Chapter 102

Chapter 102

"Mr. Yan," Qin Hua set down his chopsticks and smiled at Yan Jingshan, "Ready to talk business?"

Yan Jingshan also smiled and gestured to the people beside him.

At the dining table, the group stood up in unison and quietly excused themselves.

The large private dining room was now left with only the two of them. Qin Hua was the first to walk toward the tea table nearby.

Yan Jingshan wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin, studying his back with narrowed eyes before finally standing up and following. "How would you like to proceed, Mr. Qin? However, I must apologize—I'm pressed for time today and can only spare another ten minutes. I hope you’ll understand."

Ten minutes?

Qin Hua thought with contempt but got straight to the point. "Recently, I heard you’ve been personally leading Fengda’s financing talks?"

Yan Jingshan countered with a smile, "Isn’t the Qin Group handling Fengda’s financing under your leadership, Mr. Qin?"

Qin Hua lowered his head to pour water, his expression unchanged.

At the company, only minor projects ever made it to his office. The chairman didn’t trust him enough to let him handle truly valuable collaborations.

This time, Fengda Technology, which had developed the latest quantum chip technology, was actively seeking financing, creating ripples in both domestic and foreign financial markets.

The news had only broken this morning, yet by noon, not only were the Qin Group and Junmin involved—as far as he knew, Runxi was also circling like vultures.

It could be said that the commercial value Fengda could bring was extraordinarily high. Permanently falling behind now would mean lagging forever, so the Qin Group absolutely couldn’t afford to miss out.

How could the chairman possibly entrust such an important opportunity to him?

And given his tenuous position in the company, how could he possibly hide it from Yan Jingshan’s keen eyes? Whether this question was posed out of concern or humiliation, he knew the answer all too well.

This was precisely why he had no choice but to seek cooperation with Yan Jingshan.

A greedy beast that's never satisfied—he knew he could never fill its appetite. Worse still, this beast was not only never satisfied but also completely ungrateful.

He had helped Yan Jingshan seize leverage over Yan Tingshen, and in the end, what had Yan Jingshan given him in return?

‘Only another ten minutes to spare’?

Nothing more than a petty man who kicks away the ladder after crossing the river (a metaphor for someone who discards allies once their purpose is served).

"Of course not," Qin Hua replied, lifting his head with a smile. "The chairman is overseeing it personally."

Yan Jingshan glanced at his watch. "Oh?"

Qin Hua knew he was emphasizing his limited time but deliberately slowed his speech. "But who’s handling it doesn’t really matter. What’s most important is—how confident are you about beating out the Runxi Consortium?"

At the mention of that name, Yan Jingshan’s smile tightened slightly. "Runxi may have long-established influence and deep pockets, but their proposal isn’t necessarily what Fengda wants."

Qin Hua chuckled.

The Runxi Consortium had an excellent reputation for its exceptionally generous investments both domestically and abroad, especially for promising projects. They offered the utmost respect to original teams, which formed the foundation of their stellar reputation. In this regard, even if Yan Jingshan was reluctant to admit it, he couldn’t deny the facts.

"The reason I asked to meet today," Qin Hua said, "is precisely about the investment proposal."

"The investment proposal?"

Yan Jingshan couldn’t hide his curiosity. "Do you know Runxi’s proposal, Mr. Qin?"

Qin Hua said, "Not quite."

Investment proposals, especially for such significant financing, are top-level business secrets. It had only been a morning—likely only the relevant top executives at Runxi Group were in the loop. How would he know?

Unrelated to Runxi's proposal, Yan Jingshan lost interest: "So what do you mean, Mr. Qin?"

Qin Hua replied, "I mean we can present a proposal that’s a hundred percent better than Runxi's."

Yan Jingshan looked at him. "Look, Mr. Qin, it’s not that simple in business."

Among the three Qin siblings, the eldest had fallen gravely ill for no apparent reason; the second was partying and shirking responsibilities. As for the third, Qin Hua—Mr. Qin would rather train an incompetent grandson from afar than let his own son into the executive office. That said it all.

The kind of proposal such a person could offer, judging from the "a hundred percent" claim, was bound to be a joke.

Qin Hua naturally caught the sarcasm. "I’m no expert, but I do understand that one plus one equals two."

At this, Yan Jingshan's eyes lit up. "One plus one equals two?"

Qin Hua smiled. "Exactly. Individually, neither of us can compete with Runxi. But if we team up, what can Runxi do?"

Yan Jingshan looked at him closely. "Are you certain you can make this partnership happen, Mr. Qin?"

Qin Hua said, "If I weren’t confident, I wouldn’t have brought it up."

Yan Jingshan's thoughts were spinning.

This was the most critical moment.

Whether it was the CEO's seat or Fengda's financing, he was dead set on getting both.

And securing Fengda would give him his best shot at claiming the CEO position.

But partnering with the Qin Group...

Yan Jingshan scowled.

Yan Tingshen had been ostracized by the old man for seeing a man—Qin You, the Qin Group's general manager.

While the old man rejected Yan Tingshen, Mr. Qin hadn’t taken action against Qin You.

If it came to collaboration, there was no way it’d go to him.

"Rest assured, Mr. Yan," Qin Hua interjected at the right moment. "Qin You won’t interfere in this cooperation. You may not know this, but Qin You has little interest in company affairs. He’s never been keen on business dealings, let alone taking the initiative. Something this important wouldn’t be handed to him for practice. As for that other matter—when it happened, Qin You went about his business as usual, showing no intention of helping."

Yan Jingshan was easily convinced.

Yan Tingshen's troubles hadn’t arisen overnight. As the Qin Group's general manager, Qin You could have assisted in many ways, and Yan Jingshan had long been prepared for it. Yet, after all this time, Qin You did nothing.

Whether it was because he just didn’t care or total uselessness, it played right into his hands.

Still...

Yan Jingshan hesitated. "What if he finds out about this?"

"Then we keep it confidential. It’s your call."

Yan Jingshan gave a knowing smile, "Actually, what if he finds out? Give the opportunity to Yan Tingshen? Even if Qin You were willing to relinquish full control, it would still depend on whether the old man could trust handing over the Qin family to an outsider—especially Yan Tingshen. The old man only put up with Qin You’s relationship with a man because he had no choice, but that doesn’t mean he approves of Yan Tingshen."

Yan Jingshan pondered for a moment before smiling at him, "Let’s keep this under wraps for now. Your proposal carries too much weight, and I must consider it carefully."

Qin Hua kept a straight face, "When can I expect your reply, President Yan?"

Yan Jingshan replied, "I’ll get back to you by four."

"Deal."

Qin Hua glanced at his watch, "Oh? Only five minutes left. If you’re busy with urgent company matters, perhaps you should head back first?"

Yan Jingshan chuckled, "You’re joking, President Qin. There’s nothing urgent. Let’s enjoy the tea."

Qin Hua stayed calm but smirked to himself.

After three rounds of tea, he stopped humoring Yan Jingshan’s stalling and stood to take his leave.

Yan Jingshan escorted him out, narrowing his eyes as he watched him leave before turning to descend the stairs.

His assistant was waiting downstairs, "VP Yan, the scheduled meeting with President Ren of Zhihan is approaching. We need to hurry."

"Give him a call and push it back," Yan Jingshan waved dismissively, "Let’s return to the company first."

The assistant hesitated, "VP Yan, President Ren isn’t exactly jumping at the chance to work with us. If we reschedule, he might get the wrong idea."

Noticing Yan Jingshan’s pause, he added softly, "After all, regarding Zhihan’s cooperation, as you know, if it weren’t for... the incident, that person would have personally overseen it. Preparations were already underway, and the chairman is keeping an eye on it. Any slip-up now would spell trouble."

Yan Jingshan frowned, hesitated for two seconds, then said, "Go tell Ren Hao that I have an urgent matter to attend to."

Without Fengda, he wouldn’t have canceled the meeting.

But next to Fengda’s importance, Zhihan could take a back seat.

Qin Hua’s joint investment proposal had serious potential, and he needed to discuss the next steps with his think tank first.

Besides, Zhihan was just a startup. Being noticed by Junmin was already a stroke of luck. Their previous negotiations had been too self-important—making them sweat a little was only fair.

Securing Fengda would outweigh any fallout from losing Zhihan’s cooperation. It wouldn’t be a dealbreaker.

Seeing his insistence, the assistant stopped persuading and asked, "Got it. Then, when should we reschedule?"

"Tomorrow," Yan Jingshan said.

The assistant glanced at him and nodded, "Got it."

Yan Jingshan turned and got into the car, returning to Junmin to immediately call an emergency meeting.

By 3:30 p.m., he left the conference room satisfied and instructed his executive assistant, "Get the proposal ready. I’m heading to Fuzhong Road."

"Got it," the executive assistant acknowledged before stepping forward with concern, "VP Yan, this afternoon, President Yan seems to be negotiating Fengda’s financing."

At the company, Yan Jingshan was long accustomed to the title.

Hearing this, he frowned at first, then laughed, "Look at that. Has our dear president sunk so low, trying to steal food right off my plate?"

Given Yan Tingshen’s character, he wouldn’t stoop to scavenging unless he was backed into a corner.

It seems that after two days of being besieged on all sides, even Yan Tingshen is about to crack under the pressure. Victory is close at hand.

The Executive Assistant still had some concerns: "But if Yan Tingshen really manages to secure Fengda..."

Yan Jingshan chuckled, "That remains to be seen—if he even has what it takes."

After all, Yan Tingshen is only human.

The difficulties he faced while formulating the plan are the same ones Yan Tingshen would encounter.

What a shame—Yan Tingshen may have Qin You as his lover, but he draws Mr. Qin’s ire, ruling out any joint investment.

As for the battle with Runxi, he’ll leave Yan Tingshen to sink or swim.

Beyond that, not only is the entire Junmin aware of Yan Tingshen’s predicament, even outsiders have gotten wind of it. Their once-resolute and decisive president no longer wields the same influence.

This giant ship is sinking, and he is ready to seize his moment.

He’d like to see just what qualifications the current Yan Tingshen has to compete with him!

The more Yan Jingshan thought about it, the better his mood became. Smiling, he patted the Executive Assistant’s shoulder. "Get that proposal drafted ASAP."

"Yes, sir." The Executive Assistant was about to leave when he remembered something. "Oh, and about Zhihan—should we call them back now?"

Yan Jingshan shook his head. "Pick a few people to host Ren Hao’s team these next few days. Put the contract talks on hold. Our top priority is securing Fengda’s financing. As for Zhihan… we’ll deal with them after this is over."

Junmin is the highest-quality partner Ren Hao could hope for, so he wasn’t worried about losing the deal.

The Executive Assistant nodded. "Understood. I’ll see to it immediately."

After the assistant left, Yan Jingshan sat down at his desk and made a call to Qin Hua.

—

At the same time.

Qin Corporation Building.

After hanging up, Qin Hua stared at his own reflection in the window opposite him and took a deep breath.

He closed his eyes, breathing in the fresh air that tasted like victory, and a slow smile spread across his face.

"Uncle Qin?"

Qin Hua opened his eyes and turned to the young man standing before his desk.

"Did Yan Tingshen agree?"

Qin Hua nodded, walking around the desk toward him with clear approval. "Kang Ming, I’ve told you—since your grandfather has acknowledged you, just call me Uncle from here on out."

Kang Ming lowered his gaze. "Uncle."

"You… you really are your father’s son. You’ve got sharper business instincts than he ever did."

Qin Hua smiled. "This proposal is brilliant. Once your grandfather returns to the company, I’ll make sure he knows it was all you."

Kang Ming smiled gently. "You give me too much credit. This deal was all your doing. I just tossed out an idea."

"No need for modesty."

Qin Hua sighed, "You've been through so much these years, but don't lose heart. Your grandpa and I have your back. Qin You wants no part in the company's affairs, so it will all be yours sooner or later."

"What I have now is more than enough, all thanks to you looking out for me, Uncle."

Kang Ming lowered his eyes again. "Now that the chairman won't see me, you're the only one who's got my back and trusts me like this."

Qin Hua looked at him and suddenly asked, "This morning, Qin You had you come to his office?"

Kang Ming pressed his lips together. "President Qin... wasn't happy with my work."

Qin Hua smiled. "Don't take it to heart. Qin You has always done as he pleases—he wasn’t singling you out."

Kang Ming was silent for a few seconds before replying, "I understand."

After Qin Hua comforted him a little longer, a knock came at the door.

Kang Ming seized the chance to leave.

Qin Hua added a few words of fatherly advice before letting him go.

Kang Ming turned and left, returning to his office. Around 4:30 that afternoon, he received a call, picked up a report, and went up to the executive suite.

Just as he stepped out of the elevator, he saw Qin You coming out of his office. He hurried to meet him.

"President Qin."

On the other side, Qin You merely glanced at him without stopping, continuing forward.

"How did it go?"

Three flat words, as if he weren’t expecting an answer.

Kang Ming had already reached his side. "Done."

Came another terse reply. "Mm."

Walking slightly behind Qin You, Kang Ming instinctively looked over and had to add, "He didn’t suspect anything."

Only then did Qin You glance at him again.

Kang Ming pressed his lips together, his grip on the file tightening unconsciously—he knew he’d overstepped.

"Nice work."

Qin You had already averted his gaze. "Good job."

Kang Ming’s grip loosened slightly.

After a few more steps, he had to ask, "Can I know the reason?"

The news of Fengda's financing—the chairman hadn’t informed him.

After learning it from Qin You, he had carefully considered it but couldn’t find a better solution.

Joint investment, in his view, was indeed the best insurance against Runxi. Giving this plan to Qin Hua and Yan Jingshan felt too risky.

Qin Hua alone could never have dreamed up such a brilliant idea, so why make an enemy out of them?

He didn’t believe Qin You would just hand over this plan out of the goodness of his heart.

Leaving Qin Hua aside, Yan Jingshan and Yan Tingshen are also rivals.

What’s in it for Yan Tingshen to let Qin Hua and Yan Jingshan collaborate?

Qin You simply said, "I can’t tell you just yet."

At that, Kang Ming dropped it.

He looked at Qin You again.

Today, the man seemed like a different person.

Razor-sharp and perceptive, with a thorough understanding of everything, yet before yesterday, he had always appeared indifferent, even carelessly lazy.

But in just one night, today’s Qin You had lost some of his usual smile, now cold and formidable. His eyes gleamed with a commanding intensity, making it hard to meet his gaze directly.

His authority was near-irresistible at times.

Earlier that morning, Qin You had guided him on his tasks and casually suggested he leverage Qin Hua’s trust in him to propose the joint investment plan as if by accident. To his own surprise, Kang Ming agreed almost instantly, regardless of the consequences.

Yet he didn’t regret it.

Oddly, he felt no unease at all.

Despite this radical shift in demeanor, he felt this was the real Qin You.

The Qin You who had seen right through him at their first meeting.

The Qin You he still couldn’t fully understand even now.

It was as if the man had decided overnight to drop the act and return to his true self.

This version of Qin You made him more driven to figure him out.

Right now, what he wanted to know most was—

What exactly had happened last night?

"Mr. Kang?"

Kang Ming jolted back to the present and saw Cui Ling beside him. "Assistant Cui."

Cui Ling shot a glance at Qin You. "Is Mr. Kang attending today’s meeting as well?"

Qin You replied, "Yes."

Cui Ling clammed up immediately.

He followed the two into the conference room, where the others were already seated.

"President Qin." "President Qin."

"..."

As voices greeted him, Cui Ling watched Qin You take his seat at the head of the table.

Then, seeing the hands usually glued to Candy Crush now picking up documents, he felt a thrill.

Qin You opened the folder and, acknowledging him with a nod, said coolly, "Begin."

He had a commanding presence.

Totally the GM vibe.

Cui Ling slowly sat up straight.

Looking at the documents on the table, a mix of excitement and frustration hit him, and his hands trembled.

Finally!

From the start of the workday until now, almost the whole day had gone by. The proposal was about to be finalized, and President Qin was still President Qin—not slipping back into his Prodigal Heir ways...

The joint investment pitch.

President Qin’s first real assignment for him—

He was in a meeting—for real!

And—no way—he wasn’t gaming!

Wait...

This couldn’t just be exhaustion messing with his head, right?