Chapter 652 - 432: Toying with the Dog

"Some motherfucker actually dares to snatch a deal right out from under my nose. They must have a death wish! That fucking bitch, goddammit!"

A furious, irrepressible string of curses echoed through the antique-style teahouse.

Then, with a SMASH—

An expensive teacup was hurled to the ground, shattering into a thousand pieces.

Shards of porcelain scattered across the floor.

Facing his furious boss, the bespectacled Secretary Li’s lips tightened as he tried to placate him:

"President Qi, please don’t be angry. There must be some kind of misunderstanding. Let’s contact President Xia first and figure out what happened."

"Figure it out? Isn’t it fucking clear enough?! The contract’s already been signed, and now that bitch won’t even answer her phone. You useless piece of shit! I told you to watch them closely, and you didn’t even know they’d signed the contract?"

Secretary Li’s collar was snatched, and in an instant, he was lifted off his feet.

Then, Qi Yingchen violently threw him aside.

Secretary Li stumbled a few steps, nearly falling to the floor.

"It’s not my fault, President Qi! I had people watching her the whole time. I knew the eldest daughter of the Jiangg Family went to Youxia Company, but we had already greased the wheels, hadn’t we? So I didn’t think much of it."

"Get the hell out!"

Qi Yingchen roared.

However, before Secretary Li could scramble to his feet and get out, he had only just reached the door when Qi Yingchen barked a new order.

"Have the driver wait downstairs, now. Since she won’t answer her phone, I’ll go to Youxia Company and see her myself."

"Yes, yes!"

Secretary Li nodded hurriedly and jogged down the hallway.

It wasn’t until he was out of the office and by the elevators that he realized his back was soaked with cold sweat.

It was no wonder he was terrified.

He had been with Qi Yingchen for at least seven or eight years, watching his boss claw his way up from running a cabaret to owning a real estate company. The man was an unscrupulous bastard who stood over six feet tall and was still in his prime.

He had personally seen Qi Yingchen fly off the handle and beat or curse his subordinates for the slightest reason.

Once the car was ready, Qi Yingchen straightened himself up and went downstairs. The look on his face was so dark, it was as if he was about to eat someone alive.

How could he not be furious?

He had put so much effort into acquiring the Meiruxue Company building; he’d even dreamed of making it his.

He’d spent a fortune just bribing everyone up and down the ladder, calling in favors all over Mingzhu City and getting all the other real estate firms to back off.

But the prize, practically in his grasp, had vanished into thin air! And he’d been kept in the dark the entire time.

Now, Qi Yingchen felt like he’d been played for a complete fool. All his careful scheming had only served to set the stage for someone else.

So he stormed into Youxia Company with his men, barely pausing for breath. He completely ignored the receptionist’s attempts to stop him and stormed his way up to the seventh-floor offices.

"Sir, you can’t go in without an appointment... What do you think you’re doing? If you don’t stop, I’m calling security!"

The poor receptionist followed them all the way to the seventh floor.

But no matter how frantic she was, her small frame was no match for several large men in suits.

"Xia Ming, get your ass out here! What the hell is going on? If you don’t give me an explanation today, I swear, we’re not done!"

His brutish roar echoed down the seventh-floor hallway.

It was only when Qi Yingchen burst into the office that he saw her: Xia Ming, the boss of Youxia Company—a woman in her thirties, leisurely sipping her tea.

Seeing her so relaxed, a fresh wave of uncontrollable rage surged through Qi Yingchen.

"President Qi, we live in a society governed by laws. Don’t bring your old cabaret tactics into the business world. I can have you arrested for barging in here like this."

"Go ahead, call them! You’ve got the guts? But before you do, you’re going to tell me what the hell is going on with the Jiangg Family’s building." Qi Yingchen rolled up his sleeves, his face a grim mask as he walked to her desk and stared her down.

"It’s true that I acquired the Jiangg Family’s building. The contract was signed this morning. But it wasn’t my idea," Xia Ming’s expression darkened as well. "There’s no point in coming here and acting tough with me. It was all arranged by the Leader."

"The Leader’s arrangement? Who do you think you’re kidding?! I already had everything sorted out with the Leader! I got more than half the real estate firms in Mingzhu City to stay out of it. Why would he authorize you to muddy these waters?" Xia Ming’s words stunned Qi Yingchen for a second, but he quickly recovered and shot back the question.

"You’ll have to ask him for the reason yourself. To be honest, I didn’t want to steal your deal at all. But when the Leader gives an order, I can’t refuse." Xia Ming shook her head, her tone earnest.

She didn’t look like she was lying.

Qi Yingchen’s expression flickered between anger and uncertainty.

After a moment, his reason returned.

’Most of the business owners in Mingzhu City belong to the same interest group. They generally avoid cutthroat competition unless it’s a special situation. And Youxia Company has no reason to interfere; their primary business has nothing to do with commercial real estate.’

’But why would the Leader make such an arrangement?’

Qi Yingchen couldn’t figure it out.

The project to acquire the land in the new development zone on the outskirts of Mingzhu City was something the Leader had covertly assigned to him in the first place.

"Fine, I’ll go ask him myself! I don’t believe this!"

He had arrived like a storm, and after this confrontation, he left just as hastily.

To be honest, Qi Yingchen’s mind was a mess. He was still seething with rage, but after hearing what Xia Ming said, he had a feeling that things weren’t as simple as they seemed.

...

「Time flashed forward to five in the evening.」

Qi Yingchen waited in a secluded villa, growing more anxious by the minute.

When he’d gone to see Xia Ming, he could barge in without a second thought because they were more or less equals.

But meeting the Leader was different. This was a subordinate seeking an audience with a superior.

The difference in status meant he had to play by the Leader’s rules.

No matter how agitated he felt, he had to wait here obediently, not daring to show the slightest hint of impatience.

Three hours flew by. When Qi Yingchen finally heard a car approaching outside, he shot up from the sofa and hurried to the door to greet him.

A black sedan pulled up.

The car door opened.

In the back seat sat a middle-aged man with a square face, a broad forehead, and a benevolent expression. He had no intention of getting out of the car.

"Whatever you have to say, say it quickly. I only have ten minutes."

"Leader! Thank you for taking the time to see me," Qi Yingchen said, bowing slightly at the car door, his voice laced with anxiety. "About Youxia Company acquiring the building... what’s going on? Weren’t we in agreement that I would be the one to secure that property? They said it was on your orders..."

"It was," the Leader replied, giving an answer he hadn’t expected. "As for that building, you don’t need to concern yourself with it any longer. I’ve made other arrangements."

"But I’ve already spent so much money on this! I can’t just let it all go to waste! We had an agreement... You know how much effort I put—"

"Are you saying you’re dissatisfied with my arrangements?"

Before Qi Yingchen could finish, the Leader’s face instantly turned cold as he stared at him and asked the sharp question.

"No... I wouldn’t dare, Leader. I just don’t understand why."

"Aren’t there enough properties in the development zone for you to make a profit?"

"There are, more than enough..."

"That’s all. I have other business to attend to."

With that said, the driver shut the door without another word.

The black sedan left the front of the villa without any further delay.

Leaving Qi Yingchen standing there alone, his fists clenched so tightly that the veins on his forehead bulged.

’I give you so much fucking money, and you treat me like a dog.’