The ancient war between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in a wealthy family

Mr. Zheng's sudden appearance made my heart tighten. I couldn't tell from his smile whether it was congratulations or a test. I put down my teacup, straightened my back, and met his gaze. "Mr. Zheng, please take a seat."

He slowly sat down, his eyes flicking back and forth between me and Zhan Yu, finally resting on my face. "Ms. Bai, your performance is truly impressive. You turned the tide at this press conference and earned the Zhan family valuable reputation."

"This is what I should do." I responded lightly, trying to stay calm.

"It should be done?" Shareholder Zheng chuckled. "Ms. Bai is too modest. However, the success of the press conference is only the first step. Next, how to consolidate the results will be the real test."

I knew he had something else in mind, so I asked directly, "What advice does Shareholder Zheng have?"

He dropped his smile and turned serious. "Ms. Bai, I've reviewed your business plan before. Honestly, it's very risky. While this press conference may have turned things around, the market is constantly changing, and no one can guarantee what the future holds."

"Shareholder Zheng's concerns are not without reason," Zhan Yu said. "But we have conducted sufficient market research and risk assessment, and we believe this plan is feasible."

"Market research and risk assessment?" Shareholder Zheng raised an eyebrow. "Talking on paper is ultimately no match for actual implementation. Ms. Bai, how can you guarantee that your plan will be successfully implemented and bring in the expected returns?"

I took a deep breath and explained to shareholder Zheng the details of the subsequent implementation of the business plan, including marketing, product development, team building, etc. I tried to use concise and clear language, supporting specific data and cases, striving to make him understand that my plan was not just a castle in the air.

Shareholder Zheng listened attentively, nodding occasionally, but his brow remained furrowed. After I finished speaking, he was silent for a moment, then said, "Ms. Bai, your plan is sound, but market risks remain. We need to be even more cautious, especially with funding."

His words hit a sore spot. Funding has always been the biggest challenge for this plan. I was about to explain when he raised his hand to interrupt me. "Ms. Bai, I'm not questioning your ability. I just hope you can understand that as a shareholder, I must be responsible for the interests of the company."

His tone, though calm, held an undeniable firmness. A sense of powerlessness welled up within me, and I recalled the moment I faced the beautiful spy. Back then, I was dealing with national interests. Now, I was facing the future of my family business. I needed to be just as resolute as I was then.

"Shareholder Zheng," my voice became firm again, "I understand your concerns. Regarding the funding issue, I have a new solution..." I was about to explain my new plan in detail when the office door was pushed open again. Zhan Yu's assistant hurried in, his face pale, "Mr. Zhan, this is not good..."

The assistant's face was pale, like a piece of crumpled and then barely smoothed paper, and my heart sank. "What's wrong?" Zhan Yu's voice was also tense.

"The Li Group... The Li Group suddenly announced they were entering our field, and..." The assistant swallowed hard, uttering the second half of the sentence with difficulty, "And their plan is... almost identical to ours."

My blood froze. The Li Group, our biggest competitor, was far superior to us. If they truly wanted to compete with us, it would be a difficult battle.

My mind raced with possibilities, a thousand thoughts racing through my head. The press conference had barely ended, and already our plans had been leaked? Who was it? A mole? Or…

For a moment, I was transported back a few years, facing that charming yet dangerous spy. Back then, I shouldered the nation's interests, treading on thin ice with every step. Their tactics were cunning and unpredictable, and I lived under immense pressure almost daily. But I never flinched, because I knew my motherland and its people were at my back.

Today, although what I face is not the interests of the country, but the future of the Zhan family, the dream shared by Zhan Yu and I. I told myself that I must be as determined as I was then and not be defeated by any difficulties.

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to calm down. "Show me the Li Group's plan." My voice was surprisingly calm, surprising even myself.

The assistant quickly handed me a document. I quickly glanced through it, my expression growing increasingly gloomy. The Li Group's proposal was indeed very similar to ours, even more complete in some details.

When shareholder Zheng saw this, his expression turned serious. "It seems we're in trouble."

I put down the documents, looked up, and looked at Shareholder Zheng with a determined gaze. "Shareholder Zheng, the problem is real, but it's not unsolvable. I anticipated the emergence of a competitor, so I prepared a detailed risk assessment and developed a response plan."

I pulled a thick folder from my bag and handed it to shareholder Zheng. "Here's my risk assessment report and response plan. Please review it."

Shareholder Zheng took the folder and flipped through it carefully. His brow was still furrowed, but his expression had begun to relax. I noticed his gaze lingered for a long time on the sections on "Emergency Fund Reserve" and "Alternative Cooperation Plans."

Time passed by minute by minute, and the office was so quiet that only the sound of turning pages could be heard. My heart also rose and fell with each turn of the page.

Finally, Shareholder Zheng closed the folder and looked up at me. "Ms. Bai, your report and proposal truly demonstrate your foresight and preparedness. But..." He paused, and my heart sank again. "I still need some time to consider..." He hadn't finished when my phone suddenly rang, the word "father" flashing on the screen...

The father's voice on the phone was low and serious, even with a barely perceptible tremor: "Son, your mother...she is ill."

For a moment, my heart felt like it was being tightly grasped by an invisible hand, and I could barely breathe. My mother's health had always been poor, and this was my biggest worry. Now...

I fought back a sob and asked as calmly as I could: "What's going on? Is it serious?"

My father's voice became even deeper: "The doctor said... the situation is not optimistic. Surgery is needed as soon as possible."

I took a deep breath, trying to control the tears that were about to burst. "I'll be right back."

After hanging up the phone, I looked at Mr. Zheng, my lips trembling slightly. "Mr. Zheng, I'm very sorry. I have an emergency at home and need to leave immediately."

Mr. Zheng looked at my pale face and red eyes, and seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation. "Miss Bai, family matters are more important. Go take care of them."

I nodded, picked up my bag, and almost ran away from the office. Zhan Yu chased me out and grabbed my hand, his eyes full of worry: "What's wrong? What happened?"

I choked up and told him the news that my mother was ill. Zhan Yu's face changed, and he held my hand tightly: "Don't worry, we will go back together."

When I returned to the Bai family and saw my mother lying on the hospital bed, I couldn't hold back my tears any longer. My mother's face was as pale as paper, her breathing was weak, and my heart felt like it was being cut by a knife.

The surgery lasted a full five hours, and I waited anxiously outside the operating room. Every second felt like torture, my mother's kind smile constantly flashing through my mind, and my heart felt like it was hanging in mid-air, beating like a drum.

Finally, the operating room door opened and the doctor came out. I hurried over and asked anxiously, "Doctor, how is my mother?"

The doctor took off his mask and said tiredly, "The operation was successful, and the patient is out of danger, but..." He paused, and my heart sank again. "The patient needs to rest and cannot be exposed to any stimulation."

Hearing that my mother was out of danger, I finally felt relieved. I held Zhan Yu's hand tightly, tears silently falling.

Back at the Zhan family, I lay exhausted in bed, physically and mentally exhausted. My mother's illness and the competition from the Li Group all put me under tremendous pressure.

Zhan Yu gently held me in his arms. His embrace was warm and strong, giving me unlimited strength.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine." His voice was low and gentle, like a soothing piece of music, soothing my inner anxiety.

The next day, I pulled myself together and returned to the company. Shareholder Zheng was already waiting for me there.

"Ms. Bai, regarding your business plan..." said shareholder Zheng.

I took a deep breath and prepared myself for his questioning.

"I have decided to support your plan." Shareholder Zheng's tone was firm and powerful.

I was stunned and couldn't believe my ears.

"After careful consideration, I believe your plan is promising and you have proven your ability," shareholder Zheng continued.

I was ecstatic and all the stress just melted away.

Over the next few days, I threw myself into the work, calling together all the company departments, explaining the business plan in detail, and developing a specific implementation plan.

Thanks to the joint efforts of all employees, our business plan was successfully launched and achieved remarkable results in a small market.

Seeing these results, Mr. Zheng and other shareholders are full of confidence in my plan.

Finally, all shareholders supported the business plan.

However, market competition remains fierce, and the Li Group is eyeing it covetously.

I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in the conference room of Zhanjia Enterprise, overlooking the night view of the city, my heart filled with passion for challenges.

The battle for market share this quarter has entered a fierce stage, and I know that I cannot slack off at all.

I returned to my desk, picked up the market research report, and began to study it carefully... My eyes fell on a set of data in the report, and my brows furrowed slightly... The secretary pushed the door open, holding a document in her hand, "Mr. Bai..."