Chapter 244 Something's Wrong

They demanded that Su Qing use 15% of the original shares of the Su Group under his name as a personal joint liability guarantee.

This is a high-stakes gamble that puts everything on the line.

The 15% initial shareholding was her core asset in establishing herself within the Su Group.

If the IPO review fails next week, or if there is any mishap in the funding chain during the process, the venture capital firm will immediately trigger the agreement to force liquidation.

At that time, she will not only lose her position as president, but also hand over control of the company to others, and be burdened with huge debts that she can never repay in several lifetimes.

But Su Qing did not hesitate and signed the document directly.

As long as the Su Group can successfully ring the bell on Nasdaq and double its market value, this bridge loan interest is negligible. What she needs most right now is time.

"Don't worry, Mr. Su, the contract has been filed separately." Old Chen agreed and left the office.

After the door closed, Su Qing picked up the now-cold black coffee on the table and took a big gulp.

The bitter liquid slid down her throat, stimulating her nerves.

The crisis has been temporarily averted. The biggest obstacle to listing in the US has been completely removed.

She picked up her pen again, pulled over a plan outlining the roadshow schedule, and prepared to sign it.

The internal phone on my desk rang.

"Mr. Su, would you like a fresh cup of hot coffee?" came the voice of his assistant, Xiao Li.

"Bring in a cup, double the espresso." Su Qing pressed the speakerphone button, answered casually, and continued looking down at the documents in her hand.

A few minutes later, Xiao Li pushed open the door and came in carrying a steaming cup of black coffee.

"Put it on the table." Su Qing didn't look up, her pen quickly scribbling across the paper as she signed her name.

Suddenly, she felt a strange heat coming from deep inside her nasal cavity, followed by a faint metallic taste at the back of her throat.

She didn't pay attention, thinking it was just the air conditioning making her skin too dry. She sniffed and prepared to turn the page.

"Clatter".

A very faint sound.

A drop of warm liquid fell from the tip of her nose and landed directly on the white A4 sheet of printed paper in front of her.

The bright red color spread rapidly across the white paper.

Su Qing was stunned.

She subconsciously raised her hand and touched her philtrum. Her fingertips touched a warm, moist patch.

"Oh my! Mr. Su, you're bleeding from your nose!" Xiao Li, who was standing next to him putting out coffee, was startled and exclaimed in surprise. He quickly pulled out a few tissues from the tissue box on the table and handed them over in a flurry.

Su Qing realized what was happening, took the tissue and covered her nose, tilting her head back slightly.

The blood was flowing quite fast, and it quickly soaked through the first tissue.

Su Qing frowned, took out two more tissues to replace them, and pinched the cartilage of her nose bridge with her fingers to apply pressure and stop the bleeding.

"Mr. Su, you're bleeding a lot. Should I get the car ready right away and take you to the emergency room at the First Municipal Hospital?" Xiao Li looked at the glaring bright red on the tissue, his face pale, his voice full of worry.

"No need." Su Qing's voice sounded a little muffled because she was pinching her nose, but her tone was decisive. "It's nothing, why go to the hospital?"

"But this blood..."

"The air conditioner is set too high, and the air is too dry. Plus, I've been staying up late every night these past few days, so I'm a little feverish," Su Qing interrupted Xiao Li.

She kept her head tilted back and pointed to the bloodstained document on the table.

"Take this proposal to the shredder, make a clean copy, and bring it to me for my signature."

Seeing Su Qing's resolute attitude, Xiao Li dared not persuade her any further. He could only nod, take the soiled document, and leave.

After leaning back in the chair for about five or six minutes, Su Qing felt the warmth in her nasal cavity gradually subside.

She removed the tissue and glanced at the wound; the bleeding had stopped.

Su Qing stood up, threw the blood-stained tissue into the trash can, and turned to walk into the private restroom inside the office.

She turned on the tap, scooped up the cold tap water, patted it on her face, and washed away the trace of blood that remained on her lips.

The cool water stimulated her skin, which cleared her mind considerably.

Su Qing looked up at the large mirror above the sink.

The woman in the mirror, though wearing an expensive haute couture suit, didn't look well.

His face was ashen, and the dark circles under his eyes were so pronounced that even concealer couldn't cover them. His lips were chapped, and his eyes showed deep weariness.

Su Qing stared at herself in the mirror for a while.

She really didn't take the nosebleed to heart.

In her view, people are like machines, constantly operating at high loads, so it's perfectly normal for them to occasionally have minor malfunctions.

After flying to the United States next week, completing the bell-ringing ceremony, and settling everything down, she will naturally have plenty of time to go on vacation and take care of herself.

At this critical juncture, even if we have to collapse, we have to wait until the matter is settled before we collapse.

She took a lipstick from the sink drawer and carefully applied it to her lips, using the vibrant color to forcefully suppress the paleness.

After tidying herself up, Su Qing left the restroom and sat back down at her desk.

She picked up the hot coffee that Xiao Li had just brought in, took a sip, picked up the phone next to her, and dialed Lawyer Wang's number.

The phone was answered after ringing twice.

"President Su," Attorney Wang's stern voice came through.

"Attorney Wang, I've finished dealing with the urgent matters at the company. What's the current status of Tuantuan's custody case?" Su Qing went straight to the point.

Although Su Qing had to temporarily withdraw due to the company's sudden crisis, she never forgot about Lin Fan.

"Mr. Su, we submitted the lawsuit to the district court the day before yesterday. Because the materials were prepared very well, the court has officially accepted the case and is currently scheduling the pre-litigation mediation process."

Attorney Wang reported to the supervisor on the other end of the phone.

"I will not accept any form of mediation. Tell the court to proceed directly to the formal trial."

Su Qing's tone was icy. "I don't have time to waste with him."

"Okay, I will submit an application to the judge to refuse mediation." Attorney Wang paused, his tone becoming very serious.

"However, Mr. Su, our law firm's investigation team has conducted a supplementary investigation into Lin Fan's current financial situation and social connections over the past few days. The situation is very complicated."

"How is it so troublesome?" Su Qing's hand, holding the coffee cup, froze in mid-air.

"His 'Lin Family Shop's' revenue figures are simply outrageously high."

Attorney Wang lowered his voice, his tone revealing a hint of disbelief.

"We had someone compile statistics on his shop's daily revenue. A bowl of noodles sells for 180 yuan, and a dish of braised sea cucumber with scallions is even priced at 2,888 yuan, and it's always in short supply."

"Conservatively estimated, that unassuming little shop makes over 100,000 yuan in net profit per day, and several million yuan in net profit per month!"

Attorney Wang continued, "What's even more problematic is the store's customer base. Our original plan was to attack him in court for being 'from the bottom of society and unable to provide his children with a high-quality social circle.'"