novelraw Chapter 473: Debt Crisis, Imperial College London
Chapter 473: Debt Crisis, Imperial College London
6:30 AM.
After a night of autumn rain, the temperature had actually begun to rise.
Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, lighting up the entire bedroom.
Shen Yuyan slowly sat up from the soft bed, a trace of drowsiness still lingering on her face.
Even though it was the weekend yesterday, she’d worked late into the night.
The partnership with Xucheng Property was basically finalized, but their demands were quite strict—they wanted a custom service package.
Now that Zhang Tianqi had completely stopped handling company affairs, and Hou Shaoyuan had fully withdrawn, she was the only manager left at the company.
All business and development decisions had to be overseen by her personally.
Although she now held "full control," the pressure was far greater than she had imagined.
But as long as she could fulfill the terms of the betting agreement, everything would get better.Yawning, Shen Yuyan threw off the blanket and sat at the edge of the bed, picking up the phone on the bedside table. After unlocking it, she habitually tapped on Tang Song’s chat window.
Seeing the few recent messages there, she couldn’t help but sigh.
Over the weekend, she had sent Tang Song several messages—
She talked to him about Qingning Tech’s product launch, the impact of AI across different fields, sent him selfies, and even invited him out for a meal.
But without exception, he turned her down, saying he was busy.
And his replies were all very perfunctory.
For someone like her—always popular, proud, and confident—it was a heavy blow.
It made her start to doubt herself.
If it were before, she definitely wouldn’t have kept pushing it, wouldn’t have continued humiliating herself. But now...
Scenes of Tang Song kept flashing in her mind.
Him standing on the roadshow stage, walking out of the elevator with the due diligence team, being surrounded at Lanfeng International Hotel, appearing at the international fashion expo with Zheng Qiudong...
Her breathing gradually grew uneven, a light flush rising to her cheeks. She couldn’t help getting a little dirty-minded.
The current Tang Song, in her eyes, was full of mystery and allure.
For the first time in her life, a man had made her feel a kind of irresistible attraction.
Lost in thought, Shen Yuyan tapped on Tang Song’s chat box.
She typed: “Good morning~ A new day has begun! By the way, the weekend’s over—still busy? (#playful)”
After hitting send, Shen Yuyan muttered under her breath, “F**king simp.”
The moment those words left her mouth, her eyes widened, and tears hovered at the corners.
Tang Song’s attitude always left her anxious and unsure—not taking the initiative, but not rejecting her either.
That push-pull feeling made her both frustrated and addicted. It felt like a well-designed game, and she couldn’t tell if she was the hunter or the prey.
And then there was Qingqing—her best friend—which made everything more tangled and conflicted.
Sometimes, Shen Yuyan would scold herself for being pathetic. But still, she couldn’t stop wanting to be close to him.
After sending the message, Shen Yuyan got up and began her usual routine of washing up and skincare.
But her eyes kept drifting to her phone screen, waiting for Tang Song’s reply.
Dingdong———
【Tang Song: “The most important stuff is done. What about you? I heard from Qingqing that Youjie Services landed a big client—the second round of funding is almost in.”】
Shen Yuyan’s eyes lit up instantly, and she replied quickly: “Yup, I’m the only one left from the founding team now. Super busy. But things are going well. We’ve basically hit the user target. As long as the performance keeps up, Youjie Services will be on the right track.”
【Tang Song: “(#thumbsup) School Belle Shen is amazing—looks like you’ve already succeeded in entrepreneurship. Total boss woman.”】
Seeing his compliment, Shen Yuyan’s face lit up with an excited smile.
She had made up her mind to "pursue" Tang Song, but she didn’t want to do it as a loser or some desperate groupie.
Her decision to join the Yanzhao Youth Entrepreneurship Support Program, and to keep propping up Youjie Services—was all for the sake of strengthening her resume.
After a few more casual exchanges,
Shen Yuyan’s smile grew brighter and brighter.
It felt like Tang Song was especially talkative today—and replying super fast.
Rubbing her fingers, Shen Yuyan quickly walked to the full-length mirror.
She opened her phone’s camera, adjusted her posture, and angled her body slightly toward the lens.
One hand gently lifted the hem of her loose white T-shirt, revealing her toned, flat stomach and faint V-line abs.
The other hand naturally brushed the hair near her ear, giving off a lazy just-woke-up vibe.
Snap—the photo was taken.
She looked at it and still felt it wasn’t seductive enough.
After thinking it over, she simply pulled off her thin sleep shorts, keeping only the loose T-shirt and underwear, and took another shot.
She cropped the photo just at the edge of her underwear, then used an editing app to adjust the lighting and filter, making the image appear softer and more alluring.
Very soon, a pure-yet-sexy morning selfie was complete.
Biting her lip, Shen Yuyan sent the photo to Tang Song on WeChat.
She typed carefully: “Eek, just realized my abs are back again, haha~ Allow me to show off a little. After all, this is the result of hard work at the gym. (#blackha)”
Just before sending, she hesitated for a second and deliberately deleted the smiley face at the end, replacing it with a playful period.
Like a test. Or a show of restraint.
She set her phone down, heart beating a little faster.
Her EQ and IQ were both high. She knew how to use her strengths to get his attention. She also knew that men had the weakest resistance toward this kind of teasing ambiguity.
Buzz buzz buzz—
【Tang Song: “Working this hard and still this self-disciplined—no wonder School Belle Shen has such a great figure. Haha, when you have time, keep an eye on Qingqing, get her to work out with you.”】
Seeing his reply, Shen Yuyan’s eyes sparkled as she responded: “Hehe, thanks for the compliment! As for Qingqing~ that silly girl is super lazy, and only interested in one kind of exercise.”
【Tang Song: “Oh? What kind of exercise?”】
Shen Yuyan deliberately didn’t reply right away. Instead, she applied her eye cream and wiped her fingers clean—
then slowly typed word by word: “Bedroom workouts. That one I can’t help her with.”
Then she sent a side-eye smirk emoji.
【Tang Song: “You’re so wild.gif”】
Seeing the sticker he sent, Shen Yuyan twitched slightly, her face turning a little red.
Just then—
Click—Oh no——— The bedroom door suddenly opened.
Xu Qing walked in, still groggy, wearing cartoon pajamas. “Yanyan, what are we having for breakfast?”
Shen Yuyan’s face instantly turned awkward. She hurriedly put her phone away. “I’ll go downstairs later and buy soy milk and youtiao.”
“Mm-hmm, thanks for the hard work, babe!” Xu Qing hugged her best friend, tilted her head, and glanced at her smooth, bare long legs with envy. “We’re not even that far apart in height, so why do your legs look so much longer than mine?”
“It’s all about body proportions~” Shen Yuyan smiled playfully and opened her wardrobe to get dressed.
Xu Qing flopped face-first onto the bed, pouting miserably. “Yanyan, what should I do? That brat Xiaojing has gotten insanely sly out of nowhere. I don’t even dare talk to her anymore, but she keeps clinging to me.”
Ever since she got caught, Xiaojing had become her personal nightmare—the kind that made her wake up in cold sweats.
Shen Yuyan buttoned up her shirt and pulled on her slacks, then turned to say, “You two are going to have to lay things out eventually. She’s also Tang Song’s girlfriend. It’s not a bad idea to smooth things over early.”
Xu Qing twisted around on the bed. “Ugh, I don’t want to hang out with her!”
“I meant as friends. Why do I feel like your brain’s full of dirty thoughts? Xiaojing doesn’t really have any bad intentions. Getting along with her could actually be good for you.”
“You don’t know how pervy she is! Last night she wanted to talk to me about H-manga plots.”
Shen Yuyan shot her a look. “You write ecchi novels yourself and you’re calling her pervy?”
“That’s different! She... she…” Xu Qing’s face turned red, stammering.
She hadn’t told Yanyan the full truth about Xiaojing—some of it was way too twisted. Like that “threesome” thing, or “belt discipline”…
Now that she’d been exposed, Xiaojing had leverage on her. She had no choice but to keep chatting with her—it was beyond humiliating.
Xu Qing had stayed up late writing last night, venting by brutally punishing Bai Jing in her novel, which helped a little.
“All right, I’m going downstairs to grab breakfast. Go get yourself ready.” Shen Yuyan patted her head and turned to leave.
Xu Qing grumbled and sat up slowly.
Buzz buzz buzz—— Her phone vibrated.
【Xiaojing: “Qingqing-jie, my boyfriend’s coming to our office this afternoon for a meeting. I wanna play some little games with him. Do you think we should do it in the office? Or maybe the hallway of the office building? It’s been so long—I can’t wait to get punished.”】
Xu Qing’s face went stiff. She quickly replied: “Don’t you dare! What if someone catches you in the office?!”
That jerk Xiao Song might be annoying sometimes, but he treated her really well.
If he actually got brainwashed by Xiaojing and turned into a real pervert, she’d be the one suffering later!
【Xiaojing: “That’s the thrill! So exciting! Qingqing-jie, you and your boyfriend should try it sometime. Super fun~”】
“Ahh! Pervert Xiaojing!” Xu Qing’s face turned beet red. She rolled across the bed a few times, then grabbed a pillow and smashed it into her phone screen.
.....
Yanjing Huating — Luxury Flat
Inside a beautiful, glamorous walk-in closet—
“Hahaha—”
Xiaojing leaned against the wardrobe, laughing uncontrollably.
“Aiya!” A platinum ring slipped from her hand and dropped to the floor.
She quickly crouched down to pick it up, looking at the little gift and thinking about Tang Song’s slender, smooth manga-artist hands. Her legs instinctively squeezed together.
It had been so long since they last met. Sure, they still had their remote playtime, but that was nothing compared to the real thing.
Hehe! Once they meet again, she’s definitely going to nibble on those hands.
Licking her lips, Xiaojing put the ring away and started picking out her outfit for the day. Updates are released by novel[f]ire.net
Rustle—the sound of undressing.
Her glowing fair skin seemed to brighten the entire closet.
She held up different outfits in front of her, spinning around in the mirror completely bare—gorgeous from every angle.
(≥V≤)
Brother Tang Song will definitely love it!
After getting dressed and checking the time, Xiaojing hummed a tune and walked out to the dining room.
The air was filled with the delicious aroma of breakfast.
Chinese-style porridge and dim sum sat alongside Western-style bread—rich and warm.
“Good morning, dear Mom and Dad.” Xiaojing smiled sweetly as she greeted them.
“Sweetie, come eat! We were just about to call you.” Her mother, Chen Man, waved her over.
Xiaojing smiled and sat down next to her mom, picking up a piece of toasted cranberry bread and eating it slowly while scrolling on her phone.
The family quietly enjoyed breakfast together in a warm, peaceful atmosphere.
After a while—
“Jingjing.” Her father, You Chengye, suddenly spoke, his voice low and serious.
Xiaojing looked up, playful as ever, “What’s up, Old Tian?”
But You Chengye’s face remained tense. “How are things going between you and Tang Song lately? Are you still together?”
Hearing the question, Chen Man also looked over with curiosity.
Xiaojing froze for a second, then casually replied, “Everything’s been great. We’re doing fine.”
Her answer was breezy, and she didn’t elaborate.
You Chengye continued, “Oh? I heard he never came to see you once while you were in Beijing?”
Xiaojing frowned, her tone a little annoyed, “Who told you that? Huahua? Or Qi Wen?”
You Chengye’s eye twitched slightly. “Doesn’t matter who said it—I just feel like he doesn’t seem that invested in you.”
Xiaojing put down her toast, her tone cooling. “Didn’t we agree not to interfere in my personal life? And Old Tian, talking behind people’s backs isn’t your style—that’s something you taught me not to do.”
An awkward look appeared on You Chengye’s face.
“I know what I’m doing. Neither of you needs to worry.”
“Let’s eat, let’s eat,” Chen Man quickly tried to smooth things over. “Jingjing, your dad and I are just worried about you.”
“Hmph.” Xiaojing huffed and started eating faster.
After a few more bites, she stood up. “I’m full.”
“Wait, there’s something else,” You Chengye stopped her, pausing a moment before speaking softly. “Jingjing, I met with Lin Jingming from Sushong Dynamics last night. He said you two know each other—fairly well, apparently.”
Xiaojing answered nonchalantly, “Oh? We’ve met once. You could call it ‘knowing each other.’”
You Chengye spoke earnestly, “Sushong Dynamics is doing really well. They’re in the spotlight right now, getting a ton of attention. Lin Jingming is a brilliant young entrepreneur—his resume is exceptional. Out of all the people I’ve met over the years, he’s among the top tier.
He’s only 31, co-founded a $500 million-valued new energy company, and has received government fund backing. The future’s wide open for him.”
Xiaojing looked up, alert. “What are you trying to say, Old You?”
You Chengye cleared his throat. “Nothing in particular. I just hope you’ll connect with people like him more. Don’t let personal feelings cause you to miss better opportunities.”
“I’m going to work. Bye.” Xiaojing pushed her chair back into place and walked toward her bedroom without looking back.
Chen Man reached out to stop her but ended up sighing and saying nothing.
She turned to her husband and complained, “You know how stubborn she is. Why bring it up?”
You Chengye’s face was somber. His voice held helplessness. “I’m just thinking about Jingjing’s future. I want her to be happy.”
Chen Man asked anxiously, “Things aren’t going well on your end, are they?”
You Chengye sighed and nodded slowly. “Yeah. It’s serious. I may have to sell off my shares in Jinxiu Commerce.”
“What?” Chen Man was stunned. “Didn’t you say Jinxiu Commerce was likely to go public soon? And Jingjing’s working there too!”
You Chengye shook his head grimly. “No choice—the situation came out of nowhere.”
He was only 47 this year, still in his prime, and he still had the ambition to move upward.
A few years back, he started investing in new energy and semiconductor companies, following national policy trends.
Among them, Hueneng Electronics in Hangzhou had seen the fastest growth—
This company owned several high-quality patented technologies, and the team showed great potential, having developed a very promising technical roadmap.
Starting last year, You Chengye gradually bought out shares from other shareholders and invested a large amount of capital. Now, he held 63% of the shares, making him the largest shareholder.
To support the company’s development, he even personally guaranteed loans totaling over 200 million, betting everything on this one company.
However, the manufacturing process turned out to be far more complex than expected, and issues with yield rate remained unresolved.
Several previously signed contracts had to be broken at a loss, and the company’s cash flow was on the verge of collapse.
He had gone to Hangzhou on Qixi just to deal with this matter, running himself ragged, but in the end, he was powerless to turn things around.
Due to his personal guarantee, he was now responsible for repaying the massive debt.
And the only quality asset in his hands that could be quickly liquidated was his equity in Jinxiu Commerce.
Thinking of this, You Chengye felt a wave of tightness in his chest.
Originally, he had planned to transfer those shares to Xiaojing in a few years, helping her rise within Jinxiu Commerce and eventually become a senior executive or even a board member when the company went public.
He hadn’t expected things to turn out this way.
At the same time, Zhongcheng Group had been in a continued decline due to the overall slump in real estate, and the recent Zhongyun Dairy scandal had only made things worse.
His personal assets were shrinking at an alarming rate. Every step he took now was like walking on thin ice.
He wasn’t intentionally trying to interfere in Xiaojing’s personal life—but the current crisis forced him to re-evaluate every possible opportunity.
The appearance of Lin Jingming—and his undisguised interest in Xiaojing—made You Chengye waver. He also hoped his daughter could live a better life in the future.
......
Confluent Capital — Executive Assistant’s Office
The soft sound of pages turning echoed from time to time.
Lin Muxue’s face showed a look of inner struggle.
After a while, she took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and said, “It’s decided then! Imperial College London! I’m not changing my mind!”
“That’s definitely the best choice,” Zhang Lili across from her smiled and said. “Imperial’s Global MBA is one of the top-tier programs among online MBAs. The degree is exactly the same as the full-time MBA—no ‘online’ label, and the legal validity is identical.”
“Mhm!” Lin Muxue nodded firmly, a relieved expression spreading across her face.
Finally making a decision allowed her anxious heart to settle.
She pulled out the introduction to Imperial College’s Global MBA from the folder, her smile growing ever brighter.
The curriculum was the same as the full-time program, with all learning done online, requiring only 1–2 weeks per year in London for in-person activities.
Perfect for working professionals who wanted to upgrade their education and management skills.
Imperial College London was one of the UK's G5 elite universities, globally top-ranked, and #6 in the QS World University Rankings.
Its business school had a stellar reputation, especially in finance, technology, and innovation management.
It also boasted a strong alumni network, particularly in Europe and Asia.
Although its name wasn’t as familiar as Harvard or Cambridge, it was absolutely the best fit for her.
Plus, she liked the word “Imperial”—it matched her identity as Muxue the Empress!
The more a person lacked something, the more they craved it.
Now that she had filled the biggest gap in her résumé, she felt like she’d even have more confidence going to the bathroom.
Thinking of this, Lin Muxue twisted her long legs, her flushed face full of excitement.
If Tang Mi were here, she'd definitely have to mount and ride him around a bit to vent her mood.
Just then—
Knock knock knock—
The door opened without waiting for a response.
Tang Song walked in, wearing a casual dress shirt.
“President Tang!”
“President Tang!”
“President Tang!” The two of them quickly stood up, voices slightly tense.
Tang Song walked over, his tone steady and composed. “Assistant Lin, notify the Huashang Fashion project team—meeting at 10 a.m. in Conference Room T1.”
“Yes, President Tang!” Lin Muxue quickly replied, casually tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, her expression a little awkward.
She had just been fantasizing—and now he was standing right in front of her.
Looking at his handsome face, Lin Muxue felt a tickle in her heart.
Tang Song nodded slightly and turned to head into the president’s office.
Reports on acquisition progress were neatly arranged on the desk, categorized in order.
He flipped through a few pages casually, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
Thanks to the efforts of the professional team, the accurate valuation model for Huashang Fashion had been completed.
Confluent Capital had reached a preliminary agreement with Dingyun Investment and Chengrong Group to acquire their combined 14.4% stake at a 10% premium.
In addition, four small shareholders had confirmed their intention to sell.
Once the deal was completed, Tang Song would hold a combined 55.4% stake through both personal and corporate holdings—officially becoming the company’s majority shareholder and naturally gaining control of the board.
Of course, that was only the first step.
The He Jingping family still held 40.4%, giving them veto power on major decisions.
The next goal was to dilute their stake below 33%.
Originally, that was an extremely complex and difficult task.
Even using a capital increase and share expansion approach required more than two-thirds voting approval—impossible to proceed without He Jingping’s consent.
Other methods like splitting equity or converting capital reserves to equity would take massive amounts of time and cost.
But Tang Song didn’t have time to waste.
His goal in acquiring Huashang Fashion was to support the rapid growth of Songmei Fashion—not to get caught in endless boardroom games.
Eventually, Confluent Capital locked in on the idea of convertible bonds.
As a heavy-asset company, Huashang Fashion had long operated under high leverage due to production line upgrades, inventory pressure, and lengthy receivables cycles.
Two years ago, the company had signed a convertible bond agreement with a private equity firm.
This type of bond carried an option clause that allowed the holder to convert it into equity under certain conditions.
Tang Song’s plan was simple: acquire that convertible bond agreement, then use his majority shareholder status to forcefully trigger the "debt-to-equity" clause—thereby diluting He Jingping’s shares.
Even better, CEO Wu Wei’s “rebellion” made everything even easier.
Tang Song pulled out the report submitted by the due diligence team, eyes scanning the key points, his mood brightening further.
Global Connect Trade Limited.
Knock knock knock—
“Come in.” Tang Song looked up.
The door opened gently.
Click, click, click—
Wearing a professional skirt suit, Lin Muxue swayed her slim waist and stepped in with a graceful, light stride.
“President Tang, the meeting notifications have all been sent.” Lin Muxue stood before the desk, her voice soft yet professionally composed.
Her delicate features, bold makeup, and fashionable office look made her appear elegant, alluring, and undeniably sexy.
“Mm, thank you.” Tang Song put the documents down, leaning slightly back in his chair, making no effort to hide the appreciation in his gaze.
Having such a beautiful, sexy assistant really did make work more enjoyable.
Sensing she had more to say, Tang Song asked, “Is there something else?”
Lin Muxue hesitated for a moment, then took a step closer and said softly, “President Tang, about the school and program you mentioned before… I’ve made my decision.”
“Oh? Which one?”
“Imperial College London’s Global MBA—is that okay?” Lin Muxue pressed her lips together, eyes full of anticipation.
Tang Song nodded with a smile, “Of course it’s okay. I’ll arrange for someone to handle it. You’ll just need to provide some personal info later.”
“Got it, President Tang!” Lin Muxue’s cheeks flushed with excitement, her voice brimming with uncontainable joy.
Tang Song blinked and encouraged her, “Go for it, Assistant Lin. Once your enrollment is confirmed, I’ll give you a special gift—you’ll absolutely love it.”
“A special gift?” Lin Muxue gasped softly, her eyes instantly glistening.
Not only helping her pursue a degree, but even giving her a gift—how could she not fall for him?
If it weren’t in the office… well… actually, the office wasn’t off-limits either...
Biting her lip hard, Lin Muxue boldly sat down on Tang Song’s lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Thank you, President Tang. You’ve been so good to me!”
Seeing that Tang Song didn’t push her away—instead wrapping an arm around her waist—
Lin Muxue instantly beamed, her lips gently pressing against his, her curvy hips swaying ever so slightly.
Inside the 50th-floor luxury office in the financial center—
Just after receiving an offer from one of the world’s top universities, now straddling her heartthrob under her—
Lin Muxue felt like she was floating, completely intoxicated, like she was about to fly.