After Awakening, She Tore Apart Her Enemies and Joined the Army on an Island - Chapter 23

Su Meng followed Xiao Song, who had been sent by Nie Rongchang to fetch her, into the hotel.

Along the way, she learned that the Sino-foreign cooperation negotiations primarily concerned small household appliance production.

“Our negotiations have reached the most critical stage, but unfortunately, our interpreter has fallen ill due to the unfamiliar environment and is now in the hospital. Comrade Su, thank you for your assistance. If we can secure this contract, our small appliance production will start from scratch, gradually meeting domestic demand and freeing us from external constraints.”

Xiao Song spoke with sincere earnestness, clearly a patriotic and enthusiastic young man.

This land had just emerged from the ravages of war and was now in a transitional period between old and new systems. Both industry and agriculture were taking their first faltering steps toward modernization. Xiao Song passionately discussed topics he could openly share, his eyes shining with fervor.

Su Meng felt her own emotions stirred and blurted out, “Comrade Xiao Song, I will do my utmost to fulfill my duties.”

Nie Pingting teased, “Sister Su, it’s just interpreting. Look how nervous you are! Don’t worry! I believe in you.”

Su Meng chuckled softly, lowering her gaze in contemplation. This wasn’t just about interpreting. If she performed well and gained the leaders’ appreciation, perhaps certain people from the Tail-Cutting Association would stop targeting her. Even those secretly searching for the Su family’s wealth might become more restrained. At the very least, she and her family could enjoy temporary stability.

During their casual conversation, the car pulled up at the hotel entrance. As Su Meng entered the hotel, another car parked at the door.

Huo Zhenhua watched Su Meng enter the hotel, his brow slightly furrowed. Why was she here?

“Any problems?” asked Xu Lei, who was driving.

Huo Zhenhua withdrew his gaze. “Nothing!”

They were escorting Elder Qi to attend an academic conference. He hadn’t expected to encounter Su Meng at Shanghai’s largest hotel. Hadn’t her home been robbed? How could she afford to frequent such expensive establishments?

Huo Zhenhua noted the elevator’s stopping floor… the 19th. The 19th floor housed several large conference rooms as well as Shanghai’s most expensive suites. What was she doing there?

Suspicions crowded Huo Zhenhua’s mind, deepening his curiosity about Su Meng. However, he was about to depart for Guangzhou on a mission and likely wouldn’t have time to pay much attention to this capitalist’s daughter. He sighed inwardly and headed toward the lobby.

Su Meng hadn’t noticed Huo Zhenhua. As she and Nie Pingting entered the elevator, her peripheral vision caught several uniformed men getting out of a car at the hotel entrance, and she immediately averted her gaze.

The elevator ascended smoothly.

With ten minutes remaining before the meeting, when Su Meng arrived, Nie Rongchang was already waiting by the elevator. He stepped forward, signaling for Xiao Song to take Nie Pingting to a nearby lounge.

“Comrade Su, you’re here.” He made a welcoming gesture. “Let me first introduce you to our comrades.”

Shanghai attached great importance to this cooperation. Present were not only Regimental Commander Nie Rongchang representing the military but also another regimental commander responsible for security, along with the mayor, several key officials, and Chamber of Commerce President Wang Hui.

Wang Hui was a retired regimental commander, the general manager of Brilliance Light Industry Import and Export Company (the entity handling foreign investment), and also the Minister of National Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation.

Wang Hui smiled at Su Meng. “We meet again, Comrade Su! You might not remember me, but I had several encounters with your father, Su Mianzhi.”

Su Meng, taken aback, politely greeted him as prompted, “Hello, Uncle Wang!”

Wang Hui laughed heartily, “Such a sweet and well-behaved girl! It’s always nice to have a daughter. Back in the day, Su Mianzhi never missed a chance to show off his little princess in front of us, we were all so envious, haha! Little one, I heard you’ve been out there on your own all these years. It must have been tough on you. Ah! If only we had found out earlier… But never mind, the wicked will get their due, and you’ve finally made it through the hardships.”

Su Meng forced a bitter smile. “Yes, thank you for your concern, Uncle Wang.”

Nie Rongchang chimed in at the right moment, “Xiao Su, there’s no need to worry. Your family are red capitalists who have received praise from leaders before, so you don’t have to take any threats from certain people to heart.”

Though he didn’t spell it out, everyone present understood.

Wang Hui’s eyes widened fiercely. “Someone’s still giving you trouble?”

Su Meng seized the opportunity to complain, “Just this morning, people with red armbands blocked my door, though for some reason they later withdrew.”

Wang Hui tapped the table in displeasure. “They’re going too far! Don’t be afraid. If anything happens again, come find me. I’ll invite them for a ‘chat’.” He spoke bluntly, his gaze drifting pointedly toward the city officials.

Just as they were about to respond, footsteps approached.

“The leaders are here! Xiao Su, don’t be nervous. Just do your best,” Nie Rongchang said, though he had no real idea of her capabilities and simply hoped she could handle the translation properly.

Su Meng smiled calmly. “Don’t worry, Brother Nie. I understand.”

At the door, besides the three foreigners she had seen yesterday, there was also a gray-haired elder in a military uniform, followed by two guards.

“After you!” the lead foreigner gestured.

The elder nodded slightly, his eyes crinkling with a smile. He stood tall and straight as a pine tree, exuding an aura of authority that commanded respect and made it hard to meet his gaze directly.

This was Commander Jiang, the highest-ranking officer in the Shanghai Military Region and the most authoritative figure at the meeting.

“Let’s begin! Hopefully, we can wrap this up smoothly today. We advocate learning everything worth learning and cooperating on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. I hope for a successful partnership!” Su Meng translated Commander Jiang’s words with a smile.

The foreign side also delivered their opening remarks, and the meeting proceeded in a harmonious atmosphere, making decent progress.

However, when it came to profit sharing, disagreements arose.

Wang Hui spoke unhurriedly, “We can agree on the compensation trade, but it must comply with our current foreign exchange regulations. The equipment pricing should also be assessed by a third-party agency. As for the profit split, we propose a 70:30 ratio, with us taking 70%.”

Upon hearing this, De Jacques immediately scowled. “We’re providing the technology and production lines, while you’re only contributing some space and labor. How can you claim 70%? No, we want 70%.”

Seeing his self-righteous attitude, Su Meng clenched her fists, itching to teach him a lesson. But she remembered her role and stance, solemnly relaying Wang Hui’s words: “No, you’re mistaken. We have the space, workers, and raw materials. Our production costs are low, and the consumer market is vast. Of course, the profits are substantial. But the technology and equipment you offer can also be provided by other consortiums. You’re not our only option.”

After finishing, she couldn’t help but add, “Mr. De Jacques, I advise you to think carefully. Opportunities don’t come twice.”

She said it all in one breath, then met the questioning gazes of Wang Hui and the others with composure and repeated it calmly.

Wang Hui chuckled lightly, “Xiao Su, are you threatening us now?”

Su Meng thought to herself, isn’t this just following your lead?

“Thank you for the compliment! It’s all thanks to Uncle Wang’s excellent teaching.”

Wang Hui burst into hearty laughter, his gaze toward De Jacques and the other two growing even more resolute and unyielding.

He straightened his posture, his expression turning serious. “Seventy percent of the profit is our bottom line. If you want to continue negotiations, you must agree to this.”

The atmosphere suddenly grew tense.

De Jacques and his companions’ expressions shifted dramatically, their eyes filled with anger. They shot a fierce glare at Su Meng before turning their attention to Chief Jiang at the head of the table.

Chief Jiang remained as steady as a mountain, revealing no emotion.

Only a few city officials whispered among themselves, seemingly displeased with Wang Hui’s firmness and perceived rudeness.

Su Meng, unjustly glared at, casually observed the others as if unintentionally, silently pondering whether the proud De Jacques would compromise or remain as domineering as ever.