National Tide 1980.

"Is the car ready?"

"Yes, sir, the driver and two cars are waiting at the gate."

Ning Weimin strode toward the gate of the villa, while Sagawa Kenichi, who was lagging behind, quickly caught up.

"The other party seems to have ill intentions. Chairman, you are in such a hurry to meet with people from the EIE Group. Shouldn't you be more careful about security?"

Ning Weimin understood what he meant. This date was decided on the spur of the moment, probably because he saw that there were few people around him and was worried that he might be threatened or something bad might happen to him.

Ning Weimin acknowledged his concern, but still felt that his reminder was indeed a bit of an overreaction.

So his response was simply a smile, an encouraging pat on the shoulder, and then he got into the car.

It's important to understand that EIE Group is a legitimate company, not some "Goldman Sachs with guns," especially since the meeting took place in a public place.

It can be said that this matter is out in the open.

Whether the other party's intention in today's meeting is to establish authority, seek peace, negotiate, or issue an ultimatum, it doesn't matter.

Regardless of the nature of the trap, the other party must abide by basic business rules.

It's impossible for him to publicly pose a real threat to his personal safety.

To put it bluntly, even if they really couldn't reach an agreement, and the other party wanted to play dirty tricks, they would have to change the date.

If there is any real danger, it can only happen tomorrow, after the talks break down.

Moreover, Ning Weimin is not without outstanding security personnel around him.

Bian Gang and Zheng Qiang, along with several other security officers from the Tan Gong Restaurant, were all former members of the official Embroidered Uniform Guard, a special department.

Although they may not be high-ranking enough, their abilities are actually not much different from those of the legendary "Zhongnanhai bodyguards".

With them around, how could anything unexpected possibly happen?

As for the threat from Yakuza, Ah Xia's people will handle it. Ning Weimin is not a foolish person; he won't necessarily escalate the situation to the point of shouting for war.

In contrast, Ning Weimin was somewhat uneasy about the security guards he hired to patrol his residence.

Firstly, these security guards generally lack professional skills and would likely be ineffective against real killers and violent gang members.

Secondly, those who are not of our kind will surely have different intentions.

After all, they are all Japanese, so their loyalty can't be completely trusted.

To put it bluntly, Ning Weimin trusted them less than he trusted the brothers he borrowed from A-Xia.

Therefore, Ning Weimin left Zheng Qiang at home instead, and only Bian Gang and two people he borrowed from A Xia accompanied him.

He felt that having these people responsible for his safety was sufficient.

His most important concern is the safety of his wife and daughter; that's his Achilles' heel.

…………

Today, we'll first go to the meeting place, the Hotel New Otani in Tokyo.

This is the place Ning Weimin knows best.

Given the special historical connection between the Hotel New Otani and the Chinese people, after arriving in Japan, he not only frequently entertained guests from China there, but also often patronized the hotel himself.

Undoubtedly, their good relationship and relatively familiar environment also increased his safety and reduced the risk of accidents.

Moreover, there are plenty of places here suitable for private meetings and discussions. The hotel even provides dedicated business meeting rooms for guests. Both the facilities and services are quite suitable for holding such business meetings.

When Ning Weimin and his entourage arrived at the meeting place, a female hostess was already waiting at the door of the conference room.

"I am Ning Weimin from the Big Sword Merchant Guild. Have all the guests I'm supposed to meet arrived?" he asked.

"The person has arrived; they've been here for about ten minutes."

The waitress opened the conference room door and said softly, "Mr. Ning, please come in!"

Ning Weimin, without hesitation, led his men into the room first.

There were probably seven or eight people in the room, sitting opposite each other on the sofa.

Upon seeing Ning Weimin and his group enter, they hurriedly stubbed out their cigars and cigarettes in the ashtray and stood up.

The leader said, "I'm so sorry to have invited you here when you're so busy."

This is clearly a gesture of goodwill.

As Ning Weimin predicted, today's talks proceeded without danger.

Especially since he didn't see that arrogant bastard Takahashi Harunori among these people today.

This suggests that one's enemy has likely lost power.

Ning Weimin was quite satisfied with everything he saw and the reactions of these people. He then smiled sincerely.

"You are too kind. I am also very sorry to ask you to accommodate my wishes and meet here."

"Don't say that. The conditions here are very good. We all feel very comfortable here. Do you often receive guests here?"

The other party said something polite again.

"Ah, yes, I have a lot of business dealings with this restaurant and I'm quite familiar with the environment here, so I feel more relaxed when discussing business here."

"So that's it."

After exchanging a few polite greetings and finishing the formalities, Ning Weimin introduced himself again, "I am Ning Weimin from the Big Sword Trading Company. It's a pleasure to meet you all today."

In response, the leaders of the opposing camp also issued statements, each clarifying their identities.

"I am Shigehiko Tanaka of the Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan."

"I am Koichi Nakamura of the Yachiyo Trust Company."

"I am Kobayashi Naka from Fukuoka Life Insurance Company."

"I am Yoichi Tsuchiya from Sanyo Securities..."

It must be said that, to outsiders, this scene would make anyone believe that two very friendly companies are engaged in a sincere business collaboration.

However, reality is just as surreal.

Who would have thought that they were essentially adversaries in the financial market, locked in a life-or-death struggle?

Today's meeting between the two sides is a matter of life and death for the EIE Group. Beneath the seemingly amicable surface lies an unspoken tension and unpredictable negotiation risks.

After exchanging business cards, the waitress entered the room with a tray, placing coffee, tea, snacks, and fruit on the floor. The real meeting then began.

Moreover, by this point, both sides had formed their own preliminary judgments about each other's attitudes and performance.

In the eyes of these board members of EIE, Ning Weimin, dressed in designer suits and wearing expensive watches, may look like a playboy, but he has really good taste.

His clothes were well-fitting, he was debonair, and his face radiated boundless confidence.

What's even more remarkable is that, despite his young age, he has a calm and composed demeanor, showing neither frivolity nor arrogance, nor anxiety or unease.

He appeared quite mature, and there was no indication of a lack of experience.

He was completely different from the image of young Chinese people in their minds. He even looked more outstanding than Takahashi Harunori, and no one dared to underestimate him.

For Ning Weimin, however, the people in front of him brought him a sense of relief from the bottom of his heart.

It wasn't that he looked down on the other person, or that he was too naive and blinded by their politeness.

Rather, it was because he was good at socializing and was never afraid of engaging in heated debates with his opponents.

He has the advantage in both strength and reason, so there is no reason for him to lose.

Even the most cunning and shrewd high-ranking officials in the Japanese financial industry are nothing to worry about for him.

After all, Japan is now at the mercy of the Americans, and these people are facing a predicament of being attacked from both sides and beset by internal and external troubles. There is really no reason not to reconcile with them.

To be honest, his only concern before coming here today was that he was worried that if a scholar encountered a soldier, he wouldn't be able to reason with him.

What if Harunori Takahashi, that megalomaniac, remains the one in charge of these negotiations?

Or if the negotiation is conducted by a lackey who is completely subservient to that guy, then the negotiation will be of little practical significance.

Conversely, Takahashi was not present today, and he was very polite to all the senior board members of EIE.

The probability of reaching a reconciliation at this meeting is much higher.

For Ning Weimin, this was almost like smelling meat, and it also eliminated the risk of escalating hostility between the two sides, which was exactly what he had hoped for.

"In short, thank you again for keeping this appointment. You are very busy, but we still had to trouble you to come here at this time. This is mainly because our EIE stock is currently facing a price attack, which I'm sure you are already aware of."

These words were spoken by Shigehiko Tanaka, the representative of Changyin.

He has sunken eyes, a high nose, thin lips, and a protruding chin. His appearance gives people a harsh feeling at first glance, and he naturally has a cold and businesslike temperament.

When the two sides sat down on either side of the conference table, he exchanged only a few pleasantries as an opening before getting straight to the point.

Perhaps because of his eagerness, his tone also carried some dissatisfaction and accusation.

Ning Weimin remained calm and composed, not only not pretending to be stupid, but also making sharp remarks.

"Oh? Of course I know about that. You must be referring to my recent shorting of EIE stock. It's unfortunate that we've become adversaries in the financial markets, and I'm sure I've caused quite a bit of trouble for everyone here. But I'd also like to ask you, are you all aware of why this happened?"

"what?"

The other party's reaction was clearly somewhat unexpected.

Every single one of the people opposite Ning Weimin showed a look of surprise.

They had assumed Ning Weimin would make excuses, find reasons, or even express shameless desires, just like those professional shareholders who are good at extorting money through green cards, and make some unreasonable demands.

But I didn't expect him to ask such a question first.

Ning Weimin didn't need to ask any more questions. He could tell from their reactions that most people were unaware of his conflict with Takahashi Harunori. So he told them everything that had happened between him and Takahashi Harunori, the humiliation and coercion he had suffered, and the losses he had incurred as a result.

As a result, the expressions of the EIE participants changed again, and they gradually became embarrassed.

Even after they finished listening, no one spoke for a long time.

Most of them looked at each other, expressionless and silent, clearly feeling ashamed and guilty about Takahashi Harunori's behavior, and somewhat at a loss for what to do.

This is the best explanation for being at a loss for words.

No one can deny that Ning Weimin's revenge was justified; from a moral standpoint, it is difficult for him to be criticized by these people.

However, to be fair, the people gathered here today are ultimately here for their own benefit.

If EIE's stock price continues like this, not only will Harunori Takahashi go bankrupt, but everyone here will also be doomed. So no matter how difficult it is to talk about it, they still have to fight for what they should fight for.

"Mr. Ning, it's truly regrettable that this happened; we were completely unaware of it. Takahashi Harunori is a stubborn and self-willed person who does everything unilaterally and without consulting anyone. To be honest, we were deceived by his various plans and ideas in the past, believing him to be a rare talent who would lead EIE to glory, which is why we supported him. Only now do we realize what outrageous and absurd things he has done behind the scenes. Otherwise, if we had known he was this kind of person earlier, we would never have tolerated such a person holding the high position of president and controlling the power of the EIE Group."

The first to break the silence was Koichi Nakamura of the Yachiyo Trust Company. He forced himself to say these words, which basically meant that Takahashi's responsibility should not be borne by them.

To this excuse, Ning Weimin only responded coldly, "I see."

There's nothing else to it; the excuse is too perfunctory and far-fetched.

Even if he himself was willing to reconcile, to be so easily convinced would be like being a fool.

Fortunately, Kobayashi from Fukuoka Life Insurance Company then spoke up, and his words seemed more sincere.

This not only more clearly indicates that they are also victims, but also makes it easier for Ning Weimin to back down gracefully.

"Mr. Ning, I know that this conflict between you and Takahashi Harunori is entirely his fault. This bastard coveted your woman and your business; he's truly despicable and deserves to die. You can't do anything wrong to him. There's something you might not know: Takahashi has been suspended by the board of directors for his misconduct. Currently, Managing Director Tanaka of Changyin has been temporarily appointed by the EIE Group's board of directors to temporarily assume the powers of the president. But the problem is that EIE's stock has already fallen too much, and we all own a considerable share. If you do this, aren't we being wronged? What will happen to our losses?"

“I understand,” Ning Weimin said, sounding somewhat emotional. “Actually, I had no intention of causing any losses to you. We shouldn’t be at odds with each other; there’s more of a misunderstanding than anything else. If we can resolve our issues properly today, that would be wonderful.”

“Mr. Ning, since that’s the case, let’s talk about more serious issues…”

The third to speak was Yoichi Tsuchiya of Sanyo Securities: "Next Monday, when the stock market opens, this war surrounding EIE's stock price will continue. We all hope you'll stop now; you've already made enough. Although you've caused us losses, we won't pursue the matter further as long as you're willing to stop immediately."

Upon hearing this, Ning Weimin raised his eyebrows slightly and took a sip of tea with a smile.

It has to be said that this guy's words are really unpleasant to hear, and he seems to have no idea what the difference is between the two kings.

The key point is that the phrase "we won't pursue the matter" is really jarring.

This not only dampened my initial good mood after learning that Takahashi had met with bad news, but also successfully aroused my competitive spirit.

This guy has a really big face, it's round like a pig's head.

It seems I haven't been hit hard enough; I haven't exerted enough force.

Ning Weimin didn't reply immediately, and the atmosphere became somewhat tense. (End of Chapter)