He did not voice his true thoughts, merely observing what opinions the dissenting directors had and allowing them to speak freely.
However, judging by the situation, a final decision could not be reached tonight. He decided to listen to their statements for now and then have them submit their proposals tomorrow.
As he prepared to announce the adjournment, Xiao Anjing, who had remained silent, stood up and said, "My personal opinion is that a unilateral cooperation with the Shu Corporation is still the best. They are powerful and have prior experience in building amusement parks. As long as we negotiate favorable terms with them, our group can achieve maximum profit. In contrast, with the addition of the Huo Corporation, our future profits would be relatively reduced."
Everyone immediately echoed Xiao Anjing's sentiment. They assumed Xiao Anjing's thoughts were Qin Tianyi's, believing the big boss was signaling them on how to position themselves in this matter.
Qin Tianyi remained silent. After Xiao Anjing finished speaking, he announced the adjournment.
His announcement of adjournment prevented Xiao Anjing from garnering further agreement. He could only follow Qin Tianyi out of the conference room and into his office.
Xiao Anjing spoke first, "No conclusion was reached, why did you adjourn? Did the person at home rush you back? I had a date tonight that I skipped."
Qin Tianyi grunted in acknowledgment and said, "It's late. You should go on your date. I don't think a conclusion can be reached tonight. This matter is not urgent, we can plan further."
"My dear young master, it seems your wife has you completely under her thumb. Can't you stop indulging in your romantic bliss and focus more on the group?" Xiao Anjing couldn't hold back any longer. Shu Yan was right earlier; Qin Tianyi didn't care much about Aoxiang Group.
Qin Tianyi sneered, "Since you still know to call me young master, you should address Su Su as young madam."
"Tianyi, have you forgotten how much we sacrificed to bring down Qin Corporation? You pretended to be foolish for so many years, and at the most crucial moment, I even faked my death. Your grandmother, Old Mrs. Qin, you sacrificed her... Now you, you don't care about Aoxiang for the sake of one woman. Our hard work, our efforts..."
Qin Tianyi interrupted him, "And aren't you also trying your best to finalize a unilateral cooperation with the Shu Corporation for the sake of a woman?"
Xiao Anjing said in surprise, "You don't think I'm advocating for cooperation with the Shu Corporation because of Shu Yan, do you?"
"Isn't it?" Qin Tianyi retorted.
Xiao Anjing looked directly at him and said, "When it comes to group matters, I am absolutely impartial and do not mix in any personal feelings. From all aspects, isn't the Shu Corporation the most suitable partner for us? Huo Liangcheng has been very dispirited since the loss of his beloved daughter, and several of Huo Corporation's projects have stalled. Why should we have a tripartite cooperation?"
"Yes, it's precisely because the Shu Corporation is too suitable that I want a tripartite cooperation. If we only cooperate with the Shu Corporation, they might suppress us during the cooperation process and gain control of the second phase. With the Huo Corporation joining, they can act as a check and balance. As for Huo Liangcheng, he will eventually emerge from his grief, and he will see the considerable prospects of this project," Qin Tianyi said earnestly, meeting his gaze.
Xiao Anjing suddenly understood and said blankly, "So this is what you were thinking. Why didn't you let me know earlier?"
"I thought you understood me and knew the implications without me having to say it," Qin Tianyi turned his back to him helplessly, hands on his hips, gazing out at the night view beyond the floor-to-ceiling window. "Never mind, it's not too late for you to understand my thoughts now. Tomorrow, have the directors formulate a feasible plan for tripartite cooperation, as soon as possible."
"Yes, President Qin," Xiao Anjing replied respectfully and quickly turned to leave his office.
Qin Tianyi sighed. He didn't know when it started, but it felt like a rift had formed between him and Xiao Anjing. He hoped he was just overthinking it.
However, tripartite cooperation also carried potential risks. If the Huo family were to learn that Shu Yan was the murderer of Huo Jin, the Shu and Huo families would surely turn against each other.
But besides the Huo Corporation, which other group could be the best choice for tripartite cooperation and help him check the Shu Corporation?
...
As soon as Xiao Anjing left Aoxiang Group, he messaged Shu Yan, "Sorry, I just finished my work. Are you still up for our date tonight?"
"It's okay, I'm still waiting for you at our agreed-upon place."
"Sorry for making you wait so long. I'll be right there to find you," Xiao Anjing immediately drove to the hot pot restaurant they had agreed upon.
As he entered the hot pot restaurant, he saw Shu Yan sitting at an empty table.
He hadn't expected Shu Yan to suggest a place like this for dinner. It was completely uncharacteristic of a pampered young lady like her.
Xiao Anjing hurried to her side and said, "The butter fragrance in this hot pot restaurant is quite strong. Why did you choose here?"
"Once, I heard you say that you like eating hot pot the most. It's fine, as long as it's delicious," Shu Yan smiled and pulled him to sit down. "I've been craving it too."
"Great! I know the shrimp paste and beef here are delicious. Do you want clear broth or spicy red oil for the pot base?" Xiao Anjing was surprised that she also liked hot pot and expertly introduced the options to her.
Shu Yan asked, "Do you prefer clear broth or red oil? I'll go with whatever you like."
Xiao Anjing preferred the red oil base, but to accommodate Shu Yan, he ordered a split pot and let Shu Yan order the other dishes.
Shu Yan ordered a lot, ordering three or four portions of beef alone.
Xiao Anjing prepared chopsticks for her and couldn't help but advise, "Don't eat so much late at night. Be careful of your stomach."
"Don't worry, I'll finish everything I ordered. Since I rarely get out, I want to enjoy myself with you."
Seeing her high spirits, Xiao Anjing didn't try to dissuade her further and went along with it.
After they finished eating, Xiao Anjing insisted on paying the bill. As they walked out of the hot pot restaurant, Shu Yan leaned against the car door, clutching her stomach, and said uncomfortably, "Can you go buy me a box of digestive tablets?"
Xiao Anjing couldn't help but smile, "I told you not to eat so much. Is your stomach hurting now?"
Shu Yan immediately admitted, "Yes, it hurts a lot."
Xiao Anjing quickly found a nearby pharmacy that was still open and went to buy her medicine.
After the medicine was bought, he accompanied her to sit in the car, opened the medicine box, and peeled out a digestive tablet for her.
After taking one, Shu Yan took the entire strip and said, "One isn't enough."
She then ate several more, and her stomach finally felt a little better. She thought to herself, what kind of low-class food was this? How could her usually delicate stomach tolerate it?
But now, she had promised her mother that she must win over Xiao Anjing.
Seeing that she was no longer in so much discomfort, Xiao Anjing remembered Qin Tianyi's words to him today and felt that Qin Tianyi had an unusual prejudice against Shu Yan.
Such a lovely girl, how much suffering she had endured just because she fell for the wrong person.
In fact, as long as Shu Yan stopped obsessing over Qin Tianyi, there was nothing wrong with her, and she had no flaws.