Chapter 24

Chapter 24: An Old Acquaintance, a Meeting Gift

Zhou He Chen was determined to win Zhao Yan Group’s partnership. He’d prepared for this deal for a long time.

Every company in River City knew he planned to do business with Quan Zhao Ning. Who would dare step in front of him?

His smile stayed in place, but his eyes turned dark and vicious.

He was proud by nature. In River City, the Zhou Family stood unchallenged at number one. The other four great families had to read the Zhou Family’s mood before they moved.

No one had ever stood above him.

So who was this “acquaintance” with the nerve to be so rude?

“Hey—”

Bang!

A soda can flew through the air, the wind off it sharp enough to sting. It skimmed past Zhou He Chen’s ear.

“President Zhou!” the secretary cried.

If it had landed a fraction closer, Zhou He Chen’s head would have taken the hit.

“I’m fine.” Zhou He Chen lifted a hand, stopping the secretary.

He turned slowly, gaze slicing toward the source.

Jiang Xu Lin stood there, smiling like ice. “Do you have any manners at all? Any basic decency?”

He tilted his head. “So sure the person inside is your acquaintance? There are over a billion people in Shen Zhou—do they all have to know you?”

The secretary leaned in, voice low. “Sir, it’s Jiang Xu Lin. His background is complicated. Young Master Fang knows him and always gives him space.”

He hesitated. “It’s possible he knows President Quan.”

Jiang Xu Lin kept one hand in his pocket, swaggering. “What are you staring at? I know I’m more handsome than you. You can stop looking now.”

Zhou He Chen forced himself to breathe. He looked at the closed door once more, then spoke with deliberate calm. “I was abrupt.”

He lowered his gaze. “Since President Quan has an important guest, I’ll come back this afternoon.”

His fist clenched at his side.

But in the end, he chose to step back.

The secretary hurried after him, mind racing.

Who was bold enough to steal a piece of Madam Zhou Group’s pie?

—

Inside the private meeting room, Quan Zhao Ning sat in a crisp black suit. Gold-rimmed glasses sharpened her features, making her look every inch the elite businesswoman.

Her gaze was keen. “Ye Wan Lan?”

Ye Wan Lan met her eyes. “Yes.”

“I know you.” Quan Zhao Ning clasped her hands loosely. “You’re the Zhou Family second young master’s little lover.”

Her tone was flat, almost bored. “His old flame came back a few days ago, so you were tossed aside. But you still cling to him.”

She leaned back. “A tacky romance plot.”

Quan Zhao Ning studied Ye Wan Lan without hiding her disdain. “I’ve heard about you and Little Lin.”

Then her voice turned colder. “To be honest, there’s nothing about you worth my time. And I hate women like you the most—women who become stand-ins for men.”

Ye Wan Lan smiled faintly, unbothered. “I understand. If we’re going to cooperate, I have to show what I can do.”

She lifted her hand slightly. “So I brought President Quan a meeting gift.”

“Oh?” Quan Zhao Ning’s mouth curved. “You brought me a gift?”

Ye Wan Lan didn’t answer.

She flicked her wrist.

A gun appeared in her hand.

Quan Zhao Ning’s face changed instantly.

That gun was her personal weapon.

She shot to her feet and yanked open the drawer hidden in the bookcase.

Empty.

She had walked past that bookcase earlier. She hadn’t seen Ye Wan Lan do anything—no hand reaching, no lock shifting, no movement at all.

If that gun had been aimed at her vital point…

Quan Zhao Ning whipped around.

A shot rang out at the same moment.

Bang!

The cup on the table exploded. Water splashed across the surface and spilled onto the floor.

Outside, the special assistant startled. Nearby, Jiang Xu Lin went rigid.

They both knew what that sound was.

Jiang Xu Lin’s expression twisted.

Had the negotiation gone wrong? Had someone been shot?

The special assistant panicked. Forgetting every warning, he threw the door open. “President Quan—”

The room was chaos. Shards. Water. The sharp bite of gunpowder.

Quan Zhao Ning’s face was iron. “Get out.”

The special assistant stumbled backward, slammed the door shut, and stood there shaking.

Jiang Xu Lin grabbed him. “What did you see? Who got shot?”

The assistant stared at him, dumbfounded. “Th-the cup got shot…”

Jiang Xu Lin blinked. “The cup?”

Inside, Quan Zhao Ning turned her cold gaze on Ye Wan Lan. “You’d better give me a good explanation.”

Ye Wan Lan glanced at the shattered cup as if it bored her. “You’ve been drinking slow poison for five months, President Quan. You didn’t feel it at all?”

For a moment, Quan Zhao Ning didn’t speak.

Then she realized she was sweating.

In front of this eighteen-year-old girl, she felt a pressure so intense it made her skin crawl.

“Poisoning,” Ye Wan Lan said mildly. “The bluntest kind of corporate warfare. Not clever, but fast—and it works.”

She paused. “Although… it might not even be corporate warfare.”

Her eyes lifted. “It might be an internal war.”

Quan Zhao Ning’s expression shifted.

Ye Wan Lan continued, voice still calm. “President Quan is thirty-six this year. You took over Zhao Yan Group at twenty-five. Under your leadership, Zhao Yan Group became one of Shen Zhou’s top fifty enterprises.”

She tilted her head slightly. “But someone close to you believes you’re a woman, and therefore you don’t deserve it.”

Quan Zhao Ning’s fingers dug into the chair’s armrest until the skin whitened. “Go on.”

Ye Wan Lan smiled—sudden, sharp. “So you drink this water for five months. Then one day you drop dead. Naturally, someone else inherits your company.”

Quan Zhao Ning drew a hard breath. “Can it be cured?”

Ye Wan Lan’s answer was immediate. “Of course. That’s my gift to you.”

Quan Zhao Ning stared at her for three seconds. Then she extended her hand. “Miss Ye. I’m glad we can cooperate.”

Ye Wan Lan took it. Her grip was steady. “I won’t disappoint you.”

Quan Zhao Ning released her, still watching. “But I’m curious.”

She spoke slowly. “If you can win this deal on your own, why not take it to the Zhou Family young master and claim credit? As far as I know, the Zhou Family needs this contract badly.”

“They think women are accessories,” Ye Wan Lan said, voice quiet and firm. “Toys.”

Her gaze didn’t waver. “So I’ll break the rule.”

She leaned slightly forward. “Why would I refuse being power itself?”

She was born to stand at the peak of Mount Wang Wu and look down on the world.

Quan Zhao Ning watched her for a long beat.

Then she laughed—loud, delighted. “Miss Ye, we started as partners.”

She stood. “Now, you’re my friend.”

Her smile turned fierce. “Come eat. My treat.”

The special assistant escorted them to the Peninsula Restaurant. Quan Zhao Ning ordered the head chef set menu.

“I’ve already sent someone to fetch the company materials,” she said. “We’ll talk business after the meal.”

Outside the hotel, a white Maybach rolled past. Zhou He Chen was on his way to pick up Sheng Yun Yi.

Xu Li glanced out the window and nearly choked. “Brother He Chen—Ye Wan Lan is eating at the Peninsula? Didn’t you cut off her card?”

Zhou He Chen frowned, unwilling to even look.

“Wait.” Xu Li’s eyes widened. “Isn’t that President Quan?”

He leaned closer to the glass, excitement rising. “President Quan doesn’t know her. Don’t tell me Ye Wan Lan is using your name as her ‘female friend’ to cozy up to President Quan?”