"Mi Rae, my child!"

Mi Rae had also stood up at the lady's arrival and went forward to greet the woman who had called out to her.After greeting the woman with a ninety degree bow, Mi Rae's hand was held in the veiny hands of the woman tightly. Still clutching her hands, the woman turned to Neil who was still sitting insolently and said,"You do not respect your elders?"

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With a small smile,Neil answered,"Not when I am unsure whether they are a friend or a foe. Once I am sure, I will greet you accordingly." The lady arrogantly and haughtily stared at Neil while he stared back impassively.

"A man who respects only his friends is no man."

"Oh no!You misunderstand.I would bow to you if you were a foe."

Mi Rae had lost a little bit of her temper when the lady had entered and now that she felt the hostilities between them,she was at a loss on how to introduce them.After all,even she did not know whether the lady has come as a friend or a foe.

The old lady glared and said,"I will let Mi Rae give you my intorduction!And then she can decide if I am friend or foe!"

Mi Rae's hands were then released as the lady sat in the chair near her.She felt like a deer caught in headlights.But she need not have worried.Neil was after all omnipotent!

In the same tone he continued,"I do not need introductions to recognize Lady Deng.I'd be a fool to not know of you.And nobody can accuse me of being one.What I want to know is that why would Lady Deng come out of seclusion so suddenly and the first thing she does is,goes to her late husband's mentee when said person is ready to fight against the company. Is Lady Deng here for a negotiation or have you come to save your husband's life work?"

Lady Deng had a pleased smile on her face as she stared at Neil and said archly, "You guessed it right young man. I am here to save my husband's life work. My dear husband treated this child like his own as he mentored her and this is how she repays her debt! Tell me child, will you be able to face my husband in the after life."

A guilt trip! Neil wanted to tape that woman's mouth shut. How dare she use such an underhanded means! Using a person's feelings against them was a despicable thing to do.

Both the men from the company, who were until now sitting like wet cats suddenly straightened their backs and felt vindicated. They even nodded along Lady Deng as if commiserating the fact that her husband had such an ungrateful prodigy. Neil almost wondered if he could get away with a giving the two men a few punches. This feeling was even more pronounced when he saw Mi Rae's face.

Her face had turned pale and her hands were foster under the table in her lap. But being the girl she was, her expression did not show any turmoil when she questioned,"Then what should I do, Lady Deng? Would I have been to face him if I had continued to suffer injustice?"

There was a charged silence after this question was that posed and all heads turned to see Lady Deng's reaction.

A loud bang on the table was her answer.In a stubborn voice the lady answered, "There will be no negotiations!" Before any one could protest, in an enraged voice she continued, "No! You should have bashed these old coots over their head the moment you saw this problem mushrooming! How dare they use your mentor's life work for their nefarious reasons. There will be no negotiations and each of these a**holes will pay for the compensation from their own pockets. The company will issue a proper apology this time and the entire management will be overhauled.And if you have any other conditions,they will also be met without any questions!This is the contract for that!And you need not worry about your reputation.I will personally see that is remains undamaged!None of these old coots seemed to remember that I am the real owner of this company! I--a woman! "

After saying her piece rather aggressively, Lady Deng leaned back in the chair,almost out of breath.While everyone else was stupefied by her words,Neil got up from his chair and picking up an empty cup of water,he fillid it and placed it in front of Lady Deng.Then with a small bow he said,"Lady Deng.Welcome to my office and please accept my apologies for misunderstanding you."

Neil was an arrogant man but when it came to someone who stood up for truth,he was not ashamed to bow and apologize.This gesture from Neil brought everyone to their senses.Lady Deng had shown that she was a woman of true class.What the others had not been able to accomplish,she had finished the enmity in the room with a few words proving that the saying,"making friends out of enemies is like defeating your enemies." Neil Long had done nothing to win but had won and had lost at the same time.What was supposed to be a negotiation had turned into a one sided win.

Director Wen tried to protest but was mande to sit quietly by Lady Deng's guards.Once Neil and Mi Rae had read the contract and agreed that everything stated was fair and sincere,they agreed to the 100 million compensation,which Mi Rae then decided to distribute amongs women who had actually given her signed statements against the company and been fired for protesting without and recommendations of compensations.Once Lady Deng was ready to leave,she invited Neil and Mi Rae for visiting her while she was in the country.It was then they realized that in her moaning,Lady Deng had been unaware of what her son and the other directors at the company had been doing.Once Mi Rae's case had been brought to her notice,she had rushed here urgently.In the past when such cases had come to her notice,she had been assured that these were cheating women who were trying to exhort money.Her son had tried to say the same for Mi Rae also but she knew better.She also made Mi Rae promise to serve the new board of directors as a part of the development panel which Mi Rae reluctantly accepted.