Chapter 39
Inside the conference room, Assistant Peng cautiously asked, “CEO Shen, are you sure you want to lower the price of the bid to this number of points?”
“What? You got an idea?” Shen Ron looked at him askance with a grin as he played with the gold pen in his hand.
“I just don’t think Chen Hao’s words are very believable.”
Tomorrow is the day of bidding, but Chen Hao from The Lim Family’s legal department suddenly approached Assistant Peng this morning to sell Gu’s bid to Shen at a base price of $300, 000.
Three hundred thousand dollars is child’s play for this hundred million dollar case that any other company would be willing to buy.
“I think it’s believable.” Shen Mu leaned his body inside the leather chair with a lazy face and said, “I just received feedback from the investigation, Chen Hao lost three hundred thousand at the poker table last month and is being chased around by the casino’s people for debts these days.”
“Looks like he’s really short of money.”
“Uh huh.” Shen Ron turns aside to LILY, “What do you think, dear?”
“I find it highly plausible.” LILY nodded.
“That’s it then.” Shen Ron sat up straight and began to pack up the documents on his desk, while sweeping a glance at the there personnel in the seat, “Everyone here, don’t follow the example of other lawyers Chen who know the law and sell company secrets, otherwise …” He smiled grimly, “Absolutely can not spare you.”
“Understood.” Everyone in the room nodded and began to gather their papers for the meeting to adjourn as well.
Only Cheng Lydia remained in her seat and gazed at Shen Ron and said, “Why did you go and buy someone’s company secrets when you knew it was a known violation of the law?”
Shen Ron was gathering his papers and lifted his eyebrows to look at her, and the others’ eyes came up in unison at the same time.
Cheng Lydia scanned the crowd, not understanding why everyone was looking at her with such a monster look when she had merely told the truth.
“Look, let’s just say we can’t have this little white rabbit in the bid case.” Shen Ron swept a grumbling glance at LILY.
The company’s bids are extremely important and confidential, and no one who is not particularly relevant can participate in them, much less a new secretary like Cheng Lydia.
LILY put her in because she knew she was from The Shen Family and had the right to join, and to create a little more time for her and Shen Ron to spend together.
It’s just that this young grandmother is really … too much of a bunny, to paraphrase CEO Shen, isn’t she?
“Is that sympathy for The Lim Family’s CEO Lim, this lady? Are you that worried that he won’t be able to take the land?” Shen Ron raised an eyebrow at her.
Cheng Lydia ran out of breath and retorted, “I just don’t think we should do it, it has nothing to do with him.”
“Dear Miss White, this shopping mall is like a battlefield, it’s either you die or I live. You think it’s as easy as you are in the hospital? When you push a patient into the operating room and cut him or her, and the patient is lucky enough to survive, you can easily say to the family, ‘Congratulations, the operation was a success’. The patient unfortunately dies on the operating table, and you can still say with a helpless face, ‘Sorry, we tried our best’ and then you can go home and shuffle off to bed.”
Shen Ron stared at her as she finished this sentence, copying the folder on the desk with one hand into his trouser pocket and the other handsomely away.
Cheng Lydia glared irritably at his back as he walked out, snorting uncharitably.
It was clearly unethical to do so, and in turn taunted her for not knowing the mall and made her profession sound so easy and cold and heartless.
Only Cheng Lydia and LILY were left inside the meeting room, LILY swept a glance at the direction Shen Ron left and said with a smile, “Secretary Cheng, The Lim Family’s CEO Lim including Gu’s Gu’s Liu’s Liu’s Liu, must also be inquiring about Shen’s bid base price from all sides at this time. This is the shopping mall, everyone’s heart shines still declare the unspoken rules of the industry.”
On this point, Cheng Lydia really didn’t know and had never heard anyone talk about it.
She opened her mouth and couldn’t pick up the words.
LILY raised her hand and patted her on the shoulder, saying, “You and Assistant Peng will be accompanying CEO Shen to the bid tomorrow, so get to know more about the process tonight.”
“Hmm.” Cheng Lydia nodded her head in agreement.
Early the next morning, Cheng Lydia went to the Civic Center with Shen Ron and Assistant Peng to bid on a site of over tens of thousands of square feet near the west side of town.
At the moment it doesn’t look very impressive, sparsely populated and the terrain is unorganized, but sooner or later it will develop. So any real estate company with the power to do so will want to beat the competition to take it down in one fell swoop.
It was still early, and the three of them were seated and waiting in the cafe on the first floor over drinks.
Assistant Peng, coffee mug in hand, talks to Cheng Lydia about hospital jobs, claiming that his sister is planning to enroll in LS City Medical University, but doesn’t know if the medical profession is a good one.
Cheng Lydia smiles, “As they say, all trades are created, so if you work hard enough, you’ll naturally mix well.”
“Just like Secretary Cheng you are.”
“Me? I’m just a junior doctor at Yarn Hospital.”
“Secretary Cheng you are too modest, but I heard that you got into Yarn’s internship in your sophomore year, and also completed your credits a year early, becoming the first honors student in the whole year to graduate from the school.” Assistant Peng smirked.
“How do you know that?” Cheng Lydia was surprised.
“I heard it from Sister Lily.” Assistant Peng asked again, “There should be quite a lot of subjects in the school, what are you majoring in?”
“Ahem …” Shen Ron, who had been doubled up on the side, couldn’t help but dryly cough twice with his hand against his lips, successfully interrupting the two men’s conversation.
The two gave him a sideways glance on the same ground and stopped laughing.
“Can we talk a little more honestly? It’s making my ears fall out.” Shen Ron showed a look of displeasure.
Assistant Peng opened his mouth and laughed dryly.
Cheng Lydia took out her phone and looked at it, and after looking at it and finding it uninteresting, Ru got up from her chair and said, “I’m going to the bathroom.”
There was nothing to talk about with Shen Ron, and it was so boring to have to look at him for a conversation that she would rather just hang out.
Since she had walked out, it was good to stop by the bathroom, and Cheng Lydia headed in the direction of the bathroom.
The washbasin was built in a common area for men and women outside the restroom, and Cheng Lydia noticed her lip gloss was frothing, as it were, and clipped her file folder under her armpit and pulled it out from inside her makeup bag to touch up her makeup.
After finishing her makeup she looked left and right and felt it was okay before she was ready to leave.
And just then, she suddenly felt the light dim to her left as a tall, lean figure loomed down, and through the lens she saw Gu William standing less than ten centimeters away from her.
“HI!” said Gu William, giving her a clear smile in the mirror and leaning over to unscrew the tap to wash her hands.
Cheng Lydia took a step to the side out of instinct, as far away from him as possible.
“What? Afraid I’ll eat you?” Gu William looked at her mockingly.
“Sorry, I have to go first.” Cheng Lydia gathered her makeup bag as quickly as she could and turned to walk quickly out of the bathroom.
“Hey, Ms Cheng …” Behind her, Gu William’s voice rang out, and Cheng Lydia picked up the pace as it were.
It wasn’t until she was sure Gu William wasn’t following her that and slowed her pace and felt under her armpit, empty.
Cheng Lydia was shocked, only to find that the original folder under the armpit is not easy to fly away, that is the immediate use of the bid, the company’s confidential documents ah!
She scrambled to turn back around, looking all the way in the direction of the bathroom.
If Shen Ron finds out she lost the bid, he’ll be so mad he’ll strangle her, for sure!
As she ran to the bathroom door, she collided with Gu William, who came out in front of her and reached out with a long arm to help her fall.
“What’s the hurry to go?” Gu William winked knowingly at her pretty eyes.
Cheng Lydia looked down slightly, and when she saw the file folder in Gu William’s hand, her heart fluttered and she reached out to grab it.
“Eh, are you a robber?” Gu William put one arm around her and held the paper bag a hair higher to avoid her palm.
“So you’re the one who took my file bag, give it back!” Cheng Lydia glared at him.
“How did I take it, I obviously picked it up, and I’ve just called you on it, you’re the one who didn’t want it.”
“Cut the crap and give me back my papers!” Cheng Lydia snatched the file bag out of his hand and turned it over to see that it was hers. A second look at the string on top of the file bag showed signs of looseness, but it was good that all the papers inside were there.
Cheng Lydia was so busy checking the file folders that she didn’t notice Shen Ron walking quickly from a short distance away, just in time to see her leaning on Gu William’s arms and burying her head in the file folders.
Feet tapping, irritation building, Shen Ron took a few strides to grab Cheng Lydia’s arm and yank her out of Gu William’s arms, glaring at the two men and saying coldly, “What are you doing?”
Cheng Lydia was taken aback, only then noticing Shen Ron’s arrival, she scanned back and forth between the two men who were on fire, a momentary twinge of bad vibes hitting her mind.
Oh no, Shen Ron already doesn’t like her being close to Gu William, and now he sees such a misunderstanding, I wonder what he will think.
Compared to Cheng Lydia’s panic, Gu William seemed relaxed and at ease, shrugging and saying, “Would you believe me if I said we were cheating on each other?”
“Asshole!” Shen Ron swung up and was about to slam a fist into Gu William’s handsome face, when Cheng Lydia hauled him off.
“Shen Ron don’t listen to his nonsense!” Cheng Lydia threw her arms around him and said, “How could I have cheated on him? I’m not!”
“What to do, your husband doesn’t look like he believes you at all.” Gu William continued to wind up on the sidelines, finishing by slapping his hands into his trouser pockets and sprinting off in the direction of the bidding venue.
Cheng Lydia looked at the fury on Shen Ron’s face and opened her mouth to try to explain, “There’s really nothing going on with me and him, we …”
“Do you think I care if you have anything with him?!” Shen Ron interrupted her abruptly, then snatched the file bag out of her hand and held it up in front of her, gritting his teeth, “Today’s bid better be a success, or you take full responsibility.”
After saying that, he also turned around and walked quickly in the direction of the bidding venue.
When he felt that it was almost time to enter, Ru Yi went to the bathroom to look for Cheng Lydia, but just saw the scene of Cheng Lydia leaning on Gu William’s arms to tie the string of the file bag, Ru Yi became furious at once.
In fact, he was not in the least concerned about the ambiguous relationship between Cheng Lydia and Gu William, as he claimed, but of course he was more concerned about the integrity and confidentiality of the tender.
Cheng Lydia was shocked and upset by Shen Ron’s last words, she was a weak woman and could not afford to take any responsibility at all.
She quickly caught up with Shen Ron, only to be stopped by him as she stepped into the venue, throwing her a cold, “You don’t have to go in.”
Cheng Lydia opened her mouth to say something, but Shen Ron had already stepped into the meeting.
The man was too disgraceful to just leave her at the door and stood there for a few moments before Cheng Lydia turned to leave with a look of impatience.
A total of five companies participated in the bidding, all of them belonging to strong companies, and the bidding conference went on until twelve o’clock.
During the bidding period, Cheng Lydia sat alone in the cafe waiting for Shen Ron and Assistant Peng to come out.
In fact, given her character, after being yelled at by Shen Ron like that, she would usually just shrug it off and leave. But today she didn’t leave, maybe because Shen Ron’s last words had made her nervous.
The first to leave were of course the eliminated companies, and Cheng Lydia’s eyes were almost unblinking as representatives from two companies left under her nose, followed ten minutes later by Lim Toby and Wan Teng, both of whom emerged from the venue with the same look of disappointment.
Lim Toby will definitely lose this time, this is Cheng Lydia predicted a long time ago, but at this time to see his gloomy expression, still feel melancholy, Shen Ron is right, the mall is like a battlefield …
Lim Toby saw her too and paused slightly on his feet, but didn’t stop to look away from her and sail away.
Another ten minutes later, Shen Ron and Assistant Peng came out as well, and Cheng Lydia practically bounced up from her chair, pushing it away to meet her quickly.
Shen Ron walked quickly, the annoyance on his face clear and easy to see.
“How did the bidding go?” Cheng Lydia asked.
She had actually guessed the outcome from the look on Shen Ron’s face, and she had been staring at the exit, and hadn’t seen Gu William among the delegates who had come out earlier, and it was clear that Gu William was the final winner.
Shen Ron’s footsteps stopped and he looked at her with a gaze that seemed to spit out fire, and spat out four words coldly through clenched teeth, “As you wish.”
With that, he lifted a hand and plucked her off his heels to the side as he walked away at a healthy pace.
As You Like It …
Cheng Lydia frowned in slight thought, not understanding what it meant.
She, as it were, stepped out and took Assistant Peng by the scruff of his coat, saying in an emotional manner, “Assistant Peng, what the hell is going on here?”
Assistant Peng swept a glance at Shen Ron’s back as he disappeared away from the gate and lowered his voice to Cheng Lydia, “Gu’s auctioned off the land at a price only fifty dollars higher than our company’s, and CEO Shen felt his pride was severely bruised, so… …”
“How did …” Cheng Lydia murmured in consternation.
A total price of more than one hundred million dollars, and Gu’s price is only fifty dollars higher than Shen’s? This was clearly tailored out deliberately after knowing Shen’s price, a big provocation to Shen, and it was no wonder Shen Ron was so angry.
Assistant Peng surveyed her gaze gradually became suspicious, continued, “After entering, CEO Shen said he saw you and Gu William have contact, hesitated to change the price, I said you are not that kind of person, told him to trust you, the result is … ”Text © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.
Assistant Peng wrapped up the end of his sentence and sighed and patted her shoulder, “I’m at fault for this, too, I have to go …”
Looking at Assistant Peng’s departing back, Cheng Lydia was once again surprised.
No wonder Shen Ron was so angry, so he was suspecting that she revealed the price to Gu William, he actually suspected her?
Cheng Lydia’s heart suddenly tightened, the bid she had lost once and then it was picked up by Gu William and given back to her, was … Shen’s price discovered by Gu William at that time?
If that’s the case, Shen Ron didn’t fault her, she did lose the price!
Cheng Lydia quickly chased after him, hoping to explain to Shen Ron that she didn’t mean to do it, but when she ran out of the gate, Shen Ron and Assistant Peng were long gone.
She stomped her foot helplessly and stood at the front door for a moment, not knowing what to do.
A dry cough came from behind her and she turned her head to see a beaming Gu William and his assistant walking out from inside. Gu William tossed the folder in his hand into his assistant’s and walked straight towards her.
Seeing the smug look on his face, the fire in Cheng Lydia’s heart burned away and threw him two words with an angry face, “Shameless!”
“Tell me, how am I shameless?” Gu William approached her with his hands in his trouser pockets and a wry smile on his face.
“Isn’t it shameless enough to peek at someone else’s bid price?”
“I peek at other people’s prices? Yes?” Gu William spread his hands and smiled with the utmost condescension.
“Don’t you dare say you didn’t watch it?”
“Do you have proof?”
“…” Cheng Lydia’s words stalled, she had no proof but she could be sure that Shen’s price had leaked out during the time she had lost the file bag.
“Honey, don’t be too busy wronging the good guys, or hurry home and put out the fire.” Gu William took both her shoulders in his hands and gave her body a big spin.
Forced to turn around, Cheng Lydia caught a glimpse of Shen’s Mercedes-Benz car that had pulled up in the open space behind her at some point, the backseat window wide open, Shen Ron’s handsome face covered in fire on display, staring at her with an even more annoyed gaze than earlier.
Apparently, the Mercedes car came out of the underground garage and she actually didn’t know about it.
Looking at the anger on Shen Ron s face, Cheng Lydia s heart was anxious, thinking that he was going to start misunderstanding the relationship between her and Gu William … again.
Realizing that Gu William’s hands were still on her shoulders, she scrambled away and stepped towards the Mercedes.
The Mercedes car, however, made a right turn at this time and drove quickly away from the entrance … of the building.
“Wait!” Cheng Lydia scrambled to catch up, waving and calling out to the Mercedes as she gave chase, “Shen Ron! Wait for me …!”
However, the car pulled onto the main road at this point and quickly disappeared into traffic.
I can’t believe they left her here alone, it seems Shen Ron is really pissed off.
What to do? This is a big mess, staring at the direction the car disappeared, Cheng Lydia sighed helplessly.
There was a car honking from behind the car and Cheng Lydia stepped to the side as the familiar Bugatti slowed to a stop in front of her, the dreaded man smiling a harmless smile, “Ms Cheng, do you need a lift?”
“No need.” Cheng Lydia tossed him three words without a word and turned her head in the direction of the bus stop without looking back.