Xiao Fengtai had no idea that Jiang Tong’s message had originally been intended for something else entirely—a strictly professional matter devoid of any romantic undertones.
Two days prior, Jiang Tong had accepted an invitation from Zhang Yuan to join her for lunch.
Before meeting Zhang Yuan in person, Jiang Tong had heard many rumors about her. She had earned a PhD in Biology from Oxford in just three and a half years, served as the youngest Executive Director of a certain investment bank’s Asian division in Hong Kong, and had been parachuted into Yongping’s strategy department, where she personally orchestrated several of the group’s most impressive overseas acquisitions in recent years. Yet, these achievements alone would have only made her one of the more successful second-generation successors among private enterprises. What truly established her industry standing was her "palace coup" against Yongping’s founder. Two years ago, while the elder Chairman Zhang was hospitalized for heart bypass surgery, Zhang Yuan seized the opportunity to convene a shareholders' meeting. She successfully allied with overseas institutions and management shareholders to completely purge her father’s illegitimate son from the group.
After his falling out with Lu Wei, Jiang Tong had assumed he would have no further dealings with Yongping. However, Zhang Yuan had bypassed Lu Wei and emailed him directly to request a meeting, leaving him no choice but to show the "Princess" some professional courtesy.
Jiang Tong brought Li Qianqian along to this "Hongmen Banquet." The young woman was so nervous she spent the entire journey biting her nails. "President Jiang, I’m scared. I heard Zhang Yuan has a terrible temper. Don't order any soups or liquids later, just in case she loses it and splashes us."
Jiang Tong was caught between exasperation and amusement. "I’m right here. If things go south, you can run first, and I’ll block her for you."
As it turned out, Li Qianqian’s worries were misplaced. When they entered the private room, they found that not only had the food already been ordered, but Zhang Yuan herself was already seated firmly in the host’s chair. Compared to the polished photos circulating online, the Princess appeared somewhat sallow and slightly plump in person. She wasn't a top-tier beauty, but her features were open and clear, and when she smiled, her brows curved into gentle arcs that felt natural and approachable.
"Did you have a smooth trip over, President Jiang?" she greeted them with a frank smile, struggling slightly as she braced herself against the table to stand, revealing a protruding belly—she was actually pregnant.
Jiang Tong was surprised but kept his expression neutral, stepping forward to shake hands and exchange pleasantries. After a round of warm social maneuvering, they finally sat down. Zhang Yuan maintained the air of a friendly older sister from next door, making a move to pour tea for Jiang Tong. "I arrived early and had nothing to do, so I took the liberty of ordering a few dishes. See if there’s anything else you’d like to add? Try this tea; a friend just sent over some Pre-Qingming Longjing last week. It’s nothing precious, just a bit of fresh flavor."
As she reached for the teapot, a flash of light caught Jiang Tong’s eye. Zhang Yuan wore several large diamond rings stacked on her fingers, which refracted the overhead lights as she moved. The facets were meticulously cut, their brilliance cold and dazzling—bright enough to be piercing.
Jiang Tong wouldn't dare let Zhang Yuan pour the tea. Fortunately, Li Qianqian was quick-witted; before Zhang Yuan could move, she deftly snatched the teapot and filled all three cups. Zhang Yuan, however, raised her teacup. "I’ll use tea instead of wine to offer a toast to President Jiang."
Yongping had spent a fortune poaching most of Huaqing’s R&D team and had sent Lu Wei to attempt a failed "pacification" of the company. Jiang Tong couldn't fathom the intent behind Zhang Yuan’s invitation and had assumed the meal would be fraught with barbs and hidden agendas. Yet, halfway through the meal, Zhang Yuan had done nothing but serve them food while chatting about tangential industry anecdotes and lighthearted life stories. In all fairness, Zhang Yuan’s talent for using witty banter to set the atmosphere was top-notch—so much so that when she suddenly pivoted to business, both Jiang Tong and Li Qianqian were momentarily caught off guard.
"As the old saying goes, 'one does not visit the temple without a reason.' My goal in seeking this lunch with you, President Jiang, is partly to make your acquaintance and partly to discuss business." Zhang Yuan placed a bowl of chicken soup in front of Jiang Tong, her face beaming. "President Jiang, pharmaceutical R&D in China is advancing by leaps and bounds. I believe that if Yongping and Huaqing collaborate, we could do something quite interesting."
Jiang Tong had long been prepared for this and remained calm. "To be honest, the majority of the primary R&D team for BTK27 is now at Yongping, and Lu Wei is a capable man. At this stage, for you to make a grand show of collaborating with Huaqing seems, in my view, not very cost-effective."
To his surprise, Zhang Yuan waved it off dismissively. "BTK27 is child's play—I’m referring to CD30."
The memory of Lu Wei’s disdainful expression regarding CD30 was still fresh in Jiang Tong’s mind. He was momentarily stunned, allowing Zhang Yuan to continue.
"Not just CD30. Yongping hopes to take a stake in Huaqing and engage in deep cooperation for the development of subsequent pipeline products. Financial investment goes without saying, but we can also support Huaqing with clinical R&D resources. Once the products are on the market, our sales team can assist with hospital-level promotion."
Jiang Tong’s expression didn't flicker. "I appreciate the sentiment, Director Zhang, but I believe there is no such thing as a free lunch."
Zhang Yuan laughed magnanimously. "Lu Wei has already hit a wall on my behalf. Based on my understanding of you, President Jiang, even if I offered a high price to buy the China market rights for CD30 outright, you wouldn't sell to Yongping."
"CD30 only has animal data at this stage. My personal confidence in the molecule is one thing; the objective probability of failure is another. There are thousands of emerging biotech companies in China. I’ll say it again—we aren't necessarily the most economical or cost-effective choice for Yongping."
"You can't make good medicine if you only think about what's cost-effective," Zhang Yuan countered nonchalantly. "President Jiang, I come from a scientific background myself. R&D requires a bit of idealism."
"I’ve read every one of your papers, and I know the mechanism of action for CD30 is still debated in academic circles—which is actually a good thing for Yongping. Otherwise, Huaqing’s valuation would be far higher than it is now."
Faced with what felt like an endless, circuitous skirmish, a surge of irritation rose in Jiang Tong’s heart. "Since Director Zhang is being so candid, then I will be frank. I do not trust Yongping."
"Setting aside whether Yongping can provide a proper environment for new drug R&D, the scene of your company poaching most of Huaqing’s team after a failed acquisition is still vivid. We lab-types are timid; we don't dare bargain with a tiger for its skin."
He was prepared to offend Zhang Yuan completely, but her bottom line was far lower than he imagined. "No discord, no concord. Without that acquisition attempt, Yongping wouldn't have discovered Huaqing’s true value."
"It’s no secret that Yongping urgently needs new products to expand its R&D pipeline. When we made the offer for Huaqing, we were indeed aiming for BTK27, which could be launched immediately. However, after the Phase I clinical trial for BTK was suspended and then restarted, Huaqing’s performance in both the capital markets and R&D has been stellar. It was only then that we realized we had almost missed a treasure like CD30."
Zhang Yuan smiled slightly. "Money, resources, and control over the R&D team are not issues. If you are willing to talk, President Jiang, we will show you Yongping’s sincerity."
For a split second, Jiang Tong was tempted.
The fact that Zhang Yuan would personally go to such lengths to host this dinner meant the price she was prepared to pay for CD30 was certainly not low, and her sincerity in wanting a stake in Huaqing was clear. For a small pharmaceutical startup built from scratch, every step—from project initiation to clinical trials to regulatory approval—was fraught with difficulty, to say nothing of how to open sales channels once a product hit the market. With the progress of BTK, Jiang Tong had already been meeting with distributor teams and other domestic pharma companies to explore commercialization strategies, and the feedback had not been optimistic.
But if Yongping joined the fray, things would be entirely different...
Furthermore, from Zhang Yuan’s tone, Lu Wei’s influence within the group was not as strong as he claimed...
He picked up his teacup and took a small sip, lowering his lashes to hide his internal wavering. Zhang Yuan didn't rush him; she simply maintained her warm, elegant smile, using a spoon to gently stir the dessert in her bowl. The diamonds on her hand shimmered with her movements, their light piercing.
"Thank you for the gracious invitation, Director Zhang," Jiang Tong finally spoke. "I’m sorry, but Huaqing has no plans for collaborative pipeline development at this stage."
Li Qianqian, who had been shrinking into the corner of the table as quiet as a mouse, let out a silent sigh of relief.
A shadow finally flickered across Zhang Yuan’s perfectly balanced smile. "President Jiang, I don't need to tell you how difficult the commercial promotion of breakthrough therapies is in China. I believe Yongping taking a stake in Huaqing would be a win-win cooperation."
Jiang Tong’s expression grew increasingly resolute. "One of Huaqing’s drugs is in Phase I, and the other is still in animal testing. My primary focus at this stage remains on the clinical side. If we see good preliminary results in the clinic, only then will we consider commercialization—this is also the responsible approach toward Yongping."
In truth, Jiang Tong felt no personal ill will toward Zhang Yuan. As the second-in-command of Yongping, second only to the founder, she had personally hosted him while heavily pregnant, said all the right things, and yet, even after hitting a wall, she showed no sign of discouragement. Zhang Yuan remained pleasant and chatted with Jiang Tong and Li Qianqian for a while longer. It wasn't until her secretary knocked to remind her of her schedule that she rose to bid them farewell.
"Until we meet again, President Jiang." Before leaving, she shook Jiang Tong’s hand. "Let’s stay in touch."
The door to the private room clicked shut. Jiang Tong and Li Qianqian looked at each other, waiting until the sound of footsteps faded into the distance. Li Qianqian let out a mournful groan and slumped forward, collapsing directly onto the table.
"That was terrifying!" she said weakly. "Halfway through the meal, I thought the boss was going to be 'pacified' by Yongping."
Jiang Tong teased her, "What’s so bad about going to Yongping? If you didn't want to work anymore, you could sell your shares and have enough for a down payment on a house."
Li Qianqian’s eyes widened as she glared at Jiang Tong. "Boss, you underestimate my revolutionary fervor! When the company goes public, I’m going to stand right behind you when you ring the bell."
"First things first," Jiang Tong said, ringing the bell for the server. "I’m ordering a few more dishes. Do you want anything?"
"I want a big bowl of noodles with tomato and egg sauce!" Li Qianqian said excitedly. "I was so nervous I barely ate. I’m starving!"
While Jiang Tong and Li Qianqian were checking the menu, Zhang Yuan was sitting in her car, reviewing the itinerary organized by her secretary.
"Push the video conference with the UK back by an hour," she said, tossing her phone onto the seat and letting out a weary sigh. "I’m not feeling well. Schedule an outpatient appointment with Dr. Su."
The secretary leaned forward cautiously from the front seat. "Director Zhang, your due date is very close. Perhaps lately..."
Zhang Yuan ignored him completely. "Has Lu Wei’s report been submitted?"
"It has." A document was quickly handed to her. "Director Lu expects patient enrollment for the BTK27 Phase I clinical trial to be completed next week."
Zhang Yuan scoffed. "Too slow."
"Have the people under Lu Wei been talked to?"
"President Yang has spoken with all of them. Dr. Fang and Dr. Zheng still have some emotional reservations. President Yang hopes you can join him for another meeting next week to meet with the core members of the R&D team."
"Check my schedule." Zhang Yuan nodded. "What about the interviews for the Chief Scientist position?"
Zhang Yuan waved her hand. "Forget it, I trust him."
"Oh, right," she added, as if suddenly remembering something. She straightened her back and looked the secretary in the eye through the rearview mirror. "I’ll emphasize this once more. Regarding today’s lunch and the talks with Dr. Zheng and the others—make sure Lu Wei doesn't get wind of it."
She had thick, dark brows and deep black eyes. When she smiled, she looked warm and open; when she didn't, the corners of her mouth turned down, and her nasolabial folds became visible, making her look stern and harsh. The secretary felt a cold sweat on his back under her gaze, wishing he could swear an oath that the confidentiality work hadn't slipped an inch.
Zhang Yuan was actually amused by his nervous expression. "I trust your work. I’m just telling you to be careful with emails and calls. Better safe than sorry."
"Lu Wei’s ability is mediocre, and his character is base. Even if he can't stir up a major storm, if we don't crush him completely in one go, we’ll inevitably end up with dirty hands."
She stroked the uneven texture of the diamond stud on her earlobe and gazed at the streetscape flying past the window, a cold smile touching her lips.
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
张远 | Zhang Yuan | Daughter of Yongping's founder, high-level executive.
永平 | Yongping | The large pharmaceutical group competing with/targeting Huaqing.
长公主 | Princess | A nickname for Zhang Yuan, reflecting her status as the founder's daughter.
鸿门宴 | Hongmen Banquet | A historical/idiomatic reference to a feast with treacherous intent.
明前龙井 | Pre-Qingming Longjing | High-quality green tea harvested before the Qingming Festival.
与虎谋皮 | Bargain with a tiger for its skin | Idiom meaning to do something inherently dangerous or deal with a villain.
不打不相识 | No discord, no concord | Idiom: "From a fight, a friendship grows."
小心驶得万年船 | Better safe than sorry | Literal: "Caution keeps the ship sailing for ten thousand years."
西红柿打卤面 | Noodles with tomato and egg sauce | A common, comforting Chinese noodle dish.
