Having just had his life saved by Yang Yi, Wu Wenjing was desperate to salvage his image by negotiating with Shen Wanqian on the spot.
Shen Wanqian found the sudden reversal astounding.
Just a moment ago, Wu Wenjing had been so overbearing he was threatening to humiliate him at the next board meeting.
And in the blink of an eye, he had completely swallowed his pride.
Wu Wenjing said, “President Shen, from now on, I’ll supply all the medicinal herbs for your company free of charge!”
Shen Wanqian was stunned.
‘Free?
That’s no small sum of money!’
This “free of charge” didn’t mean the herbs cost nothing; it meant Wu Wenjing was willing to pay for them out of his own pocket.
Shen Wanqian couldn’t help but marvel at the weight Yang Yi’s name carried.
It was true that skilled people were in high demand everywhere.
However, just because Wu Wenjing could be generous didn’t mean he could simply accept the offer.
A deal was only a deal if both sides stood to profit.
It didn’t matter if one party earned more and the other less.
But a deal where one side took a total loss was unsustainable.
If he agreed, there was no telling what problems might arise in the future.
Shen Wanqian said sternly, “President Wu, you can’t be serious!
Let’s stick to a normal business negotiation.”
But Wu Wenjing was dead serious.
“I’m not joking!
My life can’t be bought for any price!”
“I want to supply you for free.
I mean it with all my heart!”
Shen Wanqian glanced at Yang Yi, who smiled and said, “It’s your call, Uncle Shen.”
With Yang Yi’s go-ahead, Shen Wanqian relaxed.
“President Wu, how about this?
Supplying us for free is simply out of the question.”
“If you truly wish to repay Yang Yi, then at the very least, supply us at your cost price.”
Wu Wenjing didn’t seem satisfied.
He frowned and said, “No, that doesn’t show enough sincerity!”
“How about this?
I’ll give your company a fifty-percent discount off the cost price!”
Shen Wanqian inwardly gasped!
As if afraid he would refuse, Wu Wenjing made the final decision.
“It’s settled!
If you argue any further, President Shen, I’ll pull out of the partnership altogether!”
Shen Wanqian was exasperated.
“Well,” he said with a sigh, “if I were to refuse now, I’d just be ungrateful.”
Wu Wenjing laughed heartily.
“From now on, we’re not just business partners, but good friends outside of work, too!”
Shen Wanqian just smiled, not taking the comment to heart.
Wu Wenjing then turned to Shen Youwei.
“My dear niece, your father has a good eye!
You have to seize this opportunity!”
Shen Youwei’s pretty face flushed.
“Uncle Wu, please don’t play matchmaker.”
Wu Wenjing had a way with words and quickly closed the distance between them.
He first apologized for his earlier behavior, then offered them all sorts of membership cards, adopting the humblest possible attitude.
Shen Wanqian, of course, wasn’t one to hit a man who was smiling, so they chatted and laughed, erasing the earlier unpleasantness.
Only then did Wu Wenjing look at Yang Yi apprehensively.
“Divine Doctor Yang, my illness… is it cured?”
Yang Yi replied, “It’s halfway cured.
But don’t sleep at home for now.
I’ll pay you a visit there tomorrow or the day after.”
Wu Wenjing blinked.
“To my house?”
Yang Yi nodded.
“The cause of your illness is in your home.
I need to take a look at the site myself.”
The color drained from Wu Wenjing’s face.
He said quickly, “I understand!
I’ll be ready for your visit at any time!”
After exchanging contact information with Yang Yi, Wu Wenjing took his leave, promising to host a banquet another day to properly invite Yang Yi and the others.
He had come uninvited tonight and had been rude and disrespectful to Shen Wanqian.
He was simply too embarrassed to stay any longer.
A satisfied smile spread across Shen Wanqian’s face.
He then said with a sigh, “Xiaoyang, I really rode on your coattails tonight!
I feel quite ashamed.”
Yang Yi shook his head with a smile.
“You’re exaggerating, Uncle Shen.”
Shen Youwei smiled sweetly.
“Dad, it’s getting late.
I’ll take Yang Yi home.”
Shen Wanqian gave his daughter a curious look, a gratified smile appearing in his eyes.
‘Looks like my daughter, who always holds her head so high, is finally willing to come down to earth!’
“Alright, you can take Xiaoyang home.
I’m going to go downstairs and chat with some of the other presidents.”
“Xiaoyang, I’ll treat you to a private dinner some other day to properly thank you for your help tonight!”
Yang Yi gave a slight nod, then left the banquet hall with Shen Youwei.
Shen Youwei said softly, “Let me take you to get a bite to eat.
You didn’t eat anything in the hall.”
Yang Yi, completely missing the mood, replied, “Aunt Lin already made me dinner.
I can just go home and heat it up.
It’d be a waste otherwise.”
A flash of disappointment crossed Shen Youwei’s eyes.
The only reason she had offered to take him home was so they could have a chance to be alone together.
At that moment, she felt an indescribable sense of defeat.
Countless sons of wealthy businessmen and powerful figures had pulled all sorts of strings just for a chance to have a meal with her, all to no avail.
Now, she had taken the initiative to invite someone, and she had actually been rejected.
If anyone found out about this, those other young masters would surely drag Yang Yi out and beat him up.
For the first time, Shen Youwei felt utterly useless in front of a boy.
‘It seems even my looks, the one thing I’m most confident in, are completely ineffective against him!’
…
「The Banquet Hall.」
Hong Juntao led Su Changli and his family around, introducing them to a few executives, though none of them were particularly influential.
Moreover, their attitude toward Su Changli was quite dismissive; they clearly didn’t take him seriously at all.
Some even commented, half-jokingly, that they were surprised to see the likes of Su Changli at a Shen Family business gala.
This made Su Changli feel awkward, and Hong Juntao was also embarrassed, as the person who said it clearly wasn’t showing him much respect, so there was little he could do.
Naturally, Su Changli’s family of three was also unhappy, but every executive here was of a higher status than he was.
No matter how nasty their comments got, he didn’t dare show his anger.
Looking disgruntled, Hong Juntao said to Su Changli, “Uncle Su, let me take you to see President Shen!”
“Once you’ve partnered with the Wanqian Group, these people will naturally change their tune!”
Su Changli’s eyes lit up, and he nodded excitedly.
“Okay.”
And so, Hong Juntao led the three members of the Su family toward the stairs.
However, just as they reached the foot of the staircase, a server stopped them.
“I’m sorry, but you can’t go upstairs without President Shen’s permission.”
Hong Juntao’s brow furrowed sharply.
“Are you blind?!
Do you know who I am?”
“I’m on a ‘Grandpa Xu’ basis with the Divine Doctor Xu Renfeng, you get me?!”
The server froze for a moment, then his attitude became respectful.
Who in Nanzhou didn’t know the name of Divine Doctor Xu?
“Please wait a moment, sir.
I’ll go ask President Shen.
May I have your name?”
Hong Juntao tilted his head back and said arrogantly, “Hong Juntao!”
The server quickly turned and went upstairs to announce him.
Hong Juntao then turned to Su Changli.
“Uncle Su, Nanzhi, just watch.”
“In a minute, President Shen’s secretary will definitely come down to personally escort us upstairs!”
“When those people downstairs see President Shen’s secretary fetching us, they’ll definitely be trying to curry favor with you later!”
Su Nanzhi smiled sweetly.
“If that happens, we’ll be basking in your glory, Brother Hong.”
Hong Juntao savored the compliment, looking utterly smug.
“Of course.
I’m not in the same league as that guy named Yang!”