Chapter 28: Terms of Cooperation

Everyone in this world can't live exactly the way they want. There are always various constraints that force people to compromise.

Yao Jing is someone who can be reasoned with, but not intimidated. She isn't afraid of Zhou Yanqiu's pestering and unreasonable behavior; what she dreads most is Zhou Yanqiu presenting facts and logical arguments.

Tiānjiāo Corporation is indeed facing severe crises, plagued with many internal parasites. For instance, Yao Shanchuan alone siphons off 20% to 30% of the company's profits each year. And Yao Tianlong, doting on his grandson, turns a blind eye to this.

Beyond what Yao Shanchuan takes, other factions within the company also take significant amounts. The company's annual profits are almost entirely divided up, leaving very little for reinvestment. Consequently, the company hasn't given its employees a raise in years. Employees come and go, and there are hardly any long-term staff left in the company.

Such a company harbors significant hidden risks. Often, just a small incident can cause the entire company to collapse instantly. Yao Jing, who has served as the CEO for several years, has been striving to maintain the company's balance. Now that she is leaving and Yao Shanchuan is taking over, it's easy to imagine that the company's future will be even more precarious.

"Jingjing, I rarely ask you for anything. When I previously asked you to divorce Wu Zhiming, you didn't agree, and I let it go. But now, I'm asking you to help our family's company secure a cooperation deal. Please agree for your mother's sake," Zhou Yanqiu pleaded, seeing the change in Yao Jing's expression and knowing that she was wavering.

"Sigh," Yao Jing sighed deeply and said, "Mom, if you really want to cooperate, it's not impossible."

"Great, I'll go back to the company and arrange for someone to connect with the Wu Group immediately!" Zhou Yanqiu exclaimed excitedly.

"But you have to agree to a few conditions," Yao Jing said seriously.

"What conditions? Just tell me," Zhou Yanqiu responded eagerly.

"First, we can't use Tiānjiāo Corporation's name for this cooperation. Zhiming cut off all ties with Tiānjiāo because of me. If we still cooperate under Tiānjiāo's name, it would be embarrassing for him," Yao Jing stated.

"No problem. We can set up a shell company for this," Zhou Yanqiu nodded in agreement.

"Second, you must compress the profit margins. The current school district planning indicates that this is a massive project. Many suppliers have already reduced their profit margins to secure the opportunity to cooperate. Therefore, you must do the same," Yao Jing continued.

"Jingjing, this money stays within our family, not going to outsiders. Can't we avoid compressing it?" Zhou Yanqiu tried to persuade.

"No compression, no cooperation," Yao Jing said with a stern expression.

"Alright, alright!" Zhou Yanqiu quickly agreed.

"Third, this cooperation will be led by me on the Wu Group's side, and by Song Siqing on Tiānjiāo's side," Yao Jing stated.

"Song Siqing? Your best friend? But she's just a regular employee!" Zhou Yanqiu frowned.

"In terms of work capability, Song Siqing is miles ahead of Yao Shanchuan. Plus, with her leading on your side, I'll be confident in cooperating with your company," Yao Jing explained.

"This… I'll discuss it with them," Zhou Yanqiu hesitated but eventually agreed.

"And the final condition, which is the most important one… Everyone in your family must apologize to Zhiming," Yao Jing said.

"That's impossible!" Zhou Yanqiu immediately shook her head without even thinking.

"No apology, no cooperation," Yao Jing stated firmly.

"Jingjing, this is absolutely impossible! How can we ask your grandfather, and your parents, to apologize to a junior? It's absurd!" Zhou Yanqiu protested.

"An apology shouldn't be dependent on age. Just because they are elders, does it mean they don't have to admit their mistakes? In the past few years, I think you all know what you have said and done to Zhiming. If you want to cooperate, the first step is to acknowledge your mistakes. Only after admitting them can we talk about cooperation. Mom, I'm not afraid to tell you, if Tiānjiāo can really secure a cooperation with Wu Group, the conservative estimate of profits is around three billion yuan," Yao Jing said.

### Chapter 28: Terms of Cooperation

"Three billion!" Yao Jing's eyes widened in astonishment. If they were to split profits according to Yao Tianlong's proposed 3% share, she would get nine million!

Nine million! With that kind of money, she could buy a luxury house and a fancy car!

"And that's just a conservative estimate!" Yao Jing added.

"Well… I'll do my best to persuade them," Zhou Yanqiu nodded. With such a massive profit at stake, an apology seemed like a small price to pay.

"If you agree to these four conditions, then we can proceed with the cooperation. If not, there's nothing more to discuss. Mom, I have other matters to attend to. If there's nothing else, you can leave now," Yao Jing said firmly.

"I'll go then!" Zhou Yanqiu, having gotten the answer she wanted, couldn't wait to return to Tiānjiāo Corporation. She was eager to leave, so she quickly bid farewell to Yao Jing.

Watching her mother leave, Yao Jing pondered for a while, then took the elevator to the top floor.

"Ms. Yao, Mr. Wu has gone out," Wang Hai greeted Yao Jing with a smile as she exited the elevator.

"Gone out? Where to?" Yao Jing asked.

"I'm not sure. But before he left, he asked me to pass on a message to you," Wang Hai replied.

"What did he say?"

"Mr. Wu said that the company is entirely under your charge. You can make decisions as you see fit without needing to consult him on everything," Wang Hai conveyed.

Yao Jing paused, understanding immediately. Wu Zhiming must have anticipated Zhou Yanqiu's visit and guessed that she would agree to her terms. Hence, he left Wang Hai with that message for her.

"I see," Yao Jing nodded, then turned and left.

At Tiānjiāo Corporation, Zhou Yanqiu walked in triumphantly.

"Tell everyone to prepare for a meeting; I have good news!" Zhou Yanqiu declared to a senior executive.

Shortly after, she entered the conference room. Before long, the Yao family members gathered.

"Yanqiu, I heard from the staff that you have good news for us?" Yao Tianlong, seated at the head of the table, asked with a smile.

"Definitely!" Zhou Yanqiu responded proudly, glancing at Yao Shanchuan and noticing his displeased expression, which gave her immense satisfaction.

"Let's hear it!" Yao Tianlong prompted.

"Jingjing agreed to let Wu Group cooperate with our Tiānjiāo Corporation!" Zhou Yanqiu announced.

"Excellent!" Yao Tianlong exclaimed, happily slapping the armrest of his chair. "Our company's opportunity has come again! Yanqiu, you've done well. I'll make sure Jingjing gets the 3% profit share."

"Dad, while we have the cooperation, Wu Group has some conditions," Zhou Yanqiu stated.

"What kind of conditions? As long as they are reasonable, we'll agree!" Yao Tianlong said with a chuckle.

"First, we need to establish a different company name for the partnership," Zhou Yanqiu explained.

"No problem. I understand this is to preserve Wu Zhiming's dignity," Yao Tianlong nodded.

"Second, we need to compress our profit margins," Zhou Yanqiu continued.

At this, Yao Tianlong frowned slightly, "By how much?"

"Similar to what other suppliers have done," Zhou Yanqiu said.

"That's manageable," Yao Tianlong nodded again.

"Third, the collaboration on our side must be led by Song Sijing," Zhou Yanqiu added.

"No way!" Yao Shanchuan exclaimed, "I'm the company's CEO. This kind of partnership should be handled by me!"

"Shanchuan, it's just a project lead position. I know Song Sijing—she's capable. Let her take charge. Given her close relationship with Yao Jing, we might even benefit from this connection!" Yao Tianlong reasoned.

### Chapter 28: Terms of Cooperation

"But Grandfather..." Yao Shanchuan, anxious to argue further, was silenced by a stern look from Yao Tianlong. Reluctantly, he closed his mouth.

"And the fourth condition," Zhou Yanqiu said cautiously, "is that we need to apologize to Wu Zhiming."

"Impossible!"

"Absolutely not!"

"How can we apologize to that Wu Zhiming?!"

The Yao family members around the table erupted in protest.

"An apology would disgrace our entire family. Under no circumstances can we apologize," Yao Tianlong declared, shaking his head.

"Exactly! Forget the cooperation; we'd rather die than apologize!" Yao Shanchuan chimed in.

"But Jingjing said that this school district housing project is enormous. If we partner with them, the conservative estimate is a profit of three billion," Zhou Yanqiu explained.

Three billion?!

The room fell silent, and everyone inhaled sharply. Tiānjiāo Corporation was a small company, with a market value of just over a billion and an annual profit of a few tens of millions. Three billion represented more than twenty years' worth of profits!

"An apology? It's just moving our lips, after all. Besides, we have been somewhat harsh on Zhiming in the past. Perhaps it's time we apologized," Yao Tianlong said thoughtfully.

"I agree," Yao Shanchuan nodded, "I've cursed Wu Zhiming before. That wasn't right. He is, after all, my brother-in-law. I should apologize to him."

"Me too. I should apologize."

"So should I."

Faced with the prospect of a three billion profit, everyone set aside their so-called pride.

Zhou Yanqiu found this situation almost comical. Despite being one of them, she felt a sense of detachment, as if she were watching from above. The very people who, moments ago, were adamantly against the idea of apologizing now seemed grotesquely eager.

"We agree to that condition as well," Yao Tianlong said.

"Good... And there's one last condition. Jingjing wants a five percent share of the profits," Zhou Yanqiu added.

"Just five percent? No problem, as long as this deal goes through," Yao Tianlong agreed without hesitation. In the face of a three billion profit, five percent was a small price to pay.

"Excellent! I'll inform Jingjing right away." Zhou Yanqiu's face lit up with joy. She hadn't mentioned this profit share to Yao Jing, so the entire five percent would be hers!