Liu Meng used to boast from the bottom of her heart, unable to contain her excitement. This time, however, she had to lie without even having met Young Master Sheng.
And she had to make it sound convincing.
This suddenly put her in a difficult position.
The other wealthy ladies noticed her discomfort and exchanged glances before deliberately asking, "We didn't get a chance to ask the other day, how did Madam Zhou come to know Young Master Qin?"
"Oh, well, it's mainly because my daughter goes to the same school as Young Master Qin," Liu Meng replied.
"..." Wasn't that stating the obvious? Apart from a few adult children sent abroad, weren't all their kids in the same school as Young Master Qin?
They became increasingly convinced that Liu Meng was lying.
Before they could continue to expose her lie, Liu Meng spoke up again.
"Young Master Sheng is also at the same school as my daughter," she said.
Again, wasn't this just stating the obvious?
And why suddenly bring up Young Master Sheng out of nowhere?
Liu Meng knew her introduction was abrupt, but she pressed on, "My husband had dinner with Young Master Sheng just yesterday."
Everyone was stunned.
Was she dreaming?
What kind of fantasy was this? Her husband had no business dealings with Sheng Corporation. Why on earth would Young Master Sheng have dinner with her husband? Did he think he was that important?
Liu Meng tried to ignore their stares and continued, "When he came home, he even bought me several Chanel items."
"Look, this is one of them," Liu Meng lightly tapped the mini flap bag at her waist.
Liu Meng's words seemed disjointed, lacking a strong connection between the beginning and end.
But it was precisely this vagueness that sparked imagination.
So much so that when the conversation moved on, Madam Liu could barely focus on anything else.
As soon as the gathering ended, she immediately called her husband, saying, "I don't think Liu Meng is lying. She suddenly mentioned that her husband had dinner with the Sheng family's heir. Even lies should have limits. This is as absurd as saying the American President wants to date me."
"Is it possible that something so outlandish... could actually be true?" Madam Liu voiced her speculation.
"It is strange. Most people in our circle know that Sheng Corporation and Qin Corporation don't get along. If she were making up connections, she shouldn't have included both of them. Could they really know each other? But how would Liu Meng know them?" her husband pondered.
"She said... her daughter goes to the same school as these two young masters."
"How old is her daughter?"
"Seven or eight, I think?"
"Then what could it have to do with her daughter? If she were seventeen or eighteen, I might believe her daughter was so beautiful she captivated both young masters. But this is odd. Try to get more information out of Liu Meng," President Liu instructed before hanging up.
Someone knocked on the door.
He looked up towards the entrance: "Come in."
Zhou General walked in.
President Liu glanced at the documents in his hand and feigned surprise: "Why did you come to deliver these yourself, Zhou General?"
Zhou General replied, "Important documents are best delivered personally." With that, he left.
President Liu opened the file and his expression froze, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
The document was titled—
Notice of Share Transfer.
As Zhou General walked out, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders.
After all, he had already stepped
out of the room.
Now it was President Liu's turn to feel anxious and uneasy.
Had Zhou Qiang gone mad?
Didn't Liu Meng say he had just had dinner with Sheng Yuxiao?
Shouldn't the gaming license be even more certain now? Shouldn't Zhou Qiang have walked in triumphantly to share the good news? Why was he presented with this instead?
According to normal procedures, when a shareholder sells their shares, they should inform other shareholders in advance, and other shareholders have the right of first refusal based on their shareholding ratio.
He knew full well that I wanted to control the company, yet he dangled this opportunity right in front of me.
The words "right of first refusal" can be a good thing in good times.
But in bad times, it could be honey laced with arsenic.
Various thoughts tumbled through President Liu's mind, and he finally arrived at the most plausible possibility—
Regardless of the channel, Zhou General had indeed established connections with both the Qin and Sheng families. But after visiting these two families, he must have received some bad news. Perhaps the gaming license was definitely unattainable, or maybe even more terrifying news, like a policy tightening that would plunge the gaming industry into a harsh winter...
Otherwise, he wouldn't have become so discouraged in such a short time, deciding to sell his shares and bail out!
President Liu's expression went through a series of changes as he thought to himself, "In that case, I can't accept this hot potato!"
Meanwhile, in a different atmosphere altogether.
Outside the music classroom, Li Xiaoya refused Qin Sui, saying, "We can't continue this business."
"Why not? I'm even willing to be your 'supplier' now."
"People who are willing to spend so much won't always be around."
Qin Sui couldn't argue. Li Xiaoya was too clear-headed.
"Besides, this isn't good."
"Hmm? What's not good about it?" Qin Sui pressed.
Li Xiaoya looked at him: "I don't know how to explain it, but I feel... it's not good, not good for you."
Qin Sui was taken aback: "Not good for me?"
His subtle disappointment vanished, replaced by curiosity. He asked, "Hmm? Why do you say it's not good for me? You should know that getting those things is effortless for me."
"When you have too much of something, it loses its value, right?" Li Xiaoya asked him.
The corners of Qin Sui's mouth curved slightly: "Yes, that's the principle. Do you think if we sell too much, those so-called luxury goods will lose their value? Or..."
"Your... um... um..." Li Xiaoya looked up, seriously thinking about the word, and finally said, "Your prestige, no, your face, will lose its value."
Qin Sui stared at her and asked very seriously, "Can I pat your head?"
Li Xiaoya: ?
Why this sudden request to pat her head?
Seeing her unmoved expression, Qin Sui said softly, "Yesterday, after you left with Sheng Yuxiao, I actually waited for you in the classroom for a long time."
The implication was clear: So, can I pat your head now? I waited for you for a long time.
Li Xiaoya mercilessly burst his bubble: "But even if you weren't waiting for me, you would have stayed there for evening self-study anyway. I heard high school students all have evening self-study sessions."
Qin Sui: "..."
He wanted to ask why she had to be so smart.
But he also knew that if Li Xiaoya wasn't this intelligent, he truly wouldn't have given her a second glance.
"Let's not talk about that then. Let's talk about the time in Li Family Village when Li Hongguang took you away, and I came to find you. That took some effort. And then at the banquet some time ago..."
Before Qin Sui could finish reminiscing, Li Xiaoya said, "Let me treat you to a meal."
Qin Sui was very satisfied.
After all, for a girl who was passionate about eating in the cafeteria and adamantly refused to waste a penny of her tuition fees, to voluntarily offer to treat him to a meal was an incredibly significant step forward!
Qin Sui responded with a "Okay."
Then Li Xiaoya led him to the cafeteria.
"You're treating me to... this?"
Li Xiaoya asked in confusion: "Isn't it good enough?" She pointed at the signs of various small restaurants in the cafeteria: "There are cuisines from many countries here. It's very rich. I can treat you to a world tour of food!"
This was Li Xiaoya's unique way of being generous.
Qin Sui was both helpless and amused.
He nodded slightly: "Mm, thank you, Li Xiaoya, for letting me taste cuisines from around the world without having to fly across seven continents and four oceans."
He was quite appreciative of the gesture.
