Song Ning's face darkened for a moment, but she quickly recovered and pulled him down to sit.
"Why did you leave as soon as you heard she wasn't coming down? Why didn't you go see your father first?"
I'll come again tonight.
Chapter Three: Conspiracy
Song Jingmo had been planning this power revolution for at least longer than him, and everything was ready except for funding. If it dragged on for half a month or ten days, it would be enough to cause him heavy losses.
- Yi Zhengwei
The headquarters building of the bank.
Today is Monday, and it's unusually busy. In the grand lobby on the first floor, three receptionists are each on a phone, almost to the point where scraps of paper are flying everywhere.
He still had a polite smile on his face, but as soon as he hung up the phone, he immediately showed signs of fatigue.
"Hello, Banking Group."
"Make me a permanent employee." A deep voice came from the other end of the line, leaving no room for reaction or questioning.
Xiao Xin held the microphone tightly, her eyes darting anxiously towards the other two.
Tong Ling, on the left, quickly took the phone and asked in a low voice, "Excuse me, who is this?"
"What's wrong with the general manager's phone? Get me connected right now." The old man seemed anxious, clearly having tried everything to reach the general manager, and could only awkwardly try to get through to the receptionist.
"Ah, you're the chairman? Yes, yes, I'll transfer you right away. The general manager has a very important meeting today." Tong Ling bowed and scraped, not realizing that the other person couldn't actually see her.
"General manager."
Assistant Li Jie, holding a cordless phone, stood nervously at the conference room door and called out softly.
Looking at the tense and solemn faces of the company's veterans at the round table meeting, I felt a chill run down my spine.
Yi Zhengwei turned his head with a dark face, "What is it?!"
"Chairman Dong...the phone..." she said, handing it over tremblingly.
Yi Zhengwei frowned and waved at him, then glanced around the room before calmly speaking into the microphone in a low voice, "Dad, I'm in a meeting."
"Are you discussing the acquisition of Fuhua?" Although Yi Mantian hadn't been involved in the company's affairs much in recent years, he was clear about important development directions.
"Yes, Dad. I'll report back to you when I get back. You should rest and recuperate now."
"This isn't urgent, I have a better way." Yi Mantian was a businessman, and he always hoped to get the greatest profit with the least amount of capital.
"Oh?" Yi Zhengwei glanced around the room, raising his eyebrows with interest.
He was troubled by this matter; these company veterans had always been insurance-minded. Although the banking group had developed well under his leadership in recent years, and because of his decisiveness and courage, he had entered several promising industries and made a few big profits, which allowed him, who was just over thirty, to gain a foothold in the company.
Did Song Jingmo take out a large loan from the bank?
Yes, that's true.
"It's said that his research lab has recently developed a new product that will definitely revolutionize the power battery field," Yi Mantian said with delight.
"You mean this is related to his large loan from our bank?" Yi Zhengwei sensed something was amiss, grinned, and leaned back slightly in his chair, relaxing after a whole morning of tension.
"That's right! If you acquire Fuhua at this time, you will definitely come back empty-handed, and spending too much money may not be feasible either. After all, his research lab is independent. As long as it exists, it is not impossible to replicate Fuhua." What Yi Mantian said was true. Fuhua's current success is entirely due to his Zhenhua Research Lab in the northern suburbs of Linchuan, which is the culmination of Song Jingmo's life's work.
Yi Zhengwei lowered his head in deep thought, but he clearly agreed. However, his entry into the power industry was an unavoidable decision.
"I heard his eldest daughter just returned from England, and there's a welcome-back and baptismal banquet tonight. You should attend," Yi Mantian said, revealing the purpose of his call before his son could even ask.
Yi Zhengwei frowned, understanding his father's meaning, but he did not intend to do so.
"Zhengwei, I don't care about your affair with that woman; I'll let you cause as much trouble as you want in our mall and make a fool of yourself in front of everyone, but you have to make a decision on this matter. You've been preparing the power plan for a year, haven't you?"
Yi Zhengwei bypassed the group of elderly men who were listening intently and stared straight at the azure commercial building across the street. The Shen Xing signboard, surrounded by dazzling red roses, was so bright that it stung his eyes.
After a long silence, he said helplessly, "If that's the case, we're probably too late. As far as I know, Yan Xunan of Weisheng Industry has long had his eye on this lucrative opportunity, and he and Song Ning are already engaged."
He wasn't unaware of Yi Mantian's intentions, but there was absolutely no way he would play along and betray his feelings. The shimmering signboard seemed even more intense in the sunlight, so he simply got up, thus extinguishing the gossip of those old men, and slipped out of the conference room.
"Hahaha..." Yi Mantian's energetic laughter came through the phone, unlike an old man resting in the hospital.
Yi Zhengwei was walking towards his office.
"That Yan family brat has chosen the wrong path. As far as I know, Song Jingmo has always intended to pass the position to his eldest daughter. Besides, Song Ning has already entered the film and television industry; how can she possibly turn back now?"
The Song family only has two daughters, and now that Song Qing has returned, she has naturally become a hot commodity. She probably doesn't even realize it yet.
Yi Zhengwei rubbed his temples, and Shen Xing's delicate, hesitant face flashed through his mind.
"However, we cannot let our guard down. It is said that ten years ago, the two Song sisters fought over him, and Song Ning committed suicide by cutting her wrists, while Song Qing went to England."
These two Song sisters are indeed persistent and so fierce.
"Yes, Dad, I understand. Right, I'll go arrange it first."
After a lecture, Yi Zhengwei had to face the matter squarely. They weren't lacking in funds, but with the sun high in the sky, this acquisition was clearly like trying to catch the moon's reflection in the sea—it might look impressive, but it wouldn't bring any real benefit.
However, the first thing to do is, of course, to immediately stop the lending case of Fuhua by the group's subsidiary, Banking Holdings!
"Hey, Xiao Meng."