The Art of Teasing - Chapter 166

Chapter 166

Ye Ling brought Wen Zhengyu along to lunch with Vice Chairman Xu, General Manager Zhang, and the others. The matters that had been difficult to discuss in front of those directors were all laid out openly at the dining table.

Ye Ling brought up how the accounts of the subsidiary companies all had problems to varying degrees, with the two that were operating at a loss being the most severe.

She had sealed away all the problematic account books, ledgers, and transaction records from those subsidiaries. The feedback materials brought back by the personnel dispatched for verification had also been organized. As for how to handle the follow-up, that would depend on how the situation developed. Furthermore, the amounts involved were all quite substantial, especially for the two loss-making subsidiaries. If they could recover the embezzled funds, it would be more than enough to cover the losses, and there would still be considerable profit left.

Basically, the company's lack of profitability was not at all an issue with the projects or operations. Rather, the profits that should have belonged to the company had been siphoned away by some internal personnel.

Wen Zhengyu understood. She asked quietly, "Are they people from those few shareholders?"

Ye Ling looked at Wen Zhengyu, smiled and nodded slightly, then added with a hint of helplessness, "Whether in the head office or the subsidiaries, every department has their people. That's why the Group Board of Directors Office and the Chairman's Office are kept separate and independent."

Vice Chairman Xu and General Manager Zhang understood that Ye Ling had long been planning to make a move.

Ye Ling of today was already vastly different from before. She was now at the helm of two major conglomerates—one was the Holding Group they had established in partnership, the other was Yushan Group, which she had founded with sole proprietorship. Add to that her other investments, and she possessed quite formidable financial strength. So, as for how to handle this matter, it entirely depended on her preference. Whether she wanted to bar those four from any further involvement in operational matters, or simply dissolve the partnership outright—either was possible. It was very clear that Ye Ling leaned toward the latter.

These matters concerned their immediate vital interests. Naturally, they could not sit back and ignore them.

Vice Chairman Xu said, "Since the accounts have been verified to have problems, then we should handle it as it should be handled. After all, this damages the interests of the entire group."

Ye Ling said, "Alright, shall I hand the accounts over to you two later then?"

Vice Chairman Xu and General Manager Zhang discussed it for a moment, then both nodded.

General Manager Zhang still sought information from Ye Ling, asking, "Chairman Ye withdrawing capital—surely it's not just over such a minor matter? Do you have a better development project?"

Ye Ling smiled and asked, "Is General Manager Zhang interested?"

General Manager Zhang said, "As long as it's a money-making business, I'm interested. Chairman Ye, working with you puts the heart at ease. The year before last…" He recalled Wen Zhengyu's presence and swallowed his words.

Ye Ling laughed, "It's fine." She said to Wen Zhengyu, "General Manager Zhang was probably going to mention the matter with Wen Shiyi."

General Manager Zhang smiled apologetically and said to Wen Zhengyu, "Although this matter might make Miss Wen a little uncomfortable, in business, business is business. I have to mention this." He continued to Ye Ling, "That project—Chairman Ye was the one who went to secure it. If you wanted to go solo and keep it all for yourself, we wouldn't have had anything to say about it. You served as the chairman of our group, yet you shared half of that project, letting all of us have a share of the profits."

That project concerning Wen Shiyi—from cashing out in the stock market the year before last, to the asset consolidation and liquidation last year—the group had profited to the tune of several hundred million yuan from it. And that was just one of the projects. They had also made quite a sum from the project involving Hongtu International. Although they had contributed effort as well, the fact that Ye Ling always thought of them whenever there was a profitable venture, and that she was the first to shoulder any risk—for a business partner to go that far was truly beyond reproach.

Even so, those four parasites who took money without doing any work still complained that after Ye Ling took her share at Yushan Group, she still walked away with over forty percent of the Holding Group's profits. At the year-end dividend distribution, they had kicked up a fuss. Ye Ling had been absent then, and he and Xiao Xu had handled it on her behalf. But they had caused the scene at the company, and word had long since reached Ye Ling's ears.

Now that Ye Ling wanted to pull out, how exactly she would do so—there was much subtext and room for maneuvering. Fatty Zhang had watched Ye Ling build her fortune over the years. He was very willing to continue their partnership and absolutely unwilling to find himself on the opposite side from her.

Hearing Fatty Zhang lay his cards on the table so plainly, Ye Ling understood exactly what he and Vice Chairman Xu meant. With so many years of tacit understanding between the three, no further words were necessary. They clinked glasses, and the matter was settled.

Wen Zhengyu only gathered that the three of them together shared a strong mutual understanding and that they had allied to kick out those four shareholders.

After lunch, once she was in the car with Ye Ling, she mused thoughtfully, "Vice Chairman Xu and General Manager Zhang mean they still want to continue working with you… and those four shareholders refuse to sell their shares. So, you intend to dissolve the partnership and then restructure, right?"

Ye Ling nodded. She then carefully and thoroughly explained to Wen Zhengyu how dissolving and restructuring could maximize the protection of their interests.

She said to Wen Zhengyu, "In the meeting, I noticed their gazes kept circling around you. They'll probably try to make a move against you. Keep your guard up."

Wen Zhengyu glanced silently at Ye Ling. She genuinely couldn't imagine what leverage they could possibly use against her.

Just as Ye Ling was discussing those four shareholders over lunch with Vice Chairman Xu and General Manager Zhang, the four shareholders were also discussing them at their own dining table.

Discussing matters within the company walls still wasn't entirely secure. They found a restaurant where they could eat and confer simultaneously, and by the way, the four could jointly denounce Ye Ling.

They knew of Wen Zhengyu—Wen Shiyi's daughter. Ye Ling had torn down Wen Shiyi and, conveniently, had taken in his daughter as well, cherishing her like the apple of her eye. For the sake of staying close to Wen Zhengyu, Ye Ling had even relocated her office to that tiny art studio of hers. Previously, when Zheng Dongsheng had somehow offended Wen Zhengyu, Ye Ling had dealt with him. Toward the end of last year, because Wen Shiyi had colluded with outsiders to extort Wen Zhengyu, Ye Ling had entered a struggle against Hongtu International for her sake. Rumor had it she held leverage over Hongtu International, and between her, Fatty Zhang and his cohort, along with some of Hongtu International's own rivals, they had joined forces to bring it down. That move had offended Hongtu International's backer behind the scenes. Last year, investigators had come from the capital specifically to investigate Ye Ling, even approaching them to understand her situation. What state was Ye Ling in now? One could tell from how she didn't even have time to manage her business affairs anymore, and from the incident where Wen Zhengyu was arrested and nearly lost her life.

The ruckus they had raised this morning had smoothly forced Ye Ling to personally utter the words about selling her shares. Ye Ling's word had always been reliable; once she spoke, there were rarely any changes. If Ye Ling sold her shares, they could seize the opportunity to increase their holdings and gain a voice in future shareholder meetings.

As for that General Manager Lian who had come to the conference room today, they inquired about his identity as soon as they stepped out. It had been easy enough to find out—Lian Xin. The matter of bringing down Wen Shiyi in the first place had been a joint operation he had undertaken with Ye Ling, and he had taken even more than she did.

Setting a trap for Wen Zhengyu—that would be simple, too.

Ye Ling had crushed Wen Shiyi, and the reason Wen Zhengyu was still willing to follow Ye Ling, aside from being compelled by circumstances, was money. A pampered heiress who understood nothing, with her father fallen and her grandfather dead, her only option was to cling to Ye Ling and scrape together some cash. And indeed, Ye Ling was generous—word was she'd even returned the house.

As for whether Wen Zhengyu harbored hatred for Ye Ling in her heart? Wen Shiyi had only this one daughter, and the family had previously possessed over a billion in assets, all gone overnight. Reduced to being financially kept, sinking so low as to be a kept woman—how could she not hate?

After their discussion, the four decided to use the matters of money and Wen Shiyi to approach Wen Zhengyu.

After lunch, Wen Zhengyu returned to Ye Ling's office, took a brief nap, then went back to the secretarial office to continue her work.

Secretary Ji approached her again, saying that after the shareholders' meeting ended, Director Jin had personally stated that Chairman Ye had said she would sell her shares and leave the group. She sought Wen Zhengyu to verify if it was true.

Wen Zhengyu thought for a moment, then asked Secretary Ji three questions in a row: "Who is your boss? Who is currently in charge of the group? Whose words carry more weight—Chairman Ye's or Director Jin's?"

Secretary Ji glanced at Wen Zhengyu, considered it, and returned to her own desk.

Wen Zhengyu noticed a stack of photocopied documents to be distributed to various departments, along with a distribution registration form, placed on her desk. She picked up the documents and the form and went to deliver them.

When she arrived at the Finance Department, the finance supervisor called out, "Assistant Wen, please come in for a moment."

Wen Zhengyu felt puzzled. Documents sent from the Chairman's Secretariat were always delivered to department heads, or at the very least, to managers. What business could a mere supervisor have with her? She thought about it and stepped into the supervisor's office, curious to see what he wanted.

The supervisor gently closed the door and politely invited her to sit.

Wen Zhengyu looked at the man. He was around thirty years old, unremarkable in appearance, the type who would utterly disappear in a crowd. She did not sit, asking directly, "May I ask what this is about?"

The supervisor told Wen Zhengyu that he had heard the company rumors and was worried about potential upheaval. He wanted to glean some information from her. He had made a point to check with the Human Resources Department earlier—Wen Zhengyu had not signed a non-disclosure agreement. Besides, if she simply casually mentioned a few things she knew, it wouldn't count as leaking secrets. If she leaked a little information, he could prepare in advance to guard against any sudden changes.

Wen Zhengyu was baffled. "Whether there are changes in upper management—what does that have to do with you?"

The supervisor gestured for her to "please sit," urging her to talk seated.

After Wen Zhengyu sat down, he began slowly, starting from how Ye Ling had ruined Wen Shiyi, expressing profound sympathy for Wen Zhengyu's plight. He remarked how utterly demeaning it was for a wealthy heiress like her to be reduced to an errand girl. Given her current situation, he said, having some money in hand would be much more secure. His uncle was very interested in the company's shares. If Wen Zhengyu could leak some crucial material, whether she wanted cash or a cut of the dividends, it could be arranged. If what she provided was good enough, even giving her a small stake in the shares would be fine. When that happened, Wen Zhengyu would have her own money and would no longer need to live at someone else's mercy—she could do whatever she wanted.

Wen Zhengyu listened as this man rambled on and on with a torrent of eloquence. Suddenly, she felt it was a sheer waste of talent that he wasn't working in sales.

After pondering for a long moment, she failed to grasp one point. She asked, "What exactly is considered 'crucial material'?"

The supervisor said, "The documents on Chairman Ye's desk. You take photos…" He made a couple of gestures. "Once we see the photos, we'll pay you. Payment upon delivery. If you're worried, you can show us part of it first, and once we give you the money, you give us the rest."

Wen Zhengyu asked, "How much money?"

The supervisor swiftly indicated a number with his fingers.

Wen Zhengyu said, "I didn't see clearly."

The supervisor thought for a moment, then gestured the number eight with his hand.

Wen Zhengyu asked, "Eighty million?" She figured eighty billion was definitely out of the question.

The supervisor's expression twisted. He nearly spat out, "Why don't you just rob me?" The words reached his lips but he swallowed them back, saying, "If you want that figure, then it depends on whether what you provide is worth that number."

Wen Zhengyu stood up and walked toward the door.

The supervisor said, "Miss Wen, money is only truly yours once it's in your own hands. Other people's money will always belong to others. Think it over carefully."

Wen Zhengyu opened the office door, hesitated for two seconds, then turned back to the supervisor and said, "You people really are unbelievably bored."

With that, she walked straight out.

At this moment, she understood with perfect clarity why Ye Ling was going to such elaborate lengths to dissolve the partnership.

These people earned their money so filthily, and their thinking was so vile. Being in business with them was truly revolting.

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