Offer To The CEO

Monday, continued …

"You cannot counter balance anything. You have no rights to do so."

"Argue all you like, you have two options accept the agreement and get your compensation today, or take us to court and wait months for a hearing, where I can tell you there will not be the generosity shown. Plus our compensation claim will be filed within twenty-four hours with the courts. Your choice."

Yao Tan, was finding this highly interesting. Who was the trusted legal staff member? However it was interesting that Hou Yi could simply push slightly and CEO Lu would react. No matter how much in negotiations he pushed there was never a reaction.

"I do not need to make a choice. You will not be successful, you know I will win."

"Your arrogance is showing. Just because we have never claimed, does not mean that the rights do not exist, and if you want to enforce your rights it will be simply a counter claim to our claim."

"Screw that"

"Temper, Temper. You did not ring about artists, so stop trying to divert attention from what you want to talk about."

"You …" by now CEO Lu so incensed on the other end of the phone, and Hou Yi now noticed how hard it was for Yao Tan not to react.

"Come on, what do you want, I am not going to play the games."

"You know I have those images."

"Nice try, I know that they are fake …"

"Who cares whether they are fake or not, all I have had them posted on line, and you will have to try and save your wife's image." There were a few seconds silence and then CEO Lu continued, almost with a maniacal laughing undertone to his voice "They are up, now try and protect your wife."

"I hope you like jail. Your son got you out of trouble last week, but he will not risk it for you a second time. And I will prove that it is fake."

Hearing that Yan Tan now sent the second of the prepared messages to the police and the IT departments of Hou Enterprises and XF International. He wondered how Hou Yi predicted this reaction. Normally it always is easy to predict within a range, but Hou Yi presently is scarily accurate.

"As If you can see me jailed."

"Do you really want to play this game. Let me be realistic you have little options …"

"I control what happens, and I will crush you."

"Just try. This is simply time wasting, and …"

"I will win."

"Do not bet on it. Goodbye." With that Hou Yi hung up.

Hou Yi looked at Yao Tan, and laughed. "He was so predictable."

"How in the world did you know what he would do?"

"I am not psychic, but he tipped his hand last week. He is so blinded by trying to get what he thinks he is owed, that he cannot see anything other than targeting me. Presently that blindness is undermining his generally good business sense. It would have told him not to try and blackmail me, and to cut his son loose. However he cannot see any other options now, and that is making targeting him so easy."

"And …"

"Let me be realistic.; You and the other companies that cut your ties with Lu Corporation last week, did so for business reasons that will benefit you in the long term. We all know, somehow in ventures with Lu Corporation involved, they come out highly profitable, whereas everyone else does not. That never made business sense to anyone."

"True, but to know my friend I am thinking you may have used me a little."

"Tan, you know I am compensating XF International with this joint venture. Hou Enterprises with the projects that are coming online would have been in a better position if we continued on alone. It is the same with the other companies. Deals will be structured to help them repair any financial damage Lu Corporation try to do. For you my friend, the payback is the largest, as he will target you more than anyone else because you are my friend."

"Yi, the last think I would want to be is on the wrong side of you."

"Never will happen my friend. You know we have always had each others back and even before my brother-in-law married your daughter I have always seen you as family, so I would never target you like that."

As they sat quietly, Hou Yi received a text message from Anna, indicating that they were on their way. After alerting Yao Tan to this, they both quickly finished their drinks and headed down to the foyer to await their wives.