Chapter 41: More Than Putting Out a Fire, It’s Actually Saving a Life

Lu Qingcheng stood there, not knowing what expression to make. Fear, panic, tension and other emotions were mixed on her face. Finally, her face turned from blue to white, and she actually fainted with her eyes rolled back.

"Qingcheng!" Liu Ke's acting skills have improved a lot. He did not forget to express his loyalty at the last second. He quickly embraced Lu Qingcheng.

After confirming that the other person had fainted, she put away the worry in her eyes, glanced at the pen on Meng Anran's desk, and sneered in disdain.

I thought it was some rare item, but it turned out to be some unwanted junk.

Meng Anran toyed with her usual pen thoughtfully for a moment before speaking: "She reminded me that I still have this unprofitable project. Everyone should submit a plan this month. We have to make a profit after spending money."

"With Sister Ran taking the lead, we will definitely be able to make the money back."

“It’s quite useful, but the price is too high. I think it’s difficult to make it.”

"Lower the price. It's better to make less profit than no profit at all."

"How much can we lower the price? We bought the factory directly in the beginning, and we spent a lot of money to buy the technical patents. The cost is too high. Even if we lower it further, it will still be a loss-making business. It's better to let it rot in our hands."

Meng Anran listened quietly to the discussion and had an idea. "Compensation is impossible. Scarcity makes things valuable. You've been putting this on the table during business negotiations lately, praising it a bit when signing contracts, and giving away the rest of the inventory as gifts. Not only will I not lower the price, I'm going to raise it."

Everyone looked at each other and nodded in agreement. They had great faith in Meng Anran's ability to generate income. The entrepreneurial project they had started the previous year was spearheaded by Meng Anran, and it was now flourishing. Most of their private start-up capital came from this.

If Meng Anran is determined to redo the pen project, he will definitely not lose money.

Boom—a loud thunder interrupted everyone's conversation. Everyone turned their heads to look at the gloomy sky outside. The rain seemed to be getting heavier.

"It's a ghost. The rain hasn't stopped since Monday. Where does all the water come from?" Willow muttered.

Ming Jing narrowed his eyes, "I always have a feeling... of foreboding."

"Really?" Meng Anran chuckled, looking relaxed. "I think something good will happen."

…

The rain continued intermittently until the weekend. Sometimes it was a downpour, sometimes it was as light as a silver needle, but it still made people feel irritable.

The arguments in the Qin Group's high-level meeting room even drowned out the sound of rain outside the window. This was the third time Qin Mu had negotiated with Li Hai about the chip usage rights, and the other party still insisted on the unreasonable demand of exchanging a marriage contract for cooperation.

"Mr. Song, business cooperation is about mutual benefit and win-win results. How can it be related to marriage?" Qin Mu can make concessions, but he will never give in when it comes to the marriage partner.

Song Xu chuckled. "Mr. Qin, chip technology is the core of our Song family. A mere interest bond is far from enough. The greatest guarantee is for our two families to become one family. This is my father's intention, and it's also mine. You've been refusing to give in. Do you have any prejudice against my sister?"

Qin Mu's face was as gloomy as the sky outside the window. He had already taken the initiative to give up two points of profit, but it was obviously the Song family that refused to give in. They would rather give him two points of profit than force him to get engaged to Song Wanqiu.

This cooperation was discussed three times over a period of two months, and he didn't even get to meet Song Wanqiu. He estimated that Song Wanqiu was just like Meng Anran in the beginning, a hemp rope used to bind the interests of the Qin and Song families.

"Little Qin, you're not still obsessed with your childhood sweetheart, are you?" Song Xu's smile was playful. As a fellow Beijing resident, he naturally knew of Meng Anran's existence. "She's no longer the daughter of the Lu family. She's not a good match for you and can't offer you any help. Even if you were completely devoted to her, would the Qin family's relatives allow it? Would the Qin Corporation's shareholders allow it? Would she still be willing to endure the pressure of the class gap and be with you?"

Every word is heart-wrenching, yet every sentence makes sense.

Qin Mu knew very well how Meng Anran felt about him, but she was still in school, and it didn't seem difficult for them to support and encourage each other. But when they really reached marriageable age, would she be willing to endure the outside world's criticism and firmly choose him?

Qin Mu never dared to gamble on the future, but he knew it was too early and not the time to make a decision.

Even if they really have to part ways, the choice should be in Meng Anran's hands, rather than him acting unilaterally.

Therefore, he did not accept the Song family's unreasonable conditions.

"Mr. Song, we're discussing a project. If there are any unsatisfactory conditions regarding the cooperation, we can continue to negotiate. But if it comes to marriage, then we have nothing to discuss."

Song Xu raised his eyebrows with interest and chuckled, "Qin Mu, you are still too young and immature to understand the interests involved. Don't rush to give me an answer. You can take your time to think about it. When you have figured it out, you can sign the contract."

The atmosphere was tense. Someone knocked on the door. The secretary walked quickly to Qin Mu's side and whispered in his ear, "Miss An Ran is here."

Qin Mu's eyes lit up, and his gloomy expression suddenly brightened. He smiled politely at Song Xu, "Mr. Song, there's no need to discuss this cooperation any further. Also, I choose An Ran. I don't care about her status, I only care about her as a person."

After he finished speaking, Qin Mu turned around and left the meeting room as if he had won a battle. He asked his secretary to see the guest off and turned around to leave.

The attitude changed so quickly that Song Xu couldn't react for a while and even felt weird.

He asked his secretary, "Why are you suddenly uncooperative?"

Zhuo Cheng lowered his eyes and smiled, then replied respectfully, "Compared to Li Hai's chip technology, Miss An Ran is more valuable to Mr. Qin."

In the CEO's office, Meng Anran wore a brown dress and chunky boots, which accentuated her delicate, snow-white skin. She sat on the sofa, legs crossed, elegantly sipping English tea from a cup. Her long hair was braided and tied back, revealing her delicate face.

She caught a glimpse of someone entering the room. She put down her teacup, stood up, and offered a gentle smile. "Mr. Qin, I'm here today to discuss cooperation with you on behalf of Ruiming Technology."

Qin Mu looked at the bright and charming girl in front of him, with undisguised love in his eyes. His eyes were so bright that even his voice was filled with sweetness.

"Did you make it?"

Meng Anran nodded, "Well, can my timely help put out your fire?"

"It's more than just putting out a fire, it's saving lives." Qin Mu held Meng Anran's hand, pulled her to sit on the sofa, and pretended to be aggrieved and complained, "They forced me to marry Song Wanqiu. If you had come any later, you would have lost me, your handsome, rich, and love-brained childhood sweetheart!"

"Oh?" Meng Anran pulled her hand back abruptly and glanced at him meaningfully. "So... if I don't come, are you planning to compromise?"