Water and Fire~Chapter 42.2: A Divine Man

 

Chapter 42.2: A Divine Man

Next was the second recording.

It was the recording of the second threatening call from reporter Tong.

The recording showed Ren Yan shrewdly dragging reporter Tong down, forcing him to lose his patience and lower his guard. Then Ren Yan asked him, "What's your demand?" He then replied, "You want money? Yes, you do. How much do you want?"

With his patience worn out and his guard down, reporter Tong followed suit, replying, "We'll discuss the amount in person."

Ren Yan continued to guide him, and after finally hearing what he wanted to hear, he simply hung up, just like last time.

Chu Qianmiao was a little stunned by this. She felt that, revisiting the two conversations between Ren Yan and reporter Tong, while each sentence seemed ordinary, each word was actually filled with wit.

It turned out that the reporter and Ren Yan had been guiding each other towards their own desired ends. The reporter tried to get Ren Yan to provide evidence of his payment, claiming he understood the situation, but Ren Yan evaded the issue by claiming he truly didn't. Then, Ren Yan, in turn, wore down the reporter's patience. The reporter, though cautious in his words, refused to leave any evidence. Ultimately, Ren Yan succumbed, tricking him into revealing his motive: money. He then personally confirmed his actions, blackmailing the proposed listed company for money.

Chu Qianmiao relived the two conversations and wondered what kind of fight between gods!

No, it was a god versus a demon.

As her thoughts raced, she noticed Ren Yan had already put away his recorder. He said to the reporter named Tong, who was mute on the other end of the line, "So, Reporter Tong, it's not important that you didn't know what I said earlier. What's important is that you know I recorded our conversations. And these two conversations confirm your threats for money." He paused, then said, "Based on your previous press releases, the shady dealings between you and those listed companies, and these two recordings as evidence, do you want me to report you with them? Or could you arrange for Peng Yishen to meet up and have a good chat?"

After a while, Reporter Tong

He spoke. His voice softened. "I'm sure I can make the contact for you, but I can't decide whether President Peng is willing to meet with you."

Ren Yan smiled. "Reporter Tong, I'm recording this call, too. I've described everything in detail earlier, and what you just said indirectly acknowledges everything I've said, admitting that you all did collude and orchestrate this conspiracy. So, if Peng Yishen doesn't want to meet, how can you convince him to? That's your job. I'll be waiting for your good news."

He hung up the phone.

Everyone stared at Ren Yan, speechless for a moment.

Chu Qianmiao's gaze was glued to Ren Yan's face, as if it were glued to him, impossible to pull away.

What kind of divine man was he, she wondered? How could he be so wise? How could he be so calculating and so effortless? Would he let other mortals live?

After a while, Zhou Hanhai patted Ren Yan's shoulder, speechless for a moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was filled with admiration for his talent: "Mr. Ren, if I had someone as outstanding as you, I'd give him half my shares!"

Reporter Tong quickly got back to Ren Yan, saying that Peng Yishen had agreed to discuss matters with Hanhai.

They arranged a meeting the following afternoon, in a conference room at a five-star hotel near the midpoint between Hanhai Home Textiles and Gelaner Home Textiles.

Ren Yan immediately approached Zhou Hanhai to discuss what to say and how to say it during tomorrow's negotiations, as well as which aspects of the content Zhou Hanhai wouldn't need to address personally, but could instead offer to him as a supporting voice.

When he returned to the due diligence office from Zhou Hanhai's visit, Chu Qianmiao rubbed her hands and said, "Senior, don't worry. Tomorrow I'll use all my might to help you fight them! You may not remember, but when I was in school, I never lost an argument with this mouth! Just wait and see how it shines like a knife tomorrow!"

Qin Qianyu, listening nearby, laughed: "It seems our Qianmiao's mouth is a double-edged sword. It can flatter people or get into arguments. Amazing!"

"That's right, a mouth isn't about eating, it's about talking!" Chu Qianmiao said jokingly.

Qin Qianyu blurted out, "It's about kissing!" Then, realizing the situation wasn't right, he quickly spat.

It took Chu Qianmiao a moment to realize that the full name for "bo" was "da bo." She immediately played dumb: "Brother Qin, be careful next time. I'm still a child!" As she spoke, she couldn't help but glance at Ren Yan.

She didn't know why she wanted to glance at him. She just knew his lips looked so thin and rosy right now, and they seemed like they would be quite delicious to suck on.

She didn't know why the somewhat down-to-earth verb "suck" crossed her mind. After all, she had wanted to suck on the F4 before, and she told herself not to be afraid; this private thought didn't mean she was sick.

Ren Yan suddenly looked up, meeting her gaze.

She quickly said, "Yes, senior, you have money on your face!"

She quickly interrupted Ren Yan. Ren Yan was startled, as if someone had interrupted him and couldn't think of something else to say that would have the same effect.

He and Chu Qianmiao glared at each other for a moment, then he said, "Oh, what's the denomination?"

Chu Qianmiao: "..."

It was so shocking. Ren Yan actually responded to such a boring question! But once he did, she didn't know how to respond!

Qin Qianyu leaned over to Ren Yan and took a look. "Boss, is there money on your face? Coins stuck to it? No?"

Chu Qianmiao: "………………"

She thought Qin Qianyu was a truly naive, innocent older brother.

Ren Yan glared at Qin Qianyu, sending him back to his seat. Then, turning back to Chu Qianmiao, he changed the subject and said, "You won't be responsible for any arguments tomorrow. On the contrary, use your flattery skills wisely and effectively."

Chu Qianmiao: "???" Honestly, she really didn't understand this tactic.

Is she using flattery to paralyze the enemy? Or is she using it as a sarcastic retort? She suddenly felt that this tactic was a bit novel and worth studying.

Ren Yan spoke across from her again, asking her to search online for information about Gelaner, including the company's basic information, market coverage, market share, and so on.

"Once you've found this information, take a good look at it. If possible, print it out so everyone can review it. You might need it during tomorrow's negotiations."

Chu Qianmiao immediately did as she was told.

She meticulously searched online for information, even more attentively than she'd spent browsing Taobao on Singles' Day. When she had nearly finished, she connected the printer and printed it out. The printer whirred for a long time before spewing out a thick stack of information about Ge Lan'er.

The printer sat on a shelf near the door, and Chu Qianmiao went to retrieve the information.

She returned with the information and placed the thick stack of papers between her and Ren Yan's desks. After placing the information, she stretched her arms wide and stretched them, her voice distorted by the stretching, "Senior, the information is printed! This will definitely help us understand ourselves and our enemy, ensuring victory in every battle! Ah—"

She trailed off with a startled exclamation.

The windows were wide open to let in air.

A sudden spring breeze arrived, blowing in through the window.

A pile of documents on the table was blown everywhere.

Chu Qianmiao cried out, "Ah!" and scrambled to catch the scattered materials.

This spring breeze was unstoppable, its force growing stronger with each gust. The documents flew even more violently.

Even Qin Qianyu and the others got down to the ground to help pick up the scattered materials.

Chu Qianmiao stood at the table, reaching for a piece of paper floating in midair. The paper was unruly. Just as she was about to grab it, it flew out of reach.

Chu Qianmiao chased after it, furious, as if she was determined to catch it and give it a beating.

The paper suddenly flew behind her, and she turned to catch it.

But she almost bumped into a chest.

It turned out that Ren Yan had also stood up and joined the gathering of materials.

He was tall and wieldy, and with a sweep of his arms, he snatched up several sheets of paper bouncing and swaying in the spring breeze.

She let him hold the papers, not daring to move.

The table was behind her, leaving her with nowhere to retreat. In front of her was Ren Yan's shirt-clad chest; any further would have put her in his arms.

So, in a split second, she didn't dare move. She leaned against the table, trying to lean back as far as she could. Suddenly, he reached behind her, and she leaned forward, trying to catch a piece of paper that had floated behind him. She immediately leaned back again, only to avoid crashing into his arms.

But in that moment, they were so close that he seemed to have her in his arms. But he was really only reaching for the piece of paper behind her.

For a moment, she could smell his scent through his shirt, a pleasant spring scent, warm and refreshing. The texture of his muscles seemed to reveal itself through his shirt, allowing her to sense the strength and beauty beneath even the fabric.

She thought, a thirty-year-old man, the mature charm and masculinity he exuded was truly captivating.