Chapter 3 Bankruptcy

• A solemn and heightened aura enshrouded the entire conference room where Shen Peibai, who was dressed in black-striped office suit, was brooding with knitted brow. Along with her in the conference room were seven other senior executives with gloomy looks on their faces, all looking extremely concerned.
• At last, Shen Peibai’s secretary broke the silence and said solemnly, “Ms. Shen, did Jiuzhou Group mean it? Are they really going to sever ties with us? How could this be possible? We seemed to have been getting along well!”
• The Public Relations Manager who was seated to the left of Shen Peibai chimed in quietly, “They surely did mean it. After all, it was Jiang Chenru who personally issued the stop order.”
• The finance manager, who was frowning in concern, warned “I apologize for being blunt here, Ms. Shen, but I must report that we are now faced with critical cash-flow problems. If we do not receive the payments from them within this week, the company will probably be going into insolvency…
• On hearing the dire news, the sales manager leapt to her feet and exclaimed, “No, they can’t do that to us! Come on, we’ve signed a contract with them. If they unilaterally call this off now, we will sue them for breach of contract!
• “Either you’re kidding or you must be naïve… Do you actually believe that nowadays you can find any company that has a clear conscience to talk about going to the law? No one, including us, would be willing to cut profit margins for the sake of strict compliance with the standards. So just cut the nonsense of threatening them with legal actions. For argument’s sake, even if we had been playing by the book as regards to the projects, do you really think we will prevail in litigation? Even if we prevailed eventually, what’s the point if they dragged the process two or three years long? Our company would be long gone by then…” scoffed the legal manager.
• It was only at this point that Shen Peibai and her colleagues realized the how bad the situation was. It had never crossed their minds that just a single decision by Jiuzhou Group to withdraw capital would push them into the brink of bankruptcy!
• Deflated, the sales manager heaved a deep sigh and turned to Shen Peibai. “Ms. Shen, I guess you are the only person we can count on now to lead us out of the storm. After all, it was you who sealed the deal with them. You’re the only one who can salvage the situation now.”
• “Alright, don’t you worry. I will head over to their office right away.” Shen Peibai took a deep breath and nodded reassuringly at the suggestion.
• Noting the confidence in their superior’s words, the attendees’ countenances started to loosen up. They knew that Shen Peibai would not reassure them for no reason. After all, it was just last year when she had made her first visit to Jiuzhou Group’s headquarters, when Jiang Chenru had received her with the greatest respect and deference. He even signed the contract there and then without much negotiation.
• If that alone was not enough for justification, Shen Peibai could corroborate it with another incident which had happened just a year ago. After she had secured the deal with Jiuzhou Group, Shen Peibai’s Uncle, Shen Biao, and cousin sister, Shen Huaiwei, had schemed and succeeded in seizing the deal from her. Just when Shen Peibai thought she had lost the deal for good, Jiang Chenru had come out and made it clear to everyone that it had been none other than Shen Peibai whom Jiuzhou Group had wanted to collaborate with.
• Shen Peibai was soon on her way to Jiuzhou Group’s headquarters after she had made it a point to go home in order to refresh her makeup just for the visit.
• As soon as she reached the foyer of Jiuzhou Group’s office building, she headed straight inside. However, while on her way, she was stopped by a good-looking receptionist who asked, “I’m sorry, Madam. Who are you looking for?”
• “Hello, I’m here to see Mr. Jiang Chenru...” answered Shen Peibai, wearing a smile on her face.
• “I see. But do you have an appointment?” asked the receptionist, returning a polite smile.
• “I’m sorry but no, I do not.” Shen Peibai shook her head and said.
• The receptionist’s countenance turned into a stern look at the answer as she said, “Then I have to ask you to leave. No one is allowed to enter without an appointment.”
• Shen Peibai froze at the reply, but soon gathered herself together and said, “Wait, let me give Mr. Jiang a call.”
• “Do you know how many people in Nanjiang City are asking to see Mr. Jiang? Ha, who do you think you are to come here and demand to see Mr. Jiang without an appointment?” snorted the receptionist.
• Shaken by the receptionist’s brazen attitude, Shen Peibai made a phone call to Jiang Chenru directly. She deliberately turned it on loudspeaker in front of the receptionist. Before long, she spoke to the person who answered her phone call, “Hello, is this Mr. Jiang? I’m sorry to bother you. This is Shen Peibai, and I’m here at the foyer of your office building. I’ve come to discuss some matters with you…”
• When the receptionist realized that the phone call was seemingly answered by Jiang Chenru, her feet went cold. While still surprised at the fact that Shen Peibai had her boss’s phone number, the receptionist’s countenance changed again to that of politeness.
• But what came through from the other end was a curt reply, “I am sorry, Ms. Shen, but I do not want to see you. Please leave.”
• And without waiting for an answer, Jiang Chenru hung up on Shen Peibai, leaving her dumbstruck. She could not believe what she had just heard and tried calling Jiang Chenru again. But this time, she only got an engaged tone. After several futile attempts, she came to realize that Jiang Chenru had blocked her. Unfazed, she then tried sending WeChat text messages to him, but soon realized that he had blocked her on the social media as well.
• Having caught a glimpse of the red exclamation mark next to each outgoing text on Shen Peibai’s mobile phone, indicating that the messages could not be sent due to recipient had block the sender’s number, the pretty receptionist’s sneered, “Ha! Now I know what they mean by shameless! I’ve never seen anyone more thick-skinned than you!”
• “Y-you…” fingers trembling with rage, Shen Peibai’s was at a loss for words.
• “Stop rambling and get the hell out of here or I’ll get the security guards!” snapped the receptionist. Realizing that there was a situation, the security guards approached from the entrance.
• “Madam, this way please.” said one of the security guards coldly.
• “No, please. Please help me to get Mr. Jiang. Just tell him it is Shen Peibai… I have some very important matters to talk to him about... Please…” beseeched Shen Peibai who was now sounding desperate.
• The receptionist waved her off and jeered, “Oh, how ignorant… Do you honestly think you can bother Mr. Jiang with your important matters? Get going now!”
• Before she knew it, Shen Peibai was being flanked out of the office building by two security guards.
• Outside the premises of Jiuzhou Group, Shen Peibai was still reeling from the shock of being driven out. She was unable to come to terms with what had just happened. She had just welcomed a divorce from Lin Jue this morning, but she had not expected that on the very same day she and her family might be brought to the brink of bankruptcy.