Chapter 173 The Test

173 The Test
In the study, Lu Shuang sat behind her desk and looked at the documents in her hands. When she heard the knock on the door, she sighed and gestured for her assistant to open the door.
Xia Yan walked in with He Miao, after which the assistant left the study and closed the door for them.
Lu Shuang’s scrutinizing gaze passed through her daughter and landed on the young lady behind her. “He Miao, nice to meet you. I’m Xia Yan’s mother.”
“Hello, CEO Lu.” He Miao nodded slightly. The person sitting opposite her was the leading career woman in the book and the only female CEO. He Miao could not help but feel a deep respect for her.
Lu Shuang’s ending in the book was rather heartwarming. In the near future, Xia Yan would take over the advertising company under the Xia Corporation, and there would be no more conflict between the mother and daughter.
As for the other things, she did not know. After all, the female lead in the original book did not have a deep relationship with the Xia family and only mentioned it once.
Lu Shuang sat behind the desk with her hands propped up. She lifted her chin, signaling for the two to sit opposite her. With a serious face, she said, “I’ve already heard from Yanyan about what happened between you and your sister online.”
She paused on purpose to see He Miao’s nervous reaction, but to her disappointment, the young girl opposite her had no reaction at all. She was all ears, waiting for her to continue.
Lu Shuang raised an eyebrow. “You’ve done well. However, the verbal agreement between you and Yanyan is not the rule of the business world. I’ve drafted a contract here. Take a look.”
He Miao took the contract and was not surprised to see that the Xia family would own 51% of the shares.
She gently put down the contract and smiled. “I can’t sign this contract. You have to understand that the brand I founded doesn’t intend to be under the Xia Corporation. I’d rather control the entire company independently than be under the Xia family.”
“You’re so young, but you’re quite ambitious.” Lu Shuang looked at the girl who was negotiating with her in a serious manner with great interest. She was clearly not as old as her daughter, but her shrewdness and shrewdness far exceeded Xia Yan’s. “What if I say that if you don’t sign, I won’t let Xia Yan continue working with you?”
“Then I can only express my apologies.”
“He Miao!” Xia Yan hurriedly stopped her, not wanting her to be too harsh. If she were to anger Lu Shuang now, all her previous preparations and efforts would be in vain.
Lu Shuang smiled and glanced at the nervous Xia Yan before saying, “Since that’s what you think, I think I already know why my daughter chose you at the cost of quarreling with me.”
Xia Yan also knew that the contract was unreasonable. She sighed and said, “Mom, I’ll discuss the rest of the matters with He Miao alone. This is a collaboration between me and her. I’ve already thought it through. All the initial start-up funds she needs will still come from my own account and not from the Xia family’s company’s account.”
Lu Shuang raised her eyebrows and glanced at Xia Yan, who had her head lowered and looked sullen. She suddenly smiled and said, “Are you trying to draw a clear line between us?”
“You started it first.”
“Yanyan,” He Miao held her arm, but this time, she was the one who stopped Xia Yan. Facing Lu Shuang’s cold gaze, she coughed dryly and reminded her softly, “President Lu has agreed to our cooperation.”
“What?” Before Xia Yan could react to what she meant, she stared at her mother, who was sitting opposite her and smiling gently. The tears in her eyes almost flowed out. “You agree with my proposal just now?”
Lu Shuang could not bear to see her daughter’s expression, so she nodded in agreement. “I’ve already agreed to it when He Miao fought back against the media.”
“Then, what are you doing today?” Xia Yan was stunned for a moment before she understood Lu Shuang’s intentions.
She was doing this to test He Miao’s determination to create her own brand.
Starting a brand from scratch was not an easy task, not to mention that the person sitting here was a young girl who had not even graduated.
She had already gotten someone to investigate He Miao’s background and knew that she was not in a good position at home. In order to avoid any more complications in the future, she had to minimize the risks. If He Miao was indecisive, then she would not be able to withstand the pressure from the outside world in the future and would not be able to give the Xia family the return on their investment that they deserved.
However, He Miao’s answer was to Lu Shuang’s liking. She picked up the agreement on the table with a kind expression, tore it into pieces, and threw them into the trash can without any hesitation. She stood up and walked out from behind the desk. “Do you want to stay for dinner?”
Xia Yan grinned and could not help but hold He Miao’s arm. This was the first time her mother had taken the initiative to keep a guest she had brought back and the first time she had approved of her plan. It made her feel like she was just an ordinary girl who was doted on by her mother and not the president of the student council who was always being lectured to work hard in order to be worthy of her family’s glory.