Chapter 80: A Grand Transaction

Old Zhang watched his granddaughter, who was circling a set of porcelain, her eyes fixed on nothing else, and shook his head in silence. This girl was good in every way, except for her love of money, which was not endearing. Chen Xie could directly give a set of official kiln tableware from the Wanli period, the underlying meaning was very clear: he had many collections. So many that he wouldn't even feel the loss of using them for food.

If Qian Siyu didn't have a good background, she would have been bruised and battered in society long ago. The more he understood, the more depressed Old Zhang became. Chen Xie was such a valuable person, and she came back with just a set of valuable tableware.

Well, things have come to this. Although missing out on Chen Xie is a pity, being able to cooperate with him in business is still a good outcome. From Chen Xie's past behavior, his trust in Qian Siyu was quite substantial. This was why Old Zhang had a good opinion of Chen Xie's character. Unfortunately, he didn't know that Chen Xie had no better choice, and that this thing wasn't a treasure in the Ming Dynasty. Merchants were resourceful; getting some official kiln porcelain wasn't a difficult task. Chen Xie just needed to nod, and even if he increased the monthly supply of daily chemical products by a hundred, the merchants of the Ming Dynasty would feel they had made a great profit.

Another morning arrived. When Yang Lili tiptoed to get up, Chen Xie was actually already awake, just wanting to see what she would do. After getting up, Yang Lili washed up simply, went to the kitchen without makeup, and soon returned, changed into a skirt, took her wallet, and carefully went out. Hearing the door close, Chen Xie got up with a satisfied look.

Compared to Qian Siyu, Yang Lili was much more clear-headed. The most precious thing in this house was not any antique, but Chen Xie himself. To give up Chen Xie for a set of porcelain seemed ridiculous to Yang Lili. Of course, that was someone else's mistake; she wouldn't make it. She knew very well what to do and what not to do to consolidate her position in Chen Xie's heart. This was the benefit of a few years of experience in society.

The supermarket had just opened. Yang Lili went in and bought an insulated rice cooker, then went to a popular store to buy century egg and lean meat porridge, fried dough sticks, and buns. When she got home, she put the things down, went upstairs, and found no one in the bedroom, so she went to the study.

The door was open, and Chen Xie was indeed there, sitting in front of the computer with his back to the door, doing something. Yang Lili knocked lightly, and Chen Xie turned around with a smile, "You're back." With a natural face, Yang Lili stepped forward, her waist was hugged, and she was easily lifted onto his lap. His bold hands lifted her blouse, and she cooperatively tightened her abdomen, glancing at the screen with the corner of her eye.

Chen Xie didn't make any further moves. One hand caressed her fullness, the other operated the mouse. The printer hummed, and when the document was printed, Yang Lili got up on her own to pick it up and handed it to Chen Xie with both hands.

"You don't need to give it to me; this is for you. If there's no problem, sign it." Hearing this, Yang Lili's hand trembled, and she put down the document, "Whatever you give me, I'll take it. Even without it, I still have a salary."

Chen Xie tightened his grip on her waist and whispered in her ear, "I'll be abroad for months at a time. Without a trusted person at home, how can I be at ease? This is what you deserve; don't worry too much. If one day I don't come back, everything in the company will be yours."

Yang Lili's body trembled. She knew very well how much money was in the company's account. The funds Chen Xie left were a hundred million, and she hadn't spent even half of it. "Chen Xie, why do you need so much money? Why don't you stay? You're already a rich man; as long as you don't spend recklessly, you'll be fine."

Chen Xie knew she had misunderstood, but it was a beautiful misunderstanding, so it had to continue.

"I can't control it! You understand, the company is my fallback." Chen Xie's sincere words. Now it wasn't a matter of whether he wanted to travel through time, but that he had to. Even if he didn't want to, Wu Qi wouldn't let him off. Eight months in the Ming Dynasty every year, and if he was short by even a day, the destruction program would be activated. Chen Xie had no doubt about this.

Yang Lili's misunderstanding deepened. She thought Chen Xie's current business was dangerous, which was why he couldn't be reached by phone. This misunderstanding was natural. What was Chen Xie's background? How could he have such a large business in just a few years? He must have been working for someone. Otherwise, how could he have risen so quickly? Since he couldn't control it, Yang Lili didn't say anything. If Chen Xie couldn't resist, what could she do? Years of social experience told her that running away had no future.

Hugging Chen Xie tightly, Yang Lili whispered, "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything for you."

The content of the agreement was simple. Yang Lili received 25% of the shares, automatically becoming a shareholder and legal representative. Regardless of whether Chen Xie was present or not, all company matters would be decided by her. If Chen Xie had any unexpected incidents, Yang Lili would automatically inherit half of everything, including the company and the house. The other half would be inherited by Aunt Wu in Dashan Township.

After reading the agreement, Yang Lili signed it without any fuss. Chen Xie added, "The place you're living in is rented. Use the money in the account to buy an apartment here. Come over every few days. I can't make any promises now, please understand."

The trust in this agreement made Yang Lili firmly believe in Chen Xie's feelings for her. In short, women weren't hard to please. Yang Lili now firmly believed that Chen Xie was engaged in a somewhat dangerous business. Perhaps in Africa or the Middle East, involved in some trade.

"Chen Xie, I don't care about the rest, but you can be at ease here. If one day you really can't come back, I'll continue to take care of Aunt Wu at the Dashan Township welfare home." Yang Lili said what Chen Xie most wanted to hear. This woman was smart and capable.

Chen Xie's biggest headache was perfectly solved with Yang Lili's words. In the modern world, other businesses, except for arms, no longer troubled him.

Everything was unspoken. Chen Xie didn't say more, just patted her shoulder, "Let's go have breakfast."

After breakfast, Yang Lili directly reported on the company's procurement situation, showcasing her abilities. All the complicated matters were summarized in a report and a table, clear and concise.

The materials Chen Xie procured from the modern world were mainly in three categories: daily chemical products, textiles, various canned and compressed foods, and primitive tools. As long as they could be used in a workshop and didn't require electricity, Chen Xie would move them to the Ming Dynasty. The scope of trade in this time period was beyond Chen Xie's control. Otherwise, moving diesel engines, three acids, and two alkalis from the modern world to set up a small industrial base would not be impossible.

The workshops Chen Xie set up were currently all manual. The next step would be to develop initial industrial products like gears, pulley systems, and the Spinning Jenny. He couldn't even make a steam engine, so he could only wait patiently.

The doorbell interrupted Chen Xie and Yang Lili's work. Opening the door, Old Zhang, Qian Siyu, and a middle-aged man came in. Chen Xie went out to greet them, with Yang Lili by his side, firmly defending her position.

"Chen, this is Mr. Chen Fengxiao, a member of your family. Fengxiao is an elite in the Hong Kong auction industry. If you have any matters, you can directly talk to him." Old Zhang said this, but Chen Xie didn't follow his lead, instead smiling, "I'm often not in the country, and there aren't many people I can trust. If Old Zhang trusts him, I think he is trustworthy. Besides, I have an agreement with Siyu. She is a good partner, and I trust her to handle the auction matters."

Chen Fengxiao promptly said, "Old Zhang is too kind, Chen, I'm just here to broaden my horizons. How we cooperate will depend on Siyu's decision."

Chen Xie smiled, didn't say more, and turned to Qian Siyu, "Why are you so quiet today? That's not like you."

His casual tone eased the slight bitterness in Qian Siyu's heart. She wasn't stupid; she had thought everything through calmly. Since that was the case, she would be a qualified partner first.

"Your praise won't reduce my commission by a single cent," Qian Siyu replied bluntly. Chen Xie laughed heartily, "I like partners who are clear and organized. Separating personal feelings from business is the key to long-term success."

He invited the three upstairs and directly into the study. Standing in front of a display cabinet, Old Zhang's feet seemed nailed to the ground. Inside were all porcelain pieces. Chen Xie smiled but said nothing, while Chen Fengxiao and Qian Siyu sucked in their breaths.

"Chen, are all these items for auction?" Old Zhang asked, losing his composure. Chen Xie took out a list from his pocket and handed it to Old Zhang, "Yes, this is the first batch. I have more stored in the bank's safe. After this batch is handled, contact my girlfriend. Once the funds are paid, she will discuss the next batch with Siyu."

Chen Fengxiao took out a magnifying glass and stood in front of a bottle, examining it for a while before turning to Old Zhang, "Teacher, the bottle is genuine. This is a grand auction."

Old Zhang looked at the Yuan dynasty blue-and-white cloud dragon pattern plum vase and sighed, "To personally authenticate such a treasure, this life has been worth it. Fengxiao, you should really thank Chen."

Chen Fengxiao said, "If I have to thank, I should first thank Siyu for giving me this opportunity, and then the others." Hearing this, Chen Xie had a preliminary understanding that this person could be a partner.

"Sit down first, Lili, go make some tea." Chen Xie, as the host, invited everyone to sit down.

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