The next day at S3 Company.
After recovering from his last attack, Xiaosi thought that it would be a good chance to go back to office. Though Caihong was still against it, he felt that because of his condition, S3 Company had been without a CEO for far too long now.
Initially, he felt a little new to the work because of his memory loss. He had no recollection that he founded this company. But the subconscious part of his brain quickly allowed him to understand the working and his responsibilities. Very soon, he already felt as if he had been doing this work for years.
His capable assistant methodically explained everything that had happened in his absence.
"Sir, these are the files that require your signature."
"Alright. I will read through them. Give me the latest status update of all the projects S3 is handling now."
"...Yes, Sir."
Xiaosi furrowed his brows, noticing a slight hesitation in his assistant's voice. "Is there any problem?"
He was a little worried if he should tell him about a certain proposal. As a CEO, he should know everything. But on the other hand, there were personal ramifications.
"Sir. A few days ago, we got a proposal from Lei Exports. It's a medium scale business that manages exports in clothing and beauty products. Their President, Lei Shing, has sent a proposal. They wish that S3 offers them excellent security services for their business."
"I see. What is the problem?"
"Um that...Lei Shing is the son of Lei Biya."
"Lei Biya?" He blinked his eyes.
"...You have forgotten about her, but she is the same woman you met in the shopping complex that day. Your mother."
He froze. He slowly kept the file on his desk and paused. "I see...But wait. At that time, there was her daughter with her, right?"
"Yes. She is Lei Shu, her younger daughter. Lei Shing is her elder son. The siblings are from her husband, Lei Wuzhou."
Xiaosi pursed his lips. It was a tricky situation now. After how Lei Biya burst in fury last time, if Xiaosi decided to accept Lei Shing's proposal, wouldn't she think that he is plotting something against her?
She was already mad about how he met Lei Shu once abroad, misunderstanding that he was trying to sow discord.
His assistant sighed. "Sir, do you think that it's wise to do this? I know in business, we should keep personal matters aside, but…"
Xiaosi slowly nodded. "You are right. I feel bad for Lei Shing fro rejecting his proposal and I cannot exactly give him the real reason," he faintly smiled, "But I don't want to trouble her. It's for the best that nothing from her past interferes in her life now."
"I am sorry, Sir…"
"Why are you sorry?" He chuckled. "It's not your fault. Don't be so bummed out."
"Thank you, Sir. Lei Shing had requested a meeting with you…"
"Accept it. I will handle it."
"Yes, Sir."
An hour later, Lei Shing promptly entered his office. He was just above average height, but had a calm and polite smile on his lips.
Xiaosi felt a little nervous for no reason.
Or maybe there was.
No matter what the situation was, Lei Shing was still his half-brother. His sibling. Even if he couldn't confess, he was family.
Lei Shing extended his hand and smiled. "Mr. Zhu. I am Lei Shing. Thank you so much for giving me your time."
Xiaosi faintly smiled. "No problem. Please sit."
He could see that Lei Shing was a little anxious himself. "To be honest, I really didn't think that you would accept this meeting. After all, Lei Exports is not a huge conglomerate that you would be usually dealing with until now."
"The company size doesn't matter to me. The people leading the company matters. I checked and your company is working quite well. Though because of the recent market recession, the exports have slowed down."
"It's indeed as you said."
Xiaosi nodded. He felt a little uneasy. "My assistant told me about your proposal."
He straightened up.
"Actually... I am really sorry but I cannot accept this proposal."
Lei Shing was quiet for a moment. He had somehow expected this outcome.
"If you are unsatisfied about the money, we can change it to suit you. We will pay for your services as per your quotation."
He shook his head. "It's really not about the price."
"Then what is it? I assure you that I will clarify all your concerns. I apologize if it seems that I am pestering you. But we need the best security services. I know Lei Exports is going through a little downhill phase because of the recession. But we will do everything we can to meet your expectations."
"You are quite honest," he smiled. "People don't usually like to admit that they are in loss."
He scratched his chin. "I prefer talking straightforwardly rather than trying to hide things."
"And I prefer working with people like you," he hesitated. "But we really cannot work together. Though I can definitely recommend other companies who can offer you the best services you need."
Lei Shing smiled. "But they cannot match S3, right? That's why you are at the top. My father also doesn't believe in compromises."
Xiaosi pursed his lips.
There was no reason to reject it. His company was good and with just a few minutes of talking to him, he already got a good impression of Lei Shing too. He was honest, sincere and straightforward.
Lei Shing anxiously said, "Mr. Zhu, please. We are desperate. To be honest, we had a break-in in one of our warehouses."
Xiaosi was taken aback.
"The warehouse was put on fire and we incurred heavy losses. Everything was burned. Our exports were delayed and hence, we suffered a huge setback especially in this time of recession. We are suspicious that it is a rival company but it seems like they were well prepared and they disarmed our security easily. We broke the contract with that security firm and now if we don't get the best of the best services, we fear that our enemy will completely destroy us. If they could attack one warehouse so easily, others would be a piece of cake for them too. That's why, Mr. Zhu, please don't reject us."
Xiaosi stiffened and felt at a crossroads.
What should I do now?