novellhall Chapter 37 Her ambition was greater than anyone else's.
Chapter 37 Her ambition was greater than anyone else's.
Less than ten seconds after Fan Binbin and the others left, the door was pushed open again.
Zhang Baizhi suddenly appeared.
He closed the door, stood still, thought for a moment, and instead of speaking immediately, called out, "Brother Dong!"
Then she obediently walked to the reception area and bent down to tidy up the cups and teapot on the coffee table. Her movements were a bit heavy, and the porcelain cups clinked on the tea tray, making a clattering sound, which made her seem a little careless.
"Is that Miss Fan also here to sign a contract?"
"Um."
"How long did it take to sign?"
"Seven years."
Zhang Baizhi put down the teapot, turned his head to look at Lin Dong, and his eyes drooped.
"She is very beautiful."
"He is indeed good-looking!" Lin Dong leaned back in his chair, a slight smile appearing on his lips.
Zhang Baizhi put the last cup back on the tea tray, straightened up, and walked to Lin Dong.
Her white shirt collar was slightly unbuttoned, and there were still marks left on her collarbone from last night, half of which were covered by foundation, with a small patch of light red faintly visible.
"Dong-ge." She bent down, placing her hands on the armrests of the swivel chair, encircling Lin Dong in the middle. The neckline of her floral dress drooped down, revealing the white trim underneath.
"Won't you—" her voice trailed off, sounding both coquettish and aggrieved, "...discard me once you find someone new?"
Lin Dong looked into her eyes. There was a thin layer of moisture in them, whether real or acting, he couldn't tell, but this kind of indistinguishable quality was this woman's talent.
"It depends on your performance." Lin Dong made no promises.
Zhang Baizhi's eyelashes trembled slightly. Then she smiled, a smile that slowly spread from the corners of her mouth, carrying a hint of reproach and a touch of coquetry.
"I'll definitely do my best tonight." She straightened up, picked up the tea tray, and walked towards the door.
As she reached the door, she turned back and raised an eyebrow.
"Brother Dong, I've learned a few new dishes. You can try them tonight."
The door was closed.
…………
Just before leaving get off work, Chen Xinjian pushed open the door and came in.
Holding a fax in his hand, he sat down across from the desk and opened his notebook.
"Mr. Lin, I've had a preliminary discussion with Qiongyao Company about Ms. Fan's matter."
Lin Dong leaned back in his chair, gesturing for him to continue.
"They're asking for one million," Chen Xinjian said, placing the fax on the table. "Their reason is that Ms. Fan unilaterally terminated the contract, violating the contract terms, and they demand compensation according to the liquidated damages stipulated in the contract."
Lin Dong didn't say anything.
"But I looked at Ms. Fan's original contract." Chen Xinjian opened his notebook and pointed to the page. "The contract was signed in 1996. Ms. Fan was under sixteen years old at the time of signing, so she was a minor."
According to the law, contracts signed by minors without the ratification of their guardians do not have full legal effect.
He closed his notebook, his tone indifferent.
"In addition, I asked Mrs. Fan to compile all of Miss Fan's work records at Qiongyao Company over the past two years."
Since signing the contract, the company has only given her three roles in total—a maid in "My Fair Princess" and supporting roles in two other dramas.
She had to fight for one of the supporting roles herself; the company didn't provide any substantial resources. In other words, Qiong Yao's side did not fulfill their agency obligations according to the contract.
"What did the legal department say?" Lin Dong asked.
"The letter has already been sent." Chen Xinjian pulled out a copy from under the fax and pushed it in front of Lin Dong.
"We raised three points: First, we argued that the contract was invalid because the signatory was a minor at the time of signing; second, we argued that the company breached the contract first because it failed to fulfill its resource commitments. Based on these points, we proposed to terminate the contract by negotiating a reasonable amount."
He paused for a moment.
"I made it clear to the legal department in the letter that if the negotiation fails, Tenda will formally file a lawsuit to confirm the invalidity of the contract."
The lawsuit is being held in Hong Kong, but Qiongyao Company doesn't have a permanent legal team there. The cost of traveling to and from court alone would exceed 200,000.
"They're asking for a million. What's your bottom line?"
"Two hundred thousand," Chen Xinjian said. "This figure is based on precedents in similar cases. Ms. Fan signed the contract when she was a minor, and the contract was fulfilled for less than two years, so the actual resources she received were extremely limited."
Two hundred thousand is a common range for court-mediated settlements. If the other party doesn't agree, they also need to consider the costs and risks of litigation if they go to court.
He put away his notebook.
"I've already given instructions to Mrs. Fan. From now on, all calls and letters from Qiongyao Company will be forwarded to the legal department. She must not sign a single word or respond to a single sentence. The rest, let the legal department handle."
Lin Dong nodded.
"I'll leave it to you to handle."
"Understood." Chen Xinjian stood up, bowed slightly, and turned to leave.
The office was silent for a few seconds. Lin Dong glanced at his watch, stood up, straightened his cuffs, and went out the door.
Zhang Baizhi sprang up from his seat at the front desk, quickly approached him, and naturally took his arm. "Brother Dong."
Her gaze, however, went past his shoulder and toward the other end of the corridor.
Fan Binbin and his mother were standing up from the secretary's desk. Zhang Chuanmei was carrying a black briefcase, and Fan Binbin was standing next to her.
"President Lin," Zhang Chuanmei said quickly, her voice filled with gratitude, "Thank you so much for today. President Chen has already informed us about the contract termination, and we are fully cooperating. I'd like to invite you to dinner; would that be convenient for you, President Lin?"
Lin Dong glanced at Fan Binbin.
Seventeen years old. An oval face full of collagen, with no makeup.
It is indeed beautiful.
But that kind of beauty is a beauty that hasn't fully blossomed yet; the ambition hidden beneath youth hasn't found a true outlet.
He wasn't interested in the newly sprouted buds.
"Mrs. Fan," he said, turning his gaze away, "the best way to repay me is to let Binbin act well in the future."
After saying that, he patted Zhang Baizhi's hand and turned to walk towards the elevator.
Zhang Baizhi took his arm and quickly followed, her high heels clicking silently on the carpet.
As she passed by Fan Binbin, she turned her head and glanced at her—not as a provocation, but as confirmation.
He confirmed that he was still with Lin Dong.
The elevator doors closed. The numbers jumped down one by one.
Zhang Chuanmei stood in the corridor, looking in that direction, and sighed softly.
She turned around, wanting to say something to her daughter, but found that Fan Binbin's gaze was still fixed on the elevator door.
"Binbin?"
Fan Binbin withdrew his gaze, lowered his eyes, and remained calm.
"Mom, let's go."
The mother and daughter walked towards the elevator.
Fan Binbin walked ahead, her ponytail swaying gently between her shoulder blades. When the elevator arrived, she took a few steps forward, then paused, turned her head, and glanced at the bronze plaque at the end of the corridor that read "Lin Dong".
Then she looked away and stepped into the elevator.
This girl may seem harmless, but in reality, her ambition is greater than anyone else's.