Water and Fire~Chapter 114.1: Filled with Passion

 

Chapter 114.1: Filled with Passion

Chu Qianmiao pondered how to investigate whether Du Xiaofeng was holding shares on behalf of another. Regarding matters like proxy holding, if the person involved is determined not to tell the truth, even if they question him at the top of their lungs, they'll get no results. So, speaking directly might not be a good idea; they could only offer indirect evidence.

After a moment's thought, Chu Qianmiao and Wang Jun discussed the matter and reached a consensus. Chu Qianmiao then went to see Du Xiaofeng, ostensibly to check on his recovery from his previous injury.

Du Xiaofeng proudly pointed to his head and said, "Look, I've ripped off the white gauze. I'm fine!"

Chu Qianmiao smiled and praised Du Xiaofeng's excellent physical condition. Du Xiaofeng's desire to give something away immediately resurfaced upon hearing the compliment. He immediately opened a drawer, pulled out a large bag of powder, and begged Chu Qianmiao to take it for a try.

"Ganoderma lucidum powder. Old Liu bought it for me. Drinking it makes me feel so much better."

Chu Qianmiao quickly said, "Mr. Du, I've made a note. I'll have Hou Lin buy some for everyone on the project team. I can't accept this. It's from Mr. Liu, so it wouldn't be appropriate for me to accept it."

Du Xiaofeng gave up the idea of ​​giving a gift.

"Right, Old Liu would be upset."

Chu Qianmiao smiled. "You and Mr. Liu are incredibly close."

Du Xiaofeng said, "That's right. If he weren't married, people would suspect there was something going on between us."

He finished, and Chu Qianmiao laughed along with him.

Taking advantage of the cheerful atmosphere, Chu Qianmiao said, "Mr. Du, last time you treated us to your twenty-year-old wine. Now that you've recovered from your injury, why don't you give us a chance and treat you to a meal to celebrate your recovery?"

Du Xiaofeng happily said, "Yes, yes."

Chu Qianmiao casually added, "Then how about tonight? We'll invite Mr. Zhang Yuanting along."

Du Xiaofeng immediately said, "Tonight's fine. I'll call Zhang Yuanting later. You don't have to call him Mr. Zhang, just call him Brother Zhang."

After a pause, Du Xiaofeng rubbed his hands excitedly. His usually fierce face was now filled with anticipation for the evening's dinner.

"Ever since I fell into the pit, Old Liu has been keeping a tight rein on me and forbidding me from drinking. Honestly, I'm really craving it. You're treating me tonight, and if I want a couple of drinks, Old Liu won't be able to stop me. Ha, that's great!" Du Xiaofeng complained about Liu Zheng's strict control, yet he was still happy to have some wine.

But Chu Qianmiao could hear a hint of happiness tinged in his complaints, the kind of happiness that comes from being cared for by his brothers.

That evening, Chu Qianmiao, along with the project team members, Tang Jie, and Wang Jun, hosted a banquet for Du Xiaofeng, Liu Zheng, and Zhang Yuanting.

As they arranged the seating, Chu Qianmiao unwittingly found himself sitting next to Zhang Yuanting. After taking their seats, Du Xiaofeng objected, "Hey, Ms. Chu, why don't you sit next to me?"

Chu Qianmiao had previously instructed Hou Lin, who immediately spoke up, "Mr. Du, this is so hurtful! I specifically begged Ms. Chu to let me sit next to you today."

Du Xiaofeng immediately dropped the question of seating. His tough, tender nature made him gentle with every woman. Although he preferred to sit next to Chu Qianmiao, he didn't want to hurt Hou Lin's feelings.

Thus, Chu Qianmiao was able to chat with Zhang Yuanting throughout the meal. She, Wang Jun, and Tang Jie divided the work: she was primarily responsible for teasing Zhang Yuanting, while Liu Zheng and Du Xiaofeng handled the rest.

After a few drinks, Chu Qianmiao, with her subtle, subtle conversational skills, had thoroughly sussed out Zhang Yuanting's entire family, from eight generations past to the next.

She chatted about the weather, then food, then family, then children.

She told Zhang Yuanting, "Brother Zhang, you clearly have the bearing of an intellectual. Judging by your generosity, your children must have received exceptional education."

This resonated deeply with Zhang Yuanting. While yelling, "I can't drink any more," he happily downed the glass of wine Chu Qianmiao offered him, saying, "My son is my pride, the hope of our family's future. I'm willing to sell everything I have to give him the best education."

Chu Qianmiao caught the lingering thought: sell everything I have.

She remained calm and continued to delve deeper into the topic, "Brother Zhang, are you sending your son to a private school?"

Zhang Yuanting said, "No, I'm sending my son abroad."

Chu Qianmiao said, "Oh, your son's only in his teens. If he goes abroad now, your wife will have to accompany him. From middle school to college and then to graduate school, that's a hefty expense." She continued, offering Zhang Yuanting another glass of wine, her emotional resonance catching him off guard.

Zhang Yuanting's face flushed from the wine, and sweat broke out on his forehead. His gaze drifted slightly. He sighed to Chu Qianmiao, as if he had found a kindred spirit, "Yeah, so I figured since my wife is going abroad to accompany our son, I can just live in the company dormitory. I'm planning to sell our house and let my wife take the money so she doesn't deprive our son of his money."

Chu Qianmiao caught another word: sell the house.

Then she coaxed Zhang Yuanting's address.

"Where does Brother Zhang live?"

"In the Second Ring Road, Sanjiao Real Estate, Yuanjia Community."

"It's a great location, and your house is big, so it'll fetch a good price."

Afterward, Chu Qianmiao explained the building number, floor, and room number.

After the meal, everyone went home, or returned to their hotel.

Chu Qianmiao returned to the hotel and, while answering Ren Yan's call, searched online for properties in the city.

Ren Yan asked her, "How's the project going?"

Chu Qianmiao said, "The competition issue has been resolved." Chu Qianmiao remembered Zhang Yuanting saying he'd listed the house on the "Happy Home" real estate agency website. She clicked on Happy Home's official website and searched for Yuanjia Community in the seller category.

Ren Yan said on the phone, "Well, I read your weekly report. You wrote about the resolution process very clearly." After a pause, he added, "So, at this stage, do you think the competition issue has been completely resolved?"

Chu Qianmiao smiled.

Her boyfriend was worried that she hadn't thought things through thoroughly and was trying to persuade her.

She softly called him "Senior" and said, "I'm trying to verify that Du Xiaofeng had indeed transferred the shares of Xiaolin Auto Parts to Zhang Yuanting, and not secretly held them on his behalf."

Ren Yan chuckled into the phone. That laugh was like a gentle hand, reaching through the phone to caress Chu Qianmiao's head approvingly.

At that moment, Chu Qianmiao felt a pang of comfort.

Ren Yan asked her again on the phone, "How's the verification going?"

Chu Qianmiao scrolled the mouse wheel through the webpage. "Verifying." Suddenly, her hand stopped, and the webpage froze in the middle.

Found it. Residential complex, building number, floor, room number. They're all opposite Zhang Yuanting's house.

"Senior," she said, holding her phone, "I think they really are holding the shares on someone else's behalf."