Xiao Ming certainly didn't have the ability to read minds; he just knew Zhou Qingyuan well enough.
Just now, the girl's whole body was tense, her face flushed red, and her teeth had turned her lower lip white from the biting.
These were the subconscious signs that she was about to do something crazy, something Xiao Ming had learned to avoid at all costs in his previous life.
After all, in his last life, he was a living dead without a heart or soul; being a scum didn't matter.
But in this life, his heart and soul belonged only to his wife, Jiang Xue, and outsiders didn't stand a chance.
"Kid, I noticed Miss Zhou's complexion is off, looks like someone's got peach blossom luck! What were you whispering to her just now?
I warn you, she's Sir Zhou's treasure. If you dare to seduce Miss Zhou into a lover, he'll definitely fight you to the death!"
No sooner had Xiao Ming sat down than Duan Hongqing leaned in close to speak, his words alarming but his expression outrageously lewd, seemingly more encouraging than warning.
The old geezer was awfully cunning.
"Sir Duan need not worry," Xiao Ming shook the ring on his left ring finger, "I plan to take this thing with me to my urn."
"Tch! Boring."
Duan Hongqing sipped his drink with disappointment and then asked, "What about the matter with Wan Xingping, what do you think is the proper way to handle it?"
"Unless you frame him, there's not much to handle."
Xiao Ming responded, "Nothing has happened yet, Qingyuan Group hasn't suffered any losses, and we don't have any evidence. At most, the police station will take him in for questioning out of respect for you and Sir Zhou, but they'll let him go before dawn."
"Just let it be?"
"Do I look like a Saint who would return good for evil, generosity embodied?"
"You?" Duan Hongqing curled his lip, "With ears you'd be a fox, add a tail and you're sharper than a monkey. If you were a Saint, I would've become Buddha long ago."
Xiao Ming laughed, "So, how could it possibly just end there?
I'm just waiting, waiting for Wan Xingping to step into a deathtrap.
You don't know how deep my hatred for him runs; a little punishment followed by imprisonment isn't enough to satisfy me."
"Hiss... You're vicious in revenge, not afraid of offending the heavens?"
Xiao Ming looked up at the pavilion's beams, thinking to himself: If Heaven let me live again, it certainly won't stop me from taking my revenge.
As for heavenly harmony, isn't it Heaven that gets to decide?
Seeing that he didn't respond, Duan Hongqing shook his head: "Forget it, the young folks these days are ruthless, one outdoing the other. I'm too old to get involved, but if you need help later, just discuss it with Zhengde."
"Then I'll thank the elder beforehand."
He clinked glasses with the old man, and Xiao Ming added, "As for the matter with Daxing Shipping, they're the real deal local snake.
Your power as the mighty dragon, no matter how vast, doesn't have much of a show against local protectionism, you might even suffer a loss.
So, I suggest you wait a bit more patiently, let my brother drag them out a bit longer, don't terminate the negotiations so quickly."
"Wait for what?"
Xiao Ming again showed his signature mischievous smile, "Of course, we're waiting for the other local snakes of Longyin to stand on your side!"
Duan Hongqing was startled but then grew excited.
If the other local snakes all stood with Qingyuan, it would mean Daxing had incited public outrage. Even if they had a deep background, the local government would have to grit their teeth and crush them.
What negotiation then? Just spend a bit of money and buy them outright.
Thinking this, Duan Hongqing took the initiative to pour Xiao Ming a drink.
"Knowing you only hunt when you see the rabbit, I won't ask if you can pull it off. Just tell me, what do you want?"
"Heh heh! Talking with an old-timer is so relaxing." Xiao Ming chuckled, "Don't worry, my requests are modest; just give me a 34% stake when you set up the tech investment company."
Duan Hongqing's eyes widened in anger, "Well done! You're trying to swallow my company whole and still say your demands are not high?"
According to the "Company Law," when voting on major issues, a shareholder meeting must be convened, and more than two-thirds of the shareholders must agree for it to pass.
Translated into percentages, it means the opinions of shareholders representing more than 66.7% of the equity must be unanimous.
If Xiao Ming really held 34%, just by casting a vote against, no matter how many other shareholders there were or how united they were, they couldn't meet the "two-thirds" requirement, and the resolution would naturally fail to pass.
In other words, what he wanted was a "veto right," a de facto control over the entire company.
Duan Hongqing wasn't exaggerating when he said Xiao Ming wanted to "eat up" the company.
"Sir Duan, please don't get angry yet," Xiao Ming said. "We can sign an agreement in advance, stating 'Besides major resolutions, I will not participate in any management and operations of the company, and only hold dividend rights'."
Duan Hongqing frowned, "Do you not trust my abilities?"
Xiao Ming shook his head, "If it were you, Sir, personally overseeing the acquisition, negotiations, and management, then even if you gave me absolute control, I'd still only want the dividends.
But the key point is, you are to helm the entire Qingyuan Group; the so-called 'technology investment company' is unclearly defined and just a side piece that can't possibly occupy too much of your attention.
Therefore, unless you come in person, or Sir Zhengde takes full charge, I can only apologize and start up my own furnace and go to Lingnan to negotiate on my own."
Duan Hongqing finally understood and frowned even deeper.
"So what you are saying is that you have issues with my second son! Do you two know each other?"
The old man had only two sons.
The eldest, Duan Zhengde, was an upright person. While one couldn't say his abilities were inferior, they were somewhat mundane.
The second son, Duan Zhengwei, had been bright and perceptive since childhood, with an agile personality and the ability to think out of the box, which deeply endeared him to Duan Hongqing, who had decided that Zhengwei would eventually inherit the Duan Family legacy.
Therefore, Xiao Ming's words were indeed a cause of discontent for the old man.
"We don't know each other, I've just heard a little about him."
Xiao Ming shook his head, "Of course, you'd know your own son better than any junior.
So, I'll just ask you one question: What would have happened if the person you sent to Longyin wasn't the eldest, but the second son?"
Duan Hongqing huffed, "He certainly wouldn't have been fooled by Wan Xingping."
"Indeed. But what then? Daxing Shipping monopolizes more than half of Longyin's market, and it's impossible to bypass them. What would your second son do?"
After pondering for a moment, Duan Hongqing's expression softened, and with a sigh, he said, "Understanding him as I do, he would risk continuing negotiations with Daxing while also exposing Daxing's under-the-table dealings.
He would definitely complete the acquisition with the least cost, but he would also deeply offend the local and neighboring shipping related forces.
It's foreseeable that the company's development in the coming years would be extremely difficult, and the costs would be incalculable."
"That is exactly my concern," Xiao Ming said with a smile. "If Sir Duan is really worried, we can also add some further restrictions in the contract.
For example, I can and will only hold 34%, and any organizations with ties to my interests are not allowed to increase their shares.
Moreover, if I were to sell my shares, Qingyuan Group and the Duan Family have the first right of refusal.
With these stipulations, any possibility of me eating up or selling off the company is completely blocked. What do you think, Sir Duan?"
This time, Duan Hongqing was truly puzzled.
"Kid, tell me the truth, what's your real goal here?"
"What else but to make money?"
Xiao Ming replied, "I wish to secure my interests and hope the company earns big money for a long time. When the company's managers are clearly too self-opinionated, I naturally want to hold the initiative.
In a nutshell, I want to be the Sword of Damocles hanging over the head of your second son!"
"Heh!" Duan Hongqing laughed coldly, "So you think you're better than my second son, is that it?"