Chapter 200: The Negotiation Falls Through

Since they were all acquaintances, Lee Dong's show of force was ultimately in vain.

After a few polite exchanges, Wu Jianguo fell silent and became a mere observer.

Lee Dong could tell he couldn't rely on this guy, so he decided not to waste time being annoyed and said directly, "Mr. Hu, what's your offer for Wang Jia's debt? I'll settle it for her."

Hu Wanlin glanced at Wu Jianguo.

Though they were familiar, there were certain topics that needed to be avoided with Wu Jianguo present. There were some things Hu Wanlin couldn't openly discuss with him around.

Wu Jianguo, seeing Hu Wanlin's gaze, gave a dry laugh and said, "You can treat me as if I'm not here. I'm just here for tea."

Hu Wanlin frowned slightly. This wasn't like Wu Jianguo.

Usually, Wu Jianguo would stay out of matters like these. With Hu Wanlin present, Wu Jianguo should have discreetly withdrawn.

But Wu Jianguo refused to leave, which was quite puzzling.

What Hu Wanlin didn't know was that Wu Jianguo was in a difficult position. If he left now, it would seem like he was snubbing Lee Dong, which could affect future dealings with him. 

Wu Jianguo knew Lee Dong wasn't the same as before. In the past, ignoring him might not have mattered, but now, it could lead to serious trouble.

It wasn't that Lee Dong's wealth made Wu Jianguo wary; it was more about the Hua Mansion land, which Lee Dong had secured. Wu Jianguo knew the intricacies of that deal and understood its implications. 

Wu Jianguo had hoped to offer Lee Dong a face-saving gesture, perhaps a few threats to achieve a satisfactory outcome. But the situation had changed, and Hu Wanlin turned out to be a formidable opponent.

Since Wu Jianguo stayed put, Hu Wanlin couldn't speak freely. She reluctantly said, "Let's just have tea today. Mr. Lee, let's not discuss unpleasant matters."

Lee Dong frowned slightly and replied, "It's indeed unpleasant, but dragging this out isn't going to solve anything."

Hu Wanlin was somewhat displeased. Was he really this clueless?

She glanced at Wu Jianguo again, narrowed her eyes, and said with a faint smile, "Director Wu, I forgot to bring tissues. Could you kindly fetch some for me?"

Wu Jianguo cleared his throat. He was caught between a rock and a hard place. He had no choice but to comply and leave the room.

Lee Dong realized Wu Jianguo's predicament and understood the underlying reasons. He didn't press the matter further and said, "Director Wu, since Mr. Hu has asked, please go ahead and fetch the tissues."

Wu Jianguo was eager to escape and quickly agreed, "You continue your discussion. I'll be right back with the tissues and a smoke."

After Wu Jianguo hurried downstairs, Hu Wanlin sighed in relief.

Lee Dong said, "Mr. Hu, could you finally give a clear answer now?"

Hu Wanlin smiled and addressed the middle-aged man beside her, who had been silent all along. "Manager Zhang, please discuss the details with Mr. Lee. I'm not very familiar with this matter."

Manager Zhang nodded, took out a large stack of documents from his bag, and pushed them toward Lee Dong. He smiled and said, "Mr. Lee, this is the total debt of Wang Fucheng, which amounts to 1,876,200 yuan. To make it easier, if you're willing to settle Wang Jia's debt, 1.87 million would suffice."

Lee Dong didn't even glance at the documents. Instead, he said, "Wang Fucheng originally borrowed one million, didn't he? Wang Jia has already repaid thirty thousand, meaning there's still seventy thousand principal. And now it's more than doubled?"

Manager Zhang chuckled and said, "Mr. Lee, you might be misunderstanding. Wang Fucheng borrowed 1.2 million. Wang Jia's payments were only partial interest; the principal remains unpaid."

"Skip the rhetoric. Just tell me, how much will settle this matter?"

"1.87 million!"

Manager Zhang continued to smile.

Lee Dong didn't look at him but turned to Hu Wanlin and asked, "What's Mr. Hu's stance?"

"To give Mr. Lee face, we'll go down to 1.8 million. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to explain it," Hu Wanlin said.

Lee Dong smiled, took a sip of tea, and said slowly, "Wang Fucheng is dead and didn't leave any inheritance. Legally, Wang Jia isn't responsible for his debt. I was willing to offer some money to settle this, but 1.8 million seems excessive."

Hu Wanlin frowned slightly and said, "What does Mr. Lee propose then?"

"200,000, plus the thirty thousand Wang Jia already paid. A total of 50,000 should be sufficient. If you want more, you'll have to go after Wang Fucheng himself. His daughter paying half is already fulfilling her responsibility."

Both Hu Wanlin and Manager Zhang's faces darkened. 50,000 was an insult!

Hu Wanlin took a deep breath and said, "Mr. Lee, let's not joke around. 1.5 million is my final offer. If everyone negotiates like this, my business won't survive."

"30,000 is my bottom line. If it exceeds that, we can't continue negotiating," Lee Dong said nonchalantly.

"Then there's nothing more to discuss. I have other matters to attend to. I'll invite Mr. Lee for tea another time."

Hu Wanlin's expression returned to normal as she nodded to Lee Dong, picked up her purse, and left.

Manager Zhang quickly gathered the documents and hurried after Hu Wanlin.

Lee Dong remained seated, sipping his tea.

After a while, Wu Jianguo returned upstairs and asked in a low voice, "Did the negotiation fall through?"

"Yes, it fell through. 1.5 million? Do you think I'd pay that?" Lee Dong replied with a smirk.

He was not going to satisfy Hu Wanlin's greed. If Lee Dong hadn't intervened, Hu Wanlin wouldn't have received even 30,000 yuan.

The principle was to know when to stop. Hu Wanlin should have realized that Lee Dong wouldn't pay the 1.5 million.

Besides, Wang Fucheng was dead. Lee Dong thought it was pointless to negotiate further with Hu Wanlin.

Wu Jianguo shook his head. "I knew it would fall through. Hu Wanlin isn't easy to deal with. Don't be fooled by her being a woman; she's ruthless."

"Director Wu, who's her backer?" Lee Dong asked with a playful tone.

Given Hu Wanlin's style and business, she wasn't a political second generation or of reputable origin.

Lee Dong guessed that Hu Wanlin was most likely a mistress or someone similar.

Wu Jianguo, known for his big mouth, didn't hide the information. "She's connected to my superior. Otherwise, how would I know her?"

Lee Dong was puzzled. Wu Jianguo had many superiors.

However, Lee Dong suspected that Hu Wanlin had connections in the political-legal system, which allowed her to thrive.

The political-legal system had many ranks—district, city, and provincial levels—so it was unclear exactly which level her connections were from.

Seeing Lee Dong still unsure, Wu Jianguo said, "The provincial level is too distant, and the district level is too insignificant. It must be someone from the municipal level."

Lee Dong understood.

He remembered that he had dined with someone in that position when he donated a car. Lee Dong shook his head and said, "He's nearly sixty and about to retire. Why is Hu Wanlin still so arrogant?"

Hu Wanlin had offended many people with her loan sharking. With that figure almost retiring, Hu Wanlin should have wisely left the business.

But that was her concern, and Lee Dong couldn't be bothered.

The negotiation falling through was a relief. Lee Dong saved 30,000 yuan, which could be used for many other purposes.