Chapter 111: Workaholic Meilin
"You! Is that how you speak to your elders? You may have been born of a mother, but you weren't taught well. People who grew up in the countryside truly have wild hearts!" The middle-aged woman jumped up from the sofa, pointing a sharp finger at Yun Zijin.
Zijin paused in her steps. "This is the first time we've met. What makes you my so-called elder? If you want a favor, you should ask properly. You came in with a pompous manner, demanding that I slash or waive your rent. Even people from the next province can see through your scheme. Do you want to leave on your own, or shall my bodyguards throw you out? Houses in Xingyu Huafu may be far apart, but there are still people around. If they see my men tossing you out the front gate, the entire Imperial Capital might be abuzz with gossip. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?"
She smiled calmly. There was no emotion in her voice, yet the three people facing her felt a chill run down their spines. "You…" The middle-aged woman wanted to retort, but one look from Zijin made the words freeze in her throat. Meanwhile, members of 017 stood by, poised to act at a moment's notice. As soon as Zijin signaled, they'd haul the intruders outside.
"Ms. Yun, why be so aggressive?" the young man piped up. "What's the point of a woman like you having so much money? The Xia family won't acknowledge your identity. If you join our Wang family, we guarantee the Xia family will beg you to return to them."
Hearing that, Zijin's brow furrowed slightly. Was their request for a rent discount just a cover for something bigger? Uninterested, she cast a glance at Lingyi. Catching the cue, Lingyi nodded and strode forward with two other bodyguards. They each grabbed one of the trio, ignoring their profanities and violent struggles, and carried them to the villa's gate. With a swift motion, they tossed the family out and then slammed the gate shut.
At that exact moment, a green Aston Martin DB11 drove by on the main road. A red-haired youth inside exclaimed, "Wow! That's intense!" The humiliated family spotted the passing sports car as they regained their footing. Their resentment toward Zijin flared. Hiding their faces, they hurried away. The driver of the DB11 lowered his window and called out, "Hey! What's going on? Who lives in Villa No. 1?" But the family quickened their pace, refusing to answer. The red-haired youth lingered, eyeing Villa No. 1 for a while before driving off.
Back inside the villa, the bodyguards returned calmly. Meilin walked over to Zijin. "Miss, I just looked into that family. This is their background information. Would you like to see?"
Still chewing a mouthful of food, Zijin took the tablet Meilin offered and scrolled through the data. The Wang couple had built a supermarket chain from scratch. Their son, Wang Jinyuan, ran a creative design firm in a small office on the 38th floor of Dingsi Building. Scrolling further, Zijin learned that Wang Jinyuan was actually a high school classmate of Xia Jiaojiao and had once confessed to her.
"So Wang Jinyuan is Xia Jiaojiao's old school friend?" she asked, glancing at Meilin. "Yes, he's a loyal supporter of Xia Jiaojiao," Meilin confirmed. Su Jingyun's convoy, those other hangers-on at Liuyue Hot Spring Villa, and now Wang Jinyuan—Zijin had every reason to suspect these incidents were all connected to Jiaojiao. She hadn't shown her face recently, but apparently, she'd been scheming in the shadows. Yet there was no solid proof, and Jiaojiao was never caught in the act.
"Keep a close eye on her. Record everything you find," Zijin instructed. Right now, Jiaojiao hadn't crossed a legal boundary, so confronting her would only end in empty threats. Zijin preferred to gather firm evidence and resolve things in one blow.
"Understood." Meilin had already taken measures. If Jiaojiao slipped up, they'd have all they needed to stop her for good.
Next, Meilin began a progress update on the Qingjin Charity Foundation. Hearing the myriad details, Zijin felt a headache coming on. "You don't need to report every step—I trust you. If you can't manage all the tasks alone, hire assistants. You'll pay them from my personal funds. Money in the foundation account is strictly for the charity."
"I understand. I've posted recruitment notices, but finding suitable candidates will take time. As for staff salaries and other overhead, I've opened a separate 'operational' account, so it won't mix with donation funds," Meilin explained.
"That'll make bookkeeping much easier. Right, transfer some money from my personal account into the new operations account—two million should do. If it's not enough, let me know." This conveniently met today's consumption task.
"Okay," Meilin nodded. She saw no issue with Zijin's arrangement. "Tomorrow is our foundation's final round of interviews. Would you like to attend, Miss?"
Meilin's question piqued Zijin's interest. "Yes. I've never been on the interviewer side before. Sounds interesting."
"Alright." Meilin set the tablet down. "Interviews start at 9 a.m. tomorrow. I'll remind you." She was all business, a true workaholic. Since there was no schedule conflict, Zijin decided to head out with Zero One through Zero Seven. "Sheng Yang's bar officially finished renovations today, so I'm going to check it out. By the way, when is the interview?"
"It's at 9 a.m. tomorrow," Meilin repeated. "I'll let you know if anything changes."
Nodding, Zijin left. En route, Sheng Yang called her. "Sister Yun! I'm at the bar, and Su Mengyao's here too. Where are you?"
"Should be about ten minutes. I'm coming from Xingyu Huafu—sorry, it's a bit far," Zijin answered.
"Alright, Sister Yun, take your time. Call me when you're here and I'll come meet you!" Even while trying to sound calm, Sheng Yang's excitement bled through. Smiling, Zijin hung up the phone, somewhat amused by his eagerness.
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