Water and Fire~Chapter 93.1: Protecting Yourself is So Cool

 

Chapter 93.1: Protecting Yourself is So Cool

Faced with Tan Shen's blunt opposition, Qian Siji's smile nearly faltered.

He calmed himself by drinking from the cup of tea in front of him. By the time he put the cup back down, his smile was back.

He said to the other directors, "Let's vote, too."

The result was clearly in his favor.

Qian Siji turned to Tan Shen and smiled, "Mr. Tan, look, except for Eagle Capital, everyone else has passed the resolution."

The implication was clear, and everyone in the meeting room could sense it. So, your objection was pointless; this matter still depends on my decision.

Tan Shen looked at Qian Siji and smiled, a smile with a slightly ambiguous meaning.

Then he glanced at Chu Qianmiao, who was sitting diagonally across from him. He smiled back at her, a smile that held a hint of mystery, but ultimately not malice. It seemed as if he was telling her not to worry and just wait for the next step.

Then Tan Shen whispered something to his colleague, who pulled a document from his briefcase. Tan Shen took it, flipped to the back, and handed it to Qian Siji.

Then he laughed heartily and said, "Mr. Qian may have forgotten that we at Eagle Capital have a veto over the company's financial operations."

His words landed like a bomb, instantly changing the expressions of everyone involved.

Qian Siji's expression completely faltered. His smile vanished, and his brows were clenched into a peak.

Chu Qianmiao was startled when she heard the word "veto." She quickly exchanged glances with Ren Yan, then with Tang Jie from the accounting department.

Everyone was equally surprised.

At that moment, Chu Qianmiao cursed Qian Siji in her heart without hesitation.

Qian Siji had kept the existence of the "veto" secret from them. If such a thing really existed, the "veto power" clause should have been completely eliminated when Liya converted from a limited liability company to a joint-stock company.

Chu Qianmiao quickly recalled the investment agreement between Liya and Yingji Capital. She reviewed it thoroughly in her mind, confirming that there wasn't a single word mentioning a "veto power."

Therefore, there was only one possibility: Qian Siji and Yingji Capital must have had a supplementary agreement in addition to the original investment agreement, and the veto power was included in that supplementary agreement. Later, when the intermediaries were collecting working papers, Liya only gave them the investment agreement, not the supplementary agreement. She remembered asking Liya's legal department if any supplementary agreement had been signed. They firmly said no.

She was completely speechless about this company. She wanted to buy a sack and a stick and beat Qian Siji up after completing this project. He always concealed crucial information related to the IPO, never willing to share any information until pressed for it. And when he finally did, it was often incomplete.

He and every intermediary kept secrets, as if they would harm him if they knew all the information. Little did he know that if he didn't disclose this information, which he thought was harmless, not only would the company fail to pass the review and go public, but the company itself and all the intermediaries would also face accountability and penalties from regulators for inaccurate and incomplete information disclosure and significant omissions.

Although she was furious, Chu Qianmiao knew she had to remain calm for now. The most pressing issue was the loan.

Qian Siji looked up from the document in front of him and looked at Tan Shen.

Tan Shen smiled at him and said, "Mr. Qian, please repay the five million you borrowed from the subsidiary as soon as possible, and refrain from borrowing funds from the company or its subsidiaries in the future. No matter how many times the company's money changes hands, it's not your own money. Please keep this in mind in the future."

Tan Shen's smile was polite and even seemed a little warm, but his words were sharp, each one like a needle piercing Qian Siji's precious pride.

But he ultimately gave in to his investor father, regained his smile, and said, "Okay, everything will be as Mr. Tan says."

The meeting adjourned.

Chu Qianmiao hadn't expected that it would be Tan Shen who ultimately saved the day.

After the meeting, Qian Siji escorted Tan Shen and the registered director of Li Ya from Yingji Capital to the elevator. The two sides said goodbye warmly, seemingly without any grudges or bad blood.

Afterwards, Ren Yan intercepted Qian Siji, and the two went to the chairman's office to discuss matters.

Chu Qianmiao took another elevator to the first floor.

As she exited the elevator and was about to run toward the office building lobby, she heard a voice from the elevator door behind her.

"Qian Miao."

Chu Qianmiao stopped and turned to see Tan Shen. He was standing in front of another elevator door, as if he knew she would come and waited there.

His colleague, as if he had been instructed, stood aside.

She walked over and greeted Tan Shen.

Before she could explain her intentions, Tan Shen spoke first.

His eyes fixed on her face, his gaze greedily fixed on her. He said softly, "I've heard my colleagues talk about Qian Siji. He said he likes to act and is secretive about everything he does. He was the same when he started his company, even asking his cousin to hold his shares on his behalf. So," he paused, looking at Chu Qianmiao, "he must not have told you that he and Yingji Capital also signed a supplementary agreement to the investment agreement."

Chu Qianmiao thought, as expected.

She half-raised her head and said to Tan Shen, "Shen, can I see the supplemental agreement to the investment agreement you brought?"

Tan Shen smiled at her and pulled the document directly from his briefcase. "I knew you'd chase me down and ask for it. Here, take a picture."

Chu Qianmiao felt that Tan Shen was a truly astute person, having even anticipated what she was planning to do.

She had completely lost confidence in Qian Siji. She was worried that the supplemental agreement Qian Siji would bring her later might have issues, so she had come after Tan Shen, hoping to get a picture of his copy so she could compare it with Qian Siji's version later.

Tan Shen had thought of all this beforehand.

Chu Qianmiao sometimes felt that Tan Shen truly rivaled Ren Yan in some respects: appearance, talent, and strategic planning abilities.

It was strange that she could fall for Ren Yan a second time, but never for Tan Shen. She wondered if she was afraid to fall for him. His hidden romantic interest made her feel insecure.

After quickly snapping photos page by page, she returned the documents to Tan Shen.

Tan Shen took the documents and asked with a smile, "How are you going to thank me?"

Chu Qianmiao immediately said, "If there's anything I can help you with in the future, just ask me."

Tan Shen narrowed his eyes. "There's something you can do for me."

Chu Qianmiao, ready to go through fire and water, raised her chin. "Go ahead."

Tan Shen, "Take me out for dinner when you get back to Beijing."

"But I'm not sure when I'll be back."

Tan Shen looked at her deeply. He sighed, then smiled. "Forget it. There's no point in forcing you to treat me. Wait until you truly want to."

Chu Qianmiao looked at his smile, just like when he first entered the meeting room. He lowered himself and tried to please her.

She felt a little sorry.

Tan Shen continued to smile at her, a hint of solemnity in his smile. "Qian Miao, everything I did today was for you. But you don't need to be grateful for my kindness. Just know that I'm willing to treat you well unconditionally."

Just then, Tan Shen's colleague approached him and said, "The car's here. We should leave."

Tan Shen turned his head to deal with him, telling him to get out first, and he immediately followed.

His colleague left first.

Chu Qian Miao's heart had softened as a puddle of mud. But she knew she couldn't let this softness sway her; it had nothing to do with love.

She said to Tan Shen, "Okay, I'll treat you to dinner when we get home, and I'll invite Senior Huang Ying along."

Tan Shen's phone rang. He answered. It was his colleague, urging him to hurry up and get in the car.

Tan Shen said, "I know. Stop pushing." He spoke coldly, his patience stretched to its limit, fully exposed to his colleague.

The colleague didn't dare to talk any more and hung up.

Chu Qianmiao thought, unknowingly, Tan Shen had already become quite authoritative in the business world.

He hung up the phone and looked at her sternly. This time, the first name he mentioned was Ren Yan.

"Qian Miao, Ren Yan isn't right for you. He's too rational. Being too rational means he lacks sensibility and humanity. Being with a man like that would be exhausting. He wouldn't let you know if he liked you, or to what extent. If you were with him, you'd have to guess everything, and you'd feel incredibly insecure."

He paused, his expression almost solemn. "Besides, he has a lot of secrets. Don't even think about trying to find out what they are. A man with secrets essentially excludes you from his inner self. Can you spend your life with someone like that? Furthermore, if he ever breaks up, no matter how much you try to persuade him, no matter how heartbroken you are, he won't look back. He's a cold-hearted and hard-hearted person."

After hearing the last part, Chu Qian Miao had a vague idea where he'd drawn these conclusions.

But she still asked, "Why do you know Ren Yan so well?"

Tan Shen scoffed and said, "Have you forgotten that Li Tang and I were classmates abroad? I know all about how Ren Yan broke up with her. I can still vividly remember how Li Tang managed to get through it."

Chu Qianmiao thought, as expected. He had heard it from Li Tang.

She said to Tan Shen, "Ah Shen, I think I've told you more than once that Ren Yan and I are really not what you think. We don't have any personal relationship between men and women. He and I are truly just boss and subordinate."

Tan Shen looked at her. He finally smiled again.

His face shifted, from the slightly gloomy young talent he had just been, to the sunny boy he once was.

"I told you I still had a chance."

"..."

Chu Qianmiao thought for a moment, deciding she had to make her position clear. "Ah Shen, you're overthinking it."

Tan Shen, however, acted as if he hadn't heard her and jokingly changed the subject, saying, "I have to go. If I wait any longer, my colleagues might get into trouble."

With that, he turned and walked away. He waved back without looking back, bidding her farewell with his tall, straight figure.

Chu Qianmiao sighed.

She couldn't quite place the meaning of that sigh. Was it the quirkiness of this project, Tan Shen's persistence, or perhaps the comments others had made about Ren Yan?