After hanging up the phone, a wave of regret came over him - not because he regretted contradicting Hu Haiyang, but because he was annoyed that he forgot to ask the most crucial question: What was Yue Mingyuan's attitude towards such an arrangement?
Didn't Hu Haiyang report this to him? Or did Yue Mingyuan already know about this, but chose to acquiesce and willingly accept this loss?
I glanced down at the time. It was late at night in London. My fingertips hovered over Yue Mingyuan's number, and I pressed it hesitantly. This call would be a late-night interruption, wouldn't it? How would he react?
With a determined heart, he bit his tongue and finally pulled it out.
The phone only beeped twice before being picked up.
I steadied my breath and recounted what had just happened, trying to keep my tone calm and controlled, never wanting him to think I was impatient or impulsive.
Unexpectedly, his reaction was unusually calm: "I already know about this."
My heart sank slightly - with this attitude, does he intend to give in?
Hearing my silence, he continued, "Actually, I was the one who asked Haiyang to propose this arrangement to your municipal Party Secretary. Your 'luring them into a trap' is a good idea, but the bait isn't enticing enough. If you want them to jump in willingly and recklessly, the reward must be substantial."
I clutched my phone, stunned. It turned out the man behind all this was Yue Mingyuan. Not only did he know the details of my conversation with Hu Haiyang, he had also orchestrated this diabolical scheme.
I calmed myself and replied, "It seems I have no choice but to follow this path and take advantage of their strategy."
He laughed so hard on the other end of the phone that my eardrums buzzed. "Hongjun, I thought I had to confront them head-on this time, but you woke me up. I want them to—not only fail to catch the fox, but also get into trouble!"
I followed up with a question, "Since the boss has already made a plan, I'd like to hear your next plan."
He stopped laughing and spoke calmly, "Let them be happy for a couple of days. Stay calm, finish your business, and return to England as soon as possible to continue your peaceful life. Leave the rest to me. Remember, before you truly take charge of City Bank, never let Lin Xun take any action. No matter how much pressure Chen Hexu puts on you, don't let up and don't invest a single cent."
I pondered, "I understand. But will they... just sit there and wait for death?"
He chuckled again, "They can't sit still anymore. Do you know who Lin Xun is meeting right now?"
A chill suddenly ran up my spine, and I was almost speechless: "...Chen He Xu?"
"A loud drum doesn't need a heavy hammer," Yue Mingyuan said proudly. "You understood it so quickly. Do you think Lin Xun... can withstand his pressure?"
My throat tightened, and although I secretly worried about Lin Xun, I could only reply, "She... should be fine."
"That's what I think. As long as you don't let go, the forest mushroom won't move." He changed the subject, adding a hint of probing to his voice. "What about you, Hongjun? Can you withstand the pressure—or rather, their coercion and inducement?"
I gathered myself and said in a firm tone, "Without your permission, Boss, I will not let you go even if you kill me."
"Good! I wasn't mistaken." He was obviously very satisfied, and suddenly asked with a bit of pride, "Guess what I'm doing now?"
I was stunned and didn't know how to answer.
He didn't care, saying to himself, "I'm drinking champagne, a 2004 Krug. It's delicious. I saved a bottle for you. When you return to England, you can hold the beauty in one hand and the wine in the other and savor it slowly. You'll taste the taste of victory in it."
I can't remember how I ended that phone call with Yue Mingyuan. Annoyance, remorse, self-blame, fear... all these emotions washed over me like a tide, nearly swallowing me up.
How did he know that Lin Xun went to see Chen Hexu? Even Lin Xun had never told me anything about this matter... Could it be that her phone had been tapped as she said?
Cold beads of sweat oozed from his forehead.
Yue Mingyuan had unexpectedly used my self-righteous little tricks to weave a big net, just waiting for Tian Zhenyu and his gang to fall into the trap, and then he would watch with cold eyes how they would end up in disgrace.
I forced myself to calm down and review the entire situation from beginning to end. Gradually, a thought came to mind—perhaps Yue Mingyuan was too happy too soon. There was a flaw in his plan that couldn't be ignored: Zhang Xiaomin.
Yue Mingyuan planned to trade Daxun's shares to Lin Xun, who would then invest in City Bank under Daxun's name, secretly holding the shares on his behalf. But Zhang Min already held shares in Daxun, so wouldn't he follow suit? With his influence in the investment community, he could easily raise more funds and inject them into City Bank. By then, it wouldn't be impossible for them to control the entire bank.
However, thinking deeper, I suddenly realized: Perhaps this move was exactly what Yue Mingyuan expected. His foresight was not only to win a superficial victory, but also to swallow up the funds they invested.
Haha, catching rabbits by raking grass - isn't this Yue Mingyuan's usual method?
Thinking of this, I felt inexplicably relieved.
Let them fight. The more intense the fight, the more comfortable I feel.
A plan gradually formed in my mind: I would apologize to Hu Haiyang in person and take the blame for my rashness. A phone apology would be too frivolous and lack sincerity; only a personal visit would show my seriousness.
It seems that my kindness to Cui Yingying was not entirely a borrowing - I really had something to do during the day.
Since you want to keep me in suspense, I might as well give you a taste of your own medicine.
I stood up, washed and dressed leisurely, then sat down to drink the porridge my mother had cooked. As the hot porridge went down my throat, my heart couldn't help but warm up - the real delicacy in this world is not some delicacies from the mountains and the sea, but simply a bowl of plain porridge cooked by my mother with all her heart.
I said goodbye to my parents, told them I wouldn't be staying home tonight, and then drove slowly toward the city. Along the way, I carefully controlled my speed, making sure to find the perfect time to meet them.
Near noon, I sat in Hu Haiyang's office.
I bowed to him and apologized, almost in tears.
He sat upright in his office chair, a slight smile on his lips, watching my performance with interest.
Finally, he waved his hand and said, "Alright, don't learn the Japanese tricks. They're begging for mercy on the surface, but who knows what they're cursing me in their hearts. You, Guan Hongjun, are so flexible and flexible, using both soft and hard tactics. You're nothing. Tell me, how did you figure it out?"
I quickly stepped forward and said with a smile, "It's my own shortsightedness. If it weren't for Boss Yue's guidance, I still wouldn't have understood the mystery."
He motioned for me to sit down, and I sat down opposite him.
He said calmly, "You don't have to be so self-deprecating. Boss Yue praised you on the phone, saying you're full of clever ideas and sometimes even he has to be wary of you."
I quickly replied, "I'm just a little clever, not wise. Even if I were Monkey King and could transform into all seventy-two forms, and could travel thousands of miles with a single somersault, I still wouldn't be able to escape the Finger Mountain that you and Boss Yue have set upon."
He squinted at me. "A journey reveals a horse's true nature; a day reveals a heart. Hearts are the hardest to fathom." As if unwilling to continue the conversation, he glanced at his watch. "You chose this time to come? Did you calculate dinner time? Are you expecting me to treat you to a meal?"
I waved my hands repeatedly. "It's better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early. Since Mayor Hu is willing to treat me to a simple meal, I will not refuse."
He snorted softly, "You're dreaming. Now that we're here, come with me to the cafeteria and have some fun."
I smiled and said, "I've never had the chance to eat at the city hall cafeteria. I couldn't be happier to have this honor."
He tidied up his desk slowly, gave me a look, and I followed him out of the office.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
