Chapter 32: I've Been Looking for You Everywhere, Turns Out You Were Here All Along

Lin Meina knew exactly where she stood; she dared not let the situation spiral out of control, not even in the slightest. If her hot-tempered husband were to discover she was keeping a younger man on the side, he would surely beat her within an inch of her life. By then, the family assets, the luxury homes, the expensive cars—she wouldn't even be able to get near them, let alone keep anything.

"What exactly do you want?" Lin Meina’s voice trembled, laced with deep terror.

"Make Zhou Jie kneel and apologize to me. I've had enough of his attitude at this company for the past two years. Is it really too much to ask for him to kowtow to me a few times?" Zhao Qiang’s tone was firm, showing no intention of backing down. "I won’t release this video, but if I’m not happy, that’s another story." Zhao Qiang triumphantly shook the phone in his hand, looking as if he held all the winning cards.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jie panicked, his face turning deathly pale. "Manager Lin, don't listen to his nonsense! He’s just spouting rubbish."

"Kneel down to him! Beg for mercy!" Lin Meina dared not gamble; if Zhao Qiang really followed through, she couldn't even begin to imagine the catastrophic consequences. Her voice was filled with anxiety and fear; at this moment, she had no regard for Zhou Jie’s so-called dignity.

"Manager Lin, I..."

"Get down on your knees!" Seeing him so obstinate, Lin Meina, now furious, raised her hand again and delivered a resounding slap to Zhou Jie’s face. "You clueless fool, get down there!"

"Just kowtow and apologize to him, what is so difficult about that?"

Zhou Jie was about to argue further, but a fierce glare from Lin Meina silenced him. He dared not utter another word; if Zhao Qiang were truly pushed to the edge, he might actually reveal something that could ruin him completely. If his reputation were to be destroyed, how could he continue to use his handsome face to charm women elsewhere?

Clenching his teeth, filled with humiliation, Zhou Jie walked over to Zhao Qiang and dropped to his knees with a thud. "What happened before was my fault." What utter humiliation! He vowed that if he ever found an opportunity, he would surely make him pay for this.

"Apologizing on the surface while feeling resentful inside, are we?" Zhao Qiang saw right through him. He knew Zhou Jie was only submitting because he feared the leverage Zhao held; otherwise, given Zhou Jie's arrogant and overbearing nature, he would never have knelt, even if it killed him.

"I submit..."

Before the words could fully leave his lips, Zhao Qiang stepped forward and struck him hard across the face. Zhou Jie’s fury was instantly ignited. "Damn you—"

"See? You're still not convinced." Zhao Qiang pointed at him, forcing the seething, ready-to-explode Zhou Jie to regain his composure.

"I submit, okay?"

"Fine then, Zhao Qiang, didn't you want a vacation?" Lin Meina gritted her teeth, feigning calm as she made a concession. "I’m granting you leave. Get out!"

"Manager Lin, are you sure you aren't firing me?" Zhao Qiang smiled triumphantly; he knew he had hit Lin Meina’s nerve, and she didn't even dare to make a peep. If he had known this in his previous life, he wouldn't have lived so miserably and endured so much in the company.

"I said go home and take your vacation, and take good care of your wife." Lin Meina suppressed the raging fire in her heart, shouting for Zhao Qiang to get lost. If only she had known better, she would never have provoked a thorn like him. "You don't need to worry about company matters anymore!"

Though she was filled with resentment and longed to throw him out and make him disappear forever, she had no choice but to bow her head for now and swallow her pride.

Zhao Qiang, however, wasn't buying it. Go home on vacation? What a joke; he was here today to cause trouble.

"I think you’d better fire me instead. Pay me the breach-of-contract fee and let me leave!" Zhao Qiang cut straight to the point. "Otherwise, the days ahead might not be very pleasant for you."

"Zhao Qiang, I’ve already agreed to your terms, what more do you want?" Lin Meina’s expression shifted abruptly, and she barked, "Are you trying to force me to fire you?"

Just then, her secretary, Xiao Mei, knocked urgently on the door, sounding as if the house were on fire. "Manager Lin, there’s an issue."

"What is it? Can't you see I’m dealing with trivial matters?" Lin Meina roared impatiently, her mind already frayed by Zhao Qiang.

"Someone from headquarters is here. It’s the third young master of the Zhang family," Xiao Mei reported quickly.

The third young master of the Zhang family? Wasn't he a notorious playboy? What was he doing here? Lin Meina felt a jolt. She decided to put the matter with Zhao Qiang aside for a moment and head down to greet him; regardless of anything else, he was a member of the Zhang family, and she could not afford to be negligent.

"No need to greet me, I'm already here!"

A haughty voice rang out. It was Zhang Feiyang, who had previously crossed paths with Zhao Qiang. Having offended Chu Mengyao, he had been sent to this branch by his older brother, Zhang Zihao, to "gain experience."

Lin Meina rushed forward, plastering a warm, welcoming smile on her face. How could she not recognize Zhang Feiyang? He was the brother of the CEO. "Third Young Master, what brings you here?"

"Just passing through to have some fun. My brother told me to intern at your company this month, so you figure it out!" Zhang Feiyang said lackadaisically. He was only here to slack off; if it weren't to appease his brother, he would never have stepped foot in such a small company. His family was already so wealthy; even if he spent money non-stop, he could never finish it. His brother could handle the company; he would much rather be a pampered scion who lived only for pleasure.

"Prepare an office for me. I need to play games. I’ll leave at a set time every day; that way, it’ll be easy for both of us to report back!" Zhang Feiyang commanded arrogantly, paying no mind to anyone else in the room.

"No problem, Third Young Master, follow me!" Lin Meina agreed, though she thought to herself: "Intern, my foot." He was clearly here just to play around; he probably caused some trouble at home and was exiled here. Still, this playboy’s timing was perfect. Since she couldn't handle Zhao Qiang, she would let this rich kid teach him a lesson. If anything went wrong, the CEO wouldn't blame her.

"It’s you, you little brat! You’re actually here?" Zhang Feiyang recognized Zhao Qiang instantly, and his rage flared. He had sent people to dig up information on this guy all of yesterday, but to no avail. He must be from a major family, otherwise, how could he be dating Chu Siqi? Yet, he had searched all of Imperial City and found no rich kid named Zhao Qiang.

And now, a day later, he had stumbled upon him here. It was like looking for something far and wide, only to find it right under one's nose.

"Hey, Third Young Master, long time no see!" Zhao Qiang, having spotted him earlier, waved with a grin.

"You little brat, I’ve been looking for you! It’s time we settled the score from yesterday!" Zhang Feiyang raised his fist, determined to exact revenge. If it weren't for this guy, he wouldn't have run his mouth and been reprimanded by Chu Mengyao. When he got home yesterday, his family had scolded him mercilessly. Now, his bank cards were frozen, and he couldn't even chase girls.

"Third Young Master, you know Zhao Qiang?" Seeing the animosity between them, Zhou Jie immediately began to hatch a malicious plan.