Chapter 9 The Actual Situation of the Water Purification Company

After all, for her parents, she could give up everything.

Mu Xin seemed to see through her thoughts; he chuckled and said, "You don't need to overthink it."

"What I need is a lawyer, a lawyer who can help me handle legal matters and help me deal with the Williams Family. Nothing else."

"Your ability is worth this price. In Oxford Town, I cannot find a second person more suitable than you."

"And," Mu Xin paused, then continued, "this is only a temporary salary. When my business expands, at that time, your salary will return to the level you had on Wall Street, or even higher."

This sentence was like a key, instantly opening Jessica's long-sealed heart.

She had never forgotten her dream.

She once dreamed of becoming a top female lawyer on Wall Street, wearing custom Armani suits, engaging in fierce debates in court, and signing contracts worth billions of dollars.

She once dreamed of buying an apartment on the Upper East Side with a view of the East River and going skiing in Aspen every winter.

But the accident three years ago shattered all her dreams.

She had to return to this remote small town, smiling at greasy customers every day, selling used cars, and living a life where she could see the end at a single glance.

She thought that her life would just be like this.

But now, Mu Xin had given her a chance to realize her dream again.

Jessica looked into Mu Xin's eyes; they were clear and firm, containing no falsehood or deception.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions in her heart. Her hands no longer trembled, and her gaze became sharp again.

That was the radiance belonging to a top student from Columbia Law School, the radiance belonging to an elite Wall Street lawyer.

"Okay." She reached out, looked into Mu Xin's eyes, and said word by word, "I agree."

Mu Xin smiled, reached out, and shook her hand firmly.

His hand was warm and strong.

"Happy cooperation." He said.

"Happy cooperation." Jessica said.

The sunlight shone through the glass window of the McDonalds, illuminating their clasped hands and Jessica's face.

In her eyes, a light was rekindled for the first time. It was hope for the future, a passion for life that had been rekindled after being suppressed for three years.

Mu Xin let go of her hand, glanced at his watch, and said, "Then from now on, you are my private legal counsel."

"This afternoon, go to the dealership to resign and pack up your things. Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, come to the third floor of the Morris Building at Miami University to find me. We will start preparing the materials for the acquisition of the Water Purification Company."

"The third floor of the Morris Building?" Jessica was stunned for a moment.

"Yes." Mu Xin nodded and said nonchalantly, "I donated some money to the school yesterday, and the principal specially arranged a floor for me."

Jessica: "..."

She suddenly felt that a salary of 120,000 USD per year didn't seem so hard to understand anymore.

A person who could casually donate over 10 million USD to the school would never care about this little bit of money.

She stood up, picked up her bag, and said, "Okay. I will go to the dealership to resign now. I will be there on time at nine tomorrow morning."

After speaking, she turned and walked towards the door of the McDonalds.

When she reached the door, she stopped and looked back.

Mu Xin was sitting by the window, looking at the street scene outside, holding a cola in his hand, his expression calm.

The sunlight shone on him, as if draping him in a mysterious veil.

Jessica did not know what kind of changes this Chinese man who suddenly appeared in Oxford Town would bring to her life.

Nor did she know what kind of turbulent waves he would bring to this small town that had been peaceful for more than half a century.

But she knew that from this moment on, her life was completely different.

She pushed the door open and walked into the bright sunlight.

...

The next morning at 8:50 AM, Jessica appeared at the entrance of the Morris Building at Miami University on time.

She was wearing a crisp, navy blue suit skirt, the only professional outfit she had brought back from New York that she could still wear.

For three years, this outfit had been pressed at the bottom of her wardrobe; when she took it out yesterday, it looked like a rag.

Last night, she spent two whole hours washing it, ironing it flat, and finding that pair of black high heels with worn-down heels.

Standing in front of the Morris Building, Jessica took a deep breath.

Jessica walked in, went up to the third floor, and knocked on the door gently.

"That suit looks really good on you." Mu Xin opened the door, looked at Jessica, and smiled.

"It's alright, at least I haven't gained weight." Jessica chuckled.

"Sit down." Mu Xin pointed to the chair in the room, "The coffee is over there, help yourself."

Jessica nodded, walked to the coffee machine, and poured herself a cup of black coffee.

She needed caffeine to stay awake; she had barely slept all night last night.

She had organized all the information she could think of regarding the Williams Family and the Water Purification Company in her notebook.

"I have organized a preliminary due diligence report; you take a look first." Mu Xin pushed the document in his hand in front of Jessica, "See if there are any omissions or errors."

"My goal is very simple: to complete the acquisition at the lowest possible price."

Jessica picked up the document and flipped through it carefully.

This report was done very professionally, covering everything from the Water Purification Company's financial status, assets and liabilities, equipment conditions, to customer structure, charging standards, and historical evolution.

Even the water fee adjustment records for the past ten years and the details of every environmental penalty were written clearly.

The more Jessica read, the more surprised she became.

She originally thought that Mu Xin was just a wealthy international student who knew nothing but how to spend money.

But now it seemed she was wrong. Mu Xin was not only wealthy but also very organized and professional in his work.

In just one night, he was able to produce such a detailed due diligence report; this was definitely not something an ordinary person could do.

"How is it? Are there any issues?" Mu Xin asked.

Jessica put down the document, looked up, and said, "Most of it is very accurate. But there are a few places that need to be supplemented."

"Go ahead." Mu Xin picked up a pen, ready to record.

"First, regarding the debt situation of the Water Purification Company. The report says the company's bank loan is 12 million USD."

"But in reality, this 12 million USD was borrowed from the Williams Bank, with an annual interest rate of 18%, which is three times the normal bank loan interest rate," Jessica said.

"Furthermore, the repayment period for this loan is five years, with interest to be paid annually, and the principal to be repaid in a lump sum upon maturity."

"According to the company's current profitability, it is impossible to pay off this loan within five years."

"Secondly, regarding the equipment condition of the company. The report says the service life of the main equipment is 15 years."

"But in reality, many core pieces of equipment are from before the year 2000 and have been in use for over 20 years."

"The reason it has been able to pass environmental inspections is because Tobias bribes the inspectors from the state Environmental Protection Agency every year."

"Finally, and most importantly." Jessica's tone became serious.

"The internal structure of the Williams Family is written too simply in the report. If we want to acquire the Water Purification Company, we must first figure out the power dynamics within the Williams Family."

Mu Xin put down the pen, leaned forward slightly, looked at Jessica, and said seriously:

"This is exactly what I wanted you to tell me about in detail. The report only states that Old Williams has two sons, Jimmy and Tobias."

"But I can tell that there must be other things involved."

Jessica nodded and said, "That's right. The internal situation of the Williams Family is much more complex than you imagine."

She picked up a pen and started drawing the genealogy chart of the Williams Family on a piece of white paper.