Lin Weiping glanced at the five people sitting together, noticing the various expressions on their faces, and knew they were also struggling with their own thoughts, having considered all the possible benefits over the past few days. He then spoke in Chinese: “John, as far as I know, the second wife has already gone back to appeal, while the young boss remains in the city, and the company's future is uncertain. I can grant your request, but I must take full responsibility for the people I employ. I can't let them go back only to face the turmoil of a regime change. Furthermore, your company's raw materials haven't been loaded onto the ship yet, and we don't know when you can resume normal production. Saying the quality can't be guaranteed is premature. How about this: the technical staff are all intelligent and rational people; they can go wherever they want, I won't stop them. We'll work together according to the contract, how about that?”
These words were ostensibly addressed to John, but were actually meant for the five technicians. They would surely weigh the weight of the message after hearing it; who likes a life of instability?
The translator couldn't keep up with Lin Weiping's speaking speed. Since Lin Weiping's real intentions weren't what they seemed, she didn't give John any time to take notes or translate. Naturally, John only received a perfunctory answer. Fang Ye was also shocked by this. He only knew one side of the story, not the other; he didn't know the company had so many hidden problems. He wanted to know the full details, so he explained the general meaning to the translator again, sentence by sentence, asking her to translate it back for John.
Upon hearing this, Waldo immediately said, "The second sister is unlikely to change her mind again, and the arrival of the raw materials is only a matter of time. These are not major problems."
Lin Weiping smiled and said, "Ah, yes, none of that is a problem." The sentence was simple and concise, and the translator translated it quickly. However, those who spoke Chinese could hear the sarcasm in Lin Weiping's words. After speaking, estimating that it was about time, and not wanting to linger, he said, "Excuse me, I'll be right outside." Outside, he saw Shang Kun already seated, talking to a young lady, probably ordering food.
Lin Weiping sat down opposite Shang Kun, staring at him without saying a word. She didn't know what to say. Should she just ask him directly, "Did you really do this?" She knew it would be pointless; if he denied it, there would be no way to prove it. Besides, she couldn't bring herself to ask.
Shang Kun looked at her without saying a word, only smiling—a sly smile that made it seem as if Lin Weiping had done something wrong. The two remained locked in a tense standoff until the waitress brought over a bowl of ginger and brown sugar noodles. Upon seeing it, Shang Kun quickly said, "I haven't ordered this."
Lin Weiping had no choice but to speak in a stiff voice, "I ordered it. Didn't you say you had a cold?"
Shang Kun smiled at her, immediately moved the bowl in front of himself, and said, "Yes, yes, you've thought of everything. Would you like some?" As he spoke, he ladled a bowl for Lin Weiping.
Lin Weiping took the food and started eating, engrossed in conversation with John and the others, barely managing to eat three bites in total. Shang Kun, seeing this, laughed, "That's right, why eat with others? You've been eating for so long and you're still so anxious. You should have waited for me to eat with you. Don't go in, I ordered your favorite geoduck for you, we'll eat by ourselves." He didn't rush to eat himself, but simply smiled at Lin Weiping, a huge weight lifted from his heart. He had initially thought of denying it, but now it seemed unnecessary. He liked Lin Weiping even more; his tact and discretion were truly a gem.
Fang Ye also made an excuse to come out and see that at a small square table outside, Lin Weiping was eating by herself with her head down, while the man opposite her seemed to be eating little and little, but he spent more time looking at her. Fang Ye was even more certain of their relationship. She steeled herself and went up to him with a smile, saying, "I'm so sorry, there was too much talking inside, and Ms. Lin didn't get to eat much." She glanced at Shang Kun and saw that he had an extraordinary demeanor and unfathomable eyes behind his glasses. She thought to herself, "Only a man like him can tame Lin Weiping." She quickly took out her business card and handed it to him.
Shang Kun waited until he had read the words on the business card before taking out his own, and said with a smile, "Don't bother memorizing it too much, just make sure you're a family member of President Lin."
Lin Weiping ignored him, and the other party said, "I'm sorry, I really haven't eaten enough. It's like a trap inside. I think John and I have finished discussing the issues. Could you please let me know when you go in, Mr. Fang, that I won't go in? I'll invite you to dinner separately another day when you have time."
Fang understood her attitude; it was clear she didn't want to appease John and the others, and she didn't want him to linger. He immediately took his leave. As soon as he left, Shang Kun had his things moved to the second-floor bar, afraid someone would disturb his time. When Fang came out again, the two were gone, knowing they had disappeared. He could see the anger on John's face, and he could also see that Lin Weiping's words had stabilized the five technicians' resolve, and even he himself was beginning to waver.
Only Shang Kun was truly happy. During the meal, he didn't say much else but recounted in detail to Lin Weiping what he had witnessed during the reading of the will. Lin Weiping initially responded somewhat sporadically, but as the conversation continued, his stiff expression became more palpable. Moreover, seeing Shang Kun's skillful attempts to please him, he felt bad and gradually became more talkative. It wasn't until they finished eating and were leaving that Shang Kun said, "After a long day, having someone to talk to, even if it's nothing important, is still very nice. My cold is getting better; let's go, I'll take you home."
Lin Weiping shook his car keys and said, "Go by yourself. By the way, Fang Ye seems alright today. I'll go check out his old workplace. If he has a good reputation, I'd like to poach him."
Shang Kun laughed and said, "You decide for yourself. I see that you will be busy in the future, dealing with Linde, consolidating your trading company's business, and bidding for the triumphant return. You really need someone who can manage the overall situation to help you. When you have time, invite him out for dinner and have a casual chat to see if he is clear-headed."
Lin Weiping shook his head and said, "No rush. I'll set up a few traps first, make him worry about his future for a few days, and then talk to him. Unfortunately, this means I'll have to go on another business trip."
Shang Kun hurriedly said, "I've been free these past few days, and I don't want to mess around with Lao Wang anymore. I might as well come with you to broaden my horizons. I can even carry your bags for you the whole way. What do you say?" As he spoke, he took the keys from Lin Weiping's hand and got into the driver's seat.
Lin Weiping asked in surprise, "Where's your own car? You just left it here?"
Shang Kun, with a cunning smile, remained silent and drove Lin Weiping directly to her residence. When he parked, Lin Weiping noticed his car was quietly parked to the side, indicating he had planned this all along. But the premeditation didn't stop there; Shang Kun then pulled a large suitcase from the Mercedes' rear, and, ignoring Lin Weiping's resistance, threats, and intimidation, shamelessly followed her inside. Once the door closed, Lin Weiping frowned and said, "I shouldn't have pitied you yesterday; now I've truly let a wolf into my house." She then went into her room, locking the door and refusing to come out. Shang Kun didn't care; he had already gained entry, and the long march was finally beginning.
Chapter
thirty
Shang Kun kept a close watch on him every day, and the best strategy was to confiscate the key from Lin Weiping. Now, Lin Weiping had to notify Shang Kun in advance every time he entered or left. After two days, Lin Weiping had lost his temper. Since he had already stuck to him, he might as well give in. After lunch, he called Shang Kun and said, "I'm going on a business trip at 4 pm. Could you buy me a ticket and open the door for me while you're at it? I need to pack some luggage."
When she arrived home at 2 PM, Shang Kun was already waiting in the living room, but there was a suitcase next to him. Seeing Lin Weiping pouting and looking at the suitcase with one eyebrow raised and the other lowered, Shang Kun laughed: "What are you looking at? You, Miss, are now ordering me around so smoothly. I was afraid that you wouldn't have anyone to help you when you went on business trips, so I risked my life to accompany you on your business trip. See how self-sacrificing I am?"
However, Shang Kun had become accustomed to being served by his secretary, assistant, and driver over the years, while Lin Weiping was adept at handling things on his own. As a result, Shang Kun's boastful promises of helping with bags and luggage could not be fulfilled. Often, by the time Shang Kun took action, Lin Weiping had already done everything half a beat ahead of him. In the end, things like buying airport taxes and getting boarding passes were also handled by Lin Weiping.
Upon exiting the airport, someone was already waiting in a car. Lin Weiping recognized him as the sales manager for her region from her previous company. The meeting naturally involved introductions, but when it came to words, Shang Kun was much more quick-witted. He pulled out his business card and quickly shook hands with the manager before Lin Weiping could speak, saying, "I'm Xiao Lin's family member, my surname is Shang."
The manager, seeing that the two men looked very impressive, guessed Shang Kun's identity after a few tries. Upon seeing the business card, his already enthusiastic demeanor intensified. Lin Weiping secretly kicked Shang Kun, but knew that since he'd been followed, there was no way to control his mouth. He ignored him in the car, focusing instead on talking to the manager and discussing current market trends. Suddenly, the manager said, "The factory in your city also has people here urging us to ship goods. It's a large group, with foreigners, a translator, and a vice president surnamed Fang. The boss hosted them for lunch today, but they said they don't want to buy from you, the provincial general agent, and the boss hasn't agreed yet. Now the boss is waiting at the hotel to treat you to dinner. He said you helped us a lot when we were short of funds before the New Year, and we haven't properly thanked you yet. After the New Year, he's busy, and you've been coming and going in a hurry, so we haven't been able to treat you to dinner. Today, we must drink until we drop!"
Lin Weiping wasn't sure if it was John or Waldo coming, and thought that even if the two of them came, it wouldn't be as good as Fang Ye coming alone. Just as he was thinking this, Shang Kun, who was sitting behind him, said, "Is Fang Ye here too? Lin, why don't you contact him and ask him to come over for dinner? Anyway, they're all acquaintances. Let's skip the foreigners; it'll be inconvenient to talk if he's there too."
The manager laughed and said, "Our boss said the same thing at noon. He said the meal was extremely awkward. He made a funny comment, but we had to wait for the translation before the other person would smile. We were exhausted from waiting. It was only because that General Manager Fang was so lively that the atmosphere was a little better. Since you know him, why don't you invite him over and make it more lively?"
Lin Weiping was enlightened by Shang Kun's words and secretly admired his quick thinking. He quickly found Fang Ye's number and called him: "President Fang, this is Lin Weiping. Are you free? Let's have dinner together."
Fang was clearly surprised that Lin Weiping would actually invite him to dinner. He had thought that her invitation a couple of days ago was just a casual remark. While he was happy, he was also a little disappointed: "It's an honor, but I'm currently on a business trip. What should I do? How about I contact you as soon as I get home?"
Lin Weiping smiled and said, "There's no time like the present, so let's do it today. Wait for me in the lobby of my hotel in half an hour. We've been out of the airport for several minutes already." If it were someone he knew well, Lin Weiping would definitely play hide-and-seek with them for a while, but Fang Ye had only just met, and besides, she might become his subordinate in the future, so it wasn't appropriate to be too casual.
Fang was overjoyed. He had taken a liking to Lin Weiping from their first meeting, but unfortunately, she was already in a relationship, and he had a family to support. However, he still enjoyed meeting Lin Weiping; what was wrong with being friends? He carefully tidied himself up and went downstairs early to wait, but when he saw Shang Kun sitting next to him in the car that arrived, he was slightly disappointed.
The boss of the previous company was surnamed Bao, and he was only in his early thirties, not yet forty. His net worth had skyrocketed in recent years. When Lin Weiping entered the hotel private room, he heard Bao angrily venting his anger on his phone. Seeing how angry he was, and how pale his manager's face had become, Lin Weiping hadn't believed it before when he heard that Boss Bao was a ruthless character, but now he was starting to believe it from the expressions on his subordinates' faces. He couldn't help but quietly ask Shang Kun, "If they see you getting angry, will Huang Bao and the others also turn pale?"
Shang Kun laughed, "Tell me, have you ever been afraid of me? I'm more afraid of you guys." Lin Weiping could only roll her eyes at him. If someone doesn't want to talk about something, you'll only make a fool of yourself if you keep asking. Seeing her displeasure, Shang Kun quickly added, "You know, I don't have that much of a voice. At most, I'll just put on a stern face. Besides, I don't like my subordinates being afraid of me."
Lin Weiping glanced at him sideways and said, "That's more like it. Why don't you just talk things out? You have to argue with me to be happy."
Shang Kun just smiled, a very tolerant smile that made Lin Weiping feel like a child being unreasonable. He could only force himself to say, "Boring, we can't even have a proper conversation, let alone an argument."
Fortunately, Mr. Bao saw the guests and hurriedly ended the phone call, coming over. Lin Weiping noticed that his expression changed almost every step he took, but by the time he arrived, he was beaming. Lin Weiping saw that his eyes kept glancing at Shang Kun and thought to himself: A person's aura truly comes from within; even without mentioning his status, people could tell at a glance that Shang Kun was no ordinary person. Lin Weiping quickly introduced him first: "This is my prospective spouse, Shang Kun. And this is Fang Ye, Mr. Bao already knows him, right?"
Shang Kun was well aware that there was a significant difference between Lin Weiping introducing him as a prospective family member and him shamelessly claiming to be Lin Weiping's family member. Lin Weiping was no ordinary person; for her to say this in her social circle meant that unless something irreversible happened, it was only a matter of time before he lost the "prospective" title. He was very pleased. His exchange of business cards with Boss Bao was surprisingly swift and efficient.
Mr. Bao took the business card and laughed immediately: "As expected of a big shot. I used to drink with Xiao Lin and said, 'Why is she so domineering? No one will dare to marry her. Luckily, there's someone even more capable than her to deal with her.' Come on, Mr. Shang, I must befriend you. Teach me your tricks for dealing with Xiao Lin. I keep falling into her traps when I do business with her. Haha." He took Shang Kun's hand and they sat down at the head of the table.
Before Lin Weiping could speak, Shang Kun interrupted her with a laugh: "Boss Bao has come to the right person. I've also been bullied by her to the point of deep resentment. Today, let's brothers have a good spar. Three cobblers are better than one Zhuge Liang."
Seeing that they immediately seemed to be getting along so well, Lin Weiping thought to himself that men are generally easier to get along with, and it's easier for men to communicate when they meet. Ignoring them, he asked Fang Ye, "Are you here to urge the shipment? Did you come with John?"
Fang also said, "I came with John. The company has been struggling to make ends meet since the Spring Festival. I checked and all the payments have been transferred here. I didn't expect you to be shipping goods here too."
Lin Weiping smiled and said, "When I was here before, I was in charge of this business. It might be your turn in the future. However, I heard that several big clients haven't received their goods yet, so you might have to wait a few more days. The quality of the goods here is no worse than that of the state-owned ones, but the price is lower, and the sales are more flexible. It has a good reputation in the industry. Your previous company also picked up goods here." After a few words, Lin Weiping basically realized that Fang Ye had never been in charge of materials before. But that made sense. The most important thing in this industry is sourcing materials. The price of raw materials has the biggest impact on profits, so it is usually controlled by the boss himself and will not be handed over to others.
Fang hurriedly added, "Yes, judging from Mr. Bao's attitude towards Mr. Lin, you two have known each other for quite some time. I heard that Mr. Lin has already secured the exclusive distributorship for this company?"
Lin Weiping laughed and said, "My role as the general agent depends on John's attitude. What am I supposed to do without you? I hope President Fang can put in a good word for me with them."
Fang also laughed and said, "I used to think that sales was the most troublesome thing, but now I know why my former boss flew here every day. I still have a lot to learn from President Lin in this regard."
Lin Weiping laughed and said, "No need to learn, it's very effortless. Just get the goods from me and give me a certain amount extra for each item, and I guarantee you a continuous supply and guaranteed production."
Fang also laughed and said, "I would be happy to do that, and it would save me from coming here and waiting in vain. But John is very stubborn."
Lin Weiping smiled. Choosing who to source materials from was a major decision, and John might not trust Fang Ye, someone he'd only known for a few days, to make that decision. He'd leave it at that for today. But he couldn't help asking, "Is the young boss still coming to the company?"
Fang paused for a moment before saying, "Oh, you mean him? He seems to be very close to Waldo. He comes to work every afternoon, and then the two brothers go home together and hang out. He drives himself, and Waldo sits next to him."
Lin Weiping could tell from Fang Ye's momentary surprise that although the young boss and Waldo seemed to have a close brotherly relationship, Fang Ye's influence was no longer what it once was. However, he was quite pleased with Fang Ye's impeccable and composed manner. An ordinary person would have been concerned with saving face, loudly proclaiming they would definitely ask John for help, only to ultimately back down. Moreover, it was rare that Fang Ye didn't speak ill of the young boss's brotherly rivalry.
Mr. Bao and Shang Kun had a general understanding of each other and respected one another. Mr. Bao said, “I’m different from you. You’ve been developing companies within the same industry, while I’m venturing into a different one. My family always says I’m daring, willing to try anything with high risk. Last year, I acquired a plot of land in the city center for development. Nobody believed in me, but I was. Our industry is the best indicator of the state of the domestic economy. Look at how much demand my company is in now; it shows the economy is booming. How could there be no one buying houses when the economy is good? I don’t need to do feasibility studies; I have my own vision, and I always get it right. Now, you see, I can even sell pre-sale apartments with a swagger, and people are even trying to get me a unit through connections. This time, I’ve acquired another plot of land, a bit suburban, but large. I want to plan it well and build a high-end community. Mr. Shang, let me tell you, you’re missing out if you don’t go into real estate. This industry is lucrative; the profits are greater than in manufacturing. I’m a rough man, speaking the truth, not as strategically as you bespectacled people. Please don’t laugh at me, Mr. Shang.”
Shang Kun nodded in agreement. “What joke? Brother, you’re being too polite. I have a friend back home who works in real estate. He’s just as straightforward as you. When we meet, we talk like we’re arguing. He’s advised me to do the same, but I’m lazy. I find it easy to do what I’m good at, unlike you who have the drive.”
Lin Weiping, who was already quite familiar with Boss Bao, chuckled, "Boss Bao, what you say, though rough, makes perfect sense. You've summarized the most basic economic theory. It's true, when our industry is booming, it's always when the domestic economy is at its best. A few years ago, during the Southeast Asian financial crisis, you were just starting out, and it was incredibly difficult. So many businesses that started with you went out of business, but Boss Bao was the one that fared the best. Now, let's not even compare state-owned enterprises; Boss Bao is definitely among the top private enterprises. But when I came in earlier, I heard you cursing loudly. Was there a problem with the land?"
Mr. Bao laughed and said, "Xiao Lin is a good guy. He's always been shipping from me, and we've known each other for several years. How could there be a problem with my land? It's not that piece of land, it's the one next to my factory. I fenced it off three years ago, and now the county is chasing me to get the project started. They say they can't hold out any longer. Someone has already filed a complaint saying that I fenced off the land and then left it to lie fallow, waiting to be resold. They want me to just build a factory to make it look like a business. It's so annoying. Just now, the deputy county head came to urge me again. The people who come to urge me are getting higher and higher every day."
Lin Weiping said, "That's where you're wrong. You said that every day there are trucks lining up to pick up goods at your place, and everyone is chasing after you for goods, so you don't even dare to go to the office. If you set up another production line, you would make so much money. I heard that the city next door is about to set up one, and the range of products they make is about to catch up with yours. Several times when I met with colleagues, they had already talked about this. Mr. Bao, you have to guard against losing customers."
Mr. Bao was also getting anxious, and his voice rose noticeably: "I've been thinking about this for three years. The land I acquired was intended for this production line, but I've already invested my money in real estate. If I go ahead with this line now, by the time it's operational, I'll have no working capital left. I've mortgaged everything I can, unless I sell myself. Besides, although you're all making advance payments now, Xiao Lin, you know I also have to prepay for the raw materials. And there are always two or three months a year when it's the off-season and I only get cash on delivery, without any advance payment. In that case, I'll really have no choice but to hang myself with the new equipment."
Shang Kun suddenly said, "Boss Bao, we business people are heartbroken to see great money-making opportunities slip away. How about this? You go ahead and launch your new production line. From the day you launch it, whatever working capital shortfall you have, we'll get raw materials from your supplier to fill it. We'll do processing with you, ensuring your production doesn't stop until you have flexible cash flow. You'll still handle sales, and externally, we'll maintain a consistent narrative that it's all your products. We'll think about the details of our cooperation later. However, this is just a spur-of-the-moment idea. Let alone whether Boss Bao values us or is willing to cooperate with us, I haven't even found out how much maximum working capital Boss Bao has. But I'll make a bold claim first; at least it's a concept."
These words made Boss Bao and Lin Weiping's eyes light up. No sooner had the words left their mouths than Lin Weiping slapped Shang Kun's leg, and Boss Bao slammed his hand on the table in front of Shang Kun, both practically shouting "Good!" with great force. Shang Kun turned and smiled, and Lin Weiping could tell he was thinking: "Now you know what I'm capable of, don't you?" Lin Weiping also knew that if no one was around, he would definitely add, "Then you'd better listen to me more from now on, and don't always bully me."
Just as he was lost in thought, he heard Boss Bao say, "Boss Shang, don't say anything more. Let me toast you first. From now on, I'll call you 'Big Brother.' Only someone like you, who's in charge of big businesses, could come up with such an idea. You're not just helping me, you're practically saving me. Big Brother, with your words, I can finally move forward with peace of mind. Otherwise, I've been worried these past few days about being overtaken by that company in the next city. I've been so angry that my eyes are bloodshot. Actually, I don't care how much the county is pressuring me; they wouldn't dare take my land back. I'm just worried that if I fall behind, I won't be able to retain these clients. Xiao Lin also mentioned it. I believe Xiao Lin's husband is definitely capable, and you definitely have the ability to help me overcome this difficulty. Alright, enough of my nonsense. I'll call the equipment design institute over for a meeting tomorrow. Big Brother, don't leave. Stay here. Let's go back and think things through carefully, and come up with a good way to cooperate. Damn, it's so refreshing and straightforward to talk to people who are in charge of big businesses. Come on, Big Brother, let's toast!"
Shang Kun was now in a dilemma. He couldn't hold his liquor; he would be drunk after three cups. This cup was large, and it was baijiu (Chinese white liquor). He had already drunk another cup, and his head was already a little dizzy. Seeing this, Lin Weiping quickly said, "President Bao, let me drink it for him. He really can't hold his liquor."
Mr. Bao took a swig first and laughed, "Xiao Lin, you've always been so hesitant when you drink. I've always said you're good at everything except drinking, but I've let it slide since you're from the South. You're drinking voluntarily today, so no cheating allowed. Huh, you're really drinking? Damn it, girls are more outgoing. Even my many years of friendship can't compare to your husband's. I'm angry."
Of course, everyone knew he was joking, but seeing Boss Bao's beaming face, his men immediately breathed a sigh of relief and became more lively. The atmosphere at the dinner table instantly became heated, with wine glasses and saliva flying everywhere. Fang Ye watched from the side, thinking to himself, if their relationship was this good, it seemed that his own efforts to expedite the delivery were becoming increasingly hopeless, unless he really withdrew the money and got it from Lin Weiping, there was no hope of ensuring production. He had never dealt with raw material procurement before, and now, facing such difficulties, his resolve wavered even further.
After a hearty meal and drinks, they were taken to karaoke, and everyone was exhausted before they finally let Lin Weiping and his group leave. The hotel room had been booked in advance by Boss Bao and his group—a suite—but Lin Weiping suspected it was changed after the meal, all because of Shang Kun's words. After Boss Bao reluctantly left, Lin Weiping laughed, "I'm so lucky to have such a nice room. But I'll still go book another one; we can't afford such expensive accommodations."
Shang Kun laughed and hugged her, saying, "Didn't you hear Bao say he believes Xiao Lin's husband can't be bad? I'm just benefiting from your presence. I'm your family member and follower. You brought me out to see the world, so you can't abandon me. If I wake up tomorrow and you're gone, and I don't have any money, and Bao won't recognize me, how am I supposed to pay for the room? I've already said I'm your husband, why are you being so distant? I won't touch you tonight." As he spoke, he kissed Lin Weiping's burning red earlobe.
Chapter
Thirty-one
Lin Weiping went into the breakfast restaurant almost as soon as it opened, watching the waiters bustling around setting out food and tidying up the environment. But she didn't know what she was thinking until a waitress came over and asked her if she needed coffee. She then snapped out of her reverie and said "yes" three times in a row.
She left her seat and ordered a fried egg, filled a plate to the brim with food, and then filled another plate with fruit, before returning to the table to devour it. When Shang Kun came in, he saw two nearly empty plates and several glasses that had returned to their original clarity, but the person eating was still staring intently at the fried egg in front of her.
He sat down, grabbed Lin Weiping's hand holding the fork, looked steadily at her, and said, "I love you."
This was the first time Lin Weiping had heard those three words from Shang Kun's mouth. Her mind raced, and she glanced up at him before immediately returning to her plate. But in Shang Kun's eyes, Lin Weiping lacked her usual shrewdness or sharpness; instead, she appeared only as gentle and alluring as water. Shang Kun was stunned, his grip on her hand tightening involuntarily. It took him a while to recover before he said, "Don't go. Wait for me to get the food. Wait for me."
After he got up and left, Lin Weiping looked up again, watching Shang Kun's tall figure move back and forth in front of the food counter. Among the growing number of diners, he remained as outstanding as ever, a crane among chickens. Her thoughts drifted away once more, recalling their first meeting, the second, the third, the fourth… She didn't even notice when Shang Kun returned and approached. Shang Kun smiled and patted her cheek, saying, "What are you thinking about? Missing me?"
Lin Weiping blushed, turned her head away to avoid his hand, and said, "What are you doing, in public?"
Shang Kun knew what was bothering her, and he also knew that if he didn't help her out of it soon, she might act silly all day. Actually, he enjoyed seeing her act silly; it was a rare treat. But not today; they had a lot of things to do. So he said, "The thing I discussed with President Bao yesterday, I originally wanted to discuss with you properly last night, but..."
Before he could finish speaking, Lin Weiping's face flushed red, her eyes darting around. Shang Kun immediately understood what she was thinking and quickly said with a smile, "Let's get down to business, let's get down to business, don't overthink it. It's like this, yesterday on my way from the airport, I heard that manager mention that your previous company refused to acknowledge you as the general agent. And you didn't talk to me on the way, so I thought of a few solutions. I didn't expect to run into this matter with General Manager Bao, so I just went with the flow. I was thinking, the funds we have combined are already quite substantial. If Xiao Liang is interested, we can raise some from her through a loan. But the most important thing is to find other social capital, like the approach you took with that company in Tianjin that you've already worked with. I can offer 50 million. You see, is that enough to meet the working capital needs of General Manager Bao's company?"
Getting down to business, Lin Weiping finally recovered from the embarrassment he'd felt since waking up. He lowered his head to consider for a moment, then said, "My company has about ten million in its own funds. We're not confident about Xiao Liang's yet, so let's not consider her for now. Getting forty million from Tianjin shouldn't be a problem, so that should bring the total to about one hundred million. But that's the initial figure; there should be room for further development. Besides, it's not their off-season yet, so they won't have inventory. Their suppliers are nearby, and from what I understand, their working capital can basically be turned over twice a month. So, we can treat our one hundred million as two hundred million. In seven or eight months, when the off-season arrives, I think we should be able to secure bank funding. I'm not worried about the funding." Seeing that Shang Kun hadn't answered for a long time, he looked up and asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Shang Kun laughed and said, "I was thinking about what kind of money tree I've unearthed—ten million! That's your own capital now! It took me so many days to reach that amount back then, but you got it in less than a year. Alright, from now on I'll hand over all the money to you and I won't have to worry about it anymore."
Lin Weiping said, "Don't flatter me. I couldn't have come up with what you said to Boss Bao last night, at least not on the spot, and you came up with it so perfectly. How did you come up with the idea of processing with supplied materials? You've set this as the theme, and now that he needs your help, it's hard to overturn it. As long as the domestic economy doesn't experience major setbacks and material prices rise steadily, we can make a good profit. But even if they don't rise, it won't be a big problem. The most important thing is that once the processing fee is set, there won't be any major conflicts between us in the future. It's much easier to operate than investing money to buy goods. When I heard it last night, it was a revelation. I was amazed. How did you come up with that?"
Shang Kun laughed and said, "No, I meant I was really impressed. I should check my leg later to see if you've left any bruises. Don't praise me too much. What I was most worried about yesterday was funding. I made a promise, but I was still very unsure about the funding. You've dispelled my concerns with just a few words today. I'll go check out their scale today and have a good talk with them. If it works out, it looks like we'll be coming here more often in the future."
Lin Weiping nodded and said, "So I think we should find someone to help me manage the Triumph project. Looking at Fang now, he is indeed worth considering. But let's observe him for a while longer. I think he's a bit hesitant now that he's facing a situation where he has no rice to cook. Let him hesitate for a few more days, and then I'll give him a heads-up. That way, things will go more smoothly. If we call him over, we can put him in charge of the bidding. He should be good at sales."
Shang Kun suddenly laughed, "This guy has at least one bad point. His eyes look very strange when he looks at you, like he's having impure thoughts. But it's okay, of course you won't pay any attention to him." Shang Kun wasn't unaware that his age was his biggest flaw. He was quite petty when he saw Fang Ye, but seeing how easily Lin Weiping spoke to Fang Ye, clearly not considering Fang Ye as a potential partner, he felt somewhat relieved. Of course, he wouldn't tell Lin Weiping any of this. Otherwise, since he was already so submissive to her, if she knew how nervous he was, wouldn't he have to live with his tail between his legs from now on?
Lin Weiping glanced at him and said, "You're still talking about this now?"
Upon hearing this, Shang Kun laughed heartily, helped Lin Weiping up, and said, "Let's go, they'll be here to pick us up soon." He then leaned down and whispered, "That's right, why should I care about anything else now?" As he spoke, he pulled Lin Weiping tightly into his arms, not caring what the passersby thought.
Lin Weiping blushed even more at his words, spitting at him with a disdainful look before ignoring him. He instinctively felt he was going crazy, and that Shang Kun was crazy too—both were quite old, yet their actions were incredibly inconsiderate. If the discussion at the dinner table hadn't been somewhat on track, Lin Weiping would have immediately called Boss Bao, feigning illness, and locked himself away for a day before seeing anyone.
Strangely, two cars arrived to pick up Lin Weiping: one was a Hongqi, the car the sales manager often used, and the other was a gleaming dark gray BMW sports car. Upon seeing Lin Weiping, the manager said, "General Manager Bao said that since you'll be a frequent visitor, this car is yours to use. Would you like to give it a try, General Manager Lin?"
Although Lin Weiping was a little taken aback, he still took the keys and beckoned Shang Kun to come and sit with him. Following the car in front, they sped off, and at an intersection, Lin Weiping laughed, "I'm so proud of myself! My lifelong dream has always been to hook up with a rich guy, become a beautiful mistress, and drive a sports car he bought me. And now, all my dreams have come true! If people look in through the car window, they'll definitely understand—this girl's taking her rich boyfriend for a spin. But they'll probably also be thinking, 'This rich guy has no taste; his mistress isn't even that pretty. His taste is just as bad as Prince Charles's.'"
Shang Kun laughed and said, "This car has good performance. Try accelerating it later. If you like it, you can buy one to play with when you get home."
As soon as the light turned green, Lin Weiping dashed off, not forgetting to add, "No, if I'm going to buy one, I'll buy a big, imposing SUV. I can look down on everyone at traffic lights, how impressive! By the way, yesterday they gave us a suite, this car is the second goodwill gesture, right? Do you think they'll have more goodwill gestures waiting for us? I'm greedy for bargains."
Shang Kun couldn't help but pat her hair and laugh, "You're so shrewd sometimes that I fall for your tricks, and other times you're so carefree like a little fool. You should know what kind of person Boss Bao is. Actually, we're all the same; we don't do anything without profit. We don't need to cooperate with him long-term. To him, we're just providing him with a lot of financing to solve his difficulties. Wouldn't he be incredibly grateful? To put it another way, if he were to raise 100 million RMB himself, how much would his monthly financial expenses be? Not to mention, the money he spends on bribing officials for financing is more than enough for you to buy this car in a year. Besides, this car is just for you to drive; it's not in your name. If the cooperation ends, would you have the nerve to refuse to return it? But then again, he's quite shrewd; at least he makes you happy. If you're happy, I'm happy, which is very beneficial to him. I guess this will end here for now. I think he'll definitely show some more when the first batch of materials comes in."
Lin Weiping nodded in agreement. She had considered these things as well, but it felt good to have someone to discuss them with, as it seemed to increase the degree of certainty.
The three of them spent the entire day locked in the office discussing the upcoming cooperation. Shang Kun and General Manager Bao outlined the general operational direction, while Lin Weiping meticulously detailed each point. By 3 PM, the entire document was ready and printed out using the printer in General Manager Bao's room. Both parties then signed and stamped the document.
After receiving the agreement, Boss Bao stretched and said, "Looking at you two as a couple, I'm really envious, unlike my wife who only knows how to go to beauty salons."