When Lin Wanwan arrived in Port City, Xie Sui had already been detained for three days. The main company was relatively stable, with those who had followed Xie Sui from the beginning holding a blind admiration and maintaining a firm resolve.
However, other companies were not faring as well. The entertainment company was showing signs of a strike, instigated by Lin Tianxiang. He managed to poach a few rising stars, causing widespread anxiety and a loss of focus on internal factions.
The newspaper office was similar. After a period of tension, reporters had become lax, with several planning their next moves.
The factory side was doing better. As production had just begun, with no orders or sales yet, a delay was acceptable, and everyone was adopting a wait-and-see approach.
It was at this juncture that Lin Wanwan arrived in Port City.
Anan, along with Secretary Jin, Ah Hua, Ah Fei, and other key personnel, came to pick up Lin Wanwan. They were all somewhat apprehensive, worried that if Mrs. Xie turned out to be a pampered canary with no opinions, things would only get worse.
Upon their first meeting, Secretary Jin's eyes lit up. Lin Wanwan wore a caramel-colored trench coat, exuding a sharp and capable aura. Her long hair was tied up in a bun, neat yet graceful, and she was quite beautiful but not frail. Her gaze was calm.
She hadn't cried or appeared flustered, already earning her eighty points.
"Mrs. Xie, thank you for the journey. I am Mr. Xie's secretary, you can just call me Secretary Jin."
Anan chimed in, "Mrs. Xie, we meet again. You must be tired from the journey. Shall we head to the villa to settle in first, or go to the company?"
Secretary Jin rubbed his nose, once again beaten to the punch by Anan. He had known Mrs. Xie already, thwarting his plan to curry favor with the boss's wife.
Secretary Jin had joined Xie Sui's company and had been in a silent rivalry with Anan, both aiming to gain Xie Sui's exclusive trust and become the chief steward.
Xie Sui was unaware of their covert competition, both vying for a "eunuch" position, which was entirely unnecessary.
Lin Wanwan smiled and replied, "I'm fine, thank you all for your hard work. I'll go to the company first to understand the situation. My elder sister and the nanny will take the children to the villa to settle in, so we can manage both."
"That would be best. The company is eagerly awaiting Mrs. Xie's arrival."
The cars parted ways. Du Feiyang took the children to the villa to familiarize them with the surroundings, while Lin Wanwan headed to the company.
The employees were already waiting for Mr. Xie's wife, curious about what kind of wife someone like Mr. Xie would have. Many rich daughters, celebrities, and even wealthy older women had shown him favor, yet he remained virtuous, with no gossip ever surfacing. This Mrs. Xie must have been very adept at managing her husband!
Lin Wanwan alighted from the car and walked into the lobby. The employees' eyes lit up. So this was what Mrs. Xie looked like – beautiful but not ostentatious, gentle but not weak, surprisingly fitting their conjectures.
"Welcome, Mrs. Xie."
"There's no need for such a grand reception. Please get back to your work."
Lin Wanwan felt a little flustered, but managed to maintain her composure. The pressure of so many people was significant, especially since she knew nothing and felt unsure of herself.
Secretary Jin and Anan flanked her like two guardians, escorting her to Xie Sui's office and then introducing her to the company employees.
Before they could discuss serious matters, guests arrived. The reception secretary couldn't stop them, and they barged directly into the office.
Seeing Lin Wanwan in the boss's chair, they paused in surprise. "Who are you?"
Lin Wanwan retorted, "Who are you? You've come to my company's office, and you look hostile. You should introduce yourselves first."
These were some of the old bosses who had previously financed Xie Sui, expecting him to lead them to great wealth. To their surprise, he had been detained within days. Their money wasn't wind-blown, so they naturally came to demand an explanation and were quite impolite.
"Your company? You can't be Mr. Xie's wife, can you? Oh, I didn't expect that. You're quite pretty. If you're here, that's perfect; talking to you is the same as talking to him."
Secretary Jin quietly explained their identities and the situation to Lin Wanwan. Lin Wanwan understood and said, "Yes, I am Xie Sui's wife. I just returned. I will handle your matters, but it will take time. Please give me a few days, can you?"
"No!"
People often bully the weak. Seeing Lin Wanwan, who had just arrived, they thought it was the perfect opportunity to take advantage of her and reclaim their money.
"Then what do you want?"
This question immediately exposed her inexperience. A Mr. Hu among them said, "Either return the money, or mortgage your company to us. You choose."
Lin Wanwan asked with confusion, "Return money? What money? Does Xie Sui owe you money? Do you have IOU notes?"
There were no IOU notes, but they had contracts. They had brought them and threw them onto the desk for her to see. "This is the money your husband took from us, a full four hundred million. This financial company alone isn't worth that much. With your entertainment company and this one, we'll take a small loss and settle with both companies."
Secretary Jin felt a sense of unease but couldn't say much at this point due to his unequal standing. He could only hope that Mrs. Xie would be more assertive.
Lin Wanwan crossed her arms and said, "I'm sorry, I'm not illiterate. I can read. This contract is merely a financing agreement. My husband Xie Sui used your money to invest in the stock market and provide periodic dividends. He doesn't owe you money. Therefore, your demand is unreasonable, and I refuse."
"You dare refuse? Xie is already in jail, so how can he give us dividends? You cheap bitch, don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!" Mr. Hu exploded, pointing at Lin Wanwan's nose and cursing.
Secretary Jin quickly intervened, "Mr. Hu, let's talk things out calmly. Please don't curse. This is excessive."
"So what if I curse? If you don't give me my money, I'll smash your company! What a joke, he's locked up, and you still think you're a stock market whiz? You'll go bankrupt sooner or later!"
Secretary Jin was so angry he couldn't speak. Xie Sui had only been detained for a few days, and these people were already revealing their true colors. Their greed was too apparent.
Lin Wanwan suddenly grabbed an ashtray and smashed it out. With a deafening crash, Mr. Hu flinched, looking at Lin Wanwan in disbelief that she had dared to act first.
"You..."
"What 'you'? Watch your mouth. If you have something to say, say it properly. Your mother is a bitch, and your whole family is a bunch of bitches! You're not young anymore, and you're a boss, yet you resort to vulgarity. Is this the upbringing of you Port City people?"
Mr. Hu was stunned by her words; this woman was even fiercer than him.
It wasn't over yet. Lin Wanwan placed her hands on the table and said menacingly, "If you want money, show some respect. I'm telling you right now, there's no way you're getting any money. Even if there were, I wouldn't give it to you. The debtor is always the master. With your attitude today, I'll be the master."
Lin Wanwan's move left them all bewildered. Mr. Hu didn't know what to say.
"You want to smash the company? Fine, go ahead and smash it. Secretary Jin, get this gentleman some tools. Let him smash whatever he wants to vent his frustration. Anyway, everything has a price. I don't quite like this renovation; I was planning to redecorate anyway, so this saves me the cost of demolition. I'm holding your money, so why should I fear you acting tough? You want to hit me? Even better, one slap for one hundred million. Try it!"
Mr. Hu's eyes darted, and he signaled Mr. Zhao. He couldn't salvage the situation. Mr. Zhao, with his round face, appeared amiable, known as a "smiling tiger" who was cunning behind his back. He smiled and said, "Mrs. Xie, please calm down. It's all a misunderstanding. Mr. Hu was just too worried. He wasn't targeting you. I apologize on his behalf!"
Lin Wanwan gave him a disdainful look. "No need to play the good cop. I've seen this trick before. One good cop, one bad cop. Do I look easily fooled?" They all instinctively wanted to nod. She was beautiful, gentle, and harmless, like a delicate flower raised in a greenhouse, unlike those strong career women. They unconsciously felt she was easy to bully. As it turned out, she was a disguised formidable flower.
"I don't need apologies. Nothing you say now will work. I'm tired. Please leave."
Mr. Hu was not willing to back down. "You... you're being unreasonable. You have to give us an explanation."
Lin Wanwan: "I told you, I just arrived and don't understand the situation. I can't make any promises. Are your ears just for decoration? I've noted down your insults."
Lin Wanwan specifically reviewed Mr. Hu's company information. His assets were around one billion. She instructed Secretary Jin, "I'm quite interested in Mr. Hu's company. Search for his stock; I want to buy it."
Secretary Jin replied, "Okay, I'll arrange it immediately. Since everyone is not very busy lately, and we have experience from the previous acquisition of Junshi Group, Mr. Hu's company is small, only about one billion. We can definitely handle it in less than two months."
"Two months is too long. Ten days."
Secretary Jin was taken aback. Mrs. Xie was even more assertive than he imagined. "Okay, I'll do my best."
Mr. Hu was furious. "You cheap..."
Lin Wanwan glared at him, and the curse got stuck in his throat. "Stop putting on airs. Do you have that much money? You said you don't know Xie Sui's accounts have been frozen."
Lin Wanwan took out a card and handed it to Secretary Jin. "Check how much pocket money Xie Sui gives me."
It was a black card. Xie Sui had once mentioned saving ten billion, and Lin Wanwan had thought he was joking. Now, it seemed he was serious.
"Alright, Madam, please wait a moment."
Secretary Jin had someone check, and soon returned with a joyous expression. "One hundred billion! This is your personal asset, Madam Lin, unrelated to the company. With this money, we have nothing to fear."
Lin Wanwan was also surprised. She thought he was bluffing. "That's good. My Xie Sui may not have many other virtues, but he loves to give me pocket money. When I gave birth to our two sons, he said he would open an account for each of them with ten billion each, and that money hasn't been counted yet. However, I don't want to spend my sons' money. This money is for me to buy bags and clothes. If the company is short of funds, take it to use first."
"Thank you, Madam."
Mr. Hu didn't believe it. "Who are you kidding? Unless I see it with my own eyes, what kind of act are you putting on?"
Lin Wanwan scoffed. "Do I need to prove anything to you? I am the master, and you, a grandchild, are not tucking your tail between your legs and acting like a big boss here. I'll have you sleeping on the streets later."
Secretary Jin's confidence soared. "We'll have you sleeping on the streets. Without your company, you won't even be able to enter our door. Madam Lin is tired. Please leave. You are all important people, don't force me to call security."
The bosses exchanged glances, unable to gauge Lin Wanwan's true intentions, and decided to leave for now.
After they left, Lin Wanwan slumped onto the chair, scared out of her wits.
"Mrs. Xie, are you alright?"
"Can I be alright? Half my soul is gone. These people have no business sense at all. You scared me to death."
Secretary Jin: "You're scared? I didn't see it at all. It was those gentlemen who were quite shaken. I've kept the card safe for you. We don't need it for now; the company can operate on its own. Let's see if other companies need it."
Lin Wanwan said, "Even if they need it, they don't have it. How much money is there really? If not, I'll transfer some from the mainland factory."
Lin Wanwan was worried. Here, they were talking in billions, and the money from the mainland was insignificant.
Secretary Jin's expression turned strange. "It's one hundred billion!"
Lin Wanwan looked stunned. "Really? I thought you were just bluffing them."
"It's true. Why would I lie? Madam Lin, don't you know yourself?"
"I don't spend this money, so I haven't checked. Give it to me quickly. Oh my, I have so much money. I wouldn't even dare to dream this much."
Secretary Jin found her somewhat endearing.
"I've arranged for a meeting with Mr. Xie. Lawyer Wei is busy with this matter, allowing you to meet Mr. Xie first. Then, we'll have the CEOs of several companies attend a meeting, and you can get acquainted with them."
"You arrange it."
Lin Wanwan thought of Xie Sui, her gaze darkening. "Will they bully him inside? Should we send some money in?"
"Young Master Du will handle these matters. It shouldn't be the case. Xie Sui's verdict hasn't been passed yet; he's only being detained. There shouldn't be such ferocious criminals."
"Be careful. It's better to be safe than sorry."
Secretary Jin nodded. "Okay, I'll take care of it further to ensure Mr. Xie is comfortable inside."
"Thank you for your hard work."
"You must be tired too, Mrs. Xie. There's a lounge next door. You can rest and freshen up. We'll call you when the meeting starts."
"Okay."
Lin Wanwan was indeed tired. As she opened the door to the room, a woman walked out. They startled each other with a sudden eye contact, both exclaiming in surprise, "Who are you?"
Secretary Jin looked on in surprise. "Lawyer Wei, why are you in Mr. Xie's lounge? This is Mrs. Xie. She just arrived. What a coincidence."
"You're Lawyer Wei? You're so young. I've heard your name for a long time. I didn't expect you to be such a beauty."
"Mrs. Xie, I'm very sorry. I stayed up all night organizing materials yesterday and was extremely tired. I just took a short nap in Mr. Xie's lounge. I really didn't expect it to be so late. Mr. Xie and I truly have nothing going on."
Lin Wanwan's eyes held a peculiar glint. Wei Yanran knew she had misspoken and glanced at Lin Wanwan guiltily.
"It's alright, I understand. You've worked hard."
"It's my duty. Then I'll be going. I have an appointment."
"Okay, goodbye."
As Wei Yanran left, Lin Wanwan's expression instantly turned cold. Secretary Jin even broke out in a cold sweat for Xie Sui; this timing was unfortunate.
"Mrs. Xie, Mr. Xie truly has nothing going on with Lawyer Wei. I can vouch for that."
Lin Wanwan: "I didn't say they had anything going on either. No need to be so nervous. The more you explain, the more uneasy I become."
Secretary Jin had no choice but to remain silent. It seemed that was indeed the case!