Chapter 47: An Unexpected Interruption from the Sidelines

At the first light of dawn the next day, Li Fengyu and Li Sen followed Liu Xinyang back to Shanghai. This time, they did not come as the vice presidents of the Xinmin Group, but as two ordinary men with nothing to their names, arriving to discuss investment matters with Liu Xinyang. At this moment, the investment amount on the table from Liu Xinyang stood at thirty million.

In Liu Xinyang's office, Li Fengyu proposed setting up the new company in Shanghai so that it would be geographically close to both the Huayu Group and the Liu Group. Li Sen, however, thought differently; he still wanted to establish the new company in Xingtai, because that was where their fortunes had begun, and Lin Chu was also there—or, to use an ancient expression, it was the dragon's birthplace.

Just as Li Fengyu and Li Sen were locked in a stalemate, a knock sounded on the office door. Someone whom Li Sen, Li Fengyu, and Liu Xinyang least expected walked in: Gu Yumin.

The moment Li Fengyu saw her, a thought flashed through his mind: "This is bad. It seems this woman has also caught wind of my plan to start a new company and wants a slice of the pie. Liu Xinyang is my brother; I've helped him make so much money before, so it's understandable for him to help me. But if this woman invests as well, my equity will be diluted, and by then, the new company might no longer belong to the Li family."

Liu Xinyang was also calculating in his heart. His original plan was to provide the funds in exchange for a substantial share of equity in Li Fengyu's company, while leaving the daily management entirely to Li Fengyu and Li Sen, with profits to be divided later. Originally, this was a mutually beneficial arrangement for all three parties. But if this woman joined, the plan would likely be disrupted. Even worse, if her investment surpassed his, she would become the primary shareholder and hold decision-making power over the entire enterprise, which would complicate matters considerably—especially given the massive wealth and resources of the Huayu Group.

Li Fengyu and Liu Xinyang exchanged a glance. Liu Xinyang took the lead with polite pleasantries, asking, "Sister Yumin, what brings you to my humble office today?"

Before Gu Yumin could reply, Li Fengyu chimed in with a teasing tone, "I'm afraid she wouldn't stir without a profit, nor visit without a purpose."

Gu Yumin smiled slightly and said, "Hahaha, Li Fengyu, your tongue is as sharp as ever. But you're right; I am indeed here for a reason."

At that moment, Li Fengyu's heart sank by half, though he still managed to squeeze out a smile as he asked, "And what momentous occasion deserves the honor of your personal visit?"

Gu Yumin flashed an imperceptible smile and replied, "Aren't you just asking the obvious? I'm here to lay a few bricks and tiles for your new company, of course."

Both Liu Xinyang and Li Fengyu understood then just how shrewd this woman truly was; nothing escaped her notice. Yet now that she was here, Li Fengyu could not simply turn her away. After all, at the inception of a startup, the more capital, the better. Although his equity might be diluted, he decided to compromise for the sake of the company's overall development. Thus, Li Fengyu asked, "How much are you planning to invest?" Exactly three minutes later, Li Fengyu would deeply regret asking that question.

Gu Yumin did not answer directly; instead, she simply held up a single finger.

Li Fengyu and Liu Xinyang both let out a sigh of relief—ten million, that was manageable.

Gu Yumin shook her head and said, "No, one hundred million."

As soon as those words fell, all three of them were struck dumb with shock. Both Li Fengyu and Liu Xinyang found themselves tangled in a profound dilemma. With an investment of thirty million, Liu Xinyang would have been the primary shareholder. But once an extra one hundred million appeared out of thin air, the total valuation would soar to one hundred and thirty million, severely diluting Liu Xinyang's shares. Although his actual investment value remained thirty million, his percentage of ownership would drop, causing him to lose his status as the primary shareholder and forfeit his decision-making authority.

For Li Fengyu, whose equity was already limited to begin with, this blow was nothing short of adding frost to snow.