Chapter 5: Gu Yichuan Doesn’t Invest in People Who Only Talk

The next morning, Lin Qian received an email from the Gu Group.

No long greeting. Just a list of due diligence requirements for the Haifeng Port project.

It covered cash flow reports, land use rights, the status of contracts, guarantee liabilities, the contractor’s capabilities, and any disputes that might arise.

When Lin Qian finished reading it, she wasn’t annoyed at all. If anything, she felt reassured.

An investor willing to pour in money without checking the risks was the truly frightening kind.

She immediately assembled her expert team.

For two days, the lights in the Lin Group’s meeting room stayed on late into the night. Finance built cash flow scenarios, legal reviewed the contracts, and the technical team assessed whether the project could actually be carried out.

On the third day, a serious problem turned up.

The construction costs in the project file were significantly higher than independent quotes. Some items had been counted twice, while the payment schedule required money to be released before the corresponding inspection milestones were completed.

If they kept going under the current contract, the Lin Group risked heavy losses.

Lin Qian looked at the figures.

“Who recommended this contractor?”

The project director answered:

“The Lu Group introduced them. They said it was a long-time partner.”

“Are there documents proving their capabilities?”

“There are, but most of them haven’t been independently verified.”

Lin Qian closed her laptop.

“Stop approving any payments that aren’t yet due under the contract. Ask the contractor for an explanation, and hire an independent firm to audit the costs. No one is to conclude there’s fraud until there’s enough evidence.”

She understood very well that a single mistake in procedure could get the Lin Group sued in return.

That afternoon, she went to the Gu Group to present her plan.

Gu Yichuan sat at the head of the conference table, his investment director and legal adviser beside him.

He didn’t ask how hard she had worked.

His first question was:

“If the contractor refuses to make changes, what will you do?”

“Go back to the contract and establish each side’s rights and obligations. If there’s a basis, we’ll demand they fix it or take appropriate legal action. If we can’t guarantee the project makes economic sense, we’ll propose replacing the contractor through the proper procedures.”

“And if the Lu Group puts pressure on you, claiming you’re deliberately sabotaging the project?”

“We’ll make public whatever figures can be made public, keep the evidence intact, and let the terms of the contract answer for us.”

Gu Yichuan nodded.

“And if continuing the project costs the Lin Group another fifty billion?”

Lin Qian looked straight at him.

“Then I won’t continue just to prove I was right. The goal is to protect the value of the business, not to win an argument.”

The room was silent for a few seconds.

Gu Yichuan put down his pen.

“You can spot risks, but someone running a business also has to answer for her decisions. I won’t hand you the whole project because of one report.”

Lin Qian smiled.

“I wouldn’t expect you to.”

Her answer surprised the investment director beside him a little.

Gu Yichuan went on:

“The Gu Group will send an independent due diligence team. If the project qualifies, we’ll set up a separate legal entity with clearly defined capital contributions, management rights, and oversight. You can propose the governance structure, but every major decision has to be approved by the board.”

“Fine.”

“You’re not worried about your control being limited?”

“Control doesn’t mean doing whatever you want. If an investor’s money is in the project, they have the right to oversee it. As long as each side’s responsibilities are clear.”

This time, Gu Yichuan genuinely smiled.

“Miss Lin, I’m starting to see why you can make Lu Xi lose his composure.”

Lin Qian raised an eyebrow.

“Maybe because I used to be too easygoing.”

“No.” He looked at her, his tone full of meaning. “Maybe because you always used to give him things he didn’t deserve.”

Lin Qian didn’t answer right away.

She didn’t know how much Gu Yichuan understood, but this man was clearly not as simple as he looked.

Just then, her phone buzzed.

Her secretary had sent an urgent message.

The Lu Group had just issued a press release claiming that Lin Qian had unilaterally pulled out of the Haifeng project, causing losses for its partners and putting hundreds of workers at risk of losing their jobs.

Right after, a wave of social media accounts began spreading claims that the Lin family was deliberately abandoning the project out of personal revenge.

Lin Qian finished reading, and her eyes turned cold.

Gu Yichuan received a report from his assistant as well.

“Looks like the other side doesn’t plan to wait for us to finish due diligence.”

Lin Qian stood up.

“Then we don’t need to waste time either.”

She had the communications team prepare a response, but without releasing confidential data or attacking anyone personally. Legal, meanwhile, examined the Lu Group’s press release, checked it against the contractual obligations, and demanded corrections to any false content where there were grounds.

Before she left the meeting room, Gu Yichuan called her back.

“Lin Qian.”

She turned.

“Do you know why I agreed to give you a chance?”

“Because of my report?”

“Partly.”

He stood and straightened his cuffs.

“The rest is because you didn’t try to hide what was bad for you. People who admit the risks are usually more trustworthy than people who only talk about success.”

Lin Qian smiled.

“Then I hope this partnership won’t disappoint you.”

Gu Yichuan watched her walk out.

He didn’t know yet how far Lin Qian would go.

But he was starting to get curious.

A girl once famous for her blind love had, in just a few days, changed the way she behaved, combed through the finances, and faced a crisis with a clear head.

What on earth had she been through?