After Teasing the Crazy Mermaid, He Actually Deceived Me into Marriage - Chapter 54

Si Tang reached out and pulled a stack of design drafts from the document folder beside her.

He Chenzhou’s gaze was unconsciously drawn to her hand fair as jade, with fingertips tinged a faint pink. It was these very hands that had crafted the designs that earned his admiration and praise.

“I had not intended to invite President He to this meeting in such a discourteous manner,” Si Tang said, pressing the design drafts onto the table and sliding them forward. “But since President He so decisively believes that Xing Nian is involved in plagiarism, this concerns our company’s reputation. Please take a look at these. I don’t believe these inspired works are the result of copying.”

He Chenzhou’s expression remained unchanged. He set down his teacup, took the design drafts Si Tang handed him, glanced through them, and a flicker of amazement crossed his eyes before he slowly placed them down.

Just then, He Chenzhou’s assistant knocked and entered, handing over a document folder.

“President He, the materials you requested.”

The man gave a slight nod, and the assistant quietly withdrew. He Chenzhou leaned back slightly, crossing his left leg over his right knee in a classic “cross-legged” posture. Even in this pose, he appeared exceptionally elegant, exuding the calm authority of one in control.

He handed the document folder to Si Tang.

“Vice President Si, my actions are not without reason. Perhaps you should take a look at these.”

Si Tang’s eyes flickered slightly. She opened the folder and examined its contents carefully, her brow furrowing involuntarily. The documents contained designs strikingly similar to some of Xing Nian’s unpublished drafts designs that had only been shared with He Corporation’s top executives.

“I naturally believe your company is not guilty of plagiarism,” He Chenzhou said, his voice cool and devoid of emotion. “But a company that cannot even protect its design drafts from being leaked, partnering with such a firm carries significant risks.”

Si Tang set down the documents in her hand.

“Where did these come from?” she asked, her tone serious.

“They were sent to my email,” He Chenzhou replied truthfully. “I’ve already checked the IP address is no longer valid.”

“My sincerest apologies. I will provide He Corporation with a full explanation,” Si Tang said solemnly. “And I sincerely thank you, President He, for bringing this to my attention before the situation escalated.”

He Chenzhou responded with a light, wordless chuckle.

“As for our collaboration.” Si Tang paused, her mind working like that of any shrewd businessperson. Regardless of whether He Chenzhou had agreed to meet because of her earlier “threatening” remarks, since he had shared these documents with her, she had to offer something in return. “If He Corporation is still willing to give Xing Nian another chance, we are prepared to concede an additional twenty percent of the profits.”

He Chenzhou set down his teacup. His hands were pale and slender, and his demeanor was extraordinary steady and restrained. In the tranquil ambiance of the teahouse, he seemed aloof and unapproachable.

“Deal,” he said calmly.

Si Tang nodded to him, a knowing smile gracing her lips.

Meanwhile, parked downstairs outside the teahouse was a black business vehicle.

From the outside, the car appeared entirely ordinary, its windows tightly shut, revealing nothing of the interior.

Inside, Fan Yi ordered 8856 to activate the surveillance feed, his eyes fixed intently on the screen where the woman was smiling at the handsome man.

His gaze swept toward the building outside, dark and brooding, as if he were on the verge of storming upstairs that very moment.

“Who is that man?” he demanded coldly, turning to 8856. “Get me all the information on him!”

He wanted nothing more than to destroy that man!

As the thought crossed his mind, his eyes gleamed like a predator’s in the dark, fixed unwaveringly on the surveillance screen, refusing to look away.

8856 hunched his shoulders, not daring to look at Lord Fan Yi’s face. He felt that Fan Yi’s current state was like that of a madman under surveillance or a jealous husband who had lost his mind.

8856 had just retrieved the information from the latest version of the Book of Fate but hadn’t had time to read it before Fan Yi snatched it away.

“Eldest son of the He family, emotionally detached, deeply ambitious. Inherited the He family and built a new business empire. Never married in his lifetime.”

Strangely, the thread of fate contained only a few fragmented words. Fan Yi then checked the color of the fate thread the deeper the color, the more significant the role the person played in the grand scheme of fate.

Logically, someone with such abilities and wealth should play an important role in the world’s fate. The lightest color was white, but his thread was transparent.

8856 leaned in to take a look, his eyes widening in surprise.

“How is this possible.” He had never encountered such a situation before and immediately began earnestly consulting the divine handbook.

After another glance at He Chenzhou on the screen, an incredible guess gradually formed in his mind.

“Lord Fan Yi, this person is untouchable.”

“He is the Immortal Venerable Shenlin from an S-class advanced world. In the world of cultivation, he is equivalent to a demigod.”

Fan Yi grew even more frustrated. How could someone like this appear by Si Tang’s side?

“Then why is he here?” His sharp, gloomy gaze fixed on He Chenzhou.

“Shenlin cultivates the Path of Emotionlessness. To gain the recognition of the Heavenly Father and ascend to godhood, he must endure ten lifetimes of suffering. In this life, he is cultivating uh, I don’t have the authority to see.” Alright, he just wanted to enjoy some gossip, but since he couldn’t see it, so be it.

“In short, this person is the reincarnation of a big shot from the cultivation world.”

When it came to advanced worlds, Fan Yi had some understanding. Those in cultivation worlds spent their entire lives striving to attain immortality, and after becoming immortals, they aimed to become gods. In Fan Yi’s eyes, the only difference between immortals and gods was the ability to travel freely between worlds.

“This person is the Heavenly Father’s chosen candidate for godhood, with the potential to inherit the authority of a fallen deity,” 8856 said, his gaze tinged with admiration as he looked at He Chenzhou on the screen. This was the first being in the history of advanced worlds on the verge of achieving godhood through cultivation.

FanYi stared at the two on the screen with increasing fury, even comparing He Chenzhou to Si Tang’s ideal type.

He realized they weren’t all that similar. Besides, Shenlin cultivated the Path of Emotionlessness. Fan Yi forcibly convinced himself to swallow his jealousy.

But his throat felt as if it had been scorched by fire, and his dark eyes turned an eerie shade of blue, as if he wished he could devour Si Tang to set his mind at ease.

Just then, the two in the scene stood up, preparing to leave. Fan Yi immediately fixed his gaze on Si Tang’s movements, his eyes following her.

“She’d better stay away from that man,” Fan Yi thought.

“Lord Fan Yi, they’re heading downstairs,” 8856 said.

Soon, Si Tang and He Chenzhou appeared at the opulent entrance of Shuiyunjian, speaking face to face.

“It seems they’re going to have lunch…” 8856’s voice grew softer as he began fumbling with the car door, ready to flee at any moment.

Fan Yi’s icy voice seemed to grind out from between his teeth as he spat fiercely, “I’m not deaf. I can hear.”

Before long, a car pulled up. He Chenzhou, with gentlemanly grace, opened the door of the Rolls-Royce Phantom. Si Tang got in, and the driver immediately drove away from Shuiyunjian.

Fan Yi stared darkly at the exhaust fumes left by the departing vehicle.

8856 was just about to sneak off the car when he heard the engine roar. In the next moment, Fan Yi used his divine power to command the vehicle, speeding off to follow the Rolls-Royce ahead.