Chapter 56

Lin Yushu rested at home for one night and then went to Yong Xing Building early in the morning to attend Shao Zhenbang’s memorial service. Unlike his busy colleagues, who appeared to be internal employees of the Shao family, he seemed more like a friend who came to pay his respects.

“I’ve heard about your situation,” Zhou Xian said from his wheelchair, sitting in a corner of the memorial hall, addressing Lin Yushu who stood behind him.

Song Qiming had gone to the airport to pick up his parents, so Lin Yushu had some spare time and thought it was a good opportunity to accompany his teacher.

“Is there anyone else talking behind my back?” Lin Yushu asked with a self-deprecating tone, looking at his busy colleagues.

“Do you think there would be anyone else?” Zhou Xian slightly tilted his head, asking.

Lin Yushu’s heart skipped a beat, and his expression tightened. He understood Zhou Xian’s implication: it was probably Shao Zhenbang who talked to him.

Indeed, it would only be him.

On the wall in front of them hung a picture of Shao Zhenbang, dressed in a brand-new suit, his hair neatly groomed. His gentle smile made it seem as if he hadn’t left and could step out of the photo at any moment.

“I’m sorry, Teacher,” Lin Yushu couldn’t help but lower his head like a student who had done something wrong.

“You don’t need to apologize to me,” Zhou Xian interlocked his fingers and casually placed them in front of him, “You have to be responsible for your own choices.”

“Yeah,” Lin Yushu softly agreed.

“However,” Zhou Xian’s tone changed, “I’m surprised that you’re still staying at Yong Xing after all that has happened.”

“I did consider resigning,” Lin Yushu said, “but I’m still hesitating.”

“Is it because of that guy surnamed Song?” Zhou Xian asked.

Although Lin Yushu and Song Qiming’s relationship was semi-public, hearing Zhou Xian speak about it so calmly made him feel more reassured.

“He’s part of the reason,” Lin Yushu replied, “but another reason is that I’m reluctant to leave. After all, this is my first job since graduation.”

Zhou Xian nodded, seeming to understand Lin Yushu’s thoughts. However, he continued, “But staying at Yong Xing doesn’t make much sense for you anymore.”

Lin Yushu fell silent.

“Your career plan was to jump to a management position in a listed company from a family business, right?”

Lin Yushu had discussed these ideas with Zhou Xian before, and Zhou Xian had been supportive.

“But if you’re with Song Qiming, then that plan is unnecessary,” Zhou Xian continued, “If Shao Hedong takes control of the company in the future, neither of you will have a place. On the other hand, if Song Qiming takes control, you will forever be in his shadow.”

“… I’ve considered these things,” Lin Yushu admitted, “So, are you suggesting that I should go back home?”

“It would be best for both of you,” Zhou Xian said, “If Song Qiming becomes unemployed, at least you’ll still be there for him. If he keeps his job, then the two of you are in a very suitable position.”

His teacher really lived up to his title. He considered things much more comprehensively than Lin Yushu.

However, Lin Yushu suddenly realized something wasn’t quite right. Zhou Xian mentioned earlier that he knew about these things because Shao Zhenbang had spoken to him. In other words…

“Is this what Grandpa meant?” Lin Yushu couldn’t help but frown, “Did he talk to you about the company’s future?”

“You don’t need to worry about all that,” Zhou Xian said lightly, “All you need to know is that staying at Yong Xing is no longer suitable for you.”

As Zhou Xian’s health wasn’t good, he didn’t stay at the memorial service for long.

At noon, all the guests gathered in the company’s cafeteria for a simple meal. When Song Qiming returned from the airport, only a few people were left in the memorial hall.

Lin Yushu had avoided the lunchtime rush and happened to be upstairs, but he didn’t go up to disturb them. He waited quietly on the side.

Behind Song Qiming were Shao Wenqian, looking exhausted, and a man wearing a black coat. He had a serious expression and seldom smiled. Lin Yushu had seen him in photos before; he was Song Qiming’s father.

The Shao family relatives helped the three of them put on armbands. Unlike the cheerful aunt he saw in the video, Shao Wenqian had been sobbing since she saw Shao Zhenbang’s photo. Song Qiming and his father had been comforting her.

Lin Yushu suddenly remembered the time his parents left due to an accident.

He was still very young at that time and didn’t fully understand the concept of death. Lin Yuzhe told him that his parents had gone far away.

Later, when he grew up and became an adult, Lin Yuzhe confessed to him that he envied Lin Yushu for not understanding at that time, so he wouldn’t feel the pain of losing loved ones.

But Lin Yushu didn’t say that when he started to understand, there was a period when he cried in front of his parents’ photos every day.

“Dad, Mom, this is Lin Yushu.”

When Shao Wenqian finally calmed down, Song Qiming looked around and noticed Lin Yushu. Realizing that it was time, Lin Yushu approached.

“Hello, Aunt and Uncle,” facing Song Qiming’s parents for the first time, Lin Yushu felt a bit nervous, “I offer my condolences.”

Song Qiming’s father nodded with no particular reaction, “Hello.”

“Hello, Xiaoshu,” Shao Wenqian’s voice was still weak with a strong nasal tone. “The plan couldn’t keep up with the changes. Our home in Germany has prepared everything for you, who would have expected…”

As she spoke, she started to sob again. Song Qiming circled his arm around her shoulder and patted her to comfort, “It’s alright, Mom. There will be opportunities in the future.”

Lin Yushu didn’t know what to say, and Song Qiming’s father noticed his nervousness. He took the initiative to ask, “What are your plans for the future?”

Their next step would depend on the will being disclosed.

Lin Yushu hesitated to discuss such sensitive matters, so he replied, “After things settle down with work, I’ll also bring him to my home.”

“Hope your family will like him,” Shao Wenqian finally stopped sobbing and said, “Both his dad and I really like you.”

Song Qiming’s straightforwardness was likely inherited from his parents. Sometimes it made people angry, but sometimes it was reassuring.

“Thank you,” although Lin Yushu wasn’t entirely sure, he still said, “I hope so.”

The Shao family members gradually returned to the upper floor from the cafeteria. Shao Hedong had stayed overnight and was not originally present in the morning, but perhaps upon receiving the news of Shao Wenqian’s arrival, he quickly rushed over.

“Everyone is here,” Shao Hedong rushed in, clearly not interested in exchanging pleasantries with Shao Wenqian. “We can announce the will now.”

Standing beside him was Shao Zhenbang’s close friend, the founder of a top law firm, Lawyer Zhong.

Lawyer Zhong was holding a bulging briefcase under his arm, capturing everyone’s attention.

“Alright,” Lawyer Zhong pushed up his glasses, “Let’s find a large conference room.”

With about twenty to thirty core members of the Shao family moving together, it was quite a spectacle.

All the guests stopped what they were doing and looked over, curious about the contents of the will.

Shao Hedong and his siblings led the way, as they were the main characters in the will.

Song Qiming and Lin Yushu followed in the second group. While waiting for the elevator, Song Qiming quietly asked Lin Yushu, “Do you know this lawyer well?”

“Not really,” Lin Yushu gently shook his head, “But you can rest assured. This lawyer was someone Grandpa trusted; he wouldn’t make changes to the will.”

Even if he wanted to change it, it wouldn’t be possible.

Every time Shao Zhenbang modified the will, he would have the changes notarized by different personnel from the Notary Public Office. Lawyer Zhong couldn’t possibly bribe the entire notary office to fabricate a false will.

“Why?” Shao Guangjie appeared out of nowhere and asked Song Qiming, “Are you scared?”

With so many Shao family relatives around, Shao Guangjie could have chosen to go anywhere, but he deliberately came to their side.

It seemed like he was really persistent.

Lin Yushu and Song Qiming increased their pace, but Shao Guangjie caught up with them, his expression appeared amicable, but his words were still harsh, “Don’t worry. You wouldn’t have gotten much anyway. Who would bother tampering with the will?”

“Have you ever considered,” Lin Yushu couldn’t stand it anymore, keeping an eye on the surrounding people while lowering his voice to Shao Guangjie, “Once you regain your position, the company’s stock price will plummet. Don’t you know your own worth?”

“CEO Lin, oops, I mean, Manager Lin,” Shao Guangjie intentionally used that title to remind Lin Yushu of his demotion, “Are you confident because of Song Qiming? Be careful that he leads you to a dead-end.”

Lin Yushu didn’t hold back and retorted, “Still better than following you into the gutter.”

“You—” Shao Guangjie’s face darkened, apparently not expecting Lin Yushu to speak so harshly. “Why did you come here when our family is announcing the will?”

“He’s with me. Why can’t he come?” Song Qiming looked bored and simply put his arm around Lin Yushu’s shoulder, walking up to the first group.

There were fewer people in front, mostly elders, and it would be impolite for Shao Guangjie to follow them further.

In just a few minutes, the group arrived at a conference room that could accommodate dozens of people.

The more central members of the family sat in the front, and the relatively peripheral members sat behind the conference table. Song Qiming and Lin Yushu sat against the wall, but their seats were still closer to the front.

Lawyer Zhong took out a sealed document bag from the briefcase. He then brought out a slim notebook computer and placed it aside, saying to everyone, “Now, I will play the will of Shao Zhenbang, the founder of Yong Xing Group.”

The Shao family members obviously divided into two groups – some looked composed, while others were anxious, reflecting the attitudes of Shao Hedong and Shao Hexu.

Lawyer Zhong inserted the USB drive from the sealed bag into the notebook computer. Then, he connected the computer screen to the large screen in the conference room. Soon, Shao Zhenbang’s image appeared before everyone.

“I am Shao Zhenbang, and today is January 18, 20××. I will distribute my assets as follows…”

The date mentioned was just a few days ago, indicating that Shao Zhenbang had recently modified the will, contradicting what Shao Guangjie had said.

A glimmer of hope rose in Lin Yushu’s heart, but at the same time, the previously composed group of people looked worried.

“My domestic and overseas properties, a total of… 142 properties, of which…”

Shao Zhenbang distributed some properties to his relatives, most of whom were instrumental in the success of Yong Xing. As for the remaining properties, he equally divided them among his three children, and even Song Qiming received several properties in Singapore.

“My bank deposits, funds, trusts… and other products, ××% of which will be donated to ○○ organization, and the rest will be evenly divided among Shao Hedong, Shao Hexu, and Shao Wenqian.”

Shao Zhenbang truly lived up to his reputation as a visionary businessman. With this, he had evenly distributed all his remaining assets to his three children.

However, the most critical part was yet to come.

“I hold 100% of the shares of Yong Xing Holdings Group, which are stored in an overseas trust, never to be pledged or transferred. Now, I will allocate the dividend rights and voting rights of these shares…”

Everyone held their breath and watched the screen intently.

Shao Zhenbang continued in a steady tone, “Shao Hedong and his family together will receive 51% of the shares, Shao Hexu and his family will receive 34% of the shares, Shao Wenqian and her family will receive 10% of the shares, and Shao… and others will receive the remaining 5% of the shares.”

The distribution was as expected. Shao Hedong’s group breathed a sigh of relief, while Shao Hexu’s group looked serious.

The fractions 1/2 and 2/3 are quite important in corporate law. Shao Hedong obtaining more than 1/2 of the shares means he now has relative control over the company and can make most decisions independently. This avoids conflicts between the two brothers, preventing situations where resolutions cannot be reached.

On the other hand, Shao Hexu obtaining more than 1/3 of the shares means he has a veto power in major decisions that require a 2/3 vote. As for Shao Wenqian and the other relatives’ shares, they are relatively insignificant and will not have a decisive role in decision-making.

In summary, Shao Zhenbang’s distribution aims to have Shao Hedong making most decisions for the family affairs, while Shao Hexu will have veto power in significant matters like the company’s mergers and divisions. It’s a fair and just allocation, once again displaying his prowess as a visionary businessman.

However, these shares are only limited to the upper-level holding company, essentially the internal affairs of the Shao family. When their shares are projected to the publicly listed company, they will be diluted to 30.6% and 20.4% respectively. Hence, Shao Hedong has not yet gained control of the listed company.

But Shao Guangjie claimed that their family indirectly holds more than 10% of the listed company’s shares, plus the 30.6% they obtained directly. This might pose a significant danger.

These numbers quickly flashed through Lin Yushu’s mind, and he couldn’t help but worry, squeezing Song Qiming’s hand back.

“It’s okay,” Song Qiming held Lin Yushu’s hand firmly and whispered in his ear, “Shao Hexu and Fang Lan all signed agreements with me. Their shareholdings won’t be much different from Shao Hedong’s.”

Lin Yushu made a rough calculation; both sides probably held a little over 40% of the shares. The next step would be to see who could mobilize a large amount of funds to repurchase the company’s stocks from the secondary market.

It would undoubtedly be a fierce battle.

Shao Hexu’s side didn’t have as much financial strength as Shao Hedong’s, and Song Qiming already owed tens of billions of US dollars, making it impossible for him to mobilize more funds.

While Lin Yushu furrowed his brows with concern, Shao Guangjie on the other side of the room turned his chair around, exuding an air of confidence.

But the video of the will hadn’t finished yet.

“I want to add one more thing here,” Shao Zhenbang in the video suddenly slowed down his speech, as if he had reached the most critical point. “If my grandson, Song Qiming, can complete the acquisition of Xunjie Tram within six months, he will obtain 100% of Yong Xing Holdings Group’s shares.”

A thunderbolt struck, stunning everyone for a moment.

In the next instant, all eyes turned towards Lin Yushu. Some looked hostile, some were astonished, but most of them were clueless and could only watch how the situation would unfold.

…An acquisition?

Lin Yushu furrowed his brows.

Xunjie Tram would no longer be surnamed Lin.

So, all that preparation before was just to lead up to this?

He had acted like a master in his will, forcing Song Qiming into a dead-end while giving him a glimmer of hope.

Truly impressive, old master. Lin Yushu couldn’t help but sigh. He had been playing his family’s game until the end.

 

<Previous.........................Next>