It was peculiar for her to visit at this time; Lin Wanwan had just returned home, and she was surprisingly well-informed.
Xie Sui decided to see what she truly wanted, to play along and eliminate this hidden danger, so she wouldn't constantly hover around, causing annoyance.
Lin Guoqing agreed to her request. He and Xie Sui devised a plan and personally waited for her at the main entrance, giving her ample face.
Sheng Ruyi felt a flicker of happiness, thinking he still cared about her. However, the inherent flaws of country folk, their stinginess, had frightened him with the hundred-thousand-yuan bag.
"Young Master Lin, why trouble you to wait for me?"
"If I didn't come to pick you up, you wouldn't be able to get in. Let's go."
Not only Xie Sui's villa but the entire complex had intensified security, with layers of checks to prevent anyone from sneaking in.
Sheng Ruyi acted as if she noticed nothing, her expression calm as she underwent the inspection. Half an hour later, they arrived at Xie Sui's villa.
"Mr. Xie, congratulations on the new addition."
Xie Sui looked at her with a half-smile and asked, "How did you know it was a son? I haven't announced it to the public."
Sheng Ruyi paused for a moment, then quickly replied, "I didn't know either. It's just a general congratulation for a new baby, a form of blessing.
The elders in our family always say the babies they carry are sons, for good luck."
Xie Sui nodded. "Miss Sheng makes a good point. Wanwan and the baby are upstairs. You can go see her, but don't stay too long, as she just gave birth."
"I know, I'm just very worried about Wanwan. I wouldn't be at ease if I didn't see her."
"Thank you for your concern. Please, go ahead."
Sheng Ruyi entered the room. A faint floral scent filled the air, a pleasant contrast to the typical postpartum smell of mother and child.
Blooms adorned the windowsill, emanating the fragrance.
Lin Wanwan had just woken up and was feeding the baby. She had only been two days postpartum, yet the puffiness on her face had already vanished, and her complexion was excellent.
Clean and refreshed. Xie Sui had consulted many doctors; the old notions of scientifically observing confinement, such as not bathing or eating salty food, were all nonsense. A light diet and maintaining hygiene allowed the mother to feel comfortable and recover quickly.
Lin Wanwan looked far from greasy or dishevelled, radiating an even more comforting maternal glow.
"You're here. Come in and sit down, quietly now. This little 'Liu' can't stand any disturbance. When he cries, it's deafening. None of my other children had such tempers. He'll be difficult to manage in the future."
Even from birth, one could discern a child's personality. Little 'Wu' was very obedient, eating, sleeping, sleeping, eating, like a little pig, easy to raise.
Little 'Liu' was different; he couldn't tolerate any slight discomfort before erupting into a world-shattering cry, making one wonder what was wrong with him.
He always had to be fed first. As the saying goes, a crying baby gets milk.
Finally full and satisfied, Little 'Liu' grunted, closed his eyes, and fell asleep. Fortunately, he slept soundly; once asleep, nothing could wake him.
After feeding Little 'Wu', Lin Wanwan finally relaxed and lay down to rest. "Raising children is truly exhausting. Xie Sui and I have agreed not to have any more. It's a killer.
These two were unexpected; we didn't think we'd get pregnant.
Enough about that; you probably don't want to hear it. If the factory is too much work for you, you can have someone else take over. I'll have Xie Sui arrange it."
Upon hearing this, Sheng Ruyi immediately became anxious. "That's not true. I can handle it. I don't need anyone else.
Sister Wanwan, this is my hard work. No matter how tough it gets, I'm happy to do it, just like you are with giving birth and caring for the babies. It's tiring, but you find joy in it."
Lin Wanwan nodded in agreement. "I respect your decision. It's just that the factory's losses can't continue. If you really can't manage, don't push yourself too hard."
"I can do it, don't worry."
Lin Wanwan truly wasn't at ease. She was the one investing real money, not Sheng Ruyi.
Leaving these matters to Xie Sui, Lin Wanwan didn't say more. She sat with Sheng Ruyi, watching the children, discussing parenting tips and their hospital experiences.
Lin Wanwan spoke animatedly, filled with pride. "Even without a lead doctor, I managed to give birth. The intern was stunned, and the nurses said they'd never seen such a strong expectant mother."
"You must have had a tough time. It sounds quite frightening."
"It can't be helped. Being a woman is tough. Childbirth is a brush with death. Fortunately, I was lucky, and the children are all safe and sound.
From now on, you should name them Pingping and An'an. Don't listen to your father, calling them Little Wu and Little Liu. It's too casual, as if they aren't your own sons. Even with many children, we shouldn't show partiality."
Lin Wanwan looked at the increasingly beautiful faces of her babies; all the danger and hardship were worth it.
After chatting for a while, feeling a bit tired, Sheng Ruyi tactfully excused herself, allowing Lin Wanwan to rest.
"Sister Wanwan needs to rest. Mr. Xie, I know this might be inappropriate, but I still want to discuss the factory with you."
Sheng Ruyi displayed a bit of a businesswoman's demeanor, re-engaging with her work. Xie Sui said, "Alright. It happens that I also want to talk to you. Let's go to the study.
Guoqing, you come too. This concerns you."
Sheng Ruyi had a premonition of something bad and her resentment deepened. "You're forcing me into this."
Indeed, Xie Sui stated, "I plan to have Guoqing assist you. Later, we'll assign a professional manager and a marketing director. The factory also needs to transition."
"Transition to what? I've always focused on lipstick. What kind of transition?"
"Lipstick isn't inherently bad, but the current market demand isn't that high, and the profit from lipstick isn't enough to support a factory.
Look at other factories; they don't solely produce one product. I mean adding daily chemical products like soap, shampoo, and facial cleanser.
China's economy is recovering, and people consume a large quantity of daily necessities. From what I know, the annual sales of soap alone exceed a hundred million. We should seize this opportunity before it's too late; if the market is already occupied, it becomes much harder to enter."
Lin Guoqing chimed in, "That's great. Who doesn't use soap? For washing faces and clothes, the consumption is high. My mother used to nag us, saying we didn't know how to wash clothes cleanly and couldn't even afford soap."
Sheng Ruyi's expression turned grim. "How much can you earn from a bar of soap? A few cents? Do you even make ten cents?"
Xie Sui replied, "A few cents is already a lot. Daily chemicals rely on low profit and high volume, also for market expansion. For future new products, channels are king. Soap is just a stepping stone.
Guoqing, I've contacted several chemical laboratories. There are a few new products that are quite promising. You should go and investigate them. The new project will be yours."
Sheng Ruyi asked, "What about me? What about my lipstick? All my hard work is in these lipsticks."
Xie Sui said, "Lipstick targets the high-end market. I'll talk to Mr. Smith, increase the price tenfold, then create new packaging and target the European and American markets."
Sheng Ruyi hadn't expected him to have such grand ambitions. "Will that work? Cosmetics technology in Europe and America is more advanced. Would they be interested in our products?"
"Miss Sheng, are you lacking confidence in your own technology?"
Xie Sui was quite confident. In his past life, her lipstick had even sold in the international market with decent feedback. When women focus on their careers and not on romance, they can be very capable.
Sheng Ruyi didn't know how to feel. What were his true intentions towards her?
"Of course, I'm confident. I'll have to trouble you, Mr. Xie. I don't have many connections over there."
"Leave it to me. I think you should focus on the research and development side. As you've seen, marketing and management aren't your strong suits.
People aren't omnipotent; everyone has strengths and weaknesses. I genuinely have your best interests at heart."
This statement made Sheng Ruyi excited, her eyes lighting up. "Mr. Xie, are you truly looking out for me?"
Xie Sui sighed inwardly. You talk to her about products, analyze pros and cons, and she talks about feelings, always misinterpreting. It's exhausting.
Lin Guoqing said, "Then I'll head out first. You two continue your conversation."
Once he left, Sheng Ruyi dropped her pretense and boldly declared, "Mr. Xie, I'll feel suffocated if I don't say some things..."
"If you say them, there will be no turning back, Miss Sheng. I greatly appreciate your talent, and we can be excellent business partners. You need to think carefully. In life, emotion isn't the only thing.
You are Wanwan's good friend, and she cares deeply about you. It's only because of Wanwan that you're sitting here, and I'm wasting so much breath on you. You should behave yourself."
Sheng Ruyi's face turned pale. He knew everything yet refused to accept it. It was meaningless to say it or not.
"If I had met you before Sister Wanwan, would you have liked me?"
Xie Sui replied, "There are no 'ifs' in this world. Let me ask you this: if I were worthless, lazy, irresponsible, neglecting home and children, would you still like me?"
Sheng Ruyi hesitated. Xie Sui smiled. "See? What is love? It's nothing more than a balance of pros and cons. There must be something that captivates you, such as money, status, looks, personality. You will meet someone more suitable than me."
Sheng Ruyi pondered for a moment and then smiled wryly. "Mr. Xie, do you know that the more you are like this, the harder it is for people to let go?"
Xie Sui shrugged. "Do you know that the harder you try not to let go, the more miserable your end will be?"
Sheng Ruyi looked into his eyes, seeing the coldness within, and her heart sank. "I understand."
"Very well. I hope you know what's good for you. I will increase the investment. Here is the contract for the redistribution of shares. Please sign it."
It wasn't that Sheng Ruyi knew how to leverage her advantages; Xie Sui would have also played the emotional card, making her dizzy and willing to give up her shares.
After this capital injection, Sheng Ruyi was left with only ten percent of the shares. Without her technology, she would have no say in the factory.
To satisfy Xie Sui, Sheng Ruyi quickly signed the document. Xie Sui smiled. "Miss Sheng is quite capable. I hope you continue to work hard in the future, focusing all your efforts on research and development. As long as you make excellent lipstick, you will have a place in the world of cosmetics."
"That is my goal. I'll have to trouble you with the logistics of the goods."
"It's my duty. You may leave now."
Sheng Ruyi stood up, hesitating for a moment. "Mr. Xie, I have an unreasonable request. Can you grant it? I'd like an embrace."
Xie Sui's eyes deepened. Why was this woman still not giving up?