Chapter 465 - Family is Very Important

Chapter 465: Chapter 474: Family is Very ImportantChu Xiaoyao spoke decisively, "I’ve already made up my mind. I’m young and still need to go to college. I have no intention of managing my dad’s company. If you force me to take over, every time I see these things, I’ll be reminded of my dad and feel upset. So I’m definitely going to sell the company. If Uncle and Grand-Uncle have no plans, I’ll sell it to someone else."

"Xiaoyao, how can you say that? Your dad worked hard for half his life to build the company to its current size. If you sell it, he wouldn’t be happy even in the afterlife. Have you thought about how much you want for it?"

Chu Xiaoyao only knew about the company’s fixed assets and working capital, but she didn’t know its real value. Moreover, she had discussed it with Li Yifei beforehand, and now she said, "Uncle, Grand-Uncle, we are family. You decide the price."

Chu Xiaoyao’s Grand-Uncle was very familiar with the company and immediately said, "Xiaoyao, if that’s the case, I’d like to take over. After all, I’ve been working in this company all this time and know the situation well. There won’t be much problem continuing to run it."

Chu Xiaoyao’s Uncle, Chu Wenqiang, quickly became anxious, "You can’t say that, Grand-Uncle. Just because you’ve always been in this company doesn’t mean I’d be any less capable. I also want to buy the company."

"But can you afford it?" Chu Xiaoyao’s Grand-Uncle, Wang Junyou, lit a cigarette and asked with a smiling face.

"Of course, I can."

"Then how much are you willing to pay?"

"Why should I tell you? How much are you willing to pay?"

They argued after just a few words, neither willing to reveal their bottom line for fear that the other would get the upper hand.

Chu Xiaoyao immediately grew impatient and called out, "Stop arguing. Just tell me, do you want to buy it or not?"

Seeing that Xiaoyao was getting impatient, both men promptly stopped. Chu Xiaoyao’s Grand-Uncle said, "Xiaoyao, this is no small matter. I need to think it over carefully. Besides, this is not a small amount of money. Even if I decide to buy it, gathering the funds will take time."

At this point, Chu Xiaoyao’s Uncle also said, "Yes, Xiaoyao, this is the business that your dad, my own brother, worked hard for most of his life. How could I let it fall into someone else’s hands? I, of course, also want to buy it, but this matter is really big, I need to go home and discuss it with your Aunt."

Chu Xiaoyao stood up and said, "Fine, then you discuss it and let me know." Then she left the company with Li Yifei.

Just as the three of them got home, Chu Xiaoyao’s phone rang. It was her Grand-Uncle Wang Junyou who wanted to come over to see her.

Li Yifei didn’t want others to visit his home again, so he suggested to Chu Xiaoyao to meet somewhere else, and Chu Xiaoyao agreed.

In a teahouse, after meeting everyone, including Chu Xiaoyao’s Grand-Uncle Wang Junyou and his wife Liu Ying, Grand-Uncle poured out his affection for the family and expressed concern for Chu Xiaoyao before getting to the main point, "Xiaoyao, your Aunt and I have considered it and really want to take over the company. You decide how much to charge your Grand-Uncle. You know I don’t have much money. If you ask for too much, I won’t be able to afford it."

Chu Xiaoyao said directly, "Grand-Uncle, if you really want it, then two million."

"Two million, Xiaoyao, that’s really too much. You probably don’t understand the company very well. The fixed assets in the company are worth about a million, but many of these things are old. If we sell them off after depreciation, they’re not even worth half a million. There’s also a bit over two hundred thousand in liquid assets and about a million in debts. Though it seems like a lot, I’ve been with the company long enough to know that much of it can’t be collected. We’d be lucky to get half a million in hand. So altogether, the company is worth about a million. Asking for two million from your Grand-Uncle is really a bit much."

Normally, the figures mentioned by Chu Xiaoyao’s Grand-Uncle Wang Junyou had no problems and seemed reasonable and justified, leaving Chu Xiaoyao somewhat at a loss for words.

However, Li Yifei frowned and said, "That’s not the right way to put it. The value of a company is not just its tangible assets. There are also many intangible assets. Besides what you’ve mentioned, Xiaoyao’s father’s company also has its reputation, clientele, and future prospects, among other things. The company’s current profits are also about half a million a year. All these are valuable, and we can’t estimate its value the same as we would for a bankrupt company."

Chu Xiaoyao’s Grand-Uncle Wang Junyou’s heart skipped a beat. Li Yifei’s words were very clear to him. If we were to really discuss value, the company, even if it sold for three million, would attract many buyers. He thought that Chu Xiaoyao, being young and inexperienced, wouldn’t understand these things, but he didn’t expect Li Yifei to be so knowledgeable.

She glanced sideways at Li Yifei, and Chu Xiaoyao’s eldest maternal uncle said sardonically, "This is a family matter between Xiaoyao and me, it’s not convenient for an outsider like you to say too much, right?"

Chu Xiaoyao immediately said, "What my uncle says represents my own thoughts. His word is final." Indeed, as extroverted as girls come, Chu Xiaoyao’s heart truly had room for only Li Yifei now.

Chu Xiaoyao’s aunt quickly added, "Xiaoyao, no matter what, your great uncle is still your mother’s own brother. Do you really think he’d deceive you?"

Li Yifei saw that Chu Xiaoyao was in a difficult position and then, with a smile, said, "Xiaoyao isn’t saying she doesn’t trust her great uncle. She wants to sell the company to relatives precisely because she doesn’t want others to take advantage of it. It’s normal for you to gain some advantage, but the price of two million is indeed not high. Even if you take over and sell it immediately, you’d stand to make a hefty profit. I believe the great uncle is well aware of the company and understands these things. "

"This..." Li Yifei’s words couldn’t have been clearer. This is to let you take advantage, thought Chu Xiaoyao’s eldest maternal uncle. Even if he was ungrateful, he could hear it all too well, but still hesitated, saying, "Xiaoyao, but I really can’t come up with two million."

Li Yifei gave a slight smile and said, "If you can’t come up with it, you could look for partners. Actually, what Xiaoyao means is that she wants you and her eldest paternal uncle to take over together. She could have sold the company directly and divided some money among you, which would have been simpler. But she has offered you a way to make money. It’s better to teach someone to fish than to just give them a fish. I think you would probably prefer to run the company, right?"

Chu Xiaoyao also nodded repeatedly, feeling that Li Yifei spoke very well, and said, "Great uncle, think about it, would you prefer that I just sell the company and give you some money, or would you prefer to run the company and earn more?"

Chu Xiaoyao’s eldest maternal uncle was genuinely moved and quickly nodded, saying, "That’s a good idea. If both parties can raise some money, we can come up with the two million, but it will be tough, and the future working capital would also be a problem. Besides, I don’t know whether your eldest paternal uncle would agree."

As they were talking, Chu Xiaoyao’s eldest paternal uncle called, also wanting to speak with Chu Xiaoyao alone. She simply invited him over. Although Chu Xiaoyao’s eldest paternal uncle felt somewhat uneasy seeing Wang Junyou there, his interest was piqued when he heard the plan from Chu Xiaoyao. After all, his family couldn’t come up with two million on their own, not even if they pooled all the siblings’ money together. But the two major Chu and Wang families could certainly raise the total amount.

"Let’s do this, then. One and a half million. I’m only keeping half of the company’s funds, and the rest is for you. Great uncle, eldest uncle, this should settle it, right?"

Chu Xiaoyao’s last offer left her eldest paternal uncle, Chu Wenqiang, and eldest maternal uncle, Wang Junyou, with nothing to say. Such a generous offer, were they not clear on it? They happily accepted the proposal.

"Great uncle, eldest uncle, it truly breaks my heart that my parents ended up this way. Without them, I know that your two families have grown apart, but I’m still here. I’m the child of both families. I still hope that you, great uncle and eldest uncle, can be like before, good relatives who don’t let a little money cause conflicts."

Chu Xiaoyao’s words once again stunned Chu Wenqiang and Wang Junyou. Looking at Xiaoyao, they both felt somewhat ashamed, then glanced at each other and said in unison to Xiaoyao, "Don’t worry, we will always be your family."

"Also, great uncle, eldest uncle, I know you’ve been worried about me being with Yifei and concerned that Yifei might cheat me out of my money. But rest assured, Yifei has a lot of money, much more than me. He really doesn’t care about my money. I’m very happy with him, so you don’t have to worry."

After parting with her great uncle, Chu Xiaoyao felt relieved of a burden. Although her parents’ inheritance was left to her, she still cared about familial affection and distributed the wealth in such a way. Although this went against her mother’s wishes, she hoped her mother wouldn’t blame her, and perhaps her father would be happier about it from the other side.

Li Yifei quite agreed with Chu Xiaoyao’s decision. While money was important, family was equally so. He didn’t want Xiaoyao to fall out with these relatives over money; without her parents, these relatives were even more important to Chu Xiaoyao.

Some people don’t value kinship, but Li Yifei did, as he lacked it and yearned for familial care or the chance to help a relative. But since his parents had no siblings and his grandparents had passed away early, even if he wished to seek out a relative, he wouldn’t know where to start.

Back home, Little Yue pulled Chu Xiaoyao into the bedroom and whispered, "Xiaoyao, you’re really generous."

Chu Xiaoyao, lying on the bed, said, "My parents are gone, but they are still my family. It’s nice to give them something. Besides, Yifei isn’t short on cash, so I really don’t have to worry about running out of money."

"Yifei has money? If he’s rich, why does he live in such a small house?" Little Yue curled her lip, clearly not believing what Chu Xiaoyao said.

Chu Xiaoyao pursed her lips and said, "What do you know? The smaller the house, the cozier it is. Do you think having a huge house is a good thing? When one person sleeps in one room and you talk in another, the other can’t hear a thing. What’s the point?"

Little Yue paused then said, "That does seem true."

"Besides, Yifei is not the kind of person to show off. Unlike those rich ones who flaunt it as soon as they get a little money, with fancy cars and mansions, wearing big gold chains around their necks as if afraid others won’t realize how wealthy they are. I despise such people the most. A person should be like Yifei, who doesn’t flaunt their wealth no matter how rich; that’s a man of real substance and depth."