Chapter 383 - 253: Old Husband, Young Wife, Wife-Doting Maniac

Chapter 383: Chapter 253: Old Husband, Young Wife, Wife-Doting Maniac

"That last portion was a bit too small."

At that moment, seeing a temporary lull in the two men’s conversation, Liu Jing pouted coquettishly. Her charm was captivating.

"Alright, let’s get another portion for everyone."

Lin Chu glanced at her and immediately smiled. Inside, he felt a pang of envy. ’Damn, this woman is way too considerate, isn’t she?’

This dish was clearly Yuan Fang’s favorite.

It’s common not to get your fill at a business dinner, but ordering a second round of a dish you’ve already had can seem a bit rude. Yet she brought it up right when both sides were happy about reaching a basic agreement. Her timing was perfect.

She really knew how to dote on her man.

’Fuck.’

Lin Chu was intensely envious.

’Wives are always better when they belong to someone else.’

’Neither servile nor overbearing, and her actions are subtle yet effective.’

Before long, a new portion of caviar for each person was served. Liu Jing and Yuan Fang started another public display of affection. She held the spoon, feeding him with tender love, while Yuan Fang ate with a doting expression.

Lin Chu casually looked away.

Who came to mind at that moment?

It wasn’t any particular woman, but the classic movie scene of "Andy Lau eating caviar."

"Brother Yuan, how did you and your wife meet? Share some of your dating wisdom, I could use a lesson or two. You two are truly the envy of everyone."

They hadn’t started talking about the price yet. Having just reached an agreement in principle, Lin Chu took the opportunity to catch his breath and satisfy his curiosity.

According to Gao Haitao’s estimate, the company’s total value was somewhere between 6 and 6.5 billion. However, he hadn’t hired a third-party agency for a professional valuation yet, which was an essential step.

Hearing Lin Chu’s words, Liu Jing gave a shy smile. She put down her spoon, dabbed her mouth, and looked at Yuan Fang with sparkling eyes, gently caressing his hand.

Yuan Fang, for his part, let out a hearty laugh.

"Well, that’s a long story. The first time Ah Jing and I met, she was three years old. I even held her in my arms."

Liu Jing’s face flushed red. She tapped him lightly on the arm, clearly a little embarrassed by this topic.

Lin Chu: ?

’What the fuck?’

’You have to groom your wife from childhood?’

’Are you guys into some kinky shit?’

"And then what?"

Though he was cursing them out ten thousand times in his head, Lin Chu asked with a casual smile.

Just as Yuan Fang was about to continue, Liu Jing chimed in with a laugh, "Later, when I was sixteen, I suddenly became crazy about this ’old uncle.’ I pursued him relentlessly for... about eight years, I guess, and finally managed to snag him... Haha, I was after him because he’s old, doesn’t shower, and has money."

She said it in a self-deprecating and teasing manner, but her eyes were serene and her posture was completely at ease.

Yuan Fang smiled and couldn’t help but reach out to pat her on the head.

"Ah, you can’t put it that way. I was the shameless one, coveting a beautiful young girl. In the end, I couldn’t control myself. So what could I do? I made a mistake no man can escape, so I had to make the best of it and marry her. I’ll spend the rest of my life atoning for my sins."

He was also making fun of himself.

Lin Chu: ...

’Damn it!’

’You two... seriously... enough already!’

Although their words were rather harsh, their expressions clearly showed they were as thick as thieves, just engaging in a bit of playful banter for others to see.

’True love?’

’What do you even see in him?’

—Lin Chu really wanted to ask Liu Jing.

But such a question was obviously inappropriate, as it would seem to belittle Yuan Fang.

On second thought, for a man to achieve great success in society and stand out from the crowd was in itself a sign of unparalleled charisma, regardless of his age.

Attracting a young girl’s genuine love might be a low-probability event, but it wasn’t impossible.

’My own repeated failures with women are simply because I’m not powerful enough yet.’

’Although my strength on paper is impressive, I still lack that certain something—that charismatic element that comes from time, age, and experience.’

Take his consistently gentle way of speaking, for example. Lin Chu believed that Yuan Fang definitely wasn’t like this in his youth; he must have cultivated this gentle nature over a long time.

It was a kind of composure.

It’s like how a small dog will often yap at a big dog out of fear.

But the big dog is usually mild-tempered and pays it no mind.

’At Jackie Chan’s banquet, my opening remarks were definitely a bit of a grandstand. I tried too hard, my delivery was over the top, and I was being too much of a clown.’

Reflecting on this, Lin Chu slowly sipped his wine.

’Read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles, and meet a hundred kinds of people.’

’All are paths to self-improvement.’

"Shall we... talk about the price?"

After finishing the last spoonful of caviar, Yuan Fang asked with a smile, broaching the topic himself.

Lin Chu smiled and nodded. "Of course. Please, go ahead."

"The company’s fair market valuation is currently around six billion, with a fluctuation of no more than five percent, so let’s use that figure. Fixed assets account for over 60% of that."

"Last year, the company’s total revenue was 9.4 billion, with 12,000 employees. The net profit was 200 million; we barely avoided a loss. There are many reasons for this, which I’ll explain in detail later," he said with a smile.

Lin Chu was speechless.

’That profit margin... is touchingly low.’

However, since he could be so upfront about it, there had to be special circumstances.

So, Lin Chu didn’t press the issue for the time being.

It came back to the same thing: for him, the most important thing was the people.

’12,000 employees!’

Tsk.

’Just thinking about it feels amazing.’

"Considering your capacity to take over, as well as the time involved, I propose to first transfer twenty percent of the shares. After the transfer, I will remain the majority shareholder, and you will enjoy dividend rights proportional to the shares you hold that year."

"As for the rest, we can transfer it in batches over the next five to ten years, until you gain controlling interest and my share percentage drops below 20%... What do you think?"