Chapter 8
Lin Mengyao didn’t delay for too long and arrived at Jiahe Group the next day.
Even though it was still morning, the heat from the sun was already as intense as midday. With the sun blazing overhead, Lin Mengyao squinted her eyes to brace herself and resolutely walked into Jiahe Group’s lobby.
“Hello, I am Lin Mengyao from Lin Group. I’ve made an appointment to see CEO Xu Jie.”
“Please wait a moment, I’ll confirm with her.” Lijie gave Lin Mengyao a warm and composed smile, then called Xu Jie. After receiving confirmation, she smiled and said, “Please take the elevator on the left and press the top floor. CEO Xu is waiting for you there.”
“Thank you.” Lin Mengyao softly thanked Lijie before stepping into the elevator Lijie had indicated.
On the top floor of the building, Xu Jie, having received the message, had been sitting in the lounge early. She held the information she had found, showing that Lin Mengyao and Xu Ke were married. Xu Jie rubbed her smooth chin, unable to understand what her boss was thinking. However, since Xu Ke was her boss, whatever he instructed, she had to comply without questioning, perhaps it was just a little fun between the couple that she shouldn’t interfere with too much.
As Xu Jie was lost in thought, the sound of high heels and her assistant Misa’s voice was heard outside.
Just as Xu Jie adjusted her expression, the door to the lounge opened, revealing Lin Mengyao in a smart business suit. “Hello, I’m Lin Mengyao, representative of Lin Group.” Lin Mengyao reached out with a smile and greeted with respect.
Although Xu Jie was about the same age as her, their statuses were different, so Lin Mengyao didn’t approach Xu Jie as an equal but rather with the demeanor of a junior.
“Hello, I’m Xu Jie from Jiahe Group.” Xu Jie extended her hand for a brief handshake with Lin Mengyao, maintaining an attitude that was neither warm nor distant.
This neutral stance from Xu Jie allowed Lin Mengyao to breathe a sigh of relief, giving her a bit of assurance. In Lin Mengyao’s view, the fact that the other party did not immediately display aloofness or indifference meant there was room for discussion, and the situation wasn’t hopeless.
“Would you like something to drink? Coffee or green tea?” Xu Jie asked with a light smile, sitting opposite Lin Mengyao.
Xu Jie, with her cool and calm demeanor, expressionless looked like the moon high in the night sky. But when she smiled, it was like the night-blooming cereus, captivating all who saw her.
“I can drink anything; it’s up to you.” Lin Mengyao replied with a smile.
Although Lin Mengyao always had a smile on her face, she never gave a sense of being approachable, like a snow lotus blooming on an ice mountain, beautiful yet extremely aloof.
Xu Jie didn’t dwell on this matter for long, following her own habits, had her secretary brew two cups of coffee and place them on the table, before beginning to discuss business.
“Oh? Tell me more.” Xu Jie showed a look of interest, giving Lin Mengyao the confidence to continue.
“As you know, our company is currently at a crucial transition stage. To successfully transition, our company is willing to offer a ten percent profit concession on this project. Moreover, as a company helping ours through a crisis, your company will be prioritized in any future projects and collaborations. Does this level of sincerity satisfy you?” Lin Mengyao gently placed her coffee cup on the table, her heart wavering slightly as she awaited Xu Jie’s answer.
“Although Lin isn’t my first choice for cooperation, considering your sincerity, let me preemptively wish us a pleasant cooperation.” After arousing Lin Mengyao’s interest fully, Xu Jie finally gave her answer, mentally apologizing to her boss’s wife, noting that her reservations were all based on her boss’s instructions, so she shouldn’t be blamed.
When Lin Mengyao heard Xu Jie’s answer, she thought she might have heard wrong. Aside from the profit concession, there was nothing Lin Group could offer. For a giant like Jiahe Group, the profit concession was trivial, and without a formal contract, the promises seemed like nothing more than empty words. Lin Mengyao had been prepared for a prolonged negotiation phase. She had never expected the other party to agree just like that.
In a daze, Lin Mengyao raised her coffee cup to clink gently with the other party’s cup. The crisp sound of the ceramics touching brought Lin Mengyao’s wandering spirit back.
Striking while the iron was hot, afraid that the other party might change their mind the next second, Lin Mengyao hurriedly retrieved the printed contract from her bag and said with a smile to Xu Jie, “There’s an old saying, there’s no time like the present. If there’s no issue with the contract, let’s sign it today.”
Xu Jie nodded, took the contract from Lin Mengyao, and carefully reviewed it. Once she confirmed there were no issues, she signed and stamped it with the company’s seal. Seeing the large red seal, the breath Lin Mengyao had been holding in finally escaped.
Exiting Jiahe Group, Lin Mengyao felt like a boneless creature, her limbs weak. She couldn’t believe she had managed to secure the deal; it all felt like a dream.
This was not her first business deal, but it was the most important cooperation she had negotiated, significant not just to the company but to her personally. She felt like an overinflated balloon in desperate need of an outlet, a way to share her current emotions with someone.
At that moment, Xu Ke’s image drifted into Lin Mengyao’s mind. Her body reacted faster than her mind, and by the time she realized, she had already dialed Xu Ke’s number, too late to hang up.
As Xu Ke’s voice came through, Lin Mengyao’s eyes instantly turned red, “Xu Ke, I, I succeeded.” Lin Mengyao’s voice trembled.
“I told you that you would succeed. Think about how you want to celebrate?” On the other end of the call, Xu Ke squinted his eyes and spoke with a smile.
Lin Mengyao took a few deep breaths to steady her emotions, then said, “You decide; I’m heading to the company.”