno family return artifacts to Huaxia, Pinault had called Su Chen himself. ’He must have investigated the matter thoroughly before calling,’ Su Chen thought, ’otherwise he wouldn’t have asked me to act as a go-between...’

To put it bluntly, he just wanted to one-up the Arno family.

Su Chen didn’t know much about Pinault as a person. He only recalled from searching for information on the Kaiyun Group online that the head of the Pinault family was a genuine art enthusiast with an immense collection of countless precious artifacts, both domestic and foreign. It was said he had even built a museum specifically for his collection.

Su Chen hadn’t expected the ripple effect from the Arno family’s donation to come so quickly. It had only been about half a month.

After a moment of thought, Su Chen said, "Mr. Pinault, that won’t be a problem. However, as you know, our Huaxian Spring Festival is just around the corner, and most people’s attention is focused on the holiday. If we were to hold a donation ceremony during this period, it wouldn’t generate the same level of excitement as the Arno family’s event."

"If you don’t mind, I suggest we hold the ceremony after the Spring Festival. It will certainly be a much grander affair then. After all, you would be the first international friend to donate artifacts after the New Year!"

As he said the word "first," Su Chen’s tone became noticeably more emphatic.