Cassandra wondered, 'Did I hear that right? Is someone really planning to make an investment in the
Qin Group?'
"Excuse me, which investment company are you calling from?" she asked carefully and seemingly
intrigued.
She remembered that the last time she took a taxi, the driver unexpectedly drove her to a hotel under
the pretense that someone wanted to have a word with her. When she discovered that the person who
met her at the hotel was looking to invest in the Qin Group, she walked out of there without a word. In
her arrogance, she let her pride dictate her decisions and refused to accept investments from anyone
at that time. However, circumstances had changed drastically for the Qin Group since then. Now the
sudden emergence of this potential investor was starting to feel like a blessing.
"Hello, Miss?Qin, we have met each other before."
The man on the other end of the phone had a confident tone to his voice. The moment he said that,
she knew exactly who she was speaking to.
"Well then, let's meet and discuss everything in detail,"
she diligently asked to make an appointment to elaborately assess the investment.
After hanging up the phone, Cassandra took a careful look at the printed e-mail in her hand, ready to
conduct a detailed research into the e-mail sender's information over the Internet.
Just as she clicked the browser open, the latest news popped up on her news feed.
The news article had a picture of Rufus holding Amanda's hand as they strolled around the streets of
Paris. Glancing at the picture left her insides contracting with a shocking coldness.
'Oh no! This can only mean that Lionel wasn't lying to me at all. He was actually speaking the truth
when he said that Rufus and Amanda had gone to Paris together. This picture of them in public is
enough to prove the intimacy of their relationship.' Cassandra shuddered at the thought.
Like a child immersed in a fairytale, she looked at the pictures and concluded that the two were
undoubtedly in love with each other. The more she saw, the sadder she felt. So her hands began to
shake involuntarily.
Finding it hard to have the courage to carry on with the visual torture, Cassandra quickly turned off the
computer to allow herself a few moments of peace. Soon after, she turned away from the computer
screen, sat there motionlessly, and consumed in her own thoughts.
'I know that I was the one who broke up with you. Rufus, have you really moved on with your life? Did I
push you into Amanda's side? It's over, isn't it?'
Tucked away in a crescent-shaped cove with miniature villas spread out at the side, it was the biggest
hotel in G City, where a man in his fifties was sitting right across Cassandra.
With an unmistakable tall figure, the man was a lovely union of grace and majesty.
The name of the man was Charlie Ke.
"Miss?Qin, as far as I know, the Qin Group is being pressured by the bank to repay the loan. But I don't
think that you have enough money to repay the loan, do you?"
Charlie had no problem in candidly pointing out the most urgent problem currently underlying the Qin
Group.
Taking a deep breath and steadying herself, Cassandra paused to collect her thoughts so that she
could come up with a tactful response to counter the middle-aged man with eagle-like sharp eyes.
"Yes, you are correct. If I want to repay the loan now, I will have to sell the workplace in which the Qin
Group is currently operating and all the office equipments I had purchased before. However, if I want to
keep my father's wish of developing the Qin Group for a long time, I cannot do that."
With a measure of maturity beyond her years, Cassandra donned a bitter smile on her sad face as she
spoke to Charlie.
"Since you've agreed to come and talk with me today, would it be safe to presume that you are ready to
accept our investment proposal?"
Raising his lips, Charlie looked at her with confidence, as if he was fairly certain of his ability to
persuade her.
"I can consider accepting this investment from you, but I'm curious about how you wish to cooperate
with us."
Although she still had the exuberance of youth, Cassandra wasn't born yesterday. She wasn't gullible
enough to believe that this man would willingly take the risk to invest in a small company like the Qin
Group with no strings attached, especially now that they were financially in a precarious position.
'What does this man really want from the Qin Group?' she wondered.
"You are clearly aware of what the financial state the Qin Group is in right now. Earlier on, when the Qin
Group was developing rapidly, I wanted to invest in your company, but you turned me down. However,
even though the Qin Group is facing imminent closure, I am still willing to invest in your company as a
display of my sincerity. I hope this help to erase any kind of suspicions you may have had in the past.
Okay?"
What a sharp-witted fellow this Charlie was! His astute mind had a flair of extracting what Cassandra
was thinking. With his silver tongue, he deliberately fashioned his words to gain her trust so she
wouldn't second-guess his real intentions.
"May I ask you one question, Mr. Ke? Now that the Qin Group is struggling financially to make ends
meet, aren't you afraid of incurring a loss once you invest on us?"
Cassandra sat there, carefully observing the man's reactions, but she still couldn't see through his
underlying motives.
"Ha! If the Qin Group's business were prospering financially and it had many talents operating in its
office, you would still refuse my proposal if I wanted to invest in your company. As for the rationale
behind my investment, it is essential for investors to pay more attention towards long-term interests
rather than the immediate interests."
Raising the corner of his mouth again, he gave her a faint smile. In this way, he managed to appear a
bit milder compared to the intimidating look he had before.
"I appreciate your honesty, Mr. Ke. I am happy to know that you attach such great importance to the
Qin Group. The fact that you wish to stand by the company during these trying times is evidence of
your eagerness and unwavering trust in it."
After carefully considering what he had said and finding sincerity in his words, Cassandra gradually put
the doubts and suspicions in her mind to rest.
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