The prior votes from these minor shareholders had not carried much weight.
The next five individuals were the crucial ones.
Led by Gao Yan, several individuals held five to six percent of the shares.
In contrast, the dozen or so minor shareholders previously mentioned mostly owned one percent of the shares, some even less than zero point five percent.
Liu Mei had already spoken with these shareholders beforehand, confident they would support her.
With this thought, a confident smile appeared on Liu Mei's face.
Gao Yan cleared his throat, about to speak, when Yang Shan suddenly interjected, "Director Gao, you should think carefully before making a decision. If you vote against Liu Mei, it will be difficult for you to navigate the company in the future."
"When did the board meetings start allowing outsiders to voice opinions and vote?" Chen Jie asked calmly.
"Hmph, even if I don't say it, Director Gao will make the correct choice. I'm just reminding him not to make a mistake!" Yang Shan retorted unceremoniously.
He clearly understood Gao Yan's influence, and even though he believed the matter was settled, he still wanted to administer a preemptive warning.
Chen Jie merely smiled and said nothing.
He knew what choice Gao Yan would make.
After all, Gao Yan's life was in his hands. If he didn't comply, no one would be able to cure his cancer.
Gao Yan stood up with a wry smile.
Liu Mei had spoken with him beforehand.
Furthermore, she had promised him significant benefits once the matter was concluded.
However, after meeting Chen Jie last night, his perspective had completely shifted.
Could all the money in the world be more important than his own life?
Even if Zhang Xinyan's bid failed and he was ostracized by the board, for his own sake, and for his wife and son, he had to follow Chen Jie's instructions.
He glanced deeply at Chen Jie.
A person like this, who could persuade him, could surely persuade others.
With someone like Chen Jie assisting Zhang Xinyan, what future could she not achieve?
Even if she knew nothing about this company, Gao Yan believed that with Chen Jie's help, the company's future would not necessarily decline.
In fact, as the company's value increased, his own shares would also appreciate.
With this in mind, he addressed the crowd, "I apologize, but my vote goes to Miss Zhang, Zhang Xinyan!"
Huh?
Zhang Xinyan's eyes widened in disbelief, thinking she must have misheard.
This man didn't even know her, did he?
"What? Gao Yan, what did you say?"
Yang Shan immediately stepped forward, grabbing Gao Yan's collar and demanding an explanation.
"Cough, cough, please let me go," Gao Yan weakly replied.
He was in the late stages of cancer and could not withstand any exertion; he could collapse at any moment.
"What are you doing? Gao Yan has the right to cast his vote. Why are you, an outsider, interfering?" Chen Jie stepped forward and pushed Yang Shan away.
Yang Shan, an ordinary person, had no ability to resist Chen Jie and stumbled back several steps.
Simultaneously, Chen Jie placed a hand on Gao Yan's shoulder and sent a surge of spiritual energy into his body. Gao Yan immediately felt a surge of vitality.
The pain from his cancer vanished completely.
Gao Yan's heart trembled, and he declared loudly, "You heard correctly. I believe Zhang Cheng's sister, Zhang Xinyan, is more qualified to be the Chairperson!"
Zhang Bao and his wife looked at Chen Jie.
They had already guessed that this was likely the source of Chen Jie's confidence.
"Gao Yan, are you sure you want to do this?" Liu Mei asked, a sense of unease rising within her.
"What do you mean, 'sure or not sure'? Gao Yan has already cast his vote. You're not the Chairperson yet. Do you have the right to recall his vote?" Chen Jie glanced at Liu Mei and said indifferently.
"The first thing I will do after becoming Chairperson is to reclaim shares from certain individuals and redistribute them to others," Liu Mei said, looking at Gao Yan.
This was an overt threat and a warning.
Those who voted for Zhang Xinyan were naturally the targets.
And the directors who voted for Liu Mei would receive Gao Yan's shares.
For a moment, they looked at Gao Yan with schadenfreude.
"Xu Ming, it's your turn!" Liu Mei turned to Xu Ming.
Xu Ming coughed and stood up.
He looked at Chen Jie, then at Liu Mei.
He wondered what methods Chen Jie had used to sway even Gao Yan to support him.
Originally, Chen Jie had only restored his male partner's abilities. It was not impossible for him to go back on his word for Liu Mei.
Initially, he had been wavering, but seeing that Chen Jie could even persuade Gao Yan, he felt there was a turning point.
If Chen Jie could persuade Gao Yan, he could surely persuade others.
It was true that if he didn't vote for Liu Mei, he would face her retaliation. But what if Liu Mei couldn't win the election at all?
Then she would be powerless in the company. How could she retaliate against him?
Compared to that, he felt that although Liu Mei currently had an advantage, Chen Jie's confident demeanor suggested he had further cards up his sleeve.
With that, he declared righteously, "Like Director Gao, I also support Zhang Xinyan as our board's Chairperson and President!"
The conference room erupted in an uproar.
Everyone thought their ears were deceiving them.
Zhang Xinyan's beautiful eyes suddenly lit up.
Then, she clenched her fists, her face filled with excitement.
Chen Jie, however, remained unmoved.
It was as if he had anticipated all of this.
"Xu Ming, what did you say?" Liu Mei stared directly at Xu Ming, enunciating each word.
"Liu Mei, give up. This company does not belong to you! If you withdraw now, Miss Zhang might not hold it against you!"
Xu Ming said to Liu Mei with a wry smile.
He was advising her to give up, just as Liu Mei had told him earlier.
The others felt as if they had come to the wrong venue.
Zhang Xinyan had never appeared in the company before, and everyone was unfamiliar with her.
Yet today, two major shareholders had successively supported Zhang Xinyan.
This was completely illogical. Even if Liu Mei had not spoken with everyone beforehand, for all logical and emotional reasons, the shareholders should have voted for Liu Mei.
After all, Liu Mei was Zhang Cheng's wife and a high-ranking executive in the company.
And Zhang Xinyan was nobody.
The current situation made them, the minor shareholders, feel like they were caught in a battle between deities, suffering the consequences.
They now realized that Zhang Xinyan was not to be underestimated and had not come unprepared.
"Are you blind? My daughter is right in front of you. Instead of voting for my daughter, you're voting for that slut?" Yang Shan stepped forward again, grabbing Xu Ming's collar.
"Who the hell are you? Let me tell you, according to board regulations, outsiders are not allowed here. If you dare to cause trouble again, don't blame me for having security throw you out!"
Xu Ming forcefully pushed him back, stamping his foot and shouting.
This time, Chen Jie didn't need to intervene. Yang Shan retreated backward, looking utterly disheveled.
Xu Ming was not a sickly man like Gao Yan. As a shareholder and a billionaire, he would not tolerate a brute acting so rudely towards him.
"You..."
Yang Shan's face was ashen.