Ling Tian presented a chart that silenced the crowd. However, Wang Qingshan, the third master of the Wang family and a man of no learning, let out a cold snort.
"You're worrying about nothing. Our Wang family has always done things this way for the past few decades.
The real estate cycle is indeed long and the investment is substantial, but we can rely on loans. As long as the properties are sold, we'll recoup all our invested capital!"
Ling Tian looked at the third master of the Wang family with a hint of amusement in his eyes. This gaze made Wang Qingshan very uncomfortable; he felt as if he were being looked down upon by this young man.
"If this were twenty years ago, Uncle, what you said would be entirely correct. But the problem is, times have changed.
The domestic real estate market is now saturated, with an ever-increasing inventory of properties. Housing prices have been plummeting year after year, and this trend is irreversible.
Conservatively estimating, nearly half of Baijin Real Estate's properties will either be unsellable upon completion or will have to be sold at a steep discount at a loss!"
"Nonsense!" The third master Wang retorted stubbornly, his demeanor resembling that of a ruffian. Seeing this, Wang Bingxia, who had remained silent, spoke up.
"Uncle, if you spent even a fraction of the time you spend at nightclubs and racetracks reading financial news, you wouldn't be saying such things!"
Everyone was astonished. In their eyes, this Wang family eldest daughter, usually so polite and gentle towards her elders, had uttered such a confrontational statement on behalf of her fiancé.
"What did you say! Say that again!"
Wang Qingshan, having been publicly rebuked by a junior, slammed the table and stood up abruptly. He glared fiercely at Wang Bingxia, then turned to his elder brother.
"I say, eldest brother, how do you educate your daughter?
What, has she forgotten her own surname after getting engaged? Has she lost all her manners and upbringing?"
Just then, with a "whoosh," a dark object shot towards the third master Wang.
"Bang!" "Crash!" "Ouch!"
This sudden turn of events startled everyone. They turned to look and saw that it was a teacup, which had squarely hit the third master Wang's forehead before falling to the ground and shattering.
The hot tea from the cup splashed all over the third master Wang, causing him to yelp in pain.
Blood was already trickling down Wang Qingshan's forehead.
Only then did everyone realize that the teacup in front of Old Master Wang was missing.
It turned out that the third master Wang's outrageous remarks had completely enraged the Old Master, who had then thrown the teacup at him.
The Old Master pointed a finger at the third master Wang, his beard trembling with anger.
"Get out, get out of here!
You useless bum, what can you do besides eat and wait for death!
Hand over your shares. From now on, the family will give you a few million annually. That should be enough to keep you from starving!"
Wang Qingshan panicked upon hearing this. He dropped to his knees with a thud and began slapping his own face repeatedly.
"Dad, Dad, I was talking nonsense just now. Please, give me another chance. I promise I won't speak nonsense again..."
The Wang family's 3% shares represented over a billion in assets, with annual dividends of at least tens of millions.
He had been spending lavishly over the years and was accustomed to a life of luxury. An annual allowance of a few million would be like telling him to go beg for food.
"Chen Yi, drag him out!"
"Yes, Master."
Uncle Yi acknowledged the order and, along with two guards, approached Wang Qingshan.
"Third Master, please."
"Get lost, don't bother me!" Wang Qingshan said defiantly, flailing his arms to prevent the guards from grabbing him.
"Third Master, pardon me!"
Before Uncle Yi could finish speaking, he raised his hand and delivered a swift chop to Wang Qingshan's neck. His carotid artery's blood supply was interrupted, causing him to faint on the spot and be dragged out like a sack of potatoes.
This incident made everyone else in the room dare not attack Ling Tian any further.
The Old Master had always doted on his granddaughter, and now with a grandson-in-law, that affection seemed to have doubled.
Although the third master Wang had often spoken nonsense during meetings before, this was the first time the Old Master had ever shown such great anger.
"Xiao Ling, continue," the Old Master waved his hand.
"Yes, Grandfather!"
With the Old Master's backing, Ling Tian's aura grew even stronger. He scanned the assembled group.
"Even if, for the sake of argument, housing prices don't fall as drastically, when our properties are released for sale, if the Bai family plays dirty, for example, by spreading rumors that our properties have quality issues or by launching price-cut promotions for nearby developments, then forget about recouping funds or making a profit..."
The crowd was speechless and utterly astonished. Even a fool could understand that if equity wasn't cut, such things would inevitably happen!
"Continue speaking!" the Old Master broke the silence.
"Let's talk about Baijin Home Appliances. Currently, due to the impact of e-commerce and the ever-increasing rent, the business of home appliance chain stores is a sunset industry.
According to the data, although Baijin Home Appliances is profitable, its annual profits have been shrinking significantly.
In another year or two, a large number of store leases will expire. If renewed, the rents will double or triple, eroding profits and even leading to losses!
At that point, we'll either struggle to maintain operations or be forced to close down. Rather than that, it's better to shed this burden directly!"
Ling Tian finished speaking and picked up his teacup to take a sip. Wang Bingxia watched her fiancé with eyes full of admiration.
Wang Bingxia's father, Wang Qingtian, also nodded in approval. This son-in-law was extraordinary; the Old Master's judgment was truly sharp. He had found a treasure.
After all, Ling Tian had only been with their Wang family for less than a day. He had spent just a few hours reviewing the financial statements of the Wang family's subsidiaries and had gained such a thorough understanding of the family's situation and the perilous challenges they faced.
Wang Qingtian believed that neither he nor his siblings possessed such a capability.
"Alright, let's hear your opinions!" the Old Master spoke again.
"I think Xiao Ling's points are valid. I support his proposal," Wang Qingtian stated his support decisively. Of course, he had to back his own son-in-law.
"From a financial perspective, I believe Ling Tian's analysis is very scientific.
The revenues of Baijin Real Estate and Baijin Home Appliances are indeed shrinking significantly year by year, and the income from our other industries is insufficient to support continued investment.
Making a cut now might not be a bad thing!" Aunt Wang Yulin also voiced her opinion.
"I object!" The current economic environment is what it is, and no real estate developer is doing well. However, if we can weather this period, the housing market will eventually rebound!
Furthermore, apart from Baijin Real Estate and Baijin Home Appliances, almost none of our other Wang family enterprises have achieved profits exceeding one hundred million! More than half of them are even operating at a loss!" The second master Wang began to sing a different tune.