Liu Bing leaned against the doorframe, silently smoking as he watched the woman who held both the chairman and general manager positions drive away in the BMW. An emptiness gnawed at him.
He had taken over this car on the day of the preliminary shareholders' meeting in Wangmiao Village. For two years and four months, this car had been his constant companion, becoming a part of his life. The BMW symbolized wealth, power, and status—an aspirational dream. Despite the high maintenance costs, Liu Bing never had to worry about them; the company covered all expenses, including gas, parking, and fines. He relished the feeling of driving the BMW through the city, enjoying the admiring and envious glances when he stepped out in his suit.
But now, all that was past. The BMW was replaced by a brand-new white Audi. President Xiao drove herself and no longer needed a driver.
He hadn't anticipated such a dramatic change, which meant that even if the company won the lawsuit, he had no chance of becoming the general manager. He couldn't understand why the company's equity had changed fundamentally before the lawsuit's outcome was known. Why did Xiao Yawen invest in the company despite the bleak outlook? On what basis did she judge that Greystone would win?
Lost in his thoughts, Liu Bing suddenly heard someone call out, "Director Liu, taking it easy?"
He looked up to see two familiar faces approaching from the street, having just gotten out of a taxi. The visitors were Du Xiaochuan, owner of Chaoyang District's Huitong Audio Rack Specialty Store, which sourced some racks from Greystone.
As Du Xiaochuan approached, Liu Bing greeted him, "Mr. Du, it's been a while."
Du Xiaochuan replied, "Off-season, not much movement."
Liu Bing invited Du Xiaochuan inside and asked, "What do you need?"
Du Xiaochuan listed his order: "Four sets of black piano lacquer four-compartment racks, two sets in brown, three sets in matte black, and two sets in natural wood veneer. Three sets of black piano lacquer two-compartment racks, two in brown. Two pairs of double-column speaker stands, one pair of single-column stands..."
Liu Bing noted the order and placed the list on the coffee table. "Xiao Yang is out delivering goods; he'll be back soon. Let's move the goods to the entrance so we can load them when he arrives."
They began moving the goods when a gray Porsche luxury sports car pulled up, blocking the delivery van's path. A woman in sunglasses stepped out, moved the Porsche to a parking space, and cleared the way. Xiao Yang, seeing the goods at the entrance, parked the van in the most convenient spot for loading.
As the woman walked toward the store, Liu Bing greeted her, "Miss, please come in and take a look around."
Before he finished speaking, another luxury car arrived, blocking the van completely. Two men in white shirts and ties got out. Liu Bing quickly approached them. "Gentlemen, you can't park here. This van needs to leave after loading."
The slightly plump man replied, "We're from the Beijing office of Shanghai Marquis Audio Manufacturing Company. We're here to see the head of Greystone Company and will only stay for two minutes."
Marquis Audio was a well-known name in the AV audio industry. Why were they here? Liu Bing instinctively connected their visit to the ongoing lawsuit and cautiously said, "President Xiao isn't here. I'm Liu Bing, Greystone's office director. You can talk to me, and I'll pass on the message." He handed over his business card.
The plump man accepted the card, put it away, and retrieved a document from his briefcase, handing it to Liu Bing. "This is a letter of intent decided by the Marquis board. Our company is very interested in your business model and offers 6.5 million yuan to acquire your company. This news will be published tomorrow. We look forward to your response."
Liu Bing was stunned, barely believing what he heard.
The plump man handed Liu Bing a pen and a receipt, saying, "Please sign here, Mr. Liu." Liu Bing signed and dated the receipt, shook hands with the man, and watched the Marquis car drive off into traffic.
Seeing Xiao Yang and Du Xiaochuan staring at him, Liu Bing said, "What are you looking at? Let's load the van!" Then he turned to the woman and said, "Miss, please come in."
Now accompanied by a man, evidently her driver, Liu Bing led them inside and asked warmly, "Miss, what would you like to see?"
She glanced around and pointed to a displayed audio system, "I want this set, including the matching cabinet and speaker stands."
Liu Bing apologized, "Sorry, it's not for sale. Please check the notice on the door."
She said, "My assistant saw the notice yesterday and this system too."
Liu Bing replied, "If it were for sale, it would have been sold long ago. I'm sorry, but please check other stores. This is a sample unit, and the general manager has instructed it's not for sale."
She insisted, "I have better systems, costing three times as much, but I want this one. If I could get it elsewhere, I wouldn't be here. Name your price."
At that moment, Du Xiaochuan approached, "The van's loaded, time to settle up."
Liu Bing still apologetic, said to the woman, "I'm really sorry. It's not about the price. I need to settle with this gentleman. Excuse me."
He led Du Xiaochuan to the cash register, settled the bill, and printed the invoice. He noticed the woman was still there, sitting on the sofa and flipping through an audio magazine. Her driver was inspecting the equipment calmly. Liu Bing, experienced with various customers, wasn't surprised by her persistence. His mind, however, was on the Marquis offer.
Du Xiaochuan left with the van, and Liu Bing sat at the computer, contemplating. The offer proved Greystone's value exceeded 6.5 million. Calculating his 13% stake, he stood to receive 84,500 yuan, minus the 14,000 yuan he owed Ouyang Xue, leaving him with 70,000 yuan. This was his minimum exit price.
70,000 yuan—a staggering figure!
He realized Xiao Yawen had made 300,000 yuan from her 51% stake in just a few days.
Liu Bing felt a deep sense of injustice. He and his colleagues had built the company through hard work over two years, yet they had nothing, while Xiao Yawen effortlessly reaped the rewards. Even he, a company veteran, now had to defer to her as "President Xiao."
He couldn't understand how Xiao Yawen knew Greystone would win, or why Marquis believed so. Why did Ouyang Xue agree to their exit so readily? Why did Xiao Yawen gain control right after their exit, and why did Marquis immediately offer a high price? Was this all part of Ding Yuanying's plan?
He considered informing Ye Xiaoming and Feng Shijie to gauge their reactions.
The woman approached again, "Are you done, sir?"
Liu Bing shut the computer and impatiently said, "Please leave. Waiting won't help. The sample isn't for sale. I can't risk my job over this."
She asked, "Is that white Audi outside yours?"
Liu Bing said, "Yes, why?"
She said, "If the car's here, your manager isn't far. If you can't decide, call the manager. I'm not leaving without it."
The driver, who had been silent, finally spoke, "Do you know who this lady is? She's doing you a favor by buying this system. Get your boss to talk."
Liu Bing thought, you can't put gold in my pocket just because you're important. He didn't care about the woman's status but knew he had to address her request to avoid complaints. Besides, he needed to inform President Xiao about the Marquis offer to avoid unnecessary trouble.
So, he picked up the phone.