Chapter 657: Lady Ouyang's Hidden Worries

Zhongshu Group Headquarters Building, 17th floor.

"President Xie, this way please."

"Thank you."

Led by a female assistant, Xie Sister Shu Yu walked into the conference room on the inner side.

After pouring her a cup of hot water, the female assistant bowed and withdrew, gently closing the door behind her.

Xie Sister Shu Yu did not sit down; instead, she strode over to the massive floor-to-ceiling window.

Looking down upon the bustling yet unfamiliar city beneath her feet, her eyes were nevertheless filled with gloom.

Just moments ago, she had met with the Operations Director of [Shu Shu Xian].

The result was far from ideal.

The other party neither admitted to any issues during delivery nor mentioned contract termination compensation even once.

They simply kept playing push-and-pull games, shirking all responsibility completely.

Xie Sister Shu Yu had seen and dealt with many such seasoned corporate veterans.

If this were a normal business cooperation, she could fully initiate legal proceedings, forcibly terminate the contract, and settle the matter by paying a modest penalty.

However, behind [Shu Shu Xian] stood [Zhongshu Group].

This enterprise, with its deep state-owned capital background, was the logistics and catering leader of the entire Southwest region—a true "local dragon."

Currently, for all [Glimmer Coffee] stores in the Southwest region, apart from cold-chain transportation, the suppliers behind every other core material in use bore more or less the shadow of [Zhongshu Group].

Glimmer Coffee had only just entered the Southwest market.

She was unwilling to engage in legal disputes with them and drag down their upcoming expansion plans.

After a prolonged stalemate.

That Operations Director had someone bring her here to wait for the person in charge of [Shu Shu Xian], General Manager Chen Hao.

According to information provided by Meng Ran, this second-generation heir was not an easy character to deal with.

He was quite arrogant and eager to achieve results to inherit the family business, so he attached extreme importance to the [Shu Shu Xian] division.

"Knock, knock, knock—" The sound of knocking suddenly rang out.

Xie Sister Shu Yu immediately turned around, looking toward the door.

Immediately after, the conference room door was pushed open.

A man in his early thirties walked in, accompanied by an assistant.

He wore a meticulously tailored Zegna suit and a pair of delicate rimless glasses; his appearance was quite handsome,

except that his eyes, which were always slightly narrowed, ruined the overall impression.

Having seen countless people, Xie Sister Shu Yu formed a rough impression of him at a single glance.

A second-generation heir fed too much on family background and power, making him overly arrogant.

As soon as he entered, his gaze landed unabashedly on Xie Sister Shu Yu.

Looking at that tall, dignified, and radiant figure, undisguised admiration flashed in his eyes.

At 175 centimeters, with fair skin and a curvaceous figure, Xie Sister Shu Yu was a genuine beauty wherever she went.

She had long grown accustomed to such gazes and displayed no unusual expression on her face.

"You must be the renowned President Xie? I am Chen Hao, very pleased to meet you. I didn't expect President Xie to be so beautiful." Chen Hao took a few quick steps forward to stand before her.

His words carried a hint of frivolity.

Seemingly unaware, Xie Sister Shu Yu smiled and said, "Hello, President Chen. I have long heard of your reputation."

After a round of polite pleasantries, Chen Hao took his seat at the head of the table.

Looking at her, he said, "President Xie, regarding some minor issues that arose in our previous cooperation, I have severely criticized the subordinates involved. Rest assured, I guarantee such things will never happen again."

These words caused Xie Sister Shu Yu to pause slightly in surprise.

She hadn't expected the other party to adopt such a low posture and directly admit their mistake.

This was completely different from the attitude of that Director Wang from earlier.

After a moment of contemplation, she still followed her original plan and spoke politely: "President Chen exaggerates. Actually, this is mainly due to [Glimmer Coffee]'s own strategic development. We wish to upgrade our national supply chain system, so we have to suspend current cooperation with some regional suppliers. I hope you can understand."

"Oh?" A smile remained on Chen Hao's face, as if her decision came as no surprise. "Would President Xie be willing to share your company's development plans? Let's just treat it as a casual chat between friends; I'd like to learn a thing or two."

Xie Sister Shu Yu's eyebrows lifted imperceptibly, and she took a soft breath.

She began to clearly and logically recount Glimmer Coffee's future national layout and its higher requirements for the supply chain in a low voice.

No matter what, she did not want to offend the other party and hoped to resolve the issue smoothly.

Inside the conference room, her intellectual and magnetic mature female voice echoed.

Chen Hao's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Once Xie Sister Shu Yu finished speaking, he even voluntarily clapped his hands, displaying a sincere smile on his face as he praised, "President Xie is truly remarkable! Far-sighted and full of courage! Moreover, I heard your company has reached a deep strategic cooperation with [Yuntong Yuntong Zhicui]; it is truly admirable."

"Thank you for President Chen's recognition," Xie Sister Shu Yu replied modestly. "I just visited Yunnan Province last week to meet President Zhao of [Yuntong Yuntong Zhicui], and both sides had a very pleasant discussion."

Chen Hao leaned his body forward slightly, his gaze fixed straight on her.

Finally, he revealed his true intentions: "To be honest, President Xie. I personally am very optimistic about the future of [Glimmer Coffee], or rather—I am very optimistic about you, President Xie. I hope that our cooperation can become even deeper."

Xie Sister Shu Yu's brows furrowed slightly, though she maintained her professional smile: "Oh? I wonder what brilliant ideas President Chen has?"

"Very simple." Chen Hao's smile became one of certainty. "First, we can immediately optimize the supply chain, providing Glimmer with the highest priority delivery tier to help you complete cold-chain transportation across the nation. As for the price, I will lower it another five percent for you."

"Second, you may not know that under our [Zhongshu Group], there is also a chain coffee brand named [Coffee Time], which owns 21 directly operated stores across the Southwest region. Through cross-shareholding, we can merge this brand directly into [Glimmer Coffee], saving you the enormous effort of finding stores and expanding in new markets."

"Third, and most importantly, for Glimmer's future Series B financing, I, along with the [Zhongshu Group] behind me, can also participate. How about it, President Xie—are you satisfied with this cooperation proposal?"

He believed no entrepreneur could refuse such a tempting "gift package."

This meeting itself had been carefully planned by him.

The reason he had the Operations Director wear down Xie Sister Shu Yu's patience for an hour before making his own late entrance was itself a negotiation tactic, intended to make the upcoming cooperation proceed more smoothly.

He wanted to achieve results to add chips to his future inheritance of the entire [Zhongshu Group]; the [Shu Shu Xian] business alone was far from enough.

If he could facilitate deep cooperation with [Glimmer Coffee], this emerging potential brand, revitalize that half-dead coffee brand under the group, and even use this to enter the national market, it would undoubtedly make his achievements even more brilliant.

It was just that he hadn't expected Xie Sister Shu Yu herself to be so beautiful.

Especially that dignified and intellectual aura of a powerful woman filled him with a strong desire to conquer.

He didn't mind engaging in some even "deeper" cooperation with her.

Hence the investment temptation of the third point.

Xie Sister Shu Yu's hand holding the water cup paused, a flicker of emotion passing through her eyes.

As an extremely rational businesswoman, she could naturally calculate clearly the immense value hidden behind Chen Hao's words.

Directly acquiring a mature brand with 21 stores meant [Glimmer Coffee] could instantly seize the bridgehead of the entire Southwest market at the lowest cost and fastest speed.

And capital investment from [Zhongshu Group] meant she would gain a powerful ally with deep state-owned capital background and local resources.

This temptation was simply too great.

However, having navigated the business world for many years, she also saw the greed hidden within Chen Hao.

[Zhongshu Group] was a true behemoth, the absolute leader in the entire Southwest catering sector. Once they entered as shareholders, they could easily use capital operations and asymmetric resource advantages to gradually dilute and gnaw away, eventually swallowing [Glimmer Coffee] whole.

She had seen too many such "trading with a tiger for its skin" deals.

Most importantly, Chen Hao's gaze had carried a sticky discomfort that made her extremely uneasy from start to finish.

Now that she had already gotten together with Tang Song, she naturally would not create any unnecessary entanglements with other men for the sake of her career.

Tang Song had already done enough for her; she could not bring him any more trouble.

Thinking of this, all greed in Xie Sister Shu Yu's heart was instantly extinguished.

"President Chen, your cooperation proposal is very sincere and highly forward-looking. Thank you for your high regard for our Glimmer Coffee."

"However, Glimmer Coffee's Series A investor is a very low-profile independent investor."

"He has his own clear and assertive plans regarding the company's equity structure and future development pace."

"So—I'm afraid I must disappoint you."

She skillfully shaped Tang Song into the image of a "mysterious and domineering" behind-the-scenes big shot, hoping to make the other party cautious. "Oh? An independent investor? Sounds quite impressive." Chen Hao leaned back in his chair, slowly removing his glasses. "How about this, President Xie: invite him out so we can chat face-to-face? I believe the strength of our [Zhongshu Group] will definitely gain the recognition of any top-tier investor."

The atmosphere in the reception room gradually became heavy.

Xie Sister Shu Yu looked at him and said, "I think—that won't be necessary."

"Hehe." Chen Hao clasped his hands in front of him and leaned back. "President Xie, no need to rush to reject. Glimmer's business in the Southwest has only just begun; the road ahead is long. You can take your time to consider."

Xie Sister Shu Yu's expression paused slightly; she naturally heard the subtext in his words.

She also understood that smoothly canceling the logistics cooperation today was impossible.

Taking a deep breath, she put that polite smile back on her face. "Very well, thank you for President Chen's reminder. I have other arrangements, so I will take my leave first."

Chen Hao stood up, looking at her with slightly narrowed eyes. "Let's go, President Xie. I'll see you out."

The afternoon sun in Rongcheng shone upon her, yet Xie Sister Shu Yu felt not a shred of warmth, finding it only blindingly harsh.

"Ring-ring—"

Her mobile phone suddenly rang.

[Meng Ran]

Xie Sister Shu Yu answered the call. "Hello, Li Ranran."

"Li Xiaoyu, are you done talking? How did it go?"

"We couldn't reach an agreement." Xie Sister Shu Yu pressed her dry lips together, her voice carrying a hint of exhaustion. "Moreover—a new problem has arisen."

She briefly recounted her conversation with Chen Hao.

Meng Ran fell silent for a long time before sighing. "In the end, it's because [Glimmer Coffee] is too valuable now and has been targeted. Upstream supply chain has [Yuntong Yuntong Zhicui], and downstream marketing has [Starry Cloud International Group]. Especially Starry Cloud International,"

"You might not have followed recent developments, but it has received support from major capital and is currently expanding frantically—"

Hearing her words, Xie Shu Yu quickly understood.

With Wen Wen Ruan's strong support, the cooperation between [Glimmer Coffee] and [Nebula International] was a comprehensive, deep binding.

It was even frequently reported as a typical case of "empowering new consumer brands," appearing on Nebula's list of important external partnerships.

This was also a crucial reason for Glimmer's smooth development over the past few months.

In the eyes of those with ulterior motives, it was a fat sheep about to soar to the heavens.

Entering at a low price now through "cross-shareholding" would yield astonishing returns in the future.

Hanging up the phone, she got into a taxi.

Looking out the car window, Xie Shu Yu glanced at the Zhongshu Group headquarters building, which loomed like a colossal beast, and a deep sense of dread and fear surged within her heart.

[Zhongshu Group] was a true giant of the southwest, a Fortune 500 enterprise in Huaxia with annual revenues of tens of billions.

Behind it lay not only deep support from local industrial funds but also the responsibility of employing tens of thousands; its relationship with the local government was deeply intertwined and firmly rooted.

She simply could not afford to provoke them.

Yet she had no choice but to face them.

It seemed that once Tang Song arrived in Rongcheng, she would have to have a serious talk with him, no matter what.

She hoped they could find a compromised solution.

The taxi drove along streets bustling with traffic.

Leaning against the car window, Xie Shu Yu felt a profound sense of powerlessness welling up in her heart.

At the same time.

By the Huanhua Creek, stood an independent Chinese-style courtyard nestled among century-old ginkgo and nanmu trees.

Inside the study, on a massive rosewood desk,

lay sheets of fine Huizhou rice paper.

The air was filled with a faint scent of ink and wood, settled by the passage of time.

Lady Ouyang Lady Ouyang Xianyue held a purple-hair brush, focused and calm, her brushstrokes dancing like dragons and snakes.

She wore an improved qipao tailored from top-tier Song brocade, which perfectly outlined her mature and graceful figure, exuding elegance and nobility.

Opposite her sat an elderly woman nearing sixty, well-preserved, sitting quietly.

Watching her daughter's fluid movements, her eyes were full of maternal love, yet hid a trace of unnoticed worry.

"Little Bear, now that you're back, stay home for a few more days. No matter how busy company matters are, you must take care of your health."

Lady Ouyang Lady Ouyang Xianyue stopped her brush and carefully examined the character "Jing" (Stillness) on the rice paper, which possessed natural strength and style.

Calmly, she said, "Don't worry, Mom. I will be staying in Rongcheng for a while this time; there are very important matters to attend to."

"Little Bear" was her childhood nickname, given to her by her grandfather, an academician hailed as a "National Scholar."

He hoped she would be as healthy and strong as a little bear.

However, at her current age and status, only her mother would address her this way in private.

"That's good." A hint of joy lit up her mother's eyes.

Seeing her daughter stop writing, she began to inquire about her health and work.

While answering, Lady Ouyang Lady Ouyang Xianyue moved to the tea table by the window.

With skilled movements, she brewed a pot of Ganlu tea from Mengding Mountain for both of them.

The tea aroma curled upwards, refreshing the heart and soul.

After taking a sip of tea, her mother looked at her daughter's face, which appeared even more magnificent amidst the misty vapor, and slowly spoke:

"Your skill in preparing tea is increasingly reminiscent of your grandfather's style in his prime. Seeing Tangyi flourish under your guidance to such a splendid state, he would surely be proud of you from heaven."

She paused, then shifted her tone, her voice gentle yet meaningful, "However, Little Bear, no matter how lush its branches and leaves grow, or how stable its roots become, for a great tree to truly endure for a hundred years, new branches must sprout to better withstand wind and rain, isn't that so?"

Lady Ouyang Lady Ouyang Xianyue set down her teacup, looked up at her mother, and said with a ambiguous smile, "What? Did my father send you to 'hint' at me again?"

Her mother's expression turned slightly awkward, then melted into a soft sigh: "It is time to make plans for the long term regarding certain matters; your grandfather likely won't make it through this winter."

Lady Ouyang Lady Ouyang Xianyue's movements paused, a trace of dimness flashing in her eyes.

The towering giant tree that had sheltered her from wind and rain was ultimately going to fall.

Seeing her expression, her mother couldn't help but continue persuading, "Furthermore, Lin Qiming has been gone for so many years, and you are all alone—Mom really feels heartbroken seeing this. Now that Tangyi Precision has grown so vast, you should also consider your own personal matters."

Hearing the name of her late husband,

Lady Ouyang Lady Ouyang Xianyue remained silent for a moment before slowly shaking her head.

"I have my own affairs under control; now is not the time."

Nowadays, the seemingly stable massive power behind her was nothing more than an extremely delicate balance between two pillars.

On one side was her own Lady Ouyang family, along with the deeply intertwined domestic political and business resources inherited from that brief marriage; this was her "root."

On the other side was the [Tang-Jin Family Office], representing top-tier international financial capital; this was her "wings."

With deep roots, one can stand invincible; with strong wings, one can soar above the nine heavens.

But once she chose to remarry, or even had descendants, this fragile balance would be instantly and completely shattered.

And now, it was far from the time to reveal her hand.

"Jin Meixiao—" Lady Ouyang Lady Ouyang Xianyue whispered to herself, her eyes deep and dark.

Jin Meixiao and Anne Kate represented international consortia full of uncertainty and danger.

She needed to slowly change and influence the situation, utilizing her family's resources to provide a safety net for Tang Song, preventing him from being devoured by those greedy capitals.

After all, Jin Meixiao controlled the daily operations of the entire Tang-Jin system.

Moreover, Tang Song had been "invisible" all these years.

Once Tang Song truly "disappeared," she would become the legitimate actual controller.

In her view, the relationship between Tang Song and Jin Meixiao, beyond the gratitude of being recognized talent, was likely just the "love" cultivated over these years.

That Jin Meixiao loved Tang Song was beyond doubt.

But how deep was this affection? Who could guarantee it?

Ridiculously enough, what she feared most every day now was that Jin Meixiao, provoked by Tang Song's promiscuity, might develop murderous intent.

This temptation was simply too great.

If it were her, facing a "partner" whose loyalty was questionable and who possessed countless beautiful female companions,

while holding absolute power to replace him, she might—would perhaps—feel tempted.

Even if not now, what about later?

Once Tang Song had children with others... this was the fundamental reason she was forced into the "harem" struggle.

She had to cultivate another force within the family office capable of rivaling Jin Meixiao, on behalf of Tang Song.

Forming an internal, healthy balance of power would ensure Tang Song's safety and the stability of the entire "Tang-Jin" system.

However, currently, whether it was Su Yu or Liu Liu Liu Qingning, neither was mature enough; each had their own fatal flaws.

Su Yu possessed top-tier beauty and the halo of a national goddess, with hundreds of millions of fans and unparalleled social influence.

But her core was too fragile and far too unstable.

Lady Ouyang Lady Ouyang Xianyue knew clearly that Su Yu's feelings for Tang Song had reached a level that was nearly pathological and obsessive.

This emotion was both her strongest weapon and her most fatal weakness.

Liu Liu Liu Qingning, on the contrary,

shared a deep bond with Tang Song spanning over a decade, unmatched by anyone.

She herself was intelligent and rational, a top graduate from Imperial Capital University.

But her vision and tactics were still far from sufficient.

Just as her thoughts churned,

"Ding—"

The phone on the tea table suddenly lit up.

Lady Ouyang Lady Ouyang Xianyue glanced at it and instantly sat up straight; a burst of intense brilliance erupted in those eyes that were usually calm and untroubled.

[Tang Song: "Long time no see, Lady Ouyang."]