Zhao Jingyu

Chen Yu had found someone he could vent to, and he let loose with a torrent of complaints, denouncing all sorts of chaos. He started with frontline news gathering and went all the way up to management, society, and the entire media industry, tearing into it all.

When someone was worked up and pouring their heart out, it was best not to interrupt. Being able to speak freely and get everything off your chest felt wonderful. After bottling things up for so long, finally venting all that frustration was a real relief.

Wang Yan not only refrained from interrupting, but listened with an approving smile, occasionally chiming in with a few words of agreement. At key moments, he'd jump in to egg Chen Yu on.

Once Chen Yu had vented most of his frustrations, he finally remembered why he'd come and who was sitting across from him. He realized he might have gone a bit too far, and gave Wang Yan an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I got a little carried away and said too much." He picked up the coffee on the table and took a sip to cover his embarrassment.

"What's there to apologize for? You're absolutely right. A lot of your ideas align with mine, and you've only made me admire you more." Wang Yan waved aside Chen Yu's polite modesty and smiled. "We've talked a lot. I think we should get down to business."

"Go ahead."

"I told you on the phone that I want to start a media company, and I'm not just paying lip service when I say I want to spread truth, goodness, and beauty. What you said just now showed me that you're an idealistic, responsible man who's willing to shoulder a burden. I have a lot of faith in you. So I'd like to entrust this project to someone as upright as you. I want you to oversee everything and build an ethical company from the ground up. What do you think? Would you be willing to come work for me?"

Hearing that he was being asked to take the lead, Chen Yu froze for a moment. Of course, being in charge sounded great. If he really took the job, he'd leap several ranks above his position at the television station.

It was impossible not to get excited about such a great opportunity falling into his lap. But Chen Yu was an honest man. He knew what a frontline reporter like him was capable of and had a clear-eyed view of his own abilities. He couldn't let the other man's trust go to waste.

He shook his head at once. "I'm sorry, President Wang, but the position you're offering is too high for me. I'm just a lowly reporter, and my abilities really are limited. Thank you for thinking so highly of me, but I can't let you down after you've put your trust in me. I'm sorry, President Wang, but I'm not up to the job."

"Don't rush to turn me down. You've never tried it, so how do you know you can't do it? You've been a reporter for years and know plenty of people in the industry. You already know how things work; you just haven't been in charge or had the chance to put it all into practice." Wang Yan smiled. "And most importantly, if your abilities aren't quite there yet, you can learn and improve. What I care about is your character. The rest doesn't matter much. As long as you work hard, you'll be able to handle it. I'm in no hurry to see results, and you have plenty of time. Take it slow."

Chen Yu opened his mouth to explain, but Wang Yan cut him off with a question. "What are your current terms at the television station?"

Chen Yu thought for a moment, then replied politely, "Including project bonuses and all the other odds and ends, it's a little under two hundred thousand a year."

Wang Yan waved a hand and said outright, "Then I'll double it—and round up. Five hundred thousand after tax, with the best benefits. Don't say another word. I understand your concerns, but, Chen Yu, I don't care about them. What do you have to worry about? It's settled!"

He stood and patted Chen Yu on the shoulder. "Go back and take care of your resignation as soon as possible. We're in the middle of acquiring a company right now. Once you've finished the paperwork, call me. You can get involved and help oversee things then. I'm off."

Without waiting for Chen Yu to react, Wang Yan left. With terms this good and a position this impressive, what was there to refuse? What was there to hesitate over? To put it bluntly, even if Chen Yu really wasn't up to the job and ran the company into the ground, Wang Yan would still support him. This amount of money was nothing to him.

After leaving the café, Wang Yan took a cab back to Tianyue Mansion. Gu Jia had already made dinner and was waiting for him to come home so they could eat together.

Hearing the door open, Xu Ziyan, who had been waiting impatiently, scampered over and wrapped his arms around Wang Yan's leg. "Dad, you're finally back! I'm starving!"

After changing his shoes, Wang Yan bent down and picked Xu Ziyan up. "If you were hungry, why didn't you eat?"

"Mom said we had to wait for you to come home so we could eat together."

"Really? Then I'll scold Mom later. How could she make a little kid wait for dinner? Don't feel bad. Let's go wash our hands, and then we can eat."

Wang Yan took Xu Ziyan to the bathroom to wash his hands. While they were there, Gu Jia brought the dishes to the table.

The three of them sat down to eat. Wang Yan put some food in Xu Ziyan's bowl and watched him shovel it down. "From now on, you don't have to wait for me. Just eat without me. Look how hungry Ziyan is."

Gu Jia smiled and nodded. She'd only wanted to make Wang Yan feel more at home.

They chatted and laughed through dinner. Xu Ziyan clowning around, Gu Jia looking after him and telling Wang Yan about little things that had happened while she was out. It was a warm, happy scene.

After dinner came their usual family time. Wang Yan and Gu Jia played with Xu Ziyan.

Once they'd coaxed the boy to sleep and gone through their usual private time as husband and wife, the two of them lay together.

"Hiss... exhale..."

With Gu Jia in his arms, Wang Yan took a drag on his cigarette. "I forgot to mention it over dinner. I'm going to Hong Kong Island tomorrow and will be back on Monday. Are you bringing the kid? If you come, I might not have time to show you around, so you two would have to explore on your own."

Gu Jia thought it over. "We won't go. You won't have time, and Ziyan has school on Monday. Two days wouldn't be enough to enjoy ourselves, and then he'd just make a fuss when it was time to leave."

"That works too. Stay home with Ziyan, then. When we have more time, we'll make a proper trip together."

Wang Yan agreed. They whispered to each other for a while longer, then fell asleep in each other's arms.

The next day, Wang Yan packed up and boarded a flight to Hong Kong Island. By the time he arrived, it was already afternoon.

He left the airport, hailed a taxi, gave the driver the hotel address, and asked him to take him there.

Taxi drivers were all much the same; they liked to chat whenever they had nothing to do. Driving in silence was boring, after all.

Wang Yan made small talk with the driver while keeping his eyes on the scenery outside. The last time he'd been here was in the 1990s, in the world of Infernal Affairs. Twenty years had passed, and Hong Kong Island had changed quite a bit. It wasn't one of the Four Asian Tigers anymore. Still, he didn't feel much nostalgia. There was nothing about Infernal Affairs that made him want to linger.

When he arrived, he booked a suite at the hotel. After putting his things away, Wang Yan went out onto the balcony and made a call. "Hello, Zhao Jingyu?"

"I think we should talk about Liang Zhengxian."

"Good. See you in a bit."

After hanging up, he reclined in a chair and admired the view for a while. When he figured it was about time, Wang Yan headed to the place he'd arranged to meet Zhao Jingyu.

It wasn't far. The hotel was near Zhao Jingyu's home, and the meeting place was nearby too, at a teahouse. Wang Yan got there first, ordered a pot of tea, and drank it at his leisure.

After a while, Zhao Jingyu arrived right on time and sat across from him.

Wang Yan gave her the once-over. Her looks weren't quite to his taste, but she wore heels and stylish clothes, and had a distinctly feminine charm. There was a hint of allure about her...

Wang Yan held out his hand. "Hello, I'm Wang Yan."

"Zhao Jingyu."

They shook hands. Wang Yan took the opportunity to feel her hand. It was pretty nice, and soft.

"What did you want to talk to me about regarding Liang Zhengxian?"

Zhao Jingyu didn't ask pointless questions like, "Who are you?" or "How did you find me?" If he'd been able to come straight to her and bring up Liang Zhengxian, then he'd obviously done his homework. And who was Wang Yan? What else could it be but that Liang Zhengxian had been fooling around everywhere and gotten himself into trouble?

She'd asked plainly, so Wang Yan got straight to the point. "I know you've been with him for several years. He's been fooling around with other women and doesn't give a damn about you. Do you want to get away from Liang Zhengxian?"

Zhao Jingyu smiled. "Why would I leave him? What would I gain from it? Isn't my life good as it is? If that's all you wanted to say, then let's not waste each other's time."

"I know you've been secretly moving a lot of assets around behind his back. Zhao Jingyu, if you really feel that way, then why are you moving your money?" Wang Yan saw right through her act. "Besides, you've been with him for seven years and have nothing to show for it. Can you be sure that one day he won't find someone he likes better, kick you to the curb, and leave you with nothing? If you leave him, you'll have enough money to last the rest of your life. No one will control you. You can do whatever you want, date whoever you want—you could even go through eight boyfriends in a day. Doesn't that sound like a better life?"

Everything he said was about practical benefits. After all these years of sticking faithfully by Liang Zhengxian and cleaning up his messes, there wasn't much love left between them.

After listening to Wang Yan, Zhao Jingyu fell silent. Everything he'd said was true. She'd be lying if she claimed she hadn't thought about it; she simply had no way out. Hong Kong Island was a special case. Families like Liang Zhengxian's had their hands in both the legitimate and criminal worlds. As a woman who depended on him, she couldn't escape his control.

Now, though, this seemed like an opportunity. The man clearly came prepared, and it couldn't hurt to try, whether it worked out or not. After thinking it over, Zhao Jingyu asked cautiously, "What are you going to do?"

Wang Yan nodded, his tone forceful. "You've got half a month. Speed up the transfer of your assets, and I'll make sure Liang Zhengxian doesn't get the chance to come after you. The rest has nothing to do with you. You don't need to worry about it."

He'd once controlled a giant corporation and played the big boss. Wang Yan's decisive, intimidating presence was no joke.

The Liang family wasn't one of the top families, but Zhao Jingyu had spent years in Hong Kong Island and seen plenty. The fearless, all-commanding aura of a man who held life and death in his hands was familiar to her. It gave her confidence that the man sitting across from her wasn't some nobody.

She wasn't stupid enough to believe a stranger just because of a few words. But Wang Yan's presence had won her over, and she could tentatively trust him.

The main reason, of course, was that she had little to lose. Wang Yan had only asked her to move her assets; everything else was none of her concern. And she knew how to move money. She'd spent years transferring large and small sums. This would just mean speeding things up a little. It was no big deal. Still, she had to be careful. If Wang Yan was just talking big and she moved too much too quickly, getting caught would end very badly. But overall, the risk was small.

Zhao Jingyu thought it over for a long while, then looked up and gave Wang Yan a firm answer. "All right."

After she agreed, Wang Yan took a sip of tea. "That's the main reason I wanted to see you. As for the secondary reason..." He looked her up and down. "Would you be interested in coming back to my place for a drink? We could celebrate your upcoming freedom in advance."

Zhao Jingyu wasn't an innocent girl who couldn't read the room. There was no way she could miss the bold, possessive look in Wang Yan's eyes. She'd only known him for ten minutes, but that didn't really matter. Liang Zhengxian had been deceiving young women all over the world while leaving her alone on Hong Kong Island. How could she not feel lonely? She'd put up with Liang Zhengxian for years, and now that he'd made an enemy of this man, she was glad to see it. There was no harm in getting closer. They were both adults.

And after this brief conversation, she could tell that Wang Yan wasn't an ordinary man. His gaze made her a little uncomfortable, so she nodded at once. "Of course."

"Excellent." Wang Yan finished his tea, stood, and straightened his clothes. Then he tilted his head toward her. "Shall we?" As he spoke, he offered her his arm.

Zhao Jingyu smiled demurely, picked up her bag, and slipped her arm through his.

They looked like a real couple as they chatted and walked out of the teahouse, then strolled over to the hotel where Wang Yan was staying...

The next day, Wang Yan woke naturally after a full night's sleep, feeling completely refreshed. He sat up and stretched luxuriously.

Zhao Jingyu, still asleep beside him, felt him move and let out a soft "Mmm" as she woke too.

After showering and getting ready, they went out to a restaurant for lunch.

As they ate, Wang Yan asked, "Are you busy later?"

"No. Why?"

"I'm going back tomorrow. Come shopping with me later and help me pick up some gifts. I'm not very good at buying things for women."

He couldn't come back empty-handed after a trip. Women, no matter how old they were, always liked gifts and surprises.

"No problem," Zhao Jingyu replied.

She didn't say anything else. He could buy gifts for whoever he wanted; it had nothing to do with her.

After lunch, Zhao Jingyu took Wang Yan to the luxury shops she often visited.

Wang Yan didn't hesitate. He pulled up a photo of Gu Jia and asked her to help him pick some things out.

Zhao Jingyu could be considered a lady of leisure, and she made her living by pleasing men. She knew this stuff inside and out.

She also knew Wang Yan wasn't short on money, so she went on a buying spree.

They spent the day shopping and bought a lot of things: clothes, shoes, bags, watches, and all sorts of other odds and ends. There was plenty of room at home, so he gave the shop his address and had them ship everything there. No need to haul it all back himself.

That night, Zhao Jingyu naturally stayed over. They spent the night together. She never asked Wang Yan why he wanted to deal with Liang Zhengxian. It wasn't important, was it?

After another wonderful night, Wang Yan gave Zhao Jingyu a few instructions and boarded his flight back to Shanghai.

He'd actually gone to Hong Kong Island specifically for Zhao Jingyu. For one thing, when he went after Liang Zhengxian, he might end up hurting innocent people. Zhao Jingyu was a woman Liang Zhengxian had toyed with, and she hadn't offended him. It would have been a shame to take her down along with him. The other reason was that Wang Yan wanted to get to know her. He had to live up to his surname—and to Old Cao.

That was all. Zhao Jingyu didn't have much say in anything and couldn't affect the bigger picture. She wasn't particularly useful to him.

Zhao Jingyu did matter a little to Liang Zhengxian. Given the way he'd treated her, Wang Yan figured she'd make sure to humiliate him when the time came.

That kid had gone out of his way to provoke Wang Yan, all to save face and show off his power. Wang Yan would make sure he remembered it. First, the woman would betray him; second, he'd lose the wealth he relied on. With both of those happening, Liang Zhengxian might well feel like dying.

As for the rest of Liang Zhengxian's family, Wang Yan had looked into them when he first arrived in this world. Not one of them was any good.

Hong Kong Island used to allow men to have multiple wives, and Liang Zhengxian's extended family was large. The children fought each other tooth and nail for the family fortune, using every dirty trick they could think of. They engaged in underhanded competition against their rivals and all kinds of illegal schemes. There was no end to their sordid business.

Wang Yan wouldn't threaten their lives. There was no need, and he wasn't that deranged. He'd just leave them out on the streets. That would keep them from spending every day doing rotten things and showing off.

The plane landed at noon. Wang Yan took a cab back to Tianyue Mansion.

He'd told Gu Jia he was coming back, and she'd insisted on picking him up. He wouldn't let her. She should just get on with her day. There was no need to go to all that trouble.

When he got home, Gu Jia wasn't there. She was at the dessert shop, playing mahjong with the wives' circle.

After putting down his things, Wang Yan grabbed a quick bite downstairs and went to the office.

His phone had been off earlier, but Chen Yu had sent him a message saying that he'd finished the resignation process.

After meeting Wang Yan that day, Chen Yu had gone home filled with anticipation for the challenges ahead and the good life to come.

He happily made a huge meal to celebrate.

Zhong Xiaoqin had divorced him, but they were still living together. When she came back and saw that Chen Yu had made such a spread, she wondered what was going on and asked him about it.

Chen Yu didn't mention Wang Yan. He just said someone had offered him a job and asked him to lead the team, with a salary of five hundred thousand and the best benefits.

After hearing that, Zhong Xiaoqin was happy for him, but that was about it. What did it have to do with her? She congratulated him on the surface, but how she really felt was anyone's guess.

Chen Yu spent two cheerful days off, then went in early that morning and handed in his resignation.

Chen Yu had worked there for years and had plenty of experience, but at a huge television station, he wasn't exactly irreplaceable.

What's more, his supervisor had plenty of complaints about him. As soon as he brought up resigning, the man agreed. He didn't even ask why, and the process moved surprisingly quickly. His colleagues didn't react much to his sudden departure either.

When a person hadn't even left and everyone had already cooled toward him, he realized just how much of a failure he was. It hurt a little.

At least his friend, Brother Man, cared enough to ask why he was leaving. That made Chen Yu feel warm inside.

Chen Yu told him the truth, explaining the position and benefits Wang Yan had offered.

When Brother Man heard the salary, he cried out in shock. "How much? Five hundred thousand? After tax?"

That shout drew a crowd. The colleagues who'd barely cared before came over to ask all sorts of questions.

Once they understood what was going on, they cursed the boss for being an idiot and wondered why such a windfall hadn't landed in their own laps. But on the surface, they congratulated Chen Yu. He was moving to a much better job, after all, and they might need his help someday. They all told him to keep in touch.

Apart from watching television and reading novels, Chen Yu had never seen a scene where people came around to pay their respects once someone had made it. He'd certainly never experienced it firsthand. All the flattery went to his head a little.

But he didn't say much. He really wasn't used to this sort of thing. After thanking everyone and making his excuses, he left before noon.

Thanks to my good big brother oo Dao-ge for continuing to support me.

Thanks to my good big brother Love Han Fei for supporting me again.

Thanks to my four good big brothers My Name is Ri Tianhao, Ceramic Pot, Meteor＊Feather Flower, and Hamilton Alone for the monthly-ticket support.

As always, thanks to all the big brothers who voted for recommendations.

Thanks to the big brothers who leave comments, and those who just read without commenting.

Big Brother Lao Qian, I saw your recommendation vote. Thank you, big brother.

And to those who've urged me to hang in there, all I can say is I'll do my best. I can't make any promises.

In short, I'm truly grateful to all the big brothers for their kindness and support.