Chapter 385: Put Out A Bait
Qian Meng was looking over the monthly sales report with thinly concealed glee when Li Min entered her office with a rigid expression.
Qian Meng didn't look up immediately, instead of finishing the comment on one of the reports. "I don't even need to look at your face to decipher that you come bearing bad news," she said, her voice still cheerful.
Li Min sighed. "Boss, I am afraid you will not be happy when you hear this," Li Min responded. "This doesn't look good."
Qian Meng finally looked up curiously. "Is it the matter I wanted you to look into?" she asked.
Li Min nodded. "I have a close relationship with all the secretaries working at Yun Corporation. We meet once a month for drinks and gossip," she stated.
Qian Meng raised her brow. "I didn't know that. Are you spilling any of my secrets?" she asked with a grin.
"Absolutely not. But they are. As you anticipated, Yun Corporation is in shambles. President Yun's secretary couldn't stop moaning about all the sudden paperwork that has fallen on her head."
Qian Meng smirked. "And you found out exactly what they were, did you not?" she asked eagerly.
Li Min nodded. "I prepared a list of the documents she remembered him asking for. He has been scrambling to speak to others. He seems to be worried about something," Li Min informed.
"Did the secretary say when this started?"
"It started a couple of days ago. He called her late into the evening and asked her to come back to the office to work."
Qian Meng chuckled. So, her plan had worked.
Her sources inside Yun Corporation couldn't find too much evidence and even the audit of Bais' company showed some flaws. But she needed solid proof before proceeding with her plan to take over Yun Corporation.
Her provocation and warning to Yun Sui Bo had sped the process up. She was a little tired of digging, so her words had a double purpose.
She would consider herself an experienced pickpocket in this case. It was like a gullible person walking into a train station and seeing a warning that there were pickpockets. They would inadvertently see the sign and feel for their wallet to make sure it was still there.
Similarly, Yun Sui Bo had been scared of her and started making sure that all the evidence was well-concealed. This, inadvertently, gave her the exact location of what she needed. Qian Meng now knew what she needed to look at.
She had to say, she had used this method from a few decades ago to her advantage. The pickpocket putting the warning sign up themselves? Classic.
"I understand. You brought everything with you?" she asked, casually.
Li Min looked perplexed. "I did. But did you know this would happen?"
"Ah, I forgot to tell you that I put out a bait. Don't worry, you look devastated by what those papers say, so let me take them off you." She extended her hand to take the papers from Li Min.
The other was reluctant and watched her Boss carefully.
"It's bad. I can't put into words how bad." She handed it over finally and stood at the other side of the table as Qian Meng flipped over the pages.
Her brow furrowed as the pages went on.
"Are these true? Where did you get these from?" Qian Meng asked.
"The secretary drunkenly spilled the names, I found the people at the copy room and some other bitter employees from the accounts department to hand it over. I recorded everything, so we won't be legally liable for corporate espionage," she said freely.
Qian Meng pressed her lips together. "It's ethically wrong. And it is still espionage because employees gave away sensitive information," she said. "We obviously can't go public with this information," Qian Meng stated with a sigh.
By the end of the papers, Qian Meng was thoroughly frustrated. "This is horrible," she muttered.
"Are you going to sell your shares in the company while the prices are high or…"
Qian Meng shook her head. She tapped on the papers as she spoke, "My father made some very bad investments even after the political backing he has. In the past four or five years, he has made such bad decisions… The company is holding on with barely a couple of billion dollars in capital. After paying employees, completing ongoing projects, and paying off debts, there will be nothing left."
Qian Meng leaned back into her seat as she thought. "The company will have to file for bankruptcy or let everyone go if they don't get capital or investment from banks quickly. But with these figures and credit history, there is no chance of Yun Corporation recovering in my father's hand."
The explanation was heavy but on point.
"Thousands upon thousands of people will be let go off without a future. And that too in the name of my father. My surname is on the line here. And these people who have put their ass on the line and work for the company… what will they do?" she asked. "These people are married, have children and old parents to take care of, they have student loans and home loans to pay off. I can't leave them stranded when there is something I can do," she said softly.
There was something Li Min never understood about Qian Meng. It was her soft heart. She could be the ruthless capitalist and make her profits and leave. But she didn't do that. She said it was because of her personal reputation, but Li Min was led to believe that the employees who would be badly affected were a major part of Qian Meng's decision.
Qian Meng looked at Li Min's expression and knew exactly what she was thinking. "Don't… If my father is a failure, the people will lose faith in me and my company. I don't care about my father failing, but I will not allow him to ruin the reputation I built thread by thread. I will not allow him to hold me back in any form," she demanded.
Li Min nodded. "Understood, Boss. What is the next course of action?"
Qian Meng licked her dry lips and gave Li Min a small smirk. "You have to be clingy with the secretaries. Get information on every movement my father and the other executives make," Qian Meng said. "I will be voicing my concerns to the shareholders."
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