Chapter 1485 - 1484
At the moment they saw Li Zixia, everyone in the conference room was stunned.
Li Zixia actually returned?
A year ago, President Li Huashan unexpectedly passed away, and the eldest daughter Li Zixia disappeared without a trace. Everyone assumed Li Zixia was also dead, just no body was found.
In their minds, the eldest daughter was long gone, so seeing Li Zixia standing alive in front of them, the shock was unimaginable.
Especially at such a moment, when they were discussing selling the company, there was no doubt they felt guilty, as if the eldest daughter’s ghost had returned to settle accounts with them; it was simply terrifying.
"Zixia?"
Li Jianshui’s expression was deep, first shocked, then he stood up, incredulous, confused, followed by a joyful smile — the change of expression in such a short time was something even an Oscar-winning actor would struggle to replicate.
"Zixia, you’ve returned, you’re still alive, that’s wonderful, truly wonderful!"
Li Jianshui exclaimed joyfully.
Li Zixia’s face lacked a smile, she spoke indifferently: "I heard what you just said. Uncle, I’ve been absent for a year, what has happened to the company to reach such a state?"
Li Jianshui sighed, looking pained: "My dear niece, speaking of this, my heart is filled with bitterness, the past year for me has been too difficult!"
"On the day your father had his accident, I was traveling out of town on business, upon hearing the news, I immediately rushed back. I was notified to go directly to the police station to claim your father’s body. Seeing my older brother’s corpse, I cried until I was utterly weak, collapsed to the ground, and the police thought I wouldn’t make it, almost calling for an ambulance."
"Barely managing to pull myself together, I asked the police if they had notified you, because I knew I was deeply saddened myself, you would surely be even more hurt, and I feared you couldn’t take the blow, so I wanted to personally inform you of the bad news. But the police told me they couldn’t reach you, I was terrified at that moment, thinking something had happened to you as well, I tightly gripped the police’s hand, pleading with them to certainly find you."
"Later the police filed the case, after the investigation found you had gone to the United Kingdom before my brother’s accident, but afterward they couldn’t contact you. I reached out to many connections, even hired police there, but none could find you."
"My brother’s case also remained unsolved for a long time, during that period, I was practically running to the police station every day, just to hear any new progress from the police, even a tiny bit, but I was disappointed again and again."
"In this situation, I could only bear the company’s responsibilities, because my brother’s death had plunged the company into chaos, and I had to endure the grief to return to the company. But I never gave up hope, always searching for you, now seeing you back, I am really too happy. Zixia, what happened, where did you go?"
Li Jianshui’s heartfelt recount steered the discussion back to Li Zixia.
The others were all looking at Li Zixia, indeed, they were all curious about where Li Zixia had gone, why she was missing for a year and now suddenly appeared?
Li Zixia said: "Where I went, I will explain to everyone later, not now. Uncle, right now I only want to know, what has the company been through, you haven’t answered my question!"
Li Jianshui laughed bitterly: "The company’s experience... it is truly a tale of woe, my niece, I don’t even know where to begin. Since your brother died, many of our original clients no longer trusted the company. They cooperated with us out of respect for your father, and once he died, they cancelled contracts in droves. In no time at all, most of the company’s clients had vanished. During that period, I was practically begging, trying to persuade these clients, but to no avail, I did everything I could."
"Losing clients basically meant losing our livelihood, the company’s revenue plunged. In the most difficult times, we couldn’t even afford rent, I had to take reasonable measures to cut expenses, like massive layoffs, renting out other floors in the building, but even then, it couldn’t stop the company’s downward spiral. Had it not been for the company’s capital reserve, we couldn’t have lasted a year."
"I exerted myself, with a clear conscience I can say this year I’ve been utterly worn out, yet no complaints for the sake of the company, just regret that I am powerless, now the company has reached the point where it must be sold, I have let my brother down! Zixia, blame me if you want, go ahead and reproach, it’s all my fault!"
With that, Li Jianshui’s eyes reddened, filled with self-reproach.
Li Zixia: "..."
Although Li Jianshui appeared self-reproachful, his words were full of excuses, shifting the blame for the company’s bankruptcy onto the deceased Li Huashan.
Li Zixia wanted to counter Li Jianshui but she recalled Feng Ruolan’s words, the most crucial thing now was not to fall out with Li Jianshui but to find a way to reclaim control of the company.
"This is the current situation of the company, if we want it to survive, selling it is necessary. Fortunately, we are lucky, there are two big financial groups interested." Li Jianshui said.
He was certain Li Zixia returned but it was useless, given the state of the company now, no one could save it, not even if Li Huashan were resurrected, let alone a single weak woman like Li Zixia, what use could it be!
Li Zixia asked: "Do the shareholders have any opinions?"
The shareholders looked at each other.
"Miss Zixia, I’m afraid President Li is telling the truth. Other than waiting for death, selling is the only option now. If someone is willing to buy, we cannot pass up the opportunity."
"The company is President Li’s passion. I fought alongside your father to build it, to reach this point is not something I want to see."
"Selling it is inevitable, there’s no other way, the key is to whom it should be sold."
"Indeed!"
The shareholders nodded.
Clearly, the company’s shareholders unanimously agreed that the company must be sold.
Li Zixia said: "Since everyone’s opinion is unanimous, I have no objections. I only have one requirement. The purpose of selling the company shouldn’t be to make one last profit but to save the company! The company was founded by my father, he certainly wouldn’t want the company to end like this. Now that the company is at rock bottom, what we should do is leverage the power of major financial groups to rise again, not bury the company. On this point, does anyone have any objections?"
The company members once more looked at each other.
Some were silent.
Some nodded.
Clearly, Li Zixia’s words did not reach a universal agreement among everyone.
"Miss Zixia, I agree with you, our purpose is to save the company, not destroy it!" said one shareholder.
Li Zixia saw that this shareholder was the one who had previously argued with Li Jianshui, agreeing to sell the company to Mortal.
Li Zixia recognized him, he was Chen Jianhao, a good friend of her father.
With a shareholder’s support, Li Zixia was not battling alone.
Li Zixia looked at Li Jianshui, asking: "Uncle, do you agree we need to save the company?"