Shang Kun ignored her, called over a waitress and ordered a bottle of red wine, then said, "Don't try to trick me. I'll just tell you straight. Xiao Liang is Lao Guan's daughter, born there when he was working in the border region. Back then, Lao Guan abandoned his wife and daughter, only thinking about going home. Now that he's successful, he wants to bring his ex-wife's daughter over to enjoy a better life. But his ex-wife has remarried and only sent their daughter over, so she takes her mother's surname, not Guan's. The girl is very stubborn; she refuses to work at Lao Guan's company, doesn't want his money, and absolutely refuses to live in his house and work for his wife. Lao Guan had no choice but to entrust her to us brothers. I heard that the girl admires you a lot, and is even happy when you bully her until she's in tears. How can you be so suspicious of her? Now that you know, give her more opportunities in the future. The girl has had a tough time, being her mother's burden; her life must have been difficult before."
Lin Weiping suddenly realized why Lao Zhou knew her, and probably Lao Wang knew her too. But she left it at that. "But President Shang's unusual behavior tonight, ordering red wine for dinner, surely it's not because he's angry with me about Xiao Liang? But I don't dare to pry into the boss's affairs, I'll just report the company's recent progress to you."
Shang Kun could only laugh and say, "Little Liang gave me such a difficult problem, how can I possibly laugh? She completely ruined the original plan, and your scheme has failed. Old Wang is so angry he just wants to settle scores with Old Guan, but how can I bring myself to say it? Forget it, now we can only speed up the second plan. I feel this second plan is a bit too insidious, but Old Wang likes it. For Feng Mian, it's naturally an irreparable blow, but I don't think she deserves it. Let's not talk about it anymore, it's none of your business, you probably won't be interested in listening to my rambling. Come on, let's have a drink, Happy New Year!"
Lin Weiping sensed that Shang Kun was still not satisfied, but didn't want to ask, so he raised his glass and said, "President Shang, your alcohol tolerance is not as good as mine, so drink in moderation, or I'll have to escort you home later."
Shang Kun laughed, "No way, you can control me when it's halfway down the bottle." After saying that, he drank half a glass of wine, and then watched Lin Weiping drink it. He picked up the bottle to pour more wine, but Lin Weiping quickly snatched it away. How could she sit there and wait for the boss to pour her wine? Seeing that Lin Weiping was very restrained and only poured the wine to the bottom, Shang Kun understood that she had something to say today and did not want him to go back on his word when he was drunk. "If we only consider profit sharing last fiscal year, Triumph was just starting trial production, and the costs for all parties were considerable, so you probably haven't received your bonus yet. However, judging from the good momentum in January, we were already profitable even without considering depreciation. If this trend continues, I believe this year's results will be quite good. If we can secure that bidding contract and start the second phase of construction, that would be even better. Triumph's progress and development are better than I predicted, which is inseparable from your ability and hard work. I originally planned to take a portion of Triumph's year-end bonus as a reward for you, but after reviewing the year-end bonus distribution plan that Lao Jin gave me, I estimate that my plan would affect your overall arrangements. So, I'll personally transfer the money to your account as a small token of my appreciation. Guess how much it will be?"
Lin Weiping didn't know what to say. Saying too much would make Shang Kun seem stingy, while saying too little would be unfair to himself. He could only smile and say, "I bet President Shang is looking so worried today because he's heartbroken over the year-end bonus. He can't refuse to give it, but he also has to be generous, so he's just suffering in silence. I don't even need to guess. I'm already very satisfied with the company's bonus, and now I have President Shang's bonus on top of that. What more can I say? It's an unexpected joy. Besides, President Shang has helped me make money. The dock business is on track. Although the profits haven't been distributed yet, there are already profits on paper, and the amount is good. It's a part of my business, after all. I'm really grateful to President Shang. If President Shang thinks I'm right, please drink this glass. Happy New Year to you too."
Shang Kun clearly saw that when Lin Weiping poured the wine again, it was only half full. It seemed she was satisfied; her main objective for the day was achieved, and she wasn't worried about him getting drunk. This showed that she valued his recognition of her hard work throughout the year more than the amount of money. She was a reasonable person. "How are you spending the seven days of Spring Festival? Any plans for travel or anything?"
"Me? It's simple. I go back to my parents' and in-laws' house, eat, sleep, and sunbathe. Age catches up with you. I used to not feel anything even if I didn't sleep for two days, but now I'm getting an IV drip."
"It's different now. Before, it was all about physical labor; now it's all about mental labor. I don't have any other desires at night, I just want to get a good night's sleep. But you're still young, why are you sighing?"
"Should I be able to live a good life next year?"
"By the way, how's things going with Tianjin?"
"Yes, our mortgage loan will be approved soon, probably after the New Year. For the past two months, I've arranged for all our bank account transactions to be handled through the ICBC branch where we have our basic account. The volume is considerable, so we've reached a preliminary agreement with the bank to issue us bank acceptance drafts. I know those people before; they're easy to talk to. As long as Kaixuan's performance is good, that's all that matters. Kaixuan has made progress smoothly in this step." The good deed of coercing them into repaying all their loans when he left his old company is finally paying off; the bank gave Lin Weiping a high score in the performance evaluation for managers.
Shang Kun, unaware of the situation, assumed Lin Weiping hadn't found a way to raise funds in Tianjin and was afraid of losing face in front of him, so he kindly stopped asking her. "The bidding process starts after the Spring Festival. It seems you're still not having a good time. Do you want me to bring you the bid documents from the previous project for your reference?"
"That would be best. I was going to ask President Shang for it anyway. But the most important thing is to introduce me to the people there. It would be even better if there were some underhanded connections." Wherever there are people, there are favors, and with favors, it's hard to avoid shady dealings. Lin Weiping didn't believe that there weren't some backers behind Shang Kun's winning the bid.
Shang Kun understood what she meant and laughed, "You don't need to tell me."
Just then, Lin Weiping's phone rang. He opened it to find an unfamiliar number, seemingly from overseas. Hearing "HLLO" felt like stepping into another world. He hadn't spoken English in over half a year, and starting again made him a little nervous. But no fear! He had the familiar phrase "HPPY NW YR" readily available. Once those three words were out, the rest flowed smoothly, and speaking became effortless.
"John, I never expected it to be you. Thank you for remembering me. Are you home?"
"Lin, Happy New Year. I'm in the new president's office. The old chairman just passed away. Mr. Manier asked me to contact you to discuss some matters concerning that company."
So that's how it is. Old John Chen must not have had any real work after returning home, and the old chairman is bedridden and unable to care for him. International calls are expensive, so he only called today. It must be that the new boss's eldest son, Manier, has taken over, relieved of his pent-up pressure, and now, as the master of the house, he can no longer tolerate the second wife and that purebred henchman standing in his way, wanting to reclaim the lucrative business from the second wife's hands. Naturally, he has to rely on John Chen, who single-handedly built up the company, and John Chen's first thought is Lin Weiping. But the current Lin Weiping is no longer the little girl the second wife used to manipulate. Does John want to bring her back as an assistant? "John, what do you need me to do?"
"Mr. Manier has appealed to the court, requesting an authentication of the will. Lin, you know the situation here; soon this company will no longer be under the second son's control." Yes, Mr. Manier is on good terms with the current vice president. In that country where power and money can be exchanged, it's not impossible that he wouldn't give the second wife a single penny, after all, the second son's position is illegitimate. The second wife wasn't unaware of this when she insisted on taking over the investment in mainland China; it's just unknown what she did in the nearly one year since she took over, in the section on the registered capital owner.
But thinking about how the second wife had schemed and plotted, and what if one day she really ended up with nothing, Lin Weiping felt a pang of sympathy: "John, we're all Chinese, why bother? Exiling her and her son here, no longer able to enjoy the family's glory, is already a blow enough to someone like her."
John Chen, however, disagreed: "Lin, don't you know the state of the place we built with so much hard work? Donnie, who's in charge of equipment adjustments, called and said that it's a miracle if they can get one full shift out of three. Wild birds are even nesting in the workshop. I can't bear it. When I get back, will you come back to the company to help me? I'll ask Mr. Manier to promote you to vice president."
Lin Weiping sighed inwardly: "John, even if you built this empire, it's still the boss's business. Haven't you realized that after all this time?" "John, if you come here, I can help you with anything. But working for you was beyond my capabilities. I now manage my own company. The boss treats me well and gives me considerable authority, which I'm very happy with. I'm also grateful to the second wife for pushing me into this new world." She glanced at Shang Kun, noticing him staring at her intently, his eyes bright with interest. Lin Weiping quickly looked away.
John was very disappointed; you could hear the frown on his face even through the phone: "Lin, I'll be coming to see you soon. I hope I can still get your help. Mr. Manier asked me to give you his regards. He said that before he took control of the company, you suffered under the boss's orders, and he hopes to meet you for coffee when he comes to China to apologize in person."
Lin Weiping exchanged a few polite words and hung up the phone. In less than a year, without realizing it, his environment and mood had changed so much, especially in terms of his interpersonal skills and understanding of the world. He only realized how much progress he had made after today's phone call with John; society truly shapes people. Did John and his team really have the confidence to regain control? If so, that would be a good thing. Once he became a general agent for one region, his sales staff should be able to operate directly in and out of the market.
Shang Kun waited until she finished her call before saying, "Old Wang once told me, 'Can Xiao Lin speak English?' He said that young and capable white-collar women must all be native English speakers, and he said he would feel ashamed of himself if he heard them speak English. If you speak English to him in front of him one day, I guarantee he will bow down to you from three meters away the next time he sees you."
Lin Weiping laughed out loud and said, "Old Wang's words are the most exaggerated. Whatever he says just flows out of his mouth and becomes incredibly profound, making loved ones grieve and enemies rejoice. I'm too busy carefully serving him, afraid I'll end up like Yu Fengmian one day." He glanced at the wine bottle, which was already empty without him noticing. "Want some more?"
Shang Kun scratched his forehead and said, "If you want to order alcohol, you'll have to drink two-thirds of it yourself, which I can't do. Anyway, we've eaten enough. Do you have any plans for tonight? How about we go to the movies? I haven't been to a movie theater in years, and I'd love to go back. Are you interested?"
"Yes," Lin Weiping answered readily. She hadn't been to the movies since graduating from university, whereas she used to love movies. On weekends or when the school's open-air cinema showed a film, she would always rush to buy a ticket. But after starting work, she simply lost the desire. Even when she thought about it, she hesitated because she couldn't find anyone to go with. It was rare for Shang Kun to offer such a good idea; how could she refuse?
Upon reaching the parking lot, Shang Kun said, "Get in my car," and unlocked it from a distance. He opened the door for Lin Weiping first, but unlike Western gentlemen in movies, he didn't wait to close the door for her; instead, he went to his own side. It's unclear if Shang Kun had ever opened car doors for his subordinates like this before. Once inside, Lin Weiping saw the car door and her heart skipped a beat. She unconsciously took off her gloves, turned it on, and selected the familiar number. Sure enough, before her hand left the door, the familiar yet strange female voice from "One Night in Beijing" began playing. Lin Weiping froze, about to pull her hand back, but Shang Kun's large hand grasped it, slightly shifting it onto the gearshift. With her hand pushing it into position, the car slowly started moving.
The large hands didn't exert much force, but Lin Weiping tried to pull away but couldn't. Instead, she felt the embrace tighten, enveloping her in warmth. The car's temperature seemed too high, making it stifling. She glanced at Shang Kun, who seemed completely unfazed, focused on driving. However, at a red light, he swerved a few steps too far before slamming on the brakes. Fortunately, the city wasn't large; the echoes of "Beijing Nights" still lingered, and the movie theater was already in sight. He parked, engaged the handbrake, and released his hand. He glanced at Lin Weiping, only to see her quickly open the door and get out, as if fleeing. He couldn't help but smile.
But Shang Kun wasn't going to stop there. He strode up to Lin Weiping, extended his right hand, palm up, clearly intending for Lin Weiping to place her hand, hidden in her coat pocket, on it. In the cold wind, Lin Weiping felt her face burning. She turned away, avoiding his hand and his eyes, which gleamed in the nightlight, and forced herself to remain calm, saying, "Mr. Shang, what are you doing? If this is how it is, I'll have to go home." Though she said this, she still longed for the warmth she had felt earlier. These small hands handled hundreds of millions of dollars, but how many days had it been since she had felt any tenderness? Especially that warm embrace—it truly softened her heart, making her succumb to that grasp.
Shang Kun smiled. Lin Weiping's continued presence spoke volumes, so he didn't stand on ceremony. He stepped forward, took her hand, and held it in his own. They held hands all the way to the ticket window to buy tickets, have them checked, enter, and take their seats, just like a young couple in love. What surprised Shang Kun was that Lin Weiping's behavior was completely unlike her usual bossy self; instead, she seemed bewildered and passively allowed him to lead her.
Movie theater tickets are indeed expensive these days, but the seats are comfortable, the air conditioning is strong, and sitting there with a beautiful woman holding his hand, Shang Kun felt indescribably satisfied and relaxed. He didn't care what was playing in the movie; his mind was a jumbled mess as he stared at the screen for a while before his head lolled to the side and he fell asleep. Lin Weiping, on the other hand, sat stiffly upright, his hand rigidly held by Shang Kun on the armrest. He felt incredibly uncomfortable, afraid to turn his head, lest he see the mocking looks from the young men and women around them. Two adults, still holding hands like that—what kind of behavior was this? If there were acquaintances in the theater today, it would be quite a spectacle tomorrow. But then, he heard a faint snoring sound coming from beside him. Glancing sideways, he saw that Shang Kun was already fast asleep, his face beaming with pleasure. Lin Weiping relaxed completely, the tension that had been building for so long finally dissipating. He felt a slight ache all over his body. He tried to pull his hand away, but the sleeping man showed no sign of letting go, stubbornly clinging to his hand even in his deep sleep. Lin Weiping had no choice but to let him hold her hand, afraid of waking him. But with the air conditioning so hot, and her hand so hot, and her hand still wearing a leather glove, Lin Weiping was so hot that she couldn't sit still. Luckily, the stereo inside was deafeningly loud, otherwise, the snoring would definitely become a laughing stock.
But as my mind gradually calmed down, I felt a sense of warmth. I could stop thinking about the burdens on my shoulders and simply close my eyes and rest.
However, Lin Weiping was, after all, a girl. As soon as the movie ended and the lights came on, she immediately became alert. Seeing Shang Kun still soundly asleep beside her, snoring, she watched him for a while before smiling and gently waking him. He opened his eyes in surprise, looked around, and then asked, "What time is it?"
Lin Weiping asked with a smile, "What night is it tonight?"
Shang Kun paused for a moment, then immediately broke into a wide smile: "It's a pity we wasted such a beautiful time." Their conversation seemed to transport them back to their youthful days, to the ivory tower, to their school days filled with youthful classmates and countless romantic moments. So Shang Kun said with great reluctance, "It's not even ten o'clock yet, where are we going to make up for it?" After saying that, he naturally took Lin Weiping's hand and they left together.
Lin Weiping swallowed the words he was about to say, "It's getting late, I just got off the plane this afternoon, I need to rest." He suddenly thought that since he liked it, why not indulge himself? Besides, he had slept on the plane and in the movie theater today, which was enough. He followed Shang Kun out and got into the car to go to Lao Wang's hotel for a late-night snack. According to Shang Kun, they were going to eat Lao Wang out of house and home.
Chapter
twenty
The next day was the opening ceremony of Lao Zhou's company. Early in the morning, Lin Weiping went to her company to handle some miscellaneous matters before preparing to head to Lao Zhou's company next door. Just then, Xiao Liang ran up to her from the side, smiling, and said, "President Lin, Lao Zhou's opening ceremony must be very lively. Can you take me with you? It's inconvenient for me to go by myself; I need an excuse." Lin Weiping noticed she was wearing a coffee-colored sweater, shiny leather pants, a corduroy sweater over it, and soft leather ankle boots. She looked incredibly dashing, making one want to applaud her. Youth is wonderful; anything looks good on you. Good heavens, wasn't that what Yu Fengmian said? Considering what Shang Kun had said about Xiao Liang's identity yesterday, she must have received a lot of help from Lao Zhou, so it was only natural that she would ask to attend the ceremony.
As soon as they entered, Old Wang got out of the car. He smiled at Lin Weiping, but didn't say anything for a long time. Lin Weiping naturally knew what he meant. Someone must have told him last night that Shang Kun and she had gone to his hotel for a late-night snack together, and she couldn't help but blush. As for Xiao Liang, she was nowhere to be seen. Oh well, a young and pretty girl like her wouldn't likely suffer any losses in a strange place. But Old Wang misunderstood and said with a sly smile, "Who are you looking for? Ah Kun? Why not just make a phone call? Why go through all that trouble? Come on, I'll play the hero and save the beauty today. I'll make the call."
Unexpectedly, Lao Zhou came over and listened to only half of what he said, asking with a smile, "Who does Lao Wang want to save? Tell your brother, and the entire factory of over a thousand people will be under your command."
Old Wang beamed upon seeing her, saying, "Yesterday, Ah Kun dragged that young girl to my place to take advantage of her, but today he didn't even dare to show his face when I came. Little Lin had to search everywhere for him. No way! How can he just take advantage of her and leave like that? Old Zhou, where is he? I'm going to settle the score with him." Hearing this, and seeing Lin Weiping's embarrassed expression, Old Zhou understood. He thought that Ah Kun's move was clearly a way of telling the brothers that Lin Weiping was his girlfriend, and that no one was allowed to make a move on her anymore. Remembering how Old Wang often mentioned and praised Lin Weiping at gatherings, it seemed that Shang Kun's actions were mainly aimed at Old Wang. He couldn't help but find it very amusing. "Ah Kun is helping to entertain some government officials in my office. Old Wang, you should go too. They're all your acquaintances, help them out." Old Wang could only pat Old Zhou heavily on the shoulder, but then said to Lin Weiping, "Little Lin, want to come along? Where's Ah Kun?"
Lin Weiping glared at him and said, "Go if you want. I'm most afraid of government officials." Before he finished speaking, his phone rang. It was Shang Kun calling. Old Wang had just seen the number, and now the evidence was confirmed. He laughed gleefully and left. Lin Weiping answered the phone, only to hear Shang Kun say urgently, "You need to find a way to get Xiao Liang out of here quickly. I'll tell you the reason later. You absolutely can't let her stay here any longer; something terrible will happen." Lin Weiping was puzzled. What terrible thing could happen to Xiao Liang? Even if Lao Guan brought his second wife, it wouldn't lead to a public falling out between the two. But Shang Kun's words were still worth listening to; there must be some hidden story. So he made up a lie and called Xiao Liang to the bank, then asked her to accompany the bank's loan officer to the company for a visit and lunch. This would keep her occupied, and she wouldn't have time to appear at Lao Zhou's factory all morning. Xiao Liang's expression at the time showed great disappointment, but also immense joy at being given an important role. Lin Weiping's words implied that she had handled the worker turnover issue very effectively and needed further development in other areas. She was skeptical of everyone, but she idolized Lin Weiping, practically regarding her as her idol. Therefore, she readily accepted Lin Weiping's word, and now that her idol valued her so highly, how could she not be overjoyed?
Perhaps it was some auspicious time, for many people in suits filed out of the building and gathered on the red carpet. Lin Weiping saw Shang Kun among them; his demeanor and elegance stood out, making it clear at a glance that he was an important figure—a far cry from the listless state he had displayed the night before when he had slept through the movie theater. Seeing the crowd gesturing and deferring to each other, it must be a matter of seating arrangements. If he didn't go up now, his position at Triumph Company would be considered inferior by the employees of Old Zhou's Company, so he smiled and went up, but consciously stood at the back.
Old Guan didn't participate much in the pleasantries and formalities, so he automatically stepped back to Lin Weiping's side and said to her in a very kind and gentle voice, "Ah Kun said he has entrusted my daughter to you, thank you very much. But I have just found her an opportunity to study for a master's degree in Beijing, and I don't know how to tell her. I know she will refuse no matter what I say, so I would like to ask you to help me talk to her and do some persuasion."
Lin Weiping immediately realized that this father was paying off a debt. He quickly said, "Old Guan, don't be so polite. However, if I were to intervene, it would have to be under the guise of company training. The favor is temporarily in my name. Xiao Liang has done an excellent job. I didn't give her any special attention, yet she still managed to stand out. With the M system's training, she would certainly be even better. She's still young; she'll understand your good intentions later. Don't worry, if time isn't tight, allow me to make arrangements slowly."
Old Guan breathed a sigh of relief. It was pitiful that a veteran who had dominated the business world was just as helpless as any ordinary parent when it came to his children's problems.
Yu Fengmian arrived sometime earlier. She knew many people, and after exchanging pleasantries, the ceremony began. Naturally, she stood in the front row, right next to Shang Kun. Thinking back to how Yu Fengmian had described Shang Kun that night, Lin Weiping found it amusing. What era are we living in? Does she still think she'd be hung up on one person and that marrying Shang Kun was the best outcome? Spending time together when happy, and avoiding each other when unhappy—isn't that much better than a married couple waiting for the other to tire of each other out? Besides, she was perfectly capable; why would she be interested in Shang Kun's wealth? Who knows, she might end up with more money. She even had to be careful that Shang Kun didn't take advantage of her financially.
I don't know if the other guests on stage were thinking about other things, but Lao Guan certainly seemed lost in thought, his eyes downcast. But that's one good thing about labor-intensive companies with over a thousand employees; their clapping after a speech is much louder than others, at least snapping some guests out of their reverie and pulling them back to the main group. Lin Weiping occasionally looked up, only to see Yu Fengmian frequently glancing back at her. She wondered if Yu Fengmian's true intentions today were actually towards her.
As expected, during the meal, Yu Fengmian pushed aside everyone and insisted on sitting next to Lin Weiping. Once seated, she said, "I have to take this opportunity to talk to you, otherwise, by the time you've given me, I'll probably be on the other side of the Pacific Ocean."
"You're going to America?" Lin Weiping wasn't surprised, but she was surprised that Yu Fengmian had come to her door insisting on telling her. It certainly wasn't because she wanted to see her suffer like before, because Yu Fengmian knew that wouldn't do her any good and would ultimately be detrimental to her.
"Yes, what do you need to bring?"
"Are you going to take it for me or bring it with you?" Lin Weiping asked with a smile. She noticed Shang Kun looking at her with a questioning gaze, and Old Wang was also watching, his eyes filled with even greater doubt. Right, they were afraid she'd blurt out the secret plan, but perhaps even more afraid that her inexperience would lead Yu Fengmian to trick her into revealing it.
Yu Fengmian laughed, "How could I dare to help you carry things over? Without even a word. Hey, why is this guy surnamed Wang staring at us like that? He's a big spender, be careful of him."
Lin Weiping laughed and said, "So you're planning to bring me something? Okay, I want an N-carat Tiffany full diamond necklace."
Yu Fengmian didn't know what Tiffany was, but judging from Lin Weiping's expression, she knew he was trying to extort her. She quickly said, "It's good that you're reasonable and didn't think I came here to show off, otherwise it would have been difficult to talk to you. Little Lin, I used to think that all the workers from the factory I just bought had gone to Shang Kun's place, so I went to him to plead for them. Now I know that most of them are actually with you. I'm begging you, can you give me those workers? I'll pay you for your losses, okay?"
Lin Weiping looked at her and laughed: "You don't even think about me. I've just opened the door and you're already taking a whole bunch of people away. How can this factory operate? When I took in this group of people before because of President Shang's influence, I already got a lot of scolding from our foreign boss. Luckily, I worked my best to get everyone on the job so that things would stay quiet. If you do this to me again, don't bother paying me. Just hire me too. I don't know how to do anything else, but I can drive for you. Besides, those workers might not even want to go. Otherwise, how can I keep them under my labor contracts? I can't help you with this. If I help you, I'll be doomed."
Yu Fengmian was disgruntled, but she couldn't say anything more. It was obvious that she had ruined someone else's livelihood. If she talked to Lin Weiping about it, wouldn't that be like asking a fox for its skin? When she looked up, she saw a middle-aged woman staring at them. She asked Lin Weiping, "Who is that woman right in front of you? Why is she looking at us with that half-smile? She seems very hostile."
Lin Weiping didn't look up and said softly, "One of the guests, I guess. Ignore her. It's just that you're prettier than her and I'm younger than her, so she's unhappy."
Feng Mian smiled, quite satisfied with the answer. Looking at the woman again, she was indeed rough around the edges, though her eyes revealed a worldly wisdom and shrewdness. "It's understandable that Shang Kun is worried about me sitting next to you, afraid I'll bully you. Why hasn't that Wang guy had enough? If he's so tough, let him come and drink with me. That guy is the most difficult to deal with; being bothered by him will be a problem for life. Luckily you have Shang Kun protecting you, otherwise this sexist would definitely give you a hard time. Alright, my mission is complete, I'm not staying any longer. I'll tell Xiao Gong that you're doing very well and are happy. Goodbye, and please tell Lao Zhou for me." With that, she quietly left. What she didn't say was that she would fly directly to America via Shanghai that afternoon.
As soon as Fengmian left, Shangkun immediately came over and asked softly, "Did I bully you?"
Lin Weiping felt a warmth in her heart. At this point, practically no one cared whether she was being bullied; they were more concerned that she wouldn't be too arrogant and bully others. Seeing that Shang Kun was still rather reserved and didn't extend his hand in front of everyone, she found it amusing. Yesterday, watching a movie and having late-night snacks with young people seemed surreal now. She chuckled softly and replied, "You're worried that I'll talk too much with Yu Fengmian and reveal your plans, right? No."
Shang Kun smiled and stared at her for a moment before saying, "I knew that was a pointless question. It's already peaceful enough that you're not bullying others, but Old Wang is still worried. Also, don't have any plans for tonight; Old Zhou has something to say to you." He then stood up, casually placing his hand lightly on the back of Lin Weiping's head, like an adult affectionately touching a child. This provoked Lin Weiping to glare angrily. What was this? Touching her in public, treating her like a child!
The woman opposite had seen everything. After a moment, she came over and sat down in Yu Fengmian's seat. She stared at Lin Weiping and said, "My name is Bai Yue'er, Old Zhou's wife. I'd like to get to know you." She then took out her business card.
Lin Weiping exchanged business cards with her, giving her the kind with only a name and phone number, not wanting to deal with such a strange woman. But when she received the other woman's, she saw "Professor," "Jiusan Society," and other such things. She hadn't expected Old Zhou, who looked so rough, to have such a highly educated wife. She wondered why she had come all this way to introduce herself; surely she hadn't seen Shang Kun being intimate with her and wanted to gossip about something? She didn't want to say anything, but out of respect for Old Zhou, she said, "Nice to meet you." But in her heart, she thought, "I really have to be careful when naming my daughter, otherwise, she'll grow up to be a big, burly man with a delicate, sweet name—it'll be quite embarrassing."
Bai Yue'er said attentively, "You're so young. No wonder Lao Shang treats you like a child. They all treat you like a child, but they don't realize that you're already a woman at heart. I didn't expect you to come today. You really have courage. I've only recently come to realize that young people these days don't know what modesty is. You'd better watch yourself. I still suggest that you think things through before you act, and then think about others."
Lin Weiping was completely bewildered by her. What did she mean by this? She wanted to ask for clarification, but Bai Yue'er had already walked away. She still saw Shang Kun, Lao Guan, and Lao Wang looking this way, but no one came to check on her. She could only continue eating. Unlike Shang Kun and the others, Lin Weiping, as a newcomer, didn't know many people and didn't intend to get to know anyone, so she ate relatively quietly. However, the scanning gazes from across the table were really uncomfortable. What had she heard? Could it be that Old Zhou's wife had a crush on Shang Kun? That couldn't be that far-fetched, could it? Having nothing to say to the group of ladies, she ate a few bites and left.
Xiao Liang just called, saying that the bank mentioned during dinner that the loan should be approved in the next few days. These next few days? The Spring Festival holiday is in four days. The bank might take advantage of it being her first loan application and issue the loan to Kaixuan on New Year's Eve. Wouldn't that mean losing all the interest during the seven-day holiday? Of course not. Since they've already hinted at it, the city branch must have already approved it. If it's approved, why wait until New Year's Eve? They just want her to come and follow up. After getting out of the car, Lin Weiping turned to the savings window downstairs, took out 20,000 yuan as a "doormat," and went upstairs to find the manager. She threw the doormat into his drawer right in front of him. Afterwards, she sat with her legs up, sipping her fine private Longjing tea, watching the manager run around. By the time she left work, she had successfully obtained the bank draft she needed.
Back at the company, Lin Weiping immediately dispatched Xiao Liang to fly overnight to deliver the draft to the supplier. As long as the payment was made before the Spring Festival, there would definitely be a good harvest in the spring. This was Lin Weiping's prediction for this year's market. As soon as Xiao Liang left, Lin Weiping called his secretary in: "What is it? You've been peeking around at the door."
"Mr. Lin, I received many calls this afternoon looking for you, saying you weren't here. Some people hung up, and others hurled a lot of nasty insults. I've written down all their numbers; they all seem to be from the same district, but not the same person." He handed Lin Weiping a sheet of paper with phone numbers. Sure enough, it listed both mobile and landline numbers—more than twenty in total.
Lin Weiping, struck by inspiration, pulled out Bai Yue'er's business card and saw that it was indeed from that area. He wondered what methods she had used after returning to school to have so many people harassing him by phone. Lin Weiping returned the note to his secretary, saying, "If they call again tomorrow or the day after, tell them the call has been recorded, and they'll face the consequences. You've had a long day, go home now." He got up to pack his things, put on his coat, and prepared to leave, but saw his secretary still standing there, hesitant to speak. A quick thought struck him, and he smiled, "Were their words really that unpleasant? Don't misunderstand. I'm perfectly fine. You need to help me get to the hospital for an IV drip; where would I find the energy to create scandals? I think they've mistaken me for someone else. Go home, treat it like a mad dog barking, I'll handle it." After saying this, he saw the secretary seem relieved. It turned out the young woman, though quiet, was very kind to her general manager. Lin Weiping was touched, realizing his explanation had been necessary.
With the Spring Festival approaching, countless social engagements are on the horizon, and the best way to entertain is, of course, to eat. Restaurants of all sizes are packed with guests, bustling with activity. But no matter, Old Wang's hotel will always reserve a private room for him. As long as Lin Weiping enters and mentions Old Wang's name, he will be welcomed into the room with extra respect. Inside, only Old Zhou is sitting silently, head down. Seeing Lin Weiping enter, he wearily glances at his watch and says, "You're early too."
Lin Weiping smiled, hung his coat on the hanger, and sat down next to Lao Zhou, saying, "Actually, you've had such a tiring day, you should go home and rest."
Old Zhou smiled, but his smile was full of bitterness. "I asked Old Wang for a room, I'll go up after we finish eating. You found out at lunch today, right?"
Lin Weiping knew what Lao Zhou was talking about, and quickly said softly, "I only found out tonight. There were so many people at noon, and everyone was concerned about saving face. Later, my secretary said she received countless harassing calls, and that's when I realized what was going on. Luckily, the business card I handed out at noon only had a landline number, so it didn't cause much trouble. Don't worry about it."
Old Zhou rubbed his face hard with both hands and sighed, "She mistook you for Xiao Liang. As for Xiao Liang, when she came, Lao Guan asked a few of us to take care of her. And you know, I'm the most impatient person. Before they could do it, I had already done it, so Xiao Liang had a misunderstanding. This girl is very bold in her actions, not afraid of whether it's appropriate or not. She calls at any time and dares to say anything. At first, I was just going along with her because of Lao Guan's face. Later, I found out that my wife was angry. She's a teacher, and she has a lot of theories to share. I can't even have a peaceful time at home. I'm terrified of the two of them. I've wanted to ask you to come for a long time because Xiao Liang only respects you. You have to help me think of a way to make Xiao Liang give up."
Before he could finish speaking, a commotion erupted outside. The two men exchanged a glance, and Old Zhou spoke first, "It seems like someone is blocking my wife." Lin Weiping sighed inwardly: He's doomed; this only confirms his wife's misunderstanding. Old Zhou frowned, then suddenly stood up as if sacrificing himself for his cause and walked towards the door. Just as he reached the door, two people burst in. It was Shang Kun pulling Bai Yue'er along, and Bai Yue'er's eyes blazed with fury upon seeing the two people in the private room.
Shang Kun quickly kicked the door shut and said as if coaxing a child, "Xiao Bai, don't say anything, you're ruining my mood. I'll introduce you to someone, and you can help me see if she's suitable for me. Lin Weiping, the CEO of the wholly foreign-owned Kaixuan Enterprise, is young and promising, and she's just my rival. In the future, if I argue with her, you'll have to help me with your sharp tongue, otherwise I'll definitely lose."
Bai Yue'er broke free from Shang Kun and sneered, "Kun, President Shang, Boss Shang, I always thought you were the most cultured and reserved of the four brothers. I used to feel at ease knowing he was with you, but I never expected you to conspire with them to deceive me. I trusted you for nothing. Look at today, they're all blocking me from coming in. What's there to hide? It's just because there are two lovers having an affair inside. You're being too obvious. Even a blind man could see through this. Boss Shang, do you have anything else to say?"
Seeing Lao Zhou's embarrassment, Lin Weiping remained silent and quickly hid in the innermost part of the room to avoid Bai Yue'er's outburst and him suffering an unnecessary loss. Shang Kun still smiled ingratiatingly, "Xiao Bai, I'm wronged by what you're saying. I swear on my honor, Lao Zhou hasn't made a single wrong move. The problem is that men his age are just too charming, and young girls are fighting tooth and nail for him. It's also your fault; who told you to train Lao Zhou to be so outstanding? Someone like me is unwanted, so I have to hold onto Xiao Lin tightly. You can't play matchmaker and steal my girlfriend to your Lao Zhou. Xiao Bai, you're a smart person. You've been with Lao Zhou for so many years; don't you know what kind of person he is? How can you doubt Lao Zhou like this? Come on, come on, Xiao Lin and I will take you home. We'll let the facts speak for themselves. I'll test you one by one in my car to see if Xiao Lin is really my girlfriend. Lao Zhou, you should come along too." He looked at Lin Weiping pleadingly, and Lin Weiping had no choice but to follow.
The four found the car. Lin Weiping opened the door and sat in the driver's seat, while Lao Zhou and Bai Yue'er sat in the back. Shang Kun helped the two into the car before getting in himself. As soon as he sat down, he said, "Xiao Bai, recently Lin and I have been listening to a song called 'One Night in Beijing,' so I've kept it on the cassette player. Only Xiao Lin and I know which song it is. Xiao Lin, play it for Xiao Bai." Under normal circumstances, Lin Weiping would definitely not have accepted Shang Kun's words. Did holding hands mean he was his girlfriend? But to save Lao Zhou, he had to endure it. Besides, his heart softened whenever he heard "One Night in Beijing," and Shang Kun had indeed put thought into this song. So Lin Weiping made a few movements and put the cassette player on the cassette player.
"Listen carefully, the male voice in the back is singing 'ON NIGHT IN IJIN, I left behind many feelings.'" After saying that, he didn't drive, but just sat with his arms crossed. Shang Kun continued, "This car is for my exclusive use. Only Xiao Lin has driven it. I and she each have a box of the same kind at home, all bought by me. Xiao Bai, do you have any more questions?"
Seeing the silence in the carriage, Lin Weiping said, "You two men can get off. Lao Guan and the others must be here by now. You can discuss whatever you want. I'll take your sister-in-law home first and come right back." Shang Kun was surprised, but seeing her calm expression, he figured she must have a solution. Sometimes, problems are easier to solve when a woman speaks up, and at least Bai Yue'er's suspicions about Lin Weiping should have dissipated, posing no threat to him. "Alright then, I'll feel more at ease if you take Xiao Bai home. Come back soon; we need you to discuss things today."
After the two men got out of the car, Lin Weiping said, "Sister-in-law, please sit in the front and show me the way." Bai Yue'er was surprised by his request and hesitated for a moment before sitting in the front. Lin Weiping started the car and drove off, laughing as he said, "Actually, I don't like 'One Night in Beijing' anymore, but President Shang keeps playing it for me, so I have to keep saying how nice it is, so as not to hurt his fragile old heart, hehe."
Bai Yue'er remained silent for a while before saying, "You're too calm. I've been observing you. You kept your distance from me from the very beginning, afraid of getting hurt. Once in the car, you were giving orders as if it were none of your business. And now you still have the energy to gossip with me. You're not Old Zhou's impulsive girlfriend. I wronged you at noon."
Lin Weiping finally breathed a sigh of relief. She was genuinely worried that Bai Yue'er would act impulsively and get stuck in a rut. She said calmly, "Actually, Lao Zhou was wronged by you. He's incredibly annoyed with that girl, but he didn't dare tell you. Now I see, you seem to be overly sensitive about this issue, making a huge fuss. Lao Zhou is a little afraid of you, and that's your fault. With you so agitated, how could Lao Zhou dare to discuss things honestly with you? So, the few of us gathered here today to help Lao Zhou resolve this problem. I didn't really need to come, but they said that since I'm a woman, it would be easier for me to handle things. Actually, I think they were worried that if they didn't persuade her well, the girl might leave Lao Zhou, and they themselves would get burned. You've misunderstood Lao Zhou's good intentions."
Bai Yue'er nodded and said, "It was my recklessness. Xiao Lin, how can you be so calm?"
Seeing that she had just pulled herself out of Lao Zhou's stubbornness and was now probing her own calmness again, Lin Weiping could only smile wryly and say, "What's so calm about me? It's just that an outsider can see things more clearly. But this time, President Shang got the better of me. To appease you, he actually said I was his girlfriend. I'll have to get justice from him later."
Bai Yue'er relaxed and leaned her head back in the chair, saying, "Yeah, what's so good about old men? Their best days are over. Young girls these days only care about their well-packaged exteriors. But think about it, their skin is already loose, they have big bellies, their eyes are cloudy, their breath is bad, and all sorts of old-age diseases are coming one after another. They have to take medicine before eating and sleeping. Don't laugh at me, but even their sex life is unpredictable. I just don't understand what's so good about old men."
Lin Weiping chuckled and slapped the steering wheel, saying, "That's fair. Let me add a few more points. Middle-aged men are prone to anxiety and insecurity, driven by self-interest, hesitant and timid, lacking the sunny disposition and unwavering courage they once had. But Sister-in-law Bai, why are you still so concerned about Lao Zhou? Why are you abandoning the airs of a promising, highly educated middle-aged woman and resorting to the tactics of a shrew from the streets? If Lao Zhou were the despicable person we describe, would you be worth lowering yourself for? I know that schools aren't ivory towers, and academic circles are full of filth. You're certainly not some fairytale heroine. You act so recklessly in Lao Zhou's circle because you know no one will make things difficult for you, because everyone is giving Lao Zhou face. I truly feel sorry for you. I dislike someone who airs their family's dirty laundry everywhere, especially someone who does it consciously, systematically, and methodically—it's truly unsightly, regardless of gender. If Lao Zhou has any scandals involving infidelity in the future, I will definitely support him, not sympathize with you. People bring their own misfortunes upon themselves."
Bai Yue'er's face was contorted in the darkness. Since Lao Zhou rose to power, there had been many similar clues, all of which she had forcefully suppressed. Over the years, she had accumulated rich experience, and no one had dared to speak so harshly to her face about this matter. She sneered, "Is this kind of smiling, scheming way of cursing and plotting something attractive? Don't talk back to me. Sooner or later, when you're old and faded, the bad luck will come to your door."
"Luckily, the road isn't long." Lin Weiping ignored Bai Yue'er's furious glare and opened the car door for her. Even the most clueless person would understand what that meant. Bai Yue'er got out of the car angrily and went into the residential area without looking back. Lin Weiping rolled his eyes, got out of the car, closed the door on the other side, and thought to himself as he returned: "Sure enough, her attitude was unseemly. She didn't even say goodbye and didn't even close the car door."
Back in the hotel room, Lin Weiping had a different thought than that of the evening. Women are the weaker sex, but some are truly hard to sympathize with. Seeing them, one really wants to slap them hard and make them face reality. That's just how society is; what fairness or reason is there? If you're not self-reliant and can't survive in the cracks, yet you constantly hope that others will have a change of heart and lend a hand, you'll usually end up disappointed. Not to mention those with mediocre looks, even Yang Guifei, one of the Four Beauties of ancient China, still died gracefully before the horse. It's no use blaming anyone.