Zhou Yan narrowed his eyes: "You're right, I don't understand your methods, but I have experience with stock trading."
"If the Hong Kong government experiences a major financial crisis, besides the wealthy, many ordinary people will go bankrupt and commit suicide, right? If the Hong Kong government is truly ruined, won't the higher-ups blame us?"
Chen Jingsong's chubby face twitched unnaturally a few times, forcing out a bright, almost eerie smile—
"Ah Yan, international investors will only lose confidence in those inlanders who don't understand economics. But if this land continues to be leased out, the higher-ups will naturally do everything they can to maintain its status as the Pearl of the Far East!"
"And what's with all the resentment? It's like when a lion is butchering a fat sheep, who cares whether the sheep lives or dies?"
"I'm just trying to squeeze as much money as possible out of the Hong Kong government. As for the lives of the people in the Hong Kong government... what do I care?"
His tone was relaxed, but he couldn't hide the ruthlessness that flashed in his eyes.
Zhou Yan sneered, not exposing his hypocrisy, but simply playing with the pistol and saying—
"Since that's the case, then I'll be frank. I want half of the Ning family's money. Did Evan tell you that?"
Chen Jingsong's face turned ugly again, as if he had swallowed a fly.
Damn it, this bastard and brute has the nerve to ask for such a huge sum!
But he quickly adjusted his expression and forced a smile: "Of course, no problem, Ah Yan, don't worry. You're my son-in-law, and I'll definitely give you the biggest share of the Ning family's money!"
Zhou Yan stood up, looking down at Chen Jingsong, his tone icy—
“Because of my connection with you, I’m now under the watch of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). So, I will recuse myself from this case as per the rules, but I will be ‘in control’ behind the scenes. You don’t need to resist the investigation; I will get you out in the end.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Jingsong immediately nodded vigorously: "Of course, of course! We're all working for our superiors, we're all in the same boat, it'll be a pleasure to cooperate!"
Zhou Yan stared at him, then suddenly scoffed, "Heh, pleasant cooperation, but you don't offer any compensation for my losses?"
Chen Jingsong's expression changed, and he suddenly got up, took out a checkbook from the drawer, quickly wrote down a number, and tore it off.
He eagerly handed the check to Zhou Yan: "Yan, take this and have a late-night snack. Consider it... a gift to mark our first meeting before we start working together."
Zhou Yan took the check and glanced at the number on it—500,000 Hong Kong dollars.
His eyes were deep and dark. He suddenly whistled unrestrainedly and laughed: "Everything has been taken into account. Then thank you very much, Mr. Chen."
After saying that, he turned and left, his figure disappearing gracefully outside the door.
As Chen Jingsong watched his departing figure, his eyes gradually turned sinister and filled with murderous intent.
He suddenly stood up, slammed his fist on the table, and swept everything off the table with a loud crash.
"You bastard! You damn bastard! How dare you treat me like a sucker! You even want half of the Ning family's assets? I'll wipe your whole family out!"
At that moment, a carved wooden door in the office was suddenly pushed open, and Cha Meiling strode out.
Cha Meiling walked directly up to Chen Jingsong, her voice filled with barely suppressed anger—
"Godfather! What were you thinking? You acted so recklessly and killed someone without even cleaning up the mess! Now look what's happened, you've dragged Ah Yan down with you, and he'll hold me responsible for this!"
She pointed to her chest, her voice rising, "Everyone on our side has to pay for your recklessness! Do you know how much effort I put into getting engaged to Ayan?"
Chen Jingsong's chest heaved violently, veins bulging on his face. He grabbed the ashtray from the table, smashed it against the wall, and roared—
"Are you blind? Didn't you see that Zhou Yan, that loser, extorted 500,000 Hong Kong dollars from me?"
With a loud bang, the ashtray shattered on the wall, sending fragments flying everywhere.
Cha Meiling crossed her arms, touched the small cuts on her arm from the shards, and said coldly—
"Didn't you write down such a large number on your own initiative? If you hadn't messed things up, would Ah Yan have been targeted by the Independent Commission Against Corruption? It's only right that he gets some compensation! You have to pay the price for your mistakes."
Chen Jingsong was speechless, choked by her words: "You..."
He pointed at Cha Meiling's nose and reprimanded her sternly—
“Annie, are you out of your mind? I could understand if you liked Ning Bingyu before, at least that guy came from a respectable family and was well-regarded.”
"Why would you turn down perfectly good rich and noble young men and go after a gangster? That guy's a lunatic! All he does is fight and kill. He has no education, no family background, and all he's good-looking is his pretty face. He's just a brute! Wake up!"
He moved closer to Cha Meiling, staring intently at her: "I arranged for you to get engaged to Zhou Yan because Zhou Yan has a close relationship with Evan, and Evan has a special connection with the Zhou family. To do these things, I need Evan's protection. Do you really think I want to marry you off to someone like that?"
Cha Meiling was stung by his words, and a hint of hurt flashed in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by anger.
She closed her eyes briefly, and said with a mocking and cold tone, "You'll always be the same, only thinking of yourself! In your eyes, I've never been a person, just a pawn! A tool to be used!"
After saying that, Cha Meiling ignored Chen Jingsong, turned around and slammed the door shut as she left.
Chen Jingsong watched Cha Meiling's departing figure, his face turning ashen with anger, and veins bulging on his forehead.
He grabbed the folder from the table and slammed it to the ground, sending papers flying everywhere.
"This is outrageous! How dare they talk to me like that!"
That bastard Evan actually allowed this wolf to come and say all this to him; he probably just wants to get more money! Bastard!
It took Chen Jingsong a while to calm down, panting heavily.
His long, narrow, and cold eyes darted around. He picked up the phone on the table and dialed the number of the person in charge of the project department.
"Hey, has the Ning family's investment in the Huangpu Garden project been received yet?"
A voice came from the other end of the phone: "Mr. Chen, rest assured, all the funds have been transferred to the project account, not a penny less."
Chen Jingsong's expression gradually relaxed. He opened a drawer, took out a Cuban cigar, and lit it.
“Very good, very good. Make a call to the Ning family and tell them I want to meet with Ning Man’an.”
"Understood, Mr. Chen."
Chen Jingsong hung up the phone, took a deep drag on his cigar, and squinted to admire the smoke between his fingers.
“Ningman’an, now that the money has been put into the project, then... it’s time to properly ‘thank’ you for your investment.”
...
Cha Meiling went out the door, and the corridor outside was quiet and peaceful.
Chen Jingsong's secretary had already sensed something was wrong when the boss kicked people out. She cleverly stopped everyone who wanted to approach the area, while she quietly slipped away to the elevator entrance to keep watch.
Cha Meiling leaned against the wall by the office door, closed her eyes, and let her breathing gradually calm down.
After a moment, she regained her composure and prepared to ask her secretary, Xiao Zhang, to leave with her.
When Cha Mei-ling turned around, she found that her secretary, who was supposed to be waiting in the next lounge, was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, Zhou Yan emerged from the lounge.
He still had that carefree attitude, with an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth, casually fiddling with a silver lighter.
Seeing her come out, Zhou Yan raised an eyebrow and asked with a half-smile, "What, finished arguing? Had enough?"
Cha Meiling's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly recalled whether she had said anything she shouldn't have in her conversation with Chen Jingsong.
“Ayan…”
Zhou Yan lazily walked straight towards the elevator, ignoring her words, and only said one sentence: "After you've listened, come with me."
Cha Meiling bit her lip, feeling a little uneasy, but she still quickly followed.
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