Just as Zhang Chaohe was being kidnapped and taken away by a group of mysterious sharks who suddenly appeared, Madam Ji invited Chairman Zhang and Ms. Zhao to sit in the lounge alone under the pretext of having tea.
The two readily accepted the invitation, but when the door to the lounge opened, an all-star guest lineup was sitting inside—the three generations of the Ji family, from the patriarch to Ji's father to Ji Tingyun, were all dressed up and ready to welcome them, creating a powerful sense of pressure.
Mr. Zhang looked at Mrs. Ji with a puzzled expression: What is this all about?
Mrs. Ji smiled mysteriously and closed the door for the two. Chairman Zhang and Ms. Zhao thought they were going to talk about the issues between Ji Boyang and Zhang Yinshan, but they saw the old man stand up with the two younger men, his expression slightly apologetic: "The reason I invited you two here today is not to talk about Xiao Yang's matter."
Ji Tingduan's father, Ji Fusheng, immediately strode over and shook hands with Chairman Zhang: "Hello, Chairman Zhang."
At this moment, Chairman Zhang had a bad feeling. He shook hands with Ji Fusheng without showing any emotion, and said with a slight pressure: "Hello, Chairman Ji."
"Due to the circumstances, the procedure is rather rudimentary. Please, elders, have a seat." Ji Tingyun also came over to offer his seat—this time, Chairman Zhang really didn't understand... But before he could speak, he saw that Ms. Zhao's face was already as cold as ice.
She stopped Ji Tingyun, her "father-in-law," with a half-smile, saying, "No need, just say what's on your mind."
Ji Fusheng's heart sank to rock bottom. He spoke with a heavy heart, "This time, I mainly want to apologize to you both about the matter between my unfilial son, Ji Tingduan, and Young Master Zhang..."
⚹
Zhang Chaohe was squeezed between two mobile bodybuilding champions, like a pitiful sardine. When he closed his eyes, he had a dignified and arrogant air about him, as calm as if someone had invited him for tea.
Zhang Chaohe: I panicked, but I couldn't show it.
Soon, the car stopped in front of a magnificent building. Before Zhang Chaohe could even look at the company name on the roof, his older brothers ushered him into the president's elevator.
Zhang Chaohe had already prepared himself for certain death, but when the elevator stopped, the men from the Black West collectively led him to the adjacent conference room. Two new leaders opened the door for him and then gently pushed him into the conference room.
I didn't dare to use much force; I used only two fingers.
Zhang Chaohe took a deep breath and looked up. He saw four bodyguards in black standing with their hands behind their backs in the conference room, as well as three gentlemen in suits. The three men looked at him very kindly and said, "Hello, Mr. Zhang, please come and sit here."
Zhang Chaohe thought to himself, "What else can I do now that things have come to this?" He strode over and sat down in the seat indicated by the middle-aged man.
There was a folder and a pen in front of him, nothing else.
Zhang Chaohe sized up the three men, and finally chose the gentleman on the far left who was dressed the most expensively and had the most natural and proper smile, asking, "Are you Ji Er?"
Is that arrogant enough? Is that cocky enough? Zhang Chaohe thought to himself, trying to find humor in his predicament: even if you lose the other person, you can't lose your spirit!
But this second season doesn't look particularly handsome or impressive, does he? Zhang Chaohe thought in confusion, this sweet romance novel is so weak, the main character looks like this?
"This guy is a perfect match for the stunningly handsome protagonist, Cheng Jixue?" Zhang Chaohe scoffed inwardly. "He's not even as good as me. At least I'm young and handsome, and I'll soon have a hundred billion!"
The middle-aged man seemed to smile, and he pursed his lips: "I am Second Master Ji's personal assistant. You can just call me Assistant Wang."
Since it wasn't Ji Er himself, Zhang Chaohe lost interest. He adopted his domineering CEO demeanor, his expression as cold as frost: "What's the matter that you went to so much trouble to invite me here?"
Assistant Wang smiled and introduced them first: "These two are my legal counsel. If you have any questions, you can consult them directly."
The two legal counsel nodded in unison, revealing standard business smiles.
Assistant Wang added, "The reason we went to so much trouble to invite you here is to have you review a contract."
Upon hearing the word "contract," Zhang Chaohe was suddenly haunted by the memory of the contract and check from Old Master Ji last time... He asked uncertainly, "It's not some kind of gift contract, is it?"
Assistant Wang's smile widened, and he spread his palm, pointing to the contract on the table: "Why don't you take a look for yourself?"
Zhang Chaohe glanced at him, then cautiously opened the folder—inside was indeed a stock transfer agreement!
Zhang Chaohe fell silent on the spot: he looked up speechlessly and questioned Assistant Wang, "Whom do you want me to leave this time?"
Last time, Old Master Ji pulled him through a tightrope like a relative handing out red envelopes during Chinese New Year, and finally left a check for 500 million yuan and escaped the crime scene with his bodyguards in black—how similar is his current situation!
This time it was a full-blown hijacking, and they even stuffed in more money, and even shares!
Assistant Wang's smile remained unchanged: ...
He paused for a moment, then said, "Sorry, I don't understand what you mean?"
Zhang Chaohe sneered and casually flipped through the gift contract. He was shocked to find that the gift not only included 3% of the shares of the Ji Group, but also involved many of Ji Er's private companies, industries, and real estate.
Oh, his name isn't Ji Er, it's Ji Tingduan.
If Zhang Chaohe signs the contract and it becomes effective, he can probably immediately rank among the top dozens in China's Forbes list, and he can even dream of surpassing his father, Chao Ge, and becoming the number one CEO of the Zhang family!
Zhang Chaohe fell silent on the spot. He looked up and asked very seriously, "Are all the members of your Ji family good at giving away money? Do you have a hobby of giving away money?"
Otherwise, he simply couldn't understand why the old man had forced a check on him first, and then Ji Er had forced him to give him shares.
Do you guys have too much money and nowhere to spend it? Giving out get-rich-quick packages to everyone you meet?
The two lawyers looked furious: "Listen to what you're saying—how can someone take advantage and then act innocent?!" The lawyers felt a pang of guilt while drafting this contract, as if the money they were giving away was their own!
In the eyes of the person involved: a spendthrift? Is he crazy?
Assistant Wang paused for a moment, then laughed. Just as Mr. Ji had said, Mr. Zhang certainly wouldn't accept it easily. He explained, "It's not like that. This is a gift from Mr. Ji. It has been notarized, and all procedures are legal. You just need to sign it."
Zhang Chaohe was playing with his pen when he heard what Assistant Wang said. He gave a cold and perfunctory smile and then threw the pen away.
With a "thud," the pen fell onto the table and rolled quite a distance. Little Zhang smirked and said defiantly, "I won't sign."
Assistant Wang was also very efficient. He picked up the pen in a very gentle manner, and put it back like a teacher coaxing a child who had a bad temper. But what he said was very cruel: "Then Mr. Zhang can forget about leaving until you sign the contract."
Zhang Chaohe was extremely shocked: "This is illegal imprisonment!"
The mention of the two menacing lawyers opposite him instantly dispelled his sleepiness. One of them pointed to the contract in front of Zhang Chaohe and said, "You can leave once you sign the contract."
Zhang Chaohe was so angry he almost laughed. He condescended to pick up his pen and began to carefully read the contract from the first page, trying to find legal loopholes. Unfortunately, his legal knowledge came entirely from legal education activities organized by the state and he had not undergone professional training. Therefore, Zhang Chaohe really couldn't see anything wrong with the contract.
But no matter how you look at it, the person who drafted the contract is quite a victim...
Suddenly, Zhang Chaohe remembered the scene on the first day he transmigrated into this world, when Cheng Jixue was alone in the conference room looking at the sugar daddy contract.
Was he feeling the same way back then?
Zhang Chaohe unconsciously squeezed the corner of the contract, even curling one corner of the thick stack of contracts. He looked up at the people surrounding him—his assistant, lawyer, and bodyguards.
It seems that if he doesn't sign this contract today, he really won't be able to leave this place.
Without further hesitation, Zhang Chaohe flipped to the last page of the contract, picked up his pen, and saw that the first party's name was already signed—a bold and elegant signature, indeed pleasing to the eye. Zhang Chaohe indifferently wrote his name in the second party's section next to the first party's signature, then snapped the contract shut and tossed it back to the three people who had been watching him the entire time.
"I've signed it, can I leave now?"
The next instant, everyone present burst into applause as if they had rehearsed it! Amidst the thunderous applause, Assistant Wang beamed and said, "Congratulations to Mr. Zhang on breaking the 10 billion mark in net worth!"
The bodyguards repeated it in unison with expressionless faces—it's hard to imagine how they managed not to laugh!
Zhang Chaohe was stunned by the congratulations: ...
Are you crazy?! The Ji family is absolutely insane!!
"Don't rush," Assistant Wang said with a smile, picking up the folder from the table and holding it protectively to his chest—Mr. Ji had said that General Manager Zhang had once torn up the old man's contract without batting an eye, and he was afraid that General Manager Zhang would tear up this contract in a fit of anger: "Mr. Ji wants to see you, please come with me."
Zhang Chaohe stood up, first straightening his collar and then adjusting his cuffs. He checked himself over in the bright reflection of the table, making sure he looked perfect, before leaving the conference room under the guidance of Assistant Wang.
He, a vicious cannon fodder CEO, is about to go head-to-head with the legendary, unfathomable, and ruthless outlaw, Master Ji, who is at the center of the sweet romance novel world and can break the sky with a flick of his finger!
Zhang Chaohe sneered—this love story was fucking touching. This time, Ji Er didn't send a huge truck to harass him; he chose to settle things directly with money. He was far more generous than his grandfather, offering shares of the entire group in one go?
Assistant Wang opened the door to the president's office for him: "Please come in, Mr. Zhang."
The figure standing before the floor-to-ceiling window was tall and slender, his proportions almost perfect against the backdrop of his sky-blue bespoke suit. The other person had his back to him and didn't turn around, so Zhang Chaohe could only see his elegant and composed back.
This figure was very, very familiar, so familiar that Zhang Chaohe could even recite from memory every undulation and bend of his body, every inch of its winding grooves.
Zhang Chaohe's muscles tensed, and he cautiously moved forward: "Duan..."
He suddenly fell silent.
After a moment, Zhang Chaohe spoke again, his voice slightly hoarse from nervousness: "Cheng Jixue, what are you doing here?"
The other person finally turned around—Cheng Jixue revealed the smile he used to like the most and was most familiar with. His eyebrows and eyes curved slightly, softening the overly sharp lines. His nose was high and his lips were pointed.
His smile was still gentle and tolerant, but it was as if he had put on expensive clothes, and the arrogance and aloofness of a proud son of heaven that he had always suppressed had returned to him.
In a flash, Cheng Jixue suddenly became the person he knew best and was also the most unfamiliar to him.
Zhang Chaohe held his breath and refused to move forward. His mind was sometimes confused and sometimes clear, like raging fire and boiling water, weaving together bizarre and wonderful scenes.
In that daze, Cheng Jixue seemed to reach out his hand to him—he waited for a while, but Zhang Chaohe did not react at all, only looking at him coldly and sharply.
Cheng Jixue took the initiative to hold Zhang Chaohe's hand... They used to love holding each other like this, childish yet persistent. When Cheng Jixue touched him again, she suddenly found that Zhang Chaohe's hand was as cold as ice.
He tenderly and affectionately rubbed Zhang Chaohe's fingertips, just like Zhang Chaohe had done for him that night when he ran to the charity auction house with live fish to find him.
Zhang Chaohe showed no reaction, neither disgust nor anger, as if all emotions had vanished from him. He simply asked, puzzled and earnest, "Who are you?"
Cheng Jixue's heart tightened... but Zhang Chaohe wasn't angry yet, which was already the best outcome he had envisioned.
He gently nuzzled Zhang Chaohe's cheek with the tip of his nose, trying to lower Zhang Chaohe's resistance and defensiveness with the way Zhang Chaohe liked to touch him. However, Zhang Chaohe was like a cold stone, stubbornly and persistently looking at him, unmoved by him.
Cheng Jixue wanted to meet his gaze, but fearing it would provoke Zhang Chaohe's rebellious streak, he skillfully lowered his eyes and sincerely apologized, "I'm sorry, Diandian, I haven't had the chance to tell you before because of unavoidable reasons... My real name is Ji Tingduan, my parents are alive, and I have an older brother..."
Zhang Chaohe suddenly spoke up: "Oh."
A single, calm word sent chills down Cheng Jixue's spine! He decisively skipped the rambling preamble and asked in a lighthearted tone, trying to liven things up: "Now that you're worth billions, Mr. Zhang, are you ready to consider your love life?"
A full minute passed without Zhang Chaohe reacting, but then he suddenly looked up—he looked at Ji Tingduan with a half-smile, his expression full of sarcasm. Before Cheng Jixue could say anything, a sharp pain immediately struck!
Cheng Jixue frowned. He saw Zhang Chaohe break free of his restraints and take two steps back while shaking his hands. His expression could even be described as kind, and his movements were very elegant and calm, but his eyes were as cold as a winter blizzard.
Cheng Jixue was terrified by his expression! He knew Zhang Chaohe very well and knew he was truly enraged—though he was flustered for a moment, he still managed to smile calmly and try to approach him: "I'm sorry, please let me explain..."
Zhang Chaohe turned and left without giving him a second glance—his back resembled a lone wild leopard, but it was impossible to tell whether he was leaving in triumph or fleeing in disarray.
Cheng Jixue endured the pain and tried to chase after him, but Zhang Chaohe suddenly stopped, pointed at Cheng Jixue with a cold smile, and then pointed at the spot where he was standing.
That was a threatening gesture.
Don't move.
Cheng Jixue dared not move again. He watched helplessly as Zhang Chaohe left his sight without saying a word. It seemed that Assistant Wang had said something to him as he passed by, but he did not receive any reply.
He stood there alone, like a pitiful kitten abandoned by its owner in a torrential downpour, looking dejected and desperate. Despite it being the height of summer, Cheng Jixue felt icy cold all over.
It might take ten minutes, or it might take half an hour... Cheng Jixue stood motionless in the small spot Zhang Chaohe pointed to, her eyes lowered in sadness and sorrow, staring intently at the ground.
It's so cold.
He thought sadly, "Is Zhang Chaohe alright? Is he also feeling cold?"
Assistant Manager Wang had been standing outside the door for a long time, watching Mr. Ji stand there silently, as if trying to freeze himself into a statue. He gently knocked on the door, trying to break the deathly silence in the room: "Sir, this contract..."
Cheng Jixue had no mind to think about that damn contract anymore. He said dismissively, "Just do what needs to be done. Do I have to teach you this kind of thing?"
Assistant Wang awkwardly said, "I'm sorry, sir, there's a problem with the contract... Mr. Zhang's signature just now seems to be... Zhang Chao'e."
Cheng Jixue: ...