Chapter Fourteen: Coercion

Yun Zhang snapped, "That d*mn girl is foolish! Why did she have to be so darn stubborn?"

Yun Liu sighed and bemoaned, "It's all my fault. Why didn't I put myself in her shoes? I thought, now that she's back with us, she would be on our side."

Yun Zhang waved his hand and ranted, "You don't have anything to feel guilty about. That brat never intended to be on our side! She's bad luck, that's what she is! She's brutal; she wants to ruin us completely! Then burn the ashes and salt the earth! Things have started looking good for the company, and she comes in to bleed me dry!"

Yun Liu tentatively suggested, "Why don't we ask Dad to invest more in the company? The company is doing well lately, so Dad will surely agree."

Yun Zhang wavered before mentioning, "Your words carry more weight with Dad than mine." 

Yun Liu gave him a pursed-lips smile and offered, "Then I'll go ask Dad. I'll tell him that Yun Nan hired a lawyer so you need the money to settle things with her. If you don't give her the money, you'll end up in jail!"

Yun Liu raised her fist as she spoke, "Dad may not say it, but he does care for you. He will definitely help us!"

Yun Zhang thought about it and smiled. "You're the sweetest sister in the world. Do your best to make me sound pitiful; you can go to Mom with the story first, and she'll help you convince Dad."

"You can count on me, Yun Zhang," Yun Liu assured him as she girlishly hooked her arm around his.

She suddenly paused and fretted, "Then what about Yun Nan? Her lawyer is still waiting for a reply."

Yun Zhang's expression darkened. "We'll take this to court if we have to! I won't submit so easily!"

"Yun Zhang, it's risky to take this matter to court. Setting aside the case outcome, what will people say if this becomes public? Our reputation—the company's reputation—would be at stake." Yun Liu frowned.

'This Yun Zhang has a head full of rocks! He's always rushing into things without thought!'

"Then what do you suggest I do? Don't tell me I have to give her the money! I don't want to give her a single cent!" Yun Zhang fumed.

Yun Liu gave it some thought before she proposed, "How about we stall this affair until Grandpa Shi returns? Then, we can ask him to talk with Shi Nian. Pose this as a Yun family matter and bid Shi Nian not to interfere. Do you think Grandpa Shi will agree?"

All this, however, was just Yun Liu's excuse; a reason for her to visit the elderly Master Shi. She had to separate Shi Nian from Yun Nan. Even if they were married, she would make them get a divorce! This was a matter of utmost importance to her, and it was worth the entire Yun family's attention!

"You're right! Good gracious, I'm so anxious that I'm all confused! Thankfully I have you. Yun Nan is using Shi Nian to coerce me, but we can get Grandpa Shi on our side! There's a rock to every pair of scissors; Grandpa Shi can undoubtedly handle Shi Nian!" Yun Zhang was delighted at the solution.

Yun Liu heaved a sigh of relief. She had finally succeeded in leading Yun Zhang to where she needed him.

After the siblings finished their discussion, Yun Zhang went out to meet Shi Nian's lawyer, with Yun Liu tagging along. "Ahem, Lawyer Yan, I think there's still room for discussion on this matter. I would like to consult with Yun Nan again before making a decision."

Lawyer Yan had a formal expression as he said flatly, "Mr. Yun, we've gone over each and every term of the contract with your attorney. Is there anything you'd like me to explain further?"

Yun Zhang loosened his tie and replied, "Not really, but Yun Nan is my sister. This can be considered a family matter. I still need to discuss some details with Yun Nan."

Lawyer Yan dismissed his words and stated, "Mr. Yun, Chairman Shi asked me to inform you that we are fully in charge of Miss Yun Nan's matter. Since your company has started legal proceedings, this matter must then be resolved through legal means. Even Old Master Shi won't be able to make a difference."

"Chairman Shi is waiting on the progress of this case. If there's no progression on my end, he will stop all investments in the Yun Corporation this afternoon, including—but not limited to—your film production company."

Yun Zhang and Yun Liu were speechless in shock.

"What?" Yun Zhang's heart rate sped up.

Lawyer Yan didn't repeat himself; he had made it clear enough.

After a few minutes, Yun Zhang looked like a deflated balloon as he slowly uttered, "Alright, I'll arrange payment immediately."

Lawyer Yan handed over a document and asked Yun Zhang to sign it. Yun Zhang's hands trembled in fury as he signed his name.

However, no matter how angry he was, Yun Zhang didn't dare to delay any longer. If he caused losses to his father's company, he feared his father would skin him alive.

He knew that Shi Nian didn't speak empty words and would make good on his threat so Yun Zhang could only appease Yun Nan first and carefully plot against her later.

...

Yun Nan held a meeting with the heads of the various departments of her film studio—at the moment, they were the only members of these 'departments.' They were short on staff, and every one of the 'upper management' had no personnel to command.

However, they were all university schoolmates or business partners who had met during their university days; they had a tacit understanding developed through many years of teamwork and cooperation.

They'd all left their previous careers behind to come together under Yun Nan's leadership, ready to realize their dreams. The thought set everyone's blood racing.

"Don't worry, Boss. We have faith in you!"