Chapter 48 The car was about to fall apart.
Looking at the blood-pumping scene before him, Gong Jiahua wanted to hide, but then he wondered why he should hide.
He slammed the gift box on the ground and rushed forward, but before he could even make a move, Ye Huaizhang had already released Ye Baoling!
"What are you doing!" Gong Jiahua grabbed Ye Huaizhang's collar, whispering as if afraid of being overheard, "Ye Huaizhang, do you even know how to write the four characters 'etiquette, integrity, and a sense of shame'?!"
Ye Huaizhang broke free from Gong Jiahua's hand: "What need is there for propriety and shame when I'm kissing my wife?"
"!!!!"
Gong Jiahua's mind was a little foggy.
He suddenly remembered that Ye Huaizhang had been arranged by his family to marry in order to bring good luck. Could it be...?
"How is this possible?"
"Why not? It's legal. Don't you think we're a perfect match?" he said, putting his arm around Ye Baoling's shoulder.
Ye Baoling was almost amused by his confidence.
Gong Jiahua was still a little skeptical, "Then why did Bao Ling's grandfather and father encourage me to pursue Bao Ling!"
"They don't know I married Huai Zhang yet," Ye Baoling said pitifully. "I don't dare tell them, I'm afraid they'll beat me. You must keep this a secret for me."
Gong Jiahua: "..."
So she kept saying she had a boyfriend, but it turns out she really did have a boyfriend—no, she had a husband.
Gong Jiahua couldn't understand why Ye Baoling, the eldest daughter of the prestigious Ye family, would marry Ye Huaizhang to bring good luck.
Could it be that she has always had a crush on Ye Huaizhang?
Only this reason makes sense.
Ye Huaizhang probably guessed what Gong Jiahua was thinking, and said, "It's exactly what you think."
Ye Baoling guessed Gong Jiahua's thoughts, but she couldn't say it. She couldn't very well say that she married Ye Huaizhang for the sake of Ugly Wang Jue, could she?
She could only admit: "I have a crush on him..."
She then changed the subject, setting a trap for him: "He's openly in love with me, and now I can't even get a divorce."
Ye Huaizhang wanted to roll his eyes, but he held back and simply hugged her even tighter.
Gong Jiahua glared at them fiercely. Were they showing off their affection in front of him?!
This is intolerable!
Gong Jiahua cursed, "You are shameless!"
Yes, they admitted it.
"I'm going to expose you!" He put his hands on his hips, his head buzzing with anger.
Ye Huaizhang: "Go ahead and expose them! If you expose them, then Bao Ling and I can be together openly and honestly."
Ye Baoling pleaded with a sob in her voice, "Please don't! My grandfather has high blood pressure and heart disease. If something happens to him because of this, I won't be able to live with myself."
The young couple worked together seamlessly, one playing the good cop and the other the bad cop.
Gong Jiahua paced back and forth, on the verge of tears. The woman he loved had become his friend's wife!
How could he tolerate his brother-in-law becoming his love rival?
But he couldn't bear it, what could he do?
Even if he swallowed his pride and acted like a shrew, he would still be the loser in the end, and Bao Ling might even hold a grudge against him from then on.
No wonder every time he asked Ye Huaizhang to act as a matchmaker, he said he wasn't worthy and even cursed at Ye Huaizhang, "You're the one who's not worthy!"
The young couple looked at each other, speechless at Gong Jiahua's sudden harsh remark.
"So, you put on a show for me today, didn't you?"
Ye Huaizhang earnestly advised, "I don't want you to get into this mess."
Gong Jiahua wanted nothing more than to spit in his face: "I do what I want! Shameless, despicable!"
Seeing Ye Baoling lower her head, Gong Jiahua explained again: "I was talking about him, not you. He pretended to be pitiful and wanted someone to marry him to bring him good luck, but in reality, he was a treacherous villain who seduced his cousin."
Ye Huaizhang: "Fate is a illogical thing. Bao Ling and I are destined to be husband and wife; it's fate. Think it over carefully, and help us cover for each other. We'll still be good brothers and sisters in the future..."
Gong Jiahua's eyes widened. He could hardly believe his ears. Ye Huaizhang actually dared to ask him to help cover for him?
"That's moral blackmail!"
It's moral blackmail.
He admitted it.
“You don’t have to help us, but you can spread the word now, and even applaud and laugh if necessary. If that makes you happy, then this whole thing will be worth it.” Ye Huaizhang, who had just been playing the good cop, was now all smiles, looking every bit the loyal and devoted brother.
Ye Baoling looked at her man in surprise. This was supposed to be her line. She never expected that a man could be so shameless and manipulative.
Gong Jiahua was speechless for a moment, and after a while, he said, "No way."
Just then, Fang Shanxing walked over from the other side of the swimming pool.
"Hey! What are you all doing here? The auction is about to start."
Ye Baoling reacted quickly. She immediately pulled away Ye Huaizhang's hand that was around her shoulder, and then took a step away, so that the three of them were in a three-way standoff.
Fang Shanxing noticed that something was off about their atmosphere and quickly asked, "What are you doing?"
A cold glint flashed from Ye Huaizhang's eyes as he looked at Gong Jiahua. Gong Jiahua was so angry that he wanted to expose this hypocrite and scoundrel on the spot.
“They…” Gong Jiahua pointed at the two of them, but the words that were on the tip of his tongue changed to: “The two of them don’t want to play cards with us.”
Fang Shanxing couldn't help but laugh: "Huaizhang probably has something to do. Baoling just said she wanted to go home early. I'll organize a card game. Come on, come on, the charity auction is starting. Don't forget to support us. This charity event is very important to my father. Whether he can be elected as the president of the South China Group of Hospitals Charitable Association depends on tonight."
With Fang Shanxing, a chatterbox, present, the atmosphere quickly eased.
"Get ready to bleed your wallets!"
The Fong family is known for its philanthropy. Sir Fong was the first Hong Kong resident to receive a royal honor from the British Royal Family. The old man served as the president of the South China Group of Hospitals Charitable Association for decades and is now preparing to step down from his position, handing it over to his son, Fong Sin-hang's father.
Ye Huaizhang, of course, gave them face. Not long after the charity auction started, he bought an emerald and gold necklace donated by his grandmother, Old Madam Guan, for 500,000 yuan.
This is the highest amount raised in charity auctions tonight.
He not only gave face to his grandmother and the Fang family, but also did a good deed, achieving three goals at once.
Someone asked him loudly, "Huaizhang, who are you going to give the necklace you bought to?"
Everyone had heard that he had a wife who was brought to him to bring good luck, but Ye Huaizhang was reportedly very dissatisfied with her and never brought her out to meet people.
We'll get divorced sooner or later.
Someone chimed in, "Who should it be given to? Of course, it should be given to the wife."
"Young Master Ye, when will you bring your wife out to meet everyone?"
Gong Jiahua subconsciously looked at Ye Baoling.
At this moment, Ye Baoling sat next to her father, her heart pounding, afraid that Ye Huaizhang might suddenly walk towards her because of the commotion.
Fortunately, he is an emotionally stable person.
Ye Huaizhang didn't respond to the topic, but only said, "If the auction proceeds tonight can exceed 3 million, then on behalf of the Ye family, I will donate another 500,000."
The topic shifted instantly, and everyone egged each other on, encouraging the other philanthropists present to put in more effort.
The auction was still going on stage. Ye Huaizhang walked over to Gong Jiahua and whispered to him, "If you help me tonight, I will definitely repay you tenfold in the future."
Gong Jiahua was still somewhat unwilling: "You...you slept in the same room?"
Ye Huaizhang glanced at him: "She and I are husband and wife, what do you think?"
"..."
At this point, Gong Jiahua was completely disheartened.
Watching the auctioneers on and off the stage, the sounds of bidding rose and fell, a bustling and vibrant scene, a sight to behold. There's no shortage of beautiful women in this world.
Gong Jiahua gritted his teeth and said, "Don't forget, we'll repay you tenfold."
Ye Huaizhang raised his fist and bumped it with his.
It's a deal.
Gong Fo-nian arrived late. After entering, he led his grandson to Ye Qi-zu's table.
The two elderly people were having a good chat, but Gong Jiahua suddenly disappeared.
Gong Fonian sent people to look for him, but before they could even go, a servant of the Gong family whispered, "Isn't that the young master?"
Beside the bougainvillea in the corner of the garden, a man is embracing a charity socialite intimately.
The two elderly people stared in astonishment!
Fortunately, they are old, but they are quick-witted. In this kind of situation, it would be too embarrassing to make a scene.
Both of them very tactfully turned their heads toward the auction stage.
Both sides looked embarrassed, and in this situation, it wasn't appropriate for either to say much.
Ye Kaimin was also stunned. Bao Ling and Gong Jiahua were not yet boyfriend and girlfriend, so he couldn't scold them even if he wanted to. Both of his blind dates were like this, as if his daughter was born to be cheated on. He could only pretend not to see it.
At the same time, he pulled Ye Baoling away, saying, "Just pretend you didn't see it."
"I'm not blind." Ye Baoling just hadn't expected Gong Jiahua to make such a huge sacrifice.
great.
After the auction ended, Ye Baoling made an excuse: "There's nothing else, I'll head back now."
Ye Kaimin couldn't stop him, so he could only whisper, "Jiahua might have been drinking. Men are all like that. Don't cause trouble when you get back."
Oh.
Ye Baoling ignored her father.
He got up and walked towards the back door.
Ye Baoling didn't want to take a car back. Instead, she took the back path, followed the path in the Gong family's back garden, and walked through the Ye family's large garden, which led directly to the old eldest son's mansion.
She had just stepped outside when she heard a soft horn horn.
It was Ye Huaizhang's car. She looked around. The party had just started, and no one was coming out of the side door. She walked over quickly, opened the car door, and got into the passenger seat.
Once in the car, she asked, "What kind of drug did you give Gong Jiahua? He's really risking his life to accompany you!"
"Brotherly affection." Ye Huaizhang remained silent about the private business dealings between the two.
He believes that Gong Jiahua was willing to help mainly because of their brotherhood.
He drove towards the back mountain, and Ye Baoling asked, "Where are you going? Are you really going to Silver Snake Mountain so late at night?"
Have you ever been to the top of Silver Snake Mountain?
"No."
"I'll take you to the top of the mountain."
The mountain path on Silver Snake Mountain is narrow and steep, but there are no cliffs along the way, so it is not very dangerous.
No one usually comes here, mainly because there are rumors of poisonous snakes here.
The mountain wasn't high; it only took a few minutes to spiral up to the summit.
There aren't many trees on the mountaintop, but there's a huge rock. The two of them climbed up the rock and could overlook the city's night view.
A gentle evening breeze blew as Ye Baoling stood on a large rock. Perhaps because the mountain wasn't high enough, she didn't have the visual impact of having a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains.
"Silver Snake Mountain is in such a good location, why doesn't the government develop it? Turning it into a city park would be quite nice, wouldn't it?"
Ye Huaizhang retorted, "You don't know?"
She should know?
That's something the original owner should have known.
“Tell me. How would I know if what I know is the same as what you know?”
Ye Huaizhang didn't mince words: "Because all five households in Qingtang Street at the foot of the mountain disagree. If Silver Snake Mountain is developed, it will affect the original tranquility of Ye Qingtang."
Although there are only five households on Qingtang Street, each of them is a prominent family in the city. They can influence policy decisions by contributing a little money in the name of protecting the original ecology of Silver Snake Mountain.
Therefore, these wealthy people engage in philanthropy while selfishly seeking to monopolize more resources and refusing to share them with the public.
How ironic.
The night wind was a bit strong, making her hair all messy, and Ye Baoling wanted to go home.
She stepped off the rock and, using the car headlights, saw a yellow object in a crevice. She picked it up and examined it; it was a round bronze plaque.
She laughed and called out to him, "Hey, I've found gold!"
Ye Huaizhang glanced at it: "Copper. Idiot."
"You're the idiot." She swung the bronze medal, almost hitting him in the face, forcing him to grab it.
The two got into the car, and Ye Huaizhang took out a jewelry box from the back seat. "Here! The gold you wanted."
When Ye Baoling opened the jewelry box, he saw the emerald and gold necklace that he had bought for 500,000 yuan.
"Put it on me, and see if it looks good."
Ye Huaizhang put it on her and rotated the rearview mirror inside the car for her to see it more closely.
Her slender, fair neck, adorned with an emerald and gold necklace, shimmered with light, exuding an air of natural nobility.
She likes it.
Or rather, no woman dislikes expensive jewelry.
She smiled and kissed him.
A bright red lipstick was pressed onto his cheek, and she smiled and said, "This is my seal."
Ye Huaizhang's lips curled up, and he pointed to his lips, "Here."
"No," she refused with a smile.
She had barely refused when her red lips were sealed shut.
In a confined space, passion seems to be more easily ignited.
Soon, the two squeezed into one seat.
Just as she was worrying that she hadn't brought her small quadrilateral, he pulled one out from somewhere, tore it open, and put it on.
The car body began to sway rhythmically.
The swaying of the car intensified the shaking of the people inside.
The person controlling the force above bumped into things even harder.
She finally understood why some people like to do it in a car: because the small space inside a car allows for a greater sense of touch.
His car is considered large, but the cramped feeling of the space contrasts sharply with the comfort after being fully stretched.
Afterwards, she noticed that his knees were bruised all over—that's how hard he fought!
One can't help but say to him, "The man is still intact, but the car is about to fall apart."
Ye Huaizhang patted her back, "This place is nice."
You can come anytime.
Ye Baoling followed Ye Huaizhang back to the third house. In their bedroom, she fussed around for a while before finally fixing her hair and makeup and heading home from the back garden.
*
The news of Gong Jiahua kissing a dancer at Sir Fong's charity auction quickly spread throughout the eldest son's family.
Ye Baoxin, who didn't attend the charity event last night, was somewhat incredulous upon hearing the news, finding it hard to believe that Gong Jiahua was such a person.
She sat on the sofa in her mother's bedroom, looking at her younger brother who had just fallen asleep in the crib. When she told her mother about it, her mother still couldn't believe it. "How could Jia Hua do this?"
"Why not? How many men can control themselves?" Zheng Junni was in postpartum confinement and had gained weight.
"So what are your plans now?" Ye Baoxin added, "How do you plan to handle the relationship between Gong Jiahua and Ye Baoling?"
Zheng Junni snorted coldly: "What can we do? Pretend we didn't see it and let it cool down for now. The Ye family also has its pride. If the Gong family can back down, maybe we can continue to negotiate. If the Gong family doesn't back down, it's probably hopeless. At this time, you must not provoke Gong Jiahua."
Ye Baoxin scoffed, "You think I'm stupid?"
Since giving birth to her son, Zheng Junni has become the head of the eldest branch of the family, and everyone dotes on her, which has boosted her confidence.
She said, "Actually, neither Lu Tianyou nor Gong Jiahua are as good as Fang Shanxing. The Fang family certainly doesn't have as much money as the Ye and Gong families, but they're not short of money either. Old Master Fang is a knight personally awarded by the Queen of England, so his social status is a notch higher than the Ye family. I heard that Fang Shanxing broke up with his girlfriend a while ago and is now single, which is a good opportunity. I know Fang Shanxing's aunt well, so I can ask her to help set them up."
Ye Baoxin didn't say anything. Fang Shanxing was just a little fat, but he had a good temper and personality. Moreover, the Fang family was indeed of high status, and even the governor gave them face.
Seeing that her daughter remained silent, Zheng Junni knew that she had agreed and was taking it to heart.
*
Mondays are usually busy with several meetings, starting with a brief meeting for the cleaning department.
Ye Baoling applied for a reward for Aunt Yang on the 6th floor who saw Lu Baohua secretly switching the videotape.
This serves as a good example.
Since then, the cleaning ladies have become more observant and attentive than ever before.
Before 9:30, she rushed back to the product department to attend an internal meeting.
Afterwards, I had to go with Qu Zhengming to a meeting in the marketing department.
Ye Baoling has become very familiar with the Southeast Asian agents since she accompanied the marketing department to receive them.
When Ah Zhen saw her, she came over first.
"Pauline, the commission from that two million order last time will be paid out along with your salary today. I've already spoken with the finance department, and we'll split it in half."
Normally, the commission for orders is calculated at 0.1%, but the commission for new products is different; it is calculated at 1%.
So the commission is 20,000, and if we split it in half, each person gets 10,000.
This is the largest salary Ye Baoling has received from Ye Qingtang so far.
Ye Baoling had promised to treat everyone to afternoon tea, so today she bought pastries, fruits, and drinks for her colleagues in the logistics, product, and marketing departments.
The afternoon tea for the three departments cost more than 700 yuan.
They say you're obligated to someone who feeds you, and her colleagues practically praised her to the skies.
On Wednesday, following Ye Baoling's advice, the product development team released 11 new jasmine herbal tea products with slightly different flavors.
After trying them, Ye Baoling found that two of the flavors were very similar to the jasmine tea that would become a bestseller in later generations.
The first round of internal employee tasting was immediately launched, and under Ye Baoling's supervision, five flavors were eliminated.
The remaining 6 products need to be selected by the target consumers.
That day, the project team held a meeting to discuss organizing thousands of college students and athletes to try the new herbal tea.
Someone suggested: "There are six large jasmine tea barrels on site. Place a ballot box in front of the barrels and give each person two small red flowers. They can throw the red flower into the barrel of the tea they like. This will make it easier to tally the results."
Ye Baoling disagreed: "If people can see others voting, it's easy for them to develop a herd mentality. Some people will be influenced and subconsciously choose the flavors that get more red flowers. Let's keep it simple. All six flavors have numbers, and the people who taste them can write them down on a piece of paper and hand them in. We can then do the statistics separately."
“But the statistical work is quite troublesome.” The person who said this was another planner in the product department, named Rao Qiutong.
Rao Qiutong used to be Lu Baohua's sycophant. Ever since Lu Baohua was dismissed, she has harbored a lot of resentment towards Ye Baoling in private, but she doesn't dare to show it usually.
She finally dared to step forward today, probably because she's now working for a new leader.
That was Wan Xiwen, the new manager who replaced Lu Baohua.
This new manager is an outsider; he graduated from university not long ago and has little experience. He was directly appointed as the deputy manager, so he probably has powerful connections.
Rao Qiutong has powerful backing now; even her manner of speaking is different.
Ye Baoling retorted, "Shouldn't we choose an inappropriate method just because we're afraid of trouble?"
Rao Qiutong retorted, "Anyway, you're not the one who's suffering."
Ye Baoling retorted, "If you're afraid of hard work, you can leave the project team."
"I'm not in charge of the statistics work, and I'm not the one who's working hard. I'm just saying hello on behalf of my colleagues." Rao Qiutong has become a model of a "green tea" (a term used to describe someone who is overly compliant but actually manipulative).
Ye Baoling didn't want to be morally blackmailed by this person, so she sneered: "If you're so afraid that your colleagues are working hard, you can share more of their burden. Don't complain about how hard it is for such a small amount of work, and just act like a nice guy."
"Who are you calling a 'good guy'?"
"To put it nicely, he's a nice guy; to put it bluntly, he's a troublemaker."
Rao Qiutong's face flushed red instantly.
The colleagues looked at each other, unsure of what to say.
The newly arrived deputy manager, Wan Xiwen, quickly advised, "Why don't we each give way a little..."
Ye Baoling: "Can we expect everyone to compromise on this kind of work? She's the one who started this trouble."
Wan Xiwen: "!"
No one dared to speak.
Today, General Manager Qu went upstairs for a meeting. Although both deputy managers were present, Ye Baoling is the direct person in charge of this project, so the voting method was ultimately determined according to her opinion.
It was originally a very small matter, but Wan Xiwen lost face at this meeting, so she had no choice but to complain to her powerful backer.
In the general manager's office of Ye Qingtang Herbal Tea, Shen Wanjie comforted her: "I've already made arrangements. Starting tomorrow, you will be the project manager for this new product development and promotion. You need to cooperate well with Gu Baolin. Once this is done, you will be the biggest contributor, and the position of product manager will be yours."
Wan Xiwen was still unhappy: "You should have announced that I was the project manager a long time ago. She's just a planner, and she's acting all high and mighty in the project team. It makes me so angry that I feel like I'm going to have a stroke. I wasn't targeting her at all. I was just trying to be nice, and she still argued with me. Daddy, you know my temper. I'm not the kind of person who likes to cause trouble."
People who love to stir up trouble often do so without realizing it.
Shen Wanjie was a doting father: "Why don't you just treat her like a helper? She's responsible for getting things done, but the credit goes to you in the end. Think about it, doesn't that make you feel better? Okay, okay, don't be angry, Your Majesty."
The cleaning lady outside the door overheard this and it reached Ye Baoling's ears the next day.
It turns out that Wan Xiwen is Shen Wanjie's illegitimate daughter.
Qu Zhengming then told Ye Baoling that, starting today, Wan Xiwen would be the project manager for the "Jasmine Herbal Tea Research and Promotion".
"She's the project manager, and you're the lead planner."
So if the project succeeds, the credit goes to Wan Xiwen; if it fails, Gu Baolin will be the one to take the blame.
Ye Baoling wanted to know Qu Zhengming's attitude, so she asked, "President Qu, wasn't I designated as the overall person in charge of this project from the beginning?"
Qu Zhengming said helplessly, "Yes, I told President Shen about the situation and argued my case. But he insisted. I don't know why he trusts Wan Xiwen so much."
"So, you agreed?"
Qu Zhengming said guiltily, "That's all the power I can have. He's the general manager, and I'm just a director. He has the power to appoint and dismiss people. But don't worry, if the new jasmine herbal tea is a success, I will definitely find a way to protect your achievements and fight for the greatest benefit for you."
"But President Qu, even your reasoned arguments couldn't save my position as the person in charge..." Ye Baoling didn't finish her sentence.
Qu Zhengming understood her unspoken meaning: if arguing logically couldn't decide who would be the project leader, how could she, Gu Baolin, be guaranteed personal interests in the end?
Qu Zhengming grew up in Ye Qingtang, and she felt both nostalgic and disappointed about the place. However, she couldn't say much to Ye Baoling, only saying, "If I can't protect your interests, I'll fight them to the end. At worst, I'll quit this job."
Ye Baoling nodded and smiled; she knew what to do next.
The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease.
She didn't originally intend to have that many people, but if someone insisted on coming to their doom, she was happy to send them on their way.
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Author's note: Ye Huaizhang: The top of Silver Snake Mountain is a good place.
Ye Baoling: Hard work and struggle make a career the most rewarding.
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