Chapter 101 Are You Really Indifferent?
Henry waved his hand with a casual flair, his eyes twinkling with a fake sense of generosity. Anyone who knew him could see right through the act.
He had started his career at twenty, slaughtering pigs and running a pig farm.As his farm grew, he jumped into real estate.
He clawed his way into the Seattle real estate market.
He was nothing like the kind and gentle guy he pretended to be.
He had ruined countless business partners.
Henry was a greedy businessman who devoured everything in his path.
Take today's marriage alliance, for example.
He didn't just want Alice to marry his son to improve the family genes; he also planned to slowly take over the Mitchellng family's Oceanic Trade Ventures.
It didn't matter if Oceanic Trade Ventures wasn't making money now. With his investment, it could survive until the market bounced back. Then he'd secretly buy up shares and kick Donna out of the company.
This way, he could satisfy his son's obsession with Alice and complete Hank Corporation's takeover of Oceanic Trade Ventures.
It was a win-win move.
Donna knew this could spell trouble, but he had no other choice.
When you were at the end of your rope, you picked the lesser evil.
At least by agreeing to the Hank family's terms now, he could save Oceanic Trade Ventures. At worst, he could leave some assets for his son John.
"Mr. Hank, I've drafted the equity transfer contract. Please take a look!" Donna put down his briefcase and pulled out a stack of documents.
A member of Hank Corporation's legal team grabbed the documents and started examining them.
After a few minutes, a young guy with glasses said respectfully, "Mr. Mitchellng, there's no issue with this equity transfer contract. The assets and liabilities of Oceanic Trade Ventures are clear, but we need to add an additional clause."
"The additional clause is that twenty percent of the Mitchellng family's Oceanic Trade Ventures' equity will belong to Hank Corporation. Hank Corporation will pay $1.5 million in liquid funds upfront. But in the hidden clauses, if the Mitchellng family doesn't fulfill the agreement on time, Hank Corporation won't pay the remaining $13 million, and the twenty percent equity of Oceanic Trade Ventures will belong to Hank Corporation," the lawyer said seriously.
"What are the hidden clauses?" Donna asked.
Simply put, Alice had to marry Orlando within a month, get pregnant within a year, and not divorce within three years. If the Mitchellng family couldn't fulfill the terms after signing the agreement, it would mean Hank Corporation spent $1.5 million to buy twenty percent of Oceanic Trade Ventures' shares!
At its peak, Oceanic Trade Ventures was worth over a billion dollars. Even though the market was down now, it still had significant value. Spending $1.5 million to buy twenty percent of the shares was practically robbery!
The key was to convince Alice. Only then could they get the funds.
Donna was utterly desperate, but he had no choice. He either had to go bankrupt and lose everything or take a gamble. With the Hank family's investment, he believed he could turn things around in two years.
Maybe even make Oceanic Trade Ventures bigger than before.
As for Alice...
Orlando wasn't a bad choice. He came from a wealthy and powerful family and liked Alice a lot. She wouldn't suffer if she married him.
'Though he isn't exactly a looker, he must have other good qualities.' Donna could only comfort himself this way.
"What hidden clauses?" Alice asked, frowning.
She walked over and grabbed the stack of documents to read. No one stopped her because she would find out sooner or later, and there was no point in hiding it now.
The equity transfer contract seemed normal at first, but when Alice saw the hidden clauses at the end, she was stunned in utter disbelief!
The hidden clauses were written in a grandiose manner. But in summary, it was just three words: "Trade the daughter!"
Alice had to agree to a series of outrageous conditions. Only then would the Hank family transfer $15 million to Oceanic Trade Ventures' account. And yet, Donna and Fiona had agreed to such an outrageous contract.
Alice turned pale and felt utterly hopeless. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
"Alice, don't be like this. I should have told you earlier, but I didn't know how to say it. I hope you can understand Donna and me. Donna has been under immense pressure lately. He's exhausted from trying to support this family. He even thought about jumping off a building. Alice, you've always been so understanding. You can understand us, right?" Fiona patted Alice's back and spoke softly.
"I don't understand, I really don't understand!" Alice cried. "If your business fails, we can start over. If you can't make money, I'll support you. I'll support this family!"
"But why didn't you ask for my opinion before making a decision for me? I'm a person, not livestock. How could you do this? Fiona, stop saying I'm understanding. I don't want to be understanding. I just want to be not an understanding girl, who can be defended by her parents when she makes mistakes!" Alice said tearfully, aching to unleash a shout.
However, her upbringing ingrained in her an aversion to such emotional outbursts. She despised this self-restraint. Throughout her life, she had suppressed her true feelings. As the elder sister, she felt obligated to set a flawless example for John. While John could err, she couldn't afford to. Being Fiona's most esteemed daughter, the epitome of what others desired, she had to uphold Fiona's esteemed reputation. There was no room for complacency. Yet, she was utterly exhausted.
Growing up, all her classmates envied her, but she envied them just as much.
"Alice, don't be like this. I know we shouldn't have kept this from you, but you have to consider the Mitchellng family. The Mitchellng family can't fall. If we go bankrupt, can you imagine the scorn from our relatives and friends? How our aunts will deride us?" Fiona urged.
"Alice, you're an adult now. It's time to shoulder the family's burdens. You can't just receive without giving back. You can't be selfish and only think about yourself. Donna has raised you for so many years. You have to give back to the family. Only you can save Oceanic Trade Ventures from bankruptcy. Are you really heartless enough to let the Mitchellng family go bankrupt and let me, Fiona, and John end up on the streets?"
"Are you really indifferent?" Donna said sternly.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
