PB - Chapter 48
Chapter 48
When Xu Yangpu’s call came from Beijing, Shenzhen was in the midst of a violent storm. Su Jiayin was trapped in Qiao Qi’s room, bored to tears. Unlike Qiao Qi, who could work with just a tablet and a phone, she wasn’t used to it. She had been a doctor, and her time as President Su was still too short for her to adapt. She glanced at Qiao Qi, who was standing by the window taking the call. Her expression was grave, and her brows were beginning to furrow.
“President Qiao, Hongyuan suddenly halted their acquisition this morning. President Chen was a bit worried because he had rejected you before, so he just called me, hoping to speak with you in detail.”
“Alright, I understand.”
After hanging up, Qiao Qi stood lost in thought. Su Jiayin asked cautiously, “What’s wrong?”
Qiao Qi’s voice was soft but every word was clear. “Gu Jianchu called off Hongyuan’s acquisition.”
Su Jiayin’s surprise was mixed with understanding. Whether Gu Jianchu did it out of love for Qiao Qi or as a guilty compensation for the U.E. project, Hongyuan’s withdrawal was a good thing for them. It would save them time and energy. She said, “President Chen contacted Xu Yangpu on his own initiative?”
Qiao Qi nodded. “He’s already on his way here.” She glanced outside; the rain was starting to let up.
“It seems Hongyuan’s withdrawal was quite decisive. They must have lost all hope on that front to come looking for us so quickly.” Su Jiayin walked over to stand beside Qiao Qi. “If she’s giving it to you, just take it.”
Qiao Qi smiled faintly, her composure unchanged. “If everything goes smoothly, you can go back tomorrow.”
“You don’t need me to stay here with you?”
“You just returned to the Su family’s company, so you must have a lot on your plate. Besides, with Hongyuan out of the picture, there won’t be any more surprises with this acquisition. It would be a waste of time for you to stay.”
“I’d rather waste my time here with you.” Su Jiayin leaned against the glass, looking at Qiao Qi. “Back when I was a doctor, I worked so much overtime I was too tired to do anything but sleep. I still work overtime now, but instead of tired, I’m just annoyed. You know I don’t want to go back.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
Su Jiayin paused, then smiled. “Are you, as a veteran, telling me to just endure it? A Qi, have you ever thought that maybe Old Master Jin values you so much because you were born to sit in that position?” She stopped, shaking her head as if to negate her previous words. “No, it should be that you’re suited for any position you’re in.”
This sudden praise was not without reason. Whatever Qiao Qi did, she was focused and serious. She also possessed a certain decisiveness, an ability to make tough calls when necessary. Of course, she had a weakness too—her soft heart.
A bashful look appeared on Qiao Qi’s face. “Are you praising me out of the blue because you want something from me?”
Su Jiayin was in high spirits, her expression bright. “I’m asking you to let me stay and keep you company for a couple more days.”
Qiao Qi rolled her eyes at her. “Do whatever you want.”
Gu Jianchu had checked the weather in Shenzhen that morning and knew it was still pouring. In Beijing, the rain had long since stopped, and the summer heat had swept in. The scorching sun blanketed the entire city without warning. She was suddenly reminded of the line: The endless rain concealed the passing of spring; only with the sun did I realize summer's depth. She hated the heat, especially the summers in this city.
Liu Yanyan knocked and entered. “President Gu, Director Gu is lobbying the supervisory board members again. It seems this time he’s targeting the Hongyuan matter.”
Gu Jianchu nodded. She had anticipated that Gu Mingyi would use her sudden halt of the acquisition to stir up trouble. Gu Mingyi was an expert at egging on Gu Yong, pushing him to the forefront to embarrass her. The sunlight outside was blinding, and the blackout curtains in her office hadn’t been opened for days. She raised a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose, feeling a wave of irritation.
Liu Yanyan didn’t disturb her further and quietly exited the office. Gu Jianchu thought about how they had, once again, set their sights on the same company. This time, however, it seemed she had made the first move. Although a long time had passed since the last negotiation, Gu Jianchu still remembered the look on Qiao Qi’s face. Whether she admitted it or not, that incident would always lie between them. Forcing Hongyuan to give up the acquisition had indeed been for her own personal reasons.
She had rested enough. She buzzed Liu Yanyan on the intercom. “Have He Ying come to my office.” He Ying was one of her assistants.
When He Ying arrived, she handed over a file without waiting for the president to ask. “I’ve checked all the records. Almost everything is here. At the rate Director Gu is selling, a conservative estimate is that he’s sold more than half of his combined shares in the group and its subsidiaries. As you requested, I’ve only acquired the group shares.”
Gu Jianchu signed the document and affixed her personal seal. “Is Gu Mingyi’s private debt paid off?”
“There’s still a little left. I checked, and most of his debt problems are from overseas, which is why Director Gu resorted to selling his shares. I predict he’ll have to sell off more stock to cover the young master’s deficit.”
“Let him be.”
“Also, President Gu, Yuanhang’s funding is in place.” Gu Jianchu nodded. He Ying waited a moment, but seeing no other instructions, she added, “President Gu, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way.”
Gu Jianchu nodded again. He Ying left the office, file in hand. On her way out, she made a point to stop by Liu Yanyan’s desk. “Is President Gu in a bad mood? Is it about Hongyuan?”
Liu Yanyan glared at her. “Don’t ask.”
He Ying leaned closer to Liu Yanyan, carefully concealing her gossipy tone. “I heard President Gu flew to Shenzhen on a whim, and what a coincidence, Ruifeng’s Qiao Qi happened to be there. President Gu was only there for a few days, and when she came back, she called off the Hongyuan deal. Isn’t that just handing the business over to President Qiao? Yanyan, you’re the closest to President Gu, give me the scoop.” Seeing Liu Yanyan just staring at her without a word, she added, “Why are you looking at me like that? I’m just afraid I’ll say the wrong thing one day and get on her bad side.”
Liu Yanyan gave a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m sure you senior assistants have already come up with countless theories in private. Gossiping all the way up to the president. Do you believe I’ll go in there and tattle on you right now?”
He Ying shot Liu Yanyan a sharp glare, her tone half-explanatory, half-coaxing. “Oh, come on. After the U.E. negotiation last year, everyone was saying President Gu and President Qiao were at each other’s throats. But Haoming was there, and he said that when President Qiao walked out, President Gu didn’t say anything, but her eyes were full of anxiety. Even a man like him could tell their relationship was a bit… subtle. Is it so strange for us to gossip a little?”
Seeing Liu Yanyan’s unresponsive attitude, she decided to settle for the next best thing. “I’ve never met President Qiao. If I ask Haoming, he just says she’s not as good-looking as President Gu. I can at least ask you what President Qiao looks like, right?”
“What does she look like, and what does that have to do with you?”
Gu Jianchu’s cool voice sounded from right behind He Ying, making her jump and stiffly turn around. Even Liu Yanyan was startled and quickly stood up. He Ying turned to see the president’s expression was cold but not angry. Just as she was about to say something to diffuse the awkwardness, Gu Jianchu raised a hand to stop her. “You’re coming with me to the neighboring city.”
“Yes, President Gu. Do I need to prepare anything?”
“No.” By now, Gu Jianchu had reached Liu Yanyan’s desk. “I’ll be back the day after tomorrow. Arrange my schedule.”
“Yes, President Gu.”
It wasn’t until the car was on the highway that He Ying dared to ask the purpose of their trip. Gu Jianchu handed her a tablet. Feihuang Company. If the factory in Shenzhen was the best in the country, then Feihuang’s contract manufacturing was a close second. Feihuang had been considered during the initial acquisition planning, and now that they had pulled out of Shenzhen, Feihuang became the alternative.
He Ying understood. It was because of the rush that Gu Jianchu had come in person. She asked, “Will one day be enough? Should I call Haoming and have him come over?”
“No need, he has other things to do.” Gu Jianchu seemed tired and closed her eyes to rest. “We can call him if we need to.”
“Understood, President Gu.”
Upon arriving in the neighboring city, He Ying first took Gu Jianchu to the hotel. She would handle the initial communications alone. The weather was hot, which tended to dampen Gu Jianchu’s mood. He Ying felt that negotiating with Feihuang would be easier than dealing with that. Feihuang was very surprised by the sudden visit from Rongfang’s Assistant He, but they weren’t stupid and immediately guessed that something had happened in Shenzhen.
Once they had their own calculations, the initial probing period would drag on. Gu Jianchu was well aware of this, which was why she chose not to go in person right away. Besides, He Ying hadn’t gotten to her position as assistant by being a pushover; she handled situations like this with ease.
That evening, He Ying returned and gave a brief report on the afternoon’s events. Gu Jianchu invited her to have some of the red wine she had just decanted. He Ying’s eyes lit up—everyone knew President Gu had excellent taste in wine. Her expression reminded Gu Jianchu of Qiao Qi, and a smile naturally formed on her lips, disappearing before He Ying could see it.
“The price is a bit high.”
“Yes, I also think Feihuang is banking on our failure in Shenzhen, assuming they’re the factory we need most and overestimating their own value.”
“It’s fine. Continue the talks tomorrow.”
“Will you be going tomorrow, President Gu?”
Gu Jianchu shook her head. “I’ll go in the afternoon. I’m going to check on the project at the university tomorrow.”
“Understood, President Gu.”
The owner of Feihuang waited all morning, thinking Gu Jianchu would be in a hurry. But the news he received was that she had gone to a partner university. He called He Ying to schedule another meeting for the next day, only to be told they were heading back tomorrow. He thought it over and over. Had he misunderstood? Was Gu Jianchu just here to gauge their interest and would leave if she wasn’t satisfied?
He spent the whole morning calling his peers to ask about any new developments at Rongfang, but who would willingly tell the truth to a competitor? Fortunately, one call informed him that all three of Gu Jianchu’s assistants were out and about. The caller didn’t need to say more; he pretty much understood. Even a company like Rongfang had to shop around.
Everyone knew that U.E. was partnering with Rongfang, and that Rongfang would inevitably lead the integration of the domestic market in the future. It wasn’t a matter of Rongfang needing him, but of him needing to latch onto this powerful connection. So, when Gu Jianchu arrived in person that afternoon, the Feihuang owner’s attitude did a complete one-eighty. Gu Jianchu knew exactly why.
Although Gu Jianchu was present, He Ying was still the lead negotiator. But the people from Feihuang all had their eyes fixed on Gu Jianchu’s face, trying to glean useful information from her expression. However, aside from a professional smile, it was impossible to find any clues in her demeanor. After half an hour, the Feihuang owner gave up the struggle and focused on haggling with He Ying.
Rongfang pushed the price down very low. After He Ying analyzed the pros and cons, she left him to consider it. He turned to Gu Jianchu with a troubled look. “President Gu, you see, this price is too low, far too low. It’s not easy for any of us to do business.” He held up his hand, showing a number. “How about we raise it to this much?”
Gu Jianchu seemed to be considering it seriously. For a long moment, the conference room was silent. When she finally spoke, her voice was flat. “Cut it by half.”
The Feihuang owner stared at his own fingers for a while, then gritted his teeth. “Alright, President Gu. When would you like to sign the contract?”
Gu Jianchu simply said, “He Ying.”
He Ying took over. “President Huang, let’s discuss the details.”
It was half past ten at night by the time they returned to the hotel from Feihuang. Fortunately, they had long-term partners for finance and auditing here, so there was no need to call anyone over. Gu Jianchu’s eyes were sore and uncomfortable from reading documents all afternoon, and they were visibly bloodshot.
He Ying asked, “President Gu, are we going back tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“Should we leave in the afternoon? You could get more rest in the morning.”
“No need. I’ll rest in the car.”
A night’s sleep relieved the strain in Gu Jianchu’s eyes. In the car, He Ying sat in the front passenger seat while Gu Jianchu rested in the back under a thin blanket. Halfway through the drive, her phone began to ring incessantly. Her brow furrowed, only relaxing when she saw the caller’s name.
When she answered, Su Jiayin’s voice came through. “I’m at the airport, flying back now. Everything’s going smoothly on A Qi’s end. She’ll probably be back tomorrow too.”
“Why aren’t you coming back with her tomorrow?”
Su Jiayin rolled her eyes. “She’s kicking me out. Says I’m wasting my time here.”
Gu Jianchu’s mood lifted, and she let out a laugh. “Is she completely forbidden from drinking now?”
“What are you planning?”
“Just answer me first. Not even a little?”
Su Jiayin smiled but didn’t make a sound. The old Gu Jianchu had been the one egging Qiao Qi on to drink right under her nose, and now she was asking for her approval. She suddenly felt a sense of gratification. “It’s not that she can’t. You know she’s prone to headaches. It’s always better for her to drink less and not rely on painkillers.”
“Alright, I understand.” Gu Jianchu gazed out the window. Qiao Qi was coming back tomorrow.
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