Chapter 41

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After dealing with Wu Mei's matter, Wan He brought Zhao Lin to Zhou Ming's side. After sitting down, Wan He apologized to Zhou Ming and Lin Muqing, saying, "Miss Zhao Lin is a contracted actress of my cousin's company. I originally planned to have her join us for dinner today to meet you, Mr. Zhou. I didn't expect such an incident to occur. It's all my fault for not managing my people well, and I apologize for the inconvenience caused to you, Mr. Zhou. I'm truly sorry."

Only then did Zhou Ming understand the relationship between Wan He and Zhao Lin. It wasn't strange for a boss to invite a celebrity to dinner, but it was unusual for Wu Mei and Zhao Lin to be so afraid of Wan He. After all, Wan He was just the general manager of a fund company, with little connection to the entertainment industry, right? However, it seemed that Wan He was a member of a Hong Kong financial group, and the fund company was just one of his responsibilities. He also had good relations with the entertainment industry and significant influence there, which explained today's incident.

While Zhou Ming was thinking this, Wan He continued, "However, regarding Wu Mei, who offended Mr. Zhou and Miss Lin, I have already fired her on behalf of the company and deducted three months' salary. I hope this satisfies you both."

Zhou Ming waved his hand and said, "Manager Wan, there's no need to say more. Didn't I already say that this is your internal matter? Since it's your internal matter, how you handle it is up to you, and we won't interfere."

Wan He understood Zhou Ming's implication and smiled, "Mr. Zhou, look at me. We're here to discuss business today, so let's not let these unpleasant matters ruin our mood."

Zhou Ming stood up and said, "Mr. Wan, let's go to dinner first. We can talk while we eat. I've already booked a private room at the hotel."

"This is too much trouble. I should be the one treating you, Mr. Zhou," Wan He said.

"No problem, there will be another chance next time!" Zhou Ming said.

Zhou Ming led Wan He to the private room in the restaurant. Following the dining etiquette, everyone first drank a toast together. Considering what happened in Nanjiang last time, Zhou Ming didn't let Lin Muqing drink, for which Wan He praised Zhou Ming for being considerate and caring.

Then, Wan He gave Zhao Lin a nod, and she proactively raised her glass to Zhou Ming, "Mr. Zhou, since Miss Lin can't drink, I'll drink with you. This first glass is to apologize for the earlier incident. I'm truly sorry if it left a bad impression on you, Mr. Zhou. Personally, I'm very happy to meet you."

"Let's not dwell on the past," Zhou Ming said, clinking glasses with Zhao Lin. "I'm also very happy to meet Miss Zhao Lin. I've seen some of your movies before. You are so beautiful and talented. I believe you will definitely become a big star in the future!"

"Thank you for your kind words, Mr. Zhou," Zhao Lin smiled and drank the glass in one go.

Zhou Ming looked at Zhao Lin. Although she was performing well, he could tell she was forcing a smile. It was clear that she was kind and wanted to speak up for her agent, Wu Mei, but she didn't know how.

However, her kindness and beauty didn't bring her much luck. Zhou Ming remembered some reports he had seen in the future, suggesting that she had been abused, with wealthy people treating her as a plaything, even forcing golf balls into her body. It was hard to say that her agent, Wu Mei, wasn't involved in this.

But these were just rumors, and Zhou Ming couldn't verify their truth. More importantly, they had nothing to do with him. Zhao Lin was his idol, but he knew that with his current abilities, he couldn't help her much, and she might not appreciate his efforts. The most important thing now was the acquisition of the fund company.

"From what Mr. Zhou said, are you also interested in the film industry?" Wan He asked with interest.

Zhou Ming nodded, "The films in Hong Kong are quite good. As for my interest, I'm more interested in making money."

Wan He laughed, "Mr. Zhou is straightforward. Zhao Lin, such a good person, you should drink a few more glasses with him."

Hearing this, Zhao Lin was about to raise her glass to Zhou Ming, but Zhou Ming gestured to stop her and said to Wan He, "Manager Wan, my drinking capacity is not good. If I drink too much and get drunk, we won't be able to discuss today's matters."

"Alright then," Wan He let Zhao Lin put down her glass and said to Zhou Ming, "Mr. Zhou, your interest in our Wan He Fund Company is a wise decision. Although our fund company is not as big as Fenghui, we are one of the best-performing fund companies in Hong Kong, creating at least a ten percent profit for our clients every year, and we are recognized in the financial industry."

Zhou Ming nodded, "I know all of this. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had Wang Yunlong contact you, Manager Wan. But I wonder what price you would set for your fund company?"

Wan He thought for a moment and held up two fingers, "Twenty million. I will transfer everything of Wan He Fund to Mr. Zhou's name."

"Would you not transfer everything if I don't pay twenty million?" Zhou Ming asked curiously.

"If Mr. Zhou doesn't pay twenty million, I can consider it as you investing, but if you pay twenty million, it will be a full acquisition," Wan He explained.

Zhou Ming sighed, "Manager Wan, I really wanted to have a good discussion with you, but I didn't expect you to be so unreasonable. Twenty million? I don't believe you even believe this price. This makes it impossible for me to continue the discussion."

Zhou Ming took out a stack of documents and said to Wan He, "Manager Wan, after this Hong Kong stock market crash, not only has your Wan He Fund's value shrunk by more than half, but your investments in various areas have also suffered severe losses, greatly damaging your company's reputation. Even if you accept less than twenty million as an investment, I doubt anyone else besides me would be willing to invest."

Wan He was taken aback. He didn't expect Zhou Ming to be so well-informed. Since he couldn't pretend anymore, he had to change his tone, "Then, how much can Mr. Zhou afford?"

"It's not about how much I can afford, but how much your fund company is worth!" Zhou Ming corrected Wan He.

Wan He smiled awkwardly, "Then, how much does Mr. Zhou think Wan He Fund is worth?"

Zhou Ming held up one finger, "One million."

This number made Wan He uneasy, "One million? Mr. Zhou, are you joking? Even with the severe losses from the stock market crash, our fund is still worth more than that! We have at least two million invested in the bond market, which is a fixed-income investment, and we can definitely recover that money."

The price Zhou Ming quoted surprised not only Wan He but also Lin Muqing and Wang Yunlong. They had reviewed the Wan He Fund's documents and knew that even with the significant losses, it couldn't be worth as little as Zhou Ming's offer. They couldn't understand why Zhou Ming, who had seen the documents, would quote such an absurdly low price.

Zhou Ming didn't explain, and there was no time to explain.

"In the financial sector, there is no such thing as a truly fixed-income investment. Your so-called fixed-income investments are just bonds from large companies and banks. If these companies and banks go bankrupt, your investments will be worthless," Zhou Ming said. "However, you have a point. I'll offer two million."

"Mr. Zhou, I respect you, and I hope you take this matter seriously!" Wan He said sternly, "Although my fund has suffered significant losses due to the global stock market crash and I have to sell it for some reasons, its basic value is still there. My fund company has a solid foundation, and all its operations are healthy. I hope you don't joke about this matter; it's not funny! If you're not serious about the acquisition, I'd rather not sell."

Zhou Ming nodded, "Alright, please rest assured, Manager Wan. I'm not joking. How about three million?"

Wan He's face darkened, "Mr. Zhou, I'll say it again. I hope you take this matter seriously and not joke with me!"

Zhou Ming held up five fingers, "Five million. I'm not joking, and I can't offer more. If you can't accept this price, then please keep your fund company. I won't waste any more time."

Zhao Lin watched with her beautiful big eyes, amazed that this young man, who seemed to be about her age, would dare to speak to Wan He like this, especially when Wan He was already angry. After all, Wan He had connections with the underworld. Was he not afraid that Wan He would have someone hurt him?

Zhao Lin wasn't new to Wan He. Growing up in Hong Kong, she had heard many stories about him. Otherwise, her agent, Wu Mei, wouldn't have reacted so strongly after offending Wan He.

Perhaps he was from the mainland and didn't know about Wan He? But Wang Yunlong was a genuine Hong Kong resident. Didn't he warn him? Or was this young man deliberately doing this?

"Mr. Zhou, are you really unwilling to offer more?" Wan He asked.

Zhou Ming shook his head, "At most, five million."

Wan He considered for a long time with a dark face, and finally, he made a decision, "Alright, I see that you are a reasonable person. I'll sell Wan He Fund to you for five million!"

Zhao Lin was shocked by Wan He's decision: What magic did Zhou Ming have to make Wan He bow to him?

In contrast, Zhou Ming looked completely calm. He raised his glass to Wan He, "Then, I'll thank you in advance, Manager Wan."