"Who are you?"
It took Yu Lingxiao a while to react, and he was deeply displeased by the middle-aged man's presumption. The middle-aged man chuckled, "You don't need to know who I am. I'm just telling you about something."
"Then don't forget, Gou Chen Group has a dual-class share structure. Although the number of shares I hold is less than yours, I have decision-making power," Yu Lingxiao said, extremely dissatisfied with this mysterious businessman. He felt this was an internal Yu family matter and none of his business.
The mysterious businessman smiled faintly, "Old Master Yu, I hope you still remember that Yu Meng holds 20% of the shares. If I offer a high price to buy more than 2% of her shares, then my share proportion will exceed 51%, giving me veto power."
Yu Lingxiao's pupils contracted, and a chilling aura emanated from him. When Gou Chen Group was initially founded, he never imagined it would grow and prosper. Compared to the trillions commercial empire built by the Yu family, it was only a marginal entity. It was primarily established to win over the Su family and nurture the younger generation, which was why Yu Lingxiao so readily gave 20% of the shares to Yu Meng. The current situation had spiraled out of Yu Lingxiao's control.
The mysterious businessman continued, "Of course, I'm just a businessman, only wanting to do business and make money. If I've offended you in any way, I hope you'll forgive me, Old Master."
*Beep—*
Yu Lingxiao unceremoniously hung up the phone. He desperately wanted to know the origin of this mysterious businessman. Su Chengmin's suicide must have had his shadow behind it, yet he managed to operate without being caught by higher authorities. What made Yu Lingxiao even more uncomfortable was that the other party controlled 49% of the shares. What should he do? Yu Lingxiao pondered desperately for a solution but found no way out.
Unconsciously, a day passed. As the sun set, the evening glow filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing Yu Lingxiao, startling him. "I'm getting old; time seems to slip away even faster," he sighed. His day of deep thought had only resulted in hunger; there was no other gain. For the first time, Yu Lingxiao felt his age. "Yu Meng, Yu Meng, you were once my most beloved granddaughter. Why have we ended up as enemies? Marrying Qin Fengwu would have been good for you and the Qin family. Why don't you understand the difficulties of an elder?"
After a bout of self-talk, Yu Lingxiao called Yu Huaiqing to inquire about the group's status. Upon learning that the group's employees had been on strike for a day, with the situation escalating, Yu Lingxiao remained silent for a long time before saying, "Huaiqing, you personally go and apologize to your sister face-to-face and ask her to return to take charge."
"What?! Grandfather, you want me to apologize to her?" Yu Huaiqing felt his ears were playing tricks on him. How could this be? After only one day, they couldn't hold on anymore? Moreover, with this concession, Yu Meng would surely become even more demanding in the future.
Yu Lingxiao didn't want to hear Yu Huaiqing's nonsense. With a placid expression, he said, "If you can resolve the strike issue by the end of today, then you won't have to apologize to Meng Zhi. You decide."
*Beep—*
Yu Huaiqing said a few more words, but Yu Lingxiao had already hung up the phone. On the other end, Yu Huaiqing instantly deflated. Currently, Yu Meng was looked down upon by the entire family. Asking him to bow his head and apologize to Yu Meng would be seeking trouble. In extreme distress, Yu Huaiqing had to call his father, Yu Zhengzhi. Yu Zhengzhi advised Yu Huaiqing to handle the matter immediately, suggesting that if he did it perfectly, his grandfather might pay more attention to him.
"Dad, what do you mean?" Yu Huaiqing was very confused. Yu Zhengzhi broke down the situation, instructing and analyzing as he went, "The reason Old Master is lowering himself is undoubtedly due to an irresistible force, not solely your fault. And Old Master is the pillar of the family; he absolutely cannot bow to Yu Meng, otherwise Yu Meng's influence will grow even stronger. If you can help Old Master out of this predicament now, you will surely be highly valued by him."
"In short, you must handle this perfectly."
"Do you understand?"
Yu Huaiqing's eyes lit up with excitement, "Dad, I understand now."
"Good, I'll await your good news."
After hanging up the phone, Yu Huaiqing, without time to pack, urgently called Yu Mengzhi. However, Yu Mengzhi's phone was turned off, and he couldn't get through, making Yu Huaiqing extremely agitated.
At that moment, Chen Jin Chao had spent the day with Yu Mengzhi at a scenic spot in Ninghai City. Both were somewhat tired. Although Yu Mengzhi was happy, she felt a bit embarrassed to face Chen Jin Chao, as he had paid for everything throughout the day, and he himself didn't have much money. So, at dinner time, Yu Mengzhi rejected Chen Jin Chao's suggestion to eat out and instead asked him to accompany her to the market to buy ingredients and cook at home. It was economical and delicious, so why not?
At the entrance of the residential complex, Yu Huaiqing had waited for two full hours before finally spotting Yu Mengzhi. His face lit up with joy, and he hurried to meet her. "Meng Zhi, haven't you eaten yet?" Yu Huaiqing felt his opportunity had arrived. Before Yu Mengzhi could reply, Yu Huaiqing volunteered, "How about I treat you to a Western meal? There are some things I want to discuss with you alone, and it's not convenient with an outsider present."
Chen Jin Chao's ears twitched. He said to Yu Mengzhi, "You two chat, I'll go home and cook." Yu Mengzhi grabbed Chen Jin Chao's arm, preventing him from leaving. He could only stand there obediently. Seeing this, Yu Huaiqing's eyebrows raised. Before he could speak, Yu Mengzhi coldly said, "If you have something to say, say it here. Chen Jin Chao is my boyfriend, not an outsider. In fact, compared to the Yu family, I'm more like the outsider." This remark left Yu Huaiqing speechless.
However, Yu Huaiqing quickly recovered, scratched his head, and said to Yu Mengzhi and Chen Jin Chao, "Yes, yes, yes, I spoke without thinking just now. Please forgive me if I offended you in any way."
"Brother-in-law, look at my mouth, I apologize to you." This time, it was Yu Mengzhi's turn to be stunned. The title "brother-in-law" left her flustered, and she thought to herself how thick-skinned Yu Huaiqing was. Chen Jin Chao glanced at Yu Huaiqing with a bit more regard. The latter proactively offered to help them, fully embodying his role as a subordinate. Just as Yu Mengzhi was about to refuse, Chen Jin Chao readily agreed, much to the surprise of both her and Yu Huaiqing. However, Yu Huaiqing was exceptionally thick-skinned. With a chuckle, he took the plastic bags from Chen Jin Chao and followed behind them like a third wheel.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Yu Mengzhi whispered, questioning Chen Jin Chao. To vent her displeasure, she pinched his arm fiercely, causing Chen Jin Chao to grimace in pain. Seeing this, Yu Mengzhi realized she had used a bit too much force. She quickly released her hand and asked cautiously, "Are you okay? Did I use too much force? I apologize!"
"Don't be angry, okay?"