Chapter 148: Ridiculous

Speaking of this, Shu Yiming could not help giving a soft laugh. He raised his hand and gently patted Lin Peishi on the head before saying warmly, “Of course I’ll give it to you. A gentleman’s word is his bond. I’ve already given my word, so naturally I can’t go back on it. But how and by what means I give it to you—that is for me to decide.”

“Oh, Peishi, stop worrying about it. Our A-Ming will handle this perfectly. Your cheap old man will be so furious he’ll be clawing at the walls and threatening to jump off a building.” Ouyang Zhuo understood Shu Yiming thoroughly by now, so he was not worried in the least.

The moment Shu Yiming returned, he began drafting a contract.

Lin Chong had already been waiting outside his house for quite some time. As soon as he saw Shu Yiming arrive, he greeted him with a broad smile and hurried forward, calling out “Boss Shu” several times before ushering him into the main hall.

“Boss Shu, you really are a man of your word. You said you would come over, and here you are right away. Did you bring the contract? And the money?” Lin Chong was already growing impatient. He wanted to sign the contract with Shu Yiming immediately and get the money into his hands. Only once the money was truly in his possession could he finally feel at ease.

Shu Yiming said nothing more. He simply placed the contract in front of Lin Chong.

“Boss Lin, these are my conditions, along with a few of my ideas. Take a look. If you can agree to them, I can sign the contract with you right now. The check has already been filled out for thirty million. You can cash it whenever you like.” Shu Yiming leisurely lifted his teacup and took a sip.

Lin Chong nodded and began reading carefully. The excitement had not yet faded from his face, but as his eyes moved over the contract, his expression grew darker and darker. His lips pressed into a tight line.

Several minutes later, Lin Chong suddenly sprang to his feet and slammed the contract onto the table with a sharp crack. Pointing at Shu Yiming’s nose, he began cursing, “You fraud! Is this how you treat me? I trusted you, and you actually pulled something this disgusting! If you’re going to be so heartless, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

“Why are you getting so worked up, Boss Lin? What exactly have I done wrong? I said I would bring the money, and I have brought it. I merely have a few small requirements and conditions. Surely you didn’t expect me to hand over this money for nothing.” Shu Yiming gave a cold little laugh and lightly pointed at the contract.

“The conditions in the contract aren’t unreasonable, are they? My thirty million is an investment, and in return I’m asking for half the shares. That’s perfectly fair. You’ve already spent more than ten million on this mining project, and you’re barely managing to keep it afloat. Without my capital injection, all your efforts could go to waste.” Shu Yiming’s voice remained calm, as though he were merely explaining a simple matter.

His words made sense, and the reasoning was sound, but Lin Chong could not get past it emotionally. He had spent nearly two years pouring his heart and soul into the project to bring it to its present state. Now Shu Yiming wanted to step in at the last moment and take half the shares. The mine had already entered the final stage of extraction. Once the ore was brought out, his financial problems would resolve themselves.

Yet it was precisely at this crucial moment that trouble had arisen. The family’s other businesses had fallen into crisis, dragging the mining operation down with them and making it impossible to continue.

If he accepted Shu Yiming’s terms, the immediate financial crisis could indeed be solved—but he would effectively be working for someone else. After laboring for years, he would have to hand over most of the wealth he had built. No matter how one looked at it, that was hard to swallow. Once the mine was developed, its value would be far greater than a mere thirty million or two.

Lin Chong was furious and humiliated, but for the moment he could do nothing. Shu Yiming’s demand was excessive, yet it was not entirely unreasonable.

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