"Bang!"
A loud bang.
Vice Mayor Ma suddenly stood up and slammed his hand hard on the mahogany round table, causing all the dishes on the table to tremble violently.
His eyes flashed like lightning as he stared intently at Li Yuanyuan, his voice filled with barely suppressed, thunderous rage.
"Mr. Li, do you know what you're saying?!"
"This is blatant bribery! It's a crime!"
Li Yuanyuan seemed oblivious to his raging fury, simply taking a deep breath and extending two slender, jade-like fingers once more.
Her voice wasn't loud, but it reached the ears of everyone present clearly, as if it possessed some kind of bewitching magic.
"Twenty percent!"
"Mayor Ma, there are no outsiders present today."
"You know better than I how big this piece of meat is, and you know better than I how many people are eyeing it."
"Even if you wanted to, you couldn't possibly get involved yourself; that would be too conspicuous."
Li Yuanyuan's gaze swept over Zhao Daming, then returned to Vice Mayor Ma's face.
"If that's the case, why not choose to cooperate with me?"
"I'll be your gloves and help you get this piece of meat clean and neat to the table."
"Brother Zhao is about to be promoted to deputy director. Such a large project as the smelter will rely on the support of the public security system in every aspect in the future."
"Our three parties working together is the best way to maximize our benefits."
Her voice grew increasingly steady, as if she were explaining a very simple truth.
"Mayor Ma, you take 20%."
"Brother Zhao and Director Qian will each take 10%."
"The rest is what my partners and I will share."
Li Yuanyuan slowly stood up, her exquisite face revealing a perfect blend of grievance and stubbornness, making one's heart tremble.
"Mayor Ma, are you aware of this?"
"By giving up 40%, I barely make any money myself, and I might even have to pay out of my own pocket."
"I did this simply to tell Qian Zheng and his ilk, and to tell all the men in Funing County!"
"I, Li Yuanyuan, am not a pushover they can easily manipulate!"
"I'm a woman, and I can still hold up this sky!"
"Nonsense!"
Vice Mayor Ma's face turned ashen, and he slammed his hand on the table again, making a dull, loud thud.
"This is utter nonsense!"
He pointed at Li Yuanyuan, his fingers trembling slightly, as if he was extremely angry.
"Mr. Li, you've had too much to drink today!"
"I'll pretend I didn't hear any of the nonsense you just said!"
After saying that, he abruptly flung his hand away, not even glancing at the crowd, pushed back his chair, and strode out of the private room without looking back.
It's done!
Director Qian was inwardly turbulent, but outwardly remained calm.
Vice Mayor Ma pretended not to hear, but didn't utter a single word in rebuttal. His anger seemed more like a performance, a perfect performance to distance himself from the situation!
That turn was brilliant!
A subtle smile curved Li Yuanyuan's lips, and under the lights, she was captivatingly beautiful, mesmerizing all who beheld her.
As soon as Vice Mayor Ma left, Director Qian picked up his wine glass, looked at Li Yuanyuan with a complicated expression, and sincerely praised, "Boss Li, what a brilliant move, truly a brilliant move."
Li Yuanyuan grinned, revealing two rows of pearly white teeth.
"Director Qian, I look forward to a pleasant collaboration from now on."
"It's a pleasure doing business with you!"
Director Qian laughed heartily, downed the wine in his glass in one gulp, and stood up.
"Mr. Li, now that the matter has been settled, I'll take my leave."
Watching Director Qian leave, Zhao Daming finally snapped out of his shock. He looked at Li Yuanyuan, his Adam's apple bobbing, and asked, "Yuanyuan, what... what exactly happened?"
Li Yuanyuan covered her mouth and chuckled, then walked to his wife Li Ailian's side and affectionately took her arm.
“Brother Zhao, starting tomorrow, Sister Ailian will be the vice president of my Yuancheng Chamber of Commerce.”
"No salary, only profit sharing!"
"How can this be!" Li Ailian exclaimed in shock and immediately refused.
"Sister, listen to me."
Li Yuanyuan leaned close to her ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, her breath sweet as orchids.
"With money and status, we women can truly stand tall. Then, won't Brother Zhao be at your mercy?"
As she spoke, she reached out and gently touched Li Ailian's flat stomach.
Li Ailian's eyes changed instantly.
"Sister, you go back with Brother Zhao first. I'll talk to you about the details tomorrow."
"good!"
Without further hesitation, Li Ailian stood up, grabbed Zhao Daming, who was still somewhat confused, and quickly walked outside.
Zhao Daming looked completely dazed.
What's going on?
I only had a few sips of wine, and I didn't even eat my fill!
In the blink of an eye, only Li Yuanyuan and Shen Ji, who was lying motionless on the table, remained in the private room.
"Boss Shen."
Li Yuanyuan looked at him with a half-smile.
"How long are you going to keep this up?"
As soon as the voice fell, Chen Ji was jolted awake and abruptly raised his head.
His face was flushed, but his eyes were perfectly clear, showing no sign of drunkenness whatsoever.
"Mr. Li... Mr. Li..."
Shen Ju's voice trembled slightly as he looked at the smiling woman before him, feeling as if he were looking at a prehistoric beast. The shock in his heart was beyond measure.
"Such a big project, I can't handle it all by myself."
Li Yuanyuan smiled sweetly.
"I need a trustworthy partner."
"I think Mr. Shen would be a perfect fit. What do you think?"
Shen Ji instantly understood: an immense fortune had fallen into his lap!
He was so excited that he trembled all over. He immediately picked up his wine glass, filled it with baijiu, and drank it all in one gulp. He said resolutely, "I am deeply grateful that Mr. Li thinks so highly of me! From now on, if you point east, I will never go west!"
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