He looked at the secretary. "Is this Zhou Yunchen?"
The secretary nodded. "It appears so."
Min Xin frowned. "What is he doing here? And he seems to have gone directly to King Jingyao’s office. Find out if any positions have opened up..."
The secretary imdiately responded, "There’s no need to inquire. I’m certain that there haven’t been any recent openings. Perhaps he’s here to assist Little Gu."
Min Xin, a suspicious man, furrowed his brows. "They wouldn’t need Zhou Yunchen for nial tasks! Go find out what Shen Congwen’s position at An Pu is. That will tell us if King Jingyao brought Zhou Yunchen over."
The secretary couldn’t help but remark, "You are truly insightful, sir."
Min Xin sneered. Old Wang and he were sworn enemies; Old Wang often resorted to petty tricks. If Min Xin lacked even that bit of discernnt, he wouldn’t deserve to muddle through in this General Office.
Upon settling in his office, the secretary reported, "Shen Congwen assud the position of General Manager at An Pu today."
Min Xin gritted his teeth. "King Jingyao has brought all of Gu Anxi’s lackeys to his side. He’s clearly set on opposing ."
This Zhou Yunchen has stirred up considerable trouble in Beicheng; he must be guarded against.
His secretary, catching his drift, said lightly, "Why worry so much? Even if Zhou Yunchen starts from the bottom, it will take him at least a decade to climb to the top. By then, King Jingyao will have retired, and Zhou Yunchen will be yours to command!"
Min Xin looked at him, his voice tight. "King Jingyao is grooming him to take his own place."
The secretary was startled. What?
Min Xin drumd his fingers, wondering what exactly King Jingyao was up to.
「...」
At two P.M., they were summoned for a eting.
Min Xin entered the room with his secretary. The room was full; he was the only one missing.
When King Jingyao saw him enter, he smiled. "You’ve worked hard, you’ve worked hard!"
He personally ca over, guided Min Xin to his seat, and placed his hands on Min Xin’s shoulders. "Everyone was very worried while you were away," he said. "When there’s no leader, it’s natural for people to feel unsettled."
Min Xin was inwardly disdainful of this act. This man is setting a trap for again!
So, he gave a reserved smile. "Precisely because Mr. Wang was so concerned, I couldn’t even rest easy at ho."
King Jingyao, however, still looked as pleasant as a spring breeze. "Nonsense. If you want to rest, I’ll approve a year’s leave for you imdiately."
The eting room fell silent.
Min Xin gave a small smile. "Why not grant leave until I retire?"
As the two bigwigs sparred verbally, no one else dared to interject.
Only then did King Jingyao speak warmly, "My dear brother Min, I know you’re not in a good mood. It’s just a divorce, isn’t it? With your current status, droves of girls will be throwing themselves at you. You’ll be so busy choosing, you won’t know what to do."
Min Xin chuckled. "Is Mr. Wang speaking from experience?"
King Jingyao smiled. "Hardly experience! My dear brother Min, don’t you go making things up about . I’ve kept myself pure all these years, you know."
Min Xin knew he was alluding to the Gu Mingzhu affair but wasn’t bothered. The subsequent eting was to confirm Zhou Yunchen’s official installation as King Jingyao’s assistant...
Min Xin smoked, observing the young man.
King Jingyao certainly has a good eye. This man is ruthless enough and direct enough; his style is just like Gu Anxi’s unorthodox approach.
He also knew this was King Jingyao’s way of warning him he’d overstepped.
They had struggled for so many years; he understood his opponent’s thods completely. It was all a tacit understanding.
Min Xin, naturally, wasn’t afraid. Having embarked on this path of power and influence, he had no plans to retreat.
After the eting ended, Zhou Yunchen imdiately got to work, leaving only King Jingyao and Min Xin.
In private, the atmosphere was surprisingly amicable. King Jingyao patted Min Xin’s shoulder. "All good?"
Min Xin smoked. "Not dead yet! I can still fight a few more rounds."
King Jingyao adopted a tone as if trying to enlighten him. "Look at you, talking angrily again. When have I ever made things difficult for you? Do you think I brought Zhou Yunchen here to deal with you? He has no foundation whatsoever. By the ti he could do anything to you, it would be ten years from now."
Min Xin, smoking, stared at King Jingyao. "So..."
King Jingyao patted him, walked a circle behind him, and then said, "In our positions, we’ve offended many people. Can we really afford not to leave ourselves a way out?"
He laughed again. "Min Xin, you’re only concerned with your imdiate gratification. But have you thought about what happens after you retire? Who will protect you? And who will protect your ’little fairy’?"
Min Xin looked a bit discomposed. He choked on his smoke, and a sudden pain shot through his shoulder, making him grimace and grit his teeth.
After the pain subsided, he finally said, "Zhou Yu and I are divorced!"
King Jingyao nodded understandingly. "Yes, you’re divorced. You can let go now."
He sat opposite him, propped his long, slender legs on the table, and also lit a cigarette, taking slow drags. "What if Zhou Yu gets lonely, finds another man, marries him, and they accidentally have a child? Wouldn’t you then have to protect their family of three?"
Min Xin was very displeased. "Don’t push it too far with your words."
"I’m speaking the truth, and look, you’re already upset." King Jingyao said with so sadness, "Unless you’re like —only when your wife is gone are you truly free of attachnts. Otherwise, Zhou Yu will always be your weakness."
So King Jingyao was beating around the bush all this ti just to tell to get lost, to let Zhou Yunchen use this position as a temporary asure. His voice turned cold. "Do you think I’m the kind of person to be swayed by such tender feelings?"
King Jingyao smiled. "You’re not."
Min Xin remained silent, just puffing at his cigarette, staring at his nesis.
King Jingyao added, "We are indeed the greatest of rivals. But Min Xin, it wasn’t originally that I couldn’t tolerate you. However, you created Dark, and then you couldn’t even control it... That, I cannot tolerate."
He would not permit soone of high status and great power, who could be controlled at any mont, to be near him.
Just as Min Xin was about to speak, a familiar, soft voice ca from the doorway. "Jingyao, Jingchuan said your eting ended. Why are you still here?"
The cigarette at Min Xin’s lips trembled. That voice—
It was Zhou Yu!
His heart quivered. Then he saw Zhou Yu enter, wearing a light dress, her long hair loose, looking exceptionally gentle...
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