The hotel booked for this trip is located in the city, surrounded by high-rise buildings. No matter which floor you stand on, you can see a steel siege.
The view from the restaurant on the top floor of the hotel is barely open.
In a position near the window with an excellent view, Luan Qiaoqing supported her chin, sat in a high-back chair in an ungraceful manner, and lazily looked at the night view outside the window.
The waiter who came over with a bottle of red wine to pour wine for Luan Qiaoqing and Chu Xiangbin who was sitting opposite her looked at Luan Qiaoqing with a subtle expression, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.
He held the neck of the red wine bottle with a soft cloth and gently moved it around half a circle. After pouring two glasses of wine, the waiter bowed and stepped back.
As the man left, Luan Qiaoqing curled her lips slightly, "I guarantee it, he was just trying to remind me to be more polite."
Chu Xiangbin raised his head and glanced at her, "Didn't he say anything?"
Luan Qiaoqing sat up straight in an instant, "But the guy outside the door just now didn't want to let me in - just because my clothes weren't formal enough? Do I have to get my hair done before I come out for dinner?"
Chu Xiangbin didn't say anything. He raised his right hand and drew a half circle in the air.
Luan Qiaoqing looked at him suspiciously, "What's wrong?"
Chu Xiangbin said: "Look at others."
"… "
Luan Qiao tilted her head and quickly glanced at the guests in the restaurant, pausing briefly on the female guests who were dressed in gorgeous attire and had exquisite hair and make-up.
A few seconds later.
Luan Qiaoqing: "... Did they really all come here after getting their hair done?"
Chu Xiangbin glanced at her with a smile, "You just came down wearing the hotel bathrobe and slippers, and you blame the waiter for trying to stop you?"
"They are just being picky." Luan Qiaoqing frowned and picked up the red wine glass. "I spend our own money, and I have to dress myself up to be aesthetically pleasing? Then what am I spending my money for?"
After saying this, Luan Qiaoqing took a sip of the red wine, her brows relaxed a little, and she nodded unconsciously, "The wine is not bad."
"Let me correct you," Chu Xiangbin said calmly, "It's not our money."
"?"
"It's Hua Qin Lou's money."
Luan Qiaoqing choked.
Chu Xiangbin continued, "He booked the hotel, the restaurant—even the fact that we are sitting here now was all arranged by him."
"... What do you want to say?" Luan Qiaoqing was not stupid at the critical moment, and soon heard the hidden meaning in Chu Xiangbin's words.
Chu Xiangbin paused for two seconds with the salad fork in his hand, and looked up helplessly, "Didn't you say before that there were some grievances between you and Qin Qing that needed to be sorted out?"
"yes."
"Don't you think that Qin Lou is clearly arranging for you to stay as far away from him and Qin Qing as possible?"
"… "
"Of course, it's also possible that Mr. Qin just wants to spend time with his assistant Qin and doesn't want to see you."
Chu Xiangbin looked at Luan Qiaoqing meaningfully and ended his words.
Luan Qiaoqing was stunned for a few seconds, "Could it be that he already knew about this?"
"Know what?" Chu Xiangbin raised his eyes and glanced at her.
Luan Qiaoqing opened her mouth but didn't say anything. She waved her hand and said, "Nothing."
Chu Xiangbin did not ask any further questions. He raised his hand and signaled the waiter standing not far away, asking him to remove the salad plate in front of him.
The main course of steak was served.
When the waiter left again, Luan Qiaoqing, who was sitting opposite him, had an expression that was almost suffocating.
"You..." Luan Qiaoqing looked at Chu Xiangbin with gritted teeth, "You really don't have any curiosity at all."
Chu Xiangbin's lips curled up, then quickly flattened. He looked up as if he hadn't noticed anything, "What curiosity?"
"…Aren't you curious after what I just said?"
"It's not my business, why should I be curious?"
"… "
Luan Qiaoqing stared at Chu Xiangbin expressionlessly, and this time she stared for a long time, until Chu Xiangbin began to feel a little uncomfortable.
He put down his glass and said, "Say what you want to say."
Luan Qiaoqing said, "You should be considered one of the smarter people in the company, right?"
Chu Xiangbin didn't even raise his eyes. "Please change the comparative to the superlative, and change the interrogative tone to a declarative tone."
Luan Qiaoqing resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him, "Then help me analyze it. If you think someone is hiding something, what should you do to find out?"
Chu Xiangbin was silent for two seconds and temporarily put down the steak knife in his hand. "Smartness does not mean omniscience, nor does it mean that we can all count with the fingers. The amount of information you give me now is like giving me a piece of paper and a pen and asking me to draw a world map for you in the era of Columbus."
Luan Qiaoqing: “…”
Luan Qiaoqing gritted her teeth and said, "Well, what if I feel that someone is hiding a certain identity of theirs?"
Chu Xiangbin paused, "Do you know her hidden identity?"
"Maybe... I know."
"Then why do you still want to try it out?"
"-Why?"
"Since you already know her hidden identity, why do you have to try to find it out? Some problems don't have to be solved until they are 100% certain. There is no such thing as 100% certainty in this world."
"… "
Luan Qiao listened in confusion.
It took her several seconds to react, "You mean, I don't need to confirm her identity at all, and just treat her as that person?"
Chu Xiangbin did not answer, but asked: "What is the relationship between her hidden identity and you?"
“…!”
When this was mentioned, Luan Qiaoqing immediately looked at Chu Xiangbin alertly, "Why are you asking this?"
Chu Xiangbin lifted his eyelids helplessly and glanced at her. "Isn't it too late for you to be alert now? If I really want to do something, I will sell you your IQ eight hundred times - and I guarantee that you will be completely in the dark and unaware."
Luan Qiaoqing: “…”
She finally remembered why she didn't get along with this person - she hated anyone who had a crushing advantage over ordinary people in terms of IQ.
For example, at a time like this, even though she was clearly pissed off by his words, she still had to admit in her heart that he was right.
…Pah.
Chu Xiangbin stopped asking questions and lowered his head to cut steak again. "Whether you and her hidden identity are enemies or friends, instead of wasting time verifying the truth of something you should have suspected for a long time, you might as well take a step back and think about it."
"Thinking about what?"
"If it is as you guessed, then why did she hide her identity? To harm you?"
"Of course not!" Luan Qiaoqing blurted out without even thinking.
As soon as she finished speaking, she received a complicated look from Chu Xiangbin across from her.
Chu Xiangbin just looked at her like that, "I have to keep an eye on you in the future. With your IQ, you'll be sold out eight hundred times by many people."
Luan Qiaoqing's mind raced, and she suddenly realized what was going on. She gritted her teeth and said, "Are you trying to trick me?"
"Do I need it?" Chu Xiangbin sneered, "Didn't I say that I have no interest in your affairs. Especially the messy family disputes, I don't want to get involved at all."
"… "
Luan Qiaoqing stared at Chu Xiangbin for a long while before she suppressed the uneasiness in her heart and thought seriously about what Chu Xiangbin said.
After Chu Xiangbin reminded her, she realized that she had missed the point recently. Ever since she began to doubt Qin Qing's identity, she had been obsessed with using any clues to determine whether Qin Qing was the person. She had never thought about why, if Qin Qing was really the person, she would hide it from her and return to Qin Lou's company in such a conspicuous way. Why did she show up after so many years? What was she planning or preparing to do...
The more Luan Qiaoqing thought about it, the more annoyed she became. She couldn't help but pick up the red wine glass beside her and gulped it down in one gulp without any aesthetic taste.
The waiter sitting diagonally opposite frowned and subconsciously turned to look at the reaction of the man sitting opposite the woman, but saw that the other man was just laughing.
After a few seconds, the man seemed to notice something, frowned slightly, and looked over with a cold look in his eyes.
The waiter lowered his head in haste.
After Chu Xiangbin withdrew his gaze, he still saw Luan Qiaoqing sitting opposite him with a conflicted expression.
He thought for a few seconds and swirled the red wine in the goblet. "Actually, if you really want to verify that person's identity, there is a way."
"… Hmm?" Luan Qiaoqing raised her head. "Any good ideas?"
"It's not a good idea." Chu Xiangbin said, "From the information you just revealed, it's not hard to see that the person's hidden identity is very close to you - so when I asked you if she might hurt you, you reacted like that."
Luan Qiaoqing took a sip of red wine feeling uncomfortable and guilty.
Chu Xiangbin added: "Since she has hidden this identity, then her surface identity should be opposite to yours, or at least neutral. In other words, her surface identity is an enemy or has nothing to do with you."
Luan Qiaoqing felt more and more guilty the more she listened, and pretended to be impatient: "Let's get to the point, shall we?"
Chu Xiangbin said: "Then the method of verification is very simple - test her with something that has something to do with your own safety."
Luan Qiaoqing was stunned.
Chu Xiangbin raised his eyes and said, "Aren't you trying to force her to admit it? If someone who should have nothing to do with you or even be your enemy shows an anxious emotion for your safety, then her true identity will be revealed, right?"
"!"
Luan Qiaoqing suddenly realized, and with great appreciation she pulled Chu Xiangbin's hand and patted it vigorously.
"After getting to know you for a while, I found that you're not that picky. After reaching a settlement agreement and not quarreling with you, I think you're much more pleasing to the eye. I've decided. From today on, you're my brother! If there's anything in the company, just come to me. I'll protect you!"
"… "
The corner of Chu Xiangbin's mouth twitched slightly.
After pausing for a few seconds, he slowly pulled his hand back and wiped it with the napkin next to him.
"You're going to protect me? I haven't lived long enough to complain about my life."
“—”
Luan Qiaoqing's smile suddenly froze.
A second before she exploded, Chu Xiangbin raised his head in time, "Based on the information you have revealed, if I still don't know who you want to investigate and what her identity you suspect is, then I probably really need your protection - I have a plan that is more suitable for your relationship, do you want to listen?"
Luan Qiaoqing suppressed her temper, lowered her head and moved closer, "I'll listen, you talk."
“… … ”
The dinner ended with whispers and private conversations between you and me.
It was past 10pm when Qin Lou and Song Shu returned to the hotel. The car they were riding in took them to the porch downstairs of the hotel. Qin Lou and Song Shu got out of the car one after another, walked through the hotel's ancient European-style lobby, and turned into the elevator room in the side hall.
After seeing Qin Lou swipe his card and press the floor number, Song Shu asked hesitantly, "Are our rooms on the same floor?"
"Well," Qin Lou replied lazily, "is it a special fate?"
Song Shu glanced at him helplessly.
After a while, they arrived at the destination floor. Qin Lou and Song Shu walked out of the elevator. Qin Lou took Song Shu's hand without saying a word and walked in one direction.
Song Shu paused, "Are we specially 'destined' to live in the same suite?"
"… "
Hearing the slightly gritted pronunciation of "youyuan", Qin Lou couldn't help laughing.
He looked back at Song Shu, "You don't think that since we are all staying in a hotel together, I would let you stay in a room alone, right?... You were not so naive before, little clam."
Song Shu glanced at him expressionlessly, "This is not naive."
"What is that?"
"Maybe I have unnecessary expectations of how thick your skin is."
Qin Lou smiled even more happily, and he replied without hesitation, "Since it is an unnecessary expectation, it can indeed be thrown away directly."
As he finished speaking, he pulled Song Shu to a suite door and swiped his card to open the access control system. Then Qin Lou smiled and turned back, "By the way, I forgot to remind you that I specifically asked them to book a small suite - there is only one bedroom in the suite, and there is only one bed in the bedroom."
After he finished speaking, Song Shu was quickly pulled into the room and the door was slammed behind him.
Judging from the joy in that voice, that person was in such a happy state of mind that he seemed to be running to serve his little clam shells to the table.
Song Shu struggled to free his hand from the man's grip, "I remember we had some agreement..."
"Really? Why don't I remember?"
"… "
"Since we have already forgotten the agreement, let's just pretend it never happened."
"If you forget, let's make a new appointment." Song Shu walked in with a wooden face, "You can choose to sleep on the sofa or the floor tonight."
Qin Lou blinked, "I'd rather sleep inside a clam shell."
"You're dreaming. That's faster."
"… "
When Qin Lou came out of the shower, Song Shu was sitting on the sofa, his long hair half wet, frowning as he looked at the list in his hand.
Qin Lou walked over.
“How credible is it?”
"... I've already sent it to Uncle Yu." Song Shu looked up after hearing the voice and slowly leaned back into the sofa. "They will conduct a ten-year account investigation on the people on the list. If there is anything unusual, they will be able to match it up after targeted analysis."
“When will the results be out?”
"At least two weeks."
Qin Lou nodded, "Very good." He sat on the sofa next to Song Shu.
Song Shu frowned and turned his head, "It's been so long, so good?"
"Of course. Two weeks is just enough for us to have a nice, completely relaxing trip. I don't want you to be thinking about other people's names while I'm holding you and pressing you down on the sofa or somewhere else and taking advantage of you."
Song Shu glanced at him expressionlessly.
Qin Lou paused and handed her the towel in his hand.
Song Shu raised his eyes, "… what?"
Qin Lou pointed to his head and said, "Wipe my hair."
"Isn't there a hair dryer?"
"I like the little Clam Shell hair dryer."
“… … ”
Song Shu stood up with a dull look on his face, took the big towel and covered Qin Lou's head with it.
Qin Lou couldn't help laughing as he felt the silent anger of his own little clam from this "rough" action.
He reached over the list and ticked it off.
After a quick glance, his eyes flashed slightly.
"Do you know everyone here?"
"Most of those in Qin's board of directors or senior management know about it." Song Shu lowered his eyes slightly and gently wiped Qin Lou's hair.
"Since they are shareholders of Qin Corporation, Qin Liang and I always have leverage over them, so this part is not a big problem."
"… "
Song Shu paused, "If we touch them, Vio will also be injured, and it is even possible... Are you sure?"
Qin Lou put down the list, tilted his head back, and looked up at Song Shu who was standing behind him and wiping his hair.
"Ask me this question, are you sure, little clam?"
Song Shu's eyelashes moved slightly, "... I'm sorry. If I had a choice, I still don't want to implicate you. In fact, the decision made by Grandpa Qin back then was understandable. After all, my mother and I are outsiders. It's normal that he doesn't want to cause trouble for outsiders and destroy the Qin family's century-old foundation."
"He is he, and I am me. And..."
Qin Lou curled the corners of his mouth.
"Vio was restructured and rebuilt under my leadership. If I can help one, I can help the second and third... Do you have too little confidence in me?"
"… "
It was expected that Song Shu would not be able to remain calm no matter how far this topic went, so Qin Lou chose to skip it.
"What about Deng Xiaokai? What are you going to do with him?"
Song Shu's eyes turned cold, "Since his problem has been confirmed, then Xiaokai Technology Company is undoubtedly the one that benefited from his case that year."
Qin Lou laughed, "Your previous plan seems to be going well. Since Jerry Qiao spread the word, many people in the industry have heard that Vio is planning to expand its financial derivatives business again. Many industrial companies have even come to us to ask about it."
Song Shu nodded, "It's your golden signboard."
Qin Lou was not modest either. After he acquiesced, he asked, "Then continue to implement this plan?"
Song Shu hesitated, "If we really follow this plan, then we need a scapegoat - that product cannot be sold from Vio, otherwise when Xiaokai Technology really collapses, we will not be able to get away."
"Of course. And if it's really Vio's stuff, Xiao Kai would never feel safe touching it."
"… Do you really want to use Qin Rui as a scapegoat?" Song Shu asked hesitantly, "Although there should be no mercy in business wars, it's a bit difficult for me—"
“No need to embarrass myself.”
Qin Lou suddenly sat up from the sofa, turned around and picked up the list, pointing at the names that Song Shu was relatively unfamiliar with one by one with cold eyes.
"They are all from Diligent Investment Bank."
"!" Song Shu's breathing suddenly stagnated and his pupils contracted.
It took her a long time to find her voice again, and she unconsciously clenched the towel in her hand.
"You mean, that incident back then..."
"The core senior management of Qinrui Investment Bank was the mastermind. Qin's was originally a thorn in their side - they didn't even need to take too much risk. With the Qin's board of directors cooperating with the then general manager Deng Xiaokai to cover up for Qin Fujun, they held the Qin's least suspected 'undercover'; and if Qin Fujun wanted to find help to fight against Qin, Qinrui was indeed the only option. As for the rest, including the frame-up of Bai Song before they were almost exposed, when Grandpa was not in the country, they had the right to speak in most of the market - internal and external cooperation was enough."
"… "
Song Shu held the towel tightly, his face was pale, and his fingers were trembling with strength.
Qin Lou threw down the list and reached out to cover Song Shu's cold hand. "So they are not innocent. You just need to let go and do it. I believe in the scheme you set up, and you also have to believe in my ability to control that product. As long as they step in, there will be no life or death."
Song Shu calmed down after a long while. "But the most difficult problem is still that one - we can't decide who will be the candidate for the counter-espionage plan."
"You don't trust Jerry Joe?"
"I can trust him, but Qinrui may not trust him enough - especially knowing that Vio wants to expand its financial derivatives again. If Jerry Qiao insists on staying here for all these years but chooses to leave at this moment, Qinrui will definitely be suspicious, right?"
Qin Lou nodded, "Indeed."
"And there's another problem. We can try to give him a good enough reason to defect, but this is all based on the assumption that he's willing to cooperate. What if he's not willing to cooperate? Not everyone is willing to take such a risk. He had nothing to do with what happened back then, so there's no reason for him to make such a sacrifice for us."
"… "
Qin Lou was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.
When Song Shu was frowning, he heard laughter and turned around blankly, "What are you laughing at?"
"I laughed at myself for being so impulsive at the time. Fortunately, I didn't kick anyone out of the company. Otherwise, I would have no one to use today..."
Song Shu was confused. "Who is it?"
Qin Lou turned to look at her, smiling without saying a word.
Song Shu thought about the issue they were discussing, and his eyes lit up. "Do you have a better candidate? Who is it? This person must have enough power and value in Vio, but not too much, so that he can get access to the product; and he must be able to gain the full trust of the senior management of Qinrui; most importantly, we must also ensure that he is trustworthy..."
The more Song Shu spoke, the more hesitant he became.
"Are you sure there is such a candidate?"
"Power and value, young and promising, capable, and the deputy minister of VIO, is that enough?" Qin Lou paused, "As for Qinrui's trust - what if he was originally the person Qinrui planted in VIO when VIO was restructuring and rebuilding its management team?"
"!" Song Shu's breathing stagnated, "You mean..."
Qin Lou smiled and said, "Don't you think that as a junior deputy director, he sometimes treats me with less respect than other people in the company?"
Song Shu hadn't recovered from the news yet. "I thought he was just extremely capable and the company was reluctant to lose such a talent..."
"I think he is trying to find a suitable reason so that I can fire him and let him go."
"… "
When Song Shu finally calmed down from the news, she couldn't help biting her lip, "Since he is such an identity, how dare you trust him to do this?"
"trust?"
Qin Lou sneered.
"Trust itself is the least trustworthy thing. Trust should never be used to tie someone down."
"What do you use?"
"What he wants and seeks."
The author has something to say: jj bloody, I can't post a new chapter in the backstage...
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated nutrient solution during 2019-12-27 11:03:38~2019-12-28 11:31:38~
Thanks to the little angel who threw the grenade: arrogant? 1;
Thanks to the little angels who cast mines: 2 guys named Time; 1 Kayla's Sky, 7r Baipao, Shiji, and Asha;
Thanks to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution: Luo? 110 bottles; Yan Mei'er 30 bottles; Yao Meng Canban 24 bottles; Li Yongye 20 bottles; Alice, Ye Zi Bu Ye Zi, ? ? ? , Luo 10 bottles; Yang Liu Yi Yi 1314 7 bottles; nyx, Da Bai Tao, Yoyo 5 bottles; Leng Ning Meng 2 bottles; ssssshirley, Wei Daxun's Huang Shanshan, Bing Lingfei, Enirehtak, Cindy 1 bottle;
Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!