That night, President Xie personally verified the theory that a pleasant date helps enhance a couple's relationship.
From the moment they stepped through the door, the two were glued together. From the entryway to the sofa, the stairs to the bathroom… they carried their passion all the way to the bed.
The young lover was both submissive and passionate, doing whatever he was told and saying whatever he was asked. However, he gave the older man absolutely no time to rest, claiming his dues time and time again. Before falling asleep, their fingers remained tightly interlaced, and Jiang Yuan refused to let Xie Chengnan withdraw.
For the first time, Professor Xie truly experienced how frantic a nineteen-year-old could be. Toward the end, he nearly found himself unable to keep up. Had Jiang Yuan not been so exhausted that he couldn't lift a single finger, Xie Chengnan might have been the first to surrender.
After a night of such indulgence, Jiang Yuan was up early the next morning, supporting his aching waist as he pushed his suitcase, preparing for another business trip.
Two days prior, Jiang Yuan had dropped his work and rushed back from out of town due to the sudden emergency on Xie Chengnan’s end. That morning, he received a call from his secretary saying that the elderly client had finally agreed to sign. To show sufficient respect and sincerity, Jiang Yuan decided to make the trip in person.
When Xie Chengnan saw him downstairs, Xiong Zhipeng and Sun Zheng were already waiting by the door with their luggage. The two didn't sit on the sofa, standing instead in the entryway.
Looking at the messy living room, Jiang Yuan’s ears turned slightly red, though his expression remained composed. "Morning."
Xiong Zhipeng and Sun Zheng said in unison, "Morning, Boss."
"Drive the car to the entrance," Jiang Yuan instructed. "We’ll swing by to pick up the others before we head out."
"Yes, sir." The two headed down to the garage without asking questions or lingering.
Xie Chengnan massaged Jiang Yuan’s lower back as he escorted him to the door. "How many days will you be gone this time?"
"If the signing goes smoothly, I’ll be back tomorrow." Xie Chengnan’s parents were about to return to the country, so Jiang Yuan decided to finish this deal and return to Nancheng first, leaving other locations for after the New Year.
"Alright." Hearing that they would only be apart for a day, Professor Xie’s mood improved significantly. He leaned down for a tender, lingering kiss and whispered, "Be careful on the road."
After seeing Jiang Yuan off, Xie Chengnan took his documents and drove to the office, intending to finish the program he had promised Gu Cheng as quickly as possible.
This recent incident had made him realize a problem: without a backer, Nanyuan Technology was like a vault with its doors wide open, liable to have its achievements plundered at any moment.
Gu Cheng’s appearance was an opportunity. Only by seizing this chance and demonstrating sufficient potential and value could they secure a powerful enough patron.
He wanted the future Nanyuan Technology to be backed not by a single person or a family, but by the nation itself.
Xie Chengnan’s train of thought was interrupted by the sudden ringing of his phone.
"Where are you?" Shen Qinian’s voice came through the car speakers. "Yao Duo wants to meet us."
"Yao Duo?" Xie Chengnan paused. "Business?"
"Private matter." Seeing that Xie Chengnan didn't respond, Shen Qinian added, "He says he has information we’d be interested in and hopes we can chat in person."
Xie Chengnan knit his brows. At this point, the only thing that could interest them was information about the leaker. Clearly, Yao Duo knew who it was. Regardless of what the man wanted, Xie Chengnan decided to meet him. "Where?"
"We set the location." Shen Qinian hesitated. "Are you sure you want to see him? The guy just tried to screw us over."
"We’ll meet," Xie Chengnan decided.
"Fine." Seeing Xie Chengnan had made up his mind, Shen Qinian agreed readily. "Then we’ll go to my family’s hotel. I’ll book a room and send you the number later."
"Alright."
Not long after Xie Chengnan hung up, Shen Qinian’s message arrived. The location was the penthouse of a six-star hotel.
Shen Qinian and Yao Duo had arrived first. When Xie Chengnan entered, the two were holding wine glasses and chatting, exchanging polite pleasantries.
"President Xie." Yao Duo stood up and extended his hand. "We meet again."
Xie Chengnan shook his hand, his words pointed. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon either, President Yao."
Yao Duo didn't beat around the bush. "Regarding the matter of setting you up the other day, I offer my sincere apologies."
His directness caught Xie Chengnan somewhat by surprise. "Is this the information President Yao wanted to share?"
"This is just the apology." Yao Duo took the initiative to pour Xie Chengnan a glass of wine. "President Xie must be very curious to know who sent Nanyuan Technology’s robot secrets to SIMON. I happen to know that person."
Xie Chengnan did indeed want the answer, but Yao Duo clearly wasn't confessing out of a sudden pang of conscience. "What are your conditions, President Yao?"
Yao Duo said solemnly, "I want to do another deal with your company. This time, I hope you can give me a forty percent discount."
Shen Qinian raised an eyebrow. "Does President Yao want to void the previous contract?"
Yao Duo shook his head with a bitter smile. "To be honest with you both, I was held accountable by my company because of the issues with that contract. I have already jumped ship to another firm."
Shen Qinian and Xie Chengnan exchanged a glance. "Was there something wrong with that contract?" Shen Qinian asked neutrally.
"The price in that contract was too high." Yao Duo looked at the two men. "You both must have realized that the contract was designed specifically to trigger the liquidated damages. I originally intended to cooperate with SIMON to make a profit, but I didn't expect your company to be one step ahead and launch such a perfect counterattack. Now that the contract must proceed, the headquarters determined it was a lapse in judgment on my part. They wanted to transfer me to Thailand to develop the market. I was unwilling, so I left Oushi Xianlin."
Xie Chengnan understood after a moment's thought. Yao Duo hadn't reported that contract to the head office at the time. Now, because the payment and liquidated damages were so high, the parent company was in a dilemma, leading to his accountability and reassignment. Their company’s domestic business had already reached a certain scale; being sent away to develop a new market was equivalent to being stripped of power. Naturally, Yao Duo refused.
Yao Duo knew the value of the medical robots. He wanted to use this solution at his new company to compete with Oushi Xianlin, but he also knew that his past actions couldn't be hidden from Xie Chengnan and Shen Qinian. Thus, he was using the information they wanted as leverage for this deal.
Xie Chengnan asked curiously, "Why didn't you use the information to have the contract voided? If the contract were terminated, the headquarters' reason for holding you accountable would no longer exist."
"The reason partly involves the information I want to exchange with you." Yao Duo adjusted his glasses. "If President Xie feels this deal is acceptable, we can talk further."
Xie Chengnan looked at Shen Qinian. Whether a forty percent discount was acceptable was for Shen Qinian to decide.
Seeing Xie Chengnan’s look, Shen Qinian understood. He did a quick mental calculation. "A forty percent discount wouldn't even cover our costs. The lowest we can go is twenty-five percent off."
Yao Duo made a gesture. "Thirty percent."
"Deal," Vice President Shen replied crisply.
Yao Duo: "..."
Regardless of whether this price was truly Nanyuan Technology’s bottom line, it at least met Yao Duo’s expectations. Consequently, he stopped holding back and laid everything out.
"There are two reasons why I don't plan to terminate the contract. First, my deputy has already taken my position. Terminating the contract would only benefit him. Why should I do the hard work just for someone else to reap the rewards?"
Shen Qinian reacted immediately. "That Vice President Jiang?"
"Yes," Yao Duo admitted. "We set that trap together. When he saw things going south, he sold me out. Unfortunately for me, he has connections at headquarters, and since I was the one who led the signing of the contract, I ended up taking all the blame."
Shen Qinian nodded, roughly understanding the situation. "And the second reason?"
Yao Duo glanced at Xie Chengnan and explained, "Second, once I sell you this information, I won't be able to stay in Nancheng anymore. Our company’s largest domestic project is right here. I simply had no choice."
Xie Chengnan followed the logic and understood. Yao Duo’s departure from Oushi Xianlin was a done deal, so the people and things he previously couldn't mention were no longer secrets he needed to keep. Rather than leaving with the secret, it was better to use it as a bargaining chip for his comeback. He was a truly shrewd man.
Xie Chengnan asked directly, "Who is it?"
"It’s not just one person." Yao Duo took a slip of paper from his inner suit pocket, pushed it toward Xie Chengnan, and tapped it. "It’s several."
Xie Chengnan stared at the names and titles on the list, his brow furrowing in sudden shock.
Shen Qinian was startled. "When did you offend these people?"
"I only recognize one of them," Xie Chengnan said, shaking his head. "And I never offended him."
Yao Duo seemed somewhat surprised. "But from a sentence I overheard by chance, they seem to have some sort of grievance with you."
"What was said?" Xie Chengnan looked up at Yao Duo.
Yao Duo recalled, "The gist of it was: you can't be allowed to keep developing, for fear that once your wings are strong enough, you'll go investigating the events of the past."
Xie Chengnan’s gaze instantly turned cold and dark. As for what "events of the past" there were, the answer was practically staring him in the face.
Yao Duo could tell from Xie Chengnan’s expression that he had guessed the meaning. Since they were going to cooperate, he didn't mind being more specific to show his sincerity.
"At the time, those few people were discussing how to bring you down. I was an outsider who just happened to have the intention of cooperating with your company. The leader of that group offered me benefits I couldn't refuse to have me cooperate in setting a trap for you.
"At the time, I thought your company was finished for sure, and I was greedy for the performance boost those liquidated damages would bring, so I agreed to help. I didn't expect such a dead-end trap to be broken so easily by you."
"I’ve told you everything I know." Yao Duo leaned back against the sofa and exhaled. "I’ll throw in one more piece of news for you both."
Xie Chengnan raised an eyebrow.
Yao Duo said, "Oushi Xianlin’s capital has run into problems. They can't come up with that payment. Knowing my former deputy, he’s likely planning to let you start production first, then force you to renegotiate the contract once the products have piled up.
"The contract I signed with you was an expedited order, and it was agreed that a twenty percent down payment would be made upfront. Don't forget to demand that money first."
Shen Qinian rubbed his chin as he processed this. "Oushi Xianlin’s capital is so tight they can't even produce that twenty percent?"
Yao Duo curled his lips. "When I caught wind that he was going to step over me to climb up, I rushed to sign a major project and spent most of the liquid capital. Since I was going to be held accountable anyway, one more thing didn't matter."
Leaving a mess behind before walking away—this was Yao Duo’s revenge.
Now that they knew Oushi Xianlin was short on cash, Nanyuan Technology could wait for the other party to provide the down payment before starting production. That wasn't a small sum. If Oushi Xianlin couldn't produce it within the agreed time, they could be sued for breach of contract. At that point, the initiative would be entirely in Nanyuan Technology’s hands.
Vice President Shen raised his glass with a smile. "Although there were some unpleasantries before, this gift from President Yao is indeed sincere enough."
The rest of the conversation was mostly Shen Qinian and Yao Duo discussing the new cooperation. Xie Chengnan accompanied them for a few drinks, but his mind was entirely focused on that list. The truth behind the Xie family’s bankruptcy finally had a clear direction for investigation.
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
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欧氏仙林 | Oushi Xianlin | The company Yao Duo previously worked for.
姜副总 | Vice President Jiang | Yao Duo's former deputy and rival at Oushi Xianlin.
SIMON公司 | SIMON Company | The rival company involved in the industrial espionage.
公粮 | Public grain | Slang for sexual intimacy/performance within a relationship.
南沅科技 | Nanyuan Technology | The company owned by Xie Chengnan and Jiang Yuan.
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