The Art of Teasing - Chapter 168
Chapter 168
The looks that Director Jin, Director Zhao, and Director Ma directed at Director Yu were all off.
Director Ma even suspected whether Director Yu, like himself, had privately approached Ye Ling and been bought off.
In their plan, the first step was to have Yu Jie meet with Wen Zhengyu, to float a trial balloon—indicating that a large conglomerate was interested in purchasing their shares, and hoping Wen Zhengyu would help probe for information to gauge Ye Ling's attitude. This would allow both sides to find a mutually acceptable way to resolve the matter peacefully. Because the shareholders couldn't bring themselves to approach her directly, and given how acrimonious things had become with Ye Ling, a face-to-face meeting was truly awkward—hence sending Yu Jie in their stead. They didn't expect Wen Zhengyu to work for free; after such a large transaction was completed, she would at least receive a substantial finder's fee. By doing this, no harm would come to Ye Ling, and Director Ma's group could extricate themselves smoothly without worsening the situation. For Wen Zhengyu, it would be akin to picking up some pocket money for nothing. They would first transfer two hundred thousand to her as an earnest payment. Even if things fell through or she refused, everyone could still consider it the start of a friendship.
This was the first ring of the plan: to give Wen Zhengyu the impression that her actions would not harm Ye Ling, that she could pick up a little benefit for herself, and Director Ma's group wouldn't be forced into an untenable position.
Wen Zhengyu would certainly be suspicious of their motives. That was fine; by setting this step first, they would then hire someone to impersonate representatives of a large conglomerate, who would formally approach Ye Ling to negotiate—and negotiate with them as well. With Wen Zhengyu at Ye Ling's side, she would naturally also meet the people they sent. The impersonators would negotiate according to standard equity acquisition procedures, first allowing Wen Zhengyu to rule out suspicion based on their identities, making her believe that such a matter indeed existed, and that she could extract some innocuous personal benefit without damaging anyone's interests. The equity acquisition process would take a considerable amount of time, and during the negotiation process, they would gradually lay traps to ensnare Wen Zhengyu. To extricate themselves, they would also need to hire professional fraudsters to stage this performance. Even if something went wrong, they could shift the blame onto the con artists, claiming they had been deceived as well. Naturally, the subsequent stages involving the use of fraudsters could not be disclosed to Yu Jie. Their requirement was simply that Yu Jie execute his part of the job well.
Yu Jie had unilaterally rewritten the script, played out the entire drama by himself, and arbitrarily slashed the budget, thinking he could send Wen Zhengyu packing with a mere two hundred thousand. Did he take Wen Zhengyu for someone fresh out of an impoverished mountain village who'd never seen money before? Her family may have fallen, but it hadn't even been two years. She'd latched onto Ye Ling right after her fall and had never lacked for money. When Wen Shiyi was still on top, she was a true-born daughter of wealth and privilege. Two hundred thousand wouldn't even cover Wen Zhengyu buying a piece of jewelry.
Wen Zhengyu had said eighty million, and they were already prepared to use that eighty million figure to construct the trap. She'd already named a price of eighty million, yet Yu Jie had only offered two hundred thousand. For an equity transfer worth over two billion, he offered a mere two hundred thousand—was he dismissing a tea-serving girl?
Director Ma and the others nearly coughed up blood from sheer outrage. The moment they heard two hundred thousand, they sensed something was wrong. Then, when they saw Yu Jie state that Wen Zhengyu had indeed provided something, they initially assumed Wen Zhengyu, being naive and inexperienced, had been easily deceived. Now, looking again, the reality seemed to be: had Yu Jie stolen documents from his uncle's office? If he had the ability to steal something from Ye Ling's office and claim Wen Zhengyu gave it to him, that would at least be something.
Had Yu Jie been bought off by Ye Ling specifically to disgust them?
Yu Jie had already raised the alert; their plan to ensnare Wen Zhengyu was now impossible.
But whether it succeeded or not, they could think of other methods. After all, the shares were in their hands; if they refused to sell, Ye Ling wouldn't dare force the purchase. Ye Ling had offended too many people. The individuals sent from the capital last time were just waiting to catch Ye Ling in a mistake. They were scrutinizing the company's projects, transactions, and finances closely, just waiting to seize on Ye Ling's missteps to cause her trouble. She wasn't foolish enough to engage in such actions. Ye Ling was the company's largest shareholder; when the company profited, she gained the most; when it lost, she lost the most. Therefore, no matter how they stirred trouble, Ye Ling, for the sake of her own money, couldn't allow the group to incur losses. If their agitation failed, they incurred no loss; if it succeeded, the gains would be enormous. As for Ye Ling auditing the accounts—the money hadn't passed through their hands, nor was it currently resting in their pockets, so no matter what, the blame couldn't reach them.
Ye Ling thought the shareholders sending Yu Jie to stage this farce was utterly brainless.
One look at those minority shareholders' faces told her they had definitely set a trap for Wen Zhengyu, but Yu Jie hadn't followed their instructions. Looking further at the two hundred thousand in Wen Zhengyu's account confirmed it—Ye Ling could figure out where the problem lay using just her kneecap.
In this company audit, Yu Jie, despite occupying such an important position in the finance department, hadn't been implicated. He had been skimming money, but he hadn't been skimming it from his official position. A person like this left Ye Ling somewhat speechless.
Once, when Ye Ling was on a business trip, finance department personnel were accompanying her, and Yu Jie was among them. During the trip, each person had a daily meal allowance of one hundred yuan, and everyone pooled money to eat together at one table. Yu Jie had converted his meal allowance into cash. He would wait for everyone to finish eating, then go to the table and scavenge their leftovers. If there truly were no leftovers, he would buy instant noodles. Office communal supplies—he used them the most, always stuffing them into his bag to take home, claiming that since everyone couldn't finish using them and they were leftover, he was simply taking them away. According to finance department sources, the reason supplies were never used up was because he imposed usage quotas. The moment anyone exceeded his prescribed quota, he would nag and nag incessantly. Unable to stand him, everyone simply brought their own supplies. Such a miser—where a roll of tissue passing through his hands would diminish by half—a notorious skinflint who could split a penny into two to spend, a man who would pluck a passing goose clean. The shareholders actually dared to have him execute a scheme involving money flowing from his accounts to Wen Zhengyu's. Ye Ling was honestly impressed.
Setting a trap for Wen Zhengyu—the money allocated for this purpose would very likely be written off directly as illicit gains or something similar, essentially thrown into the water. Real, tangible money, passing through the hands of this miser to be thrown into the water—wasn't that equivalent to taking his life?
Wasn't it just a set-up?
So the miser had performed the entire play solo.
Ye Ling strongly suspected Yu Jie would likely refund half of the money he had "saved," keeping the other half as a service fee. Since the desired effect wasn't achieved, he might keep a smaller portion and refund the larger half.
After pulling a stunt like this, Yu Jie's job was impossible to keep. Recently, Ye Ling and the minority shareholders had been locked in fierce conflict, and Yu Jie was Director Yu's nephew. Under Ye Ling's sweeping campaign to investigate financial shortfalls, everyone—including Yu Jie himself—felt his position was undoubtedly untenable. No one was surprised.
Many people felt that after this incident, the struggle between the Chairman and the minority shareholders had reached a white-hot stage.
Wen Zhengyu returned to her office and spent ages pondering but still couldn't fathom how they had arrived at the idea of framing her with a mere two hundred thousand.
It wasn't until she and Ye Ling finished work that Ye Ling resolved her confusion.
Seeing all these chaotic matters in Ye Ling's company vexed Wen Zhengyu on her behalf.
Ye Ling remained utterly composed. "Just minor skirmishes," she said. Their petty harassment was directed solely at her, not at Vice Chairman Xu or General Manager Zhang. Besides being somewhat nauseating, they couldn't stir up any significant waves. In terms of sheer nausea factor, they were far outclassed by the Ye Family's Second Branch and Ye Ling's paternal grandparents. Ye Ling was completely immune to them. Even if they wanted to target Wen Zhengyu, with their level of skill, Ye Ling viewed it purely as a comedy.
She was just enjoying this thought when, upon entering the elevator with Wen Zhengyu, they once again encountered Director Yu, whose expression was exceptionally sour.
Ye Ling greeted him with a beaming smile: "How's it going, Director Yu?" Then, with utterly unconcealed delight, she added: "Director Yu, I'm intensely curious—just how much did you give Yu Jie to make him actually willing to throw two hundred thousand into the water?" She wasn't smirking secretly or gloating inwardly; she was openly reveling right in Director Yu's face.
Director Yu's face darkened. "Chairman Ye, watch your words."
Ye Ling laughed so hard her shoulders trembled. "You allow yourselves to do such things, but I'm not allowed to enjoy the spectacle?"
Wen Zhengyu turned her head to glance at Ye Ling. She suddenly understood why Ye Ling brought a retinue of bodyguards everywhere. If they hadn't had bodyguards, she'd be worried Director Yu might swing his fists at them right there in the elevator.
Director Yu shot them both a glare. Once the elevator doors opened, any notion of 'ladies first' could go to hell when it came to Ye Ling. He quickened his pace and strode off.
Ye Ling, thoroughly gratified, linked her arm through Wen Zhengyu's and walked toward the lobby exit on the ground floor. She said to Wen Zhengyu: "Come on, before I get married, I really need to properly enjoy a romance."
Director Yu, hearing the utterly shameless words from Ye Ling behind him, nearly stumbled and staggered. His first thought was: She actually still wants to get married?
Although Wen Zhengyu and Ye Ling were already in a cohabiting relationship, they hadn't yet had a proper, serious romance.
To think that after living together for so long, on the verge of discussing marriage, they were only now embarking on their first date—and it was the utterly uncreative dinner-and-a-movie routine.
Wen Zhengyu had visited a cinema only a handful of times. Her last cinema visit dated back to her university days.
The two of them were dressed in business attire. After work, they went to a restaurant for dinner, followed by the cinema in the adjacent shopping mall.
It was Friday, and the cinema was packed with students and young people. Dressed in their formal, proper business attire amidst the crowd, they probably stood out quite conspicuously; glances kept drifting their way.
It was the second month of the lunar calendar, and the weather was still quite chilly. To make her suit jacket appear less formal, Ye Ling even rolled up her sleeves. Then she squeezed in behind a group of high school students queuing at length to buy popcorn.
Ye Ling, standing amid a throng of seventeen- and eighteen-year-old high schoolers—perhaps because her features were so striking, or perhaps because the air of radiant delight about her gave her such a healthy glow, or perhaps because the high schoolers were all wearing school uniforms—somehow, they were reduced to mere foils for Ye Ling. Amidst that group of high school students, Ye Ling stood out like a crane among chickens, utterly conspicuous. She even scolded a queue-cutting high school boy, sending him to the back of the line—her aggressive and imperious demeanor made her look precisely like someone with too much time on her hands who'd come to bully students.
Ye Ling successfully squeezed through the crowd and bought two buckets of popcorn and two cans of cola. She thrust the popcorn into Wen Zhengyu's arms, making her hold one bucket in each hand.
Wen Zhengyu looked at the popcorn and expressed deep skepticism: "Can we finish all this?"
Ye Ling replied, "If we can't finish, we'll take it to go."
Just as they'd bought their tickets and popcorn, the bodyguards nearby, who had shed their suit jackets to blend into the crowd, had also finished buying their tickets. And so, a group that looked like office workers joined the throng of high school students on their weekend movie outing, queuing together to enter the screening hall. They were watching an animated film.
After Wen Zhengyu was led to her seat by Ye Ling and sat down, she murmured leisurely into Ye Ling's ear: "I didn't realize you were this childish."
Ye Ling leaned close to her ear and whispered back: "There's something even more childish."
Before Wen Zhengyu could figure out what could be more childish, Ye Ling had already slipped her ice-cold hands inside Wen Zhengyu's collar. The sensation was like having two blocks of ice shoved down from the back of her neck all the way to her spine. The shock made Wen Zhengyu's eyes instantly widen and her body instinctively shrink back, nearly spilling the popcorn she held in both hands.
Wen Zhengyu's first thought was: Never again will I come to the movies with Ye Ling.
She turned her head, only to see Ye Ling laughing with exceptional triumph, her features animated and radiantly bright. Wen Zhengyu couldn't help but be momentarily transfixed.
Ye Ling, not working, not busy with business, out here playing and causing mischief—she was truly beautiful.
Wen Zhengyu felt her heart accelerate uncontrollably and hurriedly shifted her gaze to the screen.
Ye Ling leaned over with a smile and asked, "Am I better looking than the movie?"
Wen Zhengyu replied expressionlessly: "It hasn't started yet."
Ye Ling popped open her soda with a crisp pssht.
Wen Zhengyu instinctively turned her head, just in time to see Ye Ling drinking the carbonated beverage.
Seeing Wen Zhengyu look over, Ye Ling brought the soda she'd just sipped to Wen Zhengyu's lips.
Wen Zhengyu wanted to say that carbonated drinks weren't healthy, but the drink was already at her mouth. So, she took a token, tiny sip, then said: "Drinking too many carbonated beverages is bad for you."
Ye Ling said, "Yet you still drank some."
Wen Zhengyu: "..." You fed it to me.
Ye Ling said, "Then I'll help you drink it." And decisively confiscated Wen Zhengyu's can of cola.
Wen Zhengyu silently sent Ye Ling two more words in her heart: So childish. She glanced toward Ye Ling again. Ye Ling had already put on her 3D glasses and started watching the movie. With the glasses on, Ye Ling's facial features appeared even more sculpted and delicate, possessed of an indescribable beauty.
The corner of Ye Ling's mouth couldn't help but curve upward. She lowered her voice and teased: "Should've known to save a few dozen yuan on movie tickets."
Wen Zhengyu asked, puzzled: "What?"
Ye Ling said, "I could've just let you look at me at home."
Wen Zhengyu hurriedly turned her head back to the big screen.
After Wen Zhengyu turned away, Ye Ling glanced down at Wen Zhengyu's lap. Wen Zhengyu was still holding a bucket of popcorn in each hand. Ye Ling made no comment, curious to see whether Wen Zhengyu would hug those two buckets of popcorn until the movie ended.
After a dozen or so minutes, Wen Zhengyu whispered to Ye Ling: "Do you want some popcorn?"
Ye Ling struggled to suppress her laughter, feigning rapt attention on the movie. She simply opened her mouth, signaling Wen Zhengyu to feed her.
Wen Zhengyu placed the popcorn bucket from her left hand into the circular cup holder on the armrest. Holding the bucket from her right hand, she fed a piece into Ye Ling's mouth.
One bucket of popcorn was already half empty. With popcorn still in her mouth, Ye Ling said to Wen Zhengyu: "You do whatever you're told. Who else would I bully if not you?"
Wen Zhengyu paused for a moment before grasping what Ye Ling was referring to. She was speechless. She suddenly had an intense urge to put laxatives in the popcorn.
Ye Ling spoke again in a low voice to Wen Zhengyu: "A person who wants to take a wife but doesn't send flowers or chocolates before trying to get her through the door—it really makes one question their sincerity."
Wen Zhengyu cast a sidelong glance at Ye Ling and asked quietly: "Then, what do you suggest?"
Ye Ling, hearing Wen Zhengyu employ the formal "you," swiftly took the popcorn bucket from Wen Zhengyu's arms. Ingratiatingly, she fed a piece into Wen Zhengyu's mouth, smiling apologetically: "Just a casual remark, just a casual remark."
After a while, when Wen Zhengyu saw that Ye Ling was absorbed in watching the movie, she hesitated for a moment, then took out her phone. Squinting with her poor eyesight, she laboriously stared at the phone screen and searched for a florist to place an order.
Delivery Address: Ye Ling's office.
Delivery Time: Monday, 10:30 AM.
Requirement: Must be signed for by the recipient in person.
Ye Ling glimpsed Wen Zhengyu fiddling intently with her phone and leaned over, wanting to see. Wen Zhengyu even covered the screen with her hand to prevent Ye Ling from looking.
Ye Ling raised an eyebrow. The corner of her mouth lifted uncontrollably.
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