CH 116

Chapter 116: Leather Document Envelope

Wang Xijie is a practical person. The third time he met Jin Yang was at a small restaurant, not during mealtime, and there were only three or four scattered tables of customers. He found an inconspicuous corner to wait in, and the atmosphere was suitable for discussing business.

He wasn’t dressed formally, without a suit, tie or leather shoes in sight. It seemed like every time Jin Yang saw him, he was dressed very casually.

The weather was getting hotter, and he wore an extremely light pale green short-sleeved shirt with beige pants and white canvas shoes. He looked very refreshing and at first glance, he looked like a college student.

Jin Yang knew the man’s abilities and wouldn’t be fooled by his harmless appearance.

He sat in a seat with his back against the door, and Wang Xijie leaned over to pour him a cup of tea.

The small restaurant in the north didn’t use any expensive tea leaves, just the cheapest on the market. It tasted slightly bitter, with a slightly unpleasant tea flavor.

Jin Yang didn’t come here to drink tea, so he didn’t mind.

Wang Xijie didn’t beat around the bush and handed Jin Yang a leather-wrapped document envelope.

As Jin Yang flipped through it, he called the waiter to order a few dishes.

It was just simple dishes like spicy potato shreds, fish-flavored eggplant, braised chicken nuggets, sweet and sour fish, and a tomato egg drop soup.

He received a document that contained information about a real estate company and an information technology company.

He was familiar with the information technology company, as it was closely related to his own company’s bankruptcy.

“Director Jin, I believe you are familiar with this technology company. Take a closer look at the second page of the document. There is one person who appears as a shareholder in both the information technology company and the real estate company.”

Jin Yang searched for it and found that both companies shareholder lists had a person named “Mu Caiyun.”

He closed the document and said, “Even if there is a connection, commercial competition is inevitable. It is unlikely that my competitor and this real estate company have any collusion. It seems that I haven’t offended Ms. Mu either.”

The first dish that arrived was a spicy shredded potato. The potatoes had been cut and soaked in water. When the customer ordered, the cook heated the oil in the wok, stir-fried it for a few seconds, and it was ready to be served, which was very fast.

Wang Xijie took out a pair of sterilized chopsticks, tasted a bite, and said, “It’s delicious.”

He raised his eyebrows and said, “Director Jin is right. You may not think you’ve offended anyone, but in the eyes of this woman, you may have committed a serious offense.”

“What do you mean?”

Wang Xijie was eating hot potato shreds that were still emitting steam. They tasted fresh and delicious, with the spiciness of green and red peppers and a strong vinegar flavor. They were a little hot on the tongue, but it didn’t affect the taste.

“Let me give you a hint, the husband of Ms. Mu surnamed Zhou, and they had two sons after marriage. She died three months before the accident in your company.”

Jin Yang asked, “What exactly are you trying to say?”

He wasn’t a fool. He couldn’t help but think in that direction when he heard this information, but he was hesitant to believe it easily and had to ask.

Wang Xijie smiled innocently, and his expression didn’t seem as scheming as his words: “Director Jin, why pretend to be ignorant? You should already have the answer in your heart. There’s no difficulty in admitting it. If you don’t believe me, you can verify it yourself. I think it should be a simple matter for you.”

Jin Yang hesitated for a moment. He could almost completely confirm from a rational perspective that Wang Xijie was telling the truth, but he instinctively rejected this answer and outcome from an emotional point of view.

“Mr. Wang, you went to all this trouble to dig up all of this, but you didn’t use it as leverage to bring me into the company. So, I can only ask boldly, what is your purpose?”

As they spoke, the aroma of fish-flavored eggplant wafted out of the white plate held by the waiter. Wang Xijie deeply inhaled the fragrance, picked up a piece of eggplant, blew on it, and tasted it. The eggplant tasted much worse than the shredded potatoes, at best it deserved four stars.

He swallowed a mouthful of food before speaking, “Rest assured, Director Jin, I am not here to sow discord between you and your boyfriend. I thought you already knew about my relationship with the Zhou family, but it seems you don’t.”

Jin Yang had been fidgeting with the rough white porcelain cup in his hand the whole time, only drinking half of the yellow-green tea, which didn’t look very appetizing.

“Opponent?” he asked.

“No,” Wang Xijie shook his head with a smile, “To be precise, your boyfriend and I are half-brothers from different mothers. I don’t know if you’ve heard any rumors recently.”

Jin Yang knew that Zhou Qingwen had a grown-up illegitimate child some time ago, but he never imagined it would be Wang Xijie!

“So, what’s your purpose in doing this? Are you trying to team up with me to bring down the Zhou family?”

Wang Xijie repeatedly waved his hand, “No, no, no, that’s not necessary. Although we have this relationship, I’m sure Director Jin knows my worth. I’m not the kind of person who depends on taking money from the Zhou family to survive.”

Jin Yang was skeptical of Wang Xijie’s words and couldn’t think of any other reason why he would go to such lengths.

‘Man dies for wealth, and birds die for food. It’s not surprising that he’s doing all this for the Zhou family’s assets,’ thought Jin Yang.

“Since Mr. Wang says it’s not about that, then what is it for? You’ve given me this information, so I should offer you some kind of compensation,” said Jin Yang.

“Director Jin is a smart man, but sometimes, what people want isn’t necessarily material. Regarding this matter, I helped Director Jin, but I also did it for myself. Solving your doubts gave me the opportunity to test human nature. They say human nature can’t withstand tests, but I’m interested in trying,” replied Wang Xijie.

Jin Yang tried to ask for more clarity, but Wang Xijie refused to reveal any more information. The rest of their conversation was pointless.

After their meal, they went their separate ways. Jin Yang held the documents wrapped in leather envelope and used his phone to take pictures of the contents. He then found a trash can and shredded each page of paper before disposing of it.

Jin Yang had agreed to meet Wang Xijie close to the start of the workday. Upon returning to his company, he searched online again for these two companies. Now, the name of Ms. Mu Caiyun was gone, and both companies had been renamed with a three-word name: Zhou Mushi.

Jin Yang looked at the three words on his screen, feeling a bit uncomfortable. He took a deep breath and closed his laptop.

End of Chapter 116