Chapter 18 Living Up to Expectations "Speak more, I love to listen."...
Sheng Yun Shen reminded her several times, but Ling Shu seemed not to hear him, only chatting with Li Yin about food and drinks.
From "the selection tips for coating beggar's chicken with yellow mud" to "the ratio of spices for marinating small meat skewers," and then to "whether potatoes are better roasted or fried"... in short, they never get to the "real business."
Sheng Yun Shen almost thought he had lost connection again.
"Host?"
Upon hearing his call, she paused for a moment, taking a moment to mentally reassure the dog system.
"Good boy, your sister is busy, be quiet."
Sheng Yun Shen: "..."
Okay, now even the word "system" is gone, leaving only "dog".
He was both amused and exasperated, so he shut up and stopped urging him.
Finally, after some discussion, Ling Shu and Li Yin reached a consensus that potatoes taste better when roasted.
Li Yin picked up a tissue, elegantly wiped his mouth, and took the lead in getting to the point.
Despite the food, he never forgot why he had come in the first place.
He was determined to get those paintings today, no matter what.
Ling Shu stared intently at the fragrant roasted corn on the cob in her hand. Upon hearing this, she didn't even look up and replied cheerfully, "If President Li likes it, I'll give you the painting too."
Without the slightest hesitation.
Li Yin raised an eyebrow in surprise: "After all, the Sheng family paid for it, I can pay twenty times the price to buy it."
He was willing to spend ten million to buy back the painting that he had bought for 500,000, which was already a very tempting price.
Ling Shu did not answer, but held up the corncob in her hand and handed it to Li Yin.
Li Yin hesitated for a second, but still accepted it.
He's almost full.
Interestingly, he used to be preoccupied when attending business banquets, and could only eat three or four tenths of his full capacity before losing his appetite.
But today, sitting across from Ling Shu, he actually felt a long-lost sense of fullness thanks to her frequent feeding.
One more ear of corn should be just right.
As he took the corn, Ling Shu said, "To correct you, I bought those paintings, and I can decide what to do with them. I said I'd give them to you, so I won't charge you a penny."
Her eyes were filled with a gentle smile, and her tone was firm.
Li Yin fell silent again.
He raised his eyes and carefully examined her.
Since sitting across from Ling Shu and being fed by her, he has looked at her like this several times, his eyes filled with deep inquiry and curiosity.
Ling Shu ignored his gaze and pointed to Xiao Minglou: "Those paintings are in the living room. When President Li leaves later, take the paintings with him."
It seems she really intends to give all the paintings to him.
It's free.
Things that are free are often the most expensive.
Li Yin withdrew his scrutinizing gaze and changed the subject: "When I arrived earlier, Miss Ling said that the Sheng family was facing some problems, which is why you were left here alone. I wonder what those problems are?"
Sheng Yunshen, who had been closely following the progress, felt a slight tremor in his heart.
The topic he urged Ling Shu to bring up was actually brought up by Li Yin first.
If this were a negotiation, then Li Yin would already be at a disadvantage.
Since Li Yin has extended an olive branch first, Ling Shu only needs to follow the topic, explain the current situation of the Sheng family, and express her need for help. As long as the conditions are right, Li Yin should not refuse.
Of course, Ling Shu had to be careful to explain the problems of the Sheng family without making them seem too serious, lest Li Yin lose faith in the Sheng family.
From the beginning until now, Ling Shu has handled things very well and hasn't made any mistakes on such minor issues.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
Then I realized I had let my guard down too soon.
Because Ling Shu doesn't play by the rules at all.
She told the whole truth: "Originally, it was the First Madam who was preparing to entertain President Li. This morning, she heard that President Li liked to eat the rice wine cake from Yunwu Village, so she immediately took a car there, wanting to buy it as soon as possible."
"I didn't expect that after I managed to buy the rice cakes, there was a car accident on the way to Yunwu Village, which blocked the road. The First Madam couldn't come back in time, so she had no choice but to ask me to entertain President Li."
Her tone was calm, with no intention of deliberately playing the victim; it was as if she were simply recounting a normal accident.
However, in Sheng Yun Shen's opinion, these things should not be told to Li Yin.
Li Yin's expression changed slightly, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "...The First Madam is very thoughtful."
Ling Shu spoke frankly and without reservation, “Several payments to Shengshi Group have been tampered with. Junjun went to the group this morning to deal with it, but she was surrounded by several agitated suppliers and can’t get away for a while. Oh, by the way.”
She raised an eyebrow slightly, a smile playing on her lips. "Those suppliers also sent people to the Sheng family's gate, probably trying to ambush President Li. But for some reason, they all fainted in their cars and were discovered by the Sheng family's security guards."
"For their safety, the security guards had no choice but to invite them all into the Sheng family's residence, where they are now lying in the guardhouse."
The culprit said these words without batting an eye or even flinching.
She paused briefly, as if suddenly remembering something, and then continued, "There was a guy surnamed Liu inside, who seems to be a relative of the Li family. I heard that before he fainted, he was bragging in the car that he had held President Li when he was a child, and that President Li was like a wolf cub when he was young."
She overheard these words unintentionally as she approached.
Upon hearing this, Li Yin's expression changed slightly again, and he immediately pressed, "Did he really say that?"
"yes."
Ling Shu nodded firmly.
According to her, these people fainted first before being discovered by the Sheng family's security guards, so it was impossible for the Sheng family members to have heard what they said.
But Ling Shu was too lazy to go through the trouble of making up so many perfect lies.
I believe Li Yin wouldn't care about this logical flaw.
Anyway, she has already made her message clear.
As expected, Li Yin did not delve into the details. Instead, he lowered his eyes and unconsciously stroked his right wrist with his left hand, as if he were recalling something.
"Surname Liu...a supplier to the Sheng family...a relative of the Li family...Liu Dachun?"
He let out a low, cold laugh. "It was him."
Immediately afterward, Li Yin stood up and nodded to Ling Shu: "Miss Ling, I'll take my leave now. I'll take the painting and the person with me."
Ling Shu didn't try to stop her, but kindly reminded her, "Also, don't forget to take my homemade chili sauce with you."
Li Yin pursed his lips: "..."
He stood there for two seconds, seemingly waiting for Ling Shu to say something more.
As Ling Shu thought about it, Sheng Yun Shen's heart also clenched.
The most crucial words hadn't been spoken yet, and Li Yin's attitude had softened; they couldn't just let Li Yin leave like that.
“Host, this is the best opportunity.”
However, Ling Shu simply blinked calmly and quietly met Li Yin's gaze.
She, who had been rambling on and on just moments before, now seemed to have been muted, saying nothing at all.
His facial expression was so calm that it was impossible to read his mind.
A few seconds passed.
Finally, Li Yin lowered his shoulders, looked away, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
It seemed somewhat frustrating, yet also somewhat pleasurable.
He took the initiative to speak: "I can help the Sheng family. But I want five percent of the Sheng family's shares at the most favorable price."
Ling Shu immediately replied, "Deal."
Qin Hong's bottom line for her was 10%, but Li Yin only wanted 5%, which was an unexpected surprise.
Li Yin carefully observed her expression and saw that she remained calm. A hint of admiration flashed in his eyes.
He spoke frankly: "My original bottom line was 15 percent of the shares, Ms. Ling. Thank you for the roasted potatoes and beggar's chicken, the painting you gave me, and the person you gave me."
"The person the Sheng family should be most grateful to is not me, but you."
After saying this, he didn't linger, turned around and strode away, heading towards the shuttle bus waiting nearby.
Li Yin stopped what he was doing and turned to look at her.
At noon, the sunlight shone brightly, casting a hazy golden light and shadow between the two of them.
Ling Shu smiled generously: "From now on, we're friends, right?"
He waved to her, turned around, got into his car, and drove away.
Watching the shuttle bus carrying Li Yin gradually disappear into the distance and at the end of the road, Ling Shu slowly turned around, sat down, and picked up a skewer of freshly roasted melons.
Her expression and movements were so calm that there was no trace of the excitement she had just felt after completing a "big deal" that was enough to shake up the business world in Beijing.
This is indeed a big business deal.
Ling Shu, who closed this big deal, reacted so calmly.
It's as if I just treated a friend to a very simple lunch.
The servants around her seemed to be infected by her composure, and they all focused on their work.
It was just like an ordinary noon.
Only Sheng Yun Shen remained silent for a long time, deeply moved.
From beginning to end, Ling Shu did not follow his instructions.
Surprisingly, she not only succeeded, but the final result far exceeded his expectations.
Sheng Yunshen felt he should apologize to Ling Shu.
He was wrong from the start; he impersonated the "system" and tried to instruct her from a superior position.
He seemed to have good intentions, but in reality, it meant that he didn't trust Ling Shu and didn't think she could handle this on her own.
He was not even as good as his mother, Qin Hong.
After entrusting the matter to Ling Shu, the mother readily let go and did not interfere in any way.
Even though Ling Shu directly rejected the banquet she had carefully arranged, she did not express any dissatisfaction.
Her mother, Yunyun, Uncle Wang... they all believed in Ling Shu.
Only he didn't believe it.
This time, he was wrong.
After thinking it through, Sheng Yunshen decided to apologize to Ling Shu properly.
He prepared himself mentally several times and found it difficult to say the words "I'm sorry".
Having finally made up his mind, Sheng Yun Shen was about to speak when he was interrupted by Ling Shu's smug words.
"Damn system, how was my performance?"
"..."
Sheng Yun Shen's hard-won courage vanished in an instant, and he replied in frustration, "The host is very powerful."
Ling Shu became even more smug and pressed, "Tell me, how amazing is it?"
She was bored and, remembering the existence of the chat system, decided to tease it.
This chat system is quite different from the cold, impersonal systems in novels; it feels like it has its own thoughts and personality.
After all, ever since she was bound to it, it has been constantly nagging and arranging for her to do all sorts of things.
It was quite calm; it didn't get angry even when she ignored it.
They're quite cute.
Sheng Yun Shen had no idea that he was perceived in this way by Ling Shu.
He thought for a moment and answered seriously, "From the very beginning, the host guided the direction of the conversation, turning it from business negotiations into casual conversation among friends. The banquet was held in the form of a barbecue, deliberately catering to Li Yin's preferences and background, resonating with him, and lowering his defensiveness."
"Li Yin wanted to pay twenty times the price for the painting, but the host readily gave it to him, making Li Yin feel an indebtedness he could never repay."
"When questioned by Li Yin, the host truthfully explained the Sheng family's predicament, subtly implying that someone was behind it all, and that the Li family might even be involved. However, the host only mentioned the difficulties and did not ask for help, thus handing the initiative over to Li Yin."
"Given a combination of factors, Li Yin ultimately decided to accept this favor and took the initiative to propose cooperation with the Sheng family."
Sheng Yun Shen spoke slowly, sorting out the details in his mind.
He is a person who is good at summarizing and reflecting.
"The host did not make any requests from beginning to end, so Li Yin had no chance to bargain."
"Moreover, the host created an atmosphere where he and Li Yin were the same kind of people, which made Li Yin feel a sense of identification with the Sheng family, and thus he took the initiative to lower the terms of the negotiation."
Upon hearing this, Ling Shu couldn't help but exclaim, "Damn system, you're quite the talker. Talk more, I love listening to you."
She certainly couldn't have said those things herself.
No wonder ancient emperors liked to keep eloquent and cunning ministers; being praised like that must have made them feel good.
"However, you missed a few points, but that's not your fault, since your code was garbled and you didn't know the plot."
Sheng Yun Shen asked curiously, "Oh?"
He did feel that his analysis was not comprehensive enough, like a jigsaw puzzle missing some of the most crucial pieces, making it impossible to piece together a complete picture.
Ling Shu had barely begun speaking when she was interrupted by several excited voices.
"Xiao Shu!"
"Shushu!"
"Miss Ling!"
Upon hearing these familiar voices, Ling Shu ended her "academic discussion" with the dog system and turned to look in the direction from which the voices came.
Sunlight spilled onto the grass, illuminating the figures of several people running towards her.
Qin Hong, Sheng Zhujun, and Butler Wang have returned.
But their faces were beaming with smiles, brighter than the sunshine overhead.
"Shushu, you did it! You're amazing!"
"Xiao Shu, we heard that Li Yin has agreed to cooperate. You are really amazing."
Amidst the enthusiastic laughter and praise, Ling Shu's smile brightened considerably.
She was quite calm when Li Yin left, but now she couldn't help but raise her hand and wave it proudly at the Sheng family.
"Madam, Li Yin only asked for five percent of the shares in the end, so I have done my job."
Qin Hong stopped abruptly, her eyes widening.
Sheng Zhujun raised her hand to cover her mouth, but she couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her lips.
Butler Wang's legs went weak, and he fell to the ground with a thud. Before he could even get up, he hurriedly looked up to check on the situation.
The three spoke in unison.
"What?! Only five percent?!?!"
-
While the Sheng family was caught up in ecstatic celebration, others also began to reap their due "rewards."
In a dimly lit and cluttered rented room, the pungent smell of smoke permeated the air, and the ashtray was piled high with cigarette butts, resembling a small mountain of garbage.
Jian Yicheng stubbed out his cigarette, roughly threw it into the "mountain of cigarette butts," and stood up irritably, pacing around twice.
He clenched his fist, stared intently at the phone in his hand, and muttered to himself.
"There won't be any problems, there definitely won't be any problems... The Sheng family is finished this time, they're definitely finished..."
"The Li family will definitely not help the Sheng family! Definitely not!"
He repeated it to himself several times, took a deep breath, and dialed the number again.
The phone was still busy; no one answered.
Jian Yicheng frowned deeply, feeling extremely agitated, and couldn't help but take out another cigarette and light it.
The hand that lit the cigarette trembled slightly.
The people sent to block the Sheng family's door suddenly became unreachable!
What is the current situation of the Sheng family?
The "boss" was very anxious and had urged him several times already.
If the call still doesn't go through...
Jian Yicheng rubbed his hair in frustration and then stubbed out the cigarette he had just lit.
He walked quickly to the wardrobe and began rummaging through it.
It seems he has no choice but to make a trip to the Sheng family himself.
There are many suits piled up in the closet, but they are all dirty and wrinkled. No matter how expensive a suit is, without careful maintenance, it is just like a rag.
He searched for a long time but couldn't find anything he could wear.
Jian Yicheng couldn't help but curse again: "Damn it!"
He's ended up in this state all because of the Sheng family!
Ever since breaking up with Sheng Zhujun and being fired from Shengshi Group, nothing has gone right for him!
Ling Xinyao, who was "truly in love" with him, broke off all ties with him and stopped seeing him like an enemy.
His once close friends all turned their backs on him and blocked his number.
Even the landlord of the large, single-level apartment where he originally lived with a very low rent suddenly broke the contract and kicked him out.
Fortunately, he was prepared. After Sheng Yun Shen's accident, he immediately made contact with the "boss" and secretly did a lot for the "boss".
If it weren't for the "boss" taking him in, he probably would have had to slink away from Beijing.
The predicament the Sheng family is in today is his first pledge of allegiance to the "boss." Jian Yicheng originally hoped to use this opportunity to completely crush the Sheng family and solidify his position in the "boss's" heart.
Things didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped.
Especially the few people who went missing outside the Sheng family compound...
It felt like an ominous sign.
It was as if an invisible hand was tearing apart everything he had meticulously planned, bit by bit.
Jian Yicheng pondered for a moment, then casually picked out a sports jacket and put it on.
After getting dressed, he looked up at himself in the mirror and frowned.
His hair was messy, his beard was stubble, he had dark circles under his eyes, and his clothes were cheap...
This is a far cry from the image of the once high-spirited, privileged young man who was surrounded by admirers at Shengshi Group.
It's all the Sheng family's fault!
It's all Sheng Zhujun's fault!
He abruptly looked away, not daring to look at himself in the mirror anymore. He picked up a washcloth hanging nearby, wiped his face casually, and turned to leave.
The door to the rented room was pushed open with a thud, the door panel hitting the frame with a dull thud that echoed in the dim and oppressive hallway.
"You're Jian Yicheng?"
Jian Yicheng's heart clenched, and a chill ran up his spine.
He forced a smile that looked more like a grimace: "Officer, what... what's going on? Is there some misunderstanding?"
The lead officer stepped forward, exuding an aura of authority: "Jian Yicheng, you are suspected of deliberately delaying payments to suppliers, secretly organizing disturbances, and seriously disrupting the normal business operations of the company. Please come with us now to cooperate with the investigation."
Upon hearing this, Jian Yicheng's face turned deathly pale, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.
How could this be... how could they have come so quickly!
He had clearly cleaned up all the traces and even deliberately hid in a place like this.
Why was it found so quickly?
Jian Yicheng's legs went weak, but the flame of unwillingness in his heart burned fiercely, attempting a final struggle.
"You must have made a mistake! I haven't done anything wrong, this, this is all a misunderstanding!"
He screamed at the top of his lungs, like a maddened trapped beast, and suddenly turned around, trying to escape from the encirclement.
However, his struggles were futile against the well-trained police.
Several police officers reacted quickly, swarming around Jian Yicheng like cheetahs, firmly gripping his arms and rendering him unable to move.
"Let me go! What right do you have to arrest me!"
Jian Yicheng twisted his body with all his might, kicking his legs wildly, raising a cloud of dust.
"Stop struggling. Shengshi Group has already submitted all the evidence against you. The evidence is conclusive and irrefutable."
The police officer's words struck Jian Yicheng's heart like a heavy hammer, shattering his last illusions.
How could Shengshi Group react so quickly in just a few days?
Jian Yicheng's struggles gradually weakened, and his body went limp like a deflated balloon, muttering repeatedly, "Impossible... This isn't real... You must have made a mistake..."
The voice grew fainter and fainter, filled with endless regret.
Unexpectedly, he didn't witness the collapse of the Sheng family; instead, he suffered misfortune first.
He's finished.
It's completely over.
if……
If he had always been down-to-earth, worked diligently at Shengshi Group, and been a good boyfriend to Sheng Zhujun, would all of this... have never happened?
There are no "what ifs".
-
Meanwhile, inside a moving Bentley Mulsanne, Liu Dachun, a man in a suit, murmured and opened his eyes in confusion.
He was sore all over, his bones felt like they were about to fall apart, and he had a dull pain coming from the back of his head.
"Where am I?"
The car in front of him was clearly not the black minivan he had ridden in before.
How could he have fainted...?
Liu Dachun suddenly stopped moving.
The Sheng family!
How are things going with the Sheng family?!
Before he could fully react, a calm male voice came from beside him: "Mr. Liu, you seem to be drunk. You passed out at the Sheng family's door. Fortunately, the Sheng family found you in time, and I happened to be passing by, so I brought you back."
Upon hearing this voice, Liu Dachun's body stiffened for a moment.
He slowly turned his head and looked to the side, where he indeed saw Li Yin.
Li Yin sat on the other side of the car, deliberately keeping a distance from Liu Dachun.
He was wearing large sunglasses, obscuring his expression; only a faint, almost imperceptible smile could be seen at the corner of his lips.
Liu Dachun swallowed hard, his heart sinking.
He wasn't stupid; judging from the situation, the meeting between Li Yin and the Sheng family had probably already ended.
As for the outcome of the meeting... he dared not ask.
In front of outsiders, he shamelessly boasted that he was Li Yin's elder, but in reality, he was just a distant relative of the Li family who was not even ranked.
Since Li Yin grew up, the two of them had never spoken face to face like this before.
The scene was a bit awkward, making him feel uncomfortable and unsure of what to do with his hands and feet.
Finally, Li Yin smiled slightly and took the initiative to ask, "I heard that President Liu has seen me as a child?"
When he asked the question, he placed his left hand on his right wrist, his fingers slowly stroking the metal cufflinks with a calm and unhurried demeanor.
Even though he was wearing sunglasses and his features were obscured, you could still feel the gentle smile on his face.
It was just like a casual chat.
Liu Dachun calmed down.
He guessed that Li Yin had taken the initiative to exchange pleasantries with him in an attempt to get closer to him.
Since Li Yin has taken the initiative, he can't be ungrateful.
Liu Dachun scratched the back of his head, forced a slightly awkward smile, and chuckled twice: "Haha, yes, yes. I even hugged you back then."
Li Yin paused for a moment, his tone unreadable: "So, the person who hugged me back then was President Liu."
Recalling the past, Liu Dachun felt a pang of guilt and quickly explained awkwardly, "President Li, back then we were just following the old man's orders... The old man was doing it all for you."
Li Yin took off his sunglasses, revealing his clear and handsome features.
There seemed to be a smile in his eyes, yet they were like distant mountains shrouded in mist, impossible to see clearly.
He stared at Liu Dachun and asked a somewhat abrupt question.
"Mr. Liu, do you have... someone you particularly care about or like?"
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