Chapter 194

Chapter 194 - A Good News!

Lee Donghua's proactive loan offer, combined with the assets from Distant Vast Company and Zhang Xiaolong's personal wealth, brought the total to 1.5 billion. This sum was nearing the valuation of Strong Dragon Group.

The fifty million mentioned by Yang Jingjing wasn't even factored into Zhang Xiaolong's calculations, as he had no intention of using that money.

On the day before the auction, a man and a woman unexpectedly arrived at Soaring Dragon Company, asking to meet with Zhang Xiaolong and Chen Yaru.

As it happened, neither of them was at the company, and it was unclear whether they were busy working on something for Xiaolong.

Luckily, within minutes, both arrived at the office. Zhang Xiaolong immediately recognized the visitors.

“Mr. Wang, congratulations! You've weathered the storm, and now only good fortune lies ahead. You must be here to share some good news with me today, right?” Zhang Xiaolong said, welcoming them with a smile.

The visitors were Wang Zongming and his wife, Liu Juan. Zhang Xiaolong noticed something different right away—Liu Juan was pregnant.

“Oh? You knew I had good news for you?” Wang Zongming was surprised. He hadn't even spoken yet, and Zhang Xiaolong had already guessed it. It was quite astonishing.

“I took a guess, but I'm sure I'm not mistaken,” Zhang Xiaolong chuckled. “Sister-in-law, you need to take extra care of yourself now. Your health suffered a bit while Mr. Wang was in the detention center, and we wouldn't want the baby to be affected.”

“What? A baby?” Wang Zongming was shocked, quickly glancing at Liu Juan's belly, though he couldn't tell anything. “Juan, are you... pregnant?”

Liu Juan, blushing and puzzled, shook her head. “I... I'm not sure. It seems... my period hasn't come...”

She hesitated, her cheeks reddening. By her cycle's schedule, she was due for her period, but there had been no sign of it. She had thought it was just a few days late, but now she wondered if it could really mean...

“Haha... So, I'm going to be a dad, hahaha...” Wang Zongming laughed with childlike joy.

They had always wanted a child, but for some reason, Liu Juan had not been able to conceive. They had been to the hospital for checks, and everything seemed fine. It seemed they could only fault fate for not granting them a child until now.

To their surprise, they were expecting a child after such a long stint in the metaphorical cage!

Wang Zongming was aware that it wasn't appropriate to ask too many questions in front of a lady, so he eagerly pulled Zhang Xiaolong aside. “Bro, how did you find out?”

Zhang Xiaolong then realized that the good news Mr. Wang had mentioned earlier wasn't about the baby.

“Is there more good news?” Chen Yaru leaned in, curious.

“Are you planning to bid on the Strong Dragon Group, right?” Wang Zongming coughed and continued, “My sister-in-law and I had been meaning to visit sooner, but we were held up by... ahem, some pressing issues. So we decided to come today, and it's not too late, after all.”

“Do you mean...” Zhang Xiaolong began, sensing the implication.

“I can't offer much help, just two hundred million,” Wang Zongming said, holding up two fingers. “I hope it will be of some assistance to you.”

Zhang Xiaolong and Chen Yaru exchanged glances, feeling as though they had just won the lottery.

“Is that not sufficient?” Wang Zongming asked, noticing their silence and mistaking it for concern over a funding gap. He frowned and added, “That might be problematic. This is the most I can manage at the moment...”

“No, no, no,” Zhang Xiaolong quickly clarified, “Mr. Wang, this isn't just a small favor; it's a tremendous help. Rest assured, I'll return the money at the earliest opportunity!”

For Distant Vast, two hundred million was a significant sum, and for Wang Zongming, who had not yet fully taken the reins of the Wang family, it was an extraordinary gesture of support.

If Zhang Xiaolong couldn't appreciate such sincerity, it would be sheer ingratitude.

“I'm glad to be of help. I understand that Strong Dragon is a major player, and two hundred million might be ample for other companies, but it's only a fraction of what's needed to bid on Strong Dragon. However, a fraction is still a fraction, and if it can be of use, it's still a boost. With your luck and resourcefulness, Xiaolong, I'm sure you can secure the additional funds needed to win the bid,” Wang Zongming offered his blessings warmly.

“Then I'll take that as a good omen. I'm hoping for the same outcome,” Zhang Xiaolong said with a smile.

With the previously confirmed funds added, he now had a total of one billion and fifty million yuan at his disposal, slightly exceeding Yaru's budget of one billion. This gave him considerable peace of mind.

“As far as I know, there aren't any dominant companies showing interest in acquiring Strong Dragon Group. If we don't face any formidable competitors, Xiaolong, you might just snag a great deal!” Wang Zongming chuckled.

“The Strong Dragon brand has significantly declined in value. Truth be told, we have no interest in the brand itself. However, we're left with no choice since the real estate and the brand are being auctioned together. We'll have to take a loss. But if there's no competition, at least our loss will be minimized,” Chen Yaru said with a sense of resignation.

“Haha, it seems Yaru isn't too thrilled about it!”

Everyone shared a laugh.