In the private room, Shen Nian was uncertain whether the phone call had gone through or whether Lu Lingchuan had answered it.
When she and Lu Lingchen had left earlier, they were walking in a hurry, and she didn't know what had happened.
Moreover, the distance between the hotel entrance and the private room was considerable.
Zou Zhijie had been trying to take advantage of Shen Nian, using flattery and veiled threats about their business partnership.
Shen Nian knew that President Zou considered Zou Zhijie important, which was why she hadn't openly defied them, avoiding them each time without making a fuss.
Unsure if the call had gone through, Shen Nian could only rely on herself.
Her gaze fell upon the two managers sitting nearby, hoping they would speak up and help her out of this situation.
The two managers saw Shen Nian's gaze and felt uneasy.
They were experienced in the ways of the world and understood Zou Zhijie's intentions all too well.
However... Lu Lingchuan had previously said that securing this project was essential, and there could be no mistakes.
Zou Zhijie was acting so brazenly, and President Zou had not uttered a single word of reproach, even occasionally making remarks hinting that Shen Nian should accept it calmly. This proved that he tacitly approved of Zou Zhijie's actions.
If they spoke up, they would undoubtedly offend Zou Zhijie and President Zou.
If the project fell through because of them, Lu Lingchuan would not let them off the hook.
After much hesitation, the two managers turned their heads and ignored Shen Nian's gaze.
In the business world, unspoken rules were commonplace, and it was not unusual for companies to offer women to their partners to secure deals.
Shen Nian was Lu Lingchuan's trusted assistant, so it wasn't a big deal for her to make a small sacrifice for him.
Besides, everyone knew that Shen Nian had been by Lu Lingchuan's side from the beginning, struggling alongside him. Who could say if she had previously offered herself for the sake of a deal?
If she had, then sacrificing herself once more wouldn't be a big deal.
"..." Shen Nian had only wanted them to say something to change the subject, but the two managers deliberately looked away, pretending not to see, and even Manager Yu remarked, "Assistant Shen, Young Master Zou is a good man. You should just go along with him."
At that moment, Shen Nian felt a chill in her heart, overwhelmed by a sense of sadness.
To them, the unspoken rules were perfectly normal. As long as their goal was achieved, what did it matter if a few women were sacrificed?
"Heh..." Shen Nian let out a scornful laugh.
Zou Zhijie heard her mocking laughter and paused for a moment. "What are you laughing at?"
After asking, he continued hinting, "Assistant Shen, I haven't made any arrangements for tonight..."
He threw Shen Nian a suggestive glance and continued, "After tonight... we can sign the contract tomorrow."
Shen Nian no longer pretended to be drunk, letting the feigned drunkenness fade from her eyes. She straightened her body, about to retort, when suddenly there was a loud "bang," followed by a scream.
The next second, the door to the private room was violently kicked open from the outside, and three people entered.
A server, Lu Lingchen, and Lu Lingchuan.
The scream came from the server who had led them there, as she hadn't expected Lu Lingchuan to kick the door down.
The high-quality door to the private room was kicked open by Lu Lingchuan, the lock broken, and there was even a visible dent in the door itself.
Lu Lingchuan stood at the entrance, one foot still raised in the air, exuding an icy aura. His eyes were as cold as a frozen pond, filled with sinister shadows that would make anyone shudder at a single glance.
Due to the incident with Lu Lingchen, his rage had already reached its peak, and he was barely holding back from exploding. Zou Zhijie's actions were akin to poking a needle into a balloon about to burst.
"Bang!"
Lu Lingchuan's long-suppressed fury finally erupted.
His icy gaze fell directly on Shen Nian.
Shen Nian stood there, staring at him in bewilderment, not expecting Lu Lingchuan to kick the door open.
Nearby, Zou Zhijie was also stunned, his hand about to reach for Shen Nian's waist, interrupted midway, still in the posture of embracing her, mere inches away from her waist...
Lu Lingchuan saw that hand, and the ferocity in his eyes raged uncontrollably.
In a few strides, he rushed forward, grabbed Shen Nian's hand, and pulled her behind him. Then, without warning, he viciously kicked Zou Zhijie's knee.
Zou Zhijie cried out in pain as his body collapsed uncontrollably to the ground, the drunkenness he had felt earlier instantly sobered by the pain as he howled, clutching his leg.
President Zou was also startled by the sudden turn of events, as was Shen Nian, who hadn't expected Lu Lingchuan to barge in and kick Zou Zhijie.
Zou Zhijie was President Zou's nephew, and this kick was a clear sign of enmity between them.
At this moment, Lu Lingchuan had lost all rationality, his fury raging unchecked in his mind.
He grabbed Zou Zhijie from the ground and slammed him onto the dining table. His thin lips moved, each word uttered like that of the King Yama from hell.
"Trying to impose the unspoken rules on me, you've got some nerve!"
Zou Zhijie was terrified, his eyes wide, his legs trembling uncontrollably, but his mouth still defiant.
"You... you dare lay a finger on me! My uncle will never consider partnering with you!"
Yes... his uncle had said that Lu Lingchuan was intent on partnering with them, even willing to lower his profits. He wouldn't dare offend his uncle, he wouldn't dare...
"Lu Lingchuan!" President Zou was also shaken by the scene, seeing his nephew pinned to the dining table in such a sorry state.
"Lu Lingchuan, is this really necessary over a woman? My nephew didn't mean anything by it. Just give the word, and we can sign the contract right now!"
"..." Lu Lingchuan slowly turned his head, his eyes as black as a raging storm, filled with ruthless ferocity.
This uncle and nephew had angered him.
"..." President Zou was taken aback, momentarily stunned. He was old enough to be Lu Lingchuan's uncle, and in his decades of experience in the business world, he thought he had seen it all. Yet now, he found himself taking a step back, his heart racing uncontrollably, all because of the gaze of this young man.
It was fear.
"Heh..." In his fury, Lu Lingchuan let out a laugh, even the sound dripping with the chill of a thousand frozen miles and a million snowflakes drifting through the air. "Is this really necessary?"
He picked up a nearby wine bottle and smashed it against the table edge.
"Bang!" The bottle shattered, shards of glass flying everywhere, even leaving a bloody gash on Zou Zhijie's face.
The remaining half of the bottle was gripped in Lu Lingchuan's hand, its jagged edge razor-sharp.
The overhead light cast shadows over the man's fierce features as he pressed the bottle against Zou Zhijie's throat, like a vengeful spirit from hell.
"You can try and see if it's necessary..."
Feeling his life threatened, Zou Zhijie's pupils constricted in terror as he stared at Lu Lingchuan.
He tensed his body, not even daring to swallow, fearing that the slightest movement might cause him to be cut by the sharp bottle...
Lu Lingchuan's fury was beyond everyone's expectations.
Seeing that Lu Lingchuan was truly prepared to kill Zou Zhijie, Shen Nian immediately stepped forward. "Lu Lingchuan!"
