Shen Huadong laughed heartily but refused to respond to Liu Jun’s provocation. Liu Jun hadn’t expected Shen Huadong wasn’t the dandy he appeared to be – he had plenty of tolerance. But using his rigorous logical thinking to connect Shen Huadong’s words, he believed Shen Huadong’s visit was not to show off to a rival in love. He simply led Shen Huadong into his office, closed the door, and said: “The soundproofing here is good. If you have something to say, speak up. Don’t play riddles with me.”
Shen Huadong laughed: “What’s this, what’s this? Do you want to play drifting? Just say so – if you don’t like my car, I’ll risk my life to borrow one you’d approve of. Don’t be embarrassed to say it.”
Liu Jun stared steadily at Shen Huadong: “Miss Yang and I are friends. Let me distill what you said today – I can convey the following syllogism to Miss Yang…”
“You can’t speculate.” Shen Huadong jumped up. “Fine, I’m dissatisfied with Shi Yiji’s output and have doubts about the management level of the Yang-Dong combination.”
“Is that all? After playing games with me half the day, extracting my thoughts for so long, don’t pretend like nothing’s going on.” Liu Jun circled Shen Huadong with the air of not letting him leave without explaining clearly.
Shen Huadong wasn’t to be outdone either: “Are all the people in your company single-minded? Your engineer calculates electricity bills with me, you play syllogisms with me. If I could say it, I would have said it long ago. The problem is I don’t even have a clear concept myself – how can I tell you?”
Liu Jun didn’t accept this reason and swept Shen Huadong with his eyes. Shen Huadong said helplessly: “Fine, fine, consider that today a mighty dragon entered a local snake’s territory. The previous shareholder’s purpose in buying Shi Yiji was very idealistic – wanting to save the country through industry. But after buying and investigating for a month, they gave up. Our purpose in buying Shi Yiji was to value that land. But after separating from the urban land plots, Shi Yiji has become too big to handle. Want to sell it? No one wants it – assets too large, burden too heavy. Want to operate it? That’s why I came to consult expert opinions.”
“Isn’t your key issue that you neither approve of Yang Xun’s leadership nor the Director Dong that Yang Xun hired? And because I have a feud with Yang Xun…”
“No, I don’t want to use you. But I think we can cooperate. First, we have similar ideologies, which is a good foundation for cooperation.”
“You started by refusing to be open and honest, playing unequal games with me – you call this a good foundation? You had a teasing mentality, but unfortunately, I saw through it.”
“Damn, can’t you let me mentally balance things out? You stole my girlfriend, and I’m the one actively seeking to develop a friendship with you. Don’t you think you should show something?”
“I should. What other questions do you have? Feel free to ask.” Liu Jun glanced at his watch. “But it absolutely can’t delay my lunch date.”
“With whom?”
“Who else could it be? Let me make a call.”
Shen Huadong watched glumly as Liu Jun called Yu Shanshan to explain his lateness, but soon saw surprise appear on Liu Jun’s face. Before he could wonder about the result, Liu Jun had already hung up and told him, “Shanshan couldn’t wait and took the bus over herself.”
“Why you? Why you?”
Shen Huadong couldn’t understand at all. The princess he had cherished in every way, but who wouldn’t smile at him, was willing to take the bus early in the morning to actively seek out Liu Jun at the industrial zone gate. But Shen Huadong was still gentlemanly enough to drive Liu Jun, whose car had been smashed, to the bus station to wait, then left in indignation, out of sight, out of mind. What made Shen Huadong even more indignant was that the bus drop-off point was nearly a kilometer from Liu Jun’s company gate, requiring a walk in. And even with such inconvenience, Yu Shanshan still did it willingly – why Liu Jun?
But if love had reasons, it wouldn’t be love. Yu Shanshan had rich experience rejecting people but little experience dating. She had set her sights on Liu Jun at first glance, and her heart had no reason after that. Acting as if nothing had happened was only because Liu Jun had a girlfriend. Once Liu Jun expressed his feelings to her, she began her moth-to-flame journey. When Liu Jun called to explain his work delay, she was happy about Liu Jun’s thoughtfulness and consideration. She didn’t mind changing buses twice to get on the city-rural bus to the industrial zone, and all the way, she happily thought about soon meeting Liu Jun. So when she saw Liu Jun waiting anxiously at the bus station, her happiness became even more inexplicable.
Liu Jun indeed gave her a big hug in public. Yu Shanshan blushed and broke free, stealing a glance at the people around watching the show, but couldn’t help linking arms with Liu Jun, staring intently at him. She immediately saw the scratches and bruises on Liu Jun’s face, her heart aching as if those scratches were on her own heart. Seeing Yu Shanshan foolishly staring only at his wounds with her eyes but too embarrassed to ask, Liu Jun had to explain himself: “They’re all flesh wounds, nothing serious. Most were from sparring with a taekwondo instructor – my skills aren’t up to par, hehe. Want to see my company, then go to the city? Guess who just delayed me?”
“No, let’s not go to your company… no, let’s just look from outside the gate, okay? Are you very busy? Or you handle your business first, I’ll wait here for a while.”
Liu Jun didn’t want to take Yu Shanshan wandering through the workshops anyway. He didn’t want to turn the company into his backyard, like the old state-owned Qianjin Factory. But he hadn’t expected Yu Shanshan to be even more accommodating, having almost no demands of him. “The person who came was Shen Huadong. I didn’t expect him to come. He seems to have intentions of taking over Shi Yiji and has come to consult me on some issues. He just left.”
“He did it on purpose. He has no intention of taking over Shi Yiji. Everyone’s been saying Shi Yiji’s major shareholder is the Shen family, having so much money that they could crush people with it. Yang Xun just has to provide free labor managing Shi Yiji, with profits divided proportionally between the two families, and Yang Xun doesn’t get an extra cent. Right now, Shi Yiji is making good money – why would Shen Huadong meddle and bring trouble on himself? He’s purely making trouble where there is none.”
Liu Jun was confused, thinking that what Yu Shanshan said made sense, too. But could Shen Huadong’s visit only be to occupy his and Yu Shanshan’s date time? That obviously couldn’t be it either. “Let them be. I won’t get involved in Shi Yiji’s affairs. Harming others doesn’t necessarily benefit oneself, and I’m unwilling to help others indirectly. See that white wall over there? That’s my Tengfei.”
“Most companies here use iron railings. Why… no, I also think white walls look good, clean.”
“I wanted to use iron railings too, but infrastructure funding wasn’t enough. White walls are troublesome – every day, there are ads for quack doctors and fake licenses and mahjong tables. Our guards keep a bucket of white powder ready to refresh the walls anytime. Up close, the wall surface looks like a patchwork quilt. I’ve already planted ivy, hoping next year the ivy will cover the white walls and drive away the ads. Uh, could Shen Huadong want to completely erase Yang Xun from Shi Yiji?”
“Let them be. None of those people have any feelings for Shi Yiji – they only know how to scheme and scheme and scheme. One day, they’ll squeeze Shi Yiji dry before they stop. How can someone who doesn’t understand technology manage an enterprise like Shi Yiji? I can’t imagine anyone under their management being able to do research like you. Shen Huadong claims to be a foreign MBA, but would he sit down and do experiments over and over? I doubt it.”
“Different fields have different specializations. Shen Huadong might repeatedly audit piles of financial data and reach some conclusions. Hmm, sitting at the main gate are the mother and sister of the deceased worker from this incident. Don’t provoke them.”
Yu Shanshan secretly looked at the two people in white clothes and white hats, seeing several wreaths and banners, not daring to make a sound or look too long, to avoid causing trouble for Liu Jun. But she was truly worried for Liu Jun – with the entrance always so lively, how could it not affect the company’s daily work? At least when business people came and saw such scenes, they’d first deduct impression points. She didn’t know how long such a confrontation would last. But Yu Shanshan came from a factory background and had seen worse disturbances since childhood. It was just that back then, workers made trouble collectively, while now, workers were making trouble for Liu Jun personally, which Yu Shanshan couldn’t accept. After standing at the company gate listening to Liu Jun’s tour and introduction, the two left the main gate quite far before Yu Shanshan looked back again. She saw the mother and daughter also looking at her. “Liu Jun, is there no way to ask them to leave?”
“There are ways, but I don’t object to peaceful confrontation. Let them sit there-there’ll be a day when they get tired.”
“Does it affect you? Are you superstitious?”
“It’s okay, I’m not superstitious. Don’t think too much either. Many things can cease to be problems as long as you broaden your mind.”
“Yes, there are no troubles under heaven – only people trouble themselves. Dad often says this, too. But I get anxious, and once anxious, I become all bandit-like.”
“Are there bandits as beautiful as you?”
“Bandit chief’s wife, hmph.”
“So I’m the bandit.” Liu Jun performed martial arts against a tree with punches and kicks. Yu Shanshan watched and laughed until she bent over, taking the opportunity to throw some peaceful punches. The two laughed and played to the bus station and onto the bus before quieting down. In the roar of the bus engine, Liu Jun would lean over from time to time to whisper “I love you,” and Yu Shanshan felt like she was flying to heaven.
During lunch, Liu Jun received a call from Shen Huadong. This time, Liu Jun was annoyed: “Brother, I’m eating with Shanshan. If you have something to say, say it later. Don’t encroach on our precious time.”
“I’m very urgent, sorry. I just checked Shi Yiji’s books. The company’s profits for these three months – more than half came from products that copied your patents.”
Liu Jun was stunned. Hadn’t Dong Qiyang said they were now focusing on newly purchased blueprints? “Are you planning to uphold justice?”
“Perhaps you could sue, demanding they stop the infringement.”
“Hmm, brother, I’m human with only ten fingers, not a centipede that can withstand chopping. Don’t come to me with this kind of thing.”
“Are you afraid of Yang Xun’s retaliation? That’s not the same thing anymore. Let me think.”
“No, I won’t be your hitman. I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but if the cooperation you mentioned is this kind of cooperation, you’re degrading me too much.”
“Sorry, that’s not what I meant. Please forgive my thoughtlessness. Give me time to think it over properly. But don’t you want to sue for infringement?”
“That’s my business.” Liu Jun angrily hung up the phone. Shen Huadong was poking at his sorest spot – he hated most when others brought up this matter again. But on second thought, he realized: “Shen Huadong seems to have intentions of finding ways to erase Yang Xun from Shi Yiji. Could he want to join forces with me, using me as his hitman?”
“What is he anyway! Ignore him. Let him find time to do something practical instead of playing political struggles.”
“Shanshan, I admit I’m not a saint. I’d very much like to see Yang Xun in trouble and would be willing to cooperate with Shen Huadong in taking action, but I don’t want to play the hitman role in a subordinate position.”
Yu Shanshan nodded once, then immediately shook her head repeatedly: “No, we’re not in a hurry. We won’t take risks anymore. We have plenty of time ahead.”
Liu Jun nodded, but the flames of revenge had already been ignited in Liu Jun’s chest.
After seeing Yu Shanshan off in the evening, Liu Jun thought this matter over and over on his way back to his city home. True, he didn’t want to confront Yang Xun head-on like a hothead again, but this didn’t mean he was giving up confrontation. There should be plenty of confrontation methods – for example, his company’s deceased worker’s family used peaceful confrontation, and he believed he had methods too. The only thing he needed to understand was what exactly Shen Huadong was planning, and how much weight Shen Huadong carried in the Shen family decision-making level.
Unexpectedly, Shen Huadong was impatient and called again, starting sourly: “Is the date over? Can we talk business now?”
“The date just ended, and I’m too sweet to want to talk business. Have you been sitting restlessly all day, repeatedly making up reasons to call and disrupt harmony?”
“Don’t be so vicious.” Shen Huadong angrily slammed down the phone. Liu Jun went home and turned off his mobile phone, not giving Shen Huadong another chance. He hadn’t figured it out yet. What he couldn’t understand most was that Shen and Yang should be birds of a feather – how had Shen Huadong suddenly thought of going after Yang Xun?