The next morning.
Several financial tabloids and wine industry media in Paris published news about Montlais Winery almost simultaneously.
The headlines were more eye-catching than the last.
"Mrs. Montclair makes high-profile appearance at Paris wine gala, debt collection crisis may see a turning point"
"Mysterious Eastern consultant enters Bordeaux, Asian orders to save century-old winery"
"250,000 euros for an anonymous oil painting, suspected to be linked to the Wendell Family collection"
"Paris Union Bank valuation report questioned, is Montlais Winery's assets undervalued?"
"Mysterious buyer appears at Drouot minor auction, Bernard Leclerc fails to outbid."
Isabella sat at the end of the long table, a cup of black coffee beside her.
Her fingers gently pressed down on the photo.
Footsteps sounded at the door.
Jiang Lin walked into the study.
Isabella looked up at him.
"How long did you sleep?"
"Three hours."
"Too little."
"It's enough."
She pushed a newspaper toward him.
"Did you see it?"
"The headlines aren't ruthless enough."
"This isn't enough?"
"No one has publicly written about the bank maliciously undervaluing assets, nor has anyone written about Pierre taking 200,000 euros from Lemaire Wine."
Alain looked up immediately.
"Mr. Jiang, these cannot be released directly right now. The chain of evidence still needs to be supplemented, and the wording needs to be cautious."
Jiang Lin nodded.
"So, keep them for now."
Isabella looked at him.
"Until when?"
"Until they think they are safe."
At this moment, Martin knocked and entered.
"Madam, the people from Paris Union Bank have arrived."
Isabella looked up.
"Moro?"
"Mr. Moro is also here, but the team is led by Mr. Bruno Renard."
Alain's expression changed slightly.
"Bruno? He is the Vice President of the Southern Region for Union Bank."
Jiang Lin smiled.
"They arrived faster than I thought."
Isabella put down her coffee cup.
"Please show them in."
A few minutes later, Bruno Renard walked into the study.
He was around fifty years old.
Tall, his hair meticulously groomed, wearing a dark grey suit.
Moro followed behind him.
Bruno bowed slightly to Isabella first.
"Mrs. Montclair, I am very sorry for the unpleasantness caused to you over the past few days."
Isabella did not get up.
"Mr. Renard, what the bank has brought me is, I'm afraid, more than just unpleasantness."
"I came here personally, hoping to keep the misunderstanding within a smaller scope."
Jiang Lin sat to the side, gently flipping through the newspaper.
"A misunderstanding?"
Bruno looked at him then.
"Mr. Jiang."
"Mr. Renard."
Their eyes met.
"Madam, Mr. Jiang, we are willing to re-examine the debt structure of Montlais Winery and pause the debt collection."
Alain immediately picked up a pen.
Jiang Lin spoke first, however.
"Pausing is not enough."
Bruno looked at him.
"What does Mr. Jiang want?"
"Withdraw yesterday's valuation report of 3.8 million euros."
Bruno did not answer immediately.
"Re-evaluate the winery's assets, extend the existing debt for eighteen months, and pay only interest for the first six months. Cancel the supplementary mortgage clauses; the inventory of wine, trademark rights, and Asian channel contracts will no longer be treated as assets unilaterally taken over by the bank."
Bruno's expression finally darkened a bit.
"Mr. Jiang, the conditions you have proposed exceed the scope of normal commercial negotiation."
"The agreement you gave Mrs. Montclair yesterday also exceeded the scope of normal commercial negotiation."
"The bank can accept re-evaluation, and we can discuss an extension. Eighteen months is too long, and paying only interest for the first six months is also very difficult."
Jiang Lin looked at Alain.
"Alain, organize yesterday's agreement, Article 12, Article 21, Article 34, and the valuation discrepancies into a media summary."
Alain nodded immediately.
"Understood."
Bruno's brow twitched slightly.
Jiang Lin continued:
"Martin, contact the art magazine editor and the financial tabloid reporter from last night. Tell them they can have a brief interview this afternoon on the topic of bank valuation disputes and asset protection for widows."
Martin bowed.
"Very well."
Bruno's expression changed completely.
"Mr. Jiang, this is a threat."
Jiang Lin closed the newspaper.
"Mr. Renard, I am giving the bank a chance to step down with dignity."
He looked at Moro.
"When Mr. Moro forced Mrs. Montclair to sign, he did not give her any dignity."
Bruno finally softened his tone.
"An eighteen-month extension, I need board approval. Paying only interest for the first six months can be discussed. A joint appointment of an appraisal agency is acceptable. We can renegotiate the supplementary mortgage clauses."
Jiang Lin shook his head.
He picked up a pen and wrote a line on a piece of paper.
【Because the previous valuation failed to fully include the inventory of wine, brand rights, and Asian sales contracts, both parties agree to restart the asset appraisal process】
He pushed the paper over.
"This sentence."
Bruno took a look.
He thought for a long time, and finally nodded.
"I can take this back."
"Give me a formal reply before five o'clock this afternoon."
Bruno looked at Isabella.
"Madam, is this also your intention?"
Isabella picked up her coffee, her expression calm.
"Mr. Jiang represents me now."
"Then I will give you an answer this afternoon."
After the bank people left, Alain let out a long sigh of relief.
"Mr. Jiang, that was too risky just now. If the bank really turned against us, we would be in a very passive position."
"The fact that they brought Bruno here shows they don't want to turn against us."
"How are you sure?"
"Moro is still here."
Alain was stunned.
Jiang Lin explained.
"If the bank wanted to suppress us completely, they wouldn't let Moro continue to appear; they would cut him off internally. Conversely, it means the bank still wants to keep this line open."
Isabella looked at Jiang Lin, her eyes deeper than before.
"You are very familiar with how banks handle internal matters."
"People who have been chased for debt by banks are usually a bit more familiar with it."
Martin brought fresh coffee.
Isabella took a sip and suddenly said:
"Now let's talk about our business."
Jiang Lin looked up.
"Equity?"
"Yes."
Alain sat up straight immediately.
Isabella opened a folder.
"I had Alain prepare a preliminary proposal."
Jiang Lin took the document.
Jiang Lin to obtain 30% of the economic interest in Montlais Winery, to be realized in three stages.
Complete the first batch of Asian orders, gain 5% equity.
Assist the winery in completing the debt extension, gain an additional 5%.
Achieve Asian channel sales exceeding 10 million euros within one year, gain the remaining 5%.
There is also a right of first refusal, allowing for increased shareholding during future financing.
Jiang Lin finished reading and put down the document.
"That works."
As the fountain pen fell, text appeared before his eyes.
【Equity cooperation framework signed】
【Economic interest acquisition channel for Montlais Winery opened】
【Phase 1 equity: 10%, to be activated after the delivery of the first batch of Asian orders】
【Phase 2 equity: 10%, to be activated after the bank debt extension is completed】
【Phase 3 equity: 10%, to be activated after Asian sales exceed 10,000,000 euros】
【Target trust level: 80 → 84】
【Destiny investment relationship upgraded: Core Partner】
Isabella closed the file.
"Satisfied?"
"Satisfied for now."
"You really dare to say that."
"You can also be satisfied for now."
Isabella leaned back in her chair gently.
"I am indeed more satisfied now than I was two days ago."
The two looked at each other.
There was a subtle change in the air.
Alain coughed and stood up.
"I'll go handle the formal text."
Martin also left naturally.
Only Jiang Lin and Isabella remained in the study.
Isabella looked at Jiang Lin.
"Do you know? The night before last, I almost signed away this winery."
"I know."
"At that moment, I really thought Montlais was finished. They were all waiting for me to admit that a woman couldn't hold onto a winery."
She looked up at him.
"Yet you walked in and said this winery still has value."
"It always had value."
"Including me?"
"Including you."
A knock sounded at the door.
Martin's voice rang out.
"Madam, the formal itinerary from London has arrived."
Isabella withdrew her gaze.
"Come in."
Martin walked in, holding a freshly printed email.
"Mrs. Wendell's secretary confirmed that at ten o'clock in the morning three days from now, Wendell Castle will receive Mr. Jiang. She hopes Mrs. Montclair can accompany him."
Isabella took the email.
"Are there any other requirements?"
Martin glanced at Jiang Lin.
"Yes."
Jiang Lin asked: "What?"
"Mrs. Wendell hopes Mr. Jiang will bring the preliminary inspection data for the painting 'the lady in the grey dress by the window'."
Martin paused.
"She also hopes Mr. Jiang can look at a list of assets that the Wendell Family is currently auctioning before the meeting."
Isabella frowned.
"Asset list?"
"There is a simplified version in the email attachment."
He handed over the document.
Jiang Lin flipped through it.
Several assets were about to be disposed of.
A batch of old silverware.
Several family portraits.
Partial interests in a London property.
Woodland attached to Wendell Castle.
And one inconspicuous item.
【Small stake in Wendell Football Club, pending evaluation】
Jiang Lin's gaze paused.
Wendell Football Club.
In his past life, he had heard this name.
Currently, it was a debt-ridden small club in the lower English leagues, about to be sold.
A few years later, because of youth training talents, capital injection, and the skyrocketing Premier League broadcasting contracts, its valuation would multiply dozens of times.
Jiang Lin turned to that page, and his eyes lit up bit by bit.
System text appeared accordingly.
【Hidden investment target discovered】
【Name: Wendell Football Club shares】
【Current status: Debt-ridden, equity dispersed, old aristocratic family eager to sell】
【Future potential: Extremely high】
【Investment rating: A+】
【Related destiny target: Victoria Wendell】
【Tip: This asset can be the first piece of the puzzle to enter the British sports capital circle】
Isabella noticed the change in his expression.
"What did you see?"
Jiang Lin turned the document to that page and pushed it in front of her.
"This."
Isabella looked down.
"Football club?"
"Yes."
"Do you understand football?"
Jiang Lin smiled.
"Understand a little."
Isabella watched him quietly.
She had heard this sentence too many times.
"It seems the London trip will be more troublesome than I thought."
Before Jiang Lin could speak, his phone buzzed again.
Zhao Hong sent a message.
【Boss Jiang, Pierre went to the Lemaire Wine headquarters】
【He seems to want to make an issue of your identity】
【He also mentioned your business in Belleville】
Jiang Lin finished reading, his expression unchanged.
Isabella asked: "More trouble?"
"Pierre is not giving up."
"What does he want to do?"
"Check my background."
"Can your background withstand scrutiny?"
"It couldn't before."
"And now?"
"Now, I have Montlais Winery."
Isabella looked at him, wrote a line in French on a blank sheet of letterhead, and signed her name.
She handed the letter to Jiang Lin.
"What is this?"
"A personal guarantee letter from Mrs. Montclair."
She looked at him.
"From today on, your status in French high society is endorsed by me."
Jiang Lin took the letter and looked at Isabella.
"Does this count as continuing to double down?"
"It does."
She stood up and walked in front of him.
"Jiang Lin, don't make me lose money."
Jiang Lin put away the guarantee letter.
"You will earn a lot."