He Played Emotional Games With His Arch-Enemy - Chapter 2

The strategy meeting for the development of Swan Bay was held at Junyi. In the vast conference room, shareholders dressed in formal suits sat upright around the circular table.

The atmosphere inside was somewhat stifled.

Shi Yu sat at the head of the long conference table, his gaze calm as he silently flipped through the planning proposal in his hands. The meeting had not yet started; ten people were expected, but one was missing. Duan Jinghuai was late.

The room was silent, and the only sound was the faint hum of computers. The seasoned shareholders sitting below exchanged glances, unable to resist communicating with their eyes. As the first meeting since the rising star of the business world took over the project, Duan Jinghuai’s blatant tardiness as a lead shareholder made it clear he was not giving even a shred of face.

Shi Yu, however, remained unfazed. His calm face betrayed no emotion. They could not tell if this was simply the newcomer’s good temper or the calm before the storm.

It was not until five minutes past the scheduled time that Duan Jinghuai finally arrived, twirling a pair of sunglasses. He was not wearing a suit; instead, he wore a Hong Kong style printed shirt paired with blue washed jeans, with a black jacket draped over his shoulder. His relaxed, lazy demeanor bordered on cynical.

“Sorry, the road was a bit blocked,” he said.

His voice was drawling, and he did not even lift his eyelids. He carelessly hooked his sunglasses behind his ear and walked straight to the empty seat next to Shi Yu.

Assistant Yu, standing behind Shi Yu to record the meeting, could not help but roll his eyes. Blocked, my foot. From Jinghang to Junyi, it only takes a few hundred meters by elevator. What a load of nonsense.

But he could only maintain a hypocritical smile, showing his keen eyes by bringing over a freshly poured cup of tea. The stagnant atmosphere in the conference room began to flow again. Several shareholders had heard of Duan Jinghuai’s arrogant nature, but this was the first time they had seen him act so willfully in a meeting.

Shi Yu gave a formal, slight smile and said good naturedly, “Then let us begin.”

The old foxes in the room could not help but ponder. It seemed this young, overseas returned master did not dare provoke the Duan family’s prideful son either.

The meeting proceeded relatively smoothly. Since some terms had already been written into the contract during the bidding stage, this phase was mainly for verification and signing. Even the division of regional management was quickly settled.

Shi Yu could not help but glance at Duan Jinghuai several times. Since the start of the meeting, he had barely spoken. He leaned back lazily against his chair, signing papers and spinning his pen as if he were an outsider to the whole affair.

Shi Yu narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking carefully.

Sure enough, when the discussion turned to the development project for Plot F near the harbor, Duan Jinghuai suddenly interrupted his presentation.

“CEO Shi, in such a prosperous area, building a market and restaurants for budget goods seems inappropriate, does it not?” His tone rose, lazy and incredibly annoying.

He pointed to the adjacent area marked Plot A and said, “Since it has already been decided to build luxury villas as a focus here, would the optimal plan for this plot not be a shopping mall filled with luxury goods and entertainment venues?”

His voice was noble and cold. His fingertips tapped the table slowly and lightly, and there was an aura of effortless authority in his slightly furrowed brow.

The atmosphere turned subtle again. The other shareholders involuntarily fell silent.

Shi Yu blinked slowly and looked down at Duan Jinghuai. Perhaps because he had stayed up late looking at contracts last night, the corners of his eyes were a bit red. His pupils held a shimmering quality, as beautiful as amber embedded with cinnabar, clear and enchanting.

Duan Jinghuai’s tapping finger suddenly stopped.

“CEO Duan,” Shi Yu said, lowering his eyelashes and pointing to Plot C on the other side of the villa area. “I have drafted the contract to designate this area as the luxury commercial district. The area is larger and better suited to meet customer needs.”

He then pointed back to Plot F. “Furthermore, outside the boundaries of Plot F, in a place that does not belong to Swan Bay, lives a community of fishermen. They are the target consumers for the market and restaurants. This will not be a waste of resources.”

“I hope CEO Duan can reconsider, all right?”

His voice was clear and clean, with a unique softness. When he said the last sentence, his tone dropped lower and gentler, and he deliberately lengthened the ending, making it sound somewhat lingering.

Duan Jinghuai’s heart flickered inexplicably. His lips moved slightly, and he withdrew his fingers from the table.

“I understand your considerations, CEO Shi,” Duan Jinghuai said seriously, his face turning cold. “But it is obvious that Plot F is closer to the city center than Plot C. We have no need to consider areas outside of Swan Bay; that will not bring higher returns.”

He closed the contract and raised his voice beyond dispute. “In short, I reject this proposal.”

Shi Yu looked at him, his eyes maintaining their usual coldness, devoid of emotion. Silence flowed between them as their gazes met.

After a long time, Shi Yu was the first to look away. He looked at the others in the room. “Do any other shareholders have an opinion?”

In such a situation, according to the contract, a disagreement required a vote from all shareholders. Seeing this, the other eight shareholders looked at each other for a moment and began to discuss in low voices.

A few minutes later, the voting results appeared on the large screen. Except for one small shareholder with only a 2% stake who agreed with Shi Yu, everyone else followed Duan Jinghuai.

This result was entirely expected. He had just returned to the country and had not established a solid network, whereas Duan Jinghuai had been mingling with these people for years. Moreover, from a purely business perspective, Duan Jinghuai’s suggestion was not wrong.

Shi Yu’s lips parted slightly, and he lowered his eyelids.

Duan Jinghuai leaned back lazily and gave a soft, raspy laugh. “Well, CEO Shi, it looks like you will have to follow my suggestion.”

“Being the lead shareholder does not seem to be of much use, does it, CEO Shi?”

He looked at Shi Yu, the muscles in his jaw twitching slightly. He was eager to see Shi Yu become angry or annoyed. He remembered how the two of them used to argue over every little thing; whenever Shi Yu was provoked by him, his face would turn red with anger, and he would rush up like a cat to bite him.

However, Shi Yu simply said, “The meeting is adjourned. Thank you all for coming. I will redraft the disputed proposal.”

The slight curl of Duan Jinghuai’s lips relaxed, and his face froze for a moment.

Everyone in the meeting had been walking on eggshells. Hearing Shi Yu announce the adjournment, they all breathed a collective sigh of relief. Shi Yu stood up, his movements slow and elegant as he buttoned his suit jacket, and his long legs carried him out of the conference room.

He did not spare Duan Jinghuai another glance.

Duan Jinghuai sat in his place, staring at the direction in which Shi Yu had left. When that figure disappeared around the corner, his heart felt as if a piece had gone missing. He rested his chin on his interlaced fingers, his brow slightly furrowed.

The sweltering heat of late summer had not yet faded. Night fell, and lightning tore through the thick dark clouds. A torrential downpour descended like a waterfall, accompanied by deafening thunder.

The vast restaurant was brightly lit. The orange light fell like gold dust, and the crystal openwork chandelier hanging from the ceiling was luxurious and extravagant.

Duan Jinghuai had never liked these hollow evening banquets. Some old foxes in the business world used the name of charitable auctions to act hypocritically and conduct secret dealings. Their fake faces made him want to vomit just thinking about them.

He adjusted his suit collar and paced toward the center of the venue with a cold expression. Beside him, his female companion followed closely, clutching her bag with a beaming smile.

His cousin had forced him to take a popular female star under his management as his date for the evening. He had wanted to refuse, but after failing to withstand his cousin’s silver tongue, he had to agree.

Duan Jinghuai was a handsome man. Both male and female stars, whether they knew him or not, loved to attach themselves to him for publicity. He did not pay attention to the entertainment industry and could not be bored with such meaningless gossip, so he was oblivious to the rumors outside.

What he did not expect, however, was that Shi Yu had also brought a female companion to the banquet and was currently clinking glasses with others amidst the luxurious crowd.

He wore a dark black pinstripe suit, his narrow waist cinched by the tailoring. His naturally pale face looked clear and flawless under the clustered lights. The girl beside him wore a pure white dress; her face was charming, and her temperament was as quiet and clear as water.

The two of them were a perfect match.

As if sensing his gaze, Shi Yu looked up. His clear eyes found him through the lush lighting. Their gazes collided in the air.

Staring at the hand the pretty girl had tucked into the crook of Shi Yu’s arm, Duan Jinghuai’s eyes suddenly darkened. He stared back at him coldly for a few seconds, grinding his teeth in frustration.

“CEO Duan,” the female star, Qiao Shiqi, noticed his ill mood and considerately handed him a glass of red wine. “Let us go dance.”

Normally, Duan Jinghuai would have refused such an unreasonable request. But today, for some reason, he felt an unpleasantness brewing in his chest that was difficult to vent, so he actually agreed.

“All right.”

A slow, melodious tune spiraled through the hall. In the dance floor, handsome men and beautiful women flitted about like butterflies.

The always high profile son of the Duan family was dancing with a date at a banquet for the first time, which naturally drew many onlookers. His hand held Qiao Shiqi’s with perfect gentlemanly poise, his palm resting on her back as he guided her steps to the music.

Qiao Shiqi was not a very good dancer and failed to keep up with Duan Jinghuai’s pace several times. But being a professional star, she maintained an elegant smile on her face. Duan Jinghuai did not care about the expression on her face; instead, he kept looking at Shi Yu upstairs out of the corner of his eye.

Shi Yu stood there with a cold, noble aura. His beautiful, bony fingers held a highball glass, and his fingertip stroked the rim. His gaze deepened as he watched the two of them.

With a turn, Qiao Shiqi’s ankle twisted in her high heels, and she leaned forward uncontrollably. Duan Jinghuai was startled and grabbed her wrist to help her stabilize.

“Sorry,” Qiao Shiqi said, her face flushing with a scarlet tint.

Due to the angle, from Shi Yu’s direction, it looked as if Duan Jinghuai had pulled Qiao Shiqi into his arms. He pursed his lips tightly and left without a word, his face cold.

When Duan Jinghuai looked up again, Shi Yu was gone. He frowned and released Qiao Shiqi’s hand.

After the dance ended, all guests were invited to move to the third floor banquet hall for the charitable auction. The decor here was very elegant and refined, with four white Roman columns in a semi European style. A high quality incense burned in the large foyer, its faint smoke drifting past one’s nose.

Celebrities and socialites from all walks of life had gradually taken their seats. The lights dimmed, and after a long and tedious opening speech, the exhibits were brought onto the stage one after another.

“Next is Exhibit 13, a necklace donated by Ms. Chen Zhi, with an opening bid of five hundred thousand.”

It was an exquisitely made Chinese style pendant. A natural black pearl was inlaid with intricate openwork patterns, looking grand but not gaudy. Shi Yu looked at it closely and thought it would make a good birthday gift for his mother, so he raised his paddle.

“Eight hundred thousand.”

An opening bid close to market value.

But to his surprise, as soon as he spoke, a familiar voice rang out from not far away. “One million.”

Shi Yu’s brow furrowed slightly. Duan Jinghuai was holding his paddle with a calm and composed air, his long legs lazily crossed.

There had been so many exhibits earlier, and Duan Jinghuai had sat there without raising his paddle once. Now, with this move, it was unclear if he actually liked the necklace or if he was blatantly trying to antagonize Shi Yu.

Shi Yu pursed his lips and raised his paddle again. “One million two hundred thousand.”

“One million five hundred thousand.”

It was certain now; this relentless pursuit was clearly an attempt to snatch the exhibit he wanted.

Amidst the contest, whispers suddenly broke out around them. Because of the Swan Bay project, the circle had been gossiping about the struggle between the Duan family’s son and the overseas returned young master. They had also heard about how Duan Jinghuai had deliberately made things difficult for Shi Yu during the development meeting, and many versions of the story had been circulated with added color. Now seeing them at each other’s throats, everyone rubbed their chins and settled in to watch the show.

“Four million.”

Duan Jinghuai raised the price to an exceptionally inflated level. Some minor stars sitting in the back rows looked at Qiao Shiqi beside him with envy.

“Four million! It has reached four million! Are there any other guests who wish to increase the bid?” the auctioneer’s excited voice called out.

The deep shadows in the side hall fell in layers over Shi Yu’s face. His features were profound, his thin lips pressed into a line. His sharp edged face was as cold as moonlight.

“Four million once.”

“Four million twice.”

“Four million thrice, sold!”

Duan Jinghuai raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Sorry, CEO Shi, my date likes it.”

Shi Yu looked up and stared at him quietly. His thick, crow feather lashes cast a dark shadow over his cold cheeks, making his emotions impossible to capture.

Duan Jinghuai was stunned, and his heart tightened instantly. Before he could react, Shi Yu stood up, meticulously straightened his suit, and walked toward the hall without looking back, leaving only a cold and quiet back.

Duan Jinghuai pulled at his tie, feeling somewhat irritable.