141: 45 million yuan in the account, go back to Jianghan City in the middle of the night to steal incense? - The Rich Second-Generation Villain With No Morals

Chen Jiawei maintained a rather indifferent attitude. After everything was settled, Mr. Ou smiled at Qi Lin and said, "Congratulations, Mr. Qi, on winning the bid this time. It was quite the child's play." "If you have some time, come by my place. I'll host and ensure you enjoy a good drink." This time, his car was hacked, and thanks to Qi Lin's timely reminder, he made it through. He definitely needed to remember this favor. "Mr. Ou is so hospitable; I certainly won’t refuse. That being said, Mr. Ou probably won't find my appetite too overwhelming. That's good." Qi Lin smiled and shook hands with Mr. Ou. "Haha, young people grow fast and eat well, and that is indeed a good thing. This bill, I can certainly foot." After finishing his chat with Qi Lin, Mr. Ou got into another vehicle and left the venue. Now, only Qi Lin and Chen Jiawei remained on the scene. "Mr. Qi, you're quite impressive, making Mr. Ou that happy." Chen Jiawei blocked Qi Lin's way and said coolly, "Do you like the gift I gave you?" Qi Lin ignored Chen Jiawei’s remarks and instead asked, "Are you satisfied with the gift I sent you?" Chen Jiawei replied through gritted teeth, "Like it? Of course, I do. I really didn't expect Mr. Qi to be this cunning. I just overlooked it, that's all." "But Mr. Qi should still be careful these days. After all, the world is chaotic, and encountering some situations is quite normal." This was nothing short of a threat from Chen Jiawei towards Qi Lin. Qi Lin shrugged and chuckled, “I agree with Mr. Jiawei. I've been terribly lucky with my encounters. I hope Mr. Jiawei won’t misunderstand once he sees them.” Are you trying to move me? Well, not only will I touch your heart, but also your fiancée’s. “Hmph!” Chen Jiawei had no intention of playing tricks with Qi Lin. With Mr. Ou still waiting for him to handle things, he snorted coldly and left with Yu Jin and others. "Ms. Zhang, what happened? I don't understand at all." "Why is Mr. Ou so friendly to Mr. Qi Lin?" "It was clearly Chen Jiawei trying to harm Mr. Ou, but instead of being taught a lesson, he has this odd attitude towards our Mr. Ou?" Even now, Chen Shuyi had no clue what had transpired and looked at Zhang Man in deep confusion. Zhang Man took a deep breath, her gaze falling on the lavish car that hadn’t parked where it used to. She pretty much figured out what had happened. "Do you remember where our car was parked?" Zhang Man asked. "It seemed to be here, wasn’t it just where Mr. Ou parked earlier?" Chen Shuyi pointed at the old parking space and suddenly froze. "You noticed our car has been moved too." “It should've been when Qi Lin went to the restroom that our car got shifted.” “But how could someone drive the car so well? Unless they knew in advance someone was aiming at it.” "You still don't know, earlier when Qi Lin took the stage, he specifically asked me to inform Mr. Ou that someone was planning to tamper with his car.” "I assume he saw Mr. Ou's car parked in his spot and seized the opportunity to play smart." "Do you see what's happening now? Chen Jiawei intended to trap Qi Lin first, yet Qi Lin predicted it all along and turned the tables. It was Chen Jiawei who fell into the trap.” Saying this, Zhang Man looked at Qi Lin with a hint of apprehension. How was he so premeditated, able to anticipate Chen Jiawei's attempt on his life? What degree of confidence did it take to dare inform Mr. Ou of such a thing in advance? At this moment, Zhang Man truly feared this young heir she once thought naive. Underneath his carefree mask lay a calculating and cunning heart. Not only Zhang Man. At this point, Chen Shuyi also stared at Qi Lin in sheer shock. Beneath the tranquil surface of the venue, so many schemes hid. Had it not been for Qi Lin's superior skills and prescient strategy, they might have met with disaster, or worse, have been severely injured in the booby-trapped car. “Too terrifying, utterly terrifying.” "How shameful, even daring to scold him before. If he turns those tactics on me, I might never know how I ended up dead." Chen Shuyi felt a chill run down her spine. “Did Li Jiaming ever confront a Qi Lin as daunting as this?” “If Qi Lin considers me his lover now, could he be scheming against Li Jiaming already? In a state of turmoil, Chen Shuyi contemplated. Out of her affection for Li Jiaming, she wanted to inform him about everything. Yet, the fear of Qi Lin discovering her betrayal and subjecting her to even harsher repercussions lingered. "No! It's not that I don't want to tell Jiaming. It's just so hard to protect myself that I believe Jiaming won’t blame me." "Furthermore, the world always favors the strong. If Jiaming cannot compete with Qi Lin, he won’t be able to marry me, right?" Chen Shuyi now found herself adopting the same mindset as Lan Yuxi had before. Having witnessed the strength of the powerful, her perspective began to widen. The more she interacted with Qi Lin, the more she found it difficult to accept Li Jiaming. His level couldn’t compare. "Mr. Qi, please have a look; this is your successful bid contract for the Lingnan TV Tower project, valued at forty-five million." “This is the price the city government decided to pay for your design.” In the grand, imposing meeting room adorned with a large landscape painting, Chief A chuckled and handed a contract to Qi Lin. “Thank you, Chief, but just call me Xiao Qi.” Faced with such an influential figure, Qi Lin knew he had to adopt a humble posture and smiled while accepting the contract. The rewards that the system provided were indeed extraordinary. The intricate design etched in mind just moments before had fetched a voluntary price of forty-five million. Of course, this was just the tip of the iceberg. Greater benefits awaited ahead. “Xiao Qi, I heard your company isn’t very large. If it weren’t for participating in the Lingnan TV Tower project, which I suppose will soon be referred to as Little Waist, it may have been difficult.” "Building the Little Waist isn’t easy. I want to know if you might need government assistance in this regard?" Chief A’s proposed assistance naturally referred to handing over some construction bidding rights to other construction companies. With a morsel as sweet as this, how could Qi Lin even think to share? He confidently replied, "Worry not, sir. Our company is fully capable of constructing the Little Waist. You just need to wait for the final inspection." Chief A, having witnessed Qi Lin’s brilliant design capability firsthand, nodded in appreciation, "Xiao Qi is indeed promising, it’s no wonder you could create such a vibrant piece." “With your confidence, go all out. If any difficulties arise, just reach out to the government for assistance.” The year was 2022. China was making vigorous efforts in economic development, and the efficiency of all sectors was unquestionable. Especially now, armed with Chief A's support, Qi Lin was optimistic that the current project would conclude perfectly. Originally assuming he would have to wait until the following day to head back to Jiang Han City. Yet, with things settled, Qi Lin decided not to linger. After all, this was not his stronghold, and the male protagonist of Jiang Han City might at any moment play the antagonist. Qi Lin, alongside Chen Shuyi and Zhang Man, returned to the hotel to pack their luggage and booked a direct flight back to Jiang Han City for that very night. “Boss, our company is really too small. Hotel renovations and hospital constructions have already hit our limit. A six-meter-high structure, we might not be able to both design and build it.” After witnessing Qi Lin's capacity, Zhang Man no longer looked at him with the same eyes. On the plane, work discussions naturally unfolded. Qi Lin closed his eyes as Chen Shuyi gently massaged his head. "And what do you suggest we do?" Instead of laying out his plans, Qi Lin posed the question to Zhang Man. Her quick eyes danced, pondering what Qi Lin might be planning. "This guy is clearly a sly fox, never revealing his thoughts unless someone else speaks first, then probing for faults and vulnerabilities." "That’s why he excels." "Now, asking this is evidently his way of testing me." “If Fang Ting were still General Manager, I wouldn’t divulge anything. I’m definitely sharper than Fang Ting.” “That woman envied me long before.” "But Qi Lin is different. He clearly wants me as his right-hand person.” “He’s trying to see what I can bring forth, exploring how far Qi Lin can reach?” "If he truly grows to be one of China's top figures, being with him as his partner isn't impossible either." With this in mind, Zhang Man raised her elegant face and replied with a smile, "Biting off more than one can chew often leads to being either stuffed or choked. In my view, it’s wise to relinquish part of the cake and enjoy an amount fitting for us." “However, these slices shouldn't fall into domestic architectural firms. The social ties here are too intricate; if we can’t control it, it risks turning into betrayal.” “I propose collaborating with a renowned foreign firm, outsourcing construction.” "The profit should split in a 7-to-3 ratio, making it irresistible to the other party." "After all, building Little Waist costs approximately 2.9 billion. With a 12% maximum guarantee on total revenues, that means about 300 million." “We keep 200 million, and the other company secures nearly 100 million, achieving a mutual benefit without complications.” As Chen Shuyi continued to knead Qi Lin’s shoulders, she listened to Zhang Man eloquently resolve the issue of “urbanites” having too small a pool to dip into the massive pie. “People always say men succeed on good looks, it’s total nonsense!” “It seems, from now on, judging by appearances or listening to others is futile.” "Not only does Qi Lin hide behind a façade, but even Zhang Man does." “Only I, it appears, am genuinely naive and simple-hearted.” Chen Shuyi pouted her lips as she pondered. Interestingly, Zhang Man's thoughts aligned perfectly with Qi Lin's. He chuckled and said, "Ah, my little sweetheart, it seems you already had a plan in mind. Were you going to keep it from me if I hadn’t asked?" A hint of coquettish annoyance flashed in Zhang Man's beautiful eyes, "You're teasing, Mr. Qi. I’m just a hired hand without much say. How could I dare to introduce such trifling ideas before you, like a foolish bystander?" “That’s enough, don’t talk too much.” "You both did exceptionally well today.” “After you return, head to the finance office to collect your awards.” “Zhang Man, fifty thousand.” “Chen Shuyi, ten thousand.” Having earned an impressive forty-five million, Qi Lin wasn’t stingy, generously rewarding his team. Naturally, the rewards varied. It was a tactical move to ruffle Chen Shuyi’s feathers, igniting ambition and embedding a deeper sense of belonging to the company. As predicted, upon hearing her reward was a mere ten thousand, Chen Shuyi's cheeks puffed in discontent. It wasn't greed, she merely sensed an unfair bias from Qi Lin. “Isn’t Zhang Man supposed to be his mistress? Why give her forty thousand more?” "This jerk clearly wants to lure me in as his mistress too. But I won’t let him succeed!" "I’m a top-grade graduate from a prestigious design school. I refuse to believe I can’t bring value to the company, I’ll make sure Qi Lin regards me with a newfound respect." Witnessing Chen Shuyi’s puffed expression, Qi Lin knew his strategy had worked. He nestled his head against Zhang Man’s bosom, falling into slumber. Zhang Man felt a flicker of anger at Qi Lin’s brazen conduct, shamelessly taking advantage of her. However, the thought of the fifty thousand cash he’d just given her softened her demeanor. “Never mind, given his generosity, I’ll let it slide this once.” Zhang Man sighed, cradling Qi Lin’s head to let him sleep more comfortably. Over the years, Zhang Man had transitioned from a naive college graduate to the company's Vice President, a testament to her dedication and sacrifice. She had scraped together little over a million from her salary, underscoring her cautious preservation of integrity. Had she chosen differently, leveraging her breathtaking beauty, she could easily have been worth tens of millions by now. So, Qi Lin’s fifty thousand was no trifling sum. After disembarking the plane, the trio returned to their respective homes. However, before Qi Lin could even set foot in his residence, he received a call from Yan Yan. It’d been days since they’d last met. In truth, Qi Lin found himself missing this gentle, elder-sister type young woman. “Qi Lin, come to my villa. I called you for something.” Her voice over the phone was stripped of its usual softness, carrying a chill instead. Qi Lin had foreseen this. She’d probably visited the hospital to check on her mother and unearthed the harsh truths. “You were the one who pushed me away before, claiming you never wanted to see me again. Yet now, you beckon me over.” “Do you really think I’ll come and go at your beck and call, completely disregarding my pride?” Qi Lin was wickedly playful. Even knowing Yan Yan had grasped the truth, he couldn’t help toying with her amidst her breakdown and wrath. "Are you coming or not? If you refuse, I’ll take a knife and face Li Zhou, either get killed by him, or you’ll find me in prison.” Qi Lin’s antics, indeed, had transformed Yan Yan from a gentle woman to a fiery, determined young lady. Hearing the desperation in Yan Yan's voice, Qi Lin knew he had to act before she did something foolish. "Midnight whispers right under Li Zhou's nose, I love a thrill like this." Qi Lin laughed, "Alright, since you’re my dear Yan Yan, if you invite me personally, how can I refuse?" Hanging up the phone, Qi Lin flagged a taxi, heading straight for Li Zhou's estate. This time, upon entering the yard, Qi Lin walked in nonchalantly without any hindrance. He crossed the garden and, noticing the front door left ajar, gently pushed it open, finding Yan Yan seated on the sofa in a pure white nightgown, looking lost. Her lovely eyes were swollen, clear signs she’d been crying. Her small, pink fists clenched and unclenched, a fiery anger flickering within her beautiful eyes, her brows knit with profound, unresolved hatred. Qi Lin walked over to her, settling beside her on the couch. A delicate scent, characteristic of a young woman, wafted to his nose. It was a familiar essence. "Both beautiful and dutiful, is Yan Yan paying her father homage?" Qi Lin asked casually, crossing his legs. “Playing dumb now?” Yan Yan’s icy tone cut through the air. “Your cold demeanor is something I haven’t become accustomed to yet. The gentle Yan Yan, reminiscent of flowing water, was much more soothing.” Qi Lin sighed. “I can’t return to who I was. The moment I learned the truth, the old Yan Yan ceased to exist.” A bitter resentment flashed through Yan Yan’s stunning eyes.