Qin Ran's seemingly abrupt words made perfect sense to both her and Mr. Zheng.
She wasn't surprised that the richest man had discovered her relationship with Yu Shuman. After all, she had once hinted at the possibility of her and Yu Shuman being romantically involved on her wealthy anonymous account on Weibo. While it was hard for the average person to trace that account back to her, it was easy for someone with Mr. Zheng's resources. A few clever tactics would quickly reveal that the account belonged to Qin Ran.
Adding to this, the things Qin Ran had done for Yu Shuman—things that even biological parents might not be willing to do—would certainly raise suspicions. If one thought hard enough, it wouldn't take long to connect the dots. Mr. Zheng had obviously put in some effort to investigate and make the connection between Qin Ran and Yu Shuman's "friendship."
Even then, Qin Ran wasn't overly concerned. She wasn't a public figure and had no family members or elders who could control her. Mr. Zheng had considered using Yu Shuman's family to apply pressure on Qin Ran, but all his intel showed that Qin Ran had even spent holidays like the Lunar New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival with Yu Shuman's family. It seemed likely that she had already been accepted by Yu Shuman's mother.
While Mr. Zheng had been able to trace Qin Ran's movements domestically, he hit a wall when it came to her international activities. Unlike in China, retrieving information about Qin Ran's travels abroad was significantly more challenging, especially since she frequently moved between various countries. There were simply too many jurisdictions to track her consistently.
This uncertainty made Mr. Zheng cautious. He couldn't be sure just how deep Qin Ran's background ran. Like Pei Qi, Mr. Zheng suspected that Qin Ran wasn't some random orphan but rather someone with a powerful backing. He even went so far as to wonder if her orphanage background had been fabricated by an unseen power, and that she had been placed there as a pawn to target him.
Sitting at the top of the wealth pyramid, Mr. Zheng was naturally paranoid. After all, as the richest man in the country, there were countless people eager to take his place, waiting for the chance to push him off the throne.
When Mr. Zheng heard Qin Ran's cold response, his smile barely wavered. "Miss Qin, I think you're misunderstanding me. I just wanted to offer a little advice. Don't end up like that tea farmer. After all, people can make promises, but once they've gotten what they want, they can easily discard you."
He was cunning, using vague phrases that could plant doubt. A more insecure person might start questioning things: How does he know about any promises? Could Yu Shuman have confided in someone else? How could Mr. Zheng know that Yu Shuman once promised to become a famous actress?
Such doubts would slowly grow, leading one to question further: Will Yu Shuman eventually leave me, just like the fish fairy left the tea farmer?
Even if you were aware that Mr. Zheng was trying to manipulate you, once the seed of doubt had been planted, it would take root and grow. Eventually, it would become a blade that could sever any relationship, especially in elite circles. If you were wealthy and your partner wasn't, you might start wondering: Does she really love me, or is she here for the money and opportunities I provide?
Many in high society resolved this by treating relationships as business deals—marriages became intertwined with interests and devoid of true affection, so they didn't care whether their partner truly loved them. However, in fairytale-like romances between a "prince" and a "pauper," suspicion would inevitably arise, and such relationships would often crumble under the weight of doubt.
Mr. Zheng had witnessed countless examples of this and knew how to weaponize it. He didn't believe in true love. Even couples who rose to power together often ended up fighting over their interests, so how could a relationship like Qin Ran and Yu Shuman's—a romance built on uneven foundations—be any different?
But he had miscalculated one thing: sometimes, there was a kind of love that was inseparable from the advantages it brought. Qin Ran laughed. "Mr. Zheng, it seems like you're worrying about the wrong things. Maybe you should think more about all the people who have their eyes on your seat, ready to stab you in the back to claim more for themselves."
If Mr. Zheng was going to stab at Qin Ran's heart, she would go straight for his lower spot.
Mr. Zheng's face darkened for the first time since their meeting. He stared at Qin Ran for a while before sneering, "Young people shouldn't be overconfident."
"Old men shouldn't get too complacent," Qin Ran shot back.
Mr. Zheng was clearly taken aback, his eyes widening in disbelief. "How could you speak so crudely?"
What was this old man trying to pull?
Qin Ran frowned. He was acting as if he were some sort of refined intellectual, but she knew his history well. He had built his empire from nothing, starting with sand transport along riverbanks, where the only rule was might. No one dealt with him politely back then; everything was about fists and brute force.
There was no doubt in her mind that Mr. Zheng had heard far worse in his early days. Now that he was a successful businessman, he wanted to pose as a sophisticated gentleman. Qin Ran snorted in disdain. "There's nothing wrong with being direct. At least it keeps things clear and helps you understand your place."
Mr. Zheng took several deep breaths to calm himself. His eyes grew sharp with malice, as if he regretted ever meeting with her. Still, he had to say what he'd come to say: "Miss Qin, even if you aren't worried about your relationship being exposed, what about Yu Shuman? If you truly love her, shouldn't you be thinking about her well-being? If your relationship becomes public, the one who will suffer the most is Miss Yu."
It was a clear threat—continue to oppose him, and he would expose their relationship.
But he had forgotten something important: Qin Ran's actions had all been in retaliation to his own provocations. If she had meekly bowed her head, Mr. Zheng wouldn't have hesitated to crush her completely. The only way to stop him was to show her strength, to make him realize she wasn't a small kitten but a fierce tiger, just as capable of ruling the jungle as he was.
What Mr. Zheng didn't expect was that Qin Ran wasn't afraid of their relationship being exposed at all. In fact, she almost wanted the world to know. She wanted everyone to recognize that Yu Shuman was hers, that they loved each other deeply. She was tired of people shipping Yu Shuman with random celebrities when the real, loving couple was right in front of them!
"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed, Mr. Zheng. I won't let anything happen to Yu Shuman."
Mr. Zheng's silent gaze conveyed his disbelief, as if to say: Don't be so sure.
Qin Ran finished her tea, stood up, and prepared to leave. As she did, she threw one last jab at him. "For the richest man in the country, you're awfully stingy with tea. Just a tiny cup each time. I've been here all this while, and my stomach's still empty."
Mr. Zheng managed to maintain his calm, perhaps because he believed Qin Ran's sharp, impulsive personality would eventually be her undoing.
In the first round of their confrontation, neither side came out on top. Qin Ran had agreed to this meeting just to get a sense of what kind of person Mr. Zheng was, and now that she had met him, she wasn't impressed. He was successful, yes, but only because he had ridden the wave of favorable policies and the country's development. Without that support, he wouldn't have become the richest man in the nation. Yet, he seemed to believe that his personal abilities were what had brought him to the top and was eager to take on the global market.
What a fool, Qin Ran thought. The global stage was far more treacherous than he imagined, and he was too old to compete at that level. Better leave it to someone like her, who had the benefit of a "golden finger"—her system.
For Qin Ran, the real battlefield with the richest man wasn't in China but overseas. However, Mr. Zheng clearly underestimated her. To him, she was overly confident, reckless, and impulsive. He believed that even without his intervention, she would eventually run into a wall and crash.
After she left, Mr. Zheng's assistant, the man in gold-rimmed glasses, approached him cautiously. "Mr. Zheng…" He was about to ask how they should deal with Qin Ran, but Mr. Zheng raised a hand to stop him.
"Don't worry about her," Mr. Zheng said. "From what I've heard, 99 Entertainment has invested quite a bit of money into that land project. Their starting capital alone is fifty billion. With the combined resources of the three companies, it will be hard for them to develop that land to its full potential. In fact, we should be thanking them for saving us the trouble and expense. Let's focus our attention on the overseas project for now."
"And the company trying to build a theme park there—any new intel?"
"The latest reports suggest their presence is confirmed. A's global executive is already en route, and they seem confident in making the park the largest in Asia. As you know, their intellectual property is nearly irresistible…"
Mr. Zheng frowned. "This will be difficult. That project is critical for us. No matter what it takes, we must secure it. Even if it costs two or three times more than expected, the returns will be worth it in the long run."
"I understand, Mr. Zheng."
On the drive back to the office, Wu's phone rang. She answered swiftly, exchanging a few sentences in flawless English before hanging up. She glanced at Qin Ran and reported, "Boss, the fish has taken the bait."
Qin Ran chuckled. I knew Mr. Zheng was an old fool, she thought. He bit the hook so fast, he probably thought the bait would swim away if he didn't. He was so full of himself that he couldn't even stop to consider whether the bait hid a trap.
"Good," Qin Ran said. "Let's move on to the next step. It's time to start acquiring shares in the Ling and Pei Groups."
Richest Man: Young people shouldn't be so arrogant.
Qin Ran: If you count my two lifetimes, who knows which of us is really older?