Chapter 41: Five Million and It's Mine

After dealing with Wu Mei, Wan He brought Zhao Lin over to Zhou Ming. Once seated, Wan He apologized to Zhou Ming and Lin Muqing, "Miss Zhao Lin is a signed actress from my cousin's company. Originally, we were supposed to have dinner together today, but due to these events, it's really my fault for not managing my people well. I'm very sorry for making Mr. Zhou and Miss Lin see such a scene."

Zhou Ming now understood the relationship between Wan He and Zhao Lin. It wasn't surprising for a boss to invite a star for dinner. However, Wu Mei and Zhao Lin's fear of Wan He was somewhat out of place since Wan He was merely the general manager of a fund company, which didn't seem to intersect much with the entertainment industry. It appeared that Wan He was probably a member of a Harbor City financial consortium, with the fund company being just one of his responsibilities. He also had good relations with the entertainment industry and significant influence there, which explained today's events.

As Zhou Ming pondered this, Wan He continued, "Regarding Wu Mei's disrespect to Mr. Zhou and Miss Lin, I've already fired her and fined her three months' salary. I hope you're satisfied with this resolution."

Zhou Ming waved his hand, saying, "Manager Wan, there's no need to mention it. I already said this is a personal matter for Mr. Wan. How you handle it is up to you, and we won't interfere."

Wan He understood the unspoken message and smiled, "Mr. Zhou, since we're here to discuss business, let's not let these unpleasant matters affect our mood."

Zhou Ming stood up and said, "Mr. Wan, let's go have dinner. We can discuss things while eating. I've reserved a private room at the hotel."

"It's really not necessary. I should be the one treating Mr. Zhou," Wan He said.

"It's fine. There will be another chance!" Zhou Ming replied.

Zhou Ming led Wan He to the restaurant's private room. According to dining etiquette, everyone took a drink together. Given the previous incident in Nanjiang, Zhou Ming didn't let Lin Muqing drink. Wan He praised Zhou Ming for his consideration.

Wan He then signaled Zhao Lin, who picked up her glass and said to Zhou Ming, "Mr. Zhou, since Miss Lin can't drink, let me drink with you. This first glass is an apology for what happened earlier. I'm really sorry for leaving a bad impression on you. But personally, I'm very happy to meet you."

"The past is past. There's no need to mention it," Zhou Ming said, clinking glasses with Zhao Lin. "Actually, I'm very happy to meet Miss Zhao as well. I've watched some of your movies, and with your beauty and acting skills, I'm sure you'll be a major star in the future!"

"Thank you for your blessings, Mr. Zhou." Zhao Lin smiled and finished her drink.

Zhou Ming observed Zhao Lin. Though she was putting on a good front, he could tell she was forcing a smile. She seemed to want to support her manager Wu Mei but didn't have a good way to help.

Her kindness and beauty, however, hadn't brought her much luck. Zhou Ming recalled some reports he had seen in his previous life, which suggested she had been mistreated. Wealthy people treated her as a plaything, and there were even rumors about her being subjected to abuse. Although these were unverified rumors, they had no direct connection to Zhou Ming. Zhao Lin was his ideal type, but he knew he couldn't help her with his current capabilities. The most important thing now was to focus on acquiring the fund company.

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

Zhou Ming nodded, "Harbor City's film industry is quite good. As for my interest, I'm more interested in making money."

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

Zhao Lin was about to raise her glass again, but Zhou Ming gestured for her to stop and said to Wan He, "Manager Wan, I have a poor tolerance for alcohol. If I drink too much and get drunk, we won't be able to discuss the matter."

"Alright then," Wan He said, signaling Zhao Lin to put down her glass. "Mr. Zhou, it was a wise decision to consider our Wanhe Fund. Although we can't compare with big funds like Fenghui, we are still one of Harbor City's top-performing fund companies. We provide clients with at least ten percent annual returns and are recognized in the financial industry."

Zhou Ming nodded, "I'm aware of that; otherwise, I wouldn't have had Wang Yunlong contact you. I'm just curious about the price you'll offer for the fund company."

Wan He thought for a moment and held up two fingers, "Twenty million. I will transfer everything from Wanhe Fund to your name."

"Does that mean if I don't offer twenty million, Manager Wan won't transfer everything?" Zhou Ming asked curiously.

"If you don't offer twenty million, I can only consider you as a shareholder. But if you offer twenty million, it will be a full acquisition," Wan He explained.

Zhou Ming sighed, "Manager Wan, I wanted to have a serious discussion with you, but it seems you're not being very reasonable. Twenty million? I'm sure even you don't believe this price. It makes it impossible for me to continue negotiating."

Zhou Ming took out a stack of materials and said to Wan He, "After the recent stock market crash in Harbor City, not to mention that Wanhe Fund's shares have halved, just considering the severe investment losses will significantly damage your fund's reputation. Less than twenty million is already considered an investment. Besides me, do you think anyone else would want to invest?"

Wan He was initially stunned, not expecting Zhou Ming to be so knowledgeable. Since he couldn't keep up the pretense, he had to change his approach, "Then how much do you think you can offer?"

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

Wan He said awkwardly, "Then how much do you think Wanhe Fund is worth?"

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

The figure made Wan He agitated, "One million? Mr. Zhou, are you joking? Even with the severe losses in this stock disaster, our Wanhe Fund is worth more than this. We have at least two million in fixed income investments in the bond market. These investments are recoverable."

The price Zhou Ming offered surprised not only Wan He but also Lin Muqing and Wang Yunlong. They had reviewed Wanhe Fund's materials and knew that despite the losses, it couldn't be worth as little as Zhou Ming stated. They didn't understand how Zhou Ming, having seen the materials, could offer such a ridiculously low price.

Zhou Ming didn't have time to explain.

"In finance, there's no such thing as truly fixed income. Your so-called fixed income investments are just bonds from large companies and banks. If these companies and banks collapse, those investments will be worthless," Zhou Ming said. "However, you're right; I'll offer two million."

"Mr. Zhou, I respect you and hope you take this seriously!" Wan He said sternly, "Even though our fund has suffered huge losses due to the global stock disaster and we have to sell, its fundamental value is still there. The foundation of the fund is solid, and all its operations are healthy. I hope you don't make jokes about this; it's not funny! If you're not interested in the acquisition, I'd rather not sell."

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

Wan He's face darkened, "Mr. Zhou, I've told you, I hope you take this seriously and stop joking with me!"

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

Zhao Lin stared in disbelief at the scene. She couldn't understand how this young man, who seemed to be around her age, dared to speak to Wan He like this, especially when Wan He was already angry. Wan He had connections with the underworld—didn't he fear that Wan He might have him harmed?

Zhao Lin wasn't new to Wan He's reputation. Growing up in Harbor City, she had heard many stories about him. If Wu Mei had angered Wan He, she wouldn't have acted so nervously.

Maybe he was from the mainland and didn't know Wan He's background? But Wang Yunlong was a local—didn't he warn him? Or was this young man deliberately acting this way?

"Mr. Zhou really won't increase the offer?" Wan He asked.

Zhou Ming shook his head, "Five million is the most I'll offer."

Wan He's face was grim as he considered for a long time before finally gritting his teeth and making a decision, "Fine, Mr. Zhou, you're a smart man. I'll sell Wanhe Fund to you for five million!"

Zhao Lin was stunned. What kind of magic did Zhou Ming have that could make Wan He back down?

In contrast, Zhou

 Ming looked quite nonchalant. He raised his glass to Wan He and said, "Then I'll thank Manager Wan in advance."