Everyone who worked in Korean-owned companies knew what it was like. Koreans were short-tempered and fights occurred once in a while with the Chinese workers’ side. Many of the bullied Chinese also did not complain and kept quiet because they wanted to keep their jobs.
This meant that the Korean side not only continued their bullying but their behaviour grew worse. This situation was also happening in the mobile phone factory, and the s.h.i.+nyeok Group employees were not respecting the Vientaine Group employees at all. They did not even listen to Shentu Tianyin’s words. If they acted like this in the presence of Shentu Tianyin, what were they like when she was not around?
It looked to Xia Lei that the loose nut he had found was just a small problem compared to the true problem - s.h.i.+nyeok Group’s employees!
A group of Koreans who did not even respect Shentu Tianyin was working in her company, drawing high salaries under the hats of technicians, and trying to lord it over everyone!
How could Xia Lei just stand by and let this happen!
That was why Xia Lei had beaten the Koreans up even though Ahn Suhyeong had scolded them. Lord it over everyone, huh? They had to have their arrogance beaten out of them!
The bullied employees couldn’t help smiling and cheering when they saw the Koreans beaten up in a flash and lying groaning on the floor.
They were happy but Ahn Suhyeong was fit to burst with rage. He had already stopped his people but Xia Lei had still beat them to the point where they could not stand, right in front of him! This was like a slap to Ahn Suhyeong’s face!
“b.a.s.t.a.r.d!” Ahn Suhyeong pointed at Xia Lei and shouted angrily, “Get out of here!”
Xia Lei’s face turned cold and he walked towards Ahn Suhyeong.
“You…” Ahn Suhyeong backed away abruptly, looking nervous.
Ahn Suhyeong’s bodyguard, Hoffman, cut into his path looking nervous, like he was a formidable enemy. Few people in the world would dare to look down on Xia Lei’s capabilities at his current strength, not even top killers who killed people like ants.
Xia Lei stopped in his tracks. He had to get through this wall of a Western bodyguard to get to Ahn Suhyeong. He smelt danger from this Hoffman, and it made him take a second look at him.
“Shentu Tianyin!” Ahn Suhyeong was not showing her any respect anymore and he spoke aggressively, “How are you going to resolve this, hah?”
Shentu Tianyin spoke evenly, “What do you mean by that?”
Ahn Suhyeong said angrily, “Xia Lei beat up my Korean employees. How are you going to resolve this?”
Shentu Tianyin wrinkled her brows. “So what if they were beaten up? It was no big deal. They were dogs who had an insatiable appet.i.te so it was good to teach them a bit of a lesson, otherwise they would think that Vientaine Group was the playground of s.h.i.+nyeok Group. They don’t know who their real master is.”
There was another message in her words.
Ahn Suhyeong was a smart man and he knew what she meant. His face darkened. “What is the meaning of this, Shentu Tianyin?”
“Didn’t I make it clear?” Shentu Tianyin looked at Ahn Suhyeong, her voice cold and hard, “I have a 70% share in the mobile phone collaboration. Your s.h.i.+nyeok Group has just a 30% share. How this company is run and managed is decided by me. These Koreans actually dared to raise a hand against my fiance and speak rudely to him. They don’t have to come to work anymore. Tell them to go back where they came from.”
In other words, it was like a military strategy of the Song dynasty’s Zhao Yu, removing those people of s.h.i.+nyeok Group from the mobile phone collaboration.
“Shentu Tianyin, are you cutting ties?” Ahn Suhyeong was mad. “Our people designed the production line, and brought Korean technology to the line. We’ve only just completed the work and you’re chasing my people away! You’re too much!”
“Not happy?” Shentu Tianyin scoffed. “You can withdraw.”
“You…” Ahn Suhyeong almost choked on these words.
Xia Lei was pleased by these words. This was the first time he was seeing Shentu Tianyin in action like this. The Korean side had put in their investment, designed the production line and brought their technology but she had told them to withdraw before they’d even made one cent!
Shentu Tianyin spoke softly again. “It’s fine if you don’t want to withdraw. I can exchange it for the shares of the electronics company we collaborated on. If you are not willing to do the exchange then you’d better wise up. My word is law here.”
This was the queen of Vientaine Group - overbearing!
Xia Lei, who had beaten others up so mercilessly, and this Shentu Tianyin who had spoken so high-handedly were indeed a perfect match. Both of them were so headstrong!
Ahn Suhyeong seemed to realise something and he sneered, “So you’ve been using me from the start?”
“I don’t care what you think. I only care about the result. Get your people out of here,” said Shentu Tianyin.
“Must you do this?”
“I’ve made myself clear,” said Shentu Tianyin.
“Fine. We’ll talk about the divestment and compensation after the opening ceremony,” said Ahn Suhyeong. “Or we can talk in court.”
“An equity exchange does not have to be brought to court. Pick a place and time and I’ll talk with you,” said Shentu Tianyin.
“Just wait for my call.” Ahn Suhyeong spat these words at her feet and turned to leave. He did not want to spend a second more in this place.
The Koreans who had been beaten to a pulp by Xia Lei also dragged themselves off one by one. As they shuffled past Xia Lei, he looked at one of them and the poor fellow fell to the floor in terror.
“Disperse. Go back to what you should be doing,” said Shentu Tianyin.
The watching workers dispersed.
Xia Lei then spoke up, “Tianyin, are you really going to let s.h.i.+nyeok Group pull out their investment?”
A faint smile appeared on Shentu Tianyin’s lips. “It was my plan all along to get them to divest. I was willing to invest in their Korean electronics project because they had the mobile phone production line, and the technology. I have reached my goal so getting them to divest is part of the plan. It’s just that the plan has been brought forward because of what happened just now.”
Xia Lei was thunderstruck. He had not imagined that Shentu Tianyin’s plan had been set in motion for so long, back to that trip to South Korea. His future wife was no meek girl, no sir!
“I let them get the upper hand in that investment, and that investment naturally became the template for this investment. Every bit of disadvantage I suffered then - now is the time for them to taste the same,” said Shentu Tianyin.
Her plan was not complicated at all. First show absolute sincerity in doing business and let s.h.i.+nyeok Group have the upper hand, then use the fact that Ahn Suhyeong was courting her to move to this new collaboration. Now that her goal had been met, she was now crossing the river and destroying the bridge behind her.
It now looked like the divestment would have occurred anyway even if Xia Lei had not beaten up those employees.
“I’m not making this decision because you beat up the Korean employees. This is something which was going to happen anyway, so don’t dwell on it.” Shentu Tianyin was comforting Xia Lei instead.
Xia Lei smiled wryly. “Looks like I am lacking in business dealings compared to you. Teach me some when you have time.”
Shentu Tianyin smirked and let out a laugh. She reached out to hold Xia Lei by his arm. “You are my fiance. I’ll teach you whatever you want to learn. But I don’t think you need me to teach you anything. You have the skills and you depend on your own capabilities to make something of yourself. I am different from you. I focus on strategy and capital management. I am the pen and you are the sword. Combined, we shall be skilled in both; we will be invincible.”
Xia Lei smiled at her words but felt like what she said was true. These past years, he had fought his way forward, depending on his skill and bravery to forge himself a path. He was a sword. And Shentu Tianyin was a weak woman. She had taken owners.h.i.+p of Vientaine Group in a time of unrest, with enemies within the clan and out. She would have been eradicated if she had no strategic ac.u.men and wisdom!
“Did I say something wrong? You’re laughing at me.” Shentu Tianyin put on an affronted face.
Xia Lei laughed. “No, I think you said it all very nicely.”
Shentu Tianyin suddenly recalled something and a blush spread across her jade cheeks. “You must be laughing at me saying ‘combined’ earlier, right?”
Xia Lei was speechless.
It could be troublesome sometimes when women were too smart.
The two of them chatted and laughed and left the workshop.
Fu Mingmei and Gu Kewen followed at a distance.
“Ah, he really is a magnet for trouble. It springs up wherever he goes.” Fu Mingmei sighed.
Gu Kewen replied softly, “I think he did a good job. The plan of getting s.h.i.+nyeok Group to either divest or exchange stock was actually concocted by Shentu Tianyin and myself. It would have been troublesome to find an excuse to do that if that incident earlier had not occurred. He just coincidentally solved this problem for us.”
Fu Mingmei gave Gu Kewen a look. “I really can’t tell what goes on in your head.”
“What are you talking about?” asked Gu Kewen.
“There’s bad blood between Xia Lei and yourself but you pushed for him to be with Tianyin. You even helped Tianyin to acquire the a.s.sets your clan used to own. Tell me - what are you doing all these for?” said Fu Mingmei.
Gu Kewen smiled faintly. “People change. I’ve lost the support of my father and brother, so I have to find a safe harbour. You can distrust me - I don’t mind.”
“No. So many things have happened; I believe that you’ve changed, really,” said Fu Mingmei. “I didn’t use to want to talk to you at all but aren’t we talking right now?”
“Thank you.” A pleasant smile spread across Gu Kewen’s mouth. “We should get going. Those reporters and guests are here and the opening ceremony will begin soon.”
The factory area had been empty before but it was full of activity now. The employees of the mobile phone factory were busy setting up seats and making tea for the reporters and guests.
Ahn Suhyeong had not left. He sat on the stage and looked coldly at the approaching Shentu Tianyin and Xia Lei. A cold smile still bent his lips even though he had suffered humiliation earlier. Then his gaze moved from Shentu Tianyin to Gu Kewen.
Gu Kewen did not avoid his gaze this time; she smiled faintly.