The envelope labeled "Gelüshi Company Documents" sat conspicuously on Liu Bing's computer desk. His fingers lightly tapped on it, his gaze drifting out the window to a group of people playing mahjong. He listened to the sounds of laughter, arguments, and shuffling tiles. With only three hours left until the signing ceremony, Liu Bing felt his destiny ticking away by the minute.
At 8 PM tonight, Shenzhen Lusheng Audio Company and Beijing Gelüshi Audio Company would hold a signing banquet in the medium-sized banquet hall of the Mingzhu Hotel in the Ancient City, with the official signing at 8:19 PM.
Despite the media frenzy and public opinions surrounding the lawsuit and Lusheng's hostility towards Gelüshi, one basic fact remained: Lusheng's only way out was to cooperate with Gelüshi under the current circumstances. The legal battles and Lin Yufeng's tragic fall were still fresh in everyone's mind, yet the necessity for survival and development pushed Lusheng's top management to set aside personal feelings and bring the two companies together. After three rounds of tough negotiations, Lusheng reached a comprehensive agreement with Gelüshi and the specialized households in Wangmiao Village.
Lusheng would exclusively use Gelüshi's brand and speaker design patents for a fee, managing the dual-component speaker market. The flagship speakers would be named "Lusheng-Gelüshi."Gelüshi's audio racks would be fully integrated into Lusheng's sales network.Wangmiao Village would become the production base for "Lusheng-Gelüshi" and other high-end speaker cabinets, with Gelüshi providing paid quality assurance.Lusheng would dismantle its high-end speaker cabinet production line, loaning the equipment to Wangmiao Village's specialized households, with Gelüshi guaranteeing the debt repayment.
This cooperation allowed Lusheng to shed the high labor costs of producing high-end cabinets while retaining the advantage of mechanized production for PVC-coated and standard home theater speakers. It also enabled Lusheng to reclaim significant funds and maintain some control over Gelüshi and Wangmiao Village's operations, reducing production costs and enhancing market competitiveness. In essence, Gelüshi and Wangmiao Village had become semi-autonomous units within Lusheng's production system. Without considering pride, Lusheng was the clear winner in this resource integration.
Some called it "order-driven poverty alleviation," while others termed it "manufacturing-based blood donation poverty alleviation." No matter the description, the lawsuit had ultimately provided more employment opportunities for Wangmiao Village's farmers.
As a founder of Gelüshi, Liu Bing had witnessed its evolution. Yet, at the brink of a historic development opportunity, he found himself an outsider to the company's newfound benefits. Gone were the car, the business card title, and the aura of a successful person admired by others. Instead, he was bossed around by a woman who had joined the company midway, with no future or hope in sight, only loneliness, confusion, and frustration. The victory of Gelüshi threw him into a mental abyss; a single misjudgment had cost him a golden future, a torment he found unbearable.
He longed for a refined life, free from financial worries—driving a luxury car, carrying a stylish briefcase, issuing commands to respectful subordinates, and having a beautiful secretary to handle documents and coffee. There would be music, friends, and admiring looks.
In his despair, Ding Yuanying's envelope of "new evidence" offered a glimmer of hope, like a lifeline to a drowning man. He felt both anxious and hopeful for salvation.
Liu Bing repeatedly told himself: everyone is out for themselves, and friendships are mere labels with no deeper meaning. Money is the sole measure of all relationships. Dominated by this powerful thought, his blood heated up, and his imagination soared, feeling as if he truly held the key to his fate.
He pondered and weighed his options over and over. He couldn't accept his situation.
If he waited until Xiao Yawen decided to get rid of him to use the "new evidence," his dignity and self-respect would already be trampled. It would only preserve his job, with no real meaning.
However, if he exposed the "new evidence" just before the signing ceremony, it would be explosive news. Liu Bing would become the hero who changed Lusheng's fate, unveiling the truth and upholding justice, gaining media attention and becoming a hero. Naturally, Lusheng would know how to reward him as the main beneficiary of the exposed evidence.
With Lusheng's support, he could demand more from Gelüshi, leveraging his seniority and experience. Ouyang Xue and Xiao Yawen would have to offer him a higher price to avoid catastrophe.
Whoever offered the best deal would get his support, solving both his survival and career issues. The more Liu Bing thought about it, the more confident he became, feeling he could no longer hesitate. His hand clenched the envelope that could change his fate, a sense of determination rising within him. He wanted to show everyone that Liu Bing was a force to be reckoned with.
He whispered to himself, "My future and fate hinge on this moment."
With that, he tidied his hair, adjusted his tie and suit, and set out.