Chapter 46 Their overlapping breaths became heavy.
The office was quiet; no one spoke for at least a minute.
Ye Baoling's logic was clear; she had witnesses and physical evidence, leaving Lu Baohua with no way to deny it.
Qu Zhengming looked at Lu Baohua: "Do you have anything else to say?"
At this point, Lu Baohua knew that bowing his head was pointless, so he neither bowed his head nor paid any attention to Qu Zhengming.
Qu Zhengming walked towards the door.
Seeing this, Ye Baoling, who was standing by the door, very tactfully opened the door for her leader.
Outside the door, a large group of people, heads piled on top of each other, were pressed against the entrance, listening to what was happening inside.
Everyone was startled by the sudden opening of the office door.
Hearing the sound, Lu Baohua turned around, feeling utterly embarrassed.
Qu Zhengming: "Stop watching the show and get back to work. Baolin, come to my office."
Not long after, Ye Baoling called over Ah Xia and the cleaning lady, Sister Yang, and recounted the whole process in detail.
Xu Chengping also brought in the saved videotapes.
The matter was clarified in less than half an hour.
Qu Zhengming didn't go directly to the human resources department, but instead went to her superior, Shen Wanjie, the general manager of Ye Qingtang Herbal Tea, who gave her a detailed report on the situation.
This matter has already blown up, and Shen Wanjie has no need to protect such a small manager.
The only problem is that Lu Baohua was personally promoted by the chairman, and now that this has happened, it seems like a slap in the face to the chairman.
Shen Wanjie had a slight headache: "Let me think about how to explain this to the higher-ups."
Knowing the difficulties faced by her superiors, Qu Zhengming took the initiative to assume responsibility: "I am responsible for this matter, and I am willing to take it on."
"Are you stupid? This isn't your fault. The distribution plan was initially submitted by Liu Tiejun from the marketing department; he just didn't understand it. This Liu Tiejun is corrupt and dragging us down; he should bear the responsibility." Shen Wanjie had already lost a key figure, and he didn't want Qu Zhengming to be dragged into it as well.
Why not let Marketing Director Liu take full responsibility?
Just today, the chairman and other directors came to the company to hold a meeting on the listing of Ye Qingtang herbal tea. He said, "The chairman should have arrived by now. Come with me to explain the situation. We can't delay any longer."
Shen Wanjie then called Cai Yongming, the group's vice president in charge of administration and human resources.
In the chairman's office on the 30th floor, four or five people were standing around the desk.
Only Ye Qizu and Lin Zhong were sitting.
After listening to their report, Ye Qizu had already forgotten about Lu Baohua's matter. It was just a distribution plan, not a great achievement. However, he was still somewhat disappointed.
"This kind of person cannot be used. You decide how to deal with him."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that the boss didn't blame them.
Lin Zhong said, "Let's follow the procedures according to the company's articles of association."
Shen Wanjie hurriedly said, "I'll discuss it with President Cai later and then report to President Lin."
Ye Qizu was surprised that the distribution plan was the idea of a female employee. He asked, "What is the position of the female employee whose credit he took?"
Qu Zhengming replied, "The assistant planner's name is Gu Baolin. She is very serious and meticulous in her work, and she has her own ideas. The consumer market research she was in charge of for jasmine herbal tea is almost comparable to that of a professional research company."
Ye Qizu nodded slightly: "It seems he's a talented person."
"Yes, we are currently preparing to have her in charge of improving and adjusting the jasmine herbal tea recipe."
Cai Yongming, who had been silent until now, said in order to make his presence known to the boss, "This Gu Baolin was originally in charge of managing cleaning-related work in the logistics department. She easily resolved the cleaners' strike at the end of last month, and she was even commended at the time."
Qu Zhengming: "Gu Baolin is an exceptionally talented girl. She came with me to a networking event for the marketing department and Southeast Asian distributors, and with a simple magic trick, she secured a new product order worth 2 million yuan for the company."
Listening to their praise, Ye Qizu couldn't help but say, "I'm a little curious and would like to meet this outstanding employee."
Lin Zhong had always known that Ye Baoling performed exceptionally well at the company; he had even talked to her about it a few days ago. However, she insisted on keeping her family from knowing that she worked at the company.
Lin Zhong quickly changed the subject: "Chairman, the meeting is about to start."
Moreover, they had other scheduled activities after the meeting, so Ye Qizu could only say, "Then let's do it next time. But, isn't it a waste of talent for such a girl to just be an assistant planner?"
Having learned from Lu Baohua's experience, Ye Qizu did not promote anyone indiscriminately again. However, with his reminder, his subordinates would naturally make appropriate arrangements.
The decision was made that very day, and Ye Baoling was promoted from assistant planner to planner.
As for Lu Baohua, since the incident of switching the videotapes ultimately did not cause any adverse effects, he was suspended from his duties pending investigation. Whether he will be fired depends on the final investigation results.
However, under normal circumstances, the only possible outcome of such an investigation is dismissal.
*
Today's board meeting was attended by all members of the Ye family who hold board positions.
Besides Ye Qizu, Ye Kaimin, and Ye Kaisi, there were also Ye Qizu's younger brother Ye Qizong and Ye Qizong's son Ye Kaishen.
There were also representatives from the second wife's family, representatives from the third wife's family, and independent directors.
And senior executives such as Lin Zhong and Shen Wanjie.
In the large office, Ye Qizu sat at the head of the table, while Lin Zhong chaired the meeting.
"The listing date has been set for early or mid-September, but the specific date depends on the approval of the Listing Committee of the Stock Exchange. The issue price has not yet been determined, and the Listing Committee wants a priority option of 2.8 million shares."
Ye Qizu frowned, slightly dissatisfied: "These people have quite the appetite."
However, the IPO price is controlled by the listing committee, which inevitably involves a power struggle between them.
Ye Kaishen said, "They want so many priority rights, so they must be planning to do everything they can to lower our issue price. They all know Ye Qingtang is a piece of fat meat, and they're all waiting to rush in and take a bite. Unless we can get things sorted out from these people behind the scenes."
Ye Kaisi looked at his older brother: "Brother, aren't you very familiar with Lu Dexiang, the chairman of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange? Why don't you go and talk to him? The issue price of Ye Qingtang herbal tea can't be lower than 9 yuan, right?"
It is simply impossible for the issue price to be higher than 9 yuan.
Ye Kaimin knew that his brother and Ye Kaishen were working together and deliberately made things difficult for him.
Ye Kaimin immediately retorted: "The securities company's suggested price is 7.92 yuan, not higher than 8 yuan, how come it's become not higher than 9 yuan here? Can market valuation be so arbitrary?"
Ye Kaisi usually behaves quite docilely at home, but when discussing business at the company, he becomes far more cunning.
He questioned, "Hasn't it always been 9 yuan? If Yingbao Securities' valuation for us is lower than 8 yuan, then I think it might not be too late for us to switch securities companies now. Yingbao Securities and Lu Dexiang are in cahoots!"
Ye Kaimin: "You know they're in cahoots with Lü Dexiang, and you still want to replace them? Isn't that just asking for trouble? If you think the valuation is too low, you can find a firm to re-evaluate it, but you can't just talk the talk. You have to make sure the securities firm you find can guarantee that we can go public."
"When did I say I wanted to find another company to do an appraisal..."
The two brothers inevitably started arguing again.
"This is the company!" Ye Qizu slammed his fist on the table in anger.
His younger brother, Ye Qizong, was a shrewd man who loved watching his family's arguments. Ye Qizong suggested, "Brother, just let them argue. The more they argue, the clearer things become. They won't feel comfortable if they don't argue."
Ye Qizu resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his brother, "Enough! Ye Kaisi, don't cause trouble! It's good enough that you can maintain the price at 7.92, you still want 9 yuan per share, what kind of pipe dream are you having!"
Ye Kais: "..."
Ye Kaimin felt a little relieved. This was one of the rare times in recent years that his father had publicly stood by him.
Yeh Chi-tsu: "Kai-min, you should talk to Ying Po Securities and Lu Te-hsiang separately. Our bottom line is NT$7.92 per share, but when negotiating, we can raise it to NT$9 to give them room to lower the price."
Ye Kaimin nodded: "Okay, I'll go talk to them."
"You are fully responsible for Ye Qingtang's listing." Ye Qizu said this to Ye Kaimin.
Ye Kaimin was very excited to be entrusted with such an important task, but he couldn't show it. His throat was so itchy that he couldn't help but cough.
Ye Kais and Ye Kaishen both lowered their heads and said nothing more.
The listing is almost finalized. The old man clearly wants to give Ye Kaimin a chance to make a name for himself. It would be best if he could help both of his sons succeed.
Nobody wants to put all their eggs in one basket.
*
That afternoon, Qu Zhengming secretly told Ye Baoling that she was about to be promoted to planner, but the company would not issue an announcement until next week, so Ye Baoling kept quiet about it.
Ye Baoling left work early in the evening, strolled around the Gu family home, gave her cousin the two Anita Mui concert tickets she had gotten from Lu Baohua, and returned to the old eldest branch of the family home without having dinner.
At dinner that evening, there were only four people at the table: the old man, Liang Meiyun and her son, and Ye Baoling.
Ye Qizu asked the housekeeper, Sister Yin, "Ah Xing said the young master had diarrhea yesterday, is he feeling better now?"
Sister Yin replied, "We switched to a new formula, and it's all better today."
"That's good." Ye Qizu then picked up his chopsticks. "Let's eat."
Ever since Liang Meiyun removed the door charm, causing Zheng Junni to have a premature birth, Ye Qizu has felt somewhat disgusted with her. But no matter how immoral Liang Meiyun is, his eldest grandson Ye Baoshun is still the most important person in his heart.
Ye Baoshun has been working in the company's investment department for a week.
Yeh Chi-tsu asked his grandson, "What have you learned in this past week at the company?"
Ye Baoshun, the young master, just attends meetings with the head of the investment department every day. He can't understand what's being said during the meetings, and when there are no meetings, he has nothing else to do but read other people's investment reports.
Those investment reports were so dull, long, and boring; he couldn't understand them at all.
But he couldn't tell his grandfather that his work was boring; he could only say, "I've learned that making money isn't easy."
This statement is universally applicable.
Ye Qizu was surprisingly satisfied with his grandson's answer. "It's good that you know it's not easy to make money. There's a female employee in the company, I heard she's not very old, but she can manage cleaning, do sales, do market research, she can do everything. Poor children mature early. You, you just haven't experienced hardship, you don't know that if you have nothing, it's very difficult to earn even a single coin."
It's true that other people's children are always better.
I wonder how he would feel if he knew that the female employee was his granddaughter.
Ye Baoling heard that the old man wanted to see her today, and even if Lin Zhong didn't help stop him, she would find a way to slip away and not see him.
Ye Baoshun was even less interested in the old man's topic. He changed the subject and said to Ye Baoling, "Big sister, I saw someone at the company today whose back looked a lot like yours..."
"!!" Ye Baoling was startled. She quickly composed herself and pretended to be surprised: "Someone who looks a lot like me?"
"It was right downstairs from the company building, and it disappeared in the blink of an eye. Where is your company located?"
Ye Baoling: "I'm working next to the Lihua Building, typing and copying documents every day. I'm so busy."
Liang Meiyun asked curiously, "Baoling, how much is your monthly salary?"
"Two thousand six."
Not enough for Ye Baoshun to go out for a drink.
Ye Qizu showed absolutely no interest in Ye Baoling's work-related topics. He said, "Don't stay at home every day after get off work. Why don't you spend your time going to the movies or shopping with Gong Jiahua?"
Ye Baoling yawned and shifted the blame to Gong Jiahua, "He didn't ask me out. People's interests change very quickly. He was interested in me yesterday, but who knows which rich girl he might be interested in today."
Ye Qizu: "Don't take it lightly. The Fang family is having a charity gala this weekend, and you have to go. Gong Jiahua and his grandfather will also be there. His grandfather will probably talk to me about your relationship then."
Ye Baoling: "..."
After returning to her room, taking a shower, and drying her hair, she stared blankly at the cabinet on her right, feeling utterly bored.
Previously, in order to find the entrance and exit of the secret room next door, she had tried to move the cabinet out, but the cabinet was very large and reached the ceiling, so it was stuck and she couldn't move it.
In her bedroom, on the wall next to the study, the two bedside tables are movable, and no switches have been found so far.
The bed she slept in was a custom-made brand-name bed from abroad, and it couldn't possibly have any special features.
This cabinet is all that's left, which is very suspicious.
The shelf above the cabinet held some of her small items, but nothing else.
She pushed open the cabinet door against the wall. The cabinet was spacious, but empty. She took a flashlight and squatted down to examine it closely.
The cabinet panel against the wall looked unremarkable, and when she tapped it hard, the sound was normal.
Just as she was about to stand up as usual, she noticed a tiny hole, like a pinhole, in the left corner of the base.
She remembered the small hole on the SIM card slot of her phone; by pressing it with the SIM card eject tool, the SIM card slot would pop out.
Ye Baoling immediately went to find a lock-picking tool kit.
The tool kit contains a needle-thin pick.
She took out a needle and inserted it into the small hole in the left corner of the bottom panel of the cabinet. After forcefully poking it in, there was no reaction.
After carefully checking it again from top to bottom, I found a small hole in the right corner as well.
I inserted the needle into the small hole on the right, but there was no reaction around it.
Is it similar to the principle of the wooden blocks on the wall panel, where two small holes need to be pressed down at the same time to be effective?
There was only a thin pick in her lock-picking kit, so she thought about asking the maid for it. But then she thought, if her grandfather knew she was looking for a pick, would he suspect something?
Having no other choice, she went to Sister Ping to ask for needles and thread.
Pingjie found her a sewing box, and Ye Baoling instructed, "Don't tell anyone that I asked you for needles and thread."
Ping licked her lips and asked in a slightly nervous whisper, "Are you going to use a voodoo doll?"
Ye Baoling: "..."
"I'll help you with the injection. You're too young to do this kind of thing."
"I'm getting a corn removed."
"..."
Back in her room, Ye Baoling inserted two needles into two small holes in the bottom of the wooden cabinet at the same time.
Crack!
Finally, I heard a familiar voice.
After spending so much time, she finally found the entrance to the bedroom.
Overjoyed, Ye Baoling accidentally bumped her head on the top of the cabinet, causing her to hiss in pain.
Opening the floorboards reveals a secret room between her bedroom and study.
The entrance to the study and the entrance to her bedroom are actually two corners of the outer wall next to the secret room, and they are very close to each other.
Ye Baoling didn't go in. She quickly closed the door to the secret room and put both needles into her lock-picking kit.
At the same time, she stuffed an unused pillow into the closet.
After thinking for a moment, she called Ye Huaizhang.
Ye Huaizhang had just finished showering and was drying his hair, judging from the sound, he probably wasn't even wearing a bathrobe.
She really wanted to touch his chest from a distance, rub against him, and make a sound.
Upon hearing Ye Baoling say that she had found the secret entrance to the bedroom, Ye Huaizhang couldn't help but praise her: "You found such a hidden switch, you're amazing."
Ye Baoling said smugly, "Of course. Don't you think about it? Who discovered the underground wine cellar? It was me."
Ye Huaizhang put down the towel: "Shall I go over tonight?"
Ye Baoling refused: "My period hasn't ended yet."
"Did I really have to do it in the past?"
"What are you doing here if you're not here?" Ye Baoling teased him. "You've fallen for me, and you want to come and have a heart-to-heart talk with me?"
Ye Huaizhang: "Then what did you call me to talk about so late?"
"I'm talking to you about work, about the secret room door," she said seriously. "Is your foot feeling better?"
Ye Huaizhang: "I'll be there in 5 minutes. Open the door to the secret room for me."
After saying that, he hung up the phone.
That's rude! Hanging up the phone like that.
She muttered something.
She first opened the door to the secret room, then went into the bathroom to comb her hair. After she finished, she put it down and cursed herself in her heart.
"What's wrong with that?! Do you need it?"
No need.
She still messed up her hair.
Five minutes later, Ye Huaizhang arrived and brought her a copy of the family yearbook.
"Give."
Ye Baoling accepted the yearbook, flipped through it casually, and asked him, "Are you going to the Fang family's charity gala this weekend?"
"It's not decided yet." He looked around at the layout of her bedroom. Further ahead was the walk-in closet and bathroom, and beyond that was the sitting room. "Your bedroom is even more spacious than mine."
Ye Baoling raised her eyebrows: "This is the bedroom of the eldest son of the family. Now it's mine."
"Won't you have to give it up again later?"
"No." Ye Baoling said firmly. Once she moved in, she had no intention of giving Ye Baoshun back.
Ye Baoling continued the previous topic: "My grandfather said that at the Fang family charity gala this weekend, he wants to talk to Gong Jiahua's grandfather about my relationship with Gong Jiahua."
Ye Huaizhang was stunned. "Your business?"
"Yes. I'm thinking, should I talk to Gong Jiahua beforehand?"
How should we talk?
"I haven't decided yet."
"Then there's no need to talk. I'll handle him."
How did you manage to handle him?
"We'll talk about it later." Ye Huaizhang glanced at her large bed. "Prepare a set of my pajamas here."
Ye Baoling: "I don't mind if you don't wear it."
His wife really knows how to say the most outrageous things.
Ye Huaizhang suppressed a laugh, "I mind."
The two stood and chatted for a while. As it was getting late, Ye Huaizhang said, "I'm going back."
Ye Baoling thought he was going to sleep here tonight, and she was even prepared to touch his chest to fall asleep, but he just turned around and left.
She complained, "Did you come all this way just to deliver a photocopy of the yearbook to me?"
Let's also take a look at the spacious bedroom she mentioned.
Ye Huaizhang turned to look at her: "What, you don't want me to go back?"
That's unlikely.
Before she could even speak, he said, "If you don't want me to go back, then I won't go back."
"!!!"
Ye Baoling couldn't help but stifle a loud laugh; this person had completed the entire process by talking to himself.
"You look just like a Mosuo man who climbs in through a window."
Ye Huaizhang: "..."
He arrived in sportswear, so Ye Baoling went to the dressing room and found him a bathrobe.
Her robe was a little short on him, and she couldn't help but tug at it, as if she could make it a little longer.
With a gentle tug, the robe was torn open.
Ye Huaizhang grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms, saying, "Don't pull me like that."
As a result, it was like throwing a wolf into a tiger's den; being held in her arms, she took a bite out of the little dot.
With a start, he picked her up, preventing her from continuing her "misdeeds".
Ye Baoling couldn't help but laugh. She poked his chest and said, "They've delivered this to your door, and you're not letting them eat it?"
The next moment, she was pinned to the bed. Want to eat? Then eat your fill.
She opened her mouth to speak, but he captured her lips tightly. The temperature in the air rose sharply, and their breaths became heavy and indistinguishable, making it hard to breathe.
Previously, their attention had been focused on more intense exercise, and they didn't seem to care much about kissing. Since they couldn't do anything else today, it was the perfect time to kiss.
She could feel the violent rise and fall of his chest, and the breath emanating from him that made her heart race.
I tried to speak several times, but he cut me off each time.
Unable to win an argument with her, he tried a different approach: to win her over with a kiss.
He tilted his head slightly and kissed her more deeply and intensely, making her dizzy and only able to respond instinctively, her fingertips rubbing against the places she loved.
He hadn't done anything, but the sheets were rumpled and messy, and the straps of his pajamas had slipped down, exposing his skin to his palm, sending a shiver down his spine.
He only stepped back slightly when he was almost out of breath, but he didn't completely let go of her. His lips were still pressed against the corner of her reddened lips, and his hot breath fell on her face.
She was about to speak when he cut her off again; the cunning boy simply wouldn't let her speak.
She wanted to bite him, but he seemed to respond enthusiastically, which backfired, and in the end, the kiss became even deeper.
It turns out that kissing is also a physical activity; I could only let him hold me, sinking into the chaos of my breathing.
Outside the window, the cicadas chirped intermittently at midnight, and occasionally a breeze blew in, causing the curtains to sway gently. In her own territory, she finally touched his chest with satisfaction.
She sighed and said, "From now on, you'll be my family's son-in-law."
He laughed. "So how much dowry are you planning to spend to marry me?"
"Forget about the dowry, you can't have children anyway," she teased him.
"I can make money, I have strength, and I can make you comfortable in bed."
He spoke shamelessly, but it seemed to make some sense.
She propped her head up and suddenly asked him, "Do you really like me?"
Ye Huaizhang looked at her as if she were a monster. "You are my wife."
Talking about liking something is too mundane.
Ye Baoling was completely bewildered by him.
Oh well, she doesn't like being vulgar anyway, so things are fine as they are.
She rested her head on his chest, and he rested one hand under his head while gently stroking her arm with the other.
Neither of them could sleep.
He said, "I had someone look up information about Silver Snake Mountain."
"Well, and then?"
“This mountain was formerly called Cuiluo Mountain. Since the last century, it has been the back mountain that our Ye family rented from the government.”
It is said that in early 1946, a highly venomous silver snake was discovered on Cuiluo Mountain. The snake bit and killed several hikers, which had a great impact at the time. There were rumors that the Ye family had kept the silver snake on Cuiluo Mountain and that it had killed people. Public opinion was in an uproar.
Although the three branches of the Ye family issued a joint statement denying that they had ever kept silver snakes, the public did not entirely believe it.
Ultimately, the Hong Kong British government, under pressure, reclaimed Tsui Lo Shan.
To be more deterrent and discourage citizens from climbing the mountain easily, Cuiluo Mountain was renamed Yinshe Mountain.
After hearing his explanation, Ye Baoling couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine: "Are there still silver snakes on the mountain now?"
"It seems like it hasn't happened again in all these years."
"Could the blue brick tunnel be a place where silver snakes are raised?"
Ye Huaizhang shook his head slightly: "It doesn't seem like it. Only tunnels are not suitable for raising snakes. And why would our Ye family raise silver snakes? I asked my grandmother, and she said that's all a rumor. No one in the Ye family has ever raised silver snakes."
Ye Baoling was skeptical, perhaps because she wasn't actually a member of the Ye family and didn't have any bias towards them.
-----------------------
Author's Note: The brick tunnel: I'm not just for having affairs...
Ye Huaizhang: Who's having an affair?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
