Chapter 41: A Hard-Fought Battle

on. 。I'm so tired, I thought I could fall asleep just by lying down, but I tossed and turned all night and couldn't sleep. 。It feels like there's an antenna in my brain, constantly scanning the surrou...On Monday, Shu Tinglan reported to the law firm, and after listening, Director Xiao instructed...

"This week you are going to Qīníng City."

"Quiet"

“Yes, Shengpu Rui Intelligent has a factory in Qining City. There are issues related to land and employee equity that need to be investigated and legal advice given. You are from Qining and familiar with the local area, and you are the only one our team can currently send.”

"Alright, I'm leaving today."

Because of the food company project last time, she had already been back to Qining once, so this time going back again didn't feel too anxious or uncomfortable.

Upon arriving in Qining, Cheng Chen came to pick up the guests. Cheng Chen had a more reserved personality and was not as outgoing as Lin Zhifei. When he saw Shu Tinglan, he just smiled.

"Come stay at my place, I've got a room ready for you."

"No, I booked a hotel. Work might be pretty busy, and it's not convenient to stay at home. Please tell my uncle and aunt hello for me."

Cheng Chen knew her temper, and he didn't insist. He walked her all the way to the hotel.

"How many days will you be staying this time"

It's hard to say, it will take at least a week, depending on the project progress. It involves employee stock ownership issues, which are quite complicated.

"Are you working on projects for Zhuoyuan Technology Has Zhuo YUAN been taking care of you If he dares to be harsh with you, tell me, and I'll have Lu Kuo teach him a lesson."

Shū Tīnglán smiled.

"He is Zhuoyuan Tech's big boss, the client dad. He wouldn't care about such specific matters." Shu Tinglan thought of Zhu Yu'an as a person who always distinguished between public and private affairs. Even if she asked him for help, he wouldn't pay attention.

"That's right. I heard from Lu Kuo that you've contacted Zhuo Yu an a few times after the last get-together."

"Did he tell Lu Kuo" Shu Tinglan was puzzled. She thought Zhuo Yu'an should not want people to know about their relationship, especially acquaintances.

"I guess so. Lu Kuo said he's cold on the outside but warm on the inside, not as indifferent as he seems. Like I told you before, in Senzhou, you need to leverage your connections to get resources for yourself. This society is very realistic; with connections and resources, people will be more willing to use you."

Cheng Chen and Lin Zhifei are completely different in style. Every time they meet, he earnestly advises her to pursue a career.

Upon hearing her words, Shu Tinglan couldn't help but sneer at himself.

"It's very realistic, so we need to be evenly matched. Otherwise, why would Zhu Yu'an help me What's in it for him"

During this time together, Shu Tinglan had already recognized a fact: Zhu Yunan was the most realistic person of all and would never give her special treatment at work because of their bedfellow relationship.

And she was unwilling to go to him for resources, otherwise, what would be the difference between her and a prostitute That's what her mother meant by being self-destructive. So she absolutely would not sell her body for resources.

"You, sometimes you think too much. The adult world isn't black and white. It's more about shades of gray."

"There's nothing wrong with being sober."

As they talked, they arrived at the hotel where they were staying. After a simple meal, Cheng Chen was called away by a client, and Shu Tinglan began to prepare for the Shengp Rui factory.

The factory is located in the suburbs. Before coming here, she had already researched the relevant information. The land ownership issue was not complicated and there were clear property materials, only needing to be confirmed with the relevant government departments. However, the employee shareholding issue would be more complex. Would the employees be willing to transfer their shares If so, at what price The risks behind these issues required her to provide legal opinions, which was also the purpose of her trip.

She arranged a detailed discussion with the factory's top manager. When they met, the manager was cold and uncooperative.

"Is the headquarters going to sell whenever they want Do they think we're pushovers"

"The factory has been sold, so we employees are left with nothing."

In Qining, it's not their turn to give orders.

The person in charge probably looked at Shu Tinglan, a young girl, and didn't take her seriously at all.

Shu Tinglan just listened quietly. As a lawyer, she knew it wasn't appropriate to make any statements in this situation. Besides, in her opinion, the person in charge was just venting their frustration, after all, this was a decision made by Shengpu's headquarters and the factory could only obey.

However, this was her first time dealing with a factory like this, and she underestimated the ruthlessness of the workers. Unlike the previous food project, this factory was merely a processing plant for Shengpulai in Qining. It had been set up in Qining because land and labor were cheap. Far from the Shengpulai headquarters, it had long since broken free from its control, taking on private orders from many other companies. If the factory were also acquired by Zhuoyuan Technology along with the Shengpulai headquarters, it would mean a cut-off of their income.

Shū Tínglān learned about this fact after five days of contact with the factory. She gleaned it indirectly from conversations with some workers, which was beyond her expectations. She initially thought it was just a simple due diligence investigation of the factory, and at most, the employee shareholding structure was more complicated. However, she never expected there to be such an intricate web of interests behind it.

She communicated with the workers in Qīníng dialect, and they were unaware of her true identity. They only advised her...

"The water here is too deep, miss. Don't meddle in this. Actually, Sheng Pru headquarters has been turning a blind eye for the past couple of years. These people are no different from local snakes; you can't afford to offend them."

Thank you.

Shu Tinglan remembered when she was a child living in Qining, she thought it was the most livable city in the world. The environment was good, the scenery was beautiful, the people were honest, and the city had depth. But after her father's sudden death and her mother's misfortunes, she realized that beneath all the peaceful appearances, there were turbulent undercurrents. This city had long been rotten from within.

She reported the factory's situation to Director Xiao, originally thinking that Director Xiao would be as anxious as her. But after all, he was a man of rich experience. After listening, Director Xiao remained calm and said

"Well then, come back soon."

"That factory over there..." Shu Tinglan couldn't let it go. Leaving without resolving the matter didn't align with her way of doing things.

"It's not that I want you to ignore it, but after investigation, we have factual basis for everything, which is all and thoroughly written in your report. We've also drafted a legal opinion on this, understand"

Xio's words gave Shu Tinglan a sudden realization. Yes, their M&A lawyers weren't there to solve problems, but to discover them and truthfully write them into the report. How to solve them was up to ShengpRui or Zhuoyuan Technology.

"OK, thanks, Director Xiao. I have a meeting with the factory union chairman today. I'll go back after the meeting."

"Okay, be careful in Qining."

On Friday afternoon, Shu Tinglan met with the labor union representative, originally thinking it was at the factory headquarters, but the representative called her separately.

Some things are inconvenient to discuss at the factory. Lawyer Shu came to Qinyun Tea House to talk in detail.

Shutinglan, with a sense of responsibility, agreed to the meeting in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the factory's current situation. Although she felt some unease, she reasoned that in broad daylight at a teahouse, what could possibly go wrong and accepted his apology. So if he continued to dwell in these emotions, there was nothing she could do but let him work through it himself.That night, she changed into her workout clothes and went d...