Water and Fire~Chapter 52.1: Something to Tell You

 

Chapter 52.1: Something to Tell You

After returning home from the party, Chu Qianmiao wasn't as calm as she'd let on. She was still energized by the insights she'd gained.

Seeing someone slightly better than oneself can inspire striving. But seeing someone vastly better can actually lead to discouragement. The investment bankers she'd met at the party were all vastly better than she was. Such a huge gap was discouraging.

She sat on the sofa, lost in thought. Not even Miaomiao's leaps between her lap and the sofa could disturb her. It wasn't until Gu Miaoyu sat down next to her, put her arm around her shoulders, and asked, "Shuishui, you look so listless today. What's wrong?"

She finally came to her senses.

She chose her words, looking down at the little Miaomiao in her arms, and told Gu Miaoyu, "I met a group of people tonight, most of them in investment banking, all elite. Looking at them now, you can't help but imagine that in five years, they'll be even more impressive and amazing than they are now. And what about me?" A look of confusion and doubt crossed her face. "I suddenly realized that I can't see what I'll be like in five years, or rather, I feel like after five years, I might still be the same as I am now."

Miaomiao looked up and called out to her coquettishly, as if she understood what she meant and came to share her melancholy.

She petted Miaomiao's little head, looked up at Gu Miaoyu, and said, "Little Daogu, I suddenly felt like I didn't want to work at the law firm anymore. I want to join an investment bank. It takes eight or nine years to become a partner at a law firm, and before that, I'm just an ordinary lawyer. But investment banks are different. They have many levels and positions, and there's more scope for development and room for advancement. Climbing the ranks in an investment bank always offers the hope of rising higher."

"Little Daogu, what do you think of me switching to an investment bank?" Chu Qianmiao asked, looking at Gu Miaoyu. "If it's feasible, I want to start as soon as I finish the Jialeyuan project!"

Gu Miaoyu looked into Chu Qianmiao's eyes, which had been confused just a moment ago, and now they were shining.

She didn't know who at the investment bank had inspired Chu Qianmiao to think about switching jobs tonight, but she knew the determination in her eyes. So she would support her unconditionally.

"Jump! Anyone who doesn't jump is a bastard!"

Starting the next day, Chu Qianmiao noticed that Ren Yan only came to Jialeyuan for meetings, and he hadn't petted Miaomiao for a long time. She briefly suspected he had another cat behind Miaomiao's back.

Her sixth sense kicked in, probing and delivering a conclusion: Ever since that party, Ren Yan had been avoiding her.

Chu Qianmiao suspected Li Tang had launched an attack, leaving Ren Yan unable to defend against Li's fortress, and thus defending her Chu's fortress.

She figured the time had come for her to find an opportunity to launch her attack. Making this decision, she felt incredibly heroic, a lonesome courage determined to succeed or die.

That day, Ren Yan finally came to Jialeyuan for a meeting. It was a meeting called by Dong Lan, and in addition to Ren Yan and Zhang Teng, the two responsible persons, she, Qin Qianyu, and other low-level soldiers were also present.

Before the meeting, Dong Lan received a call from Mr. Liu from HR. It sounded like CEO Liu was asking Dong Lan about an employee the Warehouse Department had fired a few days ago, who was now causing trouble at his place, and he was feeling overwhelmed, so he asked Dong Lan what to do.

Dong Lan angrily told him that he had to fight back even if he couldn't, and then hung up.

Chu Qianmiao was curious about what was going on inside Jialeyuan that a single employee being fired from the Warehouse Department would cause Dong Lan such a disturbance.

This incident was a minor incident, and everyone immediately got back to the main topic of the meeting.

Dong Lan announced the appraisal results of the 70 million yuan project at the meeting.

It was an unexpectedly good result—the project had indeed been forensically assessed at 70 million yuan.

This result actually surprised Chu Qianmiao. She thought that not only she, but everyone else had already assumed that Ji Xia had indeed embezzled money.

The result turned out not to be true.

This unexpected turn of events was a bit disorienting.

Dong Lan held the appraisal report, her expression enigmatic, making it impossible to fathom her true thoughts.

"At least, giving this report to Jingchang Department Store and Shi Peng should silence them," Dong Lan said.

Dong Lan delegated the task of negotiating with Jingchang Department Store and Shi Peng to Ren Yan and Zhang Teng.

Zhang Teng brought Chu Qianmiao along for the negotiations. Ren Yan brought Qin Qianyu. Ren Yan and Zhang Teng both decided to let Chu Qianmiao handle the negotiations. They were willing to give her a chance to hone her skills.

At first, Shi Peng was unwilling to give in, finding all sorts of excuses to avoid a proper negotiation. He either claimed the appraisal report was invalid or that the agency Jia Leyuan had provided the report to was bribed.

In short, he kept pestering and harassing the issue.

Chu Qianmiao knew Shi Peng's intention: he simply wanted to drive Jia Leyuan's people crazy so he could ask him: So, how does Mr. Shi want to end this? How much does Mr. Shi want us to pay to settle this privately with you?

With Ren Yan's previous experience handling calls from unscrupulous reporters, Chu Qianmiao had learned how to handle such scoundrels.

She imitated Ren Yan's previous approach, arguing with Shi Peng endlessly, unfazed by his words and playing dumb with him. Finally, she wore out Shi Peng's patience, and he couldn't help but say, "Don't even think about getting through this without two million."

Chu Qianmiao stopped playing dumb. She smiled and asked Shi Peng, "Mr. Shi, if you really want to sue Jia Leyuan, go ahead. We have the construction cost appraisal report anyway, so it's useless to sue. You'll definitely lose. You'll have wasted both money and time, and you'll be branded a scammer. Who would dare renovate your company's stores in the future? Do you think your board of directors will be angry with you and vacate your position for someone else?"

After making her point, she turned to strategy: "And Mr. Shi, listen, I just recorded our negotiation. This recording of you asking for money. Do you think I should report it to your company's board of directors, or just call the police?"

Shi Peng finally collapsed, and as he left, he couldn't help but laugh at himself: "I'm forty years old, and I fell into the hands of a little girl like you. What a waste of life!"

Chu Qianmiao wanted to tell him: "You fell into your own greed."

The legal crisis was finally resolved. Zhang Teng praised Chu Qianmiao for her rapid progress, and then he left.

Chu Qianmiao and Qin Qianyu took Ren Yan's car back to Jialeyuan.

After finally catching Ren Yan, Chu Qianmiao kept a close eye on him back in the due diligence office.

During lunch break, she took advantage of him getting up to go to the tea room and quickly followed him.

She blocked the tea room door, smiling and calling him "Senior," begging for his praise.

"Senior, did I do okay during the negotiation today?"

After Ren Yan finished receiving his water, he saw that she was blocking the doorway, so he stepped back and leaned against the windowsill. He took a sip from his cup and said calmly, "Not bad."

Chu Qianmiao immediately flattered him, "This is all thanks to your teaching, Senior! To thank you for nurturing me, I'd like to treat you to a meal. Is that okay? Let's have dinner together tonight, and afterward I can tell you that I kind of like you."

"You don't make much, so forget it."

Ren Yan's words pierced Chu Qianmiao's heart.

"Then treat me!!!" If you think I'm poor, you can always spend money, right?

Ren Yan raised his eyebrows slightly, but still said calmly, "Go ahead and eat whatever you want. Just bring me an invoice and I'll reimburse you."

Chu Qianmiao: "..."

Oh.

Since the dinner option wasn't an option, she could only resort to her charming charm.

"Senior, why aren't you coming to see Miaomiao?" "Why don't you come tonight? I'll let you know I quite like you."

"Busy," Ren Yan replied sparingly.

Chu Qianmiao was unhappy and decided to pick on him.

"Senior, aren't you too busy to attend parties?" "Why did you even go to that party that day?"

Ren Yan paused, then actually answered the question.

"I thought it was an academic gathering."

Seeing that Ren Yan had answered almost every question, Chu Qianmiao decided to push the envelope and ask another question.

"Senior... why did you break up with Li Tang?" She just wanted to know, no matter what.

Ren Yan raised an eyebrow at Chu Qianmiao, his eyes sharpening. "Personal information, no answer."

Looking at the clock, she saw only two minutes until lunch break ended.

Chu Qianmiao took the plunge. She decided to make the most of her limited off-work time to confess her feelings.

She took two long steps forward.

"Senior, I have something to tell you! Actually, I..."

She took two steps forward, clearing the blocked entrance to the tea room. Ren Yan stepped past her and exited.

"You've been a bit too talkative today. This won't happen again. Go back to work. I have things to do." He said these words in a dull tone as he reached the door.

"...I like you..." Chu Qianmiao's confession, forced by her own courage, dissipated in the space where she was alone.

She was instantly deflated.

Damn it. It hadn't worked out. It seemed this confession had been impulsive and hasty.

Although the external issues surrounding the 70 million yuan contract had been resolved, the internal conflicts hadn't vanished. On the contrary, Ji Xia launched a furious tirade.

He demanded an explanation from Dong Lan, shouting that he was hurt and that if she didn't give him an explanation, he would take his men and leave Jialeyuan to start his own business. The explanation he wanted was for Jialeyuan's shares.

The incident quickly became a hot topic, spreading throughout Jialeyuan and across various intermediary agencies. Chu Qianmiao felt like she was surrounded by gossip wherever she went. Every conversation she heard was about Jialeyuan's uncertain future.

After experiencing the inner turmoil and panic among the employees within Jialeyuan, Qin Qianyu himself became affected. He returned to the due diligence office, closed the door, and began to lament to Ren Yan, "Boss, what should we do? If Dong Lan and Ji Xia break up, Jialeyuan won't be able to go public, and all the time we've invested in this project will be wasted! Boss, you're responsible for the department's performance, so why are you so indifferent?"

Qin Qianyu was getting anxious as he spoke.

Ren Yan raised his head from the documents, glanced at him coldly, and said, "You've worked with me for so long, and you're still so impatient, believing everything you hear?"

Qin Qianyu was stunned by the lecture.

Ren Yan glanced at Chu Qianmiao. She was leisurely writing the first draft of her legal opinion.