Chapter 1, No. 8 Funing Street...

6 PM, No. 8 Funing Street.

After days of torrential rain, the air was still damp with moisture, and vehicles driving into the alley drove over fallen branches.

The ground creaked.

But it was quickly drowned out by the noise from the front.

Lin Chaoyue lazily leaned against the car window, looking out. Outside the familiar low gabion wall stood unfamiliar men and women, dressed respectably, but their voices were not so respectable. They were now clamoring to go inside for a meal.

Driving a little closer, the traditional Chinese courtyard landscape inside the wall remains, but a sign reading "Tea and Incense" is hung outside the wall.

"Is Uncle Chen's place closed today?" Lin Chaoyue asked casually.

The driver replied, "We have important guests tonight," and then asked her if she wanted to park the car there.

Lin Chaoyue glanced outside again, thinking of going through the back door to avoid trouble, but when she looked up again, she saw that Assistant Xu was already waiting outside the door.

Upon seeing the familiar car, Xu Zhu's face lit up with joy. As he quickly walked over, he held up his phone and whispered something.

Xu Zhu is her father's personal assistant, and he is always by her side. It seems that he has been waiting for her for a long time.

"Let's stop here. Please take my luggage to Tangwan. Thank you."

As they were talking, Lin Chaoyue pushed open the door of the back car. Remembering what President Zhong had told him this morning, the driver glanced at the back seat with some difficulty.

Fortunately, Xu Zhu, who helped open the door, heard the second half of the sentence and picked up the conversation.

"Mr. Zhong said that since you just returned to China, Tangwan has been deserted for a long time and is too quiet. He has arranged a new place for you in the city center. After dinner, someone will take you there. I will put your luggage away for you first."

"The dinner hasn't started yet?" Lin Chaoyue froze as she got out of the car, somewhat surprised.

Her flight was delayed by two hours, and she deliberately dawdled on her way here, yet the dinner party hasn't even started yet?

Assistant Xu smiled and said, "Everyone is waiting for you. President Lin's overseas business trip ends at 10 pm tonight, and he will go directly to the airport in two hours. President Zhong's recent business negotiations are scheduled for tomorrow morning, so we have reserved enough time to have dinner with you tonight."

Lin Chaoyue curled her lip: "I'm afraid they've left enough time for them to interrogate me."

She went to the United States to study law three years ago. She had been living a carefree life in China for a long time, and in addition, she was in a car accident in her second year of high school and spent a few days in the ICU. Her family did not have high expectations for her.

Before leaving the country, Ms. Zhong only made two requests: to graduate smoothly and not to commit any illegal or criminal acts.

Although they say there are two things, the central idea is actually only one thing—don't bring shame to the Zhong and Lin families abroad.

I must do my best to complete the tasks assigned by my mother.

Although her academic performance has not been outstanding in recent years, she has never failed a course. Her only two hobbies outside of class are skiing and collecting wine. Occasionally, Li Cong will drag her to nightclubs, but she has never been involved in illegal or criminal activities.

The only downside is that she spends a lot of money, but she's not short of money, so she spends it freely on credit cards and lives a pretty good life.

In short, it's a comfortable, laid-back life.

My bad luck started two weeks ago.

She graduated smoothly and was preparing to return to China. Li Cong, her childhood friend, insisted that she come to his house for a party, saying that she had great luck this year and didn't have to extend her graduation like him, and he wanted to share in her good fortune. He also said he had bought her five bottles of 1990 Romanée-Conti.

Lin Chaoyue went, and she was in a good mood, so she opened a bottle of wine to celebrate.

As a result, after a few drinks, he became so drunk that he passed out.

When I woke up again, it was already dusk of the next day.

Lin Chaoyue lay on the hospital bed, looking completely bewildered, with two New York State police officers sitting beside her.

After repeatedly confirming that the young woman from the East was indeed the victim of a huge fraud case, the police felt great sympathy for her. While taking her statement, they also told her about her tragic experience the previous day.

It turns out that the man who sold Li Cong liquor yesterday wasn't a wealthy Chinese-American at all, but a transnational conman.

Of the five bottles of wine the party brought, only the one that was opened was genuine; her glass had been adulterated.

No wonder there's an indescribable astringent aftertaste to the rose honey.

It turned out to be a sleeping pill that hadn't completely dissolved :)

The scammer's initial target was Li Cong, who often flaunted his wealth, leading people to believe he was a cash cow. However, after hacking into his account, they discovered he was penniless. So, the scammer shifted his focus to Lin Chaoyue, and even this graduation party was orchestrated by the scammer.

The wine is fake, the person selling it is fake, and the website for buying the wine is also fake.

The link had already been infected with a virus, just waiting for her to pay for the alcohol so they could intercept her password, then take advantage of her drunkenness to empty her account, and then leave in full view of everyone.

to be honest.

She hasn't even had time to process the fact that she was scammed out of 20 million yuan for a bottle of Romanée-Conti...

Xu Zhu calmly said, "President Lin said it's good that everyone is alright, and we can always earn more money."

Lin Chaoyue was still a little guilty: "What did my mother say?"

Assistant Xu smiled and said, "Mr. Zhong entrusted your matter to Juntian Liangmu Law Firm on behalf of the company, and Attorney Pei is here today as well."

"Who?" Lin Chaoyue didn't quite catch the second half of the sentence, as the overseas phone call and another round of noise from outside rang out at that moment.

This time, however, they were all coming for her.

The women who had been making a ruckus outside had quieted down and were about to leave when they saw her enter the courtyard. They assumed the boss was giving her preferential treatment and, while criticizing the boss, didn't forget to drag her into it: "Why can she come in but we can't? Didn't you say you were closed today? If you're catering to high-end private banquets, you need to be aware of your target customers. How much revenue can that little brat generate for you?"

Lin Chaoyue glanced down at herself. She had just gotten off the plane, dressed casually in wide-leg pants and sneakers, but not so casually as to be unable to afford a meal.

Lin Chaoyue thought of five words: "Looking down on people with dog eyes."

Assistant Xu closed the door and explained somewhat awkwardly, "I heard it's an artist team. They came through Xiao Zhong's connections. They couldn't come because of the heavy rain a few days ago, but they came today after the rain stopped."

"My aunt's friend?"

"I don't know the specifics. Mr. Zhong told me over the phone that since they didn't come on the agreed day and didn't give any advance notice, we don't need to receive them."

The Zhong family had two daughters in the previous generation, both of whom were career-oriented women. To distinguish them, outsiders called her mother "President Zhong" and her aunt "President Xiao Zhong." This private restaurant was also an investment by her aunt, a partnership with Uncle Chen.

Since she's my aunt's friend.

Before answering the phone, Lin Chaoyue casually said, "Let's recommend them to Aunt Liu's next door. It's inconvenient for others to pass by if they keep blocking the door here."

"Okay, I'll go tell them. Would you like to go in first? Mr. Lin and the others are at Caihe Pavilion, which is across from the waterside pavilion."

Lin Chaoyue waved the phone, which had been ringing for a while, and said, "No rush, I'll answer the phone, and we'll talk when you get back."

She hasn't answered Li Cong's calls much lately.

She was annoyed just looking at him, and even more annoyed by his voice.

I didn't really want to answer today, but the timing of his call was a bit off.

It was 6 a.m. New York time. Usually at this time, he would either have just finished an all-nighter or would still be asleep.

Do you need to see her?

Lin Chaoyue answered the call and went straight to sit on the stone bench under the corridor.

"Yuebao, are you home yet? How does it feel to be back in China? Is the air even fresher than Ithaca? Have you seen your aunt and uncle? Can you put it on speakerphone so I can say hello to them? I haven't seen them for years, I've missed them so much!" A shrill voice blared from the phone.

"Stop acting. I haven't met my parents yet. Let's get down to business. Otherwise, I'm hanging up."

The sound of the plane's engine on her way back home made Lin Chaoyue's ears ring, and she was still feeling a little uncomfortable. She took her phone away from her ear and turned on speakerphone.

"Don't hang up! I have important business to attend to!"

Hearing that Lin Chaoyue was talking to him now, the person on the other end visibly breathed a sigh of relief, then became mysterious: "Have you heard?"

"What did you hear?" Lin Chaoyue asked absentmindedly.

Li Cong remained silent for three seconds, thinking that although the gossip was outrageous, it hadn't spread that fast. Even Lin Chaoyue herself didn't know yet. If he spoke up in time, he might be able to make up for his previous mistake and wouldn't be scolded too harshly the next time he saw Lin Chaoyue...

Li Cong coughed lightly: "It's some gossip about you... I just heard about it. It's said that you rely on your family's wealth, not only did you buy your degree in New York State, but you also kept several male college students of different nationalities at your private residence. This time you were scammed because the male college students were fighting over you at home, so you went to a bar to drown your sorrows, and in the end you were scammed because of the bartender's good looks."

After Li Cong finished speaking, the other end remained silent. He felt a little flustered and called out "hello" several times, afraid that the amount of information was too much and Lin Chaoyue would be overwhelmed with anger.

After a long stalemate, he finally heard Lin Chaoyue say, "Continue."

"Ah, go on, go on. But don't worry, your parents probably don't know about this yet. I heard it from my husband, Mr. Li. Apparently, Uncle Lin and Aunt Zhong are planning to get you a job at Pei Shuwen's law firm because of this. His name is something like Jun Mu, you probably haven't heard of him. But you know Pei Shuwen, right? He's the one who always bullied me when we were kids. I think he's even scarier than your mom. If you ask me, you definitely won't be able to go to western Sichuan to see the cattle and horses recently. You'll probably end up working as his cattle and horses instead..."

"Jun Tian Liang Mu?"

"Yes, yes, that's it. You're better informed than I am."

"Is Pei Shuwen the newly appointed partner of Juntian Liangmu?"

"How would I know? I don't care about these things."

Lin Chaoyue didn't care, but the law firm's reputation had spread overseas, and she was tired of hearing about it.

Two years ago, this law firm was not even ranked among the top in Ningcheng. It quietly changed partners midway through its journey and has now entered the ranks of the top red circle law firms in China.

The Rainmaker at the Cornell Law Center for Children's Issues was actually him.

Seeing Lin Chaoyue remain silent, Li Cong urged, "You'd better think of a solution quickly. Even if America isn't great, at most they'll just swindle you out of your money. But America is a real den of dragons and tigers."

Lin Chaoyue's face darkened. Her unlucky childhood friend really knew how to bring up the most awkward topics: "I don't have any plans to work yet. They won't force me to go if I don't want to."

Li Cong, however, was not so optimistic: "That's hard to say. My husband said you went too far this time. Getting scammed in a relationship is a matter of principle, and your parents are probably going to take it seriously. You should prepare yourself mentally."

"You said my parents don't know, then who told Uncle Li?" Lin Chaoyue suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Li Cong was completely confused by that one sentence. After stammering for a while, he finally managed to squeeze out, "Did you hear it from your parents?"

Lin Chaoyue was truly furious. Before hanging up the phone, she ruthlessly said, "I think with your intelligence level, you shouldn't graduate next year. Just pack your bags and drop out. Make room for the good guys!"

...

The man chuckled softly for no apparent reason, which made Zhao Huai'an on the other end of the phone feel a little uneasy.

"What are you laughing at?"

"It's nothing, please continue." Pei Shuwen withdrew her gaze, closed the door to the lounge, and the sound of the door closing was very soft, so that her quiet conversation quickly blended into the courtyard filled with the chirping of cicadas.

What else is there to say? Didn't he just finish speaking? So this ancestor didn't hear a word?

But he dared not speak out against it, especially considering that the revenue for the second half of this year depended on this ancestor...

Zhao Huai'an: "Lin Xiao, she's a top-tier actress, after all. This is a lawsuit with a sky-high contract termination fee. You should at least show some face and make an appearance. Her assistant has even called me. Although we've made a lot of money this year, who doesn't want more money? This lawsuit isn't difficult and won't take you much effort. Why don't you reconsider?"

"Hmm, that makes sense."

Zhao Huai'an was delighted: "So what do you mean?"

"Juntian Liangmu has more professional contract dispute lawyers."

Zhao Huai'an's joy lasted no more than three seconds before his voice trailed off: "But they specifically asked for you, saying they only believe in your abilities and are willing to give you a separate five percent commission. That's a considerable sum."

"That's a pity, I don't need the money."

This is precisely the biggest problem. If Pei Shuwen is short of money, Zhao Huai'an believes that as long as he puts in the effort, they will be able to take the top spot in the Red Circle Law Firm.

But he has none of those things.

Last time he used the heavy rain as an excuse to avoid a dinner party, and this time even though people chased him to the door, he still wasn't going to see them.

Zhao Huai'an knew that the business deal was unlikely to succeed. He sighed silently, but still did not want to give up.

Before he could figure out how to persuade this powerful figure, Pei Shuwen dropped a bombshell.

Pei Shuwen: "You can hand over Lin Xiao's matter to Tang Chenbin. Tenghui Group has secured its cooperation with us for the next fiscal year. You should draft this contract yourself. I will send you the cooperation requirements later."

"Who? Tenghui Group? Lin Tenghui's company? Really? Dude, you're kidding me, I have a heart condition!"

"Yes, we've reached a verbal agreement for now, but we'll need to schedule another time to finalize the specific details." Pei Shuwen's tone remained calm, as if he were talking about something as ordinary as could be.

But the person on the other end was clearly not so calm.

"What's going on? Didn't Tenghui Group cooperate with Ansong before? What conditions did you agree to? Or was it just for free advertising?"

It's no wonder Zhao Huai'an seemed so naive. Tenghui Group is so large in Ningcheng's financial industry that even a law firm like theirs could live comfortably for years if they took it over. Moreover, Tenghui Group is a bellwether in Ningcheng's financial world. If even they chose Juntian Liangmu, why would others not?

He felt that the top spot in the red circle was beckoning to him!

Pei Shuwen glanced out the window, her tone remaining calm: "Normal fees, but you'll need to babysit the Lin family's children for a few days. I've sent your resume to your email. HR will arrange your onboarding next Monday. It'll be an assistant lawyer position, under my name."

"Alright! Leave this to me! I'll make sure the Lin family's princess and young master are happy and carefree. I can tolerate any unruly child! No, these aren't children, they're practically gods of wealth! I'll treat them like royalty as soon as they arrive!"

Pei Shuwen: "The Lin family means they don't need preferential treatment."

Zhao Huai'an verbally agreed, but secretly decided that he must try to curry favor with the person in charge. Before he even hung up the phone, he opened his email to check the messages.

But the more he read the email, the more something seemed off.

Pei Shuwen.

"Um?"

"This is the child you were talking about?"

A note from the author:

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Please add my next book to your favorites! I'm begging you all! Love you all!

Rebirth in the 1980s: The Fabric Tycoon

Xia Xiaoqin was reborn in 1986, before You Lang was crippled in the accident and before she married her lazy ex-husband.

In their past lives, two miserable souls found solace in each other in middle age. Although they were a couple who married later in life and had little affection for each other, they ran a fabric shop together. They weren't rich or powerful, but they lived a harmonious and stable life.

After packing her bags, she resolutely headed south.

I heard that You Lang and her friend bought a pickup truck this year and are planning to go to Guangzhou to run a fabric freight business. If she makes it in time, she might be able to make a big splash once she arrives.

The ideal was wonderful, but as for reality... Xia Xiaoqin kicked the broken-down car that was stuck on flat ground and leaking rust, as well as the fierce-looking man with a buzz cut in front of her. Her little face was scrunched up in disbelief: "Is this the luxury car you were talking about, the one that can take away half of Guangzhou's fabric in one go?"

"One hundred yuan dowry, a bicycle. Marry me if you want, leave if you don't."

The man mistook her for someone his family had introduced him to, assuming she was looking down on him. Xia Xiaoqin blinked and went along with it: "I'll marry you, I'll marry you right now."

--

Xia Xiaoqin's idea of ​​finding You Shanglang was simple: to expand and strengthen the business she had built in her previous life and create new glories! As for rescuing her husband and getting a marriage certificate, that was just a side effect.

But the other party clearly doesn't think so.

After repeatedly confirming with her hometown, Xia Xiaoqin learned that the person she was supposed to meet in Guangzhou was someone else.

You Lang panicked completely.

One day, Xia Xiaoqin went to meet her ex-husband, whom she had arranged a blind date with, and casually discussed a freight business deal between Jiangsu and Zhejiang. She didn't return home for half a day.

The man, who was usually a troublemaker, sat obediently at the alley entrance for a whole day.

When she returned, his usually cool and aloof face was unusually flustered: "Don't even think about divorce!"

#They were a poor couple who lived a hard life in their past life, may they be happy from the very beginning of this life!!

#The female lead is a resilient rose, career-minded in both lifetimes; the male lead is slightly love-obsessed, but also very smart!