Chapter 54: External Aid

The meeting concluded. Gu Yumin and Liu Xinyang did not pursue the matter of Li Fengyu's carelessness leading to the business failure. However, the Li Corporation had yet to turn a profit, and this single loss of thirty million dealt a heavy blow, creating a severe financial deficit for the company. Frowning deeply as he looked over the report submitted by the accounting department, Chen Yuxuan walked over to Li Fengyu. At that moment, Li Fengyu was deep in thought, trying to figure out how to restore profitability to the corporation. With a nervous and uneasy tone, Chen Yuxuan said, "Young President, the Li Corporation is almost unable to pay its employees' salaries."

Upon hearing this, Li Fengyu sprang to his feet and exclaimed, "How can we run out of money this fast?" Chen Yuxuan handed him the detailed ledger, which meticulously recorded every single transaction. It turned out that the previous one hundred and thirty million had been entirely poured into recruiting a new batch of employees, office renovations, and a myriad of other expenses.

Only half of the funds had remained as truly liquid capital, and with another thirty million lost, the available funds had dwindled to nearly nothing. Now they were in a genuine crisis. Gazing helplessly at the ledger before him, Li Fengyu realized his options: unless he could bring himself to ask Liu Xinyang or Gu Yumin for increased investment—something he simply could not bring himself to do—or seek out a new investor, which would require sacrificing his own equity and potentially offending Gu Yumin and Liu Xinyang, there was no easy way out.

Setting the statement down, Li Fengyu walked over to the window and let out a bitter laugh. "I, Li Fengyu, have lived a proud life of distinction. I worked my fingers to the bone, serving the Xinmin Corporation with unwavering loyalty and rendering countless meritorious services, only to be forced out in the end. I founded the Li Corporation hoping for a fresh start, yet it seems it has ended before it even truly began."

Watching the young president before him, Chen Yuxuan felt a pang of sorrow. It was true. Back then, Li Fengyu had traveled to Shanghai for negotiations, staying up the entire night, and later successfully brokered peace with the Liu Corporation, only to be driven out afterward. Now, the Li Corporation he had established left him with only a tiny fraction of the shares, and it was already facing the brink of bankruptcy. For an eighteen-year-old youth, this was simply too heavy a burden.

Staring out the window, Li Fengyu seemed momentarily lost in thought. In his trance, he fancied he heard someone asking him, "Is this it? Are you ready to give up just like that?" Li Fengyu whipped his head around, only to find Chen Yuxuan standing behind him. Slowly sinking back into his office chair, he figured the immense pressure was driving him to the edge of hallucinations. Yet, those words had felt so remarkably real—perhaps it was his own unyielding, stubborn will whispering to him as a reminder. Clenching his resolve, Li Fengyu muttered to himself, "That's right. Are you just going to surrender like this? If you surrender now, all previous efforts and sacrifices will be completely wasted."

Slapping the desk hard, Li Fengyu commanded, "Chen Yuxuan, find Lin Chu immediately. I will write a personal letter for you right now. Travel through the night to reach the Xinmin Corporation, and remember, make sure no one discovers you. This matter must be kept strictly confidential to avoid any complications."

Chen Yuxuan nodded. Without hesitation, Li Fengyu picked up a sheet of paper and a fountain pen to write. Li Fengyu's handwriting was remarkably distinct, largely because it was slightly awkward. As he finished writing in the blink of an eye, he slipped the paper into an envelope and urged Chen Yuxuan, "Hurry and go."

Accepting the mission, Chen Yuxuan muttered inwardly with lingering confusion, "Since a simple phone call would suffice, why on earth did the Young President insist on sending me to deliver a letter in person?"