CH 46

Not long ago, Bo Yueming had received a message from Lin Zhong, saying that Pei Yi had gone to the “toilet” in a hurry, and then Zhong Yi, who hadn’t seen him for a long time, took the chance to greet him.

What Bo Yueming didn’t expect was—

That chat between him and Zhong Yi hadn’t lasted more than five minutes when Pei Yi hastily returned, and the word “husband” that he uttered sounded sour and jealous.

This unexpected harvest made Bo Yueming happy on both a physical and mental level. He looked at Pei Yi, who was about to become a shrunken kitten, and patted the empty seat beside him.

“Come here and sit down.”

In just five words, an uncontrollable smile still slipped out.

“…….”

Feeling mocked, Pei Yi ignored him and sat in another seat. He lowered his head and took a vicious bite, turning embarrassment into appetite.

Lin Zhong remembered an important matter and approached Bo Yueming, explaining in a low voice, “Mr. Bo, Little Sir and I went up to the second floor just now. Chen Shun and his son-in-law are in the room at the end of the corridor!”

Bo Yueming’s attention was drawn back by the assistant’s words, and his brow furrowed slightly—

When Chen Shun left with a bad expression just now, Pei Yi hurriedly “went to the bathroom.” He guessed that this person had gone to investigate for him.

Bo Yueming asked, “Did you hear anything?”

Lin Zhong replied, “I don’t know for now. Because it was a one-way exit, I was afraid of creating trouble, and also feared that Little Sir would be implicated, so I tossed a recording pen into the decorative plant by the door.”

Hearing Lin Zhong’s explanation, Bo Yueming asked more rigorously, “Is there any content of your past work on the recorder? Be careful not to be spotted by that old fox.”

“No, it’s clean.”

Lin Zhong would transfer the content of meetings to his computer every evening, then delete it on the recorder so that it didn’t take up memory. Even if they checked the brand of the recording pen, it would not be easy to spot him.

If the recording didn’t capture key information, they could just go on as if it hadn’t happened; and if some key information was recorded, they could prevent problems before they arose.

“…….”

Bo Yueming’s intuition told him that there would be something strange on it. “Well done. Keep an eye on it.”

“Yes.”

Seeing the interaction between Lin Zhong and Bo Yueming, Pei Yi didn’t have to think too much to understand what they were talking about. He finished eating a small cupcake, and finally managed to suppress the heat all over his body a little bit.

Suddenly, Pei Yi noticed a gentleman in a black suit whose gait was a little off when he stepped with his left foot.

Less than thirty seconds later, the gentleman walked up to Bo Yueming’s side. “Mr. Bo, Little Mister Pei, hello.”

Hearing the unfamiliar voice, Bo Yueming quickly brought a trace of coldness to his expression.

As the assistant, Lin Zhong asked in his stead, “May I ask who you are?”

“I am Zhang Shunzhi, Chief Assistant of the You Group.” The gentleman introduced himself, looking around vigilantly. “Mr. Bo, I wonder if you are free now? Our Director You would like to treat you to a drink.”

Director You?

The name of this person instantly popped up in Pei Yi’s mind. He was the newly appointed Executive Director of the You Group who “broke through the siege” at the beginning of the year—

“You Qinian?”

The name Pei Yi had thought of was simultaneously spoken by Bo Yueming.

“Yes.”

Zhang Shunzi was appropriately direct.

A dark glow flickered deep in Bo Yueming’s eyes, once more hidden beneath the lenses. “I must bring these people with me.”

Although Zhang Shunzi was taken aback, he responded, “Of course.”

Lin Zhong, who was on important business, got the location and stayed put temporarily.

Bo Yueming, Pei Yi, and the others left the exchange hall and took the elevator to the twelfth floor. When the elevator door opened, Pei Yi realized that there was something strange about this floor—

After passing through the anti-theft door, a private restaurant with extremely stylish decorations appeared unexpectedly. The walls on two consecutive sides were made into wine walls with the same decorative theme, extravagant and rich, even more extravagant than Bo Yueming’s collection in the Imperial Capital villa!

Pei Yi stared straight at the dazzling array of alcoholic beverages, almost unable to move.

God!

How could there be such a beautiful place in this world?

Bo Yueming noticed that his kitten was about to make a move. Just as he was about to raise a hand and pinch the back of his neck as punishment, there was the sound of footsteps on the steel stairway nearby. 

“Mr. Bo, I have admired you for a long time.”

A slightly hoarse voice met his ears.

Pei Yi looked at the person coming down the stairs—

He had a tall, straight figure at first glance, and his hair was also meticulously groomed.

It was only that there was an obvious scar on the right side of his face that extended from his temple to the bridge of his nose, leaving the most unusual mark on an otherwise handsome face.

Perhaps due to the scar, You Qinian’s aura was particularly frightening.

“…….”

Pei Yi’s focus on the wine immediately shifted to the person who had arrived, and Bo Yueming, who was feigning blindness, was also also inwardly surprised by the acquired scar.

The other party stood before Bo Yueming, looked at him openly, and also didn’t forget to greet, “Hello, I’m You Qinian.”

After You Qinian spoke, Pei Yi covertly compared heights again, and the corners of his mouth slightly curved—

En.

Bo Yueming was still slightly better!

Feeling the aura of the person in front of him, Bo Yueming returned calmly, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Director.”

You Qinian withdrew his appreciative gaze, and there was a trace of invitation in his hoarse voice, “If Mr. Bo has time, can we sit and chat slowly? Want some wine? The brands on the wall can be chosen at will.”

They could be casually picked?

So generous?

Pei Yi exclaimed in his heart, and at the same time, heard Bo Yueming decline, “Director You, I don’t drink well, and dare not drink alcohol casually.”

You Qinian noticed Bo Yueming’s vigilance, and said calmly, “I thought Mr. Bo and Little Mister Pei were wine lovers. After all, they picked up a lot of good wine in Linshui Pavilion some time ago.”

He paused, then seemed to praise, “Few people in Wencheng can take advantage of Chen Shun.”

“…….”

Bo Yueming’s eyes shifted slightly when he spoke of this, and Pei Yi, who was accompanying him silently, also found it strange—

In a private restaurant like Linshui Pavilion, it was impossible for anything to leak, not to mention that from the beginning to the end of that night, they were sure that they did not see You Qinian.

Otherwise, if it was someone as impressive as You Qinian, it was impossible for him not to make an impression.

After some thought, Pei Yi realized one possibility, and Bo Yueming also grasped the answer. “It seems that the boss behind Linshui Pavilion is Director You?”

You Qinian generously admitted, “Mr. Bo can laugh at the small restaurant I started before taking charge of You Group.”

Small business?

That could be regarded as a small business?

Hearing this simple answer, Pei Yi said internally that You Qinian was not a simple person—

The other party had built Linshui Pavilion into the most famous private restaurant in Wencheng, and the customers who could afford to eat there were all rich and powerful people.

On the surface, this restaurant was a super high-end consumer venue, but it was also the easiest place to view the private relationships between the major families and enterprises in Wencheng. It was simply the modern version of a secret society, ah!

Pei Yi thought without speaking, while Bo Yueming was as steady as Mount Tai.

Seeing that Bo Yueming remained motionless, You Qinian could only show his own cards first. “Mr. Bo, I came to you today to discuss a partnership.”

Bo Yueming pretended to be puzzled. “Partnership?”

You Qinian pointed out, “You and I are intelligent people, and we know how to maximize the benefits of the Wencheng Sports Center project.”

Bo Yueming finally received the answer he wanted, and raised his eyebrows slightly. “Director You, how do you want to cooperate?”

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere of a stalemate dissolved quite a lot.

You Qinian slowly relaxed. “By the way, didn’t you bake an apple pie? Why not let Little Mister Pei and the others try it?”

Hearing this, Pei Yi subconsciously grabbed the corner of Bu Yueming’s clothes. “Er-ge.”

He was still not one hundred percent assured of the “partnership” You Qinian spoke of. Lin Zhong hadn’t come yet, and if the bodyguard left, what if the fierce-faced You Qinian tried to attack Bo Yueming?

Sensing Pei Yi’s concern for him, Bo Yueming gently squeezed the hand holding the corner of his clothes. “It’s fine, go, ba.”

You Qinian saw the relationship between the two, and subconsciously turned his gaze to Zhang Shunzhi.

Zhang Shunzi met his eyes and pushed his glasses up with a smile, inviting, “Little Mister Pei, please follow me.”

“……..”

Pei Yi naturally trusted Bo Yueming.

He hadn’t participated in the bidding process all this time. If he forcibly stayed put at the other’s side at this moment, firstly, it would not be easy for him to understand, and secondly, it would be easy to cause trouble during their partnership conversation.

Thinking of this, Pei Yi could only slowly follow Zhang Shunzi up to the second floor.

Bodyguard Sun Wei stood by the second floor railing.

Although he couldn’t hear the conversation on the first floor, Bo Yueming’s figure could be seen below. Once the situation changed, he could rush down in a timely manner.

On the left side of the stairs was a room specially made into a baking kitchen. The contrasting color layout of beige and orange made the whole space look particularly warm and charming.

Zhang Shunzhi was busy retrieving the apple pie from the oven.

Pei Yi looked at Zhang Shunzhi’s back, and his gaze unconsciously fell to his legs—

Up until now, he still felt that the other party’s right foot was a little strange. Especially when stepping on the stairs, the weight and movement of the two feet were inconsistent.

Having finished taking out the apple pie, Zhang Shunzhi turned around suddenly. Pei Yi had no time to look away, and was caught by the other party.

“……”

Pei Yi was uncomfortable for a moment, and simply stopped hiding it. “Foot?”

Zhang Shunzhi was taken aback, and then smiled helplessly. “I thought it was well-disguised, but I didn’t expect that I couldn’t even hide it from Little Mister Pei.”

He slowly approached Pei Yi, tugged on his slightly loose pant leg, and generously showed the condition of his right foot.

It was a prosthetic.

Pei Yi’s breathing cut off. He realized that he might have touched Zhang Shunzhi’s inner scar, so he quickly responded with his most sincere apology, “I’m sorry.”

Zhang Shunzhi’s understanding of Pei Yi was limited to the investigation data. But now that he had formal contact with him, he felt that Pei Yi had a pure, bright heart under the “foolishness” that others ridiculed him for. 

“Little Mister Pei, you don’t need to apologize to me.” Zhang Shunzhi was very open about his disability.

He didn’t know how much Pei Yi could understand, but after thinking about it, he explained it at conventional thinking and speaking speed, “This prosthesis is newly ordered, and I haven’t fully gotten used to it yet.”

Pei Yi nodded silently, and didn’t intend to pry into his deeper privacy. He felt like Zhang Shunzhi’s temperament and style of conversation did not seem like he was only an “assistant.”

Zhang Shunzhi thought that Pei Yi was still worried about Bo Yueming, so he put a small slice of apple pie on a plate and handed it over. “Little Mister Pei, give it a try?”

“You don’t have to worry, the scar on Director You’s face is an acquired injury. It looks fierce, but it is actually very easy for him to talk about.”

“…….”

Very easy for him to talk about?

Pei Yi felt that these words were spoken through a personal filter, but didn’t refute them.

He took a light bite of the apple pie, and the warm, sweet taste immediately hit his taste buds.

Zhang Shunzhi saw Pei Yi’s eyes brighten. “How does it taste?”

“Hm!”

The desserts at the exchange meeting were so-so, but this piece of apple pie tasted much better. Pei Yi was not stingy with his love, and took another bite.

. . . . . .

In the restaurant on the first floor.

You Qinian set the whiskey on the table in front of Bo Yueming and invited, “Mr. Bo, have some?”

Bo Yueming nodded slightly, but didn’t rush to raise his glass and drink.

You Qinian sat down opposite him and took a sip of liquor. “Mr. Bo, I won’t speak too politely. How about Bo and You form a bidding consortium, 50-50.”

He had checked the specific regulations in advance, and as long as the two companies reached a consortium before submitting the bidding documents, it would be in compliance.

Bo Yueming didn’t answer immediately. “Director You, since you want to win this project, why didn’t you cooperate with Shuntian Group?”

You Qinian saw that there was an element of deliberate questioning in Bo Yueming’s words. “Mr. Bo, I’m not sure how much you know about the situation in Wencheng? Compared with the Bo family’s absolute status in the Imperial Capital, the most competitive enterprises in Wencheng in the past ten years have always been Shuntian and You.”

The two families had deep grievances.

Unless Chen Shun fell and the executive director of Shuntian Group was replaced, then there was practically no possibility of cooperation.

Bo Yueming had a heart like a steelyard, and easily answered, “That being the case, why doesn’t Director You continue to compete with Shuntian Group, win or lose? Instead, you want to drag me, an outsider, into it.”

You Qinian understood Bo Yueming’s roundabout speaking skills—

That is, he was waiting for him to tell the whole story before he was willing to discuss the cooperation further.

A trace of determination flickered in You Qinian’s long, narrow eyes, and he said bluntly, “Mr. Bo, you are a person who was raised in a wealthy family, so you should know how ruthless the power struggles can be.”

You Qinian touched the long, thick scar on his face, his tone gradually sinking, “Although I have become the Executive Director of You Group, there are countless pairs of eyes watching my every move.”

“Only absolute strength can shut people up.”

Bo Yueming agreed with his second sentence. “So, Director You wants to win all competitions with Shuntian Group during his time in power. Even if he is giving up profits and finding someone to partner with, he must ensure that he wins?”

You Qinian paused, then bluntly stated his goal, “Yes, I want to suppress Chen Shun and his group all together.”

Bo Yueming was noncommittal. “Director You, it is good to be ambitious, but why do you think it is necessary for me to cooperate with you? You should have investigated me before, so you should know—”

“I’m just an abandoned son of the Bo family. I don’t have to take this Wencheng project.”

You Qinian set down his glass, and there was a hint of clarity in his hoarse voice. “Is that so? I thought Mr. Bo wanted to take advantage of the success of this project to return to Bo headquarters.”

“You would rather endure the ridicule of others and pretend that your eyesight isn’t perfect. Mr. Bo said that I’m ambitious, so what about you?”

“…….”

Bo Yueming’s jaw tensed for a moment, and his fierce aura instantly spread out.

You Qinian grasped the initiative, “Mr. Bo’s camouflage techniques are very good, but my mother suffered from an eye disease before she died, so I just have more experience in discerning such things than outsiders do.”

“Moreover, Mr. Bo wanted to raise his hand to touch his lover when he first entered the door, right? Although you quickly restrained yourself, you were unfortunately caught by me while I was standing on the stairs.”

“…….”

Lover?

Hearing this term of address, Bo Yueming finally took off the glasses blocking his eyes. His dark blue irises were no longer lifeless, and there was a rare evenly-matched appreciation in them.

“Director You, good to meet you.”

The same words, but with a different meaning.

You Qinian understood what he meant, and became more frank, “To be honest, this project is really too large. You can actually afford it, but I can’t take the risk of investing all my capital into it.”

It was good to be able to win the entire thing, but in case there were unavoidable misfortunes during the construction process—

The others in the You family who were eyeing him would take the opportunity to attack and try to drag him down from his high position.

Participating in the bidding in the form of a consortium could increase the chances of winning for both parties.

You Qinian, who had just taken office, could have some leeway, and Bo Yueming could also rely on the success of this project to return to a core position in the group headquarters.

Bo Yueming picked up the whiskey on the table. “Director You, cooperation is fine, but I request that the consortium be led by Bo and the interests be divided 4-6 in the end.”

“…….”

You Qinian’s eyes shifted slightly. “Mr. Bo, you have a big appetite, ah.”

In his envisioning, You should be the leading enterprise, and a 50-50 split was the greatest sincerity he could give.

Bo Yueming took a sip of whiskey, not denying it. “Director You, if I didn’t have much of an appetite, why would I sit here and discuss cooperation with you?”

“This will bring down Shuntian Group step by step and make You the leader in Wencheng and even the coastal areas. As for other projects in the future, Bo will never compete with you for the top spot.”

Bo Yueming put the whiskey back on the table and made a final ultimatum. “4-6, it isn’t too much.”

You Qinian’s jaw tensed imperceptibly, and it took him a long time to reply. “There are still three days. Let me think about it.”

. . . . . .

Footsteps sounded upstairs.

Bo Yueming quickly donned his guide glasses, and the cold indifference of “not being able to see” suffused his body again.

Pei Yi descended the stairs first. He saw Bo Yueming get up slowly and fumble around, and trotted to his side. “Er-ge.”

Bo Yueming grasped his wrist habitually, his gaze off-center. “Director You, if there is nothing else, then we will leave first.”

Seeing him pretend to be decent in front of Pei Yi, You Qinian suddenly felt speechless, but he quickly adjusted. “Mr. Bo, walk slowly.”

As an assistant, Zhang Sunzhi sent them out and then returned. “Qinian, is the deal settled?”

You Qinian dropped his defenses, cupping his temples that were about to explode. “Somewhat. Bo Yueming has the intention to cooperate, but the conditions he raised are harsher than I had imagined.”

Since he was stabbed last year, this injured temple would always hurt sharply in rainy weather.

Distressed, Zhang Shunzhi pulled him down to sit, “It’s fine if you can’t talk about it. Don’t hurt yourself, why bother to be obsessed with this project?”

“If I don’t snatch this project from Chen Shun’s hands and stop the mouths of those people with ulterior motives, I won’t be able to secure my position completely.”

If his seat was unstable, he would be at their mercy.

You Qinian hesitated to speak, “Such pain…..I don’t want to go through it again.”

Last year, when the You Clan’s fighting was at its worst, not only You Qinian’s face suffered an accident, but Zhang Shunzhi’s leg also suffered at that time.

You Qinian asked Zhang Shunzhi to sit down, and glanced at his legs. “It might be about to rain, does your leg hurt?”

“I’m fine.”

Zhang Shunzhi masked it with one sentence, and changed the subject. “I just got to know Little Mister Pei, and I think he’s quite interesting, as well as a very nice person. What do you think of Mr. Bo?”

“Younger than me by four or five years—” You Qinian shook his head. “Ambitious and able to control the overall situation. I wonder what the current patriarch of the Bo family is thinking.”

To actually regard a sharp blade like Bo Yueming as an outcast? How ridiculous.

You Qinian stopped there and gently said, “Sit down for a while, I’ll go get some hot water and apply it to your foot.”

Zhang Shunzhi teased with a smile, “Then I will trouble Director You.”

. . . . . . .

Bo Yueming and Pei Yi walked into the elevator hall, followed by Sun Wei, who was in charge of security. Sun Wei said, “Boss Bo, do you want to go back to the exchange meeting or to the parking lot?”

“Let’s go back to the parking lot, you can contact Lin Zhong.”

In fact, one of the main purposes of Bo Yueming’s decision to come to this exchange meeting was to try to meet You Qinian, who was also the director of a Wencheng enterprise.

He didn’t originally see the other party at the exchange meeting, so Bo Yueming thought that his plan had failed.

Unexpectedly, there was another way out.

As a landmark enterprise in Wencheng, Shuntian Group did have an advantage in this bidding. No matter how confident Bo Yueming was in his bidding plan, he was also worried about this.

Bo Yueming had been considering the feasibility of consortium bidding when unexpectedly, You Qinian actually approached him of his own initiative and incidentally “gave” the initiative to him.

Now that the initial negotiation with You Qinian had been completed, there was no need for him to stay at this Hongmen Banquet.

Pei Yi was unclear about the outcome of the negotiation between Bo Yueming and You Qinian. “Er-ge?”

“It’s fine.”

Bo Yueming held his hand firmly. “Let’s go home.”

“……..”

Pei Yi lowered his eyes to look at their clasped hands, and felt a warmth in his heart.

He thought back to the beginning and how Bo Yueming “disliked” this marriage, and he was not allowed to have physical contact or call out to him jokingly. But now everything seemed to have changed, and this could indirectly prove one point—

Hadn’t his own existence played a role? Hadn’t Bo Yueming not become withdrawn, twisted, and blackened like in the original text?

When Pei Yi thought of this possibility, he unconsciously tightened his grip. “Er-ge!”

The elevator doors swung open.

Aware of his hard grip, Bo Yueming replied, “What is it?”

Pei Yi was a little proud, and said inexplicably, “I’m amazing.”

Bo Yueming heard this nonsensical sentence and teased, “En, knowing to call me ‘husband’ is amazing.”

“……..”

Couldn’t this matter pass? 

Why did this person like to laugh at him recently?

Pei Yi took a deep breath and tried to shake his hand off, but failed.

. . . . . . .

The elevator quickly arrived at the underground floor.

Lin Zhong, who had already completed the task and come down first, was waiting at the door. He reported immediately after seeing Bo Yueming, “Mr. Bo, I have already brought back the recording pen. Chen Shun and the others didn’t find it.”

“When I left the exchange hall, I met Ms. Zhong Yi again. She took the initiative to leave her contact information and said that she would like to meet up with you again sometime and ask about the Old Lady’s situation.”

Bo Yueming nodded, without much to say.

It wasn’t until they drew closer to Lao Zhang’s car that he intentionally urged Sun Wei away. “Stay outside the car for a while longer.”

A trace of approval flickered in Pei Yi’s eyes as he understood what Bo Yueming was doing.

They had to confirm the news on the recorder as soon as possible, but Sun Wei had only been working with them for a day, so they couldn’t fully trust him.

Sun Wei fulfilled his duty and completely obeyed Bo Yueming’s arrangements. “Okay, Boss Bo.”

The door closed again.

After cutting off all possibility of prying eyes from outside, Bo Yueming cut to the point at once. “Did it record anything?”

“It did!”

Lin Zhong’s expression was indescribably complicated as he simply clicked the playback button of the recording pen. “Mr. Bo, I think you should just listen!”

The recording was a bit staticky, but it didn’t affect the clarity of Chen Shun and Pan Chenggong’s conversation—

Chen Shun’s anger remained undiminished. “I told you to change the batch of safety equipment last time, did you hear my words with deaf ears? How long has it been, and another life has been lost! Do you still want to live!”

“Dad, you, listen to my explanation, I really changed them out! Just, there are so many different batch numbers, and I didn’t know that there would be a fish that slipped through the net and caused something to go wrong!”

“You didn’t know? I think you know better than anyone else that you have the guts to deceive those below and above you! Get the hell out of the company today! Find a way to deal with it yourself!”

Pan Chenggong raised his voice pleadingly, “Dad! I really know I’m wrong! Xiuxiu is pregnant and about to go into labor, if I’m taken away by the police, she will be worried! Just help me one more time!”

“You……”

The furious Chen Shun remained silent for a long while.

During the pause in the recording, Lin Zhong told of the news he had found out. “Chen Shun’s daughter, Chen Xiu, met Pan Chenggong in university. They have been married for many years, and she only became pregnant this year.”

Chen Shun’s voice sounded, but this time it was nearly inaudible. Fortunately, Lin Zhong adjusted the volume to its highest point—

“If you pay the damages privately, you can directly pay double what the other party wants, and I will take care of the other things. You can’t let Xiuxiu know about this. If something goes wrong between her and the child in her belly, I’ll peel your skin off!”

There was the sound of a door opening and closing again.

Following this conversation, Pei Yi’s heart overflowed with disgust—

For the sake of your pregnant daughter, you want to do a favor for this money-loving son-in-law who disregards human life?

What about Qiao Dong’s brother? What about Qiao Dong’s pregnant sister-in-law and nephew? Qiao Dong’s father had to send his own son away! The lives of the rich were important, but the lives of the workers on the bottom could be ignored and trampled upon!

Coldness also condensed in Bo Yueming’s eyes. He decided after a little thought, “Lin Zhong, go to the twelfth floor again and tell You Qinian about the recorder and Qiao Dong.”

Since he intended to form a bidding alliance, some things should be handed over to more suitable people!