Chapter 157 Forging the Partnership

The two of them exchanged glances in silence without uttering a word.

"Well then, our meeting is about to start. Let's find somewhere to sit first. If you have any thoughts, we can chat after it concludes."

Qin Xue'er did not notice anything amiss. She greeted Cheng Jiangshan and then walked off to the side.

Scorpion remained silent, merely exchanging a look with Cheng Jiangshan before following Qin Xue'er away.

At half-past ten in the morning, the heads of the various companies arrived at the meeting room one after another.

This was virtually the first time Qin Xue'er had faced so many people to conduct a meeting of this scale, and she felt more than a little nervous.

While Qin Xue'er was up on the stage, Scorpion stood right behind her. In fact, every single speech Qin Xue'er delivered today had been written for her by Scorpion.

Therefore, after speaking for a little while, Qin Xue'er gradually grew accustomed to the feeling.

The agenda for this morning's meeting focused primarily on communication among the various departments, along with Qin Xue'er's report on the future strategic plans for external companies.

Qin Xue'er's objectives this time were twofold: first, to ascertain the current overall situation within the company; and second, to prepare herself to better leverage the company's potential in the future.

Since the meeting matters contained nothing critical, Cheng Jiangshan found little of interest to listen to.

He had not come today with any intention of discussing a partnership with the Xiao family's company.

Failing to catch sight of Xiao Ye's figure still left him somewhat disappointed.

Unexpectedly, however, it was at this moment that he spotted the agents planted by both the Chen and Ye families.

It appeared these two parties shared a remarkably similar train of thought to his own.

Figuring there was nothing pressing, Cheng Jiangshan dismissed the matter from his mind.

The meeting dragged on until half-past twelve in the afternoon. Despite the two-hour duration, Qin Xue'er had not touched upon many substantive topics.

The emphasis of this meeting was not meant to publicly expose the flaws of various enterprises, but rather to allow Qin Xue'er an opportunity to gauge the company's development.

Naturally, while Qin Xue'er conducted the meeting, Scorpion stood nearby keeping meticulous records for her.

At lunchtime, Qin Xue'er arranged for the company's senior executives to go out for a meal.

Naturally, Cheng Jiangshan had no appetite for such pleasantries. Seeing no reason to linger here, he had no desire to stay a moment longer.

Just as he stepped out of the meeting room door, Ye Gang's call came through.

"Brother Cheng, I have a proposal. How about we form a partnership combining the standing of the Cheng family with our Ye family?"

Taken aback for a second, Cheng Jiangshan replied to Ye Cheng, "What are you talking about? No matter how mediocre the people in the Jiangnan district might be, they would never deign to look at a family like that."

"Listen to me. Whether the partnership turns a profit doesn't actually matter. The crucial point is that we manage to tap directly into the profits generated by the Xiao family's company."

It was only then that Cheng Jiangshan caught on, a gleam flashing in his eyes.

Ye Cheng's move to invite Cheng Jiangshan was entirely a setup.

His intent was to sabotage the internal workings of the Xiao family while dragging Xiao Ye down into the muddy waters right along with them!

That's right, why hadn't he thought of that sooner?

"My proxy is hosting a banquet in Jianghai City this afternoon. Aren't you there as well? It's the perfect opportunity for us all to sit down and talk!"

"I understand."

Cheng Jiangshan agreed to the matter and immediately hurried toward the address sent by Ye Cheng.

The location was set in a rather upscale Western restaurant. Cheng Jiangshan, along with the representative of the Ye family and the representative of the Xiao family's company, gathered inside to hash out the specific details of the cooperation.

When Cheng Jiangshan arrived, the Ye family representative and the Xiao family representative were already deep in discussion.

Seeing Cheng Jiangshan walk in, they hurriedly motioned for him to take a seat.

"And this is?"

The Xiao family representative asked with a puzzled expression.

"This is the Director Cheng I mentioned earlier. Director Cheng is also quite interested in a partnership between us."

The Ye family representative quickly offered an explanation. Understanding Ye Cheng's intentions, Cheng Jiangshan chose not to expose the ruse, simply nodding in silent agreement.

As the three of them partook in the meal, they discussed various matters concerning the venture.

"Given the prime geographic location of Jianghai City, our Ye family wishes to develop a residential and commercial property project here, and we will handle all the specific investments!"

After a few rounds of drinks and generous helpings of food, the Ye family representative finally broached the subject.

The representative from the Xiao family's company looked visibly troubled; after all, matters of this magnitude were well beyond his authority to finalize alone.

"If you can provide the corresponding physical assets and resources, rest assured that your share of the subsequent benefits will not be lacking."

Sensing the man's dilemma, the Ye family representative caught his drift instantly.

With that, the Ye family representative produced a card from his pocket and slowly slid it across the table toward the Xiao family representative.

From the side, Cheng Jiangshan chimed in to echo the sentiment.

"Indeed, we came here today with the utmost sincerity. If we can work together on this, the rewards we reap will undoubtedly be immense!"

Cheng Jiangshan had initially believed he was here to persuade the representative of the Xiao family's company.

Little did he realize that he was merely a critical chess piece within a larger game.

With the two of them taking turns with the persuasion, the representative of the Xiao family's company finally cracked under the temptation and agreed to their request.

After a brief consultation with his superior, he decided to head to the company that afternoon to sign the contract.

Qin Xue'er was precisely in the mood to secure business dealings right now, so she readily accepted any propositions that came knocking at her door.

The two parties settled on a time right then and there. Just at that moment, Cheng Jiangshan's phone rang.

"The target has appeared? Good, bring him to the company!"

...

Xiao Ye had originally intended to drop by the company that afternoon to check in on Qin Xue'er.

Unexpectedly, however, his whereabouts were intercepted by Cheng Jiangshan's bodyguards who had been left behind.

The moment Xiao Ye parked his car, two bodyguards dressed in black strode forward and boxed the vehicle in.

These two men were none other than Cheng Jiangshan's personal subordinates.

Before he could even step out, the two men gave a firm knock on the car window.

"Mr. Xiao Ye, our boss would like to invite you over for a chat and a cup of tea."

A flicker of suspicion crossed Xiao Ye's mind. Could there really be someone in Jianghai City bold enough to provoke him?

Yet, judging by the opposing party's display, Xiao Ye grew rather curious about the forces operating behind the scenes.

He nodded, restarted the engine, and slowly maneuvered his car out of the parking space, trailing behind them.

After about twenty minutes, Xiao Ye arrived at the shell company registered by Cheng Jiangshan in Jianghai City.

The instant he stepped out of the car, four bodyguards immediately swarmed forward and surrounded him.

"Is this your idea of hospitality?"

Glancing at the men blocking his path, Xiao Ye felt a sense of absurdity.

"Please move forward."

The four men maintained expressionless faces as they addressed Xiao Ye.

With a sigh, he followed the quartet into the building and ascended to the top-floor office.

The corner of the office was lined with numerous golf clubs.

It was evident that Cheng Jiangshan was a man who enjoyed sports in his spare time.

At this moment, he was seated in a chair, meticulously wiping down an expensive golf club in his hands.

Seeing Xiao Ye walk in, he immediately rose to his feet, a smile plastered across his face.

"I wondered who it might be, and lo and behold, it's the illustrious Young Master Xiao. Please, come right in!"