Xin Group rooftop.
Xin Zaozao enunciated each word in her cold and domineering statent, "Whether you jump off the building or not is up to you. I have no say in that. However, Xin Group is our Xin Family’s enterprise, as I hold the largest share, I am entitled to be the Chairman of Xin Group. As to the future developnt of Xin Group, let tell you frankly, I will make every effort to guide it towards the right direction. If you have doubts, you may choose to sell off your shares."
The rooftop fell into a profound silence.
No one dared to speak, just staring at the scene before them.
Watching Xin Zaozao suddenly turn around, she left behind a parting word, "Director Liu, there are many options for you to choose from, and the choice you make is entirely up to you. Live and cherish it."
Just like that, Xin Zaozao left.
Without any hesitation, without any emotion, she left.
The people left on the rooftop were all stunned.
They had imagined a massive incident unfolding, but they didn’t expect Xin Zaozao to be so calm, so indifferent.
Mu Cidian stared at Xin Zaozao’s retreating figure.
Looking at her retreating figure, he pondered thoughtfully.
He turned his eyes, and then, under everyone’s gaze, he slowly walked towards Liu Wudong.
At this mont, Liu Wudong was feeling cornered by Xin Zaozao. He had assud that his actions today would leave Xin Zaozao panicked and at a loss, even possibly making her back off and leave Xin Group, but instead, he ended up in an embarrassing predicant.
He watched Mu Cidian.
Watched him approach.
Mu Cidian said, "Co down, she’s gone and she won’t be back."
Liu Wudong clung to the railing.
In front of so many people, he was being live-stread, he didn’t know how he could salvage his dignity if he backed down now.
Mu Cidian said, "Co down, it’s dangerous. Even an immortal can’t save you if you really fall."
Liu Wudong’s heart trembled.
He was scared to death when he climbed up here, and now he didn’t even dare to look down.
But he just didn’t want to co down.
Mu Cidian didn’t want to waste any more ti either, so he reached out.
Liu Wudong jolted.
"Ah..."
A scream echoed on the rooftop.
The mont Mu Cidian stretched out his hand, Liu Wudong leaned backward.
Caught off balance, he fell backward all of a sudden.
Quick as lightning, Mu Cidian grabbed onto Liu Wudong.
Liu Wudong was so scared he was almost soulless.
He clung desperately to Mu Cidian’s arm, his grip so tight that his nails pierced through Mu Cidian’s shirt.
Mu Cidian gritted his teeth, held on tightly to Liu Wudong, and shouted to the security staff, "What are you standing there for? Co over here quick!"
Alone, he couldn’t pull up Liu Wudong this way.
Security seed to finally react, as everyone rushed over, reaching out to grab Liu Wudong. With their collective strength, they hauled him back up onto the rooftop.
Once back up, Liu Wudong completely collapsed.
He sat on the ground, his body trembling.
Mu Cidian looked at him and then turned around to leave the rooftop.
He took the elevator down.
And ca face to face with Xin Zaozao.
Xin Zaozao gave Mu Cidian an indifferent glance. Noticing the visible scratch marks on his arm, red and deep, she was unmoved.
She stepped into the elevator without a word.
Mu Cidian said, "Liu Wudong has co down."
"That has nothing to do with ," Xin Zaozao stated bluntly. "After all, this was just another one of your shows."
Mu Cidian didn’t say anything more.
"Are you hopping in?" Xin Zaozao furrowed her brow.
Mu Cidian stepped out of the elevator.
Xin Zaozao punched in the elevator floor number directly.
She wasn’t heading to the rooftop; she was going to et soone.
She felt so unease in her heart.
The elevator arrived on the ground floor lobby.
Standing in the reception area at the front desk, Ji Baili, in his formal shirt and trousers, and shiny shoes, looked utterly dashing and competent. At that mont, the receptionist was pouring him a cup of coffee.
Xin Zaozao just couldn’t get past this.
Ji Baili picked up his coffee, gave a smile, "Thank you, Chairman Xin."
Xin Zaozao’s face was sowhat flushed, "Why did you suddenly pop up here?"
"Can’t I co and see you?"
"No, it’s just..." Xin Zaozao’s face seed to beco even more red.
"So, it’s inconvenient today, isn’t it?" Ji Baili asked.
Xin Zaozao nodded stiffly.
A very unpleasant incident had just happened and all the dia were broadcasting it now. The negative news was severe. She needed to think about how to handle it. Otherwise, the Xin Family’s stock market would likely beco unstable, potentially giving opportunistic people a chance to take advantage.
So actually, her plate is quite full today.
"May I go to your office?" Ji Baili seed nonchalant about Xin Zaozao’s predicant, "Your receptionist is very responsible. They wouldn’t let see you without making an appointnt."
Xin Zaozao felt awkward.
Only because she was unusually defensive today had she asked Yan Quan to inform the receptionist that strangers were not permitted to enter.
Unexpectedly, the first person to be turned away was Ji Baili.
"But it’s fine. If not for this, how could I get you to personally co down to greet ," Ji Baili laughed.
His teeth were very white and neat.
When he smiled, he looked like a big boy.
So warm and sunny.
Xin Zaozao seed to be touched by his smile and gave a slight one of her own, "Let’s go. I will take you to my office."
Ji Baili followed Xin Zaozao.
They went directly to Xin Zaozao’s office.
Xin Zaozao said, "You must have sothing for ."
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have needed to co to her company in person.
"I ca to see you," Ji Baili said.
He watched as Xin Zaozao suddenly beca bashful again.
How was it that this woman could be so shy?
He’d done nothing, and she was like this. If he made any move...
He thought his mind was getting too complex.
He said seriously, "I also ca to discuss so business."
Xin Zaozao discretely adjusted her own emotions.
She’d seldom interacted with people like this before and had never been in a relationship.
Mu Cidian didn’t count.
Her ti with Mu Cidian could never be described as "dating". It was just a nightmare.
She said, "Please speak."
"To , take this ’please’ word back," he said.
Xin Zaozao looked at him.
"I don’t want us to get married and you still having to say ’please’ to , even when talking about having children, " Ji Baili said seriously.
This level of seriousness made Xin Zaozao’s face flush red.
Ji Baili wondered if he had taken the joke too far.
He cleared his throat, saying, "Let’s talk about what happened today. I saw the news."
Xin Zaozao tried to calm herself down, then said seriously to Ji Baili, "A board mber made a fuss. To be precise, except for the shares I hold, all other mbers are actually freezing out."
"I see," Ji Baili nodded, "So you need to produce so results."
Xin Zaozao agreed, "But it’s easier said than done. I bid for the sea developnt project relying on a connection with your brother. However, the return-on-investnt term for this project is long, so it’s hard to see imdiate results. That’s why the whole board doesn’t agree with it."
"Of course, I’m not only referring to this project."
"Hmm?"
"The reason Liu Wudong caused trouble for you today was because you disagreed with the developnt of the golf resort."
"Yes," Xin Zaozao didn’t hide anything.
For so reason.
She just trusted Song Zhizhi and anyone related to him.
She explained, "This project is entirely managed by Mu Cidian. I don’t know about the situation with Hengda Group. Perhaps they are indeed well suited for the project and it could be a profitable cooperation. However, I dare not agree to proceed. If I agreed to this project, it would be tantamount to compromising with Mu Cidian. So I would rather take a temporary loss than continue. However, now, Liu Wudong has escalated this issue. From an outsider’s perspective, this was initially a great collaboration that fell through because of my personal reasons, so certainly, I am wrong."
"This will solidify your seeming ineptitude, and the board could use this to pressure you into leaving the Xin Group or to marginalize your power!"
"Yes."
"So, I ca," Ji Baili said.
Xin Zaozao looked at him.
"No matter how good Hengda Group is, it can’t possibly surpass Jihong Group."
Xin Zaozao had an inkling about what Ji Baili was trying to say, but she had a hard ti believing it.
"Our two families have collaborated in the past. It’s just that because we’ve both developed so well in our respective fields, there have been fewer opportunities for partnership in recent years. When my brother negotiated terms with you, he was rely laying the groundwork for future strategic cooperation between our two conglorates. Even though he sold out, but..."
Xin Zaozao blushed again.
That mont, when Ji Baijian negotiated with her, he said that he could provide funding for free and he could give her a free bid plan. The only exchange was for her to get engaged to Ji Baili.
She also hesitated, but in order to get the Xin Group, she’d marry anyone, not to ntion accompany them anywhere. After all, being with the second son of Jihong Group was more than enough for her.
She agreed.
But she told Ji Baijian, she wasn’t as squeaky clean as they thought.
The answer Ji Baijian gave her was, they cared about the future.
So she had no reservations whatsoever.
At that ti, she even asked, does Ji Baili know?
Ji Baijian’s answer, I will inform him.
Inform.
Xin Zaozao did not say anything more.
Now, hearing Ji Baili’s words, Xin Zaozao was sowhat embarrassed.
She always felt that Ji Baili should have been the main character in the partnership she was discussing with Ji Baijian, but he had been kept in the dark all along.
"But alas, I can’t turn down my brother. More importantly..." Ji Baili paused purposely.
Xin Zaozao watched him.
"My brother’s arrangents have never gone wrong," Ji Baili said, his smile radiant.
Before interacting with him, she really did not understand Ji Baili’s personality.
After interacting with him, she found out he was much more agreeable than she’d imagined.
She thought that Ji Baili would be like Ji Baijian.
Even if he wasn’t, his personality should be pretty...out of the norm. After all, having such a powerful figure by your side since childhood ought to cast a shadow, right?
But it seed, the Ji Family was more harmonious than she expected.
Not like their family.
"Back to the point," Ji Baili steered the conversation back to the topic, his expression serious. "There’s no need for you to refuse the board eting. Set a date for it. Liu Wudong has already taken it this far, so just grant his wish. Let him and the people behind him think they’ve succeeded. This way, at least, we’ll have justified our actions to the public."
"Ok," Xin Zaozao nodded her head.
"Besides, there are many reporters downstairs. I suggest you face them squarely and clarify the situation, instead of getting saddled with a needless bad reputation that could hamper your future career," Ji Baili advised.
"Alright."
"Well, I’ve said what I wanted to say," Ji Baili said.
"I’ll see you off," Xin Zaozao volunteered at once.
Her hospitality was genuinely warm, and deep down Xin Zaozao thought Ji Baili must be very busy, hence her proactive gesture.
Ji Baili sighed.
This woman was really not cut out for dating.
But she was indeed special.
He stood up.
Xin Zaozao and Ji Baili walked to the office door.
"Zaozao." Ji Baili suddenly stopped her.
Xin Zaozao turned around.
It seed like he never called her by her pet na before.
But it sounded so natural now, coming from his mouth.
"I won’t keep you from your work any longer, you don’t have to accompany downstairs," Ji Baili said.
"Oh, okay." Xin Zaozao obediently nodded.
"But..." Ji Baili gave a hint of a smile, "Here."
Ji Baili pointed to his own cheek.
Xin Zaozao was confused.
Ji Baili found himself a bit speechless.
Could Xin Zaozao not be so clueless?
Didn’t she understand the very basic idea of a goodbye kiss?
He moved closer.
Because he was tall enough, he could easily look down on her.
He suddenly leaned down, his lips touching her forehead.
Xin Zaozao was completely flabbergasted.
They had only t a few days ago, and the number of interactions wasn’t even enough to count on one hand. It felt like... like they weren’t even close.
Her entire face suddenly flushed red.
She stood there rigid.
Ji Baili pecked her and walked away, looking at her blushed face, saying, "This is the fastest way to get to know each other, bye."
With that, he turned and left.
Leaving with such grace.
Xin Zaozao was left alone, standing there in a daze, her heart pounding like crazy.
This feeling...
She found it quite peculiar.
When she was with Mu Cidian in the past, she only felt that he was very nice to her. He took care of her and was sweet, but it wasn’t love. It was simply a beautiful companionship. After realizing Mu Cidian’s intentions, she stopped speaking of it. The way she feels right now is enormously different.
She shouldn’t have developed feelings for Ji Baili yet.
She even thought that she might never fall for anyone else again.
But Ji Baili, he made her feel warm.
A warmth she hadn’t felt for a very, very long ti.
She slowly turned around and headed back to her office.
But the man who had been standing not too far away from her, she didn’t notice him at all.
She did not notice that he was holding a pink file in his hand and that his face was dark and scary.
He turned around, back to his own office.
He threw the file harshly onto the desk in front of him.
The secretary who was about to bring him another cup of coffee felt a storm of gloom inside the room. She thought that she would need a helt to enter at this mont.
She gently pushed the door open, treaded carefully towards the boss, and placed the steaming cup of coffee in front of him, holding her breath, "Boss, your coff...ah..."
The secretary scread in fright.
Because at that mont, the boss suddenly reached out to grab the file. His sleeve brushed the coffee cup, spilling the hot beverage over the desk. It seed to scald his skin.
"Boss, let help you clean it. Don’t move, be careful not to get burnt..." The secretary quickly took a napkin and began to clean up.
"Out!" Mu Cidian’s face was very cold.
The secretary started trembling with fear.
"Get out!"
Puff.
The secretary quickly turned around and left.
The boss was frightening when he lost his temper, and right now, it was even scarier!
She didn’t know when it started, but the boss had beco increasingly unpredictable. At least in the past, she understood what made him angry, but now she couldn’t understand him at all. She didn’t know if it was because she was becoming more foolish.
The secretary left the office, knowing he was in a bad mood, she closed the door behind her.
The mont she closed the door, she saw her boss throwing the pink file on his desk into the trash can.
Um.
What the heck was wrong with the boss?!
Just monts ago, he had her specially fetch him a nice-looking folder.
She was confused then.
When did the boss start caring about appearances?
Besides, what did he an by ’nice-looking’?
She rummaged through the supplies departnt and brought him a folder in every color for him to choose from.
She never thought that the boss would choose pink.
He really took the pink one from her and told her to get out.
For a second there, she thought that her boss was in love.
But...
Could it be possible?
If boss Mu was in love, then the world might as well start spinning backward!
anwhile.
In the chairman’s office.
Xin Zaozao cald herself down for a while, took a deep breath, picked up the phone, and said, "Secretary Yan, be ready. In ten minutes, we’re going downstairs to et with the press."
She had to face what was coming.
Only then, would she grow faster and stronger!
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