Winter in Lisbon, though devoid of snow, had been gloomy for a long time.
Today was no exception.
Although it was brightly lit inside, the world outside the window was pitch black.
The howling wind rattled the windows incessantly.
The person holding the most shares after Su Ning concluded his speech with a grand air:
Miss Su, it is not that we are making things difficult for you, but business is business, and a contract is a contract. These rules are different from the barbaric and crude Eastern business world you are used to. You must change your mindset.
His tone was not harsh; though somewhat arrogant, it carried the leniency of an elder.
After speaking, he looked toward the person sitting in the seat of honor.
His breath hitched—
Su Ning was resting her chin on one hand, not even bothering to lift her eyes. She kept her gaze lowered, watching Chrissy next to her play cat's cradle, occasionally pointing a finger to guide her, while the translator wracked their brains to convey her instructions accurately.
In an instant, anger rushed straight to his head.
This figure, who was considered quite prominent in Lisbon, flushed red in the face.
Seeing him like this, how could his allies tolerate it?
They instantly began to condemn her:
Good heavens, how utterly ill-bred! This is the shareholders' meeting that determines the future of Swire Shipping, not a children's playground.
Easterners truly have no manners.
It is in your nature as women to like children, but they do not belong here. You should return to a castle filled with lace and dolls and content yourself with being a princess. Perhaps some gentleman will even be willing to marry you and shield you from the storm.
...
The fierce wind finally blew a window open, causing the lamps to sway back and forth. The shadows of the people standing up to indignantly accuse her twisted like terrifying ghosts.
The hands playing with the red string paused for a moment.
Su Ning casually cast an inquiring glance over.
I am not afraid.
The little girl puffed out her cheeks, but her body quietly leaned closer to Su Ning. Just as she lowered her head to study how to manipulate the string, a palm gently rubbed her head and quickly withdrew.
It was cool.
Not warm at all.
So noisy.
Amidst the boiling wave of voices, a cold female voice rang out.
Besieged and isolated, Su Ning's face showed nothing but annoyance at the clamor. This inconceivable attitude left her attackers feeling utterly bewildered.
Is this the so-called civilized world? To me, it looks like a pack of wild dogs at the village entrance, barking madly and fighting endlessly over a piece of rotting meat. It makes my ears and head ache just listening to it.
As she spoke, she actually rubbed her temples, disappointed to find that no NPC had reached the peak of their anger.
To contribute a wave of rewards.
It seemed not all foreigners were as prone to anger as Faust and his daughter.
Hmm, insufficient sample size.
Further research was needed.
Thus, Su Ning finally stopped being stingy with her gaze. Leaning back in her chair, she cast a contemptuous look at her attackers, receiving reactions of anger, disdain, or evasion.
Finally, someone was provoked.
Shut up! You clearly used shameless methods to deceive Antonio and Fernand to get those shares. No one will welcome a greedy swindler as the master of Swire Shipping!
Clap, clap, clap.
Su Ning raised her hands and applauded:
You finally said it. I thought you civilized people would continue with your hypocritical cover-ups.
Calling me a swindler? Did I not buy those shares with my own money? If you think there's a problem with the transaction, shouldn't you be going to the police right now?
Do you need me to help you call the police?
The crowd's faces stiffened. They opened their mouths but could not speak a word.
A cold sneer sounded.
If you have no money, you have no money. If you can't afford it, you can't afford it. And you call yourselves gentlemen, civilized? Even toddlers in China who have just learned to walk know that if they want candy, they have to buy it with their own money. They wouldn't shamelessly find excuses to rob those who can afford it.
Her indifferent gaze swept over the crowd.
To put it bluntly.
That was exactly what it was. An innate bandit mentality: if they couldn't get it, they wanted to steal it, all while not forgetting to drape themselves in the guise of civilization.
Calling them shameless was putting it lightly.
And as for that useless trash Antonio, does he even deserve the word deceive? He is so stupid he lacks even basic self-awareness. Encountering an opponent like him makes me feel like my ancestors are desperately blessing me from the underworld. He actually played himself to death without me having to lift a finger.
Antonio's face looked dreadful.
He felt as if everyone was looking at him with intentional or unintentional mockery.
He wished he could find a hole to crawl into!
A brief silence fell over the conference room.
Suddenly, the major shareholder spoke, directly tearing off his mask and sneering at Su Ning:
Su, your tongue is indeed more nimble than Hermes'. If this were a debate, I perhaps should declare your victory. But look up and see where you are. Mere debating skills are useless here!
The atmosphere relaxed.
I still have my shares.
From the seat of honor, Su Ning immediately retorted, which only elicited chuckles from the others.
No one denies that you own shares. Just as you said, you used your gold coins to buy the most shares among us. But sorry, the rules of the game are not like that.
Having the most now doesn't mean you will have the most later.
Exactly. Unless you fulfill the requirements on the contract, your shares will be diluted.
The crowd exchanged smiles.
Like hunters looking at a dying prey, they stared at her. This included Antonio; being among them, he finally found the confidence and courage to face Su Ning.
He widened his eyes, trying to find emotions of chagrin and resentment on that face.
Unfortunately, he found nothing.
Su Ning even laughed. This contract has never appeared before. It's not even certain if it's real or fake. Why should I fulfill it?
Of course it's real!
Antonio's face darkened. This is the expansion plan my father set before he died. As long as it succeeds, we can seize the market and form a monopoly. Everyone present knows it. You don't know because you are an outsider.
The word outsider.
Instantly struck a chord in the hearts of the others—people naturally reject those who are different.
Although Swire Shipping primarily developed the Asian market and had many Eastern employees under it, the management was, without exception, entirely white. They despised Easterners, and their impression of China was one of poverty and backwardness.
Having been high and mighty for so many years.
How could they accept a young Chinese woman becoming the highest authority?
The wife of the authority figure might be more acceptable!
A certain executive immediately stood up to speak: I can prove that this plan indeed exists.
I can prove it too.
And me.
I can as well...
One after another, people stood up. Some who were hesitating and observing the situation gritted their teeth and followed the crowd. This seemed to be a kind of statement. In the end, only a third of the people remained silently seated.
The dense mass of human figures resembled the trees of a forest after nightfall, baring their fangs and brandishing their claws to show off their power.
At this moment, Antonio could no longer suppress the upward curve of the corners of his mouth.
Suddenly, his gaze fixed.
He noticed something amiss, and it took him a long while to realize what it was—
Where had the assistant who was always inseparable from Su Ning gone?
