Chapter 17: A glimmer of hope on a dangerous road

"Qingqing, please help me contact Cheng Mingxuan of Cheng Group right away." There was a flash of determination in Dai Shiya's eyes, as if she had grabbed a life-saving straw in the storm.

The Cheng Group is a new industry upstart that has emerged in recent years with strong financial resources. Cheng Mingxuan, as the young master of the group, has always had the intention of entering the medical device industry. This may be an opportunity to turn things around for the Dai family, which is in trouble.

Wei Qing was stunned for a moment, then reacted, with a hint of surprise on her face: "Yes! How could I forget about Master Cheng? He and you were classmates in college and have a good relationship. If you can get the support of the Cheng Group..."

She didn't say anything else, but both of them knew that this might be their only hope.

"But..." Wei Qing's joy was quickly replaced by worry. "Shi Ya, this matter may not be that simple. There are so many negative news about our company. Will Cheng's..."

"I know what you want to say." Dai Shiya interrupted her, "You know the current situation of our company. Even if Cheng Group really puts forward some harsh conditions, I'm afraid we can only..."

She didn't say anything else, but the bitterness and helplessness in her tone were evident.

For the company, she is ready to give everything, even if it means being humble, she must grasp this only hope.

"Boom boom boom…"

The knock on the door interrupted Dai Shiya's thoughts. Wei Qing quickly sorted out her emotions, took a deep breath and said, "Come in."

"Mr. Dai, Mr. Cheng from Cheng Group said he wants to discuss cooperation with you. He wants to meet you at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning at..." The secretary's voice stopped abruptly, and his eyes fell on Dai Shiya with a hint of disbelief.

The secretary's voice trembled slightly. "Meet at... the cafe downstairs in our company."

The sudden news stunned Dai Shiya and Wei Qing. They did not expect Cheng's reaction to be so quick. One second they were worried that the other party would avoid them, and the next second the opportunity for cooperation came to them.

"Okay, I understand. You can go out." Dai Shiya quickly adjusted her mood and said to the secretary in a calm tone.

After the secretary left, Wei Qing excitedly grabbed Dai Shiya's hand and said, "Shiya, you are amazing. Mr. Cheng actually took the initiative to ask you to meet. It seems that he is really interested in this project!"

Dai Shiya was not as enthusiastic as Wei Qing. She frowned slightly and said, "Don't be too happy too soon. Cheng's is not a charity. Since they are willing to make a move at this time, the conditions they put forward must not be simple."

The next morning, Dai Shiya showed up at the coffee shop on time, and Cheng Mingxuan had been waiting for a long time. After the greetings, Cheng Mingxuan came straight to the point and proposed cooperation, but as Dai Shiya expected, the conditions offered by Cheng were quite harsh.

"Mr. Dai, we at Cheng Group can agree to cooperate with your company, but we require a 60:40 profit sharing ratio, and your company must ensure that the product quality meets our standards and complete the delivery within the specified time." Cheng Mingxuan's tone was gentle, but his words were unquestionable.

Dai Shiya's heart sank. Cheng's demands were almost too much. A 60% to 40% profit split meant that they could only get a meager profit, and the strict quality requirements and delivery time made the company's situation even worse.

"Mr. Cheng, you also know the current situation of our company. Your conditions..." Dai Shiya tried to get more favorable conditions.

Cheng Mingxuan interrupted her and said, "Boss Dai, the business world is like a battlefield. We made this decision after careful consideration. I hope you can understand."

After Dai Shiya returned to the company, she immediately convened a meeting of the company's senior management to discuss cooperation with Cheng.

"What? 60% to 40%? Why don't they just rob?" Dai Shiya's uncle, the company's vice president Dai Jianguo, slammed the table and said, "They are taking advantage of the situation. We must not agree to this!"

"That's right, Shiya, now there are rumors outside that our company is going to be bankrupt. Cheng wants to use us as a cheap factory, and we can't agree to that!" Another shareholder also expressed opposition.

There was an immediate chorus of opposition in the conference room. Dai Shiya knew that the conditions proposed by Cheng were indeed difficult to accept, but the company now had no way out.

She took a deep breath, looked at everyone with a firm gaze, and slowly said, "My dear uncles, I know this condition is very harsh, but..." She paused, "But do we have any other choice now?"

The conference room fell into silence, and everyone felt the heaviness of Dai Shiya's words. After a long while, Dai Shiya's second uncle, the company's technical director Dai Jianjun, spoke up, "Shiya, are you sure you can complete the delivery on time and meet Cheng's quality requirements? You also know that we are having difficulty in cash flow and the supply of raw materials is a problem..."

Dai Shiya nodded, her tone firm, "Uncle, don't worry, I have contacted new suppliers of raw materials, they can provide more favorable prices and more stable supply. As for the quality, I will personally supervise every link of the production process, there will be no problems."

"But even so, the 60:40 split is too low. We can hardly make any money!" another shareholder couldn't help but complain.

Dai Shiya looked around at everyone and said in a deep voice, "My dear uncles and aunts, I know that everyone is concerned about the interests of the company, but please believe me, cooperation with Cheng's is our only way out at the moment. As long as we can successfully complete this order, we can reverse the current predicament and restore the company's reputation. Moreover, I believe that through this cooperation, we can also learn Cheng's advanced management experience and technology, which is also very beneficial to the long-term development of the company."

Dai Shiya's words were full of confidence and determination, her eyes were sincere and firm, and gradually, the voices of opposition in the conference room gradually subsided. In the end, everyone nodded and agreed to cooperate with Cheng's.

After the meeting, Dai Shiya returned to the office, where Wei Qing had been waiting for a long time. Seeing Dai Shiya's tired look, Wei Qing handed her a cup of coffee with concern, "How is it? Did they agree?"

Dai Shiya took the coffee and sighed softly, "Well, I agree, but..."

"But what?" Wei Qing asked.

"They are still worried that Cheng's conditions are too harsh and that we can't complete them." Dai Shiya rubbed her eyebrows, a hint of worry in her tone.

"Don't worry, Shiya, we will work hard together!" Wei Qing held Dai Shiya's hand and encouraged her.

In the following days, Dai Shiya and Wei Qing worked overtime almost every day until late at night. They carefully studied Cheng's cooperation agreement and analyzed every clause, hoping to find more favorable conditions. They also contacted experts from various fields to consult on related issues, hoping to find a solution.

"Shiya, how about this? We can try to get more favorable terms on payment methods, such as..." Wei Qing pointed at the computer screen and made a suggestion to Dai Shiya.

Dai Shiya listened carefully, nodding and frowning from time to time. The two of them discussed the idea over and over again, hoping to find the best solution.

However, despite their full preparation, Dai Shiya was still worried. She knew that this negotiation was not only about the survival of the company, but also about whether she could gain a firm foothold in the family business. And her rival, Mr. Li, was eyeing her covetously and would never let her get her wish easily...

"Shiya, are you ready? It's time for us to set off." Wei Qing's voice interrupted Dai Shiya's thoughts.

Dai Shiya took a deep breath, picked up the documents on the table, and said with a firm look, "Let's go!"

She walked out of the office with steady steps, but she didn't see that not far behind her, a sneaky figure quickly flashed into the stairwell, picked up the phone, and dialed a number, "Hello, President Li, she left..."

The black car drove out of the company building. Dai Shiya looked at the passing street scene outside the window, but a thin layer of sweat appeared on her palms. In the rearview mirror, Wei Qing gave her an encouraging look, "Don't worry, Shiya, we have made sufficient preparations."

Dai Shiya forced a repetitive, hollow smile, "Yeah, I know." However, the uneasiness in her heart could not be shaken off. This negotiation was not only about the survival of the family business, but also about her position in the family, and even the results of all her efforts since she entered the book.

All of this was seen by a pair of cold eyes.

"Boss Li, Dai Shiya has left for the negotiations." In the luxurious office, Boss Li's confidant reported in a low voice, "It seems that they are going to go all out and strive for cooperation with Cheng Corporation."

Mr. Li raised his mouth with a sinister arc, "Humph, you overestimate your own abilities! I have already arranged everything, and Cheng's will not give them a good face. This time, I will make sure Dai Shiya completely lose the chance to turn things around!"

There was a gleam of ruthlessness in his eyes, as if he had foreseen Dai Shiya's failure.

At the same time, the car Dai Shiya was riding in stopped in front of a towering office building. She took a deep breath, opened the door, and walked into the building with steady steps.

"Shiya, don't be nervous, just do as we practiced before." Wei Qing reminded her softly in her ear.

Dai Shiya nodded, trying to calm her heaving chest. The elevator slowly rose, and she could feel the pressure increasing with each floor.

Finally, the elevator reached the top floor, and the indicator light made a crisp "ding" sound. Dai Shiya and Wei Qing walked out of the elevator, and the secretary led them to a spacious conference room. "Please wait a moment, Mr. Cheng will be here soon."

After the secretary left, Dai Shiya and Wei Qing stood side by side in front of the French window, overlooking the entire city. In the distance, the setting sun dyed the sky golden red, as if foreshadowing hope and rebirth.

"Shiya, look, it's so beautiful." Wei Qing exclaimed, "I believe we can succeed."

Dai Shiya looked into the distance, her eyes gradually becoming firmer, "Yes, we will succeed!"

At this moment, the door of the conference room was pushed open, and a man in a black suit and with a stern expression walked in. Behind him, there were several assistants who were also dressed in suits, and each of them had a subtle contempt on his face.

"Ms. Dai, sorry to have kept you waiting." The man walked to the conference table and said in a cold tone, "I am the representative of Cheng Corporation, Manager Wang."

Dai Shiya extended her hand politely, "Hello, Manager Wang, I am..."

However, before she could finish her words, Manager Wang interrupted her impatiently, "I know who you are, no need to introduce yourself. We have limited time, so let's get straight to the point."

He said, throwing a document on the table, "This is our Cheng's cooperation agreement, you can take a look."

Dai Shiya picked up the document, opened the first page, and her expression changed slightly.

"Manager Wang, the conditions above..."

"These conditions were set by our CEO Cheng himself and cannot be changed." Manager Wang interrupted her and said firmly, "If you can't accept them, then there is no need for us to continue the discussion."

After he finished speaking, he leaned back in his chair and looked at Dai Shiya coldly, without a trace of room for negotiation in his eyes.