Deliberately Approaching
Chapter 217 Playing the Emotion Card is Useless

Chapter 217: Chapter 217 Playing the Emotion Card is Useless

"Huahua, tell me, why did Wang Jinghui ask me to wait until I got home to look?"

While fitting Tang Xiaowan with her helmet, Leng Lingxiao suddenly realized that this little girl he had been protecting for 15 years indeed bore a resemblance to Wang Jinghui, especially when she was deep in thought.

The intense look on her face could easily be said to resemble that of a grandfather and granddaughter.

"Huahua, Huahua, I’m talking to you?"

"What’s up, Tangtang?"

"You look preoccupied, is there something..."

Leng Lingxiao frowned, "Something what?"

"Could there be something... like a little surprise inside, maybe something cheesy like a blessing or initials inscribed at someone’s suggestion?"

Tang Xiaowan tilted her head, speaking cheerily, seemingly oblivious to Leng Lingxiao’s astonished expression.

He had indeed asked Wang Jinghui to engrave a blessing, and it had just happened last night, and indeed someone had said it was trite and unoriginal.

Either too sharp or eavesdropped.

That was the only reasonable explanation Leng Lingxiao could think of.

"Hey, did I guess it right?"

"What a mess, mainly because what you custom-ordered isn’t ordinary cutlery. There are too many people here, and if someone with intentions sees it, they might think wrongly, which wouldn’t be good."

"Oh, okay, I’ll look at it when I get home."

Tang Xiaowan’s hand already reached into her sling bag, then suddenly withdrew it, and carefully zipped it up, treating it with care.

"Tangtang, you’ve had this bag for a while now, haven’t you always carried it? Don’t you think it’s a bit... I’ll get you a bigger one later, this one seems a bit small, can’t hold much."

Leng Lingxiao spoke haltingly, his eyes scanning the black cat doll on the bag, which was obviously a bit worn, especially the ears and paws.

He guessed those spots were the ones Tang Xiaowan touched frequently.

"Small? Not really! Keys, phone, wallet, it fits just right. Any bigger and it would be a sack, right?" Tang Xiaowan flicked her small sling bag in front of her waist, giggling.

Leng Lingxiao nodded tenderly.

"Get on the bike, let’s head home!"

"Drive fast, I’m really hungry."

"Sure, no problem."

And just like that, Tang Xiaowan happily mounted Leng Lingxiao’s black motorcycle, excited all the way, even singing her favorite little tunes.

She firmly believed in her intuition that something must be engraved on the custom-made tool.

...

Jinkai Road, the eastern section.

Inside a speeding black sedan, Bai Long was extremely anxious and made a call.

"Brother Long, Lady Tang has been found. She’s at the Jinda South Gate Snack Street, buying roasted pig feet, and she’s only with Ling Xiao."

"Stop losing trace of them, or else... just keep watching."

Bai Long suddenly stopped mid-sentence, aware that Ling Xiao was not an easy target to deal with, but thankfully nothing had happened to Tang Xiaowan, and he could finally report back to Li Zishen.

Ever since Ling Xiao had thrown Bai Long’s phone into the Lotus Pond and disrupted the location tracking, the bodyguard assigned to secretly protect Tang Xiaowan was promptly ditched by him.

Li Zishen, well aware that Tang Xiaowan with Leng Lingxiao shouldn’t face much trouble, was still unable to settle his mind and had Bai Long search everywhere.

Deep down, he believed Tang Xiaowan was safest right under his own watchful eye.

Yet human energy is limited.

In the days following the night attack at Mei Garden, Li Zishen had not only deployed significant manpower and resources to guard against the hidden mastermind but also frequently missed various important meetings.

An opportunity for others to take advantage was inevitable.

He had just hung up from Bai Long’s call, breathing a sigh of relief over Tang Xiaowan’s situation, his hand hadn’t even reached the folder yet when Second Uncle Li, Li Wanshan, stormed into the office without knocking.

As soon as they met, he slammed his hand on the table, unable to contain his anger,

"Zishen, today we must make it clear, do you want beauty or the world? The Leng Family is no small household, and choosing a marriage partner is extremely important. Tang Xiaowan’s family doesn’t even have a capable adult, she’s just an orphan. Does she really need so many people to protect her?"

"It seems you are quite idle, Second Uncle! Are you planning to give up those companies?"

Li Zishen’s tone was cold, as if he was asking, but it also seemed like he was informing something. Li Wanshan suddenly frowned and quickly reached to check his phone.

All morning, he had been playing cards with several major shareholders, hoping to win over people’s hearts, and the only reason Li Zishen had learned of Tang Xiaowan’s whereabouts was right after the gathering had ended.

The affairs of his own companies, however, were entirely left to Second Aunt Lai and the secretary to handle.

Recently, the companies had been attacked by cyber hackers, causing significant data breaches and forcing multiple operations to halt, resulting in considerable losses.

Yet, even at this point, Li Wanshan kept a close watch on Li Zishen.

In his heart, those few small companies were just a safeguard for a rainy day, in case one day he found it hard to breathe, so his wife and children would still have something to eat and wouldn’t have to depend on the whims of others. The family business was the apple of his eye.

"Wife, over there..."

Before he could finish, a scolding voice interrupted him.

"I called you twice and you didn’t answer. I thought you didn’t want it anymore."

He hadn’t answered because Li Wanshan had put his phone on silent.

Second Aunt Lai didn’t call again or storm down to the tea house to find him, knowing that her husband was playing cards with shareholders and didn’t want to disturb him.

Anyway, going or not, it wouldn’t make much difference.

"What happened?"

"What kind of people did you hire? They still can’t recover; production stopped an hour ago. You figure out how to explain this to them."

"Hacked again? Okay, okay, just don’t panic, let me think."

"If we really can’t, just sell it."

"Sell it? Wouldn’t that be embarrassing? The Leng Family, selling our company?"

At this moment, Li Zishen had already begun reviewing documents, completely uninterested in listening to Li Wanshan and Second Aunt Lai’s conversation. Yet they deliberately raised their voices high, afraid Li Zishen wouldn’t hear and know their difficulties, needing his help.

Seeing no response, Li Wanshan decided to come closer to the desk, playing on emotions.

"You wasteful woman, thinking of selling the company over a minor issue, aren’t you slapping Zishen’s face? I am his uncle; blood is thicker than water. Losing some money in our own company is a minor issue, but if we really sold it, wouldn’t that make people laugh at us, saying the Leng family uncle and nephew can’t get along, and watch each other fall?"

Such words, if said before Li Zishen returned to the country, might have made him feel sympathetic and helpful.

But now, he had already gathered solid evidence of Li Wanshan’s several deliberate attempts to harm him, each piece was deadly, not sending Li Wanshan to jail was merciful enough.

In the end, Li Wanshan stormed in angrily and left in the same temper.

"Wife dear, what I said earlier was meant for Zishen to hear. How could I possibly think any less of you? I’m coming right over, at most half an hour."

"Go wherever you like!"

"Wife, I was wrong, I won’t dare again, just this once, wife, wife..."

The phone went dead; Li Wanshan panicked and urged the driver to start the car.

He wasn’t afraid of anything except his wife.

At that moment, from the highest floor of the corporate building, Li Zishen withdrew his gaze from the square, paused for a few seconds, then made a call to Chen Xin.

"Begin the acquisition."

His eyes lowered, devoid of joy.

"If Leng Lingxiao moves, should we follow on the price..."

"Don’t worry, Second Uncle won’t sell to him."

"Yes, understood, I’ll handle it immediately."