E-Ladies: Navigating the Wired World
Chapter 213: Episode 213: Playing the Long Game to Catch Big Fish

Chapter 213: Episode 213: Playing the Long Game to Catch Big Fish

Throughout the entire dinner, Yuan Weicheng behaved himself perfectly, showing no signs of overstepping boundaries or making inappropriate remarks. He stuck strictly to discussing work-related matters with Zhang Jingwan, and whenever he sensed the conversation drifting toward personal topics, he quickly and alertly steered it away.

This behavior was entirely different from his online persona, where he freely scattered provocative comments.

"Miss Wanwan, please mind yourself. This is a public place, and I am a married man..." Facing Zhang Jingwan’s intentional or accidental physical touches, Yuan Weicheng handled it smoothly, flashing the ring on his left ring finger as a warning to her not to overstep.

"Oh, but Mr. Yuan, you had quite a different attitude when you chatted with me online," Zhang Jingwan said, batting her eyelashes.

"Online is a virtual world, reality is the real world. Miss Wanwan, being as smart as you are, surely you wouldn’t confuse the two?" Yuan Weicheng said, enticing yet rejecting her with his gaze.

"Ah, right, that was presumptuous of me. Let’s continue our conversation about work!" Zhang Jingwan politely smiled, pulling back her foot that had been stretched out under the table.

Unexpectedly, Yuan Weicheng suddenly trapped her foot with his legs.

’Damn it, acting all high and mighty with me! Putting on airs like a gentleman on the surface, but underneath just a beast in robes. If you really don’t want to be teased by me, then damn well get your stinking foot off me!’

Zhang Jingwan cursed him inwardly, but her face remained very calm.

The two continued their disjointed work-related conversation, speaking at cross purposes, never quite on the same wavelength.

To outsiders, the atmosphere between the two seemed quite harmonious, but Zhang Jingwan was nearly bored to death. Just endlessly going on about the mundane aspects of work, she wondered what was there to brag about the company they were taking over...

Naturally, Yuan Weicheng picked up the bill. He also gallantly helped Zhang Jingwan with her coat and walked her out of the restaurant.

"It’s quite cold today," he said, making small talk, and his eyes hinted for Zhang Jingwan to check her coat pocket.

"Yes, it’s really cold. I’ve called a cab back. See you, Mr. Yuan!" Just then a taxi pulled up in front of the restaurant, and as someone got out, Zhang Jingwan smoothly slid into the back seat. She waved at Yuan Weicheng, "We’ll be in touch online, bye!"

"Bye..." Yuan Weicheng forced a smile as he bid farewell to Zhang Jingwan, seething with anger inside.

He wondered if the girl had genuinely missed his hint or pretended not to care, just flirting and running away? That was somewhat unscrupulous! But she had already left, what could he do? He could only wait for the next time!

Yuan Weicheng revealed a sinister smile and even licked his lips. Next time, he definitely wouldn’t let her slip away.

Sitting in the taxi, Zhang Jingwan finally reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper with the name of a hotel and a room number written on it.

"Hmph! Wolf in sheep’s clothing!" she muttered under her breath.

"Talking about that guy just now, right? Brother here could tell at a glance he wasn’t a good guy!" The driver surprisingly chimed in, supporting Zhang Jingwan’s cursing.

"Wow, you’ve got sharp eyes, to figure him out in just a few minutes?" Zhang Jingwan found the driver amusing and struck up a brief conversation with him.

"Any normal man, upon seeing the cab arrive, would have proactively opened and shut the car door for a lady, and politely see her off. But the look in that guy’s eyes was as if someone was eating his own flesh, he didn’t even think to open the door for you. I could feel it through the rearview mirror, if I drove any slower, he might have chased after us!" The driver rambled on.

"You really have a keen eye, hahaha." Zhang Jingwan genuinely admired the driver, who could read a person so clearly in just a few minutes. Not an ordinary feat.

"Of course, I’ve been driving a taxi for so many years—I’ve seen all sorts of people. Young lady, let me tell you, it’s good you ran fast. Don’t get too close to that kind of person! The type who will eat you up without spitting out your bones!"

"Yeah! Thank you for the heads up, I’ll be careful!" said Zhang Jingwan appreciatively.

But was it possible not to interact with such people?

These days, those who spend the money are the underlings, and those who take the money are the bosses. People take the company’s money and if you want to work wholeheartedly for the company, without playing any tricks, you really can’t compete with these money-takers.

When they reached the entrance of the residential complex, Zhou Xueyin and Wei Jingzhu came out together to meet Zhang Jingwan and take her home.

"That monkey, he didn’t do anything to you, did he?" Zhou Xueyin asked with concern.

"Him, he has the desire but not the guts..." Zhang Jingwan took out the slip of paper Yuan Weicheng had stuffed into her coat pocket and handed it to Zhou Xueyin.

"This guy really is a beast in human clothing!" Zhou Xueyin said with disgust.

"Men, aren’t they all like that, saying one thing while welcoming another, ’Don’t do this,’ yet they welcome embraces. After all, who would refuse something that’s freely given?" Wei Jingzhu commented cynically from the sidelines.

"What if it was freely given to you, would you want it?" Zhou Xueyin gave him a look.

"No thanks! Wouldn’t it be better to spend that time researching something else?" Wei Jingzhu cheerfully interjected, "I’m off to study some software."

"Xiaojing is so well-behaved under your watch, impressive!" Zhang Jingwan said enviously.

"I’m not controlling him; our personalities are similar, and our thoughts aren’t that different... Forget about me, what did you talk about over dinner?" Zhou Xueyin pulled Zhang Jingwan to sit on the sofa.

"We didn’t talk about much, just work-related stuff. I said one thing, he said another, completely off-sync, super boring!" exclaimed Zhang Jingwan, deflated, "But you wouldn’t know, he’s such a chatterbox on QQ!"

"Probably has to mind his image when he’s out, considering he’s married..." Zhou Xueyin scoffed.

"Oh right!" Zhang Jingwan recapped all the dinner incidents to Zhou Xueyin.

Before Zhou Xueyin could react, Zhang Jingwan’s phone rang. It was a text from Yuan Weicheng: "Really enjoyed our dinner conversation today, looking forward to our next gathering."

"Enjoyed it? My foot! Does he even understand ’enjoyment’? But every time I mention getting us more business, he changes the subject. Or if I bring up next year’s fees, he just dodges the question..." Zhang Jingwan frowned, "I always feel like he only wants to collect money without really helping us increase our volume."

"It’s the same with all account companies—they all siphon fans from active accounts, what else would they earn money from?" Zhou Xueyin shrugged, "But their content quality has seriously declined lately, and engagement isn’t high either. Maybe we should consider switching to another account group?"

"Let’s milk as many followers as we can first! I get along well with the person I’m liaising with; he’s agreed privately to help me by using the active accounts to increase volume. We’ll just throw him some benefits when the time comes," Zhang Jingwan said, winking.

"That’s definitely fine. Just be careful with Yuan Weicheng, as long as you don’t get too involved, you’ll be okay," Zhou Xueyin advised before preparing to wash up.

Get involved? Hardly possible, Zhang Jingwan thought confidently, letting the other party get ensnared would be more like it! After all, having such people alive is just a waste of resources.