Chapter 10 — President Lu, We Are Just Trade Negotiators

She took out a tablet from her bag, turned it on, and placed it on the table.
"You yourself know the best about Luc's current condition. I don't need to repeat myself."
Luc Dien Chu looked at the tablet. On the screen was Luc Thi Group's complete debt structure diagram — even more detailed than the report Tran Tranh gave him. Each loan, each guarantor, each cash flow goes where, all are extremely clearly annotated. There are some data that even he himself does not understand clearly.
“Do you have Luc's internal data?” he asked.
“I have a lot of things in my hand.” To Niem Duong replied, his tone calm. “The Lu family's internal data is just the cheapest of them all.”
Luc Dien Chu was silent for a moment.
“You came today, what do you want to discuss?”
To Niem Duong leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands together in front of his stomach.
"I came today because you invited me. So the question is: What do you want to discuss?"
Luc Dien Chu raised his head and looked straight at her.
“Luc Thi needs capital.”
"I know."
“Can you…”
“Impossible.”
The answer was as quick as a straight punch. Luc Dien Chu's lips pursed.
“You haven't heard me at all.”
“There's no need to hear all of it.” To Niem Duong's voice is still very calm. "Luc Dien Chu, there are only two possibilities for what you are about to say. One, ask me for a loan in your personal name. Two, in the name of commercial cooperation, hope that Niem Duong Capital will invest capital in Luc Thi."
She raised a finger.
"In the first case, we are already divorced. Personal love? How much love have you given me in the past three years?"
She raised another finger.
"In the second case, trade cooperation focuses on equality. In your hands now is a mess with a debt of 14.7 billion. What do you use to negotiate with me?"
Luc Dien Chu's eyes fell on her right hand. The black ring reflects the quiet light under the lamp.
“You did it on purpose.” he said.
“What purpose?”
"The Swiss fund withdrew capital, the credit line was frozen, because you were behind the manipulation."
To Niem Duong did not deny it.
“You do these things… for revenge?”
"Revenge?" To Niem Duong let out a sigh of relief, as if he had just heard an extremely ridiculous word.
“Luc Dien Chu, you think too highly of yourself.”
That sentence was like a needle, poking into a hidden corner he never knew he had.
"Luc Thi's overseas acquisition project, right from the start of the project, had potential structural risks. The leverage ratio was too high, the reputation of the opponent was questionable, and the detailed appraisal report was also tampered with. Don't you understand these issues yourself?"
Luc Dien Chu's eyes changed slightly. Is the detailed appraisal report passive? To Niem Duong touched the tablet screen and opened a file of documents.
"Your Deputy General Director Luu Thieu Khon, during the appraisal stage, swapped three core asset assessment documents. The original documents showed that the partner's mineral reserves were exaggerated four times. He and the partner's actual controller have a cross-ownership relationship through an overseas front company."
The data on the document is dense, each line is accompanied by a photo of the original document. Luc Dien Chu stared at the screen for thirty seconds.
“These… how did you get them?”
“When you were CEO at Luc Thi building, I stayed in your study for three years.” To Niem Duong said. “Do you think I only arrange flowers at my house every day?”
Luc Dien Chu couldn't say a word. Library room. His study is on the third floor of the villa. He hardly goes home, the study door is left unlocked all year round. In there was a computer connected to the company's internal network, the password was his date of birth. He never intended to be wary of his wife.