After both parties had taken their seats, Yan Lei, the Deputy General Manager of Longheng Group, was the first to speak:
"We at Longheng Group have great recognition and appreciation for the remarkable achievements that Hailin Group has made over the past decade or so."
"The management philosophy and business model of Hailin Group have many aspects from which we at Longheng Group could learn and draw inspiration."
Of course, these words were all but empty talk, mere pleasantries for the occasion.
Having dispensed with the preliminaries, Yan Lei pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and got down to business.
His tone shifted, and he broached the subject directly:
"However, Mr. Deng Hai Lin's untimely death has plunged Hailin Group into an unprecedented crisis."
"The market share of Hailin Group is now continually being eroded by competing companies."