Chapter 23: The Cutthroat World of Business!

The next day, at ten in the morning, Tang Ye and Gu Wenqin arrived at Jinte Garment Trading Co., Ltd. right on time.

In the office, General Manager Zheng Yaodong was chatting with Xu Jie on a brown leather sofa. Xu Jie, puffing on a cigarette, used his chin to gesture toward them through the haze of smoke. Gu Wenqin and Tang Ye exchanged a glance, both realizing that with this small-minded man causing trouble, their visit today would likely fail to meet expectations.

Gu Wenqin had applied her makeup with great care, making her features appear more defined. She wore a long purple dress that accentuated her graceful, fluid silhouette, making it impossible for anyone to look away. Seeing the scene in the office, Xu Jie felt both furious and heartbroken. It was true—when a woman is nourished by love, she is like a spring mountain after a gentle rain, radiating a sense of rebirth from head to toe.

Despite his disdain for Xu Jie, Gu Wenqin knew she had to show restraint under the circumstances. She bowed to Zheng Yaodong with a gentle smile and said, "Manager Zheng, since you have guests, perhaps we should wait until you are finished before we come in?"

Zheng Yaodong waved his hand and gave a faint smile. "You and Factory Manager Xu are no strangers. If you have anything to say, why not sit down and join us? Oh, and who is this with you?"

Gu Wenqin quickly introduced him, "This is our new Deputy Town Mayor of Pinghu, Tang Ye."

Tang Ye took the initiative to reach out. "I am Tang Ye, in charge of economic affairs for Pinghu Town."

Zheng Yaodong had dealt with many officials; a deputy mayor meant little to him. He tried to appear enthusiastic, shaking Tang Ye’s hand. "I’ve heard so much about you. It’s an honor to meet you."

Once they sat down, Zheng Yaodong went through the motions of courtesy, taking out a cigarette and offering it to Tang Ye. Tang Ye didn't light it, instead placing it on the table and looking at Gu Wenqin. "Boss Zheng, the reason Manager Gu and I are here to visit is because the Qin Ge Garment Factory is attempting to restructure, and we wanted to discuss a partnership with you."

Gu Wenqin pulled a proposal from her bag and placed it by Zheng Yaodong's hand. Zheng leaned back without even glancing at the document, saying regretfully, "Qin Ge’s sales at our company have been on a downward trend for years. I only continued to stock your goods because of my past relationship with your father. The favor I owed has already been repaid. To be honest, after all these years, suddenly trying to pivot carries too much risk!"

Xu Jie chimed in with a sarcastic, mocking tone, "Qin Ge didn't even reach a fifth of our sales volume last year. Boss Zheng, why not just give her distribution channels to me? I can offer you two percent of my profits as a subsidy."

Seeing an opportunity, Zheng Yaodong changed the subject. "Manager Xu, I look forward to our future cooperation! You can't go back on what you just said."

Xu Jie shook his head smugly. "Whoever goes back on their word deserves to get hit by a car the moment they step outside."

Zheng Yaodong pushed the proposal back to Gu Wenqin, his tone turning cold. "I won't be looking at this proposal. As for the partnership with your factory, we will not be renewing it once the current contract expires. The counter space we've provided you in several malls will be handed over to Boman to stock their goods. Consider this your advance notice."

A look of wild joy appeared in Xu Jie's eyes. He looked at Gu Wenqin’s beautiful, captivating face, and his heart suddenly softened. "Wenqin, I’ll say it again: as long as you say the word, I’ll give you a way out. Besides acting as a piece of furniture, what can this guy actually do for you?"

Gu Wenqin felt humiliated. She stood up immediately, her pretty face full of anger. "If someone else had asked me that, I might have hesitated, but if you asked me a thousand or a hundred times, my answer would be the same. Never!"

Gu Wenqin's answer was cutting and unforgiving. Xu Jie could no longer contain himself. He pointed at Gu Wenqin and Tang Ye, spewing insults. "I know you two are involved, you adulterous pair. I’m putting this on the record: as long as I, Xu Jie, am around, Qin Ge will never sell a single item."

Seeing Xu Jie cursing him, Tang Ye stepped forward and grabbed him by the collar. "Keep your mouth clean."

Zheng Yaodong was stunned; he hadn't expected Tang Ye to have such a fiery temper. Xu Jie gasped for air, struggling. "Let go of me! You are a government official—don't you care about your image?"

Zheng Yaodong hurried over to intervene. "Don't do anything reckless, or I'll call the police!"

Seeing Xu Jie’s cowardly appearance, Tang Ye felt that even hitting him would soil his own hands. With a cold sneer, he gave him a forceful shove, sending Xu Jie tumbling back onto the sofa.

"Since Manager Zheng has no interest in cooperating, we shall take our leave," Tang Ye said, his cold gaze sweeping over Zheng Yaodong.

Having spent years in the business world and become a cunning operator, Zheng Yaodong felt his hair stand on end under that stare. Could he have backed the wrong horse?

Almost immediately, he calmed himself down. His decision was rational. In terms of scale, background, and market reach, Boman was far superior to Qin Ge.

After Tang Ye and Gu Wenqin left, Xu Jie loosened his collar and said to Zheng Yaodong with a smile, "Uncle Dong, thank you. You saw it yourself—Gu Wenqin thinks she’s untouchable now that she has a backer, and she doesn't take me seriously at all."

Zheng Yaodong thought to himself, *A mere deputy town mayor, what kind of backer is that?* He patted Xu Jie on the shoulder, a look of disdain on his face. "Old Gu was a decent man, but it’s a pity he had a daughter. Women are ultimately at a disadvantage in business. The marketplace is a place where the strong prey on the weak."

...

After leaving Jinte Garment Trading, Gu Wenqin suddenly crouched by the side of the road, overcome with emotion. She hugged her knees and buried her head. Tang Ye did not speak, quietly waiting for her to process her feelings. Life is like this; things cannot always go smoothly. But when faced with difficulties, one must face them head-on; resilience is vital to success.

Gu Wenqin slowly lifted her head, tears shimmering in the corners of her eyes. "I didn't expect Zheng Yaodong to be so cold-blooded. He only built his business up because my father was willing to provide him with capital and stock. What do I do now? We’ve bought so many materials—if there's no market for them, we’re finished!"

"Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Let’s go to the mall up ahead and get something to eat. You've been busy all morning and haven't had breakfast; you must be starving! My treat," Tang Ye said, looking toward the nearby shopping center.

She took a deep breath, trying to collect herself. "Okay, I’d like to have some pickled fish."

Tang Ye breathed a sigh of relief. Gu Wenqin was not as easily broken as she seemed—like a reed, seemingly fragile, yet as tough as wire.

As they reached the entrance of the Times Plaza and prepared to take the side passage to the basement food court, a commotion broke out not far away. A group of security guards were shoving a young man, who kept backing away. A woman was pointing at the young man’s nose, cursing loudly.

"He's a pervert! A disgusting creep, taking photos up girls' skirts! Everyone, come look!"

The area was crowded, and hearing that a pervert had been taking candid photos, the onlookers—always eager for a spectacle—instantly swarmed around them.

"Don't let him get away!"

The young man, covered in sweat, cried out, "I’m not a pervert! I was just taking pictures of some dresses in the store. Stop making false accusations!"

"Then dare to hand over the camera and let everyone check!" the woman said, hands on her hips, fuming.

"Why should I..." the young man replied, clearly unhappy.

"He's guilty! Let's beat this pervert!"

The young man stumbled backward. Not looking at the ground, he tripped over a stone, lost his balance, and fell to the ground. A normal person would have instinctively covered their head, but he held onto his camera for dear life. In the chaos, someone raised a foot, preparing to stomp on his head.

"Stop! Everyone, stop!"

A sudden shout echoed out. Tang Ye pushed through the crowd and stood in front of the young man. Some people tried to press forward, but they were forced back by Tang Ye’s piercing glare.

"Don't start hitting people before you know the facts. If you’ve got it wrong and someone gets hurt, none of you will get away with it. You'll be waiting for detention."

The young man looked up, saw the man standing in front of him, and widened his eyes in disbelief. "You... are you Tang Ye?"

"What a coincidence, Lin Ziyang!"

As he walked closer, Tang Ye realized it was indeed an acquaintance.