The next morning, Zhao Chen's black Bentley car stopped fifty meters outside the Detention Center gate and turned off the engine.
Zhao Chen was sitting in the back seat, with the window rolled down a thin slit.
The morning breeze in June came in through the cracks, bringing with it the unique smell of grass in the suburbs.
He didn't get out of the car.
Liu Haitao glanced at him in the rearview mirror and said nothing.
Not far away, Fang Wentao stood at the door of Detention Center, looking down at his watch from time to time.
Ten minutes later, a silver commercial vehicle stopped on the side of the road.
Zhang Qingxue Push the door and get out of the car.
She was wearing a navy blue suit today, her hair was neatly tied up, and she was holding the briefcase that had been with her for five years.
Seeing Fang Wentao, she nodded and was about to walk to the door--
"Lawyer Zhang, wait a moment." Fang Wentao raised his hand.
Zhang Qingxue paused in his steps.
She followed Fang Wentao's gaze.
A black car parked next to the commercial vehicle, and the driver's door slowly opened.
A man in his early fifties wearing gold-rimmed glasses walked down.
Dark gray suit, black Briefcase, leather shoes making a clicking sound on the cement floor.
Zhang Qingxue See that face clearly.
Her brows raised slightly, then returned to normal.
"Li Lu." She said.
Li Weize.
She was a tutor in her first year in the industry.
Later, she left the law firm and he stayed and became a senior partner.
Now it seems that Zhao Jianguo's personal affairs have been handed over to him.
"Qingxue." Li Weize stood still in front of her and said in a calm tone, "Long time no see."
Zhang Qingxue No pleasantries.
She just turned sideways and made a "please" gesture.
The three people walked into the iron door side by side.
In the black Bentley car, Zhao Chen watched their backs disappear at the end of the porch and rolled up the window.
Detention Center Meeting Room ri.
Long table and western chairs.
One party is Zhao Jianguo and his lawyer Li Weize.
The other party is Zhang Qingxue.
Fang Wentao sits in the middle and to the side, like a human-shaped dividing line.
"Time is tight,"
Zhang Qingxue put the briefcase on the table, opened it, and took out a stack of documents, "Let's talk about business first."
She pushed the draft agreement to Zhao Jianguo.
"Core terms: Mr. Zhao Jianguo will transfer all the 170 million shares of Henglong Group he holds to the transferee designated by Mr. Zhao Chen. The transfer consideration is 100 million Hong Kong Dollar, and the transaction will be settled in cash."
She paused:
"Delivery time limit: All share transfers and consideration payments will be completed within thirty working days from the date of signing this agreement."
Zhao Jianguo did not read the agreement.
He stared at Zhang Qingxue.
"Thirty working days." He said, "Isn't it too long?"
"Normal process." Zhang Qingxue's tone did not fluctuate.
"The transfer of the share agreement requires Stock Exchange approval, and Whitewash Waiver requires Shareholders' Meeting voting. After these two procedures, thirty working days are already a conservative estimate."
Li Weize opened the agreement and quickly browsed a few pages.
"Who bears the risk of approval?" he asked.
"Both parties share the responsibility." Zhang Qingxue said,
"If the delivery fails due to regulatory reasons, the agreement will be automatically terminated and the consideration paid will be fully refunded."
Li Weize nodded and did not ask any further questions.
Zhao Jianguo still hasn't read the agreement.
He looked at Zhang Qingxue as if waiting for the other boot to drop.
Zhang Qingxue didn't keep him waiting too long.
"There's one more thing," she said,
"Mr. Zhao Jianguo currently has 10 million unpledged new shares of Henglong.
These shares need to be used as performance guarantees and pledged to a third party designated by Mr. Zhao Chen."
She paused:
"After all the shares are delivered and the consideration of 100 million is paid in full, these shares will be released and included in the total transfer consideration."
Zhao Jianguo's brows furrowed.
"This is extra." He said, "It's not written in the agreement."
"It's written now." Zhang Qingxue pushed the supplementary clause in front of him.
Zhao Jianguo did not answer.
He looked at Li Weize.
Li Weize pushed up his glasses and did not express his position immediately.
"Lawyer Zhang," he said,
"I understand the performance guarantee, but the size of 10 million shares... isn't it a bit heavy?"
"Heavy?" Zhang Qingxue looked at him,
"Li Lu, the market value of these shares is 60 million Hong Kong Dollar.
The consideration to be paid by Mr. Zhao Chen is a guarantee of RMB 160 million. Is this leverage ratio high for a transaction of RMB 100 million?"
Li Weize said nothing.
"Moreover," Zhang Qingxue paused,
"Mr. Zhao Jianguo's Pledged Shares will be liquidated on Monday. Without this transaction, these new shares will be smashed into powder by the liquidation process within three days.
60 million becomes 6 million, or even less."
She looked at Li Weize:
"Now someone is willing to use the actual value of 60 million as a guarantee to leverage a 100 million transaction. This account is not difficult to calculate."
Li Weize was silent for a few seconds.
"From a legal perspective," he said, "Performance bonds are a common arrangement."
He turned to Zhao Jianguo:
"Chairman Zhao, this clause... is not excessive."
Zhao Jianguo looked at him.
There was disappointment in his eyes, but also some kind of acceptance that "it's true".
He pushed the agreement back.
"I don't agree," he said.
Zhang Qingxue did not answer.
The agreement lay in the center of the table, like a boundary river that no one could cross.
"Then it's okay not to sign the agreement." Zhang Qingxue said.
Her voice was calm, as if she was describing the weather.
She began to pack the papers on the table.
Fang Wentao Lean forward.
"Lawyer Zhang," he softened his tone,
"We are all here, there is no need to block the entire transaction just because of a guarantee."