Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Negotiation

Lin Hongnian got up from his seat, closed all the windows, and lit another cigarette.

This time, Lin Wanyu didn’t stop her father from smoking. She watched him quietly, her thoughts drifting to Gao Yuan, who was far away at home.

Two men, both had given her love.

One had raised her, cherishing her every step of the way as she grew up.

The other she hadn’t known for long, but the love he gave her was so solid and reassuring. His every move, his every word and deed, captivated her.

It was as if two little voices were arguing in Lin Wanyu’s head.

One said, ’He’s your father. You should stand with him.’

The other said, ’Gao Yuan just told you so affectionately today that he would never leave you. Are you going to betray him now?’

"..."

’This is so frustrating!’

Lin Wanyu felt like she was going to be driven mad by the two voices in her head.

She was never good at this sort of thing, and now she was caught in the center of a great maelstrom.

"Dad!"

"About this... I hope you’ll talk to Gao Yuan about it yourself. He’s not as narrow-minded as you think."

"Besides, do you really think this face mask formula is the only one Gao Yuan has?"

The moment Lin Hongnian heard his daughter call him "Dad," he knew what her choice was.

He was relieved that he had raised his daughter well, but at the same time, he felt a little disappointed that his daughter’s first choice wasn’t him, her father.

After Lin Wanyu finished speaking, she dialed Gao Yuan’s number and put the call on speakerphone.

This time, Lin Hongnian didn’t stop her.

Just as Lin Wanyu had said, perhaps he really should talk to Gao Yuan first.

Recalling the aura Gao Yuan possessed, Lin Hongnian felt this young man might just bring him a few surprises.

Of course, another important reason he didn’t stop his daughter from making the call was Lin Wanyu’s last question.

’Does Gao Yuan really only have this one face mask formula?’

’What about other skincare products?’

...

"I never thought I, this dissolute soul..."

Gao Yuan was designing the product details page for the face mask when the phone beside him rang.

Seeing it was a call from Lin Wanyu, he answered it, put it on speaker, and went back to staring at his computer screen, designing.

"Honey, I have some good news for you."

"Oh? What good news?"

Although Gao Yuan already had a good guess, he didn’t say it outright.

Besides, he could tell from Lin Wanyu’s tone over the phone that she was feeling conflicted.

Usually, when she had happy news, Lin Wanyu would be chirping like a lark.

Today, even though she said she had good news, her tone was so flat.

Lin Wanyu wasn’t being cute this time. She felt that for a matter this important, it was better to be serious. "I saw the quality inspection report for your face mask. Its active ingredient content is higher than other masks on the market."

"Oh, that."

"Alright, I got it. Once the skin tests are done, you can talk to your family. Just follow the plan we discussed."

Gao Yuan’s reply was also nonchalant, as if this were a completely ordinary matter.

On the other end of the line, Lin Wanyu took a deep breath. She felt like she was about to suffocate.

But looking at her father sitting on the sofa, she still managed to say, "Honey, my father wants to talk to you about the face mask formula."

"Do you want to meet with him?"

She added this question at the very end.

At this, Gao Yuan smiled.

A system notification had just popped up, telling him a new task reward was ready to be claimed. This meant Lin Wanyu had made her choice.

From telling him the good news to asking for his opinion, it was clear that Lin Wanyu was truly on his side.

The system’s task completion notification confirmed her stance beyond a doubt.

Hearing the pleading in Lin Wanyu’s last question, Gao Yuan’s heart ached for her.

This whole affair, putting her between him and Lin Hongnian, had really been hard on her.

He stopped his design work and fell silent for a moment.

On the other end of the line,

having said everything she needed to, Lin Wanyu felt a wave of relief wash over her. She sank into the executive chair, said nothing more, and just stared at her phone, waiting for Gao Yuan’s reply.

Gao Yuan was now certain.

Lin Hongnian had his eye on the formula, which was why he had called Lin Wanyu back—to have her act as his emissary.

Gao Yuan had already considered this possibility.

Whether he built his own factory or outsourced production, it was impossible to keep a formula absolutely secret.

What surprised him, however, was that Lin Hongnian hadn’t chosen to secretly produce it behind his back. That, at least, was admirable.

In reality,

Gao Yuan was giving Lin Hongnian too much credit.

And Lin Hongnian had underestimated Gao Yuan’s magnanimity.

The root of it all was that the formula came from the system. Gao Yuan didn’t care about the current inspection report; what he wanted was the system-certified product.

And during the call just now, Lin Wanyu hadn’t tried to persuade him to help her father, only to get them to communicate. Gao Yuan was very pleased with this.

’It seems all my affection for her hasn’t been in vain!’

Gao Yuan’s silence on the other end made Lin Hongnian, back in the office, a little anxious. He lit another cigarette.

He figured Gao Yuan must be weighing the pros and cons, considering the whole situation from all angles.

In fact, Gao Yuan was thinking more about the emotional side of things.

Even if he didn’t go into the face mask business, as long as he diligently completed his system tasks, sooner or later he’d have more money than he knew what to do with—and not just pocket change.

But now that the Lin Group wanted to get involved, he had to take the opportunity to secure his own interests.

"Bring your father back with you. I’ll make you guys lunch."

Having figured things out, Gao Yuan said this directly to Lin Wanyu.

Gao Yuan’s words

were like music to Lin Wanyu’s and Lin Hongnian’s ears.

Lin Wanyu heard the affection in his voice; because of her, Gao Yuan was willing to talk to her father, which meant he was willing to share such a huge profit.

To him, she was more important than all of that!

This made her instantly happy. "Okay, honey!"

Hearing Lin Wanyu’s response, Gao Yuan smiled too.

This was what he liked about Lin Wanyu: she was simple and genuine, and he never had to waste energy guessing what she was thinking.

In the office, Lin Wanyu waved her phone at Lin Hongnian, looking smugly at her father. "See? I told you. You underestimated Gao Yuan!"

Lin Hongnian didn’t mind his daughter’s taunt; in fact, his smile grew even wider.

He was thinking much more deeply than Lin Wanyu.

He had listened to the entire conversation between his daughter and Gao Yuan.

He could tell that Gao Yuan wasn’t particularly attached to the face mask formula, which made Lin Hongnian even more certain that Gao Yuan had some powerful backer supporting him.

This made Lin Hongnian extremely glad that he hadn’t rashly decided to steal the formula for himself.

Furthermore, when he heard Gao Yuan suggest meeting at his home, he understood the implication.

Normally, business was discussed in the office. By choosing his home, Gao Yuan was turning it into a family meal.

In other words, Gao Yuan saw him, Lin Hongnian, as family. And when family talked things over, it was much simpler.

After hanging up, Gao Yuan thought it over again.

’I can’t just agree to this so easily,’ he thought. ’I have to make Lin Hongnian pay a price.’

’Otherwise, these people who have been fighting in the business world for years will think I’m a pushover and try to take advantage of me again next time.’

’Besides, I don’t just have the face mask formula; I have other skincare products too.’

’When these products hit the market, they’ll definitely cause a huge stir in the skincare industry.’

’With my current strength, I can’t keep all the profits for myself. I have to drag the Lin Group into this with me.’

’And the best way to drag them in is to create a community of shared interests.’

Thinking of this, Gao Yuan knew how he would handle the conversation with Lin Hongnian.

...

「Twenty-something minutes later」

Two cars drove into the underground garage of No.1 Courtyard.

Lin Hongnian hadn’t ridden in his daughter’s car. On the way over, he had been constantly thinking about what he could offer to win Gao Yuan over.

He felt that his daughter’s relationship with Gao Yuan was far from enough; he had to come up with an offer so good that Gao Yuan couldn’t possibly refuse.

With that in mind, Lin Hongnian secretly made a decision.

The doorbell rang.

Gao Yuan got up and opened the door.

Standing outside were none other than Lin Wanyu and her father, Lin Hongnian.

The moment the door opened, Lin Wanyu threw herself at him, completely ignoring the fact that her father was right behind her.

In that moment, she felt incredibly happy. Faced with such enormous profit, Gao Yuan still prioritized her feelings, which once again proved to her that this man was worth it!

Gao Yuan hugged Lin Wanyu for a moment before gently pushing her away. With Lin Hongnian watching, he naturally wouldn’t be overly affectionate with her.

"Uncle Lin, welcome to my home."

Gao Yuan didn’t try to hold anything over Lin Hongnian just because the man needed a favor from him. That would be pointless.

"Seeing you young people getting along so well makes me very happy too!" Lin Hongnian said with a smile as he looked at Gao Yuan.

Gao Yuan invited Lin Hongnian into the living room, and the two men sat facing each other. Lin Wanyu, acting like the lady of the house, poured them tea.

Neither of them brought up the face mask right away. Instead, the conversation revolved mostly around Lin Wanyu.

From this, Gao Yuan learned many stories about Lin Wanyu’s mischievous childhood.

Lin Hongnian’s words earned him a threatening look from an embarrassed Lin Wanyu.

After chatting for a while, Lin Hongnian once again began to doubt the background check report he had on Gao Yuan.

He found it impossible to believe that a young man with such poise, eloquence, and negotiation skills could have been raised in an ordinary family.

Glancing at his daughter, who was gazing at Gao Yuan with eyes full of adoration, Lin Hongnian sighed internally and took the initiative to speak.

"Gao Yuan, let’s talk business, strictly business. You don’t need to consider Wanyu’s feelings in this."

"The Lin Group wants to license your skincare formula, or perhaps partner with you. I was wondering what your thoughts are on the matter?"

Lin Hongnian didn’t flaunt his advantages; instead, he went straight to the fundamental question.

Hearing this, Gao Yuan took a sip of tea, glanced up at him, then looked over at Lin Wanyu before asking calmly, "I wonder what kind of partnership Uncle Lin has in mind?"

His glance toward Lin Wanyu was a silent message to Lin Hongnian: ’When you state your terms, leave her out of it. Without her, you wouldn’t even be qualified to sit here drinking my tea.’

Lin Hongnian fell silent.

He had spent the entire trip over considering what kind of offer would be enough to move Gao Yuan.

After a moment, Lin Hongnian stated his terms.

The moment the words left his mouth, a jolt went through Gao Yuan’s heart, while Lin Wanyu stared at her father, her face a mask of utter shock.

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