Chapter 89

Friday is the start of summer.

After discussing with Li Ye last week, she negotiated with Tonghua while arranging a meeting between Tonghua and Leguang executives. After arranging a meeting with Su Che and Tonghua's leaders, she suddenly realized that she had a perfect opportunity to hold a family gathering. Xu Xian had taken over Yunzhou, Xu Shenzhao had just come out of the sanatorium, and Xu Jing had chased Li Ye all the way from Australia to Haixi in order to get rid of him.

Years later, the Xu family reunion was actually facilitated by a business negotiation. Xu Wanyi smiled self-deprecatingly, thinking that this was truly a family that prioritized profit above all else.

The meeting was held at the Yunman Hotel in Beijing, hosted by Leguang Group. Xu Wanyi was in charge of all the arrangements. Xu Shenzhao and Xu Xuanming were completely unconcerned about these matters, focusing solely on the acquisition itself, behaving like emperors and princes.

Ms. Xu Jing is someone who needs to be flattered and coaxed, and she disdains to participate in such matters. However, she did make a request: if the meeting reaches an agreement, a lavish banquet should be arranged on the spot after the meeting.

Therefore, the actual host became Chairman Xu Wanyi herself.

She wore a full face of makeup today, with eyebrows that reached her temples, sharp eyeliner, and bright red lips, along with a black business suit and high heels. Feng Jing, Lin Hong, Wang Du, Deng Hui, and others also looked very professional, standing with the chairman at the door.

Fortunately, Xu Shenzhao and Xu Xuanming knew they should arrive before the clients, and Xu Wanyi didn't stand there for long before the father and son got out of a car hand in hand.

Xu Xianming carefully supported Xu Shenzhao's hand, as if afraid he would fall. Xu Wanyi looked closely and saw that her father had probably been recuperating well recently, as he had gained weight and was radiant. However, one could still see the handsome features he had when he was young on his face. No wonder he could have given birth to such a beauty as Xu Wanyi.

"Dad, brother, good morning!" Xu Wanyi gave a professional smile, which was formal and appropriate.

"Wanyi, it's been so long since you've seen your father, and this is all you say?" Xu Shenzhao seemed to have already heard something, as he appeared to be in a good mood.

"Of course not, it's just that the leaders of Tonghua are coming today, so let's talk about business first, and then we can talk about family matters."

“She is indeed my sister. She thinks the same way I do and is very sensible.” Xu Xuanming looked at Xu Wanyi with a forced smile and gave her a thumbs up.

"That's right, Big Brother is a negotiation genius. Otherwise, how could he have settled things with Tonghua so quickly and facilitated this meeting?" Xu Wanyi said calmly, making it impossible to tell whether she was praising or insulting him.

"Old Master, Mr. Xu, please come in first. The leaders from Tonghua will be here soon." Deng Hui gestured for them to enter. He was practically a host today, and he didn't want the other side to start fighting before they even arrived.

"Xiao Deng, you did a good job this time. We'll reward you later. Do you have any thoughts?" Xu Xuanming helped Xu Shenzhao walk past Deng Hui and then added this at the end.

Hearing this, Deng Hui broke out in a cold sweat. He secretly glanced at Xu Wanyi and saw that the chairman's face remained calm. He had been following Xu Wanyi for the past few years and knew the situation inside the group very well. Xu Xuanming's words were pushing him into a fire pit.

"Thank you, Mr. Xu. This is all thanks to everyone. I was just doing my duty. It mainly relied on the support and help of the group's leaders."

After saying this, he turned his head again and found a middle-aged woman who looked somewhat similar to Xu Wanyi walking over. Xu Wanyi was looking at her with a smile on her face.

"Mom, why are you here so early? Why don't you stay home and rest for a while?"

“The house is so quiet and deserted, there’s no one here. What am I supposed to do here? I told you to come back a day early, and I invited Junyi to dinner, why didn’t you come back?” Xu Jing’s face was as stiff and ashen as her words.

Clearly, Xu Jing hadn't expected Xu Wanyi to be so stubborn this time, daring to openly disobey her words. Not only did she not immediately kick Li Ye out, but she also left the big star Zhao Junyi out in the cold.

The acquisition infuriated her. Xu Jing had anticipated everything, but she hadn't expected her daughter, who considered the Leguang Group everything, to be willing to relinquish control of the company. As a result, all her threats, both soft and hard, were ineffective.

She originally thought that even if Xu Wanyi couldn't let go of Li Ye, as long as she used this trump card, Xu Wanyi would immediately surrender and be at her mercy!

"I can't go back to Beijing until I finish my work in Haixi. I have such a big matter as arranging a meeting with Tonghua, so I really don't have time to go to such a far suburb for dinner." Xu Wanyi's smile remained unchanged.

"Madam, this way please, I'll take you there." Feng Jing was a shrewd person, and immediately led Xu Jing away. She knew that Xu Wanyi didn't really want to get involved with Xu Jing anymore.

Xu Wanyi continued to wait for the leaders of Tonghua.

Summer has arrived again. The weather has been getting hotter and hotter these past two years. People started wearing full summer clothes before May Day, and this continued after May Day. Taking advantage of the good weather, girls put on colorful dresses, while men had different opinions. Those with good figures were quite happy, but bald, pot-bellied, short and fat men were in for a rough time.

For example, the executive in front of Xu Wanyi, Mr. Feng, was the big shot who was trying to facilitate Leguang's acquisition of Maohua. Needless to say, he was also Xu Shenzhao's "good friend" in the call.

"President Feng, welcome to Yunman. I've heard President Su mention you before, saying you're the founder of Tonghua. Meeting you today, I can confirm that you truly live up to the name." Xu Wanyi's professional smile reached its peak.

"Oh, Mr. Xu, how are you? Your father and I have been friends for a long time. I've heard that his son and daughter are both outstanding individuals, and now it seems that's true." The bald, pot-bellied man replied immediately.

"Please come in, my dad is already waiting for you inside."

Xu Wanyi personally led President Feng to Xu Shenzhao's side, letting the two exchange pleasantries. Then she turned around and welcomed the other Tonghua leaders who arrived one after another into the conference room. She and Su Che did not have much interaction, but Su Che gave her a confirming look, indicating that Li Ye had already discussed the details with Su Che.

Once everyone had arrived, the final round of negotiations began. Representatives and lawyers from all sides engaged in heated debate, bringing up the issues discussed in previous rounds and rehashing them, making Xu Wanyi's ears ring.

However, she knew very well that this performance was just for show for General Manager Feng. General Manager Feng was actually sent down by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission. On the surface, he could represent the opinions of Tonghua's real shareholders, but in essence, he was just an official.

Who wouldn't want to show off in front of their boss? Even if they know the final outcome is already set in stone.

Therefore, this round of negotiations lasted from 9:30 in the morning until lunchtime, with Yunman Hotel providing an exclusive lunch set.

"Wow... even state-owned enterprises are working this hard?"

During a break from work lunch, Wang Du expressed his sincere doubts to Feng Jing. He had always thought that only law firms and private enterprises disregarded labor laws and boasted about 996 and 007 work schedules.

“We talked for hours, and it was all the same old stuff. These details had already been settled a long time ago.”

Another young woman from the legal department of Leguang Group whispered that she had only been working for two years and was currently in the stage of learning about this diverse society like a sponge.

“This is really a state-owned enterprise,” Feng Jing said, having seen a lot in his life. “Don’t underestimate the strength of state-owned enterprises and central enterprises; they are no less powerful than any of you.”

"But isn't this just repeating the same thing over and over again? It's not efficient at all..." The young girl lamented, feeling heartbroken that these people were wasting their lives.

"Haven't you heard that saying? Some lives are meant to be wasted," Wang Du said casually.

Upon hearing this, the girl couldn't find a response, only thinking to herself, "That doesn't seem like the right way to use it..."

There wasn't time for a detailed chat with them, as the afternoon negotiations began in full swing.

“According to convention, I believe that all four shareholders of Leguang Group have an obligation to repurchase the shares.” Su Che stated his demand clearly for the first time today.

“President Su, usually it’s enough for major shareholders to repurchase shares. I don’t think it’s necessary for my parents to repurchase them, right? They’re getting old.” Xu Xuanming seized every opportunity to express his filial piety, while Xu Wanyi remained silent.

"President Feng, this precedent is not easy to break, is it?" Su Che turned to ask his superior.

"Ah, Lao Xu, this is an internal requirement of our group. Even if President Su is the CEO, he can't make the decision on his own. I suggest we keep it as it is."

“Alright, since President Feng has spoken, then we’ll follow Tonghua’s requirements.” Xu Shenzhao and Xu Jing both agreed.

“President Feng, President Su, since our whole family has an obligation to repurchase, I think it’s necessary to prioritize. Currently, Chairman Xu Wanyi is the actual manager of Leguang Group. She knows the actual situation best and has the greatest responsibility and obligation, so…”

When Xu Xianming's first plan failed, he devised another.

“President Xu, that’s not how it’s said. We’re all shareholders, and our rights and obligations are equal,” Xu Wanyi said quietly.

"Dad, what do you think?" Xu Xianming was actually trying to imply to Xu Shenzhao that he didn't want to spend real money on any buyback.

"Wanyi, your older brother is right. After all, we'll all be relying on you in the future."

The leaders of Tonghua Group on the other side were somewhat puzzled. How come the negotiations between the two sides hadn't gone very well, but now internal strife was starting to break out at Leguang?

“Okay, since Dad has said so, then I will take on the main repurchase obligation.”

Seeing that Xu Wanyi had relented, Xu Xuanming breathed a sigh of relief.

The rest was simple: just confirm the equity ratio, profit requirements, and repurchase timeline based on the previous negotiations. Finally, at 4:30 PM, all parties publicly expressed a consensus.

Regarding the equity, it's exactly the same as the previous discussion, down to the last decimal point. Each of the four members of the Xu family will sell 5% of their equity to Tonghua Group. The first repurchase will be at 80% of the sold equity, the second at 10%, and the final at 10%. The repurchase period is the end of every three months from the date the agreement is signed.

Thus, under majority rule, unless Xu Wanyi and Xu Xuanming join forces, neither party can control the Leguang Group. In other words, the Leguang Group becomes a group without a real controller.

Feng Jing glanced at the Xu family members and found that Xu Shenzhao was all smiles, Xu Xianming looked smug, Xu Jing was as cold as ice, and Xu Wanyi was expressionless. From their expressions, there was no sign of harmony; instead, it seemed as if each of them had their own ulterior motives.

"Thank you for your support, leaders and colleagues. Today's meeting has come to a successful conclusion. We will follow up on the follow-up matters in a timely manner to ensure that there are no mistakes."

Finally, Deng Hui delivered a summary speech.

"Chairman, is there anything else you'd like to add?"

"Thank you all for your hard work today, especially the leaders of Tonghua. It's dinner time now, and we have arranged a banquet in the banquet hall next door. We would like to invite you to attend."

As she spoke, Xu Wanyi stood up, and the group followed the waiter, walking one after another towards the banquet hall next door.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Xu Jing lagged behind the group. She followed Xu Wanyi as she saw off the last guest and got up to walk towards the banquet hall.

Xu Wanyi had no suspicions until she and Xu Jing entered the banquet hall and found Li Ye and An Yue standing in front of them!