Double evil in the business district

"Mr. Qian," Xiao Yue said in a calm and firm voice, "We are here today to discuss cooperation. We hope that both parties can reach a consensus based on the principle of mutual benefit."

Qian's opponent nodded with a forced smile, "Of course, but when it comes to cooperation, we always have to test each other's sincerity, isn't that right, Mr. Xiao?" He pushed a document in front of Xiao Yue, "This is the contract we drafted. Mr. Xiao, you can take a look first."

Xiao Yue took the contract, quickly glanced through it, and his expression changed slightly. The terms in the contract were unbearably harsh. The profit sharing clearly favored Qian's opponent, and there were many hidden and unfair clauses. This was not cooperation at all, it was clearly an attempt to take advantage of the situation.

Manager Sun, who was standing by, also read the contract, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He whispered to Xiao Yue, "Boss Xiao, these...these conditions are too harsh."

Xiao Yue took a deep breath, placed the contract on the table, and said calmly, "Mr. Qian, we cannot accept this contract. The terms you proposed are far from what we agreed upon."

Qian's opponent raised an eyebrow in feigned surprise, "Boss Xiao, this is a plan we formulated after careful consideration. Could it be that Xiao Group is not sincere in cooperating?"

"Sincerity isn't one-sided," Xiao Yue said unyieldingly. "We at Xiao Corporation are also showing our utmost sincerity, hoping to reach a fair and reasonable cooperation with your company. If Mr. Qian insists on this contract, then we have no choice but to give up this cooperation."

The smile on Qian's opponent's face disappeared, and a hint of gloom flashed in his eyes. "Boss Xiao, are you threatening me?"

"I'm just stating the facts," Xiao Yue said firmly. "We at Xiao Corporation don't have to cooperate with your company. I believe there are other companies willing to cooperate with us."

At this moment, Shen Ting's phone vibrated. He took out his phone and took a look. It was a message from Su Yao: "Ting, I feel a little unwell. Can you come and see me?"

Shen Ting frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, and put the phone back in his pocket. He knew what Su Yao was thinking, but he should pay more attention to Xiao Yue and the Xiao family.

However, Su Yao's news still distracted him a little. In the subsequent negotiations, he occasionally lost his mind, which made his opponent Qian even more proud.

"Mr. Shen," Qian's opponent looked at Shen Ting with a half-smile, "It seems that Mr. Shen is not very interested in this cooperation."

Shen Ting came back to his senses and said calmly, "Mr. Qian, please focus on the negotiation itself."

"Okay, let's talk about your project," Qian said, turning his gaze towards Xiao Yue. "I heard that Xiao's project is being handled by a designer named Li. He doesn't seem to be very well-known." His tone was filled with doubt, his eyes brimming with contempt. "Can a designer like him handle such an important project?"

Xiao Yue sat upright, looking at his opponent Qian with sharp eyes, tapping the pen in his hand lightly on the table, "Mr. Qian..."

"Mr. Qian," Xiao Yue said calmly, not at all offended by Qian's dismissive remarks. "Although Designer Li is young, he is incredibly talented and experienced. He has participated in the design of many large-scale projects and has won numerous international design awards." Xiao Yue handed Qian his counterpart the documents he had prepared long ago. "Here are some of Designer Li's works and past achievements. You can take a look."

Qian took the document nonchalantly and flipped through a few pages, his face still smirking with disdain. "Who knows how valuable these awards are? These days, you can buy an award with just money."

Xiao Yue's eyes glared, and he suppressed his anger. His tone became more resolute, "Mr. Qian, our Xiao Group has always been based on integrity and would never engage in fraud. Designer Li is absolutely capable of handling this project. If you still have doubts about his abilities, we can arrange for him to report to you in person."

"No need," Qian waved his hand impatiently. "I don't have time to listen to his report today. In short, I have reservations about this designer's ability. If Xiao insists on using him, then our cooperation will probably be difficult to continue."

Just then, Xiao Yue's phone vibrated. She didn't want to answer it, but the vibrations continued, so she picked up the phone and took a look. It was a message from a friend, with a photo attached.

In the photo, Su Yao was holding Shen Ting's arm affectionately, and the two looked very close. The friend's message read: "Xiao Yue, look, this is what my friend just saw on Su Yao's social account. Are you... okay?"

Xiao Yue's heart sank suddenly, and a chill spread from the bottom of her heart. Although she knew that Shen Ting and Su Yao were a thing of the past, she still couldn't help feeling sad and uneasy when she saw the photo. She took a deep breath, tried to keep herself calm, and put her phone back in her pocket.

Qian Dui noticed Xiao Yue's anomaly and a subtle sneer played at the corner of his mouth. He deliberately raised his voice and said, "Mr. Xiao, if you still have any objections to our cooperation terms, you can raise them directly. We can discuss it further." His tone seemed polite, but in fact it was full of provocation.

Xiao Yue forced herself to cheer up and was about to speak when Manager Sun, who was sitting next to her, gently touched her arm and whispered, "Boss Xiao, calm down."

Xiao Yue took a deep breath, trying to suppress her chaotic thoughts. She knew now was not the time to act rashly. She raised her head, her eyes once again firm and sharp.

"Mr. Qian," Xiao Yue's voice returned to calm, "Regarding the cooperation plan, our Xiao Group has a new proposal..." She reached out and took out a new document from the folder and handed it to Qian, "Please review it."

Qian took the document and flipped through it nonchalantly, the smile on his face gradually fading. He raised his head and stared at Xiao Yue gloomily. "Mr. Xiao, are you playing word games with me?" His tone was cold and threatening.

Xiao Yue met his gaze fearlessly, "Mr. Qian, we..."

Xiao Yue met Qian's gaze fearlessly, "Mr. Qian, our Xiao Group has always upheld the principle of honest cooperation. This new plan was formulated based on full consideration of the interests of both parties. I believe it will further promote our cooperation."

Qian slammed the documents heavily on the table. "Mr. Xiao, are you threatening me? Do you think I, Qian, am someone you can easily fool?" He stood up suddenly and looked down at Xiao Yue. "Let me tell you, I have plenty of partners I'd like to work with on this project, not just your Xiao family!"

Seeing this, Manager Sun quickly tried to smooth things over. "Mr. Qian, calm down. Mr. Xiao is also concerned about the smooth progress of the project. This new plan does have many advantages. We might as well study it carefully."

"What research are you talking about?" Qian's opponent was still angry. "I don't think Xiao has any sincerity in cooperating!" He said, and made a gesture to leave the meeting room.

Xiao Yue took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She knew that if this negotiation failed, it would be a huge blow to the Xiao family.

She quickly walked up to Qian's opponent and said firmly, "Mr. Qian, please stay. I know you are very dissatisfied with this negotiation, but please believe that we at Xiao sincerely want to cooperate with you. If you have any questions about the new plan, we can explain it point by point until you are satisfied."

Qian Dui stopped and looked at Xiao Yue suspiciously, "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Xiao Yue said firmly.

Qian Duidou then slowly sat back in his chair. "Okay, then I'll give you another chance. You'd better give me a satisfactory explanation."

Xiao Yue handed the new proposal back to Qian, explaining its terms and advantages point by point, and patiently answering all the tricky questions Qian raised. Her clear and logical presentation demonstrated her professional negotiation skills and powerful presence.

At the same time, in the president's office of Shen Group, Shen Ting was buried in a pile of documents. Although he did not go to see Su Yao and returned to the company to continue working, those photos, like lingering shadows, kept appearing in his mind. Su Yao's smile and their intimate gestures were like needles piercing his heart.

He rubbed his eyebrows irritably, trying to drive these disturbing images out of his mind. He told himself that he and Su Yao were a thing of the past, and he should now focus on his work and his cooperation with Xiao.

He picked up his phone, wanting to call Xiao Yue to ask about the progress of the negotiations, but hesitated and put it down again. He didn't know what to say or how to face Xiao Yue. He was afraid that his emotions would affect her and affect the outcome of the negotiations.

In the conference room, Xiao Yue finally finished explaining the new plan. She looked up at Qian Dui, awaiting his response. Qian Dui was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke, "Mr. Xiao, your explanation is brilliant, but..." He deliberately dragged out the last syllable, staring intently at Xiao Yue, "I'll have to think about it again."

Xiao Yue's heart sank. She knew that Qian's words meant the negotiations had reached a deadlock again.

"It's lunch time now," Qian stood up and straightened his suit. "We'll continue in the afternoon." After he said that, he walked out of the meeting room without looking back.

Xiao Yue sat powerlessly on the chair, feeling exhausted both physically and mentally. She didn't know what kind of difficult problem her opponent Qian would raise in the next round, and her feelings for Shen Ting became even more confused because of Su Yao's behavior. She didn't know if she could still hold on. Manager Sun patted her shoulder, "Mr. Xiao..." Manager Sun patted her shoulder, "Mr. Xiao, don't be discouraged. Mr. Qian is like this, he likes to be mysterious. Since he said he would continue in the afternoon, it means there is still room for negotiation."

Xiao Yue forced a smile. "I hope so." She rubbed her aching temples, feeling exhausted both physically and mentally. It wasn't just the pressure of the negotiations, but also the matter of Shen Ting and Su Yao, which was like a tangled mess in her heart, making her breathless.

The photos Su Yao sent in the morning were like a thorn in her heart. Although Shen Ting had explained, she still couldn't let it go completely. She thought of Shen Ting's tenderness and promises to her before, but now he seemed so fragile and vulnerable.

Designer Li also comforted him, "Mr. Xiao, don't worry too much. We all trust you. You see, our new plan is indeed much better than the previous one. Mr. Qian is not a fool, he will understand."

Xiao Yue nodded and tried to cheer herself up, "Thank you, let's go have lunch first." She needed some time to organize her thoughts and think about how to deal with Qian's opponent in the afternoon.

In the restaurant, Xiao Yue fiddled with her food, tastelessly. Manager Sun and Designer Li chatted idly about the project, trying to liven up the atmosphere, but Xiao Yue remained distracted. Qian Dui's shrewd face and the meaningful tone of his voice kept resurfacing in her mind. She had a feeling that Qian Dui's harassment wasn't just about getting a lower price; it seemed he had a deeper agenda.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated. It was a text message from an unfamiliar number: "Want to know Mr. Qian's true intentions? Want to make the negotiations go smoothly? Come to room 1208."

Xiao Yue's heart skipped a beat. This text message gave her a whiff of conspiracy. Who sent it? What was the purpose? She hesitated whether to reply or go to the appointment. Reason told her that this was likely a trap, but she also had a vague feeling that this might be the key to breaking the deadlock.

After a fierce ideological struggle, Xiao Yue finally decided to go and take a look. She left a note for Manager Sun and Designer Li, and then hurriedly left the restaurant.

At the door of hotel room 1208, Xiao Yue took a deep breath and knocked. "Come in," a deep male voice rang out from the room. Xiao Yue pushed the door open and walked in. The room was dimly lit, the curtains drawn. A man stood by the window with his back to her. He was tall and straight, and looked familiar.

"You are..." Xiao Yue asked tentatively.

The man slowly turned around, revealing a face she hadn't expected. "Long time no see, Mr. Xiao."