Chapter 8 A Tiger Humbled on the Plains, Tormented by Dogs

Still, Lin Li couldn’t help but feel a touch of sympathy for Qin Lang. This fellow had grown up beneath the shadow of his father, always yearning to become a man as upright and formidable as his old man. Unfortunately, despite his aspirations, Qin Lang simply lacked the ability. The result was always the same: through some twist of fate, things would inevitably veer off in the worst possible direction. The outcome was predictable.

Qin Lang had suffered plenty for it. Yet even now, he remained full of confidence about his future, hoping that one day he might become a man as remarkable as his father. This pursuit of Leng Ningxue was just one of his many schemes to prove himself.

As Qin Lang chatted away beside him, Lin Li merely smiled, not taking any of it to heart. Soon, the meeting in the next room began. Lin Li and Qin Lang sat quietly on the sidelines, “observing” the proceedings. Even Lin Li hadn’t anticipated that Qin Lang had secretly installed cameras in the private room ahead of time. Both the audio and the video were streaming live. On that front, Lin Li had to admit his admiration; when it came to such underhanded tricks, no one could outdo Qin Lang. The boy had certainly inherited some of his father’s cunning genes.

...

“Miss Leng, apologies for the wait.”

After Leng Ningxue and her assistant had waited over ten minutes, their negotiating counterpart finally made his appearance—a man with gold-rimmed glasses and an air of cultured refinement. Upon entering, he first sized up Leng Ningxue and her assistant, then sat down with a genial smile at a nearby seat.

“You know, lately there’s been an endless stream of affairs at the company, so I’ve had to devote a great deal of effort to sorting things out before coming here. I hope you won’t take it amiss, Miss Leng.”

Leng Ningxue smiled faintly, betraying nothing of her inner thoughts. “Mr. Jin, I invited you here today to discuss the renewal of our contract.”

Her group was a company specializing in new energy development. Under Leng Ningxue’s leadership, they had launched research into a new energy battery very early on, and now the project was at a critical juncture. According to Lin Li’s memory, the research was already quite advanced—success was within reach. The problem was that, in the early stages, the Leng family had poured vast sums into the project.

This had led to much skepticism within the Leng family toward Leng Ningxue. If the new energy battery succeeded, she would have a chance at a dramatic comeback. But with these kinds of ventures, until the final result was achieved, all the investment seemed to vanish into thin air. The family saw only money being poured in, with no return. If things continued this way, even a family as prominent as theirs risked being hollowed out.

Thus, Leng Ningxue was forced to seek external investors, hoping to stabilize the funding and persuade the investment firms to increase their stake. If the project succeeded, the profits would be immense.

Jin Renfeng regarded Leng Ningxue calmly. He’d known from the start what her intentions were in inviting him here, but he hadn’t let on. To him, everything was under control. They’d been tracking the progress of the new energy battery, aware that the research had reached a crucial stage and could not survive without financial backing. If the Leng family had been united in supporting her, with her abilities, Leng Ningxue would have resolved the issue easily, and the investors would have nothing to worry about.

“Miss Leng,” Jin Renfeng said smoothly, “we’ve only just sat down—there’s no need to rush into business.”

Leng Ningxue paused, unsettled. She was proud and unused to being treated with anything but deference. Jin Renfeng’s attitude was something she was unprepared for. Still, she understood that at this pivotal moment in her project, she had no choice but to swallow her pride.

Her assistant quickly rose, poured a glass of wine, and set it before Jin Renfeng. “Mr. Jin, please accept our apologies. You know our young lady rarely attends such engagements. Inviting you here today is a sign of our utmost sincerity.”

Watching this scene, Lin Li couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. A tiger fallen to the plains is bullied by dogs, he thought. Had the Leng family stood together, Leng Ningxue wouldn’t be forced to negotiate with Jin Renfeng, nor would it give Ye Aotian a chance to interfere. But it was all too late now.

Jin Renfeng hadn’t come today to engage in fair negotiations. His aim was clear: he wanted Leng Ningxue’s shares. And he hoped to use this opportunity to humiliate her as well. The eldest daughter of the illustrious Leng family of River City, the proud, icy CEO who kept all at arm’s length—what would it be like to see such a woman brought to her knees at his feet?

Beside Lin Li, Qin Lang’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Uncle Lin, do you think I should invest a million?”

A million—three months of his pocket money. Lin Li only sneered inwardly. A million? This project required tens of millions at least; one million was a drop in the bucket.

“That depends on how you negotiate with Miss Leng,” he replied. If Qin Lang was truly interested, Lin Li was willing to help. After all, once the project succeeded, that million could become a hundred million. But for now, all they could do was wait patiently.

...

While Lin Li and Qin Lang conversed, Jin Renfeng glanced at the glass of wine the assistant had handed over. He looked at the beautiful woman before him, but instead of taking the glass, he reached out and grasped Chen Yu’s hand.

“My, my, I never imagined that Miss Leng would be such a beauty, and even her assistant is not the least bit inferior.” He leered, “Little lady, what’s your name? How old are you?”

Though Chen Yu was no stranger to the business world, she was momentarily at a loss faced with such shamelessness. Before she could respond, Leng Ningxue stood up abruptly, snatched the glass of wine, and flung its contents into Jin Renfeng’s face.