143. Equity Transfer

After delivering his harsh words, Chen Liwan directly brought Chen Ruowen onto the helicopter, not even leaving the two of them time to say goodbye.

"Why are you in such a rush to leave? I haven't even said goodbye to Yanyan yet." On the helicopter, Chen Ruowen kicked a pile of large bags and boxes that Chen Liwan had brought along, looking extremely displeased.

Chen Liwan patted Chen Ruowen's head with doting affection and coaxed, "Alright, alright, there will be plenty of time in the future. The banquet starts at eight o'clock tonight; we really can't wait any longer, and celebrities from all walks of life will be attending. We simply cannot be late."

"Then why didn't you tell me earlier about the banquet?" Chen Ruowen said unhappily.

Chen Liwan let out a hum. "How much earlier do you want? I mentioned the coming-of-age ceremony last October. Your mind was focused entirely on Bai Jinyan day in and day out, so you didn't remember a single thing, and now you're blaming your father for not mentioning it?"

Chen Ruowen made a funny face at him.

Several top-tier makeup artists and stylists from Double Star surrounded Chen Ruowen, armed with a pile of tools to do her makeup and styling. They changed her into a minimalist yet grand pale gold shimmering gown and proceeded to put on her accessories.

"Don't touch my necklace." Chen Ruowen covered her neck.

The stylist hesitated and said, "Miss, this necklace doesn't quite match your gown today. The one we prepared for you, designed by Master Volland..."

Chen Ruowen gave her a cold look. "Not changing it."

The stylist looked to Chen Liwan for help.

"Wenwen, if you like this necklace, you can just wear it again tomorrow. Tonight's banquet is very important, and every single accessory you're wearing has been meticulously selected..."

"Not changing it!"

"Wenwen!"

With a gloomy expression, Chen Ruowen took off the bracelet the stylist had just put on her and tossed it directly onto the floor.

"I'm not going."

Chen Liwan was practically driven to exasperation. Gritting his teeth, he waved his hand at the stylist and instructed her to adjust the rest of the styling to match that necklace.

The helicopter landed directly on the helipad of a vacant villa belonging to the Chen family. Supported by a waiter, Chen Ruowen stepped down the stairs in high heels, maintaining a cold expression as she walked onto the red carpet, with Chen Liwan following closely behind.

The timing was precisely calculated. It was now five minutes to eight. With her arm linked through Chen Liwan's, Chen Ruowen walked unhurriedly under the spotlight of all eyes toward the stage in the middle of the lawn.

The cold, focused lighting fell upon the two of them, and at that moment, everyone offstage felt as though their breathing had stopped.

"Thank you all for coming to my daughter's eighteenth coming-of-age ceremony..."

Listening to Chen Liwan's speech on stage, the people below finally came to their senses and drew in a sharp breath.

The Chen family's daughter was simply unimaginably beautiful.

"Is that Chen Ruowen?"

In the front row of the crowd, a tall, upright young man in a military uniform looked at the cold, aloof figure on stage with an expression of deep regret.

"Last year's National Day, my dad told me to go meet her, and I didn't want to. Had I known, I wouldn't have made up an excuse to go back to the base for training."

Last year's National Day?

Standing beside him, Kang Wenbo's expression shifted slightly.

"Brother Xiangli, I heard from Sister Wen that she went to Beicheng to record a show during National Day last year and attended quite a few business banquets. Is that what you're referring to?"

"It was a private banquet." Xiangli smiled. "My dad wanted me to go on a blind date with her. It had already been arranged with the Chen family, but I was too lazy to meet people and slipped away with an excuse. However, I heard she apparently had something else to do that day and didn't go to that banquet."

A blind date?

Kang Wenbo's expression stirred slightly. He just wondered whether Chen Ruowen knew about this arrangement or not.

The Chen family had intentions of marrying into the Yu family, so what would happen to Bai Jinyan?

On the other side, Gao Tang stood alongside another young and handsome man, who playfully nudged him with an elbow and a teasing smirk.

"Is this your target this time?"

With a blank expression, Gao Tang stepped on his foot. "Surname Xia, watch your words. Keep being that frivolous and I'll beat you up."

Xia Xin let out a soft exclamation of surprise. "Being this serious this time?"

On the stage, Chen Liwan and Chen Ruowen delivered their respective addresses to the guests, immediately after which Chen Liwan had several documents brought up from backstage.

"What is this for?" Chen Ruowen asked in a low, puzzled voice.

Chen Liwan smiled and picked up the documents, facing the audience.

"Here are two equity transfer agreements and appointment letters. Starting today, my daughter Chen Ruowen will serve as the Vice General Manager of Double Star, overseeing the Double Star Group headquarters as well as its three subsidiaries: Double Star Film and Television, Double Star Talent Agency, and Double Star Media, for a four-year term. Once she graduates from university, she will become the General Manager of Double Star.

My wife and I will gradually transfer the shares we hold, and Chen Ruowen will officially join the Double Star Board of Directors."

Chen Ruowen was slightly stunned, taking the equity transfer agreements from Chen Liwan's hands.

There were only five wholly-owned subsidiaries under Double Star in total: Film and Television, Media, Talent Agency, Music, and Property. The three that Chen Liwan had assigned her to oversee were the most important among them.

She had always held equity in Double Star, but only 4%. Chen Liwan held 40%, Yang Anxin held 11%, the remaining 42% was held by other shareholders, and the final 3% consisted of scattered shares. To officially join the board of directors, one needed to hold 5% or more of the shares.

According to the contents of this agreement, after today, Yang Anxin would only retain a bare minimum of 5% of the shares, and 10% of the shares currently held by Chen Liwan would be transferred to her. This meant Chen Ruowen would hold 20% of the shares, becoming the second-largest shareholder of Double Star right after Chen Liwan.

And as for the remaining shares...

Chen Ruowen felt a sudden ache in her teeth.

Chen Liwan continued to announce, "Once Wenwen has been married for three full years, my wife and I will hand over all the shares we hold to Wenwen. By then, she will officially become the next Chairperson of Double Star."

Why did inheriting the company have anything to do with getting married? She could only become chairperson after getting married? So if she never got married, she wouldn't be able to inherit Double Star?

Chen Ruowen didn't understand what her father meant by setting this condition, but everyone with a discerning eye in the audience understood completely.

After the banquet ended, Chen Ruowen returned to the villa at Qingshui Riverside and finally saw Yang Anxin. For reasons unknown, Yang Anxin had not attended Chen Ruowen's coming-of-age ceremony; instead, she had simply asked Housekeeper Zhang and Housekeeper Feng to prepare a table full of delicacies, waiting for the father and daughter to return for dinner.

"You must have spent the whole banquet drinking, right? Come, eat more food, otherwise your stomach will feel uncomfortable later," Yang Anxin greeted.

Feeling slightly dizzy, Chen Ruowen sat down at the dining table, and just as she picked up her chopsticks, she was pulled back up by a smiling-yet-exasperated Yang Anxin.

"Wash your hands first."

"What a hassle..."

Chen Ruowen muttered softly and was sleepily dragged to the bathroom by Yang Anxin. Once out of sight and earshot of everyone else in the house, Yang Anxin let out a very soft sigh.

"Did you sign the equity transfer agreement?"

Chen Ruowen was slightly intoxicated and had no spare capacity to ponder the underlying meaning of Yang Anxin's words. She only nodded in a daze, disjointedly explaining the matter of the share transfer.

Only then did Yang Anxin relax, raising a hand to stroke Chen Ruowen's hair. Beneath her maternal expression, a strange emotion rippled.

"Double Star was built by us with our own hands. The future is yours, and it will only ever be yours."