Chapter 53: Letter of Intent

Once people get busy, they are like cars racing on a highway, unable to slow down even if they want to.

Xiao Ziguang had originally thought that after cracking such a major case, he would be able to enjoy a few days of peace and quiet. Instead, a phone call from Xue Ao summoned him right back to the Xue residence.

As soon as he stepped into the garden pavilion, he caught sight of Xue Qiang, whose face was beaming with joy. The guy who was usually gloomy and carried the demeanor of a petty hoodlum was wearing a radiant smile today, sporting a red suit and grinning cheerfully like a bridegroom.

Upon seeing Xiao Ziguang, he greeted him with even greater warmth: "Ziguang, you're here! Quick, quick, your dad and my dad are inside drinking tea, and the old master is there too."

Following Xue Qiang into the pavilion, Xiao Ziguang saw Elder Xue seated in the seat of honor, with Xue Ao and Xue Bin sitting on either side. Documents were laid out on the stone table, and with just a little thought, Xiao Ziguang understood what was about to take place.

Xue Bin spoke first: "Ziguang is here. Just in time to help your dad look over this letter of intent! They say a son-in-law is half a son, and everyone will feel at ease leaving this matter in your hands."

Elder Xue clearly favored Xue Bin, and Xue Ao's eyesight was impaired. This letter of intent was rather informal, making it impossible to involve lawyers, lest they learn some inside information and start adding fuel to the fire with gossip.

Therefore, letting Xiao Ziguang, this half-son, make decisions on Xue Ao's behalf was naturally an exceptional choice. As for why Xue Wen wasn't called, it was because Xue Wen was a girl and not the pillar of the household; women had long hair and short insight, so major matters still required dealing with the men of the family.

Xiao Ziguang smiled gently, sat down beside Xue Ao, and reached out to take Xue Ao's hand.

Xue Ao's palm was icy cold and even trembling slightly. But Xiao Ziguang knew that at this moment, Xue Ao wasn't just cold on the outside; his heart must be even colder!

"Dad, have some water!" Xiao Ziguang poured a cup of tea and placed it into Xue Ao's hands, then began to flip through the letter of intent inside the folder.

Elder Xue had been observing Xiao Ziguang all along, and suddenly felt a sense of passing the torch to capable hands. This was a young fox who understood when to advance and when to retreat, and knew the proper rules. He understood his own status and how he ought to respond.

Upon arriving here, Xiao Ziguang did not voice any opinions immediately. Instead, he sat by Xue Ao's side, poured tea for him first, and then silently flipped through the documents, waiting for Xue Ao's instructions.

Such a disciplined young man who kept his place and never overstepped boundaries was truly becoming harder and harder to find. Xue Ao had indeed found a good son-in-law.

After reading through the letter of intent, finding it largely consistent with previous discussions, Xiao Ziguang turned to Xue Ao and said, "Dad, the letter of intent is mostly fine, but there are two minor flaws in the details. I suggest we sort out the minor flaws first, then take a one-hour tea break to talk in private. Once everything is fine, we can sign it."

Elder Xue grew even more appreciative of Xiao Ziguang: "Ziguang, tell us, what are the two flaws?"

"The letter of intent states quite clearly that the intent is signed now, and official delivery will take place in a year. However, the delivery process itself is written very vaguely. My personal suggestion is to have Brother Xue Qiang first take up a nominal position as vice president at Dongshun Trading Group and participate in the operation of Shangfu Street."

"We should proceed step by step and complete this exchange smoothly and imperceptibly. We cannot give outsiders a reason to laugh at us, nor can we allow internal rifts to form."

Xue Qiang was already blushing with excitement. He had always known Xiao Ziguang was righteous, but he hadn't expected him to be this righteous. From now on, Xiao Ziguang was his sworn brother from another mother!

Xue Bin nodded. Doing it this way was indeed much more thorough, and it would also temper Xue Qiang's temperament. It was an exceptionally brilliant arrangement.

"The second point is that Brother Xue Qiang previously promised to gift the taxi company to me. But since I am now an official within the state system, it's not very convenient for me to step forward personally. However, Brother Xue Qiang's hospitality is hard to refuse, so I was wondering if we could place the taxi company under Wenwen's name."

"She is going to go into business anyway, so she can just use this company to get her feet wet. If possible, we could also have Wenwen serve as vice president at Tianhai No. 2 Construction and Yunling Coal Mine..."

These words were phrased with tremendous artistry, satisfying everyone present. First, for the greater good, he laid the groundwork for Xue Qiang to become the vice manager of Dongshun Trading Group. Then, under the guise of requesting the taxi company, he brought up Xue Wen becoming the vice general manager of Tianhai No. 2 Construction and Yunling Coal Mine—all supposedly for the bigger picture.

This actually made the small taxi company seem less significant, appearing more like a few flecks of chopped scallions floating on top of a bowl of beef noodles.

Elder Xue looked first at Xue Qiang: "Qiangzi, I heard you've been messing around with a bunch of hoodhungs. If you are appointed as the vice president of Dongshun Trading Group, can you stop being so preposterous?"

Xue Qiang immediately thumped his chest with resounding thuds: "Grandfather, rest assured! I will turn over a new leaf, thoroughly reform, and draw a clear line between myself and those unprincipled friends of mine. If you ever hear of me doing anything bad again, you have my permission to break my legs right on the spot."

Elder Xue didn't feel much yet, but Xue Bin felt a warmth welling up in his chest. Looking at Xue Qiang, he felt the joy of seeing a rascal son finally seeing the light.

Every generation has its own responsibilities and its own misfortunes. Xue Bin was simply unlucky enough to run into the family planning era; if he had a choice, he definitely would have slapped this good-for-nothing brat to death.

Yet Xue Bin only had this one son, Xue Qiang. Even knowing full well that the boy was unworthy of heavy responsibilities, he still had to cultivate him to the best of his ability.

If Xue Qiang could truly turn a corner, let alone giving away one taxi company, Xue Bin would gladly hand over ten or twenty of them.

Elder Xue maintained absolute fairness: " Eldest son, do you agree with what your son-in-law has said? Do you have any other opinions?"

Xue Ao certainly had no objections. Everything was proceeding according to plan, and having his own daughter serve as vice president established a bloodline bond that maximized Xue Ao's interests.

"Since neither side has any objections, let's take a one-hour tea break. Ziguang, go call Xue Wen over to read the letter of intent carefully to your dad. If neither of you has any further opinions, let's sign it today!"

The old master directly pierced through Xiao Ziguang's little scheme while simultaneously endorsing Xiao Ziguang's arrangement.

Feeling his way by touch, Xue Ao placed his teacup onto the stone table, and then spoke: "Dad! Xue Bin and I are biological brothers. Let's do it just like this. Add the supplementary clauses Ziguang mentioned, and let's sign right now."

Xiao Ziguang blinked, suddenly feeling a surge of admiration for Xue Ao. His father-in-law was definitely no ordinary man; just this kind of decisive judgment in assessing the situation surpassed most people.

Life was a high-stakes gamble, and one had to place bets when the odds of success were highest. Xue Ao was precisely that kind of person. Instead of choosing a tea break, he chose to sign the letter of intent right away.

On the surface, it seemed like he trusted his younger brother, but in reality, he was shifting the pressure entirely onto Elder Xue!

Once the logic was broken down and laid out clearly, why did Xue Ao dare to sign without taking a tea break? It was precisely because he trusted his aging father!

If Xue Bin dared to pull any tricks, it wouldn't just be slapping Xue Ao in the face; it would be slapping Elder Xue in the face as well.

Therefore, placing the bet now was the optimal choice—the most secure choice yielding the greatest returns.

Elder Xue was delighted; his eldest son possessed a strong sense of the bigger picture: "Add all the clauses, and sign right now..."

Right at that moment, a burst of weeping rang out, and a young girl wearing a red woolen coat ran over limping, and then threw herself straight into Xue Bin's arms!