In the enormous office spanning over a hundred square meters, Cang Ming sat in the main seat, reviewing a contract. The entire eastern wall of the office was made of floor-to-ceiling windows, with layers of clouds floating outside. On this man-made peak, no other buildings could be seen, only the sun by day and the moon by night could compete with it. Qin Qing gazed absentmindedly at the clouds outside, slowly and chaotically changing shape.
Xu Yizhi was also reviewing a copy of the contract. Qin Zishi carried a teapot into the office, elegantly and slowly pouring tea for Cang Ming and Xu Yizhi. When he reached Qin Qing, he filled the teacup to the brim. Full wine honors the guest, full tea insults them. This petty trick brought Qin Qing back to his senses, and he smiled.
996 sat on the coffee table, muttering proudly: “After this part of the plot, Qin Zishi will become Cang Ming’s right-hand man, his status in the company rising by leaps and bounds, jumping three levels in one go. Without your help, he can win the destiny child’s favor with his own ability. Don’t overestimate yourself. You’re just a dispensable supporting character. Who do you think you are?”
Qin Qing continued to gaze at the clouds outside, treating the provocations as entertainment. Both Cang Ming and Xu Yizhi read very quickly. They finished the thick contract in just ten minutes.
They handed the documents to Qin Qing at the same time, one voice deeply magnetic, the other cold and sonorous: “Take a look.”
Qin Qing reached out with both hands and took both copies.
Qin Zishi immediately asked, “President Cang, President Xu, is there any problem with the contract?”
Cang Ming didn’t speak, while Xu Yizhi smiled and said, “No rush. Let Qin Qing take a look first.”
Qin Zishi nodded, smiling politely, but inside he was grinding his teeth. Why should Qin Qing get to see the contract he had negotiated? What opinion could Qin Qing possibly offer? 996, who had been sitting on the coffee table tentatively pawing at the teacups, suddenly looked nervously at Qin Qing.
Qin Qing, who was reading the document carefully, glanced at it briefly and asked, “What’s wrong? Is there a problem with the contract?”
“Qin Zishi rose to power on this contract. Do you think there’s a problem with it?” 996 curled its lip dismissively, but its heart was pounding with anxiety.
Qin Qing was too unpredictable. He wouldn’t really find the problem, would he? No, impossible. He wasn’t a professional. What could he possibly spot? Thinking this, 996 quickly regained its composure. But it didn’t realize that its airplane ears and shifting eyes had already alerted Qin Qing. 996 licked its chubby paws, then licked its chubby belly, pretending to be relaxed and carefree. Only it knew that this contract was not only problematic, but the problem was particularly serious. There was a deeply hidden malicious clause that almost trapped Lanyu in bankruptcy.
In the script, Qin Zishi sent the contract to the legal department for review. At that time, Xu Yizhi had been sent to Europe to handle a business dispute, so the reviewer was Pang Yong’an. Pang Yong’an had ambition but little talent, and completely missed the loophole in the contract. When Qin Zishi asked if he had sent the document to Xu Yizhi for review, he said yes, but in fact he hadn’t. He wanted the credit for himself. Qin Zishi took the contract abroad to sign it. Due to his cautious nature, he spent half a month investigating on the ground, then called off the project at the last second before signing.
At the time, Lanyu’s top management thought his actions were unreasonable and even issued him a termination notice. But a month later, another Chinese company that had snatched this big opportunity from Lanyu suffered a crushing blow and eventually declared bankruptcy. Seeing such devastating consequences, the company’s top management felt ashamed, and Cang Ming personally went to the Qin family to bring Qin Zishi back. No one had ever been treated with such respect by Cang Ming. It was, without exaggeration, an honor. Returning to the company, Qin Zishi jumped three levels and entered Lanyu’s power core.
This part of the plot could be considered the watershed for the relationship between the destiny child and the destined one. After this, Cang Ming truly took Qin Zishi into his heart. That was how the script was written. But now, Xu Yizhi, who shouldn’t have appeared in this plot, was here. With his sharp eye, would he spot the loophole first and break this plot? The more 996 thought about it, the more anxious it became, its green eyes constantly flicking toward Xu Yizhi.
Qin Qing smiled knowingly, his slender fingertips tracing across the page, word by word, line by line. The sunlight fell on his profile, casting two fan-shaped shadows from his long lashes. His straight nose and beautiful lips were edged with gold, like a perfectly balanced, magnificent, serene oil painting. Xu Yizhi slowly leaned back in his chair, propping his forehead, lazily and intently watching this painting.
Cang Ming picked up the tea that Qin Zishi had filled to the brim for Qin Qing. Qin Zishi’s heart tightened. He was about to warn “Careful, it’s hot,” when he saw Cang Ming pour the tea into the trash can instead. Then he picked up the teapot, poured half a cup of hot tea, and gently pushed it in front of Qin Qing. Qin Zishi was stunned, his face flushing red. So his little tricks had already been noticed by Cang Ming. What would he think of him? Petty and ridiculous, unfit for the big stage?
Qin Zishi’s pale lips twitched, a bitter taste on his tongue. 996 licked its paws, then its belly, then its rear end, looking relaxed, but in reality, its scalp was numb. Having spent so much time together, it knew all too well how uncontrollable Qin Qing was. He was a master at causing chaos. And now with the unfathomable Xu Yizhi added to the mix, it was chaos on top of chaos.
“Are you done reading? Both bosses are waiting for you.” 996 snorted casually.
“I’m done.” Qin Qing looked up and handed the document back to Xu Yizhi.
“Any problems?” Xu Yizhi asked lazily.
“What do you think?” Qin Qing leaned in, staring at the other man’s charming, amorous eyes, as if trying to find the answer there.
Xu Yizhi’s lips curved into a smile: “I’m testing you, not the other way around. Don’t try to cheat.”
Qin Qing smiled too, nodding: “There is indeed a problem.”
Qin Zishi, who had been about to pick up the teapot, froze.
996, licking its belly with its chubby leg in the air: “Meow?!”
Cang Ming, however, seemed to have expected this. He tapped the table with his knuckles and said in a deep voice: “Where’s the problem?”
Qin Qing placed the two copies in front of Cang Ming and Xu Yizhi, opened them to the problematic page, and pointed to one clause: “Every clause in the contract is very reasonably drafted, but this inconspicuous note is the only trap.”
996 quickly ran to Xu Yizhi’s side, looked at it, and gasped. Damn it. The rookie Qin Qing had actually found the loophole. He hadn’t been making it up.
Qin Zishi put down the teapot, grabbed the contract in front of Xu Yizhi, and asked unwillingly: “Where’s the trap? I don’t see anything.”
“This one.” Qin Qing tapped his finger: “If a dispute arises between the two parties, arbitration shall take place only at the location of the mining site, and only the laws of that location shall apply.”
“What’s wrong with that? Many contracts are drafted that way.” Qin Zishi looked up with a venomous glare.
“The small European country where the Romen Group is located currently has a very unstable political situation. Local law enforcement is deeply corrupt and holds absolute power. They could easily take our billion-dollar investment, then find some regulation to halt the project and embezzle the money. At that point, we’d have no legal way to protect our interests. We’d be helplessly plundered.”
Qin Qing looked at Cang Ming seriously: “This note is very unfavorable to us. I think we should be cautious.”
Before Cang Ming could respond, Qin Zishi interjected urgently: “I’m good friends with the president of the Romen Group. I trust his character. This investment is very beneficial to the local economy. Local officials have hosted me multiple times, repeatedly assuring me they would fully support the project’s development.”
Qin Zishi emphasized each word: “They are very sincere. In my professional judgment, this investment is sound.”
Qin Qing shook his head: “Fraudsters are always sincere to their prey before they achieve their goals. Your professional judgment may not be accurate.”
“Then what about your judgment? You don’t even have a profession.” Qin Zishi sneered.
“Remember, this is the company’s money, not yours. You’re responsible to the company. Even if there’s the slightest doubt about a contract, it must be treated with caution.” Qin Qing responded calmly.
“Vigorously pursuing this investment is what truly benefits the company. Do you know how much profit the company will make once it’s completed?” Qin Zishi wouldn’t back down.
“High profits come with high risks.” Qin Qing continued to counter.
Qin Zishi gradually lost his composure and sneered: “I’ve noticed you have no pioneering spirit at all. But constant innovation is exactly Lanyu’s corporate culture. You don’t belong at Lanyu.”
“Then do you? Personal emotions have overtaken your reason. You can no longer analyze and think rationally. If the investment fails, how will you answer to the company?” Qin Qing provoked him.
“The investment will not fail. I stake my career on it.” Qin Zishi gritted his teeth, enunciating each word.
996 covered its big face with its paws, groaning inwardly. Damn it, why was the clever, wise destined one in the script so pathetic in front of Qin Qing? Staking his career, that was not something to be said lightly.
But Qin Zishi had no idea he’d been led into a trap. He turned to Cang Ming and said with utmost certainty: “President Cang, I worked hard to secure this contract. Although the initial investment is indeed huge, once the project is completed, the profits will be enormous. President Cang, please trust my judgment. I will personally guarantee it. If the investment fails, I will resign from the company immediately.”
996 was stunned. How had the conversation pushed the destined one into a corner? The plot was screwed again. Cang Ming picked up the contract and flipped through it slowly, silent for a long time. Xu Yizhi leaned lazily back in his chair, his expression unreadable. Qin Qing leaned toward him, his hopeful gaze drifting sideways, as if silently asking: Did I pass the test?
Xu Yizhi chuckled deeply, then slowly nodded, his eyes full of pleasure and appreciation. Cang Ming had long noticed the two exchanging glances. His already stern face grew even colder. 996 paced frantically, and finally, despite its fear, dashed in front of Cang Ming, waving its little paws in protest.
“Hurry up and give the project to Qin Zishi for investigation. No matter what Qin Zishi says or does, support him unconditionally. You two are meant to be together. And then scold Qin Qing. What does he think he is? What ability does he have to spot loopholes? He’s talking nonsense, disrupting morale. Scold him badly, scold him until he’s embarrassed, scold him until he cries, scold him to death.”
Cang Ming frowned in displeasure. He raised his hand and tossed the contract onto the table. It seemed like a light toss, but it landed like a mountain from the sky, flattening the noisy, blustering 996 into a thin cat pancake. 996 didn’t even have time to cry out before it was completely silenced. Qin Qing suppressed his surprise, watching the scene with feigned calm. The earlier conversation echoed in his mind.
“If you really catch that cat, please flatten it for me, okay?”
“Okay.”
So Cang Ming had actually flattened 996. It wasn’t a joke. The motion of putting down the document was perfectly normal, but the result was too much of a coincidence. Was Cang Ming truly a mortal…
Qin Qing lowered his lashes, calming his inner doubts and turmoil. Qin Zishi looked directly at Cang Ming with hopeful anticipation. He knew that with this gesture, Cang Ming had already made his decision. With such enormous profits at stake, if Lanyu didn’t take the deal, countless other manufacturers at home and abroad would swoop in. Cang Ming wouldn’t disagree. However, Cang Ming’s response exceeded Qin Zishi’s expectations.
He tapped the note with his fingertip, his tone cold and oppressive: “Staking your career as a guarantee? May I ask, what is your career worth?”
Qin Zishi froze on the spot.
What did that mean?
996 wriggled like a worm from under the document, then flowed like liquid under the coffee table, finding a gap to hide. Cang Ming was truly terrifying.
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