"Be gone! From this moment on, you are no longer a member of the Xiao family. You have no relation to us whatsoever!" Xiao Defu declared.
Xiao Cuiying cast a lingering glance at Jiang Yi before leaving the hall, her spirit broken.
She had been cast out by the Xiao family.
From this day forward, the Xiao family would pretend she, Xiao Cuiying, no longer existed.
Only now did Xiao Cuiying truly understand that Jiang Yi was not someone she could afford to offend or humiliate.
"Mr. Jiang, what is your second condition?" Xiao Defu asked Jiang Yi.
"Until Ye Yanran takes charge of the Xiao family, all matters concerning everyone in the Xiao family will be decided by Uncle," Jiang Yi stated. "Xiao Wenbin and Xiao Defu, you father and son will assist Uncle!"
Everyone present was stunned by this pronouncement.
Even Ye's father was taken aback.
No one had anticipated that Jiang Yi would appoint Ye's father to manage the Xiao family.
"Mr. Jiang, isn't this condition a bit excessive? He's not part of our Xiao family, merely an outsider. How can the reins of the Xiao family be handed over to him?" Xiao Defu frowned.
Other members of the Xiao family chimed in with their own objections.
They found this arrangement unacceptable.
"What's the big deal?"
Jiang Yi smiled faintly. "Uncle is Ye Yanran's adoptive father. In time, he will hand over the power to Ye Yanran!"
The crowd appeared resigned.
Only Ye's mother and Ye Xiaofeng seemed visibly excited.
Once Ye's father took control, they would no longer have to live under the patronage of others.
"Jiang Yi, I... I can't do it!"
Ye's father hastily refused. "I have no idea how to manage the Xiao family's affairs. If I were to take charge, I'd surely turn the Xiao family into a complete mess!"
"It's alright!"
Jiang Yi smiled. "With Xiao Defu and Xiao Wenbin assisting you, you simply need to issue commands. If you really find yourself struggling, you can always consult Ye Yanran; she'll guide you on what to do!"
Hearing this, Ye's father wore an expression of helplessness.
"Old man, don't be afraid. Xiaofeng and I will help you too!"
Ye's mother reassured her husband. "Jiang Yi has good intentions. If you refuse, he'll be disappointed!"
Ye Xiaofeng also chimed in, urging Ye's father to accept.
"This matter is up to you to decide,"
Jiang Yi took a sip of tea, his gaze sweeping over the assembled people. "If you accept my condition, I will undoubtedly help the Xiao family. If you refuse, then the Xiao family must fend for yourselves!"
Upon hearing this, the faces of the Xiao family members showed nothing but resignation.
Finally, they reached a decision.
"From now on, all matters of the Xiao family are yours to command! For the sake of our Xiao family, please help us!" Xiao Defu said to Ye's father.
"For the Xiao family, we hope you will agree!" Xiao Wenbin quickly added, addressing Ye's father.
Under duress, Ye's father finally nodded in agreement.
Seeing Ye's father's consent, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"I can agree, but let me be clear: if I do anything wrong, you cannot blame me. I've never done this before; this is my first time!" Ye's father stated.
"We agree!"
Xiao Defu replied.
Then, Xiao Defu turned his gaze to Jiang Yi and said with great respect, "Mr. Jiang, we have agreed to both your conditions. Next..."
"I'm heading to Tiansheng Group now!"
Jiang Yi announced and walked directly out of the hall.
Everyone escorted Jiang Yi to the main entrance.
Not long ago, they had been so arrogant in front of Jiang Yi. Now, they acted like subservient juniors in his presence.
Jiang Yi felt they were more like clowns than anything else.
Ye's father, seeing this, quickly followed.
Once outside the main door, Ye's father caught up with Jiang Yi.
"Jiang Yi, what should I do now?" Ye's father asked him.
"Do as you please. You don't need to ask me about such matters!"
Jiang Yi smiled. "The Xiao family is now under your command."
"But I don't know anything! I'm worried I'll cause trouble for you and Yanran!" Ye's father expressed.
"Don't worry, you won't cause any significant trouble. Just consider it temporary management of the Xiao family for Ye Yanran," Jiang Yi advised.
"Alright!"
Ye's father nodded, then asked, "Did Yanran say something to you that made you agree to help?"
"Mm."
Jiang Yi finished speaking and drove away.
As soon as Jiang Yi departed, Ye's father and Ye Xiaofeng emerged.
"It's all thanks to Jiang Yi's help. Otherwise, you wouldn't have had the chance to manage such a large family like the Xiao family!" Ye's mother remarked.
"This isn't a good thing!"
Ye's father took a deep breath.
"How is it not a good thing?"
Ye's mother gave Ye's father a look. "With you in charge, you can properly help Yanran manage the Xiao family. If someone else were to lead, they might not easily relinquish their power, and Yanran would lose her chance to be the family head. Have you forgotten what happened with Xiao Cuiying!"
Hearing this, Ye's father's brow furrowed slightly.
"What you're saying does have some merit," Ye's father conceded.
"Let's go inside quickly! All the Xiao family members are waiting for you to discuss company matters," Ye Xiaofeng urged Ye's father.
"Understood!"
Ye's father replied and walked directly back inside.
Meanwhile, Jiang Yi drove straight to Tiansheng Group.
Upon entering the lobby, Jiang Yi encountered Shen Lu.
"How did things go?" Shen Lu asked Jiang Yi.
"Everything has been handled!"
Jiang Yi replied and then inquired, "Will cooperating with the Xiao family's company have any impact on our Tiansheng Group?"
"Not at all!"
Shen Lu smiled faintly. "Not only is there no negative impact, but it will also bring significant benefits to our Tiansheng Group. The Xiao family possesses numerous high-end cosmetics stores in the capital. Entrusting them with the sale of our 'Beauty Perfume' will greatly enhance the brand recognition of both the perfume and our company, while also generating substantial profits..."
Shen Lu elaborated on the numerous advantages of the collaboration for Jiang Yi.
It seemed Tiansheng Group stood to gain immensely, while the Xiao family would only receive the assurance that their company would not go bankrupt, gaining no other tangible benefits.
Jiang Yi grinned.
"Does my mother have any objections to the cooperation?" Jiang Yi asked.
"The Chairperson certainly has no objections!"
Shen Lu replied with a smile.
"That's good!"
Jiang Yi's gaze settled on Shen Lu. "I'll leave the handling of the cooperation with the Xiao family's company to you. I have other matters to attend to. Thank you for your hard work!"
"Mm."
Shen Lu nodded in agreement.
Jiang Yi did not linger and drove away from Tiansheng Group.
Dongfang Xun was still waiting for him at the Royal Hotel; he needed to hurry.
An hour later, Jiang Yi arrived at the entrance of the Royal Hotel and got out of his car.