The meal ended with the guests and hosts appearing to be enjoying themselves on the surface.
As is customary, the elders of the Ning family led the guests to the rooftop golf practice room, where they could digest their food and casually exchange business insights.
Such an occasion held no appeal for Ning Yuan, especially with Ning Bing'an present.
She had intended to find an excuse to leave with her mother, sneak back to her room for a while to have some peace and quiet, and also to bathe the child.
Ning Zhengkun suddenly spoke up: "Ning Yuan, you should come up too. It's always good to learn more."
All eyes turned to them.
Madam Ning glanced at Ning Yuan and said softly, "My dear girl, do you not want to go? If you don't want to go, then don't go."
Ning Zhengrong listened from the side, frowned slightly, and lowered his voice: "Don't be so insensible."
It's unclear whether these words were directed at Madam Ning the Second or at Ning Yuan.
Ning Yuan was silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "Okay."
She can ignore her cheap father's attitude, and the more her mother acts this way, the less she needs to make things difficult for her mother over such trivial matters that are not of principle.
Forget it, let's go upstairs and listen to some high-level business advice.
Ning Zhengrong was satisfied with her answer and nodded slightly: "You go up, your mother and I won't go up. She needs to prepare gifts for the guests to take away."
Ning Yuan gave a curt "Oh" and left without much expression.
In this life, kinship is often weak. Her adoptive father was no good, nor was her biological father. She was content with having a biological mother.
...
In the rooftop golf practice room, servants had already prepared fruit and various snacks, attending to their needs.
Cha Meiling selected the ball and club, and adjusted her posture methodically, demonstrating professionalism and expertise.
Sure enough, Ning Zhengkun praised, "Annie's wrists have improved quite a bit in the two years since I last saw her."
Cha Meiling smiled slightly, her demeanor serene and gentle: "I learned the basics from my godfather and uncle when I was a child, so naturally I am far behind my uncle."
She said it casually, then smiled, turned around, and hit the ball.
With swift and precise movements, the white ball hurtled towards the target point without any hesitation, landing cleanly and neatly in the hole with a "thud".
He was greeted with applause.
Cha Meiling nodded with a smile: "I've made a fool of myself."
Ning Zhengkun also swung his club, and the ball flew out in a beautiful arc.
Chen Jingsong turned to Ning Zhengkun and praised, "Chairman Ning's swing is comparable to that of a professional!"
"Not at all, Chairman Chen is the real expert," Ning Zhengkun replied modestly.
Ning Zhengkun, Ning Man'an, Chen Jingsong and his wife, and Cha Meiling began to exchange their experiences playing golf.
Ning Yuan neither plays golf nor has ever been exposed to it before. Golf was not an activity in mainland China, and she has not been interested in it since coming to Hong Kong.
She naturally sat lazily on the side, tossing small golf balls around, not caring about the strange looks people gave her.
Ning Bingyu and Ning Bing'an each took a lane to start the game.
At least, the atmosphere at the beginning was quite harmonious.
It lasted for half an hour.
Suddenly, Chen Jingsong casually brought up the topic: "By the way, Chairman Ning, BMF Bank of Japan is interested in investing HK$1.5 billion in the Whampoa Garden project. What do you think, Chairman Ning?"
He took a towel from his servant and wiped his sweat, then added, "If this funding comes in, the Huangpu Garden project can be expanded to nearly two hundred buildings, and a large international medical center and office buildings can be built within the project to create an integrated commercial center."
Chen Jingsong spoke casually, but his words were like a bomb, exploding in the hearts of Ning Zhengkun, Ning Bingyu, and the others.
Ning Zhengkun paused for a moment, his gaze sharpening instantly.
He narrowed his sharp, old eyes: "BMF Bank wants to invest 1.5 billion?"
Even Ning Yuan couldn't hide the shock in her eyes for a moment.
While this might not seem like a staggering figure in modern real estate development projects forty years from now—enough to buy just a single plot of land—it was an astronomical sum in the early 1980s.
Chen Jingsong smiled and looked at Cha Meiling: "This is all thanks to Annie. She's not a mergers and acquisitions lawyer for nothing. She has a very good relationship with BMF Bank in Japan, which is why she was able to bring in such a large investment."
Ning Bingyu stood to the side, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly: "Fifteen billion? How come there wasn't a single word about it before?"
Ning Man'an also looked surprised, and her gaze toward Cha Meiling became more inquisitive.
Cha Mei-ling smiled and wiped her wrist, her tone calm: "I just received the news from Japan. When that happens, Whampoa Garden will become one of the landmarks of the Hong Kong government. How wonderful."
Ning Zhengkun's face darkened, and he said in a deep voice, "Chairman Chen, such a big matter as additional investment requires the agreement of both of us. Ning's side needs to go through the board of directors' evaluation, as well as various hearings such as the Urban Planning Committee and the Land Administration Bureau. A unilateral decision is not acceptable."
Having been in the business world for many years, Ning Yuan naturally understood Ning Zhengkun's concerns.
The HK$1.5 billion investment is close to one-third of the investment in the Whampoa Garden project. Once this capital is injected, Ning's equity will inevitably be diluted.
Simply put, Huangpu Garden was originally a project led by the Ning family, and the introduction of investment was to save the Ning family's money.
However, the scale of this investment is now so large that the Ning family has gone from being the project leader to a powerless supporting player.
Whoever contributes the most money is the boss and has the most say in the project.
Just like how to cook a dish, how much salt and meat to add, that's up to the head chef.
Ning wanted to be the head chef, not just a janitor.
Chen Jingsong looked completely at ease. After swinging his club, he smiled casually and said, "Brother Ning, let's share the investment. It will ease your financial burden, won't it? I know you've invested a lot of money in the Marine Tower in Tsim Sha Tsui!"
Ning Man'an glanced at Ning Bingyu and suddenly said, "Daddy, I think this is a good thing. If BMF Bank is really interested in investing, we can also increase our investment and maintain control of the project."
Ning Bingyu frowned: "Big sister! Watch your words!"
He knew that Ningmanan hoped to use this project to suppress him.
"Uncle, as you know, this is great news. Someone investing will boost the stock prices of both our companies," Cha Meiling said, a smile on her face.
"This funding will bring double the return to the Huangpu Garden project."
Ning Zhengkun shifted his gaze from Cha Meiling's face to Chen Jingsong, his expression remaining calm.
"Chairman Chen's kindness is greatly appreciated, and our Ning family will certainly not be negligent in the slightest. However, financial matters are always handled with care, and this is not something that can be rushed. Rest assured, we will definitely make a decision in the shortest possible time."
His tone remained gentle, yet it carried a chilling edge, reflecting his characteristic sophistication and disdain.
1.5 billion is a lot, but the Ning family isn't without it either.
Chen Jingsong switched his cue stick and laughed, "Brother Ning, so cautious? It seems I had too high expectations for our collaboration."
The next second, he casually swung his club and made a beautiful shot: "Back in Singapore, I built my career on ambition and pioneering spirit. It may sound harsh, but what I dislike most is being indecisive."
The small white ball rolled down the edge of the hole, spun around once, and then steadily rolled into the hole.
He turned around, his smile unchanged, but a dark undercurrent of disdain flickered in his eyes.
"Of course, the Ning family is the host, and I, Chen, must respect the host's rules. I hope that this time, my impatience will not disrupt the Ning family's decision-making process."
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