Huaisang shakes his head at the question, finally lifting his eyes and watching Hands' expression now that he's laid all this out, studying him with shy, skittish intensity. "No one suspects that I hear or notice even half the things that I do. People are unguarded around me because they know that I'm useless and harmless--and I am, mostly. That's not an act. I've never wanted to hurt anyone before. And I am terrible at most of the business things. I don't want to deal with all of that and I don't want to learn it. Anyway, even at home, there are a few people I trust, that I think are absolutely loyal, but I haven't hinted this even to them. I can't be sure there aren't spies in my own home. I can't be sure of anyone. But I'm willing to gamble that I can be sure of you."
His hands curl into fists at this declaration, determination providing his nerves with a little of his brother's steely certainty. Mingjue had always had plenty of determination and nerves of steel, but he'd never had even a drop of subtlety. "You didn't stand to benefit from Mingjue's death. It meant the probable loss of your business partnership with Nie Corp, since your partnership was always more based upon a history of trust than any specific contract. You aren't on the board of directors, and you don't have a controlling interest in the stock. You had no possible reason to expect that I'd take the gamble of coming to you like this, making the kind of offers that I'm prepared to make, if you'll help me."
He's scared that Hands will turn him away, tell him he's being absurd and asking too much, that he doesn't want to be involved in this mess. "I admit that when I got into a taxi to come here, I didn't have much of a plan. I was just going to ask for your protection and advice. But on the way over, I had time to think it over, and I have a few different ideas."
Biting down hard on his lip with nerves and fear, Huaisang takes a breath and keeps talking, needing to get it all out. "There's an empty spot on the board of directors and a CEO needs to be appointed. That meeting is supposed to happen tomorrow. I can come up with a way to delay it if I need to, but not for long. The spot is intended for me, but I'd rather stay as the owner of the company and have someone else serve as the CEO. And if someone else takes that spot, I still have a seat at the board of director's table. I can, technically, put someone else there. Both Meng Yao and Lan Xichen are already on the board. If I show the kind of strength of will to appoint my own CEO, overriding their suggestions, they'll realize immediately that they can't sway or control me, and that means that I immediately become a target. If I have to go in there alone, to do this myself, then I'd like a security detail from you to help protect me, but even then I'm immensely out of my depth and I fear I'll fail both in control of the company and in avenging my brother. Still, if that's all the help you're willing to risk, you'd still have my gratitude and more than adequate compensation.
"My second option is to send in someone as a proxy. You, or someone you appoint. Goes in, carries my votes to the board of directors. Speaks on my behalf in the meetings. Even takes that seat as CEO, if you're willing or have someone qualified that you're willing to put forward. It means I stay behind and safe, but it makes it more difficult for me to investigate anything, and it means that whoever goes in will be constantly dealing with pushback from the board, demanding to confirm my votes, arguing that I'm being controlled.
"The third--" Huaisang has leaned forward as he's been talking, invested in laying out his ideas, but suddenly he pauses and sits back, pressing the back of his hand over his nose and mouth to half hide behind it as a blush flares across his cheeks. "It's absurd. It's embarrassing. But I also think it could really work."
He fidgets, looking away again, blush continuing to grow across his face. "We go in together. You take the seat on the board, you take the role of CEO, and you keep me at your side and treat me like ... like a boytoy. We make everyone think that you've seduced me, that you're taking advantage of my emotional vulnerability and my need for guidance, in order to step into the power vacuum that's suddenly available. And it's an immense amount of power. I know that you prefer to work quietly, behind the scenes, and this is asking you to step into a very public position, but it's a lot of power. And as long as you keep me safe, protect my interests and run the company well, it'll really be yours. I don't know how to run something like that, but you do. It'll drive them all nuts, especially if we really play it up, if I hang on you and act besotted. They'll know you're influencing me, but they'll have to deal with you when it comes to business matters, and they'll have a hard time swaying me if I'm acting the infatuated airhead that they already think I am. And without their attention on me, I'll have more freedom to investigate. I ..." He can't think of anything else that he immediately needs to communicate, and he feels like he's about to die of blushing from making this request, so he just goes quiet and hides his face behind his hands.
no subject
His hands curl into fists at this declaration, determination providing his nerves with a little of his brother's steely certainty. Mingjue had always had plenty of determination and nerves of steel, but he'd never had even a drop of subtlety. "You didn't stand to benefit from Mingjue's death. It meant the probable loss of your business partnership with Nie Corp, since your partnership was always more based upon a history of trust than any specific contract. You aren't on the board of directors, and you don't have a controlling interest in the stock. You had no possible reason to expect that I'd take the gamble of coming to you like this, making the kind of offers that I'm prepared to make, if you'll help me."
He's scared that Hands will turn him away, tell him he's being absurd and asking too much, that he doesn't want to be involved in this mess. "I admit that when I got into a taxi to come here, I didn't have much of a plan. I was just going to ask for your protection and advice. But on the way over, I had time to think it over, and I have a few different ideas."
Biting down hard on his lip with nerves and fear, Huaisang takes a breath and keeps talking, needing to get it all out. "There's an empty spot on the board of directors and a CEO needs to be appointed. That meeting is supposed to happen tomorrow. I can come up with a way to delay it if I need to, but not for long. The spot is intended for me, but I'd rather stay as the owner of the company and have someone else serve as the CEO. And if someone else takes that spot, I still have a seat at the board of director's table. I can, technically, put someone else there. Both Meng Yao and Lan Xichen are already on the board. If I show the kind of strength of will to appoint my own CEO, overriding their suggestions, they'll realize immediately that they can't sway or control me, and that means that I immediately become a target. If I have to go in there alone, to do this myself, then I'd like a security detail from you to help protect me, but even then I'm immensely out of my depth and I fear I'll fail both in control of the company and in avenging my brother. Still, if that's all the help you're willing to risk, you'd still have my gratitude and more than adequate compensation.
"My second option is to send in someone as a proxy. You, or someone you appoint. Goes in, carries my votes to the board of directors. Speaks on my behalf in the meetings. Even takes that seat as CEO, if you're willing or have someone qualified that you're willing to put forward. It means I stay behind and safe, but it makes it more difficult for me to investigate anything, and it means that whoever goes in will be constantly dealing with pushback from the board, demanding to confirm my votes, arguing that I'm being controlled.
"The third--" Huaisang has leaned forward as he's been talking, invested in laying out his ideas, but suddenly he pauses and sits back, pressing the back of his hand over his nose and mouth to half hide behind it as a blush flares across his cheeks. "It's absurd. It's embarrassing. But I also think it could really work."
He fidgets, looking away again, blush continuing to grow across his face. "We go in together. You take the seat on the board, you take the role of CEO, and you keep me at your side and treat me like ... like a boytoy. We make everyone think that you've seduced me, that you're taking advantage of my emotional vulnerability and my need for guidance, in order to step into the power vacuum that's suddenly available. And it's an immense amount of power. I know that you prefer to work quietly, behind the scenes, and this is asking you to step into a very public position, but it's a lot of power. And as long as you keep me safe, protect my interests and run the company well, it'll really be yours. I don't know how to run something like that, but you do. It'll drive them all nuts, especially if we really play it up, if I hang on you and act besotted. They'll know you're influencing me, but they'll have to deal with you when it comes to business matters, and they'll have a hard time swaying me if I'm acting the infatuated airhead that they already think I am. And without their attention on me, I'll have more freedom to investigate. I ..." He can't think of anything else that he immediately needs to communicate, and he feels like he's about to die of blushing from making this request, so he just goes quiet and hides his face behind his hands.