Chapter 439 A Pawn

The air in the room was stifling and thick. As he hadn't eaten anything, Xiang Lin felt like fainting. Unfortunately, the dizzy spell one would feel when their stomach was empty didn't happen. In front of the president, no, Ran Xueyi, he didn't dare faint or keep his eyes away from her.

Who could have known that the number one artist in the company and currently, the actress who has the highest and hottest traffic nowadays, was actually her own agency's president.

No wonder… No wonder she was able to keep her status even after being riddled with varieties of difficulties hurled at her. Usually, those who were embroiled in these issues would have to stay behind closed doors and let the controversy rest for a few months, even years before they could get back on the stage.

Ran Xueyi, on the other hand, never backed down. She didn't even lower her head to anyone.

"You're really the president?" Xiang Lin asked.

Ran Xueyi nodded once. "Yes."

Adelle suddenly stood up from where she was sitting and gestured for Zhang Yiqing to leave the room with her. Zhang Yiqing was still confused by the strange situation, but he still had some tact to not become a light bulb and sit around there while they discussed an important matter.

Xiang Lin noticed that the two other people in the room left and once again, the heart that has been pacing quickly returned. He felt breathless like a track athlete running for the gold in the Olympics. But he guessed that there would be no gold nor monetary reward at the end of the goal waiting for him.

"Miss Ran… I," he started to speak but in the middle of his words, he found that he had nothing in his mind. He didn't know what to say to her. Finally, after a minute of pause, he asked, "May I ask why you brought me to Paradise City? Zhang Yiqing really didn't need a new assistant to accompany him to meet the president… I mean you, right?"

"If I could be presumptuous, is it alright for me to assume that the reason why you called me here is because of what we discussed in the car?"

He took a long drag of air before he said bitterly, "It's about Feng Huai?"

Ran Xueyi raised her eyebrows and didn't say a word even after being questioned by him. From what she can see Xiang Lin wasn't the naive and helpless type he portrayed himself to be in front of Feng Huai. Even though he didn't finish his studies, he could still understand his situation and even guess why she brought him there rather than trying to make an excuse and pretend ignorance towards the matter.

Ran Xueyi didn't quickly answer him and placed the glass of tea in front of her lips. After taking a sip, she stared at him for a long moment and put the glass down.

She clasped her hands together and said, "It's about you and Feng Huai." She paused to see his reaction. Ran Xueyi wanted to see whether he would seek forgiveness or fake innocence.

Contrary to her expectations, Xiang Lin did neither. He stayed on his seat and looked at her with regret and acceptance.

"You don't want to defend yourself?" she asked and saw him shake his head. Ran Xueyi was no longer surprised with his reaction. "I know Feng Huai coerced you to act on his will. He let you compile and break into Sister Zhao's computer to get the information you wanted. Then, you will use it to enter Dauntless and get promoted if they think it was worth the risk of having you change ships."

"Your sister's studies were far too important to you so you were driven into a corner to accept Feng Huai's help without knowing that it would hammer the nails on your coffin and betray Chestnut."

When he heard her speaking of the events that happened where it all began, Xiang Lin didn't show any surprise on his face. If Ran Xueyi could find out about his cooperation with Feng Huai then, it wouldn't be such a shocking thing if she also found out about their connection with Dauntless.

When thinking about it, he couldn't stop feeling embarrassed and filled with regret.

However, things had gone this way already. There was no need to cry for spilt milk. Besides, he was not without mistakes.

"I did what I had to do. I won't ask for forgiveness because I am unworthy. I just wanted to know if I can still get my salary for this month?" Xiang Lin asked. "I know I am being shameless, but I need that money for my sister's future even if it's not that much. Please allow me to have it and I will repay you in another way."

He could no longer hide his shame and bowed deeply to her.

"Are you sure that's what you want? I never said anything about quitting or firing anyone though?" Ran Xueyi tilted her head.

Xiang Lin frowned.

But Ran Xueyi continued, and said, "I will never forgive those who betray me. I always make them pay a thousand times then I will make them suffer till they die."

Xiang Lin finally raised his head and shuddered when he saw her eyes. It was filled with sincerity and danger as if she didn't lie.

However, Xang Lin had expected this already. If he were in her shoes, he might also not forgive the people who betrayed him no matter how light or heavy their betrayal turned out to be.

"Are you going to send me to jail? Leaking personal data and colluding with a rivaling company. Hacking the company's system will at least give me several years in prison."

Ran Xueyi didn't think that Xiang Lin would have thought this far. He already calculated how many years he would spend in prison if she were to report it to the authorities. It was as if he had already looked forward to it.

But why? If he really wanted to save to take care of his younger sister's future, Xiang Lin wouldn't even think of going to prison. Rather, the first thing he would do was to hack the system and even fabricate his own evidence to get away from his crimes.

But he didn't. The expression on his face showed what a person who had given up on their life would look like.

Ran Xueyi scoffed as she took out an envelope with a check inside it and placed it on the table, "I'm not that blinded with anger and revenge that I wouldn't recognize those who can still be valuable to me. This check is a blank check. There is no limit to how much you can take from it, but let me remind you that you will need to think thoroughly what to do with the money. Xiang Lin, do you understand what I'm saying?"

"It's all up to you and your decision what to do from now on. Feng Huai, nor I, can do anything to what you've set your mind to do after this meeting."

Xiang Lin looked at the envelope on the table as if it was the sun in the sky. It was heavy, pressuring, and burning.

…

"Is that really alright? You let him leave with a blank check without assurance that he will repay this favor. Ran Xueyi, will this really let you get what you want?" Adelle asked her.

"A blank check?" Zhang Yiqing, who sat next to the manager, couldn't stop exclaiming. "You –you gave him a blank check? Ran Xueyi did?"

What the… Why did his assistant receive a blank check from Ran Xueyi? Why can't it be him?

Turning his head to look at Ran Xueyi, he scooted forward on his chair and leaned his upper body, "Xueyi Jie, do you still have a blank check with you? I'm not asking because I want one… I just want to know."

Adelle rolled her eyes and Ran Xueyi laughed.

Ran Xueyi replied, "That blank check is my bait for the pawns I'm ready to discard at any time. Zhang Yiqing, are you a pawn?"

Zhang Yiqing didn't know why she asked that, but he somewhat understood what she meant with her words. He fell silent and shook his head. After chatting with them for a while, he left the room to go to his hotel and said goodbye to them.

On their way back to the set to meet Director Daren, Adelle kept her eyes on Ran Xueyi and kept on sighing.

Naturally, Ran Xueyi was not completely ignorant and finally looked at her, "If you keep looking at me, my husband will think you fell in love with me and feel jealous."

After being teased by her, Adelle reluctantly took her gaze away from her. "At least tell me what you planned to do with Xiang Lin. I thought you had him come to Paradise City to threaten him and scare him for what they did. But you didn't. You actually gave him a blank check! Are you not afraid that he'll run away with that money or spend it with Feng Huai?"

A blank check where one can withdraw whatever amount of money they want. Even Adelle wanted to have one. Yet, Ran Xueyi gave it to someone who joined hands with the traitor, Feng Huai.

No matter how much Adelle thought about this, she couldn't find a good reason why Ran Xueyi had to do this.

Ran Xueyi smiled wickedly, "What do you think will happen when a dog that has been locked up will do when it finally comes out of their cage? Will they be tamed or will they end up rebelling?"

Adelle thought about it and answered truthfully, "If they stayed too long inside the cage, of course, they will be tamed and obedient."

Ran Xueyi shook her head but didn't say anything when she heard Adelle's answer.

For someone like Xiang Lin, he would definitely rebel against the person who made him suffer the most.