A sudden, unexpected statement fell, leaving Ji Chengyi stunned for a while before he put down his coffee and asked, “What’s in it for me?”

The reason Ji Chengyi didn’t directly ask Lin Jindu why he made such a request was because he knew very well that if the head of the Lin family was going to marry, he would certainly choose the most suitable partner from all aspects.

This partner had to not only benefit the company but also be one of the best among the eligible peers.

Obviously, Lin Jindu had chosen him.

If Lin Jindu had made this request yesterday, Ji Chengyi would have refused without hesitation, because yesterday he was still in a relationship with Yu Heyan.

But today, now single, Ji Chengyi began to consider what benefits Lin Jindu’s request could bring to him or his company.

Hearing his question, Lin Jindu knew that Ji Chengyi understood his intention.

Indeed.

Lin Jindu was a true investor, not only decisive and bold in investing in companies but also having a unique perspective when it came to investing in himself.

He was a staunch bachelor.

In his view, a useless partner would only waste his time and energy.

He never made wasteful or unprofitable investments.

He would never do something as foolish as continually pouring funds into a project with low returns.

But his family was pressing him hard.

Reluctantly, Lin Jindu compared all the eligible individuals from prestigious families in Jincheng and finally chose Ji Chengyi and Keao.

Keao was an established company specializing in home appliances, operating for over thirty years and already a giant in the industry.

Although it had faced the risk of bankruptcy, it was due to the previous chairman’s poor judgment of people.

The old chairman had no sons, only a daughter, so he brought in a son-in-law, Zhao Hengxin, who was clever and honest at the time.

While the old chairman was alive, Zhao Hengxin treated Mrs. Ji with utmost care and love.

But once the old chairman passed away, he brought his illegitimate son, born before the marriage, into the family.

This infuriated Mrs. Ji, who wanted to divorce him.

At that time, however, most of Keao’s shares were controlled by Zhao Hengxin, leaving Mrs. Ji with no say.

Divorce was possible, but it would mean the company would fall into Zhao Hengxin’s hands.

Unwilling to hand over her father and grandfather’s hard work, Mrs. Ji started living separately from Zhao Hengxin and raised Ji Chengyi on her own.

Later, fate dealt a cruel hand, and Mrs. Ji had an unfortunate car accident when Ji Chengyi was fifteen.

In the same year, due to mismanagement, Zhao Hengxin caused many internal issues within the company, and the stock price almost hit rock bottom.

Instead of addressing the internal management problems, Zhao Hengxin brought his college-aged illegitimate son into the company to continue the chaos.

After three years of messing around, these two fools, who lacked true intelligence and only had petty cunning, saw that the company was on the brink of collapse and began selling off their original shares.

Before this, the newly adult Ji Chengyi had already inherited the shares from Mrs. Ji’s will through a lawyer.

However, he did not immediately enter the company as a new shareholder but watched Zhao Hengxin and his son create chaos.

Then, he waited for the right moment to release news about Keao’s impending bankruptcy, allowing him to buy back the shares at a low price.

Once he had acquired the shares from several useless shareholders, he naturally became the largest shareholder of Keao.

In the end, he mercilessly kicked Zhao Hengxin and his illegitimate son out, taking full control of the company.

Although Lin Jindu’s current achievements were somewhat more impressive than Ji Chengyi’s, Lin Jindu believed that his eighteen-year-old self was far less decisive and intelligent than Ji Chengyi.

All aspects indicated that Ji Chengyi was not only not a useless partner but would also bring more significant benefits to him and his company.

If he had to marry, he would certainly choose such a sure-fire investment.

Thus, he chose Ji Chengyi.

Lin Jindu’s slender fingers tapped on the cooperation letter in front of him. “The benefits of an investment compared to a continuous investment don’t need to be explained one by one to President Ji, do they?”

In short, Shengda would back Keao.

Whether it was funding issues or the capital needed for product development, it would all be provided by Shengda Capital’s vast reserves.

The benefits of this arrangement were undeniable.

Ji Chengyi didn’t need much consideration and focused his gaze on the contract by Lin Jindu’s side. “May I see the contract you’ve prepared, President Lin?”

“Of course.” Lin Jindu handed over the prepared contract.

Ji Chengyi received it with both hands.

The contract was a personal one, ensuring only Ji Chengyi’s personal interests.

It was thorough and reasonable.

The obligations listed for Ji Chengyi were not excessive, requiring only that they register their marriage, live together, and accompany Lin Jindu to various events as needed.

Similarly, if Ji Chengyi needed Lin Jindu to appear at similar events, Lin Jindu would cooperate.

In summary, this marriage-like partnership had no downsides and would achieve a very balanced win-win situation.

However, there was one final note marked with an asterisk:

Note: Rational marriage, no personal emotions involved.

If Party B demands emotional needs from Party A, the cooperation (marriage) will be automatically terminated.

For some reason, Ji Chengyi suddenly felt like laughing.

His eyelashes drooped slightly, casting a shadow on his fair skin, hiding the amusement in his eyes.

But Lin Jindu still keenly noticed Ji Chengyi’s smile and understood why he was smiling.

So he explained, “I’m sorry, but I’m a rather rational person and not good at handling emotional matters, so I need my partner to be equally rational.”

Ji Chengyi lifted his eyelids, meeting Lin Jindu’s calm gaze with a faint smile, “I understand.”

He paused, then asked, “But what if Party A demands emotional needs from Party B?”

Lin Jindu answered without hesitation, “Rest assured, President Ji, there will be no such if. I am a businessman, and safeguarding my own interests and those of my partners is my basic principle… If President Ji is not reassured, I can have the legal team amend the contract on the spot.”

Ji Chengyi raised his hand, “No need.”

He looked into Lin Jindu’s eyes, “I trust President Lin.”

Lin Jindu nodded, “So, President Ji, your decision is…?”

Ji Chengyi didn’t answer directly but asked in return, “If I disagree with this personal partnership, will President Lin’s investment continue?”

Lin Jindu smiled faintly, “Of course it will. As I said before, I am a businessman.”

Savvy businessmen are very perceptive, and the continually rising stock price of Keao speaks for itself.

Ji Chengyi understood and nodded before asking, “So, when does President Lin plan to start this cooperation?”

He was referring to the marriage partnership.

Lin Jindu raised his wrist to check his watch, “I have an appointment at the marriage registry at two o’clock this afternoon. If President Ji has no objections, we can start the cooperation at two.”

Ji Chengyi had no particular reaction to Lin Jindu’s thorough preparation.

After all, efficient people do things efficiently.

“Alright, no problem,” Ji Chengyi nodded.

After all, if it’s not about being with someone you love, a cooperative marriage that brings mutual benefits is the best choice for Ji Chengyi at the moment.

Lin Jindu was very pleased that Ji Chengyi could make such a decisive decision. With a cheerful expression, he handed back the prepared cooperation agreement to Ji Chengyi. “Then please trouble President Ji to have your company’s legal department draft a new contract.”

With the investor becoming a shareholder, the contract naturally needed to be revised.

Ji Chengyi reached out to take the contract, his clean fingertips touching the corner of the page. “If President Lin has any other requirements, please let me know as well.”

“I wouldn’t dare make demands,” Lin Jindu said, glancing at his watch again. “Just try to have the contract ready within half an hour, President Ji.”

Ji Chengyi thought Lin Jindu was in a hurry because he had other work to attend to. He was about to nod in agreement when Lin Jindu added, “Because I need to get home on time to have dinner with my parents and tell them the good news.”

For a family like the Lin’s, a marriage that brought benefits to the company was indeed good news.

Ji Chengyi nodded in agreement. “Alright, I will have the legal department speed up.”

The legal team at Keao was very efficient, and in less than half an hour, they had the revised contract ready.

When the assistant brought the new contract back to Lin Jindu, he signed it directly without even looking at it.

Ji Chengyi was a bit surprised. After all, from what he knew, Lin Jindu was a very meticulous person. Any contract he signed would have been thoroughly reviewed and approved by his legal team without a single issue.

Seeing the surprise in Ji Chengyi’s eyes, Lin Jindu couldn’t help but chuckle. “Trusting one’s partner is also a fundamental principle of mine.”

Ji Chengyi’s thin lips curved into a gentle smile, and he reciprocated by signing the contract in front of him.

Guan Yun exchanged the signed contracts between the two men.

After they had signed all four copies of the contract, Ji Chengyi was the first to rise from his chair and extend his hand towards Lin Jindu. “Pleasure doing business with you.”

Lin Jindu stood up and shook Ji Chengyi’s hand. “Pleasure doing business with you.”

As they released their handshake, Lin Jindu added, “I’ll come to pick you up at 1:30 PM.”

Ji Chengyi declined, “No need to trouble yourself. I’ll go directly to the marriage registration office.”

Lin Jindu didn’t insist and nodded. “Alright, see you in the afternoon.”

…

In the afternoon, when Ji Chengyi arrived at the marriage registration office on time, he saw Lin Jindu already sitting in the waiting area.

The man on the chair was still dressed in a black suit, but the subtle changes in details made it clear that he had changed outfits. The burgundy tie from the morning had been replaced with a deep blue one.

Compared to the refined restraint of the morning, Lin Jindu now appeared more mature and dignified.

Whether it was because Ji Chengyi’s gaze on him was too noticeable or due to Lin Jindu’s natural sensitivity, he quickly looked up from his phone and his eyes met Ji Chengyi’s accurately.

“President Ji,” Lin Jindu stood up, his dark eyes reflecting Ji Chengyi’s figure.

Although Ji Chengyi didn’t feel like he was late due to Lin Jindu’s early arrival, he still walked over and said, “Sorry for the wait, President Lin.”

Before Lin Jindu could respond, the loudspeaker in the hall called out their number.

Lin Jindu glanced at the number in his hand and chuckled softly. “You’re not late, President Ji. You arrived just in time.”