Chapter 48

Taking advantage of no one paying attention, Li Rongxiu took out his Palm Treasure, entered a purchase request, and pinned it to the top again. At the same time, far away in Enoria, Shen Yujun was also making thorough preparations for the Devil's Trial a week later at Li Bingru's instruction.

Chapter 48

At around one-thirty in the afternoon, Li Rongxiu received calls of concern from the other Super Alliance members. After asking whether the highway bridge collapse would negatively affect Meihua Infrastructure's image, they casually invited Li Rongxiu out for dinner and karaoke that evening to celebrate his finding an internship.

Li Rongxiu agreed without even needing to think about it. Then he took the elevator to the top floor and discussed canceling the welcome dinner and subsequent KTV event with Li Rongyu. Li Rongxiu's reason was perfectly high-minded—

"The company is facing a serious public relations crisis. We should be more cautious at a time like this. Let's forget about eating and drinking."

Li Rongyu had just instructed the public relations department to express concern and condolences over the collapse of Shidi Highway Bridge in T Country, so it truly was not appropriate to act too high-profile right now. Still, he felt it would be unfair to Li Rongxiu to cancel all the welcome events. Li Rongxiu waved a hand and smiled casually. "It doesn't matter. I don't like eating and singing with people I've only met once and don't know anyway. I'll be even more relieved if you cancel tonight's event. Besides, I've already arranged to go out with Zhao Qijun, Alan, and the others tonight. I can't stand them up, can I? And I already had lunch with the Secretarial Department colleagues, so we've gotten acquainted."

After thinking it over, Li Rongyu called Zhou Fan and told him to cancel the evening's event. After hanging up, Li Rongyu asked, "Are you planning to rely on Shen Yujun's website to investigate the bridge collapse?"

Li Rongxiu nodded. "I've already sent them a message. I believe there'll be results soon. I'll give you the investigation results when the time comes."

He did not ask what Li Meihua would do after receiving the results. In his eyes, it was too trivial to mention. Even without his investigation, the Li family men were capable enough that this matter would not have much impact on the company. At most, they would lose some money.

When work ended that evening, Li Rongxiu took the elevator downstairs with his colleagues from the Secretarial Department. He noticed a group of men and women gathered at the entrance of Wanrou Tower, whispering among themselves. When Li Rongxiu walked over to take a look, he saw Zhao Qijun waiting outside in a flashy bright yellow Maserati sports car. From time to time, he glanced at the watch on his wrist.

Hearing the occasional comments drifting over from his colleagues—"I wonder who's so lucky to have caught a rich young master's eye. If she can marry into a wealthy family, she won't have to struggle for the rest of her life"—Li Rongxiu shook his head with an amused smile.

People always thought marrying into a wealthy family was a blessing. What they did not know was that the more powerful the family, the more seriously they regarded marriage alliances. Without a strong family background or personal value, even marrying into such a family would not make life easy.

Zhao Qijun spotted Li Rongxiu the moment he emerged surrounded by people from the Secretarial Department. He quickly waved. "Young Master Xiu, over here."

Everyone's eyes turned toward him at once. Li Rongxiu calmly smiled at them, then walked unhurriedly around to the passenger side of the sports car. Zhao Qijun hurried over to open the door for him. As he got in, Li Rongxiu could still hear sighs of both regret and astonishment from nearby.

That night, Li Rongxiu played with his friends until after two in the morning before leisurely heading home to rest. Since he had notified the family beforehand, his grandfather, grandmother, father, and mother had all gone to bed, but the downstairs hall light had still been left on for him. This was also one of the Li family's rules. Only after the last person living at home returned could that light be turned off.

Before going to study in the Federation in his previous life, Li Rongxiu had always hated this rule. Sometimes he had so much fun with his friends that he would stay out all night. When he sneaked back the next morning, his early-rising grandparents would catch him red-handed. Although he would not be punished, a scolding was unavoidable.

After Li Rongxiu graduated from high school and went abroad to study, the huge villa had only one resident—himself—plus a part-time housekeeper and his two bodyguards, Li Eleven and Li Twelve. Every day when he returned home, it was cold and empty. No one left the door open for him anymore, nor did anyone leave a light on. Only then did he understand the meaning of that light.

The next morning, having played wildly until dawn, Li Rongxiu naturally overslept. Seeing that the alarm clock read nine-thirty in the morning, Li Rongxiu wailed and hurried out of bed. After going downstairs, he did not forget to complain to Mo Wanrou and Zhuang Meiru, "Why didn't Big Brother wake me up earlier? If I'm late, it's all his fault!"

Mo Wanrou smiled gently. "You stayed up so late yesterday. Your brother was afraid that forcing you awake would give you a headache today, so he let you sleep your fill. Breakfast is ready for you. Eat, then go to work."

Li Rongxiu answered, bent down to give both women a good-morning kiss, then leisurely went to eat breakfast.

By the time he arrived at the company, it was already past ten. The Secretarial Department staff were busy at their desks. Li Rongxiu silently returned to his seat, and just as he sat down, a male colleague beside him said, "As expected of the young master. Even during an internship, you can show up this late."

Li Rongxiu froze at the words, only to see Zhou Fan emerge from the office and ask, "Did you bring back the documents the boss asked you to collect? He's waiting to use them."

Li Rongxiu reacted quickly. "I brought them back."

As he spoke, he handed the folder by his side to Zhou Fan.

This was a document his cousin Mo Jie had called about that morning, repeatedly reminding him to deliver to Taisheng Bank during lunch. It bore Grandma Mo's personal signature. Taisheng Bank was a Mo Family business. Back when Meihua Department Store had been jointly targeted by several other great families, it was Taisheng Bank of the Mo Family that loaned Grandpa Li a large amount of cash, ensuring Meihua Department Store's cash flow remained smooth and preventing it from being crushed by the other families' price war.

Later, when the Li family entered the fast-moving consumer goods and food service industries, real estate, finance, and automobiles, Taisheng Bank had also provided powerful support.

Thus, the Mo Family was not only connected to the Li family by marriage, but was also the Li family's loyal business ally and partner. It was precisely this relationship of shared prosperity and shared ruin that ensured the Li family's absolute status in Wancheng.

Zhou Fan took the folder Li Rongxiu handed him and said, "Come in with me."

Li Rongxiu followed Zhou Fan into the chief secretary's office. He had assumed Zhou Fan wanted to speak to him about being late. Instead, Zhou Fan simply gave him some documents to organize. Naturally, the document Mo Wanrou had asked him to deliver to Taisheng Bank was included among them.

After explaining the work, Zhou Fan advised, "The Sun Han who spoke to you earlier is the younger brother-in-law of Fuda Group's chairman. Fuda Group is an important partner of Meihua. At the same time, President Chen of Fuda Group is one of Meihua's shareholders, so the boss could not outright refuse President Chen's request that we arrange a position for Sun Han. When Sun Han first came to our company, he was severely dealt with for failing to follow company rules and was almost fired."

He tactfully yet clearly explained why Sun Han had the confidence to criticize Li Rongxiu's lateness so bluntly. At the same time, he pointed out that if Li Rongxiu continued disregarding the rules, it would create problems for the company's management.

Li Rongxiu understood immediately. He curled his lips at Zhou Fan and smiled. "Don't worry. I won't lower myself to his level."

Hearing Li Rongxiu's distinctly individualistic answer, Zhou Fan smiled. "Then get to work."

They called it work, but by the time Li Rongxiu settled in, it was already noon. Linda, the pretty young woman from the Secretarial Department, approached with a smile on behalf of all her colleagues and asked whether Li Rongxiu wanted to eat lunch with them. Since Li Rongxiu had treated them to a buffet the previous day, everyone had discussed it and decided to uphold the Empire's tradition of returning courtesy with courtesy by treating him to lunch. Of course, whether this decision had anything to do with Li Rongxiu's identity as the young master of the group was anyone's guess.

Linda was twenty-three this year and had just graduated from university. She had been at Meihua for only a year and had passed her probation three months ago to become an official employee. Because she was sweet-looking and even sweeter-talking, she was fairly popular in both the Secretarial Department and Meihua's other departments.

Appreciating beautiful things was human nature. Even if Li Rongxiu could not have lunch with the pretty young woman, that did not stop him from chatting with her. Having been influenced by the internet of later generations, Li Rongxiu quickly made Linda burst out laughing with all sorts of amusing anecdotes. Even the other Secretarial Department colleagues were drawn over to listen.

People with cheerful, easygoing personalities naturally found it easier to get along with others than gloomy people. Although Li Rongxiu was prideful and chuunibyou, he was certainly not as extreme and arrogant as Sun Han. Therefore, even though he ultimately declined the Secretarial Department beauties' lunch invitation, no one spoke ill of him.

Seeing this, Sun Han, who sat nearby, grew even more dissatisfied. When he had first arrived at the company, the Secretarial Department colleagues had warmly welcomed him too. Unfortunately, after Zhou Fan took a dislike to him and made things difficult for him several times, even nearly pushing him out of the company, the Secretarial Department staff had all wisely kept their distance. Even Linda was no longer as interested in him as before. This gap had always left Sun Han bitter and resentful. Now, seeing everyone treat Li Rongxiu so well, the unbalanced Sun Han snorted coldly. "I thought you people were too noble to be swayed by wealth and status. Turns out you just treat people according to their rank."

After tossing out that vague remark, Sun Han sneered again, slammed his laptop shut with great force, rose to his feet, and walked out of the Secretarial Department without looking back.

The Secretarial Department, which had been filled with laughter and a lighthearted atmosphere, suddenly fell silent. After quite a while, the man who had reported the bridge collapse to Zhou Fan yesterday stood up, glanced at his watch, and said nonchalantly, "Oh, it's already twelve. No wonder I'm so hungry. Let's go eat too."

Taisheng Bank's headquarters was located southeast of Wancheng's central business district, directly opposite the city center plaza. World Trade Building stood to the north, while a luxury shopping street lay to the west. It was only about a ten-minute drive from Wanrou Tower—provided there was no traffic.

When Li Rongxiu drove to World Trade Building, Mo Jie had already been waiting by the floor-to-ceiling window of the second-floor café for quite some time. On his table was only a cup of mocha, with a keychain, card holder, and phone beside it. He sat there leisurely, propping his cheek on one hand, watching Li Rongxiu step out of a black Bach with a document folder in hand and enter World Trade Building with the crowd.

Mo Jie silently counted to fifty, then saw Li Rongxiu appear at the café entrance. A waiter approached and asked him something softly, and Li Rongxiu replied a few words while continuing to look around the café. Mo Jie calmly waved a hand. Having finally found him, Li Rongxiu hurried over.

He first handed the folder to Mo Jie, then asked, "Did you order anything? I'm starving."

Mo Jie smiled faintly. "I saw you drive here in a Bach just now. It seems people really are different once they start working. What, are you endorsing your own family's products too?"

Li Rongxiu chuckled. "My brother required it. I have to drive this during work hours. There's nothing I can do about it."

After a pause, he added thankfully, "Fortunately, I only have to put up with it for two months."

As he spoke, he hurriedly called the waiter over to order. During that time, Mo Jie also asked about the collapse of Shidi Highway Bridge in T Country. Not wanting to bring up his suspicions about the Shen family, Li Rongxiu casually explained a few things. Unexpectedly, while he did not want to mention the Shen family, Mo Jie lowered his voice with a gossipy look and asked, "By the way, you already know, right?"