The old Mrs. Henley, ever witty, fell into silence, having thrown out her thoughts. She let the rest of the Henley family interpret her words.
The old Mrs. Henley’s decision and the Henley family’s attitude left Sophia’s heart cold.
These people were nothing but wolves, devouring everything in their path without leaving a trace!
Fanny finally regained her courage and shamelessly spoke up, “Dear relatives gathered here, I have meticulously recorded today’s meeting.”
“Now let me explain the decisions made at today’s meeting. First, on the Henley Group’s side, we agreed to borrow twenty percent of our assets from the bank to resolve Sophia’s cosmetics company’s issues.”
“Secondly, Sophia’s cosmetics company must contribute twenty percent of its annual profits to the family fund. Once the meeting concludes, I will draft a formal agreement. Sophia will need to sign it, and that will make it official.”
“Good on Fanny for being so thorough. Sophia must sign to prevent any future disputes,” the Henley family relatives began to praise Fanny.
Bruno had been closely monitoring Leo’s expression, and seeing him silent, he couldn’t resist taunting, “Leo, you were talking so confidently earlier. Why the hesitation now?”
Leo glanced at Bruno, his expression calm, and replied, “Since you all seem to think highly of me, I will not let you down. I will use twenty percent of Henley Group’s assets as collateral, and I will personally borrow a billion. As long as we can overcome the crisis facing Sophia’s cosmetics company, I will commit to contributing twenty percent of the annual profits to the family fund.”
His words left the room in stunned silence. Shock painted the faces of the Henley family members.
After the initial shock, they looked at Leo as if he were an escaped lunatic from a mental institution.
Collateralizing twenty percent of Henley Group’s assets was already a significant challenge, and borrowing a billion was an incredibly daunting task.
Leo wasn’t daydreaming anymore; he was indulging in a fantasy.
Although Sophia, sitting calmly in her chair, believed in Leo, his statement raised doubts. “Leo, you might not be familiar with Henley Group’s situation. Collateralizing twenty percent of our assets won’t guarantee a billion from the bank. Maybe we should…”
Before Sophia could finish her sentence, Leo interrupted, saying, “Sophia, don’t worry. It’s just a billion. I can secure the loan from the bank. As long as your company can weather this crisis, the future looks promising.”
“Why would the bank… Well, okay, you’re in charge of this, I trust you,” Sophia ultimately placed her trust in Leo.
With Sophia’s trust secured, Leo felt a sigh of relief.
Observing Leo and Sophia murmuring quietly, Bruno couldn’t resist his disdainful tone, “Leo, you better think this through. If you can’t repay that billion, whether it’s Sophia’s cosmetics company or Henley Group, you’ll bear all the losses.”
In Bruno’s eyes, Leo was being a complete fool for attempting to secure a billion. He wouldn’t believe for a second that Leo could borrow such a sum from the bank.
The old Mrs. Henley shared the same skepticism as the rest of the Henley family. She couldn’t believe that Leo could successfully borrow a billion with twenty percent of the assets as collateral.
The reason the old Mrs. Henley did this wasn’t without purpose. She was making her stance clear to both Sophia and the members of the Henley family. As the chairwoman of Henley Group and the head of the Henley family, she wouldn’t stand idly by when it came to Sophia’s cosmetics company.
She had taken a position, and if Leo couldn’t complete this task, he would be the one to take the blame.
Leo gave Bruno a sideways glance and coldly said, “Bruno, whether or not I can secure a billion in loans isn’t your concern. Just make sure to wash your face clean for me to punch.”
Having been beaten up by Leo a few times, Bruno hated him intensely. Still, he was rational enough to know not to provoke Leo further. Bruno just arrogantly snorted and said nothing more.
The old Mrs. Henley shakily stood up from her chair. After scanning the people in the meeting room, she spoke in a low, slightly authoritative tone, “Since no one seems to have any objections, that’s the decision then. Henley Group will use twenty percent of its assets as collateral to assist Sophia’s cosmetics company in dealing with this equity acquisition crisis.”
“Leo will be the one to seek a loan from the bank. If he can borrow a billion to resolve the crisis at Sophia’s cosmetics company, it’s certainly a good thing. If he can’t secure a billion, Henley Group won’t sit idly by and let someone else take control of Sophia’s cosmetics company.”
“Once Leo fails, Henley Group will do everything in its power to ensure that Sophia’s cosmetics company survives this crisis. However, at that point, Sophia’s company will be back to the group, and Sophia will no longer hold the position of general manager.”
The words of the old Mrs. Henley left Sophia feeling a bit anxious. During her grandfather’s lifetime, a strict rule was established that only Sophia could fully manage the cosmetics company.
If she lost her position as the general manager because of the equity crisis, there would likely be no objection from the board of directors.
The Henley family members, on the other hand, watched the situation with keen interest. They silently commended the old Mrs. Henley’s shrewdness.
“All right, today’s meeting concludes here. Let’s adjourn,” the old Mrs. Henley announced, and Bruno and Fanny promptly helped her out of the meeting room.
On their way to Langstel, Sophia felt a bit downcast. At the same time, she couldn’t fathom Leo’s thoughts. He was knowingly jumping into a fire pit.
Leo turned to look at her and a faint smile played at his lips. He asked, “Sophia, are you worried about my ability to secure a loan?”
“You shouldn’t have agreed. I know the situation at Henley Group. Even if you put up everything as collateral, you can probably secure a loan for fifty or sixty million at most,” Sophia supported Leo in the meeting room, but her tone now carried a hint of reproach.
“Sophia, even without putting up twenty percent of Henley Group’s assets as collateral, I could find a way to get a billion,” Leo said mysteriously.
“The reason I did this was to deeply intertwine your company with Henley Group. I want those relatives to understand that your company is tied to their personal interests. This will be beneficial for your company’s future, and it will at least reduce many obstacles.”
Sophia hadn’t expected Leo to be planning so far ahead, but if the equity crisis couldn’t be resolved, it would all be in vain.
“So, do you really have a way to secure a billion?”
“Of course, you can wait for my good news,” Leo said with a confident expression. Leo’s self-assured demeanor eased Sophia’s mind somewhat, and thoughts of Uncle Alex’s family borrowing money popped into her head.