Chapter 47 Negotiation: "Meng Cenjun must come back!"
Holding her breath, she flipped to the last page of the document in disbelief, only to find that the transferor's signature had already been entered.
When he used the money from selling Meng's shares to invest in Yi's company, he received some shares. Over the years in power, he has gradually recovered some from the major shareholders, and now, the total amount is quite considerable.
But Lan Jia really couldn't understand what kind of situation would make Meng Cenjun transfer all of his shares to her.
Is he sick? Has he got a terminal illness? Or does he just not want to work anymore? Is he leaving the Yi family? Leaving her?
He wants to leave!
He actually wanted to leave!
Lan Jia was filled with this thought, and a feeling of being deceived almost overwhelmed her.
Her face flushed red, and she said, enunciating each word clearly, "I will not sign this!"
"Where is Meng Cenjun? Where is he? Let him come and talk to me in person."
“Miss, the master can’t come right now.” Zhou Qin lowered her eyes.
"You're still trying to lie to me? He didn't go on a business trip at all!"
The two sat silently under the overhead light, their faces obscure and inscrutable.
Lan Jia looked at them and suddenly felt a strange sense of dread.
"Okay, you won't tell, huh? Then I'll call him right now."
She stood up angrily, the chair leg scraping against the floor with a screeching sound.
“Miss.” Qian Yue pushed up his glasses and called out to her, “President Meng instructed that he would call you after you have signed the papers.”
What is this? A threat?
She glared at him and inexplicably began to dislike him.
Zhou Qin also cast a disapproving glance, but the president's office and the family office were not people who worked together, so it was not appropriate for him to say anything.
“Miss, please understand, the gentleman truly had no other choice.”
"Unavoidable?"
In all her life, she had never known anything that could make Meng Cenjun feel powerless.
He clearly agreed to it the night before last, so why has it turned out like this now?
What exactly is he worried about?
Lan Jia calmed herself down and carefully recalled his unusual behavior over the past few days.
Could it be that he's being coerced and has been asking her for help all this time?
With many doubts swirling around her, she walked solemnly to the balcony and made a phone call.
In the Yi residence, in the Buddhist shrine, the air is filled with the fragrant smoke of sandalwood.
Inside the shrine is a white jade Guanyin statue, and on the altar are offered water, fresh flowers, and fruits.
Grandma Yi knelt on the prayer mat, took the three sticks of incense handed to her by Aunt Xiu, lit them, and devoutly bowed three times.
Having lived a life of ups and downs, she had never believed in ghosts or gods. It was only from the year of the Yi family crisis that she suddenly changed her mind and, as if in a desperate situation, began to worship all the gods and Buddhas.
Over the years, she has suffered a series of major setbacks, and even the strongest person in their youth has become much weaker, and she began to seek spiritual sustenance. Lan Jia is frail, so she devoted herself to Buddhism, eating vegetarian food every day, accumulating merit to improve her health, and it has been ten years now.
The old lady knelt for a long time, fiddling with the white agarwood prayer beads one by one, silently reciting verses until her mind was clear, before she stopped.
"Grandma, would you like to burn some benzoin before bed tonight?" Aunt Xiu asked.
She nodded, then changed her mind and said, "Go and take out the incense sticks that were delivered a few days ago."
Aunt Xiu rarely smiled: "Miss, you're so thoughtful. I know you don't sleep well."
This incense was a special fragrance I bought during my trip to Lancashire Island; I heard it was particularly effective at helping people sleep. After having the maid deliver it to the old house, Mrs. Yi was very happy, but she was reluctant to use it.
She's been having a lot of dreams lately, like a revolving lantern, always dreaming about the past, which makes her miss Lan Jia especially.
Aunt Xiu knew what the old woman was thinking, and after saying that, she sighed again: "It's good that you want to give gifts, but you don't know how to come back and visit often. If outsiders hear about it, they will make up all sorts of stories."
The old lady said with relief, "She's just young and playful, so let her be. When I pass away, she'll have to come back eventually."
Aunt Xiu quickly interrupted, "Please don't say such unlucky things."
At that moment, a servant came out from the back room and said with a smile, "The young lady has a call."
The old lady was taken aback at first, but then a look of joy appeared on her face.
Aunt Xiu smiled and said, "It's not for nothing that you've been a vegetarian and chanting Buddhist prayers, longing for her every day."
The old lady glared at her irritably, "Hurry up and help me up."
She went to the back room, sat in a round-backed chair to answer the phone, and softly called out, "Lan Jia."
The voice on the other end was furious: "Grandma, is my brother at the old house? Are you trying to kick him out?"
Upon hearing this, the old lady felt as if she had been doused with cold water, and her face darkened. "Is this how you speak to your elders? You never contact me, but when you do, it's to interrogate me?"
Lan Jia was also flustered and couldn't control her temper. "Just answer me! Grandma, is it true or not?"
The old woman sneered, "He has hands and feet, and I didn't lock him up, so why are you being so harsh?"
"Then why doesn't he come back? And he even wants to transfer his shares to me. It's obvious he's leaving!"
She overheard the word "shares" and, in a flash, realized it was Meng Cenjun's scheme. He was trying to provoke her so as not to tell Lan Jia? This little powder keg, upon hearing he was leaving, panicked and naturally went to confront her first.
Did they want to use Lan Jia to force her to compromise and submit? The old lady's face grew even more somber.
As expected of someone of the Meng family bloodline, with such a deep mind, she was once again convinced that her decision was correct.
"If he's not coming back, go ask him. Why are you being so crazy with me?"
"I can't get through to him on the phone," Lan Jia said, looking aggrieved.
"Grandma, since he's at the old house, why don't you go and talk to him?"
"Oh, and what happened after he came back?" The old lady was furious. "Yi Lanjia, I've been holding back from saying anything to you. Think about it carefully, what foolish things have you two done before?"
“He is your brother, he always has been, and he always will be.”
Lan Jia had a lot to say but couldn't finish her sentence. After a long while, she finally said, "He didn't do anything wrong. From beginning to end, it was I who crossed the line."
"Grandma, I was wrong. Please forgive my ignorance."
"You're all grown up now. I'll forgive you this time, but how long are you going to be so immature?"
"Lan Jia, if you were even a fraction like your mother, I wouldn't be so worried." She was disappointed in her, frustrated by her lack of common sense and weakness when it came to relationships.
When her deceased mother was mentioned, Lan Jia fell silent, clenching her fists tightly on the other end of the phone. After an unknown amount of time, she regained her composure and finally spoke, "Meng Cenjun must come back."
"Grandma, you know the company can't do without him right now. If he leaves, the most important position will be vacant. Can you guarantee you'll find someone more suitable to take over?"
“Payne is the culmination of generations of the Yi family’s hard work. You don’t want it to be ruined in your hands, do you?”
When emotional appeals didn't work, she pointed out the pros and cons and talked to her about them.
Seeing that she had also learned to negotiate, Old Mrs. Yi was slightly relieved, but still worried, "Besides that, didn't you have any other ideas?" She was still afraid that her youthful impetuosity would lead her to do something wrong.
Lan Jia heard these words as a warning; she would not agree to her being with Meng Cenjun.
"You want me to go through a political marriage, don't you?" Lan Jia's voice was a little cold.
“I’m getting old, and I hope you’ll have someone to rely on for the rest of your life. Wealth, status, and a powerful family will all be your support in the future.”
Why can't I rely on myself?
"Are you capable of managing such a large company?"
"I don't understand why I have to take over. Can't I just do what I want to do?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? You were born to be yours, so you should take responsibility for it."
"This is truly tragic." A life confined to a fixed framework.
Grandma Yi sneered: "Pathetic? You have no idea how many people envy you. Lan Jia, from birth until now, you have never suffered a single day. Do you believe it or not? You can't live a single second without a penny."
"You think I'm selfish, irresponsible, and not as good as Mom at all, right?" Lan Jia said in a muffled voice.
The old lady sighed heavily: "You misunderstand me too much. If I weren't doing this for your own good, why would I make these arrangements for you? Why would I be saying all this to you?"
"Your parents are very happy, aren't they? I was the one who arranged their marriage, and I planned everything for your mother from childhood to adulthood. Did I do something wrong by putting so much effort into this?"
Lan Jia had never known about this. She envied her mother's good fortune in meeting such a good person as her father, but she also felt sorry for her, whose short life was like that of a plant carefully pruned by her grandmother.
“But you can’t guarantee that the same success will happen to me a second time, right?” she almost pleaded. “Grandma, I just want to live according to my own wishes this once, is that okay?”
She had nothing to say to the younger generation who wouldn't listen to her advice. They would know how painful it was when they hit a wall.
Lan Jia is still young. Since she wants it, giving her a chance to try and fail is no problem. Anyway, she will do everything she can to make her face reality.
"I'm not going to care about you anymore," Old Mrs. Yi said wearily. "From now on, do whatever you want. I'm useless now, and I can't control anything anymore."
"Grandma..." Hearing her say that, Lan Jia softened instead. "I don't necessarily want to go against you. I just hope you believe in me. I can live a happy life on my own."
The old lady gave a curt "hmm," seemingly uninterested in continuing the conversation.
Lan Jia brazenly asked, "Then... can my brother come back now?"
“I didn’t lock him up here. He can come back whenever he wants,” the old woman said sarcastically.
"Then I'll take that as a yes?" Seeing that her goal had been achieved, Lan Jia carefully tried to ingratiate herself, "Grandma, please get some rest and take care of yourself. I'll come back to see you as soon as I have a holiday!"
Knowing it was her usual excuse, the old lady snorted and hung up the phone decisively.
Lan Jia relaxed completely and sluggishly walked into the room, where Zhou Qin and the other man both looked at her.
“Miss, President Meng instructed that these transfer agreements must be signed by you,” Qian Yue said with a smile.
Lan Jia looked at Zhou Qin and solemnly declared, "I will not sign the share transfer agreement." She could not allow Meng Cenjun to sever ties with the Yi family.
Zhou Qin knew that she had reached an agreement, smiled and nodded, and carefully put the black-covered document back into her briefcase.
Qian Yue seized the opportunity, unscrewed the pen, and placed the large stack of property transfer agreements in front of her.
Lan Jia sat down, thinking that this was Meng Cenjun's compensation to her. For him, she had just had a long argument with her grandmother, and her mouth was dry from talking so much.
When he returns, she will definitely give him a good dressing down.
With that in mind, Lan Jia no longer felt any psychological burden, picked up the pen, and quickly signed her name in the signature column.
Page after page, by the end of the sign-in, my hands and arms were sore.
Lan Jia couldn't help but wonder: How exactly has Meng Cenjun worked so hard to make money all these years?
Author's Note: My younger sister is still going through her rebellious phase. She'll mature as she experiences more. [Milk Tea]
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