Jiang Yan was looking for Xiao Lan, while Pan Baohua was searching for Bai Zhenzhu.
Pan Baohua was at his peak enthusiasm when Bai Zhenzhu suddenly disappeared from the guesthouse…
Zhou Cheng remained remarkably calm under the gaze of two people.
“They haven’t left. Xiao Lan has a business partner who arrived in Qiong Island, so she and Zhenzhu went to meet them.”
Xiao Lan wasn’t directing Bai Zhenzhu in some playing-hard-to-get scheme, trying to make Pan Baohua value her more by suddenly disappearing. They were all practical people; such games were pointless.
She truly did have a business partner arrive in Qiong Island.
Zhu Suizhou couldn’t wait any longer.
It was already April, and the Asia Department Store in Shang City hadn’t resumed construction. The museum that Xiao Lan designed for the Xu family was almost complete, yet Asia, which had started construction earlier, remained unfinished – evidence of how severely delayed the project had become.
Zhu Suizhou needed to meet Xiao Lan, but she had been busy searching for Tang Xiaugu and had no time to discuss this matter. After reuniting with Mother Yu and her daughter, she had to handle numerous official matters, and then there were the imminent changes in Qiong Island. Naturally, she had put Asia aside.
While the Asia project had seemed profitable before, it now paled in comparison to the opportunities in Qiong Island.
The Qiong Island matters were more important!
Zhu Suizhou was furious, believing Xiao Lan was deliberately playing games… but he couldn’t directly confront her, as the Asia Department Store couldn’t afford further delays.
Shortly after Xiao Lan arrived in Qiong Island, Zhu Suizhou followed.
Not just Zhu Suizhou, but Du Chengrong’s Second Madam also came to Qiong Island.
When Bai Zhenzhu heard that the Du family members were coming, she insisted on acting as Xiao Lan’s bodyguard.
The three parties arranged to meet in Ye City.
“Manager Zhu, it’s been a while!”
“Second Madam, I’ve heard about Second Young Master’s situation. You must take good care of yourself.”
While Zhu Suizhou responded politely to Xiao Lan, the Second Madam’s expression remained cold.
Xiao Lan was Du Zhaozhui’s ally, partnering with him to defeat her son. If not for losing that 5% shareholding competition, how would Zhaoqi have gotten involved in smuggling and ultimately landed himself in prison?
Second Madam hated Du Zhaozhui, and also hated Du Chengrong for ‘standing by and watching.’
Similarly, she hated Xiao Lan.
But Xiao Lan was right about one thing – Second Madam did need to take care of herself. Besides Du Zhaoqi, who was sentenced to death with reprieve, the Second Madam had other children. Now that Du Chengrong was acting as if he didn’t want to manage affairs, Second Madam knew that if she fell, Du Zhaozhui would crush all her children.
With Zhaoqi in prison, she had to support the Second House.
At the very least, she needed to take over and manage the businesses Zhaoqi had earned.
This was why the Second Madam came to Qiong Island with Zhu Suizhou.
Suppressing her hatred, Second Madam spoke calmly:
“Thank you for your concern, Miss Xia. I’ve come with Mr. Zhu to discuss the Asia shareholding matter with you.”
Xiao Lan nodded, “What are your thoughts, Second Madam?”
Second Madam looked toward Zhu Suizhou.
Xiao Lan immediately understood. These two coming to Qiong Island together wasn’t just about coordinating travel – they had reached some sort of agreement.
What choice had Zhu Suizhou made?
This man had chosen to help Second Madam again.
Zhu Suizhou didn’t avoid Xiao Lan’s gaze. He knew she had made a big name for herself during the Hong Kong stock market crash and now had substantial capital… but this made him even more wary of her.
“The opinion in Shang City is that Mr. Du is no longer suitable to hold shares in Asia, and I also feel that given his current life circumstances, he won’t be able to make any business decisions in the near term. With Mr. Du’s consent, his 80% shares in Chaoyang Real Estate will be transferred to his mother, meaning Second Madam will become the new owner of Chaoyang Real Estate.”
Du Zhaoqi originally held 80% of Chaoyang Real Estate’s shares.
Chaoyang Real Estate owned 82% of the Shang City Asia Department Store, so Du Zhaoqi indirectly held 65.6% of Asia Department Store’s shares, making him unquestionably the largest shareholder.
The second-largest shareholder was Xiao Lan, holding 18%.
The third-largest shareholder was Zhu Suizhou, holding 16.4%.
The first time Zhu Suizhou sold Chaoyang Real Estate shares, indirectly changing Asia Department Store’s shareholders, he had taken advantage of the timing to keep it from Xiao Lan. At that time, Xiao Lan had made it clear she would absolutely not allow this to happen a second time.
That’s why when Du Zhaoqi transferred his Chaoyang Real Estate shares to Second Madam, Zhu Suizhou had to come to Qiong Island with her.
This was to notify Xiao Lan about the change in Asia’s shareholders.
This change was due to force majeure, not Zhu Suizhou’s machinations – it was forced by circumstances.
But was that all there was to it?
Xiao Lan felt the matter wasn’t so simple.
“Please continue, Manager Zhu.”
Zhu Suizhou’s eyes flickered, “Second Madam would like to ask if you’d be willing to sell your 18% stake in Asia?”
“Oh? Now that Second Madam has taken over Chaoyang Real Estate, you’re eager to force me out?”
Xiao Lan smiled.
Second Madam’s anger flared.
To preserve Asia, the factory in Thailand had already been shut down. Asia was now the Second House’s most valuable asset.
But Second Madam wasn’t comfortable doing business with Xiao Lan.
Xiao Lan was Du Zhaozhui’s accomplice, surely harboring ill intentions, waiting to scheme against the Second House.
“What do you mean ‘force you out’? Why did Zhaoqi end up in prison, and why did it affect Asia Department Store’s construction? Miss Xia, you can pretend not to know, but Mr. Zhu has repeatedly tried to contact you to resolve Asia’s difficulties, and you’ve made excuses multiple times… Since Miss Xia no longer wishes to fulfill her shareholder responsibilities, why not sell your Asia shares to me!”
Xiao Lan frowned.
“Second Madam, I’m not pretending ignorance. Why did Second Young Master end up in prison and affect Asia Department Store’s construction? Because he was caught engaging in illegal smuggling and drug trafficking. I didn’t force him to commit crimes, did I? I haven’t even expressed anger as a shareholder, yet you’re taking the offensive first. Do you think my good nature means you can bully me at will!”
Wasn’t she just implying that Du Zhaoqi’s imprisonment was somehow her fault?
Nonsense, this was the Du family’s own business.
If anyone had sabotaged Du Zhaoqi the most, it was his father Du Chengrong.
Second Madam was just a bully who feared the strong – she didn’t dare confront Du Chengrong now that he was awake but came to make insinuations to her instead.
Xiao Lan wouldn’t give Second Madam a face; she had to make things clear. Everyone in the room was listening anyway, and she wasn’t the one involved in smuggling and drug trafficking – if anyone should be embarrassed, it was Second Madam herself!
“You—”
“Second Madam, let me talk with Miss Xia.”
Zhu Suizhou quickly interrupted.
If they continued, this would turn into an argument, and he had come to Qiong Island to solve problems.
“Miss Xia, let’s discuss business. Second Madam is understandably emotional and speaks with some heat. But Second Madam’s intention to buy your 18% stake is quite sincere. When you initially invested in Asia, you contributed 1.5 million US dollars in cash plus Building 45 on Er Qi Square, valued at 2 million US dollars total for 18% ownership. Now Second Madam is willing to pay 3 million US dollars for your 18% stake. What do you think of this offer?”
Oh?
The Asia Department Store was sitting there unmanaged, currently halted in construction, yet she could still make an extra million US dollars?!
Bai Zhenzhu listened in amazement.
Perhaps Xiao Lan was blood brothers with the God of Wealth, so every business venture turned profitable.
Would she sell?
Bai Zhenzhu watched Xiao Lan, as did everyone else in the room.
Xiao Lan only looked at Zhu Suizhou, giving a slight smile:
“…Do I look like I need that million dollars?”