Qi Mu dragged Jiang Shao away without once looking back.
Only when they reached a deserted spot did he release Jiang Shao’s wrist as though he had been burned.
His heart was still racing from the fright.
If Long Aotian had resisted him even slightly just now, Qi Mu’s entire performance would have fallen apart. Fortunately, he had gambled correctly in the end. Jiang Shao still did not want his true circumstances exposed in front of Li Xin, which was why he had cooperated with Qi Mu and finished acting out the scene.
Qi Mu was almost impressed with himself. He had actually dared yell at Long Aotian like that. He had been too nervous to think about it carefully at the time, but now that the dust had settled, the delayed fear finally began to set in.
This was Long Aotian!
In the dream, countless people who offended Long Aotian had suffered the whole “the weather has turned cold, so bankrupt the Wang family” treatment. People who dared shout at Long Aotian generally did not end well. Plenty of the cannon fodder he casually crushed had been powerful, influential figures. A small-time company president like Qi Mu would barely even make the list.
Still, Qi Mu had indirectly helped Long Aotian today, hadn’t he? Ignorance was no crime. Jiang Shao should have no reason to retaliate against him.
Besides, once you started putting on a performance, you had to see it through. Given everything that happened today, Qi Mu technically ought to give Jiang Shao a talking-to and reprimand him for his outrageous behavior. But Qi Mu still wanted to live a few more years and had no intention of genuinely angering Long Aotian…
Then a thought occurred to him: Lu Jin Wen. This was business Long Aotian had “brought in.” Jiang Shao might have done something wrong, but he had also found the company a client. His merits and mistakes could offset one another. For the sake of that new client, Qi Mu did not need to be too harsh.
Qi Mu relaxed slightly. His expression softened as he said in a measured tone, “Do you know what you did wrong?”
Jiang Shao lowered his eyes toward his wrist.
He seemed faintly disappointed.
Why did he let go so quickly?
Only after a while did Jiang Shao raise his head and look at Qi Mu, asking somewhat blankly, “What did you just say?”
He had been distracted and genuinely had not heard.
Qi Mu’s heart gave a violent jump. That was a challenge! Listen to him! Long Aotian is actually making me repeat myself. That provocative, mocking tone—seriously! Anyone foolish enough to repeat themselves in a situation like this gets brutally face-slapped in the very next second!
Qi Mu would not make that mistake. He merely lifted his chin and stared coldly at Jiang Shao.
Figure it out yourself.
Jiang Shao: “…”
Under Qi Mu’s reproachful stare, Jiang Shao inexplicably began to feel a little guilty. He no longer dared ask what Qi Mu had said and instead started considering what exactly Qi Mu might be blaming him for…
First, Li Xin could be ruled out.
Qi Mu would never blame him because of Li Xin. That left only one possible answer…
Fang Ming Qian.
Jiang Shao’s jaw tightened, his mood immediately worsening.
He admitted that he had done some things wrong, but hadn’t he also found Qi Mu a new client? Wasn’t Lu Jin Wen a far better client than Fang Ming Qian? So why was Qi Mu still blaming him because of Fang Ming Qian?
Jiang Shao had never been the type to recognize his mistakes and obediently correct them. And asking him to lower his head and apologize because of Fang Ming Qian? Not in this lifetime!
A tiny flame of irritation began to burn, and burn, and burn.
Jiang Shao abruptly stepped forward.
Closing in on Qi Mu.
Qi Mu had not expected him to suddenly approach. He hurriedly looked up and saw Jiang Shao’s cold, sharp face half-covered in shadow, making him appear particularly dark and frightening. Qi Mu immediately remembered the terrifying flash of violence he had seen earlier when Jiang Shao raised his fist at Li Xin…
The thought that this man was not only a lawless lunatic but might also have violent tendencies made cold sweat break out across Qi Mu’s palms.
Qi Mu had already made a big show of raising the issue only to let Jiang Shao off lightly. He had said a single sentence, nothing more. Was Long Aotian really going to attack him over even that?
Qi Mu began regretting choosing somewhere deserted.
There was no one around to hear him even if he shouted for help.
He instinctively backed away two steps, wanting to put some distance between himself and Jiang Shao. In his panic, his foot caught on a stone and he toppled backward—
Pain shot through his waist.
Qi Mu’s face paled. His lower back had struck the railing.
He grabbed the railing with both hands to steady himself, but before he could react, a tall shadow descended over him.
Just then, a light breeze swept past.
Branches rustled throughout the mountain woods in the deep night, ghostly shadows shifting among them. The streetlamp several meters away cast only a dim glow, nowhere near enough to illuminate where Qi Mu stood. Half of Jiang Shao’s sharp features disappeared into darkness, his deep black eyes staring at Qi Mu until he felt as though some demon from the abyss had fixed its gaze upon him.
Jiang Shao leaned down toward him, bracing one hand beside Qi Mu and nearly enclosing him completely within the space of his body.
Qi Mu swallowed.
His hands tightened around the railing. He wanted to say something, but his mouth had gone so dry that no words would come.
Then he heard Jiang Shao murmur beside his ear, “Aren’t you curious why I keep targeting Fang Ming Qian?”
The man’s voice was low and husky, magnetic in the darkness, like a tiny saw scraping over Qi Mu’s eardrum and sending a shiver of numbness from head to toe.
Qi Mu’s entire body tensed.
How was he supposed to know why Jiang Shao kept targeting Fang Ming Qian?
Reason told him that perhaps Jiang Shao simply disliked Fang Ming Qian. Did Long Aotian really need a reason to cause trouble?
But perhaps the moment was simply too intimate.
Qi Mu could feel Jiang Shao’s breath falling against his ear and the side of his neck. The place Jiang Shao had bitten before had healed long ago, yet under the heat of his breath, it suddenly seemed to ache again. Qi Mu could still vividly remember the slick, shiver-inducing sensation of Jiang Shao’s tongue lingering and rubbing over that patch of skin…
As though, in the very next second, Jiang Shao might lower his head again—
And bite down on his neck.
That terrifying, alarming, utterly absurd thought—
Once again surfaced in his mind at the worst possible moment.
Qi Mu heard his own dry voice emerge with the faintest tremor. “W-why…?”
Jiang Shao stood with the light behind him.
Qi Mu could not clearly make out his expression.
Nor did he realize that every trace of his own panic was completely exposed.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
His heartbeat pounded so heavily that his chest felt swollen with it.
Suddenly, Qi Mu saw Jiang Shao reach toward him. His lower back was pressed firmly against the railing, and he instinctively closed his eyes. He felt Jiang Shao’s fingertips brush lightly across his brow…
Then push his slipping glasses back up the bridge of his nose.
Qi Mu: “?”
He opened his eyes blankly and stared at Jiang Shao.
His heart, which had only moments ago leaped all the way into his throat, now seemed stuck there, neither rising nor falling. The feeling of having been toyed with left him embarrassed and annoyed.
Jiang Shao abruptly withdrew his hand and stepped back twice.
He was back to his usual brazen, devil-may-care self. With a lazy snort, he said, “I just don’t like him. Is that not allowed?”
Qi Mu: “…”
Yes. Of course it’s allowed. Formidable ancestor, you can do whatever the hell you want!
There was no controlling this bastard anyway. Qi Mu had no desire to say anything more. He turned to leave, unwilling to remain alone with Jiang Shao any longer. It was simply too dangerous…
He had barely taken two steps when Jiang Shao followed behind him and cheerfully asked, “I brought the company such a major client today. President Qi doesn’t have anything to say about that?”
Qi Mu almost lost control of his temper. He was beginning to discover that the composure he had always prided himself on became remarkably useless whenever Long Aotian was involved.
When Qi Mu ignored him, Jiang Shao’s voice took on a note of surprised accusation. “President Qi isn’t going to use me up and throw me away now that I’ve served my purpose, is he?”
Qi Mu finally stopped and turned around, expressionless. “Then what do you want?”
Jiang Shao smiled at him. “Shouldn’t there be some kind of reward?”
Ha…
You have the nerve to ask for a reward after behaving like this? I’ve genuinely never met anyone this shameless.
Qi Mu was so speechless he could actually laugh.
So he did. “Don’t worry. You’ll get your bonus.”
He watched Jiang Shao’s smile freeze, and his own mood immediately improved. It felt as though he had finally won one round back.
Qi Mu recovered his usual composure. If I actually lose my temper, I’ll only be falling into this bastard’s trap. Jiang Shao wants a reward, doesn’t he? Fine. We’ll handle it according to company policy. Any problem money can solve isn’t a problem.
Qi Mu asked slowly, “Anything else?”
Jiang Shao remained silent.
Qi Mu nodded in satisfaction. “If not, go home early. Stop wandering around outside, and don’t be late for work tomorrow.”
With that, he turned and strode away without hesitation.
Jiang Shao stared at Qi Mu’s retreating back for a long while before lightly grinding his teeth.
If he had not noticed Qi Mu’s panic just now, he would not have backed down at the last moment and brushed the question aside with such an ambiguous answer. It seemed he had still gone soft.
But Qi Mu was not quite as fragile as Jiang Shao had imagined either. He had already put his boss’s airs back on this quickly.
Even Jiang Shao had to admire Qi Mu’s ability to change faces faster than turning a page.
Impressive…
Equal parts endearing and infuriating.
…
Qi Mu hurried away.
This time, Jiang Shao did not follow him.
Qi Mu breathed out softly and rubbed his forehead in frustration. Jiang Shao made such an enormous production out of all this, even dragging Lu Jin Wen into it, just so he could one-up Fang Ming Qian? But he’s an employee. Why is he competing with a client in the first place?
Qi Mu genuinely could not understand Jiang Shao’s inexplicable competitive streak.
The next day, Qi Mu returned to work as usual.
Fang Ming Qian had left City C after the conference. Before departing, he sent Qi Mu a message inviting him to visit his city someday, promising to properly play host when he did. At the same time, he reminded Qi Mu not to forget about their cooperation.
Qi Mu replied that he would not.
Then he had Zhan Xiao Hui prepare the relevant bidding materials.
A busy morning passed.
That afternoon—
Qi Mu received an unexpected visitor.
He was in a meeting in his office when Zhan Xiao Hui came rushing in, visibly flustered. “President Qi, P-President Lu—President Lu is here.”
Qi Mu had never seen Zhan Xiao Hui this rattled before. He frowned. “Who’s here?”
Zhan Xiao Hui drew a deep breath. “President Lu Jin Wen of Shunxun Technology.”
Qi Mu paused.
It was true that while exchanging pleasantries with Lu Jin Wen yesterday, Lu Jin Wen had expressed an interest in cooperating. But Qi Mu had assumed it was merely something polite Lu Jin Wen had said to humor him. Besides… even if Lu Jin Wen genuinely intended to cooperate, couldn’t he simply send someone responsible for handling the deal?
For a comparatively minor supplier arrangement like this, why would Lu Jin Wen need to come personally?
That was why Qi Mu had not taken the matter too seriously and had no intention of proactively contacting Lu Jin Wen. He had already decided that if someone from Shunxun Technology contacted him, he would assign someone to follow up. If nothing further came from Lu Jin Wen’s side, Qi Mu would simply pretend the conversation had never happened.
What he had never expected—
Was for Lu Jin Wen to personally show up the very next day.
Shunxun Technology was a major multinational technology company. As its president, Lu Jin Wen could stand alongside the heads of major technology firms around the world. His status and influence far exceeded Fang Ming Qian’s, and for an ordinary person, simply getting the chance to meet him would be enough to feel overwhelmingly honored.
Since he was already here—
Qi Mu could hardly neglect him.
He immediately put aside what he was doing and stood up. “I’ll go take a look.”
Zhan Xiao Hui nodded nervously and followed behind him, thinking, President Qi is so calm. Does he actually know Lu Jin Wen?
But why have I never heard anything about that before?
Qi Mu went downstairs with a grave expression. The moment he saw Lu Jin Wen, he hurried forward and shook his hand politely. “President Lu, what brings you here personally?”
Lu Jin Wen wore a warm, approachable smile without the slightest hint of airs. “President Qi and I had such a pleasant conversation yesterday. I wasn’t sure whether you were busy, but I decided to come by anyway. I hope I’m not interrupting your work?”
“Of course not,” Qi Mu replied.
With that, Qi Mu invited Lu Jin Wen upstairs.
They walked and talked along the way.
Quite a few employees stopped to secretly watch them, while some discreetly took out their phones to snap pictures.
Following behind them, Zhan Xiao Hui could barely contain her excitement.
They had only just finished receiving a rising technology star like Fang Ming Qian, and now a heavyweight like Lu Jin Wen had arrived immediately afterward.
What kind of incredible luck was the company having lately?
Each new client had a bigger background than the last.
And most importantly—
Both men seemed extremely familiar with President Qi, as though they had an excellent relationship with him.
Once again, Zhan Xiao Hui sighed inwardly—
Having a well-connected boss really was the best!
She had originally been a little worried that the company’s transformation might not go smoothly. Instead, President Qi had secured two major clients almost in the blink of an eye. The company’s development felt like it had been strapped to a rocket. Zhan Xiao Hui could practically see their performance figures soaring already. Surely this year’s annual bonus was going to be generous!
As Qi Mu continued chatting with Lu Jin Wen, he gradually stopped worrying. Although Lu Jin Wen belonged to Jiang Shao’s side, there was not much about Qi Corporation worth scheming for in the first place.
As long as Qi Mu remained cautious, he had nothing to fear from any plots.
If Lu Jin Wen genuinely wanted to cooperate, Qi Mu would be a fool to reject a client delivered straight to his door. He could simply treat it as compensation for the emotional trauma of sheltering Long Aotian.
Qi Mu instructed the company to receive Lu Jin Wen with the highest level of hospitality.
As a large multinational technology company, Shunxun Technology was vastly larger than Tuoyuan Power. However, Shunxun Technology was privately held, and its founder and president, Lu Jin Wen, held an overwhelmingly controlling stake. As a result, Lu Jin Wen possessed considerably more authority within his company than Fang Ming Qian did in his.
Put simply—
Lu Jin Wen could essentially make the decisions by himself.
The afternoon passed quickly.
There was an old saying that you did not strike someone who greeted you with a smile. Since Lu Jin Wen had clearly shown goodwill, Qi Mu naturally had no reason to be rude. He simply treated him with the same courtesy he extended to anyone who approached him sincerely.
As dinnertime approached, Qi Mu politely asked, “President Lu, do you have plans tonight? If not, would you like to have a simple dinner together?”
Although Qi Mu extended the invitation, he did not expect Lu Jin Wen to accept. Lu Jin Wen had already given Qi Corporation a tremendous amount of face by personally coming here because of Jiang Shao. Whether they had dinner hardly mattered. A major figure like Lu Jin Wen surely did not have time to eat with someone like Qi Mu.
Qi Mu had already prepared himself for Lu Jin Wen to decline.
Unexpectedly, Lu Jin Wen smiled. “Sure.”
Qi Mu froze.
Then he heard Lu Jin Wen add casually, “Since it’s only a simple dinner, there’s no need to bring too many people. Jiang Shao can come along.”
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