Rules of Civility - Chapter 8

Shao Yiqing remained indifferent.

He was not easily frightened; after seeing this financial statement, Xu Wenhui’s words had already made complete sense to him.

“Don’t call me a savior. It’s a fair transaction, and I’m merely doing what I should.”

“What fair transaction?”

“Didn’t your son tell you?”

Xu Wenhui clearly hesitated.

“Ah, no wonder you trust me so little and kept a card up your sleeve.” Shao Yiqing scanned the document. “With this many illegal and opaque transactions, even if Ruirui is acquired by the Sheng family, it won’t be able to operate entirely normally later on. It might even face the risk of being investigated and sealed up down the line. At any rate, it’s enough to give them a headache, isn’t it?”

Xu Wenhui denied it. “What is President Shao saying? Once Ruirui changes hands, it will belong entirely to the Sheng family. They’ll conduct due diligence; how could they possibly be sealed up?”

“Yet I heard they haven’t completely replaced all of Ruirui’s employees. Some elite talent is being retained. After all, they’re all in the tech game, and Ruirui’s talent is still useful to the Sheng family. Buying off one or two employees shouldn’t be too hard for you. When the time comes, having them leak this document, with such a complicated chain of relationships, even a thorough investigation won’t be able to clean it up. By then, the Sheng family, having already merged with Ruirui, will face stock market volatility as the very least of their consequences.”

Ruirui could never truly be completely eradicated.

Even if acquired, its network of relationships was deeply intertwined, leaving plenty of room for maneuver. The moment the Sheng family made the slightest misstep, they would be dragged right down with it.

Ruirui and the Sheng family had been opposing each other for years, and the Sheng family was anxious to devour Ruirui whole. Coupled with the news that they planned to retain Ruirui’s elite talent, the Sheng family wanted to use both benevolence and severity to win over hearts and minds. Meanwhile, Xu Wenhui could exploit this exact loophole to pull the strings behind the scenes.

“So what if it is?” Xu Wenhui conceded. “Are you saying I should show mercy to my own enemies? Is this President Shao’s business philosophy?”

With her husband facing prison time, their assets collapsing, and their son facing the prospect of lifelong poverty, the fact that she hadn’t rushed over to smash Shao Yiqing’s keyboard already showed remarkable emotional stability.

Yet Shao Yiqing felt no pity for her.

One could view it as remaining unbothered because it didn’t concern him, or simply as him being naturally cold and heartless, entirely devoid of the capacity for empathy.

Shao Yiqing said, “Don’t get excited, Ms. Xu. I’m not saying you’re doing anything wrong; I’m merely reminding you, in the hope that you won’t actually go through with it.”

Xu Wenhui’s breathing gradually settled.

“I don’t know how much you understand about the Sheng family, probably more than I do. I’m just reminding you that once Ruirui falls, the Sheng family will be the sole dominant power in the tech industry. This means your Xu family won’t have the capacity to contend with them anymore. If you stubbornly pull a stunt like this against them, whether you can shake the enemy’s foundations is one thing, but you will definitely thoroughly infuriate them. Because frankly, the other party already views you as mortal enemies.”

The two families had been at odds for more than a day or two. Their competition had been waged both overtly and covertly, and even Shao Yiqing, who paid little attention to this sector, hadn’t missed out on the gossip over the past decade.

Whether Xu Wenhui could take the advice to heart was unclear, but she was visibly much calmer. She fell silent, then raised her eyes to gaze resentfully at Shao Yiqing.

“I imagine the Sheng family also understands the saying about not pressing a cornered beast. The helmsman of Ruirui, your husband, is already paying the price. The other side won’t go out of their way to do anything further to you and your son. But if you insist on stirring up trouble, I cannot guarantee the safety of you and your son.”

The office was dead silent, the sound of breathing clearly audible. Xu Wenhui’s fingers curled inward. She wasn’t afraid of death, and she knew the methods of businessmen. They could kill without drawing blood, and a single phone call was enough to cost someone their life. How many people had been driven to a desperate end after bankruptcy? How many examples of leaping from tall buildings were there? Would she become the next one?

Even if she became the next one, she wasn’t afraid!

Yet, she still had a young son.

Shao Yiqing did not interrupt Xu Wenhui’s train of thought. He could roughly discern what she was thinking from her expression, and he gave her ample time to process it as he continued thumbing through Ruirui’s illegal transaction report, right up until someone knocked on his office door.

“Come in,” Shao Yiqing said.

The door pushed open, and Zhou Wenbin, the project manager for the Menghai project, walked in. Catching sight of the unfamiliar woman in the office first, followed by his boss sitting behind the desk, Zhou Wenbin said, “President Shao, you were looking for me?”

Shao Yiqing stood up from behind the desk.

Zhou Wenbin stepped forward.

“The Menghai project still has no progress to this day. Why?” Shao Yiqing leaned against the desk behind him.

Jiachuang had received the cooperation invitation for Menghai last month and had already dispatched personnel there by the end of the month, yet ten days had already passed.

Zhou Wenbin sighed. “Just mentioning this makes my blood boil. We provided the design blueprints, we provided the samples, and we even promised to supply the material channels. We paid the initial installment, but right before construction started, the client backed out. If he had a normal reason, I wouldn’t say anything, but he started babbling about some geomancy issues. Tell me, isn’t his brain broken? What era is it, and he’s still talking geomancy to me? No money means no money, plain and simple.”

“Did you look into it?” Shao Yiqing leaned against the desk. “What’s the real reason?”

“We checked. We tailed them for several days. It seems they offended someone, so all the client’s goods are stuck in his own hands and won’t move. On top of that, their capital chain broke, so they couldn’t come up with the final payment. The whole mess is complicated. They sat there with snot and tears streaming down their faces, babbling on and on. But bottom line, they simply have no money.”

“Then why are you back? What are Ouyang and the others still doing over there?”

“They’re still trying to figure out a solution.”

“What is there to solve? It’s not like our side failed to satisfy them. Since their capital chain has already blown up, why keep wasting time with them? Call off the team and come back.”

“Alright, I understand. I’ll go outside and call Ouyang,” Zhou Wenbin muttered under his breath. “President Shao, to be honest, I was against taking this on from the start. These mid-to-low-end enterprises are too unstable.”

“When you’re hungry, any mother will do; they have cash in hand, so how could you refuse when they asked to cooperate?” Shao Yiqing said. “As designers, we work for big brands and small workshops alike. If you want to make money, you can’t be too picky. Just keep a closer eye on these mid-to-low-end enterprises from now on so we can cut our losses in time.”

Zhou Wenbin nodded. “We really were too careless this time, dragging it out for so long.”

“Just pay attention next time. Head out first, we’ll talk more in a bit.”

Zhou Wenbin nodded, casting one more lingering glance at Xu Wenhui before leaving.

Turning his attention back to Xu Wenhui, Shao Yiqing picked up the items on the desk and asked, “Ms. Xu, have you considered it?”

Whether she wanted to show a burst of backbone on the verge of ruin or protect everything she currently had came down to a single thought.

“If you’ve thought it through, I’ll hold onto this document for you first. Don’t worry about me selling you out. After all, I’m no savior or wandering knight. My transaction was made with your son, and I’ve already taken my benefits.” Shao Yiqing’s tone was steady, his aura sharp, bearing no resemblance whatsoever to an Omega.

“What on earth did you ask of Mingfu?”

“Go back and ask him.” Shao Yiqing braced himself against the office chair, telling the woman before him, “Before I bring this document to meet with the Sheng family tomorrow, you can call off the transaction at any time.”

Xu Wenhui wanted to ask more, but she felt she no longer needed to hesitate.

Right now, she lacked the capital to pick and choose her allies.

Not long after Xu Wenhui left, Shao Yiqing received a call from Xu Mingfu.

At that moment, he was inspecting the design department and felt no surprise upon receiving the call, not even bothering to walk away from the design floor.

“What my mother said doesn’t count. I will continue cooperating with you,” Xu Mingfu’s voice over the earpiece was resolute.

The very first sentence stated the outcome, indicating just how anxious he was, yet entirely unshaken.

“So tomorrow I’m heading out to slay a dragon for you?” Shao Yiqing adopted a teasing tone.

“What on earth are you planning to do?” Xu Mingfu was still probing, clearly feeling uneasy.

“I’ll rely on my glib tongue.”

“What did you say?”

“TV shows are all filmed this way. Just how powerful a protagonist’s silver tongue is, aren’t you aware?”

“Do you really think you’re Zhuge Liang?”

“I am neither Zhuge Liang nor Zhang Yi.” Shao Yiqing picked up a design draft, admiring the artist’s superb technique by the window. “Shao Yiqing has Shao Yiqing’s methods.”

Xu Mingfu felt his head ache. “Shao Yiqing, I hope you understand just how much success or failure in this matter means to us. This isn’t something to joke about.”

“I’m not joking. Actually, I should be asking you: do you really think delaying the signing ceremony for you is going to let Ruirui rise from the ashes?”

“That’s our business. Ruirui holds vital significance to us,” Xu Mingfu’s voice trembled. “At least before my father goes to prison, I don’t want him to watch his lifelong hard work fall into the hands of others.”

“You won’t understand.”

Right. How could he possibly understand?

A man who played with emotions like him, how could he ever understand these noble souls trapped in emotional shackles?

“Hang up.” Shao Yiqing cut the call.

The design draft lingered in Shao Yiqing’s hands for a long time, making the nearby artist jittery. “President Shao, is there a problem?”

Shao Yiqing returned the drawing paper. “No. Your technique has improved.”

The following day, Shao Yiqing received a call from Dudezhong.

Dudezhong reported that he had arrived at the scene and would bridge the connection the moment he laid eyes on Sheng Tingzhou, provided he actually saw Sheng Tingzhou today.

“Is he not there?” Shao Yiqing asked.

“Everyone else has shown up, but President Sheng is truly nowhere to be found,” Dudezhong said. “Once he arrives, I’ll tell him you want to see him.”

“No, you can’t phrase it like that.”

“Huh? Don’t you want to see him?”

“I do want to see him, but it can’t come from your mouth.” It was raining. Shao Yiqing stood by the window, watching tassels of raindrops trace down the window sill into irregular curves. “You just need to report his location to me once you spot him.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

Dudezhong fell silent.

After a moment, he replied that he understood.

The call ended, and Shao Yiqing stood alone by the window.

Deng Su walked in and saw him still dressed in his loungewear. “President Shao, aren’t you going to change clothes?”

“I am,” Shao Yiqing turned his head. “Help me pick something out from the closet.”

Deng Su glanced at the wardrobe and hesitated. “Since when do I have that kind of aesthetic?”

Shao Yiqing walked back and let out a light laugh. As he approached the closet, Deng Su followed suit. Shao Yiqing asked, “Do you know what kind of style mature men like?”

Deng Su glanced at the neatly organized wardrobe and shook his head.

Shao Yiqing pulled a bright-colored outfit from the closet.

“And you wanted to talk about finding an Omega? Take notes.”

Deng Su scratched the back of his head.

Shao Yiqing tossed the clothes onto the bed and reached for his buttons, looking back to find Deng Su still rooted in place. “Want to keep watching?”

Only then did Deng Su snap out of it and scurry out of the room.

Shao Yiqing resumed undressing.

He had forgotten how long it had been since he last touched clothes with such vibrant colors. It matched his figure, matched his skin tone, and matched his face. At his age, it should still be considered trendy.

Someone once told him to permanently weld pink to his body.

They said they’d never seen a face that could pull off pink with such flirtatious flair.

So, what about now? Was he still suited for such brightly colored attire?

Straps, silk scarves, a semi-sheer chiffon fabric clinging against fair skin, Shao Yiqing felt as though he had traveled right back to his seventeen-year-old self.

He had dared to wear anything, dared to play with anything, feared no one, and never questioned himself.

Whether it suited him, whether it was proper.

Yet now, every single question had its answer.

A protagonist’s silver-tongued skills were certainly formidable, but before opening one’s mouth, one at least had to make the other party willing to listen.

Otherwise, it was nothing more than self-amusement, a massive fuss of wasted breath.

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