Chapter 81 Turning Defeat into Victory Lin Yuwei's smile widened, and her eyes...
Inside the shareholders' meeting room, the raised arms, like distinct flags, marked an invisible battlefield. Two forces stood in silent confrontation, the oppressive atmosphere making it hard to breathe.
On the left, Lu Ming and several founding members stood tall with piercing eyes. Beside them were shareholders who firmly supported Gu Qingyan. Facing the cold gazes of Xiao Hong and Xin Zhou, they did not flinch in the slightest.
On the right were Xiao Hong and Xin Zhou, along with a group of shareholders who had clearly been lobbied and bought off by capital. Their eyes darted around, but their arms were raised without hesitation. Among them were even several "old partners" whom Gu Qingyan had once trusted.
"Old Gu, did you see that?" Lu Ming quickly scanned the entire room, his face ashen, and said to Gu Qingyan, "Those old foxes! How much have we made for them over the years? They're ungrateful wretches! Who led everyone to success when the company was dirt poor? Now that there's a little trouble, they're eager to jump ship. Jumping ship is one thing, but they even go so far as to puncture a hole in the ship?!" This time, he didn't lower his voice, deliberately making the person opposite him feel embarrassed.
This harsh rebuke immediately made the already guilty shareholders on the other side lose face. Their faces turned pale and then red, and one of them couldn't help but mutter a defense: "President Lu... you can't say that, can you? We... we are also responsible for the company and all shareholders... stock price fluctuations are a fact, what's wrong with seeking a more stable development direction..."
"Sound? Ha!" Lu Ming scoffed, his anger turning into a vicious laugh: "Entrusting the company to capital that only knows how to make short-term profits is called sound? Selling off the company's future is called responsible? What a ridiculous joke!"
Gu Qingyan raised his hand and patted Lu Ming's tense arm to comfort him. His gaze slowly swept over the familiar yet unfamiliar faces, a trace of weariness and heartache flashing in his calm eyes: "Lu Ming, forget it. Everyone has their own ambitions. It seems that President Xiao and Mr. Xin are determined to win this time and have spared no expense. I just didn't expect that the prices of these 'old buddies' who once stood shoulder to shoulder with me would be... easier to negotiate than I imagined." These words were light and without a single swear word, yet they made those people blush and feel ashamed even more than Lu Ming's direct rebuke.
Seeing this, Xiao Hong straightened his tie smugly, almost unable to suppress his laughter. He smugly adjusted his suit and even gave Xin Zhou, who was silently watching the battle, a "victory is in sight" look. Xin Zhou's lips curled into a cold smile. Everything had already been planned by him, and it was going extremely smoothly.
"President Gu, President Lu, why bother with pointless arguments? It seems everyone thinks the outcome is already clear." Xiao Hong straightened his back, his voice filled with the smugness of a victor. He even feigned a cupped-hand salute to Gu Qingyan: "President Gu, Mr. Xin and I will be joining the decision-making team and working with you from now on. We hope you will... give us your guidance." He emphasized the last few words, his provocation overflowing.
Lu Ming's eyes were bloodshot, and his chest heaved violently. Was the company they had built from scratch since graduation, crammed into a rented room and working late into the night, pouring their youth and heart into it, about to have its voice taken away by this pack of wolves and tigers?!
Gu Qingyan was equally distressed, but he maintained his composure to the very end. With just a glance, he firmly restrained Lu Ming, who was about to explode. He knew that acting impulsively at this moment would only make his opponent laugh even more and worsen the situation.
Just when the dust seemed about to settle in this moment of despair.
"Click!" The heavy solid wood door of the conference room was gently pushed open. The sound was not loud, but it was like a thunderclap, splitting the solidified air in the room. Everyone, including the smug Xiao Hong and the calm Xin Zhou, subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound.
Against the bright light pouring down from the corridor, a slender and graceful figure stood quietly at the doorway—a young woman.
The lights accentuated her tall and striking figure. Her perfectly tailored pure white suit skirt made her hair look like clouds and her skin like snow. Her beauty was stunning, and her delicate features appeared somewhat hazy in the backlight, which only added to her mysterious and powerful beauty.
The beautiful woman was like a star that suddenly tore through the dark clouds and descended upon the world. In an instant, she stole all the light and breath, illuminating the dark and oppressive battlefield and attracting everyone's attention.
"...Is it Lin Yuwei?"
"That person from Shiguang Studio..."
Why is she here?
A murmur of barely suppressed surprise and doubt instantly filled the conference room. Everyone present was a businessman, and many of them immediately recognized Lin Yuwei, the boss who had risen to fame in both the art and business fields in recent years and was known for both her talent and beauty.
Xiao Hong's brows furrowed instantly. The impending victory had been abruptly interrupted, greatly displeasing him. Moreover, Lin Yuwei's appearance gave him a strange sense of foreboding. Suppressing his irritation, Xiao Hong spoke sternly in an extremely impolite, almost dismissive tone: "President Lin? Are you in the wrong place? Just so you know, this is the shareholders' meeting of Qichen Technology! We are dealing with important internal matters concerning the company's future! All irrelevant personnel, please leave immediately!"
However, his harsh words did not frighten Lin Yuwei. On the contrary, she did not even glance at him out of the corner of her eye. From the moment she entered the room, her gaze passed through the crowd and landed directly and firmly on the figure in the main seat, Gu Qingyan.
Lin Yuwei walked into the conference room with a calm gait. The crisp sound of her heels clicking echoed in the quiet room. Each step seemed to be in sync with everyone's heartbeats, controlling the rhythm of the room.
Ignoring all the surprised or scrutinizing gazes, Lin Yuwei walked straight to an empty chair next to the conference table, stood gracefully, and quickly and precisely swept across the room, finally fixing her gaze on Xiao Hong, whose face had turned ashen.
Facing Xiao Hong's unfriendly gaze, Lin Yuwei smiled calmly. Her smile was like the first melting of snow, the blooming of spring flowers, radiant and dazzling, instantly eclipsing everything around her. She slowly spoke, "Director Xiao, I think the one who's mistaken is you. I'm here today as the newly appointed shareholder of Qichen Technology, to attend the shareholders' meeting to which my rights belong." With that, she raised the thin folder in her hand and solemnly and elegantly placed it on the large conference table.
"How is that possible?"
"Yes, could it be..."
The crowd began whispering and speculating amongst themselves.
Xiao Hong was taken aback, then sneered, "Miss Lin, I know you do have some fame in the art world, but this is the capital market, the shareholders' meeting of Qichen Technology, not a place for you to play house! How much of a shareholding do you think you have? 0.5%? Or 1%? With such a negligible share, your opinion is probably insignificant!" He deliberately emphasized the words "insignificant," which drew a few low chuckles from the sycophants behind him.
Lin Yuwei did not answer directly, nor did she get angry. She didn't even raise an eyebrow. She simply stretched out her finger, gently flipped open the documents on the table, and turned to the shareholders.
When the striking 5.3% shareholding ratio on the document came into view, a collective gasp rippled through the room!
"hiss--"
"How many?!"
"5.3%?! How can that be so high?!"
Even Gu Qingyan was so shocked that he stood up. 5.3%—that's almost 30% of the circulating shares! Even though he knew Lin Yuwei's Shiguang Studio was thriving, to quietly mobilize tens of millions of yuan in cash and secretly acquire this percentage of shares in such a short time… it was simply unbelievable! How did she manage to do it?!
"This is impossible! It's a forgery! This document must be a forgery!" Zhao Hong shouted in a fit of rage, and a noticeable commotion broke out among the shareholders beside him.
"It's all in black and white, with all the official seals, and the share registration authority can verify it at any time." Lin Yuwei met his shocked gaze, her tone still calm, yet carrying an undeniable force: "The reason I hold a large stake in Qichen shares is because I understand this company's technological strength better than anyone else. Everyone here should know that being able to prove its innocence in such a short time is the best proof of its technological strength. Now, am I qualified to cast my vote of trust for President Gu?"
Some previously wavering shareholders began to nod in agreement.
Xiao Hong's face turned ashen, and he still wanted to argue, but he found himself speechless and unable to refute. He suddenly turned his pleading gaze to Xin Zhou, who had been watching coldly from the sidelines as if he had everything under control.
Xin Zhou finally lowered his crossed legs, leaned forward slightly, and for the first time looked directly at Lin Yuwei with his cold eyes. His voice was low and chilling: "Ms. Lin, I must admit that your appearance and your shareholding are surprising. However, even if you hold 5.3% of the shares, according to my calculations, including the shares held by President Xiao and our allies, the final voting result will probably still not change the overall situation. Your efforts may just be... futile."
Lin Yuwei's smile widened, her eyes revealing a savage mockery, as if she had been waiting for him to say this: "Mr. Xin, if my 5.3% stake, plus these individuals who, at the last moment, discern right from wrong, choose to firmly support President Gu, and entrust their voting rights entirely to my partners, the additional shares I hold—"
She paused deliberately, savoring the momentary stiffness and ghost-like expressions on Xin Zhou and Xiao Hong's faces, before announcing emphatically, "What about the 3.2% stake?!"
Whoosh—!!!
The entire conference room erupted in chaos, as if a bomb had been dropped on it! Exclamations, the clatter of chairs being moved, and incredulous whispers mingled together, nearly lifting the roof off! 8.5%! A total of 8.5% of the shares and voting rights!
This is a number that can be used to decisively weigh the outcome on a closely matched scale!
Xiao Hong suddenly turned to look at Xin Zhou, his eyes filled with horror and questioning: "Didn't you say it was foolproof?! Where did this 3.2% come from?!"
Xin Zhou's face, which had maintained a facade of composure, finally cracked completely, turning so dark it was almost dripping with gloom! He clearly hadn't expected that Lin Yuwei not only held a large number of shares herself, but had also secretly secured the support of key minority shareholders! This unexpected turn of events shattered his entire scheme!
Lin Yuwei gave them no chance to breathe or react!
She slammed the authorization letter onto the conference table with a "thud," placing it alongside the share certificate. She straightened up, surveyed the room, and her once alluring eyes now sharpened like an eagle's.
Finally, her gaze swept over everyone, firm yet gentle, and landed on Gu Qingyan, who was sitting in the chairman's seat, staring at her in shock, his eyes burning with renewed passion.
She took a deep breath and solemnly declared in a clear voice that resonated throughout the conference room: "I, Lin Yuwei, hereby represent myself and the accounts associated with me, holding a total of 8.5% of the shares and corresponding voting rights of Qichen Technology! Now, I formally cast my vote on the 'Proposal Regarding the Reorganization of the Board of Directors and the Addition of Two Director Seats'..." Her gaze swept over the pale-faced Xiao Hong and the sinister-looking Xin Zhou, and her red lips parted slightly, uttering the three decisive words: "Against!"
A decisive blow! A world turned around!
"boom!"
The shareholders who supported Gu Qingyan erupted in cheers and thunderous applause, as if they had just escaped a disaster! Lu Ming was so excited that he hugged Gu Qingyan tightly, his eyes reddening, and he was incoherent!
Sunlight streamed in through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, completely enveloping Lin Yuwei. She stood there, tall and straight, dressed in white, seemingly radiating light herself, like a Valkyrie who had come in the light to save the kingdom from peril, so dazzling that people dared not look directly at her!
Gu Qingyan stared at her, stunned. He felt that the light not only illuminated the conference room but also pierced his once cold and despairing heart. The golden light of hope fiercely tore through the gloom; a miracle had truly happened!
On the battlefield where he once thought he would fight alone and was destined to lose everything, the woman he had always looked up to and longed for, with the power to turn the tide, defended the land to which he had poured countless efforts in with an incomparably strong and stunning demeanor!
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Author's Note: [Sunglasses][Sunglasses][Sunglasses]
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