Plunder-Chapter 25 - Water in the Brain
Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Water in the Brain
Chapter 25 -25 Water in the Brain
Chen Yin received an invitation from An Corporation and felt somewhat troubled.
She glanced at Zhou Jin’an’s schedule and saw that he already had plans for the evening.
“I’m sorry, but Director Zhou is not available tonight.”
Chen Yin informed them truthfully.
“You tell Director Zhou that it’s me, An Jinhua, who wants to meet with him.”
An Jinhua’s voice suddenly came through from the other end of the phone.
Chen Yin was startled and quickly responded, “Alright, I will go and tell Director Zhou right now.”
Such invitations were usually communicated between secretaries.
It was the first time for Chen Yin to encounter a personal invitation from An Jinhua.
She didn’t dare to delay and hurried towards Zhou Jin’an’s office.
He was leaning back in his genuine leather chair, eyes slightly closed, hands clasped in front of his abdomen, seemingly waiting for something.
“Director Zhou, President An from An Corporation personally called to invite you to meet tonight.”
Zhou Jin’an didn’t open his eyes, and replied indifferently, “Okay.”
Chen Yin added another comment, “But you already have plans tonight, the dinner has been arranged a week in advance.”
Zhou Jin’an slowly opened his eyes, stood up from his chair, and said in a harsh tone, “Cancel it.”
At seven o’clock in the evening, Zhou Jin’an appeared at Jinhua Restaurant.
He had just stepped out of the Maybach when he saw An Jinhua standing at the restaurant entrance with his assistant, waiting.
He was a few years older than Zhou Jin’an, tall and elegant, graceful in his demeanor, and in terms of appearance, he was not at all inferior to Zhou Jin’an—he also belonged to the category of handsome and dashing men.
However, as soon as the two men approached each other, the contrast became apparent.
Zhou Jin’an was serious and unsmiling, with a cold face and cold eyes, the epitome of lofty detachment; An Jinhua, though not very talkative, had a kind of charming menace behind his smile.
One was bright and sunny, the other dark and sinister.
“Director Zhou, thank you for your understanding.”
An Jinhua stretched out a hand with a smile on his face, his deep eyes looking towards Zhou Jin’an.
He was extending an olive branch.
An Corporation and Nanchen had business dealings during their fathers’ time. For some reason, when it came down to An Jinhua and Zhou Jin’an’s generation, the two had been like water from different wells.
Zhou Jin’an’s voluntary relinquishment of the land in Yu State was seen by the outside world as the beginning of a reconciliation between the two major enterprises.
An Jinhua was a smart man; he had already guessed what Jin’an was thinking, but he kept his own thoughts hidden.
His friendly gesture was going with the flow, of course, but it was also a probe.
If Zhou Jin’an understood the situation, An Jinhua would be happy to return a favor.
If one prospered, both would prosper.
If he failed to appreciate the gesture, then…
“I don’t give anything away for free.”
Zhou Jin’an cut straight to the point, making his intentions clear.
He swept his gaze coldly over the extended hand, as if he hadn’t seen it at all, and walked briskly inside.
An Jinhua chuckled lightly and withdrew his outstretched hand.
He had reserved a private room towards the back of the restaurant, not very large, with a tea room outside and a dining area inside.
Pushing open the window revealed a view of the river, a gorgeous sight.
The tea master had prepared the tea in advance, and as soon as the two men entered, the tea master immediately retreated.
“Director Zhou, please.”
An Jinhua gestured for Zhou Jin’an to sit, and without any refusal, Zhou Jin’an took his seat.
The room was private, with just the two of them, well-suited for discussing any topic.
Yet two men, each with their own agendas, had little to say to each other.
“Longjing tea for Qingming Festival, Director Zhou, please try it; is it to your liking?”
An Jinhua was behaving coyly in front of Zhou Jin’an, something he felt obliged to do.
Zhou Jin’an took a sip, but it was not to his taste. He set the cup back in its place.
“Let Qiao En go.”
With a lift of his eyes, they bore sharp swords, carrying a daunting force.
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An Jinhua laughed; he pretended not to understand.
“What do you mean by that, Director Zhou?”
“Exactly what the words imply,” Zhou Jin’an raised his voice.
An Jinhua had touched cheese that wasn’t his to touch, and Zhou Jin’an was angry.
An Jinhua looked down on Zhou Jin’an, leaning back in his chair, still with the air of a polished scoundrel.
“Director Zhou, you may have some misunderstanding. Qiao En used to be your person, but she has already left your employment of her own accord. Where she decides to work is her own right, neither you nor I have the privilege to interfere.”
“As for her choice to join Tianyu, it was her own wish, and Tianyu’s recruitment followed official procedures. Tianyu is indeed an affiliate of An Corporation, but the staffing is not managed by An Corporation.”
He spoke so much, yet to Zhou Jin’an, it simply meant he had no intention of letting her go.
“What must be done to let her go?”
Zhou Jin’an had given up such a big piece of “fat,” solely for Qiao En’s sake.
But he hadn’t expected An Jinhua’s appetite to exceed his expectations.
An Jinhua picked up the teacup, took a light sip, “Qiao En has been performing very well, the company has no reason to fire her unless she chooses to resign on her own.”
He looked at Zhou Jin’an, their gazes met, and neither yielded to the other.
“A piece of Yu State land in exchange for one Qiao En, President An, you weigh it yourself.”
Zhou Jin’an tugged at the tie on his neck, his words bearing even more pressure.
If An Jinhua didn’t get the hint, he had plenty of ways to take that piece of “fat” back.
How could An Jinhua let a cooked duck fly away?
He laughed again, “Director Zhou, this matter isn’t for us to decide, we have to hear her opinion, right? Here’s what we’ll do: I’ll have someone call Qiao En over. As long as she’s willing to resign voluntarily, I’ll release her immediately on my side, and I won’t make it difficult for her.”
An Jinhua spoke, took out his phone, and in front of Zhou Jin’an, he called Xu Mei.
“Manager Xu, bring Qiao En to Jinhua Restaurant right away.”
He reported the name of the private room but did not mention the reason.
“Okay, we’ll be right there.”
Xu Mei immediately responded.
Qiao En was immersed in getting familiar with the materials for another project when Xu Mei called out to her at the office door.
“Let’s go.”
Qiao En stood up, quickly following Xu Mei’s pace.
“Manager Xu, where are we going?”
Xu Mei was focused on hurrying, “You’ll know once we get there.”
The office building where Qiao En worked wasn’t far from Jinhua Restaurant; Xu Mei personally drove, and it took less than ten minutes to arrive.
The matter was urgent, with the big boss summoning her, Xu Mei didn’t dare delay.
As the door to the private room opened, Xu Mei entered first, while Qiao En waited outside.
“President An, I’ve brought the person.”
Xu Mei said and glanced at Zhou Jin’an.
“Let her in, and you go out,” An Jinhua commanded.
Xu Mei immediately withdrew, telling Qiao En, “Go in, President An wants to see you.”
Qiao En entered swiftly without much thought.
To her surprise, the private room contained not only An Jinhua but also Zhou Jin’an.
“President An, Director Zhou.”
Qiao En crossed her hands in front of her lower abdomen, stood straight, slightly nodded her head without looking around, displaying a very standard professional demeanor.
An Jinhua glanced at her and smiled, “Qiao En, Director Zhou has come to me asking for your release. I called you over to ask for your opinion. Would you like to go with Director Zhou or do you wish to continue staying at Tianyu?”
An Jinhua’s voice was not loud, but it thundered in Qiao En’s heart.
She hadn’t expected Zhou Jin’an to cause such a scene.
She was desperately trying to distance herself from him, but he stuck to her again, wasn’t this going to harm her?
Zhou Jin’an’s gaze on her was intense, sticky, and fervent.
He was waiting for an answer from her, an answer he knew well in advance.
“Director Zhou, thank you for your kindness, however, since I’ve chosen to leave Nanchen, I had no plans to look back. President An has been very caring, so, I’d like to continue staying at Tianyu.”
Qiao En replied coolly, turning him down decisively.
An Jinhua leaned on his hand, a flicker of triumph in his eyes.
“Qiao En, make sure you’ve thought it through, at Tianyu, you’re just an ordinary public relations officer. But if you return to Nanchen, remember, you are still Director Zhou’s chief secretary.”
Qiao En smiled gently, her smile humble and modest.
“President An is joking, work is dignified regardless of its nature. Whether it is public relations or being a secretary, the positions are different, the content of work is different, but when it comes to realizing personal value, that is the same. Gold will shine anywhere it is placed, and I believe I can achieve success in the field of public relations as well.”
“Well said!”
An Jinhua applauded on his own, cheering for her.
“Indeed, someone groomed by Director Zhou has a different level of consciousness.”
An Jinhua was pleased, but Zhou Jin’an was not.
He studied Qiao En intensely, as if she was deliberately opposing him.
Knowing the mountain has tigers, yet still heading towards Tiger Mountain.
Had she lost her mind?
A surge of anger flared up in Zhou Jin’an’s eyes instantly, fiercely burning.
It gave off a sense that he was ready to risk everything.
