Chapter 15

Zhang Yao's heart lurched as he listened. "It can't be that bad, can it? How did things get so serious?"

Thinking of some rumors he had heard before, Zhang Yao hesitated before asking, "I heard a headhunter called you before?"

"What do you mean?" Zhao Zhao was somewhat sensitive, unable to keep his voice down as he accused, "You suspect me too?"

"Keep your voice down!" Zhang Yao glanced at the colleagues around them, who had suddenly fallen silent, then simply picked up his tray. "Let's talk outside."

Zhao Zhao snorted and picked up his tray as well. "Talk my ass. Forget it."

Zhao Zhao tossed his tray into the return bin and walked out of the cafeteria with a dark expression. Not long afterward, he received another call.

It was still an anonymous number, still a voice altered by a voice changer. "How have you been lately, Mr. Zhao?"

"None of your damn business!"

"Don't be so hotheaded. As the saying goes, people climb higher and water flows lower. Whatever Wenren Yan can give you, we can give you five or ten times more. Isn't everyone out here chasing fame and fortune? Things probably haven't been going too well for you at Yan Feng Capital, have they? I heard Wenren Yan handed the security work you were responsible for to someone else. And he gave you a thorough scolding last night too? If you ask me, Wenren Yan really doesn't know how to value talent. You're the head of Yan Feng Capital's investment department, after all. Just one small mistake, and he berated you like that? Looks to me like he really treats you as some household retainer."

"A fine bird chooses the tree it roosts in. Since he doesn't value you at all, why not choose a better master?"

Zhao Zhao sneered. "Give it up. My godfather has shown me immense kindness. I will never leave Yan Feng Capital, much less work for someone who only knows how to hide in the shadows. Don't think I don't know what you've been doing. We've already reported the listening device to the police. You'd better pray they don't find any clues. Otherwise, the next time we meet might be at the police station."

With that, Zhao Zhao decisively hung up and strode back to the office.

Yan Feng Capital wanted to sell Wenren Heavy Industry, but the proposal was unanimously opposed by everyone at Wenren Heavy Industry. The project was currently on hold, but all preparations for the sale still had to continue. Although Zhao Zhao also opposed selling Wenren Heavy Industry for personal reasons, he had not neglected any of the work that needed to be done.

When Steven came in, he found Jack sitting behind his desk, grimly working away. Amused, Steven raised an eyebrow and placed a packaged bowl of luosifen on the desk. "I heard you didn't eat much for lunch?"

Zhao Zhao's nose twitched. Frowning, he said, "Isn't it a little inappropriate to eat that in the office at noon?"

"Cut the crap." Steven shot back. "I ordered it especially for you. Are you eating it or not?"

"...I'm eating!" Zhao Zhao set aside the work in his hands, carried the luosifen over to the sofa, and began slurping it down.

Steven casually sat in the single armchair beside him and asked Zhao Zhao, "What happened yesterday—did you do it on purpose?"

Zhao Zhao shook his head with a bitter smile. "I wouldn't joke around with the company's money."

After a pause, Zhao Zhao explained further, "I genuinely forgot that the domestic stock market uses the T+1 system. There's been too much crap going on lately. My fault. I'll make up for the loss. Have Finance deduct it from my year-end bonus."

"Boss never asked you to make up for it." Steven did not think much of it. "Yan Feng Capital is a massive company. It can handle a loss this small."

As for the clients, because the losses had been caused by a basic mistake from the investment department manager, Wenren Yan had already decided that Yan Feng Capital would bear this portion of the losses in full. The Finance Department had issued dividends to the relevant clients according to T+0 operating standards, striving to calm the clients with the smallest possible move at the earliest opportunity and successfully complete the crisis public relations response.

"It's better if I make it up." Zhao Zhao smiled, slurping noodles as he said meaningfully, "Only after I make it up will I have a reason to feel resentful."

Steven immediately understood. "They called you again?"

"They just did." Zhao Zhao hesitated before saying, "I had lunch with Zhang Yao at noon. Less than five minutes after we parted ways, I got the call. They knew very clearly what happened last night."

The key issue was that this kind of investment blunder concerned the company's business capability and corporate image. Everyone who knew about it had to keep it confidential. Yet under such circumstances, the other side's information was still so prompt. Zhao Zhao had every reason to suspect that, besides him, they had contacted other Yan Feng Capital employees and had already successfully bought one of them off.

Steven's heart sank slightly. "You suspect Zhang Yao?"

"I suspect everyone. Including myself." Zhao Zhao was naturally vigilant. "In any case, in times like these, there's no harm in being careful."

Steven said with a livid expression, "I'll report this to Boss exactly as it happened."

Zhao Zhao scoffed. "You think Boss doesn't know?" If Wenren Yan had not been wary of the other side planting spies within Yan Feng Capital, he would not have stepped forward immediately after the incident to spend money and avert disaster. In Wenren Yan's estimation, the other side should have spread the word about Zhao Zhao's basic mistake to damage Yan Feng Capital's reputation. Yet they had not done so. Zhao Zhao guessed that they might also have learned of Wenren Yan's response after the incident and believed that publicizing it would not harm Yan Feng Capital. It might even promote Yan Feng Capital's credibility and professional ethics instead, attracting more clients.

Steven said regretfully, "If we'd known, we should have waited until they made their move before announcing that we would take full responsibility for this mistake."

"If we had done that, the money could very easily have been smeared as hush money paid to clients only after the matter was exposed. They could also turn the tables, step forward to claim credit, and say that without their exposing the matter, the clients might have suffered losses without ever knowing why." Zhao Zhao took a bite of tofu skin, narrowing his eyes in satisfaction as he calmly analyzed, "Boss cares too much about his reputation. How could he let others throw mud at Yan Feng Capital?"

In finance and investment banking, reputation was everything.

Steven fell silent. After a long while, he cursed through gritted teeth, "Those bastards!"

"I'm furious!" An angry roar shattered the silence on set. While waiting for his scene, Ao Qingyuan, who had been sitting in a lounge chair playing games, angrily threw down his phone. "I hate people who go AFK in games the most."