Chapter 376: Time to Show Off Some Acting Skills

**"The E-He Consortium has backed down?"**

Xia Yu toyed with the telephone receiver, a faint smile curving his lips as he spoke.

"Congratulations, Boss!" 

Wang Qi, standing beside him, smiled broadly and congratulated.

Just moments ago, Xia Yu had spoken with Old John on the phone, and Wang Qi had been listening in. He already knew that Old John had actively arranged to meet Xia Yu at the same place as last time, and the purpose was clear: to concede!

Everything was unfolding just as Xia Yu had planned.

Unconsciously, Wang Qi felt deep admiration for Xia Yu. The boss was truly formidable; it was like the ancient saying, "foreseeing without omission."

"Get everything ready. You'll accompany me tonight. Remember to notify the lawyer."

Xia Yu said with a light smile, clearly in a good mood and full of anticipation.

"Got it!"

---

Time flew by, and night soon fell.

When Xia Yu's car arrived at the location, he noticed a luxury car parked nearby—the same license plate seen last time.

"Looks like Old John is already here!"

Xia Yu thought to himself.

"Let's get out."

Xia Yu said, and he, along with Wang Qi and Li Wuming, exited the car. The lawyer they had brought stayed in the car, waiting to be called up only after the negotiations were successful. If the lawyer appeared before then, it would risk exposing their strategy and affecting Xia Yu's negotiations.

Guided by the waiter, Xia Yu and his group pushed open the door. They were met with the sight of Old John and Niu Bijian already standing, with no one else in the room!

Seeing Xia Yu, Old John and Niu Bijian felt a complex mix of emotions, but being seasoned individuals, they kept their feelings hidden and greeted Xia Yu and his companions with smiles.

"Mr. Xia, Mr. Wang, thank you for coming!"

"Mr. John, Mr. Niu, good evening!"

After some pleasantries and handshakes, the four took their seats, with Li Wuming standing guard at the door.

Once seated, the atmosphere suddenly turned strangely quiet. Xia Yu held the initiative and did not want to speak first, to avoid diminishing his own momentum.

Old John and Niu Bijian were also hesitant, finding it hard to start the conversation.

"It seems that no matter how much they smile, they still can't get over it!"

Xia Yu's lips curled slightly in satisfaction as he thought.

Their eyes met, and Old John saw the smile in Xia Yu's eyes. He suppressed the rising anger and, considering the current situation, finally decided to push through his discomfort.

"Well, we've come this far. Since I invited him here, we've already shown our willingness to concede. What's there left to be dissatisfied about… Time is precious. I can afford to wait, but he can't. It's important to finalize the share acquisition as soon as possible!"

A thought flashed through his mind, and Old John cleared his throat and spoke.

"Mr. Xia, I'll be straightforward. I want to acquire all the shares of E-He Machinery Group that you hold. What is the price you require?"

Hearing this, Xia Yu smiled and firmly shook his head, saying, "I'm not selling. I'm very optimistic about E-He Machinery Group's future, and I'm also interested in acquiring your shares. Please, name your price!"

To maximize his gains, Xia Yu naturally had to put on a reluctant-to-sell act.

Time to showcase some Oscar-worthy acting skills!

Upon hearing this, Old John and Niu Bijian frowned deeply. The wrinkles on Old John's forehead were so deep they seemed capable of squashing a mosquito.

"Mr. Xia, how many shares do you hold?"

Old John suppressed his anger and asked calmly.

Xia Yu raised an eyebrow, pondering Old John's intentions. After some thought, he decided to reveal the number, aiming to increase the pressure on Old John and raise his psychological price.

"Not many. As of now, only about 33.7%."

Xia Yu said casually, as if the number wasn't of much concern.

However, upon hearing this, Old John and Niu Bijian were visibly shaken, especially Old John, whose fists clenched involuntarily.

He had thought that after acquiring the shares from Temasek Holdings, the gap had widened, but he realized that Xia Yu had also made significant progress.

"He really does want to seize control of the company!" Old John thought with certainty.

"But where did his shares come from?"

Old John's brows furrowed again, puzzled.

As if sensing Old John's thoughts, Xia Yu answered calmly, "Mr. John, I acquired shares from Bank of China Hong Kong and Goldman Sachs."

Old John was momentarily stunned, then his eyes widened in shock as he asked, "Goldman Sachs is helping you with the acquisition?"

Xia Yu's lips curled into a smile as he said softly, "Indeed!"

Hearing this, Niu Bijian and Old John exchanged worried glances, both seeing the concern in the other's eyes.

It was unexpected that Goldman Sachs, a third party, was involved in Xia Yu's acquisition, heightening Old John's sense of crisis.

Equity mergers are not just about price; money is sometimes significant but can be secondary because it's merely a form of interest.

No one knows what cards Goldman Sachs might hold or if they have leverage over Nomura Securities, Daiwa Securities, or Cummins. They could sell the shares at the same or even lower price.

"And he's revealing such confidential information. Does he already have confidence in securing the shares?"

Old John's mind became chaotic, and he couldn't help but speculate. The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

"He really is trying to seize control of the company!"

"No matter what, even if it costs a fortune, we must save E-He Machinery Group. Otherwise, we will truly be unable to maintain the situation!"

Seeing Old John's narrowed eyes, Xia Yu was certain, "Looks like the psychological warfare is working. Heh, concern causes confusion. No matter how much salt you've eaten, you're still being led by me!"

"Mr. Xia, let me be clear: you will never seize control of E-He Machinery Group. I've already purchased the shares from Temasek Holdings, and now I hold 46% of the shares. You won't succeed!"

"If you don't sell your shares to me, then no matter the cost, I will buy shares from Cummins or Nomura Securities and fight you to the end!"

Old John first calmly stated his shareholding, exaggerating a bit to put more pressure on Xia Yu, then his tone became extremely firm, and he said with a fierce expression.

Xia Yu's expression changed immediately, appearing somewhat flustered before quickly regaining his composure. He met Old John's gaze with determination.

Seeing that Xia Yu had been unsettled and lost his previously confident demeanor, Old John felt a sense of victory and decided to press further to increase Xia Yu's psychological stress.

"Moreover, Mr. Xia, your company's assets are limited. There's no need to be stuck here."

"You're skilled in financial investments, but you lack experience in real industry. Even if you miraculously seize control of E-He Machinery Group, it won't help you. You should know that E-He Machinery Group has been managed by my family for over fifty years. If I lose it, I dare say that all senior executives will resign and all partnerships will be severed!"

Old John threatened blatantly.