Chen Lin wore an expression that suggested he had Tang Chuchu right where he wanted her. As the manager in charge of these matters, he had used his position to take advantage of countless women. At first, they might refuse, but after some time, these women looking for orders would always end up offering themselves to him.
Wu Jiajia was also eager to see this succeed. Once it was done and Chen Lin was satisfied, she stood to gain plenty herself. She walked over, pulled Tang Chuchu aside, and coaxed, "Chuchu, I know you’ve suffered these past few years, but now that you’ve regained your looks and become beautiful, you have to leverage your advantages. A woman’s youth only lasts a few years; if you let it slip by, it’s gone for good."
"I have a husband. That’s out of the question," Tang Chuchu replied with a firm refusal.
Wu Jiajia’s face turned cold instantly. "Tang Chuchu, don't be ungrateful. It’s an honor that Manager Chen is even interested in you. If you offend him, don’t even dream of the Tang family collaborating with Qianjun in the future."
"Chen..." Tang Chuchu walked over to Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen ignored the two of them and pointed toward the entrance of Qianjun Building. "Go ahead. The person you’re meeting is the chairman, not some manager. He’s just a manager; don’t give him a second thought."
"Kid, who do you think you are?" Chen Lin glared at Jiang Chen.
"Get lost." Jiang Chen offered only those two words. As the Dragon Commander of the Southern Territory, someone like Chen Lin wasn't even fit to tie his shoelaces.
***
Up on the top floor of Qianjun Building, in the chairman’s office, Ye Xiong had been waiting since early morning for Tang Chuchu to arrive. But after waiting for a long time without seeing her, he became frantic. He went downstairs himself to the reception desk to inquire, only to discover that no one by the name of Tang Chuchu had come to see him.
He was anxious—this was the Dragon Commander’s wife! If he slighted her, it wouldn't just be the end of him; even the Ye family in the Capital would be finished.
Ye Xiong walked out, intending to wait at the entrance. Just as he reached the door, he saw the manager chatting with someone. He fixed his gaze and caught sight of Jiang Chen. His body trembled, and he nearly collapsed to the floor. He wiped the cold sweat from his face and hurried over.
"Drag—"
Before he could finish, Jiang Chen shot him a glare. Ye Xiong understood immediately.
Jiang Chen said to Tang Chuchu, "Chuchu, is that the chairman of Qianjun? What are you standing there for? Go on. Whether I get to stay in the Tang family or not depends on you."
Tang Chuchu looked over and saw the bald man walking toward them. Her eyes lit up—yes, that was Ye Xiong, the chairman of Qianjun Group.
"Haha!" Wu Jiajia burst out laughing. "What kind of joke is this? The chairman is currently in his office."
Chen Lin’s expression darkened as he said, "Tang Chuchu, I’ll say it plain: if you don’t go to the hotel to talk, you’ll never get an order from Qianjun as long as you live."
Chen Lin had Tang Chuchu pinned down. As the department manager responsible for handling external relations, he controlled which companies received extra orders. As long as he blocked the Tang family, Tang Chuchu stood no chance of getting an order from Qianjun.
Ye Xiong approached and barked with a stern face, "What is going on? Don't you have work to do?"
Hearing his voice, both Wu Jiajia and Chen Lin turned around. When they saw Ye Xiong behind them, their faces changed instantly.
"Ch-Chairman," Chen Lin’s forehead broke out in a cold sweat. If the chairman found out what he had been doing, he would certainly be fired. He could only pray that the chairman hadn't heard what he just said.
Ye Xiong stood with his hands behind his back. "What is the meaning of this?"
Jiang Chen gave the stunned Tang Chuchu a nudge.
Tang Chuchu snapped back to reality and said, "Ch-Chairman Ye, hello. I am Tang Chuchu, from Tang's Yongle Company. I am here today representing Yongle to seek a collaboration and secure some orders with Qianjun."
Facing a big shot like Ye Xiong, Tang Chuchu felt a bit insecure. Jiangzhong was known as the "Medicine Capital," with tens of thousands of herbal processing companies all relying on the handouts of major pharmaceutical groups. Tang's Yongle Company was small; they were hardly qualified to partner with a giant like Qianjun.
"I asked what the two of you are doing here," Ye Xiong said, his face stern as he looked at Wu Jiajia and Chen Lin.
Jiang Chen, who had been quiet until now, said calmly, "My wife came to discuss business with Qianjun, but this manager here wanted to extort favors. He abused his power and refused to give Tang's Yongle Company a chance. I believe that a large group like Qianjun should ensure fairness in such matters."
"Hmm," Ye Xiong nodded. "This young man has a point. It seems there is indeed corruption within Qianjun. You, Chen Lin, is it? Go to the finance department to settle your salary and get out."
"What?" Chen Lin was dumbfounded. Was he really being fired just like that?
"Ch-Chairman, don't listen to this kid's nonsense! The Tang family is just a small enterprise, totally unqualified to partner with Qianjun. Qianjun’s orders are only for companies with real strength. It was they who were pestering me, so I made excuses to get them to give up. Chairman, I’ve worked so diligently—I did it for the company!"
"What? Do you need me to say it a second time? And you, pack your things and get out!" Ye Xiong pointed at Wu Jiajia as well.
He then looked at Jiang Chen and Tang Chuchu with a smile. "Miss Tang Chuchu of Tang's Yongle Company, right? Come, let's head to my office. I’ll discuss the orders with you myself."
Ye Xiong gestured for her to follow. Tang Chuchu was bewildered. Since when was the chairman of Qianjun so easy to talk to?
Jiang Chen nudged her again. "What are you waiting for? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Whether I can stay in the Tang family depends on your performance."
Tang Chuchu finally reacted, nodding hurriedly. "Right, right. Chairman Ye, no problem."
She was nervous. For the past ten years, she had barely stepped out of the house. Although she had read many books and learned professional skills, this was her first time negotiating business—and the person she was negotiating with was the chairman of Qianjun Group. She felt out of her depth and turned to Jiang Chen, showing signs of hesitation. "Husband, I... I’m afraid I can’t do this."
"Chairman Ye has invited you personally; what are you afraid of?" Jiang Chen urged her forward. "Go on, I’ll wait for you in the car."
"Miss Tang, please." Ye Xiong bowed slightly and gestured for her to enter.
This scene left Wu Jiajia and Chen Lin stunned. Since they were outside the Qianjun Group building—a major enterprise—plenty of media reporters were lurking nearby, and they captured this scene on camera. This was definitely big news. Who was Ye Xiong? The chairman of Qianjun. Even the Four Great Families had to tread carefully around Qianjun, yet here was its chairman personally inviting a woman inside. Who was she? Which family was she from? Why had they never seen her before?
Following Ye Xiong’s invitation, Tang Chuchu walked into Qianjun Building.
Jiang Chen walked to the side of the road and got into Xiao Hei’s car. Sitting in the passenger seat, he took out a cigarette, lit it, and tossed one to Xiao Hei.
Xiao Hei caught it, lit it, took a deep drag, and asked, "Dragon Commander, is this necessary? One word from you and the Ye family would hand Qianjun over to you. Why go through all this?"
Jiang Chen exhaled a ring of smoke. "What would I do with it? Give it to Chuchu? She might not even want it. I’ll just stand behind her. Let her do what she loves; as long as she’s happy, I’ll give her my full support. And how many times have I told you—there is no Dragon Commander in Jiangzhong, only Jiang Chen."
"Yes, Brother Jiang. I'm just used to the title; it's hard to break the habit."
***
On the top floor of Qianjun Building, Ye Xiong personally led Tang Chuchu to his office and poured tea for her himself. This terrified Tang Chuchu, who quickly said, "Chairman, I—I can do it myself."
"Miss Tang, sit, don't move. I’ll pour the tea. Since you’re at Qianjun, don’t be so formal. Just treat it like home."
Tang Chuchu was overwhelmed. "Chairman, I came to discuss business..."
"I know. Drink some tea first. I’ll have someone draw up the contract immediately. By the way, is an order of 100 million enough? If not, I can add a bit more."
"What?" Tang Chuchu was dazed. She hadn't even made her pitch, and Ye Xiong was already offering a 100-million order. Since when were Qianjun's orders so easy to get?
Seeing Tang Chuchu’s strange expression, Ye Xiong thought he had offered too little. He immediately added, "Not enough? Then let’s add more. How about 500 million?"
"Enough, enough! 100 million is plenty," Tang Chuchu hurriedly replied.
500 million? What kind of figure was that? A 500-million order would mean a 20 percent profit margin—if completed, the Tang family would make 100 million. With the Tang family’s current capacity, they couldn't even handle an order that large. A 100-million order was more than enough to keep Tang's Yongle Company busy.
Ye Xiong worked with great efficiency. Soon, his secretary brought in the contract, and Tang Chuchu signed it in a state of bewilderment.
Before she left, Ye Xiong handed her his business card. "Miss Tang, this is my card. Let’s keep in touch."
From start to finish, Ye Xiong never mentioned Jiang Chen. He knew Jiang Chen’s true identity, and Tang Chuchu clearly didn't. Having risen to the position of chairman, Ye Xiong was skilled at reading people; he knew Jiang Chen didn't want to expose his identity.
Holding the signed contract, Tang Chuchu walked out of Qianjun Building, still feeling as if she were in a dream. The negotiation had been far too easy. Without her even saying a word, Qianjun had just handed over the order.
She got into the car. "Husband, Chairman Ye seems to be sucking up to me. I didn't even say a word, and he gave me a 100-million order, and even offered to increase it to 500 million!"
Jiang Chen smiled. "You must have met the chairman of Qianjun before."
"I have not! I’ve barely made any friends in the last ten years," Tang Chuchu rolled her eyes. Then, she looked at Jiang Chen, her eyes lighting up. "Husband, if Ye Xiong is sucking up to me, is it because of you?"