“Have you heard of XinSong Technology?” I shook my head blankly. She gave me a look as if I were an idiot. I cursed under my breath; what was so great about it? It’s just the leading enterprise in the IT industry. A few days ago, the old chairman passed away due to a heart attack, and now, more than a dozen branches under its umbrella are fighting tooth and nail for control. Although I rarely watch TV, the guests from all walks of life up there are like the most complete information network. Whether it’s some senator’s scandalous affair or the rags-to-riches story of some obscure tycoon, or even if you want to know whether the new litter of puppies in someone’s house are males or females, you can find out in the heavens. My surprise was merely because I didn’t see how this related to me. The woman handed me a pen, “This contract is for the transfer of 15% of XinSong’s shares. All you need to do is sign your name, Tang Xiaofan, and these 15% shares will be yours. The market value? It’s this figure.” She wrote down a series of numbers on the paper and smiled at me, seemingly expecting me to show a foolishly delighted expression. My heart skipped a few beats. I quickly pinched myself, trying to stay calm. Although I’m not highly educated, my roommate, Miss Archi, is a bookworm who loves to use idioms. Just a few days ago, she told me about the saying “those who offer kindness for no reason often have ulterior motives.” I took a deep breath and gave her a calm smile, “So?” Her face stiffened, obviously unhappy with my lack of enthusiasm. “Alright, I’ll make it brief. I’m transferring the shares to you, and people from XinSong will come to negotiate terms with you. Your condition will be,” she paused, looking at me word by word, “You tell them you want to marry XinSong’s crown prince.” It took me a moment to realize what she had said, and my first reaction was, “This woman is insane.” She didn’t seem offended and continued, “Whoever you marry, the shares will belong to them. Song Yuanguang lived too long and was too controlling; all those underlings are stifled. Now is the critical time for a change in XinSong. Let alone 15%, even 1.5% would be enough to drive them mad. With this 15%, even if you ask to drink their blood, they’ll thank you first and then ask whether you want to bite their neck or wrist.” “But why go through all this trouble?” I counted the zeros behind the number again; it was an amount one could never spend in several lifetimes of indulgence. “Why not just cash it out?” The woman gritted her teeth with a venomous look, “I’ve worked so hard for so many years, aiming to take over XinSong, but those bastards conspired against me. I hold these 15% with only the right to transfer, they thought I’d be powerless. Hmph!” I was still confused, “But why me?” She looked at me with a smile as if she had been waiting for this question, “Young lady, there’s no one better than you. A prostitute from Heaven and Earth, hahaha…” She burst into uncontrollable laughter, even wiping tears with a handkerchief, “Imagine a woman like you becoming the matriarch of XinSong, it’s hilarious, truly perfect.” She continued to laugh while I suppressed my disgust, watching her with a blank expression. After a while, she squinted at me and said, “I know what you’re thinking. This deal is beneficial for you too. Do you know who’s the hottest candidate at XinSong right now? Song Li!” Song Li? What does that have to do with me? “His fiancée is Liu Yi, the beloved daughter of Liu Shiquan from Hengqing Real Estate,” she leaned in, mysteriously adding, “You’re familiar with these two, right!”
Chapter Two: The Deal (Part Two)
