Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Reaching a Cooperation

"Ten percent of the Lin Group’s shares!"

"Old man, you’re really that generous!"

Lin Wanyu cried out in surprise. She hadn’t expected her father to make such a magnanimous offer.

She hadn’t known much about the Lin Group before, but on this trip home, she had clearly seen the annual report stating a yearly revenue of 1.5 billion and total assets of 7 billion.

Although much of that was tied up in real estate, machinery, and other fixed assets, for her dad to offer 10% of the shares still showed considerable guts.

This improved Lin Wanyu’s mood considerably. At least her dad wasn’t trying to just take the formula by force.

At this moment,

Gao Yuan calmly picked up the teacup before him and took a slow sip.

Lin Hongnian’s offer had genuinely shocked him.

According to the information he’d gathered, 10% of the shares were worth at least 500 million!

He used the act of drinking tea to hide his inner shock while his mind raced, considering how to respond.

Originally, he had just hoped to get a sum of capital from the Lin Group to quickly build his e-commerce business.

He never expected Lin Hongnian to drop a bombshell like this right out of the gate.

’It seems I’ve underestimated the value of the skincare formula the system provided.’

But the higher the stakes, the calmer Gao Yuan became.

He realized something very important.

’Right now, I have the technology, but not an ounce of real power.’

Looking at all the major skincare companies, both domestic and international, the Lin Group was his best possible partner.

If he partnered with any other major company, he would likely be devoured, with not even his bones left behind. Those large foreign corporations would rather see the formula disappear from the face of the earth than let Gao Yuan take a slice of their pie.

Letting the Lin Group handle the pressure while he quietly leveled up in the background was the right path for him.

Across from him, Lin Hongnian had been trying to read Gao Yuan’s expression for any clues, but Gao Yuan just kept his head down, sipping his tea.

He hadn’t responded to the offer at all, and his expression remained perfectly placid.

This made Lin Hongnian’s heart clench.

Unless he was left with no other choice, he really didn’t want to do anything that crossed his moral lines.

The living room fell utterly silent. Neither man spoke, each lost in their own thoughts.

Lin Wanyu could feel they were engaged in some sort of high-stakes game, but she felt compelled to speak up.

"The Lin Group’s revenue last year reached 1.5 billion, with a net profit of over 300 million."

Her words were perfectly neutral, informing Gao Yuan of the Lin Group’s true value while also helping her father emphasize the weight of his offer.

After saying her piece, she fell silent and focused on rinsing the tea set.

Actually,

Lin Hongnian and Lin Wanyu had both misunderstood Gao Yuan.

When he first heard Lin Hongnian’s offer, Gao Yuan had been screaming with joy internally.

Before Lin Hongnian arrived, he had already looked up the Lin Group and had a rough idea of its scale.

’To get 10% of the company’s shares just for a skincare formula from the system... wouldn’t that mean going from a poor kid to financially free in an instant?’

But that moment of calm had allowed him to re-evaluate the true worth of the skincare formula.

He decided to test Lin Hongnian again.

Gao Yuan slowly set down his teacup. With a calm gaze fixed on Lin Hongnian, he held up his hand, palm open.

Lin Hongnian saw Gao Yuan’s extended palm and hesitated.

’Not satisfied with 10%, he wants 50%?’

Lin Hongnian’s brow furrowed. He couldn’t believe Gao Yuan was being so greedy.

’If I really give Gao Yuan 50%, wouldn’t that mean the Lin Group would have a new master?’

Besides, while this skincare formula could certainly make a splash in the market, it wasn’t nearly enough to topple the major brands.

Those big players were far more complex than they appeared on the surface.

He felt that the young man before him was too greedy, and a dark thought began to form in his mind.

Lin Hongnian shook his head with a light sigh. Just as he was about to stand and leave, he heard Gao Yuan say, "Add another five points."

Gao Yuan had been observing Lin Hongnian ever since he held up his hand. Although the older man’s expression hadn’t changed much, Gao Yuan could see a flicker of disgust in his eyes.

Especially when he noticed the sofa cushion under Lin Hongnian slowly decompressing as he began to shift his weight.

’That’s not a good sign. Pushing this any further could be disastrous!’

’If that happened, and I still wanted to break into the skincare market, I’d have to face the full broadside from all the major players by myself.’

’That’s not in my best interest!’

And besides, the products the Lin Group manufactured would only be the standard version; they wouldn’t be enhanced by the system.

’I still hold the ultimate trump card.’

So, Gao Yuan immediately clarified that he wanted another five percent.

This immediately scratched Lin Hongnian’s itch.

The thought of leaving instantly vanished from Lin Hongnian’s mind, and he settled firmly back onto the sofa.

Fifteen percent of the Lin Group’s shares was, in fact, within his acceptable range.

It would allow him to maintain control of the company while also acquiring the new formula, enabling the Lin Group to capture a larger share of the skincare market.

Lin Hongnian’s anger turned to delight. He stood up and extended his hand to Gao Yuan with a smile.

"Gao Yuan, a pleasure doing business with you!"

"A pleasure."

Gao Yuan also stood up and shook hands with Lin Hongnian.

Even Lin Wanyu, who had been sitting on the side holding her breath, let out a long sigh of relief.

The atmosphere between Gao Yuan and her dad just now had been terrifying.

In all her life, she had never seen her dad act like that.

Now that the two most important men in her life had shaken hands, the knot in her chest finally loosened.

’As expected, it’s better to leave business matters to the men. I’m perfectly fine just being a girl!’

Gao Yuan, for his part, was also quite pleased.

Throughout the negotiation, he had maintained a demeanor that was neither obsequious nor arrogant, and he had secured the best possible deal for himself.

’Sure, this partnership got me 15% of the Lin Group’s shares in one fell swoop, but I gave up something valuable too!’

’This formula is a product of the system, after all. Lin Hongnian is the one getting the real bargain here.’

Having confirmed the partnership, Lin Hongnian immediately called the company’s legal department to start drafting the contract.

Gao Yuan would receive a 15% stake in the group in exchange for his technology.

He didn’t need to convene another meeting with the other shareholders to discuss this matter.

As the founder of the Lin Group, he had the authority to make such decisions. Besides, the board of shareholders had spent all of last night in discussion, all for the purpose of acquiring the very formula Gao Yuan possessed.

As for the finer details of the equity partnership, they would certainly discuss them later. With the main agreement in place, Lin Hongnian could finally relax.

Gao Yuan chatted with Lin Hongnian for a while longer, and as noon approached, he went to cook.

His main reason for cooking wasn’t to entertain Lin Hongnian, but to keep his promise to Li Mengqing. He had told her he would bring her lunch today.

After the last time he brought her lunch, Li Mengqing had privately messaged him, saying she wanted more and had even put in a request for Yangzhou fried rice.

Therefore, Gao Yuan didn’t go out of his way to make a lavish meal just because Lin Hongnian was there. It was just a simple, home-cooked meal. If he had wanted to treat him to a feast, he wouldn’t have invited him to his house in the first place.

While Gao Yuan was cooking, Lin Wanyu sat down right next to her father, took his arm, and began to wheedle.

"Old man, you have to admit I was a huge help this time."

"So... is there a reward?"

Lin Hongnian glanced over at Gao Yuan, who was busy cooking, then turned back to Lin Wanyu, exasperated. "You call that a huge help?"

"If you’d just sealed the deal with him, would our family have needed to give up 15% of our shares?"

With that, Lin Hongnian picked up his teacup and downed it in one go.

"Aha! So you were trying to trade your daughter for fame and fortune! I see you for who you really are now, old man!"

As soon as the words left Lin Hongnian’s mouth, Lin Wanyu huffed, turning away from him in a pout.

Seeing his daughter’s reaction, Lin Hongnian couldn’t help but chuckle.

It wasn’t that he truly wanted to trade his daughter for immense fortune. It was just that he had given up the shares and, on top of that, had a daughter who was already siding with an outsider. No matter how he looked at it, it felt like a losing bargain.

"Alright, alright! You were the biggest help today. Our family’s greatest hero!"

"Tell me, what reward do you want?"

Hearing her father’s words, Lin Wanyu turned back around, a wide grin already on her face.

’You have to fight for your own interests.’ That was a lesson she had learned at a young age.

But when it came to a reward, Lin Wanyu suddenly realized she didn’t really need anything. She already had everything she could want.

’But what a waste it would be to let such a good opportunity pass by.’

As Lin Wanyu tilted her head in thought, she suddenly saw Gao Yuan cooking in the kitchen, and immediately knew what she wanted.

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