IMGH Chapter 71

The Hongmen Banquet (2)

However, Jiang Yi’s expression had not changed from beginning to end. Upon hearing Qiu Chen’s words, he merely curled his lips slightly, his ambiguous half-smile leaving Qiu Chen unable to read him.

“Since President Qiu is so generous with his hospitality, I can hardly afford to be ungrateful! After all, I am Chinese at heart, and I have always had a deep, inseverable fondness for Chinese cuisine!” Jiang Yi said unhurriedly, then walked over to the dining table and pulled out a chair, gesturing for Chen Yuhe to sit down.

Chen Yuhe sat down with composed elegance and gave a nod of thanks.

Jiang Yi took the seat to Chen Yuhe’s right, after which Qiu Chen sat down across from the two of them.

Jiang Yi gently swirled the stemmed glass in his hand. “Romanée-Conti — very little of it remains in the world. I didn’t expect President Qiu to be so extravagant!”

Qiu Chen smiled. “Money is no object. It’s only truly put to good use when Director Jiang enjoys it!”

Jiang Yi raised an eyebrow slightly and set down his wine glass. “There’s no need for all this, President Qiu. Since we have already agreed to cooperate with your company on the DL2014 project, our company will not go back on our word.”

Wellman was a major client of Shengqiu International, capable of generating billions in profit for the company each year.

The DL2014 project was tied to whether Shengqiu International could monopolize the construction industry across the northern regions of the country. To that end, Qiu Rui had spent nearly three years running back and forth on negotiations before finally persuading Wellman to partner with Shengqiu International and invest in the construction of a large modern urban district this year.

Qiu Chen’s sabotage had caused Shengqiu International’s stock market value to plummet, thrown the company’s internal personnel into disarray, and nearly caused the project to fall through entirely. Had Han Yuancheng not repeatedly mediated and worked tirelessly to hold things together, Wellman would have long since pulled out of the partnership.

The board of directors had grown highly critical of Qiu Chen over the matter, declaring that he could only be considered for the position of chairman if he successfully closed the DL2014 deal.

Because of this, Qiu Chen was extremely anxious about the project and naturally treated Jiang Yi, its representative, with considerable deference.

He knew that securing Jiang Yi was the only way to close the deal.

To that end, Qiu Chen had gone to considerable lengths, even hiring someone to investigate Jiang Yi’s personal preferences. When he discovered that Jiang Yi appeared to have an ambiguous relationship with one of his own company’s employees, Qiu Chen was greatly surprised.

At the same time, he had grown suspicious of Jiang Yi’s true identity — though fortunately, Qiu Rui had taken care in advance to fabricate a cover for Jiang Yi.

Throughout the meal, Jiang Yi carried himself with complete ease. As the Western courses were brought out one by one, he spoke fluently on everything from the proper use of cutlery to the origins of the ingredients and the methods of preparation, painting a vivid picture of French culture and refinement with his every word.

By the end of the meal, Jiang Yi’s performance had put Qiu Chen entirely at ease.

Qiu Rui, however, found a few doubts stirring in his mind. How could Jiang Yi possibly know so much about French culture? He was clearly a homebody who had never once set foot outside the country — so why did he give off the impression of someone who had lived and breathed in that world for years?

Qiu Rui gazed at Jiang Yi from a short distance away, feeling more and more that this man before him was impossible to see through.

Qiu Chen, who had no doubts whatsoever about Jiang Yi’s identity, had warmed up to him completely and was all smiles. “County L has the most beautiful scenery around here. This resort has natural hot springs — Director Jiang is welcome to try them tonight!” As he spoke, he glanced over at Chen Yuhe, who was seated beside Jiang Yi.

That glance carried an unmistakable suggestiveness. Chen Yuhe felt her skin crawl from the look he gave her. She was just a supporting actress — if this scene hadn’t called for a minor player like her, she would never have waded into these murky waters.

Her BOSS was still standing right behind her, and being stared at like that by a ghost was really not a pleasant feeling at all!

Chen Yuhe cursed inwardly over and over, running Qiu Chen through every insult she could think of.

Jiang Yi, however, showed none of Chen Yuhe’s unease and replied with a light smile, “President Qiu, you’ve gone to so much trouble.”

After lunch, Qiu Chen had specially arranged for a tour guide to lead Jiang Yi and the others into the mountains to enjoy the scenery. Han Yuancheng, who had been responsible for liaising with Jiang Yi all along, was naturally among those accompanying the group.

Along the way, Han Yuancheng’s gaze lingered on the space beside Jiang Yi. He could not see Qiu Rui, but he knew Qiu Rui had to be right there at Jiang Yi’s side.

It had been nearly a month since their last meeting, and he had been worried about Qiu Rui’s safety, not knowing how he had been getting on.

Han Yuancheng’s intense gaze fell within Jiang Yi’s line of sight. After a brief moment of quiet thought, Jiang Yi spoke in a low voice to Qiu Rui beside him. “Rui’er, find an opportunity later to possess my body!”