185: Chapter 185 A Brilliant Battle
Chen Ji signed the final stroke, pressed his thumbprint, and let out a long-held breath of pent-up frustration before gently setting the pen down on the desk.
At this point, all the equity of Xingtu New Materials and the seven core patents for Hard Carbon Anodes were officially settled, falling entirely under the umbrella of Chenxing Capital.
The follow-up procedures would be handled by the legal teams and assistants of both parties.
Shen Xi methodically organized all the signed documents, categorizing and filing them away, waiting only for the formal procedures of industrial and commercial changes and fund transfers.
Lu Manqi also quickly coordinated the details of private banking account supervision and large-scale fund transfers, arranging the delivery nodes, transaction records, and compliance risk controls with professional efficiency and precision.
After a round of polite formalities, Chen Ji looked at the thick stack of contract documents beside him, his heart filled with a mixture of emotions.
There was reluctance, relief, and even more so, a profound respect for Jiang Chen's vision and sincerity.
He shook hands with Jiang Chen once more, expressed his heartfelt gratitude, and then left the conference room with his research assistants and the staff.
Once Chen Ji and his party had completely vanished and the elevator doors slowly closed, the conference room finally fell silent, leaving only Jiang Chen, Shen Xi, and Lu Manqi.
Jiang Chen, who had been sitting calmly with a presence as steady as a mountain, finally relaxed slightly, leaning back against his chair as the sharp, calculating look of a strategist slowly faded, replaced by a genuine sense of ease and relief.
He quietly let out a sigh of relief, his heart brimming with uncontrollable joy.
Others only saw his lavish spending and calm negotiation, as if acquiring Xingtu was just a casual move, but only he knew the true weight of this strategic layout.
This was the leader of the Hard Carbon Anode track, which could steadily reach a market value of over thirty billion in the future; it was also the highest-quality target with the most terrifying growth potential that he had unearthed through his daily wealth intelligence.
In his previous investment layouts, the returns provided by the intelligence were substantial, but none had ever been as grand, as top-tier in its field, or possessed such an exaggerated space for appreciation as this.
Because he knew its future value so well, Jiang Chen had personally overseen the negotiations from start to finish.
He personally controlled every word of the psychological game and every clause of the contract, not daring to delegate even the slightest detail to others for fear of a single slip-up that might cause him to lose this prize.
Now that everything was settled—equity, patents, R&D rights, debt guarantees, and mass production funding had all landed exactly as planned without any hitches—he naturally felt completely secure and satisfied.
Standing to the side, Shen Xi watched her boss drop his guard and reveal a rare moment of relaxation, a faint smile in her eyes.
She stood quietly by his side, not disturbing him, simply waiting for orders at any time.
When her gaze occasionally swept over Lu Manqi across from her, the smile in her eyes didn't fade, but it gained a certain meaning that only another woman could understand.
Shen Xi had noticed it long ago.
From the day Lu Manqi first appeared at Chenxing Capital as a private banking manager, the way she looked at Jiang Chen carried an irrepressible admiration.
Throughout the entire negotiation today, although she had strictly adhered to her duties and remained silent, her gaze had hardly left Jiang Chen.
Others might not have noticed, but Shen Xi was someone who had been through it; she knew exactly what a woman looked like when she admired a man.
She saw it all but remained calm, her lips always curved in a proper and composed arc.
She wasn't anxious, nor was she annoyed.
The relationship between her and Jiang Chen was much deeper than outsiders could see; she was his assistant, his most trusted right hand, and his intimate partner in private.
This confidence meant she didn't need to rush to mark her territory like others might.
Moreover, given Jiang Chen's character and vision, he was destined not to have only one woman by his side.
She had long seen through this and had silently accepted it in her heart.
So, towards Lu Manqi, she felt no hostility, but rather a sense of scrutiny.
Whether this woman was qualified enough, whether she was worthy of standing by Jiang Chen's side.
And Lu Manqi indeed didn't notice the deeper meaning in Shen Xi's indifferent glance.
Since Chen Ji left, her gaze could no longer shift even an inch away from Jiang Chen.
During the entire negotiation just now, she had watched Jiang Chen assess the situation and manipulate people's hearts; he didn't take advantage of others' difficulties to press too hard, yet he held his ground without yielding an inch. His vision, scale, courage, and steady temperament were all utterly captivating.
That masculine charm of controlling the overall situation and having a grand plan in mind was like an invisible magnetic field, firmly drawing her in.
The more she witnessed his extraordinary nature up close, the more her admiration overflowed, and she was already deeply ensnared, unable to extricate herself.
The conference room was quiet, the air permeated with the faint scent of business tea.
In his relaxed seated posture, Jiang Chen had lost some of his business-like coldness and gained a bit of lazy, restrained, mature charm.
Lu Manqi stood not far away, her gaze fixed on him, her heart skipping beats, her mind filled with unspeakable ripples.
Her legs couldn't help but press tightly together; upon closer inspection, one could even see them trembling slightly.
Jiang Chen leaned against the back of his chair and relaxed for a moment, clearly in an excellent mood.
He sat up straight, his gaze scanning the two women, his tone casual yet organized.
“For the subsequent fund transfers and account supervision, Shen Xi, you coordinate directly with Manager Lu and implement them item by item according to her schedule. For these minor procedural details, having you two professionals oversee them is enough; there's no need to report everything to me.”
He paused and looked at Lu Manqi, nodding slightly. “Manager Lu, the funding part will be hard work for you. For the subsequent corporate transfers and account records, Shen Xi will fully cooperate with your pace. If anything comes up, communicate with each other directly.”
“Don't worry, President Jiang, I will certainly cooperate well with Manager Lu.”
Shen Xi responded crisply, a gentle smile on her face, then turned to Lu Manqi with a natural and friendly tone.
“Manager Lu, I'll send you the transfer nodes and filing details once I've organized them. We can communicate at any time.”
“Director Shen, you're too polite. Just call me Manqi.”
Lu Manqi also responded with a smile, her attitude warm and generous. “Rest assured about the funds; I will personally oversee every node to ensure a smooth delivery.”
The two women smiled at each other, polite and warm, creating an atmosphere so harmonious that no fault could be found.
Both were women who had cultivated themselves in the workplace for many years; their surface-level manners were flawless, and they didn't reveal a hint of the thoughts they each harbored.
Looking at the two of them, Jiang Chen's mood became even more pleasant.
Having secured Xingtu today and settled the layout, and with two capable and pleasing women by his side—one steady and experienced, the other gentle and professional—it was a rare and good atmosphere.
He raised his hand to check his watch and stood up with a smile.
“Today was a battle well fought, and both of you put in a lot of effort. How about this: dinner's on me tonight. Let's eat together and relax.”
Hearing this, a subtle smile flickered in Shen Xi's eyes.
Having followed Jiang Chen for so long, she understood his temperament all too well.
When he was in a good mood, he was never stingy about sharing that relaxation and pleasure.
And the fact that he was willing to include Lu Manqi in this private dinner tonight meant that he at least didn't dislike this woman, and perhaps even had a bit of a favorable impression of her.
Shen Xi understood perfectly, showing nothing on the surface, only replying with a smile: “Then I'll change the restaurant I booked earlier to that private kitchen you frequent. The environment there is quieter and better for chatting.”