Ye Xiaoming, Liu Bing, and Feng Shijie arrived at the Venus Hotel around 4 PM. The parking lot was empty except for Ouyang Xue's Honda. They entered the hotel, spotting Ouyang Xue giving a briefing to the hotel staff near the bar in the main dining hall.
Seeing the stern expressions on the faces of Ye Xiaoming, Feng Shijie, and Liu Bing, Ouyang Xue felt a sense of foreboding. She instructed the restaurant supervisor to continue emphasizing service issues and critical points, then approached the three men.
Ye Xiaoming quietly said, "Chairman, Lesheng Company has made their move." He handed over the plaintiff's copy of the complaint, the notice of response, and the notice of evidence production to Ouyang Xue.
Ouyang Xue glanced at the titles and said, "Let's discuss this in the office."
In the second-floor office, Ouyang Xue turned on the air conditioning, took three cans of Coca-Cola from the fridge, and handed them out. She then sat at her desk to read Lesheng's complaint. Despite anticipating the repercussions of slashing prices at the audio exhibition, she was still shocked by Lesheng's 6 million yuan compensation claim. It was clear that Lesheng intended to annihilate Ge Lü Shi, regardless of the outcome.
Initially, Ye Xiaoming and the others had opposed the low-price strategy, but Ouyang Xue had overruled them with her authority as chairman and major shareholder. This now put her in a psychologically vulnerable position. She placed the complaint down gently, took a deep breath to alleviate the heaviness in her chest, and asked, "What are your thoughts?"
Ye Xiaoming, in a composed tone, said, "This situation is clear as day. Whether we win or lose, it's disastrous. Since we can't afford to fight or lose, the three of us suggest seeking reconciliation. Ge Lü Shi should present its highest respect by having the chairman and general manager personally go to Shenzhen to apologize, along with a 100,000 yuan apology gift. Of course, reconciliation might not be possible, but we can still plan for the worst afterward. We shouldn't bother Brother Ding this time."
Ouyang Xue considered it and said, "Reconciliation is fine, but I disagree with apologizing. Business is competition. Our costs are genuine, and we are actually making money on the speakers, albeit not much. There's no reason to apologize."
Liu Bing, growing anxious but controlling his emotions, said, "Chairman, the knife is at our throat. Please don't be stubborn. You might be able to afford to stand firm, but we can't. Can't you just take a bit of a hit for our sake?"
Ye Xiaoming added, "Chairman, from the company's inception to now, there have been many disagreements with Brother Ding, but not once has any of our opinions been adopted. This is a critical moment, and the company is still our responsibility. Whether right or wrong, I hope the chairman will give us minor shareholders a chance, just this once."
Feng Shijie chimed in, "Chairman, Brother Ding's decisions must have his reasoning, probably to leverage the influence of Lesheng's flagship to boost Ge Lü Shi's brand. It's also for the company's good. If reconciliation can avoid the lawsuit, won't we achieve the goal and save on litigation costs? A simple apology doesn't mean much—everyone has to bow their head sometimes."
Ouyang Xue's concern wasn't the result of reconciliation but its nature. An apology and an apology gift would effectively mean Ge Lü Shi admitted to unfair competition and offered 100,000 yuan as compensation. If Lesheng intended to destroy Ge Lü Shi, this would only embolden them, complicating an already murky situation.
After careful consideration, Ouyang Xue said, "If we must apologize, it should be for unpleasant business friction, not for illegal activities. The nature should be private settlement and negotiation, not an admission of guilt, which the court decides. If Lesheng's goal isn't our destruction, they might accept this. If they do aim to destroy us, an apology and money will only confirm our unfair competition, leading to a quicker demise."
Ye Xiaoming nodded, "That makes sense."
Feng Shijie said, "I agree."
Liu Bing added, "I agree too."
Ye Xiaoming stood up, saying, "Then it's decided. The chairman and I will go to Shenzhen. Liu Bing will return to Beijing to hold the fort, and Shijie will book tomorrow's flights. Chairman, please prepare a 100,000 yuan check."
With that, the brief shareholders' meeting concluded.