Taming The Hidden Bigshot By Kissing Him
Chapter 386: Vigilant Defense, Playing with the Romantic Rival

Chapter 386: Chapter 386: Vigilant Defense, Playing with the Romantic Rival

Zhou Yu upped the ante, "The project proposal that our Tianyuan Group has put forth is already perfect, as long as Young Master Zhong invests, he can just lie back and make money. It was Young Master Zhong who originally came up with the idea of combining Future City with the tourism project, wasn’t it?"

Wan Jiang revealed a somewhat embarrassed smile.

There’s no such thing as an investment without risks where money can be made just by lying down.

This first round of investment alone would require upwards of a billion, and their Young Master Zhong definitely couldn’t come up with that kind of money personally.

So he said, "President Huo, President Zhou. Your proposal is indeed perfect, but Future City has already experienced construction stoppages before, we need to conduct another risk assessment. Let’s hold off on this matter, I think."

"Hold off? Initially, it was Young Master Zhong who proposed to inspect Future City with the intention of investing. Are you backing out now?" Zhou Yu countered.

The first time Zhong Yi mentioned the Future City project was when Huo Beiting colluded with Xu Xingluo to kidnap Qiao Xi.

He said he passed by Future City and rescued Qiao Xi on a whim.

Wan Jiang played the peacemaker, "That’s not what I mean, President Zhou, the deal is too big. We need some time for inspection and haven’t made a decision yet. Presidents, we are also unfamiliar with Haicheng, we must be cautious, right?"

Zhou Yu smiled and said, "Does Young Master Zhong think the same?"

His finger tapped on the "Letter of Intent for Cooperation" lying on the conference table.

With a trace of coldness in his eyes, Zhong Yi pulled out a pen and signed his name on the letter of intent.

"Young Master Zhong?" Wan Jiang was a bit panicked.

If they couldn’t come up with the money for the investment later on, they would have to pay a penalty for breaching the contract.

Having put down the pen, Zhong Yi said, "I have signed the letter of intent. I trust President Huo will treat this project well. I like Haicheng very much and hope that Future City can become a landmark project that sweeps the nation."

"Pleasure doing business."

With a smile on his lips, Huo Xingzhou didn’t care whether or not Zhong Yi signed, as it would be a no-lose situation for him.

Zhong Yi looked at him with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes and extended his hand for a handshake, "Pleasure doing business."

He knew that if he didn’t leave, Huo Xingzhou would send someone every day to ask if he wanted to invest in Future City, forcing him to fork out the money.

The annoyance would drive anyone mad!

Why did he have to foolishly say he would inspect Future City in the first place!

Indeed, Huo Xingzhou was one to hold a grudge!

However, what worried him most was that Huo Xingzhou might suspect his identity and start investigating his past. The Zhong Family had initially covered everything up tightly; it shouldn’t be easy to find out.

The money for the investment in Future City was an issue. Zhong Yi had a bit of a headache; he wasn’t entirely sure he could get the money from the Zhong Family, and he guessed he would have to think it over carefully later on.

They were still talking.

A figure passed by the semi-transparent conference room.

Qiao Xi stood at the doorway of the conference room in a peach-pink traditional Chinese-style long dress, and upon seeing Huo Xingzhou, she waved her hand to greet him.

The dress made her complexion appear even better, her smile as lovely as a flower.

Her eyes were like autumn waters, looking at Huo Xingzhou with a gleaming smile.

Huo Xingzhou stood up and walked over, opening the glass door of the conference room, "Come in."

Qiao Xi spoke softly, "Aren’t you having a meeting? It wouldn’t be good for me to go in, would it?"

Her eyes were pleading, and after the previous night, the relationship between them seemed to have grown even more intimate. Qiao Xi gradually believed that it was her destiny to marry Huo Xingzhou.

She was destined to be his woman, with no other choice.

So she felt a sense of rightful ownership over him.

"The meeting is over, just chatting now," Huo Xingzhou’s eyes twinkled briefly as his gaze swept over the precious purple sandalwood box in her hands, "The gifts you receive, you should personally return them, right?"

"Yes."

Qiao Xi glanced lightly at Zhong Yi and nodded her head.

Huo Xingzhou took her hand and walked towards the meeting room, both Wan Jiang and Zhong Yi turned their gazes towards Qiao Xi.

To be precise, they were looking at the box in her hand.

Wan Jiang prayed silently that it wouldn’t be what he was thinking, for if Young Master Zhong got unhappy, it would be terrifying.

Without Miss Xiang here at this moment, he didn’t want to be tormented by Young Master Zhong. The joke that Zhou Yu, that old dog, made earlier had already enraged Young Master Zhong.

You wouldn’t know from the genteel demeanor of this noble young gentleman at the moment that beneath the surface, he might be harboring a tremendous amount of rage.

It seemed like Tianyuan Group and their Young Master Zhong were truly at odds in every possible way!

Qiao Xi approached the two and extended the purple sandalwood box in both hands to Zhong Yi, saying, "Yesterday was my birthday, and I was honored that Young Master Zhong could attend. This gift is too valuable, and after much consideration, I cannot accept it."

Zhong Yi did not accept it, his eyes already harboring anger, yet his expression remained calm, "It’s merely a Peace Lock, what’s so valuable about it! Could it be that Young Madam Huo thinks the Mutton Fat Jade is beneath her?"

He knew that Qiao Xi returning the gift must have been instigated by Huo Xingzhou.

This man, he had quite the knack for manipulation!

"President Huo, once a gift is given, there’s no reason to take it back," Zhong Yi said with a much colder tone, "Do you look down on me as a business partner? You accept gifts from everyone else, but you reject mine specifically."

Qiao Xi sensed his anger and turned her head to look at Huo Xingzhou.

She wanted to return the gift, and Huo Xingzhou had agreed with her, but how could she reject the hot potato without undermining their partnership?

Huo Xingzhou, catching her gaze, took the purple sandalwood box from her hands and placed it on the conference table in front of Zhong Yi.

His long fingers lifted the lid of the box, revealing the lustrous Mutton Fat Jade to everyone present.

With a tone that was both light and mocking, he said, "Young Master Zhong, might I inquire where you obtained this Mutton Fat Jade Peace Lock? And who was its previous owner?"

"What about it?" Zhong Yi asked, raising his eyebrows from where he sat, "Do you scrutinize who previously owned the gifts you receive? What about those antique calligraphies and paintings you received last night? Why don’t you investigate those as well?"

Huo Xingzhou was ridiculed by him covertly but did not show the slightest displeasure.

He reached out and took the Peace Lock, "Even the finest Mutton Fat Jade shouldn’t be this transparent and smooth. It’s either been polished by the best craftsman, superior in technique, or it’s been frequently worn and played with, and deeply cherished. As the saying goes, jade nurtures the person, and the person nurtures the jade."

His lips curled slightly as he looked at Zhong Yi with an indistinct smile and said, "Young Master Zhong, this Peace Lock is a woman’s item, it certainly wasn’t something you carried with you. Could it be that it was nurtured by one of your female friends?

My wife is not one to snatch love with a borrowed hand. Inviting you to the birthday banquet was indeed rather sudden, and there’s no need for you to casually offer a treasure belonging to an intimate friend as a gift. Especially since we’ve just signed a letter of intent for cooperation, we can’t allow you to go to such expense."

Zhong Yi almost lost his composure.

Quite the move, Huo Xingzhou, barely stopping short of saying outright that he took the jade directly from his lover to give to Qiao Xi!

It came across as both frivolous and thoughtless.

Zhong Yi felt like he was about to cough up blood from anger.

Qiao Xi had not considered this aspect; she simply felt the jade was too valuable to accept. Thinking about where the jade could have come from, perhaps even taken directly from Xiang Mingzhu, made her feel even more averse to accepting it!

"Young Master Zhong, I appreciate your kind intentions, but I really can’t accept this," said Qiao Xi, distancing her attitude further from him.

"Wan Jiang."

Zhong Yi felt a tightness in his chest, "Take the item back."

This Peace Lock, he had carefully nurtured for return. He had always been seeking the right opportunity to give it to her, but Huo Xingzhou had spoiled the plan.

It seemed like Huo Xingzhou had truly become aware of his exceptional status, guarding vigilantly as one would against a romantic rival.

Zhong Yi raised his eyes, meeting Huo Xingzhou’s gaze.

The latter looked relaxed, as though he understood everything.

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