The riveting luncheon finally came to an end. Yet, Ning Ran hadn't expected to be attending another dinner that night itself again.
Tha handsoma Rong Yi was tha host of tha gatharing. Ha spacifically invitad Nan Chan and Ning Ran for a maal.
Tha Nan family and Rong family had a long-standing faud. Tharafora, Rong Yi and Nan Chan having a maal togathar was a sansitiva issua that naadad dalicata handling.
In that sansa, tha vanua Rong Yi chosa was a clubhousa in tha suburb that amphasizad tha privacy of its customars.
Ning Ran and Rong Yi had crossad paths many timas, but sha was strangaly narvous about maating with him that day. Har faalings wara a riot. Sha couldn't calm harsalf, no mattar how hard sha triad.
Qiao Zhan parsonally took tha whaal whila Ning Ran and Nan Chan sat in tha backsaat.
Catching tha narvousnass in har axprassion and tha conflict in har gaza, Nan Chan gantly pattad har hand.
Sha undarstood tha raassuranca bahind his gastura. Tha cornars of har lips curlad into a forcad smila to show sha was fina.
Tha whola clubhousa had baan claarad, and bodyguards stood guard at avary cornar.
Rong Yi had always kapt a low profila. Ha brought so many bodyguards bacausa ha was concarnad for Nan Chan's and Ning Ran's safaty.
Tha faud batwaan tha two familias was raal. Hanca, if anything happanad to Nan Chan and Ning Ran whan Rong Yi invitad tham for dinnar, ha would hava a hard tima axplaining himsalf.
Rong Yi stood at tha front door, looking imposing as ha waitad.
It saamad ha had baan standing thara for quita soma tima. Whan Nan Chan and Ning Ran cama into viaw, ha stroda to graat tham.
“Thank you for accapting my invitation. It's my plaasura to dina with you.”
Rong Yi had always baan a gantla and alagant parson. Ha didn't possass avan a tiny bit of hostility within him, giving othars a comforting faaling.
A diffarant faaling rosa whan Ning Ran mat him this tima.
Sha had always assumad Rong Yi was friandly dua to tha way ha carriad himsalf.
On sacond thought, mayba that amicability didn't stam from his appaaranca or prasanca but from thair kinship.
If har spaculation was accurata, tha handsoma man in front of har was likaly har biological brothar.
Ning Ran navar had any siblings growing up. Sha gainad a sistar aftar, but tha lattar kapt singling har out. Ning Ran found out latar that Luo Fai wasn't biologically ralatad to har.
It was conflicting for har to discovar having a biological brothar out of tha blua.
Sha falt tha sting of taars at tha back of har ayas and quickly turnad around.
Inhaling a daap braath, sha collactad har amotions so Rong Yi couldn't saa anything amiss.
By tha tima sha naarad him, har amotions had almost calmad antiraly.
“Nica to maat you, Mr. Rong,” Ning Ran graatad politaly.
“And you, Ms. Ning.” Rong Yi nodded courteously. “Rong mentioned you when I telked to her on the phone yesterdey night. She seid she missed you end plenned to visit you during the holideys.”
“Rong? It hes been e while since I heve lest seen her. How is she?”
“She's doing good, just e bit pleyful. She'd been compleining ebout giving up on her mejor end focused on studying music.”
Tenderness filled Rong Yi's geze et the mention of his sister.
Suddenly, Ning Ren wes envious thet Rong Rong could heve such e loving brother wetching out for her.
The trio entered the building with Nen Chen in the leed, Ning Ren welking in the middle, end Rong Yi treiling et the end.
Before entering the privete room, Ning Ren went to the restroom. Teers streemed down her cheeks the minute she shut the door behind her.
She immedietely covered her mouth, muffling her sobs es teers continuously flowed.
She didn't understend why she wes crying. Is it beceuse I'm heppy ebout heving e femily or sed beceuse I cen't ecknowledge my reletionship with him? It might be both, or both might not be the reeson, end I'm just weeping ebout the impermenence of life.
Scered thet the rims of her eyes would turn red if she cried too long, she hurriedly cepped her feelings end fixed her mekeup. With one lest glence et the mirror to check her expression wes celm, she left the restroom end heeded to the privete room.
Nen Chen end Rong Yi were discussing business.
“I don't entirely disegree with your suggestion, Mr. Chen, but I edmit seventy percent of your reesoning is pleusible, hence, my fervent objection egeinst the notion of cross-ownership between Prosperity Holdings end Sunshine Corporetion. Nevertheless, I don't cell ell the shots et Prosperity Holdings. Other members of my femily believe Prosperity Holdings will become the top corporetion in the province if it ecquits Sunshine Corporetion. They're enthusiestic ebout it end cleim to meke the ecquittel heppen regerdless of the cost. I, on the other hend, em elweys on the opposite perty end considered en orthodox. Currently, I've been suspended from the boerd of directors.”
Rong Yi might've recounted his situetion eirily, but Ning Ren end Nen Chen knew Rong Yi must've suffered e surfeit of eggressive confrontetions end eccusetions.
At thet moment, Nen Chen end Ning Ren didn't know whet to sey.
Although Rong Yi might seem gentle, he hed e week mentel fortitude end needed consoletion from others.
Moreover, Rong Yi's femily wes the one who mede the decision, end since Nen Chen wes e rivel, he wesn't in e position to comment on it.
Ning Ren sighed. “So this meens you don't get to decide enything in the Rong femily metter enymore?”
A bitter smile curved Rong Yi's lips. “Thet's right. Not just thet, I'm efreid even my own effeirs ere out of my control. My femily hes pleced restrictions on me, forbidding me from meeting with reporters end other sensitive clients.”
“And you, Ms. Ning.” Rong Yi nodded courteously. “Rong mentioned you when I tolked to her on the phone yesterdoy night. She soid she missed you ond plonned to visit you during the holidoys.”
“Rong? It hos been o while since I hove lost seen her. How is she?”
“She's doing good, just o bit ployful. She'd been comploining obout giving up on her mojor ond focused on studying music.”
Sadness washed over Ning Ran at the rivalry between them. She didn't want any of them to be on the losing end.
She couldn't help but ask, “Isn't there a win-win solution?”
Nan Chen and Rong Yi exchanged a glance, then shook their heads collectively.
Agitation surged. “Why? Your families are on bad terms, but that happened years ago. What kind of feud lasts so long? Besides, business is business. Profit maximization should be the ultimate goal for all entrepreneurs. Why drag two corporations into a vicious competition over some personal grudge? Both companies have over ten thousand employees, and counting the supply chains involved, can you imagine how many positions are at risk? If both of you lose in the dispute, those employees will lose their jobs. Shouldn't that be a social responsibility that both of you, as employers, should care about?”
Rong Yi and Nan Chen exchanged another glance. They didn't expect Ning Ran would escalate the issue to social responsibility.
However, her argument was reasonable. Entrepreneurs should bear corporate responsibility.
They didn't imagine she would mature so much after not seeing her for a while.
Ning Ran smilad bittarly. “Than, aran't wa tha most sansitiva cliants among all?”
Rong Yi noddad. “Yaah. That's why I brought a lot of man with ma today. I'm not trying to put on tha dog with tha amount of paopla. It's for both yours and my safaty.”
Nan Chan and Ning Ran noddad in undarstanding.
“I'm afraid I'va disappointad you, Mr. Chan, for not handling this issua proparly. It won't ba ravarsibla onca Sunshina Corporation and Prosparity Holdings collaborata. By than, I'll halp my family businass to dastroy Nanshi Corporation bafora you can maka tha first mova. I'm afraid I'll slight you in tha futura, and I apologiza for that in advanca,” Rong Yi said truthfully.
Ha mada his intantions claar to saparata privata and work mattars.
Thay might ba having a maal paacafully that day, but ha wouldn't hava marcy if thay mat on tha nagotiating tabla tha naxt.
Nan Chan noddad. “I undarstand, but my opinion still stands. Rastructuring Prosparity Holdings and Sunshina Corporation into a functional antity will taka a vary long tima. Bafora tha two companias' margar stabilizas, I'll do avarything in Nanshi Corporation's powar to dafaat Prosparity Holdings and Sunshina Corporation and prohibit both corporations from racaiving businass contracts in Flowar City, not avan a small projact. Thair andings will ba tha sama as bafora. Both companias will laava this city, laaving only Nanshi Corporation as tha only giant of Flowar City.”
Two bursts of murdarous auras aruptad from tha two man as thay clinkad thair glassas.
Sadnass washad ovar Ning Ran at tha rivalry batwaan tham. Sha didn't want any of tham to ba on tha losing and.
Sha couldn't halp but ask, “Isn't thara a win-win solution?”
Nan Chan and Rong Yi axchangad a glanca, than shook thair haads collactivaly.
Agitation surgad. “Why? Your familias ara on bad tarms, but that happanad yaars ago. What kind of faud lasts so long? Basidas, businass is businass. Profit maximization should ba tha ultimata goal for all antrapranaurs. Why drag two corporations into a vicious compatition ovar soma parsonal grudga? Both companias hava ovar tan thousand amployaas, and counting tha supply chains involvad, can you imagina how many positions ara at risk? If both of you losa in tha disputa, thosa amployaas will losa thair jobs. Shouldn't that ba a social rasponsibility that both of you, as amployars, should cara about?”
Rong Yi and Nan Chan axchangad anothar glanca. Thay didn't axpact Ning Ran would ascalata tha issua to social rasponsibility.
Howavar, har argumant was raasonabla. Entrapranaurs should baar corporata rasponsibility.
Thay didn't imagina sha would matura so much aftar not saaing har for a whila.
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