Whenever the cause of Song Xinya and Song Tingye's mother's death was mentioned, the atmosphere in the living room would instantly turn dead silent.
This matter was like a high-voltage wire that everyone was terrified to touch.
The usually smooth-talking Li Cuirou didn't dare to utter a word.
Zhang Yingying cautiously observed Song Xuanli's expression.
Song Xuanli, who usually threw his weight around, also remained silent, a guilty look flashing across his face.
Song Xinya looked at them with a cold smile, as if watching clowns performing their hearts out at a circus.
A servant walked over: "Sir, Madam, dinner is ready. Should we serve it now?"
Song Xuanli waved his hand. "Serve it."
The servants brought over various dishes. The sound of footsteps back and forth and the aroma of food floated through the room.
The originally cold and dead atmosphere seemed to gain a trace of warm, everyday vitality.
Li Cuirou pointed to the golden pepper chicken soup the servant had stewed. "Xinxin, come try this soup. Knowing you were coming back tonight, I cooked it myself."
"I don't know if it suits your taste. I rarely have the chance to cook, so my culinary skills aren't that great."
Song Xinya replied, "How could your culinary skills not be great? You've always been excellent at fanning the flames, adding oil and vinegar, and fishing in troubled waters. You're quite skilled at all of that."
A servant walked over to serve Song Xinya rice.
"No need," Song Xinya stopped them. "I had a late lunch, so I'm not hungry right now. Let's talk business first."
"Those with affection talk about affection. For people like us who have none, we naturally talk about interests."
"You want me to put in a good word for you with Qin Yuhe so he approves the Song family's bidding documents. What are you prepared to give me in exchange?"
Song Xuanli said, "I'll give you one percent of the shares in Rouying Education Technology Co., Ltd."
Song Xinya laughed. "Are you trying to dismiss a beggar?"
Song Xuanli replied, "One percent is already a lot."
Song Xinya said, "Compared to the value I can bring to the Song family, it's not even worth mentioning."
Song Xuanli didn't refute this.
The Qin family's resort project had an investment of hundreds of billions. If the Song family could get a piece of the pie, their failing construction company wouldn't just be saved; it would make a massive profit.
The mere one percent of shares Song Xuanli offered wasn't even a drop in the bucket.
Song Xinya directly stated her conditions: "First, rename Rouying Education Technology to Yating Education Technology. Second, transfer twenty percent of its shares to my name."
Song Xuanli, Li Cuirou, and Zhang Yingying were all stunned.
Zhang Yingying reacted fiercely: "Why should Rouying Education be renamed to Yating Education?!"
Li Cuirou added, "The company is operating perfectly well. Changing the name suddenly would be bad for business."
Song Xuanli said, "Your demands are too high. I only hold forty percent of the shares. If I give you twenty percent, I'll only have half left."
Song Xinya stood up and smoothed out the wrinkles on her skirt. "Come back and negotiate with me when you have enough sincerity. Otherwise, don't ask me to come over and waste my time."
She walked toward the door, her shoulders relaxed and her back straight. Her crisp and decisive silhouette showed not a hint of hesitation.
Li Cuirou panicked: "Sir, we haven't even made a connection with the Qin family yet, and you're just going to let Song Xinya walk away like this?"
Song Xuanli replied, "Are you willing to agree to the two conditions she proposed?"
Zhang Yingying said, "Of course we can't agree! Mom and I are running Rouying Education Technology right now, and the company has been profitable. If it suddenly changes its name to Yating, it'll sound like Song Xinya and Song Tingye's company."
Song Xuanli sighed, "Since you aren't willing to agree to her conditions, what do we have to keep her here?"
Li Cuirou suddenly thought of an idea: "When Song Xinya and Song Tingye's mother died, she left them an item. I still have this relic."
Zhang Yingying asked, "What relic?"
Li Cuirou explained, "Since Song Xinya and Song Tingye were born, their mother recorded a video with them every year for their birthdays. Every single year, without interruption. These videos are all in my hands. Song Xinya will definitely want them."
Zhang Yingying realized, "Their mother is gone, so they can't see her in real life. Being able to see her in the videos is a form of comfort. They will definitely be desperate for those videos."
Li Cuirou rummaged through the cabinets and pulled out a USB flash drive. "I'll go use this to negotiate with Song Xinya."
Song Xinya was walking in the courtyard when Li Cuirou rushed over, blocked her path, and held up the USB drive.
"Song Xinya, I have something you want right here."
Zhang Yingying hurried over right behind her: "Inside are the video records of your mother celebrating your birthdays with you. You must really want to see your mother's face and hear her voice again."
Song Xuanli walked over: "As long as you put in a few good words for the Song family in front of Qin Yuhe and get him to approve our bidding documents, we'll give you this USB drive."
The relic Song Xinya's mother had left for her had been secretly hidden away by Li Cuirou. It was something that rightfully belonged to her, yet she was being forced to do them a massive favor just to get it back.
What kind of gangster logic was this?
Sure enough, when people are shameless, they are invincible.
Song Xinya's gaze swept over the faces of Song Xuanli, Li Cuirou, and Zhang Yingying one by one.
They merely wore human skin, hiding bellies full of calculation and thorns. They deliberately trampled over the basic moral bottom lines that even beasts understood.
The true faces of some people were as ugly as maggots in a cesspool, reeking of a foul stench.
Song Xinya said, "Holding a USB drive and claiming it contains my mother's videos, then using it to blackmail me into bringing you hundreds of millions in profit—isn't this deal a bit too easy for you? How do I know if you're telling the truth?"
Li Cuirou insisted, "It's absolutely true. I'm really not lying to you this time."
Song Xinya demanded, "Verify it right here, right now, or I won't believe you."
Li Cuirou agreed, "Fine. I'll plug the USB into a computer right now and play the videos for you."
The group returned to the living room.
Zhang Yingying and Song Xuanli went to the study to get a laptop.
Li Cuirou peered toward the study door: "Hurry up."
She couldn't wait to taste the fruits of victory. As long as they secured the cooperation with the Qin family, she would have the money to buy all the jewelry and luxury goods she desired.
As Li Cuirou walked toward the study, Song Xinya stuck out her leg and tripped her.
"Ah—" Li Cuirou tumbled toward the ground.
She reached out, grasping at the air, trying to catch onto something.
Her hand waved right past Song Xinya's face.
Song Xinya reached out, snatched the USB drive from her hand, and delivered a heavy kick to her backside.
Li Cuirou crashed to the floor, forehead first. With a heavy, painful thud, the impact rattled her brain.
Song Xinya took the USB drive and walked out.
Song Xuanli and Zhang Yingying ran out of the study. Li Cuirou screamed, "Song Xinya snatched the USB drive! Go after her!"
The two of them ran outside.
Just as Song Xinya reached the courtyard, Song Xuanli shouted to the butler at the gate, "Quick! Close the gate!"
The gates were shut, blocking out the bright light from outside and plunging the entire courtyard into darkness.
Song Xuanli sneered, "Run! Why aren't you running anymore!"
Zhang Yingying sneered, "It would have been so much better if you had just negotiated with us nicely, but you just had to make a scene. This is our house, and you are completely outnumbered. Did you really think you could get away?"
The two of them closed in on Song Xinya, advancing step by relentless step.
Suddenly, with a deafening crash, the front door of the Song residence was kicked open from the outside.
Qin Yuhe stood framed in the center of the doorway.
