Yu Zhou did not bring his wife this time.
It was a business dinner, and bringing his wife would have made him seem stingy.
Moreover, even if there was some unspoken secret between Song Qing and him this time, they hadn't reached that stage yet.
Having them meet at this point would definitely not be a good thing.
After all, Jiang Jie had almost fainted from fright when Yu Zhou was previously kidnapped.
If something else happened now, and it stimulated her again, Yu Zhou didn't know if Jiang Jie could handle it.
When Yu Zhou arrived at the Yangtze River Hotel with Tang Long, he saw Song Qing already seated there.
However, Song Qing's uncle, whom she had mentioned on the phone, had not yet appeared.
This made Yu Zhou a little taken aback. Didn't they say they were inviting him to dinner? Besides Song Qing, did everyone else in the Song family look down on him? Were they even late for dinner?
This was not Yu Zhou being petty; it was because he held the initiative in this matter.
If they were going to put on airs even for such a small thing, then he would have to seriously consider whether he really wanted to cooperate with the Song family.
"My uncle had a last-minute issue, so he'll be a bit late. What do you think? You won't feel like our Song family is being insincere because of this, will you?"
Without even looking at Yu Zhou's expression, Song Qing stepped forward immediately and began to explain.
Alright, if she hadn't explained, even if there really was a last-minute issue, Yu Zhou would probably have felt a little displeased.
After all, a genuine issue was entirely different from a matter of attitude.
In this situation, Song Qing's immediate explanation showed that they still considered him and the Song family to be on an equal footing for cooperation. Wasn't this exactly the attitude Yu Zhou desired?
Therefore, even though Tang Long behind him frowned, Yu Zhou remained calm and composed.
He stepped forward with a smile and said, "With our relationship, there's no need to be so polite."
"Since there's something, we'll wait!"
"Have the dishes been ordered? We'll start eating when your uncle arrives."
It was clear that because of Song Qing's words, Yu Zhou, despite still feeling a bit uncomfortable, was no longer planning to dwell on it.
"They were ordered long ago. We were planning to start when you arrived."
"My uncle was also waiting here, but he had to leave temporarily due to some urgent business."
Song Qing seemed to want to explain further, but these words were indeed very pleasing to Yu Zhou.
Even if he knew that whether this was true or false was impossible to verify, at least Song Qing was representing the Song family now, and her attitude was very good.
What did this signify? It meant that there was still potential for future cooperation between them. For Yu Zhou, this alone was enough.
In his eyes, as long as they weren't condescending, acting as if cooperating with him was a favor, or treating him as their puppet, then it was fine.
The foundation of cooperation, for Yu Zhou, had always been built on equality. Even when he cooperated with Qin Siyue before, he had maintained his principles.
Now, Song Qing's repeated explanations were certainly not due to their personal relationship. Therefore, by the time she explained for the second time, Yu Zhou had already begun to believe her to some extent.
"Alright then! Actually, I also have something I want to ask you about this time."
"Before we officially discuss cooperation, we can chat about this matter."
Yu Zhou smiled and sat down without any pretense, directly picking up the teapot in front of him and pouring himself some tea.
He was still very confused as to why the Song family had suddenly become so cautious.
Although he had hinted at it before, both Song Qing and the Song family had seemed very enthusiastic about cooperating with him.
Suddenly, after not being in contact for a long time, who wouldn't feel uneasy?
After all, this 10% of the shares was not unwanted.
If he, Yu Zhou, released the news, it was predictable that countless people would rush forward with their money.
"We actually came to find you for dinner precisely because of this reason."
"In fact, if it were truly for the good of the Song family, we shouldn't have told you this news."
"However, given our relationship and the Song family's desire to make a choice, we ultimately decided to acquire the shares of 'San Pi Ma' company and to inform you."
Finally, Song Qing, whose expression was not very good, revealed the true reason.
This matter might seem insignificant, but if one thought about it carefully, many situations would gradually unfold.
Their period of not contacting Yu Zhou's 'San Pi Ma' company also had its reasons.
If they hadn't weighed the pros and cons, perhaps they still wouldn't have been able to make a decision even now.
After all, Song Qing had always given Yu Zhou the impression of being professional and separating personal matters from business.
Even if she had fallen for him, in business, she would not make decisions that only favored Yu Zhou because of her feelings.
Because she knew very well that only by separating personal and business matters could they then talk about personal feelings.
Moreover, putting aside the fact that she liked Yu Zhou, they were still good friends.
It was normal for friends to help each other, as long as it didn't harm their own interests.
But if business matters were mixed with personal feelings, then all their underlying businesses would be affected.
After all,
As merchants, the greatest taboo was emotionality, especially excessive emotionality.
"I know there must be a reason, but I just don't know what it is."
"The fact that you can tell me now, after weighing your options, leads me to believe this matter is absolutely significant."
Yu Zhou was indeed quite shocked by Song Qing's words.
In his eyes, the Song family would never do such a thing unless the situation was so serious that it was difficult to resolve.
After all, the Song family in Jiangbei, if not a super powerhouse, was close to it.
It was not that no one dared to provoke anyone in Jiangbei, but there were definitely not many who dared to provoke a company belonging to such a vast commercial family.
Wasn't it precisely because Yu Zhou valued the Song family's connections and scale in Jiangbei that he offered 10% of the shares, seeking further development?
"Yes, this time, our Song family was truly compelled by circumstances."
"I'll tell you the whole story!"
Song Qing also poured herself a cup of tea and said slowly.