"Ms. Ling's friend?"
Lucy Lu shot up from her seat, her glare drilling into Linda Guan. "Are you trying to threaten us now?"
I'm calling Xuan Ling right now. I want to hear what she has to say for herself!
Lucy was already furious, speaking as she reached for her phone.
"Don't bother. Ms. Ling's probably in a meeting and won't pick up for a while. She told me over and over to keep things civil and avoid any direct conflict with you."
Linda Guan shook her head and fixed her eyes on Evan Lin. "But most of all, I want to know what you think."
"Just say yes to those two conditions and Ms. Ling will hand you at least ten million yuan. With that kind of money, you could kick back and live it up anywhere in China for the rest of your life."
After Linda finished, Quentin Yu immediately chimed in, "Ten million is a lot. You’re just a kid—you might not understand what ten million means, so I suggest you call your mom and ask her opinion."
They were totally tag-teaming, all eyes on Evan Lin.
Lucy and Charles both looked at him. Bringing Quentin Yu along was no friendly gesture—Linda Guan clearly meant business. Maybe she figured the president of the Jingzhou Chamber of Commerce could put some heat on Charles, the new guy in town.
"Are you done talking?"
Evan Lin, who hadn’t spoken until now, leaned back in his chair, watching Linda Guan with amusement.
"Well, you can tell us what you think now." Linda Guan frowned slightly, clearly annoyed by Evan’s attitude.
"Just ten million and you think you get to call the shots on my future? That’s laughable." Evan sneered, pure mockery in his voice.
"Ten million stingy? Are you for real? Most people never see that kind of cash in their whole lives! You’re still in school, so you don’t get it. Wait till you graduate and start working—then you’ll know exactly what ten million means! Someone like you, maybe you’ll scrape together five grand a month if you’re lucky!" Helen Qi fired off, practically foaming at the mouth.
She’d been verbally slapped by Evan at Victor Su’s birthday banquet and had held a grudge ever since, but hadn’t found a chance to vent.
Now she had the perfect chance—siding with Linda Guan meant she could finally vent and suck up at the same time. Why miss out?
"Helen, that’s going too far. If Evan really wanted to make money, he absolutely could. He’s just a student right now and doesn’t have the time or energy for it." Lucy Lu retorted, clearly unhappy.
Evan picked up his teacup, took a leisurely sip, then looked at Linda Guan and said, "She wants me out of Oceanport for life? Fine by me."
Linda Guan visibly relaxed when she heard Evan's answer.
Lucy and Charles both froze, turning to look at Evan.
"Evan, think it over. Oceanport still has huge opportunities for growth." Charles couldn’t help but advise.
"That’s right, Evan. If you ever need money, just let me know." Lucy nodded sincerely, genuinely hoping Evan wouldn’t be swayed by money.
Quentin Yu and Helen Qi both grinned.
"Now that’s more like it. Ten million is already a lot—plenty of people dream of a windfall like this but never get the chance!" Quentin Yu laughed heartily.
Helen Qi snorted, "I knew it. All you care about is that ten million, huh?"
Linda Guan nodded slightly. "Since you’ve agreed, things are easy. Let’s sign the contract now. After you sign, just give me a bank card and I’ll transfer the ten million within a day."
Linda was just about to take the contract out of her bag.
"I’m not finished yet." Evan looked at her and said calmly, "I can stay out of Oceanport, but the price won’t be ten million—it’ll be a thousand times that."
Evan tapped the table. "If you offer a thousand ten-million sums, I might reluctantly consider your proposal."
"A billion? Are you out of your mind?" Helen Qi blurted out.
Linda’s hand froze mid-reach for the contract. She stared at Evan, her eyes suddenly cold. "A thousand ten-millions—that’s a hundred billion!"
"What makes you think your promise is worth a hundred billion? Your appetite is way too big!"
Linda felt like she was being played.
"A hundred billion—are you crazy?" Helen Qi couldn’t help but shout.
Lucy and Charles, on hearing Evan’s words, actually breathed a sigh of relief.
"If Sandra Ling can’t even cough up a billion, she should quit trying to buy me off. Ask her if she’s lost her mind." Evan scoffed, shaking his head.
Linda looked at Evan, then glanced at her watch. "Since we can’t come to an agreement, don’t blame me for what happens next."
"I know you have some connections in Minghai, but those are nothing in a third-tier city—just a joke!" Linda snorted. "You can have your pride and stubbornness, and you can refuse the ten million."
"But the person I’ve invited is a high-ranking officer from the Jinnan Military District. Ms. Ling is close with him. Maybe it seems a bit much to talk to a student like this, so don’t worry, I won’t do anything to you."
Linda Guan made a few simple remarks, then shifted her gaze to Charles Chen. "But Wansheng Properties’ foothold in Jingzhou doesn’t seem very solid."
"I’m planning to invite a few people for dinner later. After that, your company might be stuck in a quagmire—even if Wansheng Wang himself backs you, it won’t help at all."
Linda’s words were sharp, her eyes drilling into Charles Chen.
Charles Chen’s face instantly turned pale, and Lucy Lu was visibly shaken.
The Jinnan Military District isn’t far from Jingzhou, and the tangled local connections are a mess. If Linda really brings out a military heavyweight, crushing a rising real estate company would be all too easy.
Quentin Yu was taken aback, but the smile on his face betrayed his true thoughts.
Helen Qi's eyes lit up—she was convinced she'd backed the winning horse.
"Mr. Chen, you seem like a man who knows the times. Why not try persuading him again? All he has to do is leave Jinnan and go back to school, then avoid Oceanport in the future. He can still go to places like Beijing. Surely your company’s prospects aren’t worth more than a kid’s schooling? I’ve been in Jinnan for years—I know how these inside rules work." Quentin Yu pretended to offer friendly advice to Charles.
Charles’s expression had already grown stiff, and Lucy’s face was especially ugly.
Neither of them expected Linda Guan to pull a stunt like this!
Linda glanced at her watch. "Looks like the big shot should be arriving soon."
"I’m curious too—curious what kind of person you can bring out, and who would dare stand on your side in front of me." Evan spoke calmly, unhurried.
Evan's unshakeable confidence made Linda Guan and the others all frown.
"Let’s see if you’re still so cocky when the big shot walks in!" Quentin Yu sneered.
Right then, the door swung open from outside.