Upon hearing the word "agent," Zheng Xinxi was momentarily stunned, almost thinking he had heard it wrong.
Becoming Lin Beichen's agent? This must be an incredible opportunity—am I still dreaming, not yet fully awake from last night's hangover?
Even if his family hadn't fallen from grace and he was still the prominent young master of the Zheng Clan, he wouldn't have the qualifications to compare to Lin Beichen's agent.
"Mr. Lin, I'm already a ruined man. Please don't tease me anymore."
Zheng Xinxi said eagerly.
"I'm not interested in playing games with you. I'm actually offering you the role of an agent."
Lin Beichen frowned slightly, looking coldly at him.
"I'll be leaving Xiang Island in a few days. The matters related to the Zheng Clan hold no value for me, but I need an agent to maintain order on Xiang Island and let everyone know of my presence.
The Zheng Clan may be divided, but with a single word from me, every family would willingly back down. Do you want this position or not?"
The total asset value of the Zheng Clan is over 200 billion.
For ordinary people, it's a figure unimaginable even in dreams.
But to Lin Beichen, the Zheng Clan is just a burden.
Managing such a conglomerate is incredibly bothersome, wasting a significant amount of time on mere daily chores.
And time is precisely what he lacks most. So, if he couldn't find someone suitable, he'd rather directly abandon Xiang Island.
With the assets from the Zheng Clan, he could completely focus on building an Array.
Building the Array at Mingzhu Port requires a huge amount of money, and even if the entire Zheng Clan were thrown into the mix, it might still not fill the gap.
However, that's a last resort.
A stable and mature business asset, even if sold off, would fetch an extremely high premium.
The capital market evaluates companies differently, but when it comes to the level of the Zheng Clan, most will only use one standard.
If the Zheng Clan's assets worth more than 200 billion were indeed sold, selling them for 2 trillion wouldn't be difficult, and if planned meticulously, selling them periodically could fetch 20 times that amount.
Is 20 times a lot?
It seems high, but it's still a major bargain.
For a conglomerate like the Zheng Clan, a premium of tens of times is just basic.
Money is just a number, fluctuating with the market.
The resources and market it represents are the truly crucial aspects.
As an old-established asset company, the Zheng Clan controls numerous livelihood projects—unlike the newer internet industries.
The internet industry is too volatile; many projects are hot now but could be worthless in a decade.
In this era of market turbulence where everyone is launching rockets, new-age businesses often look down on all existing industries.
But when the storm passes and everyone looks back, these industries are nothing more than mere clowns.
Involving oneself in such industries can only make one a parasite, not a rule-maker.
Meanwhile, the Zheng Clan's business is vastly different.
Their focus is on livelihood projects, which remain relevant to everyone, even in a millennium.
Because as long as people are born, they need food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.
These projects are the true soil of power and influence.
"Can I really be an heir?"
Zheng Xinxi stared blankly at Lin Beichen, asking again as the realization dawned upon him, he spoke excitedly.
"Sir, the assets of the Zheng Clan are the kingdom our family built over generations, selling them—even at a premium—would be a loss!"
Zheng Xinxi indeed lacked skills, living as an idle playboy without much success, not even considered outstanding among his generation of the Zheng Clan.
But he wasn't stupid.
Among this generation's offspring of the Zheng Clan, Zheng Yaxin was one of the more promising, but unfortunately, she made the gravest mistake.
Zheng Xinxi watched helplessly as the family dissolved, feeling immense pain in his heart.
But he could still console himself, as this was unrelated to him—though affected, he remained innocent amid the family's turmoil.
However, if the family assets were sold, the recipients could very likely be past enemies.
Hurt the loved ones, bring joy to the enemies—he couldn't accept such a scenario even if it meant death.
If he couldn't prevent it, so be it; but since Lin Beichen offered a glimmer of hope, how could he not be excited?
There's more to it.
Lin Beichen's visit to Xiang Island wasn't to trouble him but merely to reclaim what he was owed, so as long as he retrieved what was due, his life could be spared.
Though living as a wreck is disgraceful, at least he could survive.
But if the asset recipient was an enemy, they'd kill him even as a wreck.
This is what's called eradicating the roots, leaving no future troubles!
"If you don't want me to sell, then become my agent. Take care of this wealth for me, and recreate another Zheng Clan.
With my resources and influence, even if the Zheng Clan perishes, you still have the capital to rebuild a Zheng Clan."
Lin Beichen looked at Zheng Xinxi coldly, presenting his conditions.
He didn't plan to offer any help to Zheng Xinxi but intended to let him leverage his influence.
As a scion of an influential family, Zheng Xinxi naturally knew what was of utmost value.