Chapter 853
Chapter 853
After finishing his brunch, Nan Chen returned to his study and continued working.
Ning Ran, who delivered a cup of coffee to the study, overheard him speaking over the phone in frustration.
He regained his composure after tilting his head to look at Ning Ran.
“How is the company?” Ning Ran asked softly.
She instantly regretted asking because she knew Nan Chen would not have thrown a fit had the problem been resolved. Can't believe I asked a pointless question.
“It's fine. Still manageable,” Nan Chen replied calmly. Property © NôvelDrama.Org.
As he spoke, he took a sip of coffee and knitted his brows slightly. It was probably because the beverage was too hot.
“Oh, okay. I guess there's nothing much I can help with. I hope you can resolve it quickly,” Ning Ran uttered.
“What if I can't?” Nan Chen interjected.
Ning Ran was bewildered by his response. To her, there was nothing Nan Chen could not do.
“I mean, what if I can't resolve the problem and get kicked out of Nanshi Corporation?” Nan Chen repeated slowly.
“How is that even possible? It's impossible.” Ning Ran shook her head. “There's nothing you can't do.”
“Last night, the stock price of Nanshi Corporation's overseas listed company fell by ten percent, and the parent company lost billions overnight. Everyone in the corporation is anxious and believes I did an
awful job leading the company. The board members will be holding a Special Board Meeting this afternoon, and they are coming over to question me. Based on the company's policy, they can remove me if I fail to handle the situation well. They'll kick me out of the corporation once they obtain enough votes,” Nan Chen explained.
Nan Chen sounded calm the whole time. It was as if he was not under much pressure.
Contrarily, Ning Ran became anxious.
“Why did the stock price drop so much? How could the entire world believe that Nanshi Corporation had falsified their accounts based on the confession of just one person from the finance department?” Ning Ran was incredulous at the turn of events.
“Before, we were accused of short-selling, but the allegation lost its impact after an auditor released a report that cleared our name. However, now that one of our employees has come forward with what they claim is the truth, investors may start to doubt the authenticity of our financial reports. Despite our efforts to defend ourselves, people will not believe us unless the employee involved comes forward and admits the falsehoods they've spread. What a cunning move.” The creases between Nan Chen's brows deepened while he took another sip of coffee.
This seemed like a meticulously designed scheme and a tough nut to crack.
“Can we ask the person to clarify things? After all, he's on Nanshi Corporation's payroll. Why would he do such a thing?” Ning Ran asked, confused.
“Money talks. Even good guys will step over to the other side if someone tempts them with benefits and privileges. We can't contact him directly now that he's under the custody of the foreign cops. We also can't rely on our connections to contact him, as others might think we're trying to cover it up. That's how things might spiral out of control. So now, we need time to gather evidence to protect ourselves and prevent the stock price from continuing to plunge,” Nan Chen said.
Though Ning Ran was not well-versed in business, she understood what he was talking about.
“If that's the case, you can't quit now. If you do, Nanshi Corporation will only sink into a greater crisis,” Ning Ran encouraged.
Nan Chen walked over and rested his hands on Ning Ran's shoulders. “If they remove me, we'll relocate to Livingsfill and buy over Ms. Tang's guesthouse. We'll spend days fishing by the lake and enjoy our lives there. How does that sound?”
“That sounds good, but...” Ning Ran hesitated.
“You don't seem happy. Do you think Livingsfill is too remote and lacks the hustle and bustle of a big city? We can always go abroad,” Nan Chen proposed another idea.
She replied, “No, I think Livingsfill is great, but your charisma and impressive capabilities could lead you to achieve remarkable things. That's something beyond what Livingsfill can offer.”
Suddenly, Nan Chen's phone rang again. He picked up the phone and gestured to Ning Ran to brew another cup of coffee.
Meanwhile, at five in the afternoon, Ning Ran sat anxiously in the conference room of Nanshi Corporation's headquarters while watching the board of directors walk in.
Those big shots knew who Ning Ran was, but they did not quite understand why she was there.
As the highest-level internal meeting of the corporation, the board meeting was expected to be a private affair until any decisions made during the session were officially announced to the public. Seeing an outsider there raised the question of how she was granted access.
Ning Ran and Nan Chen might have a special relationship, but the directors would only regard her as an outsider.
Nan Chen could bring her to various parties, but this high-level meeting was meant for serious business discussion, not the right place for merrymaking, so they wondered why she was there.
Despite having doubts in their minds, no one spoke up. They believed Nan Chen would explain everything clearly to everyone.
Ning Ran kept her head down the whole time, attempting to avoid their stares, but there seemed to be no place for her to hide.
She wanted to hide under the conference table, but it would be embarrassing if someone caught her doing that.
When Nan Chen said he would take her to the meeting, he did not explain in detail. He only told her that it was necessary for her to be there.
Nan Chen only said that she would find out later why she needed to come and what she was there for.
Trusting Nan Chen would not bring her to the meeting to embarrass her, Ning Ran decided to follow him.
“Mr. Chen, who is this lady?” a director could not help but ask Nan Chen.
This director asked that on purpose as he knew who Ning Ran was. In other words, he was questioning her presence there. We should ask her to leave before starting the meeting, shouldn't we?
Ning Ran became more flustered. Poker Face, don't you dare make me a laughingstock in front of everyone!
“May I introduce Ms. Ning Ran, who is the appointed custodian of the major shareholders, Nan Sihan and Nan Sirui. As their legal representative, Ms. Ran will exercise their rights in the company until they
reach the age of maturity, as stipulated in the legally-binding documents that had been signed and certified by a reputable law firm and notary public,” Nan Chen said while shaking a folder in his hand.
The directors exchanged glances in confusion, unsure of how to respond.
“By the way, Nan Sihan and Nan Sirui are my daughter and son. They inherited their shares from my grandfather and have the same rights as us. Since they're still minors, Ms. Ning will act as their custodian to exercise their rights. Any questions?” Nan Chen asked again.
The directors knew nothing about this, as the company's regulation stipulated that changes in the major shareholders' equities were not subjected to the board's approval. Hence, parties involved in the changes did not need to notify the directors.
Moreover, the fact that the great-grandfather transferred his shares to his great-grandchildren was a family matter, so the board had no right to interfere.
Nonetheless, they were appalled to learn Nan Zhengde gave his shares in the company to his great- grandchildren instead of his son and grandson. They found it difficult to grasp the logic behind his choice.
“Any objections? According to the company's regulations, Ms. Ning, as the representative of the major shareholders, can attend board meetings and be appointed as a director with the consent of all board members. Now we will vote. Please raise your hand if you agree to Ms. Ning's appointment as a new director,” Nan Chen said while raising his hand.
Once again, the directors exchanged hesitant glances with one another, unsure of how to proceed.
Deep down, the directors held reservations about a young and attractive actress joining Nanshi Corporation's highest authority, the board of directors. In addition, they also believed Ning Ran was not qualified for the position.