Xie Zhecheng finally raised his paddle. When the auctioneer called out "add one dollar," the entire room erupted in uproar.
Lin Yanran's face instantly turned ugly, and Su Jingshu's smile vanished.
"See that?" Yu Jiuyuan leaned closer to him, her voice so soft that only the two of them could hear, "Rules are meant to be broken, especially when your opponent thinks you'll abide by them."
The subsequent auction became rather dull. Lin Yanran eventually gave up bidding, and the letter of intent was sold to Xie Zhecheng for the absurd price of "the reserve price plus one yuan".
Yu Jiuyuan knew that this news would spread throughout the entire business district tomorrow. The eldest grandson of the Xie family had stood up for the Yu family and used the most unconventional method to acquire the land plot in the east of the city.
Halfway through the dinner, Yuan Xu suddenly ran over, her glass jar empty.
"President!" he exclaimed excitedly, his cheeks flushed. "I just convinced Miss Su with the bioluminescent gene of fireflies! She's agreed to invest in our lab!"
"Congratulations." Yu Jiuyuan looked at the light in his eyes, her smile filled with genuine warmth. "Your project deserves better resources."
Yuan Xu suddenly pulled a small box out of her pocket: "This is for you." Inside the box was a brooch made from the wing of a clearwing moth, which shimmered with iridescence under the light. "You said last time you wanted to see a live clearwing moth, but I didn't get a picture, so I made this instead."
[Yuan Xu: Affection +3, currently 48]
As Yu Jiuyuan took the brooch and pinned it to her dress, Rong Shenghan walked over, holding a shawl in his hand: "It's windy tonight, put this on."
He casually draped the shawl over her shoulders, his gesture as intimate as that of longtime friends. "The Su family has begun to suspect the relationship between Xie Zhecheng and the Yu family. Chairman, this move was truly risky."
“Risk moves are what make things interesting.” Yu Jiuyuan watched as Xie Zhecheng was surrounded by several business tycoons, still stating something with a blank expression.
“Once a perfectionist is labeled as an ‘exception,’ subsequent ‘irrationality’ becomes perfectly reasonable, such as helping the Yu family analyze the Su family’s trump cards.”
Rong Shenghan's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, then he suddenly chuckled: "And what about me? What label does the president plan to put on me?"
"An unfathomable vice president." Yu Jiuyuan turned and walked towards the terrace, the evening breeze lifting her shawl. "But I'm quite curious, what exactly is your purpose in investigating the Su family's background for me?"
An open book lay on a wicker chair on the terrace; it was a professional work on urban planning. Yu Jiuyuan recognized it as Xie Zhecheng's book; there were several red annotations on the pages, the handwriting of which was identical to that on the assessment report he had given.
“Xie Zhecheng always carries books with him wherever he goes.” She picked up a book and flipped through it, when she suddenly saw a line of very small print on the title page: “Beyond the rules, there is logic.”
[Hsieh Che-cheng: Hidden Information - A Dialectical Reflection on Rules (+3)]
Rong Shenghan's voice came from behind: "Actually, I helped you because I wanted to see..." He was interrupted by the commotion in the banquet hall before he could finish speaking.
When the two returned to the banquet hall, they saw Xie Zhecheng and Lin Yanran standing in the center.
Lin Yanran was clearly drunk. She pointed at Xie Zhecheng's nose and cursed, "Aren't you just relying on the Xie family's power? If you have any guts, don't hide behind a woman!"
Xie Zhecheng's face was as cold as ice, but he showed no intention of making a move. Perfectionists even follow the rule of "not arguing with drunkards" when it comes to fighting.
Just as Yu Jiuyuan was about to step forward, Rong Shenghan suddenly pressed down on her shoulder: "Don't rush, let's see what Xie Zhecheng will do."
Just as Lin Yanran's fist was about to come down, Xie Zhecheng suddenly dodged to the side and reached out to support his staggering body.
His movements were as precise as a calculated program, neither allowing himself to become tainted by the drunkard's filth nor failing to maintain a semblance of decorum.
"Security will take you home." Xie Zhecheng's voice was calm and even. "Drunk and disorderly conduct is against the rules of the banquet."
Lin Yanran was eventually escorted out by security. Xie Zhecheng straightened his suit jacket, his gaze passing through the crowd and landing on Yu Jiuyuan.
There was no anger or disgust in his eyes, only an indescribable calm, as if the conflict just now was nothing more than an insignificant calculation problem.
[Xie Zhecheng: Positive emotions +3, current level 23; Negative emotions -3, current level 20]
"See that?" Rong Shenghan's voice was tinged with amusement. "The counterattack of a perfectionist always carries the beauty of logic."
Yu Jiuyuan didn't say anything, she just watched Xie Zhecheng walk towards her.
He stopped in front of her and handed her a familiar black folder: "Supplementary assessment of the East City plot, including information on possible hidden debts of the Su family." This time, there was no completion date next to the signature.
"You stayed up all night to make this?" Yu Jiuyuan took the folder, her fingertips tracing his signature.
Xie Zhecheng neither admitted nor denied it, but simply said, "The letter of intent for the auction needs the Yu family's official seal. I'll have my assistant deliver it tomorrow."
“No need.” Yu Jiuyuan suddenly stood on tiptoe, took the moth brooch from her dress, and pinned it to his suit lapel. “Consider it… a thank you gift for holding up the placard for me.”
Xie Zhecheng's body stiffened instantly. Whispers began to circulate around them, and Su Jingshu's face turned extremely pale. Yu Jiuyuan glanced at the slight redness at the tips of his ears, a hint of amusement flashing in her eyes.
The perfectionist's fortress has finally developed a visible crack.
At the end of the banquet, Yuan Xu, holding his glass jar, excitedly discussed the details of the gene fusion experiment with Yu Jiuyuan.
Xie Zhecheng stood under a streetlamp, holding the undated assessment report, waiting for the driver. Rong Shenghan leaned against the car door, gazing at the distant starry sky, lost in thought.
Yu Jiuyuan sat in the car on the way back, scrolling through the system panel on her phone. Three names were listed side by side on the screen, and their favorability and emotional values had changed.
Xie Zhecheng's rules are loosening, Yuan Xu's purity is deepening, and Rong Shenghan's trump card remains a mystery. This game called "taming" has only just entered its interesting phase.
She placed her phone on her lap, watching the street scenes flash by outside the window. The letter of intent for the development of the eastern plot of land was just the beginning; the Su family's counterattack would soon follow. But so what?
On her chessboard, there were already three pieces, each with its own agenda.
All she had to do was give them a gentle push on their respective paths, just like tonight, when she had Xie Zhecheng hold up that sign.
As for who will ultimately become the king on the chessboard, and who will become a pawn... Yu Jiuyuan looked at her reflection on the phone screen, a cold and elegant smile curving her lips.
The game has only just begun.
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