Chapter 18
Zhuang Yazhi urgently needed to find something to use against Zhuang Haiming.
"Not enough, far from enough."
The things Cai Xincheng submitted did not satisfy her.
"Give me a little more time." Cai Xincheng didn't dare to slack off and quickly went out to conduct another investigation.
Li Si came in from outside and relayed: "President Shen is waiting for you downstairs. He said he wants to return the car; also, he would like to invite you to dinner."
"Sure," Zhuang Yazhi readily agreed.
Shen Yiheng nearly dropped the car keys he was playing with. "You just agreed?"
Before coming, he had thought of many ways to trick people into coming down.
He was filled with anxiety on his way to the appointment.
Zhuang Yazhi booked the best hotel to entertain him: "President Shen, please have a seat."
Shen Yiheng stopped in his tracks, taking a deep breath. Was she being so good to him? He couldn't help but purse his lips, carefully considering whether he had done something wrong.
"Eat up, don't just stand there." Zhuang Yazhi greeted them with a smile and warm hospitality, personally pouring and handing over his favorite wine.
"I apologize for not being able to take care of you properly, Mr. Shen, and please forgive me."
Shen Yiheng's hand holding the wine glass trembled slightly, his heart pounding like a drum, and the seemingly gentle smile that came towards him inadvertently revealed endless evil.
“I want to know,” Zhuang Yazhi said, deliberately slowing her tone.
Before he could finish speaking, Shen Yiheng cautiously raised his head and stepped back an inch.
"If I had secured the sinking sea project back then, how would you have explained it to your aunt?"
This was a topic that Shen Yiheng had not expected.
Before he arrived, he thought Zhuang Yazhi was going to interrogate him, but he did not completely let his guard down.
"She's not important." The indifferent reply revealed no trace of emotion.
Zhuang Yazhi raised an eyebrow, his dark pupils sparkling beneath it, and leaned forward slightly to gauge the situation.
Zhuang Yazhi did not find much information about Shen Qianli; most of it came from Dong Shuhua's account.
According to him, Shen Yiheng's maternal grandfather doted on this willful niece. Because her parents died early, he was extra lenient with her in everything she did. Even when she secretly got married, he still gave her a dowry of several hundred million.
It was also because of her maternal grandfather that the Shen family always treated Shen Qianli with extra favors.
He provided money and projects whenever he wanted, and thrived in Haicheng by leveraging the Shen family's name.
Although she's just my aunt, there's still a connection, so it's too early to say it's unimportant.
Zhuang Yazhi finished his drink, raised his proud head and scanned the area in front of him, his sharp eyes pointing directly at the sneaky figure in the corner by the window.
Since we've already come all this way, why are you hiding and refusing to come out?
Shen Yiheng observed, the shimmering light and shadow, like flowing beads, overlapping in his eyes.
He followed Zhuang Yazhi's gaze and looked back, locking onto the figure by the window almost instantly.
"You didn't make an appointment with me." Shen Yiheng was very certain, his statement firm and resolute.
The excitement and elation before the trip were extinguished by a sudden chill, leaving a feeling of suffocation rising in my chest.
Yes, Zhuang Yazhi made no attempt to conceal her purpose.
"Zhuang Haiming wants to start a technology company with Shen Qianli, and you are the major shareholder."
Despite the size of Shen Qianli's business, she has suffered considerable losses, and the company's accounts are always empty.
Zhuang Haiming was even more so; he was all show and no substance, and he dared not touch the Zhuang family's money.
If Shen Qianli wanted to easily secure investment, she would have to rely on the Shen family and ask Shen Yiheng, the head of the family, for money.
"You're really rich," Zhuang Yazhi complimented, her bright smile carrying a hidden sarcasm.
Shen Yiheng nervously swirled the red wine in his hand; he had indeed come to interrogate him.
He had only invested in Zhuang Haiming because of Zhuang Yazhi, but now it seems he misunderstood and even made her angry.
The investment has been fully disbursed, and once the agreement is signed, there is no possibility of withdrawal.
There is only one feasible solution at present.
“I can make them lose every last penny,” Shen Yiheng said, attempting to salvage the situation.
He will stop at nothing to achieve whatever he sets his mind to.
Making her happy is also important.
“That’s not necessary,” Zhuang Yazhi rejected his impulsive decision.
On the way here, Zhuang Yazhi had a new idea: this technology company might actually be able to do it.
We must not only do it, but also make it bigger and stronger.
Changing the subject, Zhuang Yazhi smiled brightly, though not to her eyes, concealing her uneasy, turbulent thoughts with a calm demeanor. She raised her glass again to toast Shen Yiheng: "Thank you, President Shen, for investing in the technology company jointly established by Zhuang's and Xingcheng. President Shen is indeed a bright and sunny person, always able to spot business opportunities at the first moment."
Shen Yiheng was observing; he had a set of standards in his heart and could always make the best choice after weighing the pros and cons. However, Zhuang Yazhi's thoughts were always unfathomable, and he was helpless against her.
The two clinked glasses in silence. The red wine slid down their throats, bitter and pungent, a result of their anger at her.
The meal was generally harmonious. In Shen Yiheng's opinion, as long as Zhuang Yazhi didn't overturn the table, and was able to eat and leave with a smile, it was good enough.
After the meal, Shen Yiheng drove Zhuang Yazhi's car away without any intention of returning it.
That very evening, news broke that the Shen family was going to invest in the technology company that was separate from the Zhuang family and Xingchenghe, and it went viral on the trending searches within a minute.
The morning after the news broke, many CEOs from other companies rushed over to discuss business cooperation.
"President Zhuang has a keen eye for technology. I believe that under his leadership, we can break through existing technological bottlenecks and create a new technological brilliance for Haicheng."
"I, Li Duoyu, have invested in this project."
"I happen to have some spare cash recently, can you take me along?"
Money was flying everywhere in the noisy conference room, but Zhuang Haiming did not appear. He instructed his secretary to relay messages back and forth.
In contrast to the group of outsiders, all the shareholders of the Zhuang family sat in a row in his office, each eating a piece of fruit in a restrained manner.
They had all heard about Shen's Investment Technology Company. Because they had been hesitant before, the current situation was very awkward. They had all changed their minds and wanted to invest together, but no one dared to speak first and they were all waiting.
Zhuang Haiming didn't say anything; he just kept smiling kindly.
After a 50-minute silence, one of the shareholders sitting in the corner couldn't hold back any longer. He raised his hand tremblingly and whispered as if pleading, "President Zhuang, I still want to work for you."
After those words, everyone present was ignited.
"President Zhuang, and me too. I've been following you for over twenty years, and I'll stay with you for the rest of my life."
"President Zhuang brought me into this industry. You are my benefactor. I respect and follow all your decisions."
Where interests lie, the will of the people lies.
However, within just one night, everyone had turned against them.
Zhuang Haiming felt relieved. He believed that those who knew when to yield were wise, and he liked people like that.
Obedience will bring good consequences.
The news reached Zhuang Yazhi's ears the next second; the shareholders changed their minds even faster than she had imagined.
But this also aligns with Zhuang Haiming's eating habits, where he always targets acquaintances first.
Looking down from this vantage point, one can see a sea of people below the company building, including not only company executives vying for attention, but also a large number of media reporters.
"The general manager's secretary just announced to reporters that a press conference for the new company's opening will be held on the 20th, and top celebrities will be there to support it."
"Another top-tier celebrity."
Zhuang Yazhi was tired of hearing it; anyone who didn't know better would think this was a commercial performance center.
"By the way, President Zhuang asked his secretary to send a message inviting you to attend the press conference."
His little scheme was crystal clear; he simply wanted to ride on Zhuang Ya's coattails and hope to gain more favor and investment from Shen Yiheng.
"Okay, let's go then." Anyway, Shen Yiheng has money.
This time, Zhuang Yazhi watched as Shen Qianli, under the guise of a business partner, legitimately entered the chairman's office.
The shareholders present addressed Mr. Shen with great warmth and humility, showing a very respectful attitude.
"It is an honor to cooperate with President Zhuang. Thank you for your trust. I hope that Xingcheng and Zhuang's can develop and progress together and achieve a win-win situation."
After the speech, thunderous applause erupted, and the speaker's bold and ambitious words inspired awe.
After a brief meeting, they immediately went into a conference to discuss the company's initial operations after its establishment.
Shen Qianli focused her attention on Zhuang Yazhi, speaking earnestly: "I've heard many comments about General Manager Zhuang from outside, saying that he is meticulous in everything he does, very forward-thinking in both company business and decision-making, and decisive and wise in his actions."
"Xingcheng and Zhuang's newly established company is just starting out and has many things to do, big and small. The most urgent matter now is the capital increase and acquisition. Yazhi has a double master's degree in finance and law. No one is more professional in this area than you. You have to help your father a lot."
Zhuang Yazhi did not respond immediately; she was pondering.
The seemingly sincere and open gaze, yet tinged with suspicion, was unsettling, especially the fleeting hint of disdain that betrayed a blatant shrewdness and calculation.
The huge conference room was completely silent, except for the clicking of the abacus beads.
Their eyes met, seemingly exchanging smiles but actually guarded against each other, their confrontational stances obvious.
Although Zhuang Yazhi was genuinely reluctant, since she wanted to play, he would play along.
Play her to death.
“Great! Just as we discussed in the meeting room, I can’t be content with the empty title of general manager and confine myself to my old ways. With such a broad and promising platform for me to learn, I naturally have to seize this opportunity.”
"However..."
Zhuang Yazhi hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
"As the general manager of Zhuang's Group, I naturally prioritize Zhuang's Group in everything. Since that's the case, I'll take on the work at the technology company as a side job. You can decide how much to pay me when the time comes."
"What?" Shen Qianli thought she had misheard, her red lips curving into a surprised circle.
Zhuang Yazhi reiterated, with a cool demeanor and a smile: "I said, this is a different price."
Shen Qianli was furious and gripped the table with both hands. If Zhuang Haiming hadn't been holding her down, she probably would have jumped up.
"Ya-zhi, how could you say such a thing?"
To avoid causing unnecessary trouble, Zhuang Haiming could only ask everyone else to leave, leaving only the two of them in the meeting room.
"Look at her, look at her."
"Oh, don't be angry, okay, okay, don't take it to heart with a child." Zhuang Haiming kept kissing and hugging her, feeling sorry for her.
“I told you long ago that she doesn’t like me, but you didn’t believe me. I felt something was off when she was having dinner with Yiheng yesterday. She must have said bad things about me behind my back.”
Zhuang Haiming just wanted to calm things down as soon as possible, and coaxed her like a child: "That's so bad, that child is really too bad, darling, don't be angry, I'll teach her a lesson when we get home tonight."
The sounds of crying and soothing came together, and it was quite unpleasant to hear.
Zhuang Yazhi scoffed at it.
"Old hag."
"Husband dog".
Go ahead and try to appease them; you'll have your day to cry.
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