A Beauty's Invitation (2)

The real data on new-car reports could indeed only be obtained through powerful connections and a solid background. Lin Meijing had tried countless methods, hosted who knew how many dinners, and even endured certain clients who clearly had improper designs on her and occasionally crossed the line with their words. She had actually borne it all through sheer willpower. But business was business; without strength of her own, she would never obtain genuine firsthand information.

Come to think of it, Lin Meijing had been forced into this position. Not only did no one else believe the data she had now, even she herself did not believe it. But the magazine was about to go to print. Other than making baseless guesses, what else could she do?

"Sigh! You want to start your own magazine with material like this... Lin Meijing, you haven't even had your moment in the spotlight yet. Don't go tumbling off a cliff first!" Su Yating laughed as she kept sighing and shaking her head. Yet Pei Shao still had the mind to let his thoughts wander. She'd be quite suited to becoming an actress.

Lin Meijing, however, was nowhere near as calm as Pei Shao. Her face had turned livid, and her thin lips were pressed tightly together. She looked terrifyingly serious, and her voice was especially low. "Su Yating, I have my own ways of running a magazine. It's not your place to point fingers!"

"I'm not pointing fingers, Miss Lin. I'm just too lonely and wanted to find myself an opponent!" Su Yating grew even more smug. "See? Didn't I rush right over to give you some advice? Look at you now. The desk is old, the office is shabby, the data you obtained is wrong, and even your only employee... well, he seems a little foolish. This doesn't seem like the usual style of you, Lin Meijing, the strong career woman. Oh, right, I remember what Miss Lin said half a year ago: 'I, Lin Meijing, am someone who demands perfection in everything. If I do something, I either don't do it at all, or I become the best in the industry.' Tsk, tsk, those words are still ringing in my ears..."

"That speech was quite brilliant. Its logic was rigorous, its emotions rich, and its arrangement of words colorful and varied. It possessed both the uneven beauty and rhythmic beauty of a carbon-based life-form cultural system. Mm, a masterpiece. A masterpiece." Castle's emotionless voice suddenly sounded in Pei Shao's ear, leaving him both amused and exasperated.

"Su Yating! Rest assured, even if I, Lin Meijing, have to become a beggar on the street, I will never return to Everglory!" Lin Meijing's pale, delicate fists were clenched tightly. She looked as though she might punch Su Yating in the face at any moment. Her expression grew darker and more resolute, and she looked full of confidence, as though she could never be knocked down.

Yet from Pei Shao's side angle, he could clearly see something glittering in Lin Meijing's eyes. Looking more closely, he noticed that her small, jade-like nose twitched faintly twice.

The air was thick with tension.

"Is that so, Sister Mei Jing? I'm just afraid that with your temper, you won't even be able to make a living as a beggar. You'll only be able to become..." Su Yating giggled, her gaze roaming over Lin Meijing's body. Though she did not finish her sentence, even a fool knew what profession she meant.

Lin Meijing finally fell silent. Her little mouth twitched twice, and she lowered her head by thirty degrees. Pei Shao suddenly felt a surge of heat rise from his chest.

Damn it, even when you beat a dog, you should consider its owner—no, when you beat the owner, you should consider the dog—no, that wasn't right either. Anyway, in short, bullying my boss right in front of me was absolutely intolerable!

Pei Shao normally had a good temper, but now, he was getting angry too.

"Hey, hey, Castle, Mr. Castle? What the hell are you doing? If you don't come out soon, I'm going to get fired! Then you'll be powered down too!" In his panic, Pei Shao called out to Castle for the tenth time—his first nine calls had received no response. This time, he directly added the "dire consequences" he had imagined.

"Airplanes? My actions have no connection whatsoever to the aircraft manufacturing industry." Whether Castle had been frightened by Pei Shao's threat or not, his stiff mechanical voice finally sounded in Pei Shao's earpiece.

"Fine, whatever!" Pei Shao had no time to care about Castle's lame joke. He hurriedly whispered miserably, "Mr. Castle, Boss Castle, what exactly were you doing just now? Didn't you see that my boss was about to cry?"

"Mm, I was waiting precisely for this moment. As you Earthlings say, heroes always make their entrance at the final moment. That way, your job has been saved. Remember, when we get back, I want an extra meal. Shh!" At the end, Castle actually let out a playful whistle, entirely unlike his usual coldness.

"What?" Pei Shao was dumbfounded.

Just as Su Yating was holding that report and continuing to tear Lin Meijing down until she was nearly in tears, the two women were both startled to hear Pei Shao, whom they had ignored for a long while, suddenly say in a timid voice, "Sister Lin, I've sorted out the incorrect data for Ferrari's new X Series and the Mercedes-Benz quotation."

"Huh? What did you say?" Neither of the two beauties had heard the exact contents of Pei Shao's words, so they nearly turned around at the same time.

"Th-the Ferrari X Series engine isn't a V8, and its transmission isn't a six-and-a-half-speed one either. As for the Mercedes-Benz listed afterward, the most accurate market price as of today—just one minute ago—the difference isn't 37,000, but 32,561 yuan..." As Pei Shao continued, his voice grew quieter and quieter. Especially when he reported that final number, his voice was nearly inaudible.

To be honest, Pei Shao himself could hardly believe the data Castle had produced. A lowest quotation detailed down to the single yuan was somewhat absurd... no, extremely absurd!

Besides, Castle had creaked and clattered for two hours without coming up with anything, yet in the end he still dared to claim that heroes made their entrance at the last moment. After hearing that, Pei Shao, who had originally had immense confidence in Castle, began to waver.

Could a Transformer that whistled and enjoyed making lame jokes really be trusted? That was the question!

"What?" Sure enough, Lin Meijing and Su Yating were both shocked.

"A quotation accurate down to the single yuan? You must be joking. College student, making things up isn't your fault, but making things up and then trying to show off in front of an expert makes you an idiot!" Su Yating nearly burst out laughing.

This was simply ridiculous! Such an exact lowest selling price was probably known only to a few decision-makers at Mercedes-Benz's marketing headquarters. Even lower-level dealers would not have it.