Chapter 14: Who Says I’m Broke?

After everyone exchanged words and clarified the situation, the veteran police officer furrowed his brows and looked toward Sun Xiaoyan hesitantly. “Miss Sun, this is a civil dispute. They haven’t caused any trouble yet, so it’s difficult for me to intervene.”

“That’s right, Officer. We have supply contracts with Tianhai Pharmaceuticals. This is just a legal demand for payment!”

“Exactly. We’re reasonable people—debts must be repaid; it’s only natural!”

“Even Master Xuan is willing to help pay the debt. Stop being so pretentious. If you don’t have money, don’t pretend you do...”

Listening to the back-and-forth, Sun Xiaoyan felt a quiet irritation rise within her but said nothing further. She stated firmly, “Settling payments is simple—if you want the money, pay up.”

Pausing briefly, she then addressed the group, “However, I must make one thing clear: the way you are acting today constitutes a breach of contract. I will deduct 10% from the payment, as clearly stipulated in the contract.”

“That…”

Hearing her words, the crowd exchanged glances, their expressions shifting subtly.

Indeed, when the contracts had been signed, there was such a clause included to protect the interests of Tianhai Pharmaceuticals. Otherwise, if suppliers came knocking for payment before the settlement period, the company would be in a very difficult position.

It was precisely because of this that the former chairman had insisted on including this clause in every supply contract.

Back then, under the leadership of the old chairman, Tianhai Pharmaceuticals thrived. He was a man of integrity who valued credit above all else, so suppliers had never come knocking to demand early payment—even if payments were a few days late.

But after the old chairman’s passing, that foundation of trust seemed to crumble overnight.

Now, under Sun Xuan’s direction, a few troublemakers stirred unrest. As news spread that payments might be withheld, all the suppliers rushed to demand payment, completely ignoring the clause in the contract.

What they didn’t expect was that Sun Xiaoyan had anticipated today’s events. She had thoroughly studied the company’s supply contracts and was well aware of this stipulation.

Her reminder brought the clause back to everyone’s mind. Most showed hesitation, remembering Tianhai Pharmaceuticals’ once impeccable reputation.

If they continued to make a fuss, and the company enforced the clause, they would lose 10% of their payment. This caused many to waver in their resolve.

Seeing them falter at just a single sentence from Sun Xiaoyan, Sun Xuan grew anxious inwardly. “If you don’t make a scene, how am I supposed to pressure her into marriage?”

He was certain the company’s accounts held not a single cent; Sun Xiaoyan was clearly bluffing.

Sun Xuan then exchanged a meaningful glance with a middle-aged man and several other suppliers he had prearranged with, signaling them not to give up but to continue leading the charge for payment.

The middle-aged man and the others shared a look of reluctance but, recalling Sun Xuan’s earlier promises, the middle-aged man gritted his teeth and took the lead.

“It’s not that I don’t trust Miss Sun, but my business needs cash flow. I’m willing to accept a 10% deduction if Miss Sun can settle the payment now.”

Following his lead, several others chimed in, “Yes, I’m in the same situation. I’m willing to take the 10% cut…”

Suddenly, among the more than twenty suppliers present, seven or eight insisted on settling immediately, while the rest watched silently.

It was clear that as long as Sun Xiaoyan couldn’t produce the money, they would pounce like wolves sensing blood.

“Very well!”

Sun Xiaoyan narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at the seven or eight suppliers who insisted on payment. She knew these were planted by Sun Xuan.

Though caught off guard, this revealed which suppliers were his pawns. Once these were removed, it would be much harder for Sun Xuan to cause trouble.

After a moment’s thought, she turned to her assistant. “Calculate the payments for these suppliers and record everything. I want detailed information on each of them.”

Though unsure of Sun Xiaoyan’s intentions, the assistant obediently complied, tallying the amounts and documenting the suppliers’ details.

Soon, the assistant returned with a paper and whispered, “President Sun, there are seven suppliers in total. After deducting 10%, their payments range from 200,000 to 400,000 yuan each, totaling 1.96 million yuan.”

Sun Xiaoyan frowned slightly, reviewing the figures. The cost seemed somewhat high, but there was no time to investigate now; she would deal with it later.

“Good.”

She displayed the data for all to see and asked, “Is there any objection to these amounts?”

The middle-aged man and the others exchanged glances before responding in unison, “No objections.”

Sun Xiaoyan then looked at the nearby police officers with a smile. “Officers, I’d appreciate it if you could witness this. I will proceed with payments according to this breakdown.”

The two officers exchanged a glance. The veteran hesitated briefly but nodded in agreement—after all, they were merely serving as witnesses.

Seeing the veteran officer nod, Sun Xiaoyan took out her phone and dialed a number. Soon the call connected.

“Manager Wang, come up. I’m on the 16th floor. You’ll see me as soon as you exit the elevator.”

Sun Xuan and the suppliers demanding payment were stunned by the call. Their expressions darkened.

Sun Xuan thought to himself, “Could it be she actually borrowed money? I’ve never heard of her knowing anyone wealthy…”

The atmosphere grew heavy. The suppliers insisting on payment wore strange expressions. A few opened their mouths as if to speak but ultimately remained silent.

“Ding-dong!”

The elevator doors opened, and Wang Meng strode out, followed by two employees carrying large suitcases.

Seeing Wang Meng, Sun Xiaoyan’s stern face softened into a slight smile as she addressed everyone, “Who said I have no money? Look, here it comes!”

“President Sun, I’ve brought your two million. Where should I put it?”

Wang Meng paused, surprised by the crowd in the hallway. Spotting Sun Xiaoyan through the glass door, he smiled broadly and approached.

Sun Xiaoyan returned the smile. “Thank you, Manager Wang. Just leave the money here. With the police present, I trust no one will dare to steal it.”

Wang Meng was taken aback by her mention of stealing. What on earth was going on?

Glancing at the officers, he was puzzled but followed her instructions. The two employees emptied the suitcases onto the reception desk.

Earlier, upon receiving a call from her assistant, Sun Xiaoyan had anticipated this situation. She had transferred two million yuan to Wang Meng and instructed him to withdraw the cash and bring it to the office.

This was a simple errand, and Wang Meng had no reason to refuse. To make a good impression on Sun Xiaoyan, he happily complied and arrived with the money.

Previously, while Sun Xiaoyan was playing on her phone near the money tree, Wang Meng had texted her, saying he was downstairs and asking if he could come up immediately.

Sun Xiaoyan had kept her wits about her. Since Sun Xuan tried to trap her, she would not hesitate to turn the tables.

With this maneuver, those suppliers siding with Sun Xuan lost 10% of their payment, and she had vented a measure of her frustration.