When he returned home, he saw that Fang Yuan had sent him a message.
Fang Yuan: "Student Jiang, shall we have dinner together tonight??"
Looking at the message Fang Yuan sent, Jiang Cheng suddenly remembered that he seemed to have already made plans with Little Xia?
This... seems a bit tricky.
If he hadn't seen Little Xia today, it would have been fine, but the problem was that having her soft fragrance in his arms earlier made Jiang Cheng want to pull back from the brink.
Moreover, he had already stood up Little Xia last time. Doing it again today might not be good.
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Cheng replied directly: "Auntie, sorry, I've been a bit busy lately. Something urgent came up tonight. How about tomorrow?"
Seeing the wechat message Jiang Cheng sent, Fang Yuan frowned.
Just as she was about to reply, her phone rang.
Seeing that it was Liu Ming calling, Fang Yuan immediately answered.
"Hello, Manager Liu."
"Hello, Sister Fang. Sorry to bother you again. I wanted to ask how the negotiation went?"
Fang Yuan sighed and said helplessly, "Manager Liu, I haven't talked to him yet. I just tried to invite him to dinner tonight to discuss this, but he said he had something urgent and postponed it until tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, Liu Ming became even more anxious. "This... Sister Fang, what should we do? Our company really can't afford to delay any longer. If he keeps refusing to budge, we'll truly be finished!"
"Manager Liu, please don't worry yet. I'll meet him tomorrow and have a good chat. Don't worry, I'll do my best."
Liu Ming's weary voice came from the other end of the phone.
He said somewhat bitterly, "I know this is troubling you, but work here has been suspended for several days, and the workers are very anxious."
He then sighed and continued, "In the morning, people from the Ecological Environment Department came. They said the factory's emissions didn't meet standards and caused air pollution in the surrounding area. They not only demanded rectification of the emission facilities but also issued several fines, amounting to nearly two million yuan."
"Rectifying the emissions will be a huge expense, replacing equipment is a huge expense. Coupled with various fire safety fines and some breach of contract penalties, the company has already invested hundreds of millions. I really don't know what to do. Company Name is the hard work of all of us. If it's gone, what will everyone do? We just beg him to let Company Name go."
Seeing Fang Yuan remain silent, Liu Ming grew even more anxious.
He continued, "Sister Fang, I know there is bad blood between you and Fang Wende. I'm not running around trying to fix things for him; I'm doing it for the factory workers. Many of them, like me, are getting on in years, and working for the Cement Factory all these years has left them with many ailments. If they lose their jobs now, I'm afraid some might do something desperate."
How could Fang Yuan not understand what Liu Ming was saying?
Back when Zhou Ying's father's company went bankrupt, it wasn't just her and Zhou Ying who had a hard life.
Even the veteran employees who had been with the company for many years had a difficult time."
"Manager Liu, I will do my best to handle this matter. However, in my opinion, it won't be easy to make him stop. But if we can transfer the company to Jiang Cheng, the company might have a glimmer of hope," Fang Yuan said.
She knew this was a very difficult decision for Company Name, but it was also the only way.
After a moment of silence on the other end of the line, Liu Ming continued, "Are you saying let him acquire the company?"
"Yes, as long as the company becomes his, won't the problem be solved?"
That day at Fang Yuan's house, Jiang Cheng had told Fang Wende that he would give him several hundred thousand yuan to transfer the company to him, allowing Fang Wende to return to his old profession.
However, Fang Wende did not agree at the time, which is why the current situation arose.
"Manager Liu, I know you are dedicated solely to the company, and your abilities are beyond doubt. If it weren't for you all these years, the company would have gone bankrupt long ago."
"Moreover, Fang Wende is not a qualified boss. Since things have come to this, an acquisition simply means a change of ownership, which shouldn't affect you or the company's employees. Furthermore, given Jiang Cheng's strength, if the company changes hands, it should become more stable and larger under his influence, which would also be good for the workers' salaries."
Fang Yuan's words caused some turmoil in Liu Ming's heart.
He knew that what Fang Yuan said made sense. Jiang Cheng was indeed a capable person, and his background was very strong.
If he became the company's boss, perhaps he could truly take the company to the next level.
"Sister Fang, I know you are right. Over the years, I have been extremely grateful to you. I was just a small employee at your company back then. If I hadn't received your recognition and promotion, I really wouldn't be in this position today."
Liu Ming continued, "But this matter requires careful consideration. If the company changes hands, we must ensure that the rights of the employees are also guaranteed. After all, this concerns the interests of everyone in the company. I cannot make a decision lightly," Liu Ming said.
Fang Yuan's words instantly made Liu Ming's heart conflicted.
For so many years, he had also harbored resentment toward Fang Wende.
"Manager Liu, I know you have devoted most of your life's effort to this company, which is why I want to give you a hint: Jiang Cheng is no ordinary person. Look at the state the company is in now. Even if you don't want to yield, he has ways to acquire the company. So, you might as well actively show goodwill. If he acquires the company then, perhaps he will keep you on."
Fang Yuan recalled her few interactions with Jiang Cheng.
Although she still didn't know Jiang Cheng's full background, judging from the current situation, his background seemed unfathomable.
The strength he displayed was also very powerful.
In this situation, even if you don't voluntarily surrender the company, he has the ability to seize it directly.
Her words plunged Liu Ming into deep thought.
Fang Yuan's original intention was to pity the workers who had no jobs.
She wanted to do her part to help them overcome this difficulty.
However, while talking to Liu Ming, she unconsciously sided with Jiang Cheng, starting to persuade Liu Ming not to resist the decision concerning the company.
After pausing for three seconds, Liu Ming slowly said, "I understand. Thank you, Sister Fang. I'm also getting old. To be honest, if the company is gone, I really don't know what else I can do."
His voice revealed a trace of helplessness and confusion.
Fang Yuan's heart softened; she could understand Liu Ming's situation.
She sighed, "Please seriously consider what I told you. I will try my best to help you secure a chance to stay with the company."
"Thank you, Sister Fang. There's one more thing. These past two days, I saw some... some documents regarding your family's bankruptcy, and also some files about the company's illegal operations..."
Fang Yuan's heart immediately sank. Her face instantly turned pale, looking as if she couldn't believe what she had just heard.
She anxiously asked, "What documents? Are you saying my family's bankruptcy is related to Company Name?"
"I only found them these past couple of days while tidying up Manager Fang's office files. I've been hesitating whether to tell you, fearing you wouldn't be able to handle it..."
"Where are these documents?"
Fang Yuan's voice trembled slightly. She tried to remain calm, but her fingers involuntarily gripped the corner of her clothes tightly.