It was seven in the evening, and A Cai, who had been waiting for over two hours at the restaurant, was starting to get restless.
He had arranged to meet Ou Yunchen at the behest of Cai Yadong, as they were now in a position where they needed Ou Yunchen's help.
The private room door finally opened, and A Cai quickly rose to greet him.
A Cai: "Brother, you're finally here."
Ou Yunchen: "I'm truly sorry, I had an urgent meeting tonight that ran late."
A Cai: "It's fine, Brother. Shall we order?"
Ou Yunchen: "Didn't I tell you to eat first? You..."
A Cai: "Brother, I already said I'm treating you to dinner, so how could I eat first?"
A Cai gestured to the waiter behind him, and soon, a table full of delicacies was laid out.
Ou Yunchen: "By the way, what did you want to talk to me about today?"
— Ou Yunchen's Recollection —
Ever since Ou Yunchen had brought Cai Yadong along, he had begun to amass wealth in the stock market by exploiting information asymmetry.
Sister Hong: "Come, let me introduce you. This is my godson, Ou Yunchen."
Ou Yunchen immediately extended his hand. The woman, who looked to be in her fifties and was somewhat plump, smiled warmly at him.
Meng Jing: "I've heard a lot about you. Mr. Ou, your capabilities are truly impressive."
Ou Yunchen: "Sister Meng, I'm just trying to make a living."
Meng Jing clasped Ou Yunchen's hand and let out an appreciative "tsk tsk."
Meng Jing: "Hong, your godson is destined for great things, judging by his countenance!"
Sister Hong: "Is that so? Then I can rest assured. Come, come, sit, sit." 138 Reading Network
Meng Jing was one of Sister Hong's old classmates. Sister Hong hadn't been in touch with her for a long time, but she had dug out their old address book just for Ou Yunchen.
The reason Sister Hong was helping them was to facilitate Ou Yunchen's successful acquisition of shares in Libin Transportation. This well-fed woman held thirty percent of Libin's equity and was eager to sell.
Ou Yunchen had asked Sister Hong to inform Meng Jing in advance of his interest in purchasing, and Meng Jing, through Sister Hong's careful presentation, had formed a good impression of Ou Yunchen.
After all, not everyone could readily produce such a large sum of money, and Libin also had some connections to higher places.
Meng Jing: "Actually, I'm in a hurry to go abroad, which is why I'm so keen to find someone to take over."
Sister Hong: "What happened?"
Meng Jing: "My husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor last year, so I sent him abroad for treatment. Plus, my son is studying there. I think I'll just give it up. I don't want to struggle in China anymore."
Sister Hong: "Yes, many people from our cohort chose to emigrate and never returned."
Meng Jing: "Let's not dwell on that. Mr. Ou, this is the contract. Please take a look. If there are no issues, we can sign it today."
Ou Yunchen quickly skimmed the contract. The formal contract was largely similar to the letter of intent, with the only change being the payment method. This was a deliberate emphasis from Ou Yunchen; he wanted the shares of Libin to be transferred to his name as quickly as possible, and he was willing to pay in full upfront.
Meng Jing quickly signed the contract. The rest was up to Sister Hong's banking procedures and Libin's public announcement.
Meng Jing: "It's done. I've made arrangements at Libin. From now on, Libin belongs to you, Mr. Ou."
They shook hands once more, and then, accompanied by Sister Hong, they watched Meng Jing get into her car and drive away.
Ou Yunchen was still somewhat in a daze. How could it have gone so smoothly?
Sister Hong: "You don't know why, do you?"
Ou Yunchen: "Mm. It feels like she was desperate to leave. Is it because her husband's condition isn't good?"
Sister Hong: "Her husband did go abroad for treatment, but it wasn't malignant. He would be fine after surgery.
Ou Yunchen: "Then why?"
Sister Hong looked at Ou Yunchen and smiled. She felt that with Ou Yunchen becoming a shareholder of Libin this time, his business empire would undergo another transformation. Business and politics were inseparable.
Sister Hong: "She was scared, so she wanted to leave as soon as possible."
Ou Yunchen: "Scared? Scared of what?"
Sister Hong: "She took what she shouldn't have."
Ou Yunchen secretly smiled. So that was it.
— Ou Yunchen's Recollection Ends —