The twelfth scoop: What juicy gossip? Take twelve bites...

"All these money trees were placed in spots the president specifically chose after consulting a feng shui master!" She explained it to Ye Mo anyway, afraid she would think everyone at the Ye Corporation was superstitious. "Every spot has its significance. We wouldn't dare move them around."

Ye Mo understood. "So it's my dad who believes in this stuff, not you."

Secretary Huang: "...I never said that."

Ye Mo stood up and brushed the dirt off her hands. "All right, I know what's going on with these money trees."

A thought flashed through Secretary Huang's mind. "Could it be that you know

why these money trees died?"

Ye Mo said, "More or less..."

In an instant, all sorts of guesses and conspiracy theories flashed through Secretary Huang's mind. Then she heard Ye Mo declare with absolute certainty, "Someone scalded all these money trees to death with boiling water!"

Secretary Huang: "..."

Secretary Huang: ??

"Scalded to death?" she blurted out in shock.

Ye Mo nodded. "That's right, scalded to death. The company has cleaners water and tend these money trees every day, right? That's when a cleaner poured boiling water into them..."

No matter how hardy these money trees were, with boiling water poured on them every day, they would have to die even if they didn't want to.

"There's an Auntie Li among the cleaners. Someone from the Fan Group bribed her to pour boiling water into the company's money trees every day..."

"..."

Secretary Huang looked as though reality had turned surreal, and she couldn't make sense of it no matter how she tried. "Why?"

Ye Mo gave her a meaningful look. "Whatever reason your president had for putting money trees in the company is the reason the Fan Group did this!"

Naturally, the president had put money trees in the company to attract wealth. So the reason the Fan Group wanted to scald the money trees to death... The corner of Secretary Huang's mouth twitched. She simply couldn't find the words.

"...Business warfare truly is terrifying!" Ye Mo sighed from the bottom of her heart.

Secretary Huang: "..."

Ye Mo and Secretary Huang returned to Ye Lin's office.

Seeing her plop down on the sofa as soon as she returned, looking utterly exhausted, Ye Lin asked, "Well? Did you find out why the company's money trees died?"

"Of course!" Ye Mo answered without hesitation, declaring with great confidence, "...Big Brother, just get ready to hand over that two million!"

Ye Lin found it rather amusing. "Do you like money that much?"

Ye Mo answered without hesitation, "Of course. After all, family and friends in this world can betray me, but my money never will! Besides, money can buy lots of things... I've had enough of being broke."

Hearing her last sentence, Ye Lin was taken aback, then fell silent.

A few seconds later, he said, "Don't worry. Even if you don't find out why the money trees died, I'll still give you the two million!"

Ye Mo said, "...What would that count as?"

Ye Lin gave it serious thought. "Your big brother's love for you?"

Ye Mo: "..." She was grossed out.

"Then you'll have to give me four million!" She climbed right up the pole he offered and immediately opened her lion's mouth wide. "One thing is one thing, and another is another. The two million for the money trees is the payment you owe me in the first place. That's what I've earned!"

That distinction had to be made.

Ye Lin said, "...You really won't take even the slightest loss."

Ye Mo said proudly, "Of course not! Nobody has ever made me take a loss!"

Amused, Ye Lin nodded. "Fine. If you really can resolve the company's money tree problem, I'll give you not only the two-million payment, but another two million in spending money!"

At that, Ye Mo's eyes lit up. She hurried over to Ye Lin's side like a little bootlicker and fussed over him. "Big Brother, are you thirsty? Are you hungry? Oh, you've finished your coffee. I'll go make you some!"

With that, she picked up the empty coffee cup Ye Lin had left on his desk and excitedly headed out to the break room.

Watching her dash about like a whirlwind, Ye Lin couldn't help shaking his head in amusement.

He had imagined what his biological younger sister's personality might be like. Especially after hearing Ye Zhipeng say she had suffered a great deal, he had even thought Ye Mo might be withdrawn and timid. He had never imagined she would be so... lively?

As for her love of money...

Ye Lin didn't think there was anything wrong with that.

How many people in this world didn't love money? Even their Ye Family, with such vast assets, was still toiling away for money, wasn't it?

...Seizing every opportunity to make money. She really is one of our Ye Family, Ye Lin thought.

A few minutes later, Ye Mo returned with the coffee she had made and handed it to Ye Lin.

Ye Lin took a sip, and the very next second, his expression became rather hard to describe.

Forcing himself to swallow the coffee in his mouth, he asked Ye Mo, "...What kind of coffee is this?"

Ye Mo blinked innocently. "Instant coffee! What, don't you like it, Big Brother?"

Ye Lin: "..."

He set the coffee on the desk, reached out, and pushed it far away. "From now on, leave little things like making coffee to Secretary Huang and the others!"

Ye Mo wrinkled her nose. "Don't think I can't tell you're saying my coffee tastes bad!"

Ye Lin nodded. "Glad you understand."

Ye Mo: "..." This big brother really wouldn't give her any face.

Ye Mo had been sitting in Ye Lin's office for a little over half an hour before Secretary Huang finally returned.

Chapter 12: The twelfth scoop: What juicy gossip? Take twelve bites...

After entering the office, Secretary Huang first gave Ye Mo, who was sitting on the sofa, a peculiar look. Only then did she walk over to Ye Lin to report.

"...Just as Miss Ye said, we did find an Auntie Li among the cleaning staff!"

"After we pressed her, Auntie Li finally admitted that she had taken someone's money. They told her to secretly pour boiling water into the money tree pots every day... That's why our company's money trees gradually withered and died."

With their roots and stems scalded until they were cooked, how could the money trees not wither and die?

As Secretary Huang spoke, she couldn't keep a subtle note of wonder out of her voice. After all, she had never imagined that the other side had bribed their company's cleaner just to pour boiling water on their money trees and scald them to death.

Secretary Huang: I don't understand business warfare anymore.

But what Secretary Huang found even more unexpected was that, after she finished her report, their general manager, Ye Lin, looked rather bewildered.

"...You mean our company's money trees died because a cleaner was up to something?" he asked.

Secretary Huang: "..."

Secretary Huang looked at Ye Mo, then at him, and asked quietly, "Didn't Miss Ye tell you?"

Ye Lin: "..."

He cast a light glance at Ye Mo on the sofa.

Ye Mo lowered her head and said somewhat "bashfully," "I just wanted to get everything sorted out before telling you. I wanted to give you a surprise!"

Ye Lin said, "...I certainly got the shock." As for delight, there wasn't much of that.

"Tell me about this properly, from beginning to end!" he said, looking at Secretary Huang.

Only after hearing their exchange did Secretary Huang realize that Ye Lin knew absolutely nothing about this. She couldn't help giving Ye Mo an admiring look-it was hardly uncommon to find someone who could leave their manager at a disadvantage.

After marveling at this, Secretary Huang explained the entire matter to Ye Lin in detail from beginning to end, emphasizing Ye Mo's role in it. If she hadn't said the money trees had been scalded to death with boiling water, they would still have been wondering whether something unscientific had happened at their company.

After hearing the full story, Ye Lin said little else, only, "...Handle that cleaner according to the company's normal procedures!"