President Sun, who was still half-asleep, saw that Xue Kangning was calling him in the middle of the night and immediately thought of the threatening letter he had received that afternoon.
He sighed, rejected the call, and sent a text message back.
"Who are you? I'm sleeping, don't disturb my rest!"
Xue Kangning frowned.
It was one thing if he hadn't saved a good friend's number, but surely his good friend wouldn't have his number saved either?
Still unwilling to give up, Xue Kangning replied to the text: "President Sun, I am Xue Kangning. Didn't you and Feng Zhongyi treat my illness earlier?"
"No, you must have the wrong person. If you're not feeling well, come register for an appointment tomorrow. It's very late, stop texting me."
Looking at this categorical answer, Xue Kangning was somewhat angry.
"Good one, Xue Er. You actually teamed up with Rouer to trick me. I thought that even if you were useless, you were at least honest. I never expected—I never expected that your family is truly..."
The more he spoke, the angrier Xue Kangning became. He clenched his fists fiercely, clutching his chest, feeling deeply grieved.
It was one thing for his children to be useless, but how could they plot against their own biological father?
What Xue Kangning didn't know was that after sending that message, President Sun let out a long sigh, walked out to the balcony to catch some cold wind for a while, and returned with his face covered in tears of age.
His wife heard the commotion, opened her eyes, and upon seeing her husband in this state, could only embrace him with a heart full of anguish.
"I know you and old Xue are good friends of many years, but you must not soften your heart on this matter! We only have one grandson; if something were to happen to him, how miserable would we be for the rest of our lives!"
"I know. It just hurts my heart. I don't know what kind of person old Xue has offended, or why things suddenly turned out like this." President Sun sighed, wiped away his tears, and coaxed his wife back to sleep.
Yet he himself stayed awake the entire night, kept awake by the guilt of lying...
Chapter 29: I'm Here to Discuss Cooperation with Shangxue Company
The next day, the storm-tossed Xue family finally ushered in a piece of good news.
Zhao Tai came to visit as a guest, which was essentially a formal confirmation of the relationship between the two families.
Seeing his granddaughter find such a catch of a son-in-law, Xue Kangning was naturally overjoyed and treated him to all sorts of fine dishes and wine.
Although Xue Rou's family felt aggrieved inside, they could only force smiles, not daring to show any dissatisfaction.
During lunch, the butler walked in and reported, "Sir, Dazzling Group is here to visit!"
At these words, Xue Kangning's face showed utter astonishment.
Dazzling Group was a one-of-a-kind existence throughout Jinling.
Who wouldn't want to cooperate with them?
Yet this company had always been extremely aloof and rarely looked down upon local Jinling enterprises. Not to mention visiting someone else's home, even trying to schedule a meeting with them was as difficult as ascending to heaven.
And this time, Dazzling Group had actually come in person—this truly flattered him beyond measure.
However, a scene that dropped everyone's jaws even further occurred.
The person Dazzling Group sent this time was not an ordinary employee, but the chairperson of Dazzling Group herself—Shi Yuzhu.
Shi Yuzhu was the same age as Xue Aohan, but their status and standing were worlds apart.
Shi Yuzhu was truly born with a silver spoon in her mouth, and her abilities were exceptionally outstanding. Despite her young age, she could stand entirely on her own. Let alone Jinling, even looking across the entire provincial capital, few such brilliant businesspeople could be found.
Regarding Shi Yuzhu's personal visit, even her secretary was somewhat baffled.
"Chairperson, is this your most important itinerary today?"
She had to know that in the schedule she had arranged in advance, Shi Yuzhu was supposed to go to the Jinling Directorate Office today to discuss the real estate investment project for the second half of the year with him.
Yet Shi Yuzhu had temporarily postponed this matter, claiming there was something more pressing to attend to.
As a result, the more important matter Shi Yuzhu spoke of was actually visiting such a third-rate family, and even showing up uninvited, so much so that the Xue family took a long time to come out and welcome them.
This was simply not fitting for Shi Yuzhu's status!
"You think it's unexpected? I'm even more unexpected than you. But since I'm taking someone's money to help them resolve a crisis, I'm just following orders." Shi Yuzhu smiled helplessly.
The secretary was greatly startled.
Who on earth was capable enough to actually command the proud eldest daughter of the Shi family?
The person who gave the order to Shi Yuzhu was none other than the person in charge of the Jinling branch of the Tiger Dynasty.
Early this morning, Shi Yuzhu had received a phone call from the head of the Jinling branch of the Tiger Dynasty. The other party had berated her severely, blaming her for handling matters poorly and failing to immediately establish cooperation with Shangxue Company as previously instructed.
Although Shi Yuzhu had a fiery temper, constrained by the status of the Tiger Dynasty Jinling branch head, she could only stutter and mumble that it had indeed been her oversight earlier, and she would find time later to sign the contract with the other party.
Who would have thought that upon hearing this, the head of the Tiger Dynasty Jinling branch not only failed to calm down, but grew even more furious, issuing a final ultimatum.
If cooperation with the Xue family's Shangxue Company was not established before one o'clock this afternoon, she needn't remain chairperson anymore, and the Shi family could forget about getting a single share of all Tiger Dynasty resources in the future!
One must know that the head of the Tiger Dynasty Jinling branch had a very good private relationship with Shi Yuzhu.
Although the two were indeed in a superior-subordinate relationship, the other party had never spoken harshly to Shi Yuzhu—only today had he flown into a rage.
Shi Yuzhu realized the severity of the situation and did not dare to delay in the slightest. She went so far as to cancel her appointment with the Jinling Director and brought the contract here in person.
While the two were talking, Xue Kangning had already hurried forward to greet them.
"Please come in, President Shi!"
Despite such a wide gap in seniority, Xue Kangning had to humble himself and fawn over her, which showed just how high Shi Yuzhu's status was.
Shi Yuzhu let out an "hmm" and walked into the Xue family residence with an arrogant posture.
Before this young woman, not a single member of the Xue family dared to breathe loudly.
Everyone wore a cautious and timid expression; even Zhao Tai rarely lowered his head.
Although the Zhao family was a wealthy family in Jinling, Dazzling Group was a massive enterprise spanning the provincial capital. To even speak a word before Shi Yuzhu, his grandfather would have to step forward.
After everyone sat down, before Xue Kangning could ask again, Shi Yuzhu directly and neatly stated the purpose of her visit.
"Elder Xue, I heard that the chips manufactured by your Xue family over the past two years are of a very high standard. Coincidentally, our group is expanding its production capacity for smart products recently and is in great need of capable partners."
"I hope to reach a cooperation with you and form a long-term supply relationship. I wonder if that's possible?"
To Xue Kangning, this news was like a pie falling from the sky, almost stunning him into dizziness. His mouth opened and closed, and he was so excited he couldn't speak for a long time.
If the Xue family could reach a cooperation with Dazzling Group and secure a long-term supply contract, within five years at most, the Xue family would leap from a third-rate family to a first-rate family in Jinling!
Upon hearing this news, Xue Rou's family of three could not stop sighing.
Both Shangxue Company and Hongxue Company had chip production projects.
In comparison, Hongxue Company was larger in scale and possessed more production lines, so even if Dazzling Group actively sought cooperation, Xue Kangning would certainly allocate the lion's share to Hongxue Company. Shangxue Company getting some leftover scraps to drink would already be considered decent.
Not to mention, Dazzling Group had ties with the Zhao family.
Shi Yuzhu coming in person this time was probably just doing the Zhao family a favor, and had nothing to do with Shangxue Company.
Not only Xue Rou's family of three thought this way, but Xue Yi and the others all thought so as well.
Zhao Tai assumed this had been arranged by Zhao Chenggong precisely to make him look more impressive in front of his girlfriend's family. Therefore, he held his head high, straightened his suit, sat even more rigidly, and wore an immensely proud look throughout.
Xue Aohan was also extremely excited.
With a look of anticipation, she hooked her arm through Zhao Tai's, equally beaming with joy, and assumed a submissive, bird-like posture.
"Brother Tai, this gift of yours is truly too precious! You actually managed to call over Shi Yuzhu—amazing!"
"Heh, this must have been arranged by my grandfather. After all, he's very satisfied with you as his granddaughter-in-law," Zhao Tai said with an ambiguous smile.
"Don't just keep talking to me. Later, find a way to perform well in front of Shi Yuzhu. Relying on my grandfather's face isn't a long-term solution after all. Establishing a relationship with her yourself will be more beneficial for your company's development."
Under Zhao Tai's guidance, Xue Aohan nodded and approached Shi Yuzhu with a flattering expression.
Knowing that this matter was thanks to Zhao Tai, Xue Kangning shifted aside slightly, preparing to hand this business deal over to Xue Aohan to negotiate.
Seeing this posture, Xue Yi and his wife were so happy they were practically flying.
If this cooperation could genuinely be achieved, then their daughter inheriting the Xue family's assets would basically be a settled matter.
By then, regardless of whether the old master was dead or alive, the heads of the Xue family would be them.
Xue Rou's family, however, was incomparably disappointed.
It looked like there would no longer be any place for them to stand in the Xue family from now on.
"President Shi, this is my eldest granddaughter, Xue Aohan. She is in sole charge of Hongxue Company. You can discuss the cooperation directly with her; she is very clear on all matters concerning the company."
Xue Kangning had paved the way for Xue Aohan, hoping she would seize this opportunity to make a great display of her abilities and carve out a reputation for herself in Jinling.
Yet the moment his voice fell, the smile on Shi Yuzhu's face faded by more than half.
"Elder Xue, I think you've made a mistake."
"I am not here to seek cooperation with Hongxue Company; I am here to discuss cooperation with Shangxue Company."
Chapter 30: Miss Xue Rou Has Great Taste
These words exploded in the Xue family like a sudden clap of thunder, stunning everyone completely dumb.
"Wh... whose company?!" Xue Kangning was dumbfounded, as if he had misheard.
"The chairperson of Shangxue Company should be named Xue Rou, right? I came here for her!"
When Shi Yuzhu said this, she felt a bit trepidatious inside, terrified that she might have remembered incorrectly.
After the head of the Tiger Dynasty Jinling branch had cursed her out thoroughly, he had repeatedly warned her that these two companies were managed by two different people, and told her absolutely not to mix them up.
If she signed the wrong one, the Shi family would suffer a terrible disaster.
Faced with such pressure, even Shi Yuzhu, who was always poised and unfazed, had to muster twelve thousand points of spirit and be on strict alert, terrified of making the slightest mistake.
Hearing Shi Yuzhu lightly utter her own name, Xue Rou was like someone struck by an immobilization spell, freezing in place for a long time without regaining her senses.
Finally, it was an excited Shen Yue who gave her a push, jolting Xue Rou awake as if from a dream. She hurried forward to Shi Yuzhu.
"President Shi, he—hello, I am Xue Rou, the person in charge of Shangxue Company!"
"Our company recently happens to have a few production lines freed up, which can just take on this order. I just don't know what your specific shipping volume requirements are?"
"So you are Xue Rou. Truly a natural beauty. As it happens, I was still worried your company might be too busy to take orders in the short term."
After some polite pleasantries, Shi Yuzhu immediately handed the contract in her hand to Xue Rou.
"Shipping isn't urgent, after all, some of our smart products are still in the research and development stage, but I want to lock down several of your production lines for ongoing production and shipping."
"Take a look. If you feel anything is inconvenient, you can bring it up, and I can make revisions later."
Shi Yuzhu's words once again caused everyone's jaws to drop.
One had to know that major companies like Dazzling Group were quite aggressive and not so easy to talk to.
Yet this time, Shi Yuzhu's tone was not only extremely gentle, but her phrasing even carried a sense of consultation, giving Xue Rou a great deal of autonomy.
Xue Rou glanced at the contract, and her heart almost jumped into her throat.
"A ten-year long-term contract, with a first-year shipping volume of no less than fifty million units—go... good heavens..."
"Let me see!"
Hearing Xue Rou read out the contents of the contract, Xue Aohan rushed over like a madwoman, snatched the contract away, and after seeing the contents clearly, her eyes turned red with anxiety.
A shipping volume of no less than fifty million units meant that the profit after taking this order would be no less than one billion!
Even though Hongxue Company had secured several orders recently with Zhao Tai's assistance, their combined profits didn't exceed three hundred million.
Yet a casual order thrown out by Dazzling Group could yield a profit of one billion.
And that was every single year!
A ten-year long-term contract!
How much profit could Shangxue Company reap from this?
It was simply unimaginable!
"President Shi, did you make a mistake? Our Hongxue Group has a much greater advantage in production lines! Both our shipping volume and shipping quality are much better than Shangxue Company's!"
Xue Aohan gripped the contract tightly, refusing to let go, even shoving Xue Rou aside. She communicated with Shi Yuzhu with an eager expression, hoping to snatch this business deal over.
Zhao Tai also came over to help, dragging Zhao Chenggong into the matter as well.
"Miss Shi, you should recognize me, I'm Zhao Tai."
"I assume it must have been my grandfather, Zhao Chenggong, who sent you here, right? This Xue Aohan is my fiancée, so this contract..."
Shi Yuzhu glanced at Zhao Tai out of the corner of her eye, reached out with some displeasure to pull the contract out of Xue Aohan's tight grip, and said coldly, "Mr. Zhao, business is business. Please address me as President Shi. Although your grandfather and I have a bit of friendship, one thing is one thing."
"For this cooperation, I came specifically to find Xue Rou to do it, and it has not a single cent of relation to your Zhao family."
These words undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to Zhao Tai's face, causing it to flush crimson, unable to squeeze out a single word for a long time.
After finishing, Shi Yuzhu handed the contract back to Xue Rou and smiled, saying, "Although our order isn't urgent, signing early means producing early. If you look over the contract and have no problems, please sign it."
"The contract funds are already prepared and will be transferred to your account in three installments. The first payment will be made immediately after signing."
"If you have any dissatisfaction regarding the payment terms, you can also bring them up, and I will modify them accordingly."
In front of Xue Rou, Shi Yuzhu always maintained a pleasant demeanor, completely different from her attitude toward everyone else—even Xue Kangning's treatment fell far short of Xue Rou's.
Although Xue Kangning had amnesia, he wasn't demented.
He immediately sensed something was wrong and chimed in to ask, "President Shi, it's an honor to reach a cooperation with you, but I'd like to ask, why did you choose Shangxue Company?"
Shi Yuzhu smiled and replied, "Because Miss Xue Rou has great taste and has a very excellent friend."
"My investor has quite a friendship with Miss Xue Rou's friend, which is why they repeatedly exhorted me to make sure this order was handed over to Miss Xue Rou."
Shi Yuzhu spoke half-truths. In fact, she didn't know much about who the big shot behind the head of the Tiger Dynasty Jinling branch really was; she only knew the other party was named Su Hao, and nothing else.
After all, some things were simply not her place to inquire about.
"Rouer's friend?!"
Xue Kangning grew even more puzzled.
Qian Duoduo hadn't even come to propose marriage yet; where did Xue Rou get such a friend?
Seeing the Xue family's reaction, Shi Yuzhu also found it extremely strange.
Regarding Su Hao, she really didn't dare to say much, and could only urge Xue Rou to sign the contract quickly.
Vaguely sensing that this matter might be related to Su Hao, yet unsure, Xue Rou had a sudden change of thought—it was also very likely that her mother's maiden family had exerted influence—so she finally signed her name with peace of mind.
Shen Yue, however, knew that this matter had nothing to do with the Shen family.
She had indeed contacted her eldest brother earlier, hoping to get an order from Dazzling Group to make up for the loss of losing President Wu as a business partner.
But the contract her eldest brother had helped negotiate back then was only worth twenty million—how could it possibly compare to this project with a profit of one billion alone?
Shen Yue knew this, and Zhao Tai, who had meddled and tried to sabotage this deal, also knew this. Thus, both of them held the exact same doubt in their hearts at this moment.
Xue Kangning didn't overthink it either. Anyway, as long as whichever company secured the deal ultimately benefited the Xue family, it was fine.
Conversely, looking at Xue Yi and Zhu Bi, the two of them were practically on the verge of a breakdown at this moment.
Xue Aohan was even more furious to the point of fainting.
She had never signed such a massive order before, and kept tugging at Zhao Tai, acting spoiled and hoping he could turn the tide.
Yet Zhao Tai was utterly powerless. Shi Yuzhu gave him zero face; how could he possibly have enough clout to demand the order back for Xue Aohan?
After both parties signed the contract, everything was settled.
Shi Yuzhu let out a breath of relief, took out her phone, took a picture, and sent it to the head of the Tiger Dynasty Jinling branch.
The head of the Tiger Dynasty Jinling branch was quite satisfied upon receiving the message, and admonished Shi Yuzhu not to talk too much about this matter, and especially not to leak Su Hao's name, otherwise there would be endless trouble.
Shi Yuzhu obeyed sensibly and left with the signed contract.
Dazzling Group came in a hurry and left in a hurry, leaving behind nothing except a contract like a pie falling from the sky.
Although this matter left the Xue family somewhat baffled, for Xue Rou, it was truly a fantastic piece of good news.
She eagerly pulled out her phone and shared the news with Su Hao.
Outwardly, Su Hao congratulated Xue Rou, while secretly giving Lin Langtian a mental thumbs-up.
This kid... finally reliable for once!
Chapter 31: Money Makes the Mare Go
The news of Dazzling Group and Shangxue Company signing a contract kept Xue Er excited for a solid afternoon.
"Wife, shall we go visit the eldest brother-in-law tomorrow?"
"What gift do you think we should prepare? He's just too awesome, helping our family land such a massive deal in one go!"
"Visit what visit."
Shen Yue rolled her eyes in annoyance and said with the expression of looking at a fool, "If my older brother really had that kind of ability, the Shen family would have soared to prosperity long ago."
"Not to mention my older brother, even if my grandfather crawled out of his coffin to personally negotiate with Dazzling Group, he couldn't have negotiated such a huge deal."
Hearing what his wife said, Xue Er scratched his head, feeling somewhat amused and exasperated.
"What kind of talk is that? If the eldest brother-in-law hadn't exerted his influence, why would Shi Yuzhu have come in person today?"
Shen Yue snorted, "Are you truly stupid or just pretending? Who are the friends around your daughter?"