Yurij guffawed in a loud, self- deprecating way. "Steffan, c'mon, don't be like this!"
After saying that, Yurij took a step forward, approached Steffan, and spoke with a bitter expression.
"Steffan, you know that the current economy is not doing well. Our company in Capital City is mainly focused on literary and artistic products. Not many people are interested in them these days. Plus, the government has imposed heavy taxes on corporations. After Master Yintern passed away, our regular patrons don't visit us anymore. Our family is basically going broke soon, and it won't be an understatement to say that it would be a terrible sight."
Yurij complained about his hardships. He was glib-tongued.
Steffan's expression was getting colder by the minute. The only time Yurji would come to look for him was when he needed money. He would always make up all sorts of excuses.
Yurij was not cut out to be a businessman. He was lazy but he was very good at sweet-talking. He knew how to make Master Yintern happy, and that was why Master Yintern had left the best company in Capital City to him. However, since he did not know how to manage a company and loved indulging in sensual pleasures, he was soon going to run out of money.
Right then, the Yintern Group in Capital City was going downhill day by day. Only a handful of people recognized the Yintern Group those days.
Steffan sighed inwardly. All said and done, they lived a separate life, and this was not his responsibility. He did not want to meddle in other people's affairs and wanted to avoid it if possible.
However, in the past year, it seemed that Yurij did not want to let him go. Every once in a while, he would come and extort money from him. This galled him to no end.
"As a president of the company, you should devote your time and energy to the company. You should read up on how to keep up with the latest trends and reuse talents, and not spend your time in nightclubs every other day." Since Steffan knew the reason he was here, he cut to the chase.
Master Yintern had a family motto. 'Brothers should live in harmony and help each other'. After all, blood was thicker than water.
Steffan was not a person who valued money. He attached great importance to brotherhood. Since the company in Capital City was in financial turmoil, he would not turn a blind eye to it. He had generously helped him the first couple of times. As time went by, even the wealthiest company would not be able to avoid bankruptcy. Gradually, Steffan not only became fed up but it became a problem that he could no longer solve.
"Steffan, I've done my best. You also know that the business in Capital City is not good. It's not our fault that we have not been popular these days, especially after the Richards Group moved its company headquarters to Capital City. Even our company, which used to be popular in cinema and cultural studios, has almost been surpassed by Hansen Richards' abundant financial resources. If it goes on like this, then there will be no way out for us." Yurij wore a sad face and bemoaned the situation.
Steffan listened to his laments and soon became impatient. He briefly glanced at the watch on his wrist and realized that Jenna should be coming out soon.
He neither wanted Yurij to see Jenna with him, nor did he want Jenna to know that he had a brother, so he stiffly interrupted him, "Just tell me how much do you need."
When Yurij heard that there was hope, his eyes lit up. He immediately smiled and said, "Not much, only 5 million dollars."
Steffan's expression was frigid. He did not want to argue with him any longer, so he took out his cheque book from his pocket and wrote a cheque for five million dollars. He said solemnly, "I'm doing this for the sake of the Yintern family. This will be the last time I'm helping your company. I hope you will buck up and put in more effort into managing the company well."
"Alright, alright." Yurij's eyes were bright. After accepting the cheque and glancing at it, he carefully tucked it in his pocket with a huge smile on his face. He then said, "Steffan, Grandma misses you. She said it's time for you to find a partner and settle down. You are already 38 years old. You're not getting any younger. She is looking forward to you bringing your girlfriend home."
After that, he looked towards the luxurious hotel again and said with a mysterious smile on his face, "It looks like you're here with your girlfriend, right?
A smile subconsciously appeared at the corner of Steffan's mouth, but he declined to say anything.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Cutie, Please Marry Me Again (Jenna and Hansen)