"What did he say?"
"He said he'll be expecting you tomorrow. They will send a car to pick you up from the airport" Xiu Mei's face was filled with awe. "President, If I may ask when did you make an acquaintance with Mr. Li? I've heard that he is an extremely busy man. Only after waiting for three months, someone can manage to get an appointment with him"
"The answer to this question is what I don't know... When did I make an acquaintance with 'Devil'?" Jing Lihua voiced out her thoughts as she planned the ways to turn this acquaintance into something profitable for her.
Mei Xiu felt confounded for a moment. Her president, like always she couldn't understand... ah, too confusing.
A light bulb lightened over Jing Lihua's head as a brilliant idea struck her. She clapped her hands to gather Mei Xiu's attention. "I know what to do" She excitedly glanced at Mei Xiu "Prepare the papers for the Southern real estate. I think we've found the best candidate for those lands!"
Jing Lihua hurried to her work desk. Soon, Mei Xiu rushed with a stack of files and scattered them on her desk. They both worked together to tidy up the mess.
"I'll name all the files we require. Check if we miss anything!" Jing Lihua glanced at Mei Xiu. Mei Xiu nodded "The ownership papers. The exploratory team report. The analytical team report. All the information related to the government tax. The contract to sign off the lands. And the reports of the updated value of those lands"
"Aye, president. Everything's present" Mei Xiu energetically replied "President do you think President Li would be interested in our Southern real estate"
"If he is as wise as they say, he'll" Jing Lihua felt very excited, "The only reason we can't cultivate that land is that we lack in power. But the Li family... Not only it has power but they have a connection to the underworld. So government obstacles won't hold them off. Additionally, if you look around, they have recently been showing an interest in the field of mining. Think about it... They have their branches in every possible field. That's the only remaining field. And to say we can offer them that place at a relatively low price. I don't see any reason for them to object. And if we manage to win Li family goodwill, it'll be a plus point for us."
"But President those lands, no one knows their worth. If they used underhand tricks to threaten us into handing them over at an ever lesser prize what would we do? The Li family is so powerful. After all, that's the reason we haven't contacted any powerful entity yet to sell those lands. Because we feared that they might pressurize us" Mei Xiu voiced her suspicion.
Jing Lihua placed down the papers and looked at Xiu Mei "Your concern is valid but I have studied him. He might be ruthless, but he is ruthless to only those who defy him first. Besides, we are already offering the estate at such a low price. Why would he need to use underhand tricks? If not for the reason that he was unapproachable, I would have already contacted him. But with such a nice opportunity at our hands, I wouldn't waste my chance. My decision is final." She rose and inspected the file herself the last time before handing them over to Mei Xiu.
Mei Xiu trusted her President. She just wanted to have her make the right decision. With Jing Lihua's explanation, Mei Xiu suspicion settled "Haha. Those who insulted you for buying that territory, they must be having the shock of their life coming their way once its worth is revealed. All those who criticized you for your inexperience, including a few members from our board of directors, I want to see their faces once the truth is revealed."
Soon the one hour limit her grandfather had given her, finished and she rushed her way back home. Her grandfather had already the dinner prepared.
"Eat some more Xiao Lizi. You need nutrition. Remember what the Doctor Yang said? He said you were too skinny. You've to take care of your diet" He put some more food into her plate.
"Grandpa. I'll get fat" Jing Lihua wondered if her grandfather knew about her relationship with Su Liwei. It had been two days but he didn't ask any questions where he was or why she was not living at the Mealor mansion with her husband. If her grandfather had a way to know about her being poisoned, he must have a way to know about her relationship with Su Liwei.
"Why are you staring at me like that? Focus on eating" He berated.
"Grandpa, may I ask a question?" Before waiting for his reply she rushed "It was you who came up with the idea of Me and Su Liwei getting married? But I haven't seen you two together much. What made you feel like he was suitable for your granddaughter? Was it solely because I said I liked him"
"You never asked this question before. Now child, are you unsatisfied with the marriage?"
Jing Lihua gulped down her food as she decided what to say. "Just curious" Jing Lihua couldn't tell her grandfather about Su Liwei. About the office matters, she had managed to stop the information about Su Liwei intervention from reaching her grandfather's ears. If her grandfather came to know that Su Liwei meant ill, he would immediately demand a divorce. If that happened, Su Liwei would stop acting from shadows. He'll come at them directly. And Tang enterprise couldn't take a direct attack from Su Liwei... Not just yet.
"His father Su Guozhi, I used to have a close relationship with him. He is a very nice man. That's why. Before your mother married Jing Shuping, he was the one I wanted as my son-in-law. Even your mother liked him. But something happened later. Your mother left him to marry your father"
"Is that why you broke your contact with my mother before I was born?"
A flash of guilt passed across Tang Liuwei's eyes. If only he hadn't broken the contact with his Tang Yuyan, perhaps she would have still been alive. "Yes. I was ignorant. I made a mistake that I regret to this day. But I won't repeat that mistake. Xiao Lizi, whatever decision you make I want you to know you'll have my full support"
Later that evening Jing Lihua saw off her grandfather. That night, she had a very bad dream. It was about the day she had found out her mother dead in the bas.e.m.e.nt. At the age of ten, she, as a mere child had walked into that nightmare that terrorized her till today.
Her mother was burned to death. In the bas.e.m.e.nt of her own house. No one knew how the fire started. All that was left was a body burned to charcoal. When she saw that, she had cried. She had rushed to her mother's remains and hugged her pitifully. She stayed with her mother's corpse until her father, stepmother and siblings returned from a vacation after two days. She still remembered the way her stepmother had laughed. How her siblings made jokes about her mother's death. How, instead of being soothed, a child of a mere ten was treated worse than a servant.
They had hidden the news of her mother's death for six years. Only once she was sixteen, her grandfather realized his daughter was dead. Only then he came to know that he had a granddaughter and came to her rescue. But the damage was done.
Jing Lihua woke up from her dream in a bad mood. She took a shower and prepared herself for the flight. Zhao Liying and Mo Liang were already in Hong Kong. Other than the meeting with President Li, she also had to attend the fashion show.
On her way to Hong Kong, she glanced outside of the window and hummed a tune. She walked out of the airport and a man rushed to her.
"Ms. Jing. I've been sent by Mr. Li to take you to his office"
Jing Lihua nodded. With a smile, she followed the man into the car. Now it's time to meet this mysterious President Li.