Mr. Ende’s face darkened as he shifted his hands on his cane. “Mr. Shen, are you truly refusing to leave XE any room to survive?”
Shen Xiaoxing remained expressionless, leisurely toying with a poker chip. “I’ve long heard that Mr. Ende built his fortune from scratch, held a pivotal position in Germany, and later had no choice but to immigrate to New Zealand, where he still thrived. There’s much I, as a junior, need to learn from you, which is why I cherish this opportunity for cooperation.”
An Ruo sat nearby, listening to the two converse in German, a language she didn’t understand. She had no idea what they were discussing. The man’s face was calm, exuding an air of ease, while the elderly man across from him was so provoked by his words that his beard bristled with anger.
“Mr. Ende, I’ve warned you. If you drag this out any longer, even that twenty percent stake might not be yours.”
Mr. Ende stared at the young man before him. He had heard that the eldest son of the Shen family was a business prodigy, carving out a place for himself in the Asian business world in just a few years. Back then, he’d dismissed him as a mere greenhorn, nothing to worry about. He never expected this man to come now with a contract, swallowing up several of his shares. What infuriated him was that he had no choice but to follow through!
Mr. Ende tightened his grip on his cane, his tone losing its earlier edge. “For this negotiation, I’ve invited my nephew. He’ll be here shortly. Mr. Shen, would you mind waiting?”
The man’s long, well-defined fingers tapped the poker table. Shen Xiaoxing was determined to seize XE this time.
Both Shen Yu and he were competing for the XE project, but the proud Mr. Ende wasn’t satisfied with Shen Yu’s terms. Their talks had ended in discord.
The old man placed great importance on this collaboration. To secure fifty percent of the Shen Group’s shares, he had to go to any lengths to win XE.
So, earlier, he had used some underhanded tactics to put Mr. Ende in a bind, leaving him with no choice but to cooperate with him to resolve the crisis.
He admitted the business methods weren’t honorable, but in commerce, one had to be unscrupulous. To sit in this seat, a few shady moves were necessary.
A waiter approached and whispered in Mr. Ende’s ear. The old man smiled and nodded. “My nephew is here. He’s about to take over XE, and I’d like to hear his opinion on this project.”
Shen Xiaoxing made a gesture of invitation. Whoever came, it made no difference.
The waiter pulled open the double doors with their ornate carvings. The man’s leather shoes clicked against the marble floor. He wore a black suit, with a smoke-gray tie edged in gems on both sides.
He walked in with a refined smile, speaking in flawless German. “Grandfather.”
Seeing him, Mr. Ende’s stern face softened into a kind smile.
“Kane, come, let me introduce you.” He stood, and the waiter pulled out a chair for the man. “This is Mr. Shen Xiaoxing, the Executive President of the Shen Group.”
Yun Li nodded at Mr. Ende, a gesture of respect for an elder, then lifted his gaze to the man. His eyes suddenly froze.
His focus landed on An Ruo, who had been silently sitting beside the man.
He spoke in standard Chinese. “An’an?”
An awkward silence fell over the table.
An Ruo was startled, never expecting to run into him here.
She slowly stood up, offering him a faint smile. “What a coincidence.”
The smile on Yun Li’s lips deepened, but the man beside her grew increasingly grim, his dark eyes fixed on him with intensity.
Shen Xiaoxing raised an eyebrow slightly. So the “friend” who had hemmed and hawed, refusing to tell him the other day when he dropped the girl off, was none other than the crown prince of XE.
He cast a meaningful glance at the girl. A flicker of guilt passed through her eyes as she quickly looked away.
An Ruo didn’t know why, but when she caught the man’s questioning gaze, she instinctively felt flustered, as if she’d done something wrong.
Mr. Ende, unaware of their secret, laughed and patted Yun Li on the shoulder. “Kane, what are you standing there for? Mr. Shen is waiting.”
Yun Li snapped back to reality and extended his hand politely. “Mr. Shen, a pleasure.”
The man’s eyes swept over him with a hint of meaning. His demeanor seemed harmless, but a coldness lurked in the depths of his gaze.
He hesitated for a few seconds before reaching out to shake Yun Li’s hand.
“I’ve long heard that the young master of the Bryce family is a talented prodigy. Meeting you today, you truly are extraordinary.”
Yun Li responded with a token refined smile, but his gaze lingered on An Ruo, unable to pull away, as if she were rooted to him.
No man could tolerate another staring so openly at his woman right in front of him.
Shen Xiaoxing tightened his grip. Yun Li winced in pain and turned his face. The smile on his lips faded, his voice carrying a chill. “But Master Bryce, you keep staring at my wife. That really pisses me off.”
Yun Li froze. “What did you say? She’s your… wife?”
She was married?
How could that be? She was younger than him—how could she have a husband?
Seeing how unwilling Yun Li was to accept this fact only fanned the flames of Shen Xiaoxing’s anger!
“Let me introduce you. This is my wife, An Ruo. She’s young and inexperienced, so when we discuss business, try to keep your temper in check. I wouldn’t want to scare my wife.”
With that, he took An Ruo’s small hand in front of Yun Li and placed a kiss on her fair knuckles, a gesture that would make anyone envious.
Mr. Ende caught on to the tension, his face darkening as he cleared his throat twice to remind them. “Kane, sit down. Let’s get to business.”
Shen Xiaoxing didn’t want the girl to be stared at so openly. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “If Mrs. Shen finds it boring, you can go browse the mall outside. I’ll have Han Chong accompany you.”
Since they were discussing an important project, it wasn’t convenient for her to listen in. Besides, this was a casino—hardly a place for a woman to linger.
An Ruo nodded and gave a slight nod to the other two at the table as a greeting.
The moment she left, Yun Li couldn’t sit still. His eyes followed her out, and he seemed ready to get up and go after her. Mr. Ende frowned and tapped his cane on the floor!
This brat—usually so steady—what was wrong with him today, so distracted and reckless?
…
It was a massive entertainment complex. Outside the casino, the streets were bustling with traffic, and across the way was a large shopping plaza.
To be honest, she had nothing to buy. It was clear the man had deliberately sent her away. Staying would only hinder his work, wouldn’t it?
“Madam, it’s hot outside. The mall has air conditioning. Why don’t you go in and rest for a bit?”
An Ruo was indeed feeling scorched under the blazing sun. Her skin was so delicate that even a little exposure started to cause an allergic reaction.
Inside the mall, logos, names, and price tags were all in English. Most of the people passing by were foreigners.
An Ruo stopped outside a men’s clothing store, staring at a mannequin in a sharply tailored suit. She stood frozen in front of the window for a moment.
Shen Xiaoxing had plenty of clothes. Some he only wore a few times before tossing them—such a waste. Besides, they were all international luxury brands, and she didn’t even know his size. Better to forget it.
Han Chong noticed her hesitation. “Madam, are you thinking of buying clothes for the young master?”
She was taken aback. “I’m just looking…”
“If you’re unsure about the young master’s size, you can ask me.”
“…” An Ruo glanced at him. Since Han Chong, that loyal watchdog, had said so, it would probably be rude to just walk away, wouldn’t it?
So, steeling herself, she entered the store. A blonde, blue-eyed saleswoman immediately approached.