ACBNHTS Chapter 55

Chapter 55: Playing a Role

Lu Zhengyang’s desire to investigate grew stronger.

However, he wasn’t in a hurry.

With a business collaboration, seeing Sheng Yiguang wouldn’t be difficult.

Low-level tactics that would expose themselves at first glance weren’t interesting anyway.

He was curious to see how many tricks Sheng Yiguang had up his sleeve.

Lu Zhengyang left XSB.

In the afternoon, just after finishing a meeting, his secretary approached him.

“Mr. Wen is here, waiting for you outside the office.”

Lu Zhengyang frowned, “Who let him up?”

“The receptionist did. He showed a photo of him with you. The receptionist couldn’t reach you, so they took it upon themselves to let him up.”

Lu Zhengyang straightened his cuffs, his voice indifferent.

“Fire them.”

“Yes.”

The secretary acknowledged, not surprised.

The young Mr. Lu might seem gentle, but he was actually cold-hearted, a man of his word, and kept his personal and professional life separate.

Before, he had a favorite little star whom he doted on, giving him expensive watches without hesitation. Later, that star was dumped because a photo posted on social media showed a glimpse of his fingertip.

The secretary guessed that this Mr. Wen, who had come uninvited, wouldn’t be far from being dumped either.

Lu Zhengyang walked towards the office.

Wen Heng saw him from afar and hurried forward, “Yang-gege, I’m bothering you. Are you angry?”

Lu Zhengyang smiled, “How could I be?”

Wen Heng breathed a sigh of relief.

Lu Zhengyang asked, “Is there something you need?”

“I heard about your bet with Jin-gege, which involves both me and Sheng Yiguang. Lu-gege, did you go to see him because I mentioned it?”

“No, I just happened to run into him and saw his birth mother and stepfather asking him for money.”

A hidden look of triumphant pleasure flashed in Wen Heng’s eyes.

Sheng Yiguang’s mother really didn’t disappoint him.

Soon, once his mother started making moves, he would immediately follow up with comments on his live stream, a two-pronged approach.

As long as Sheng Yiguang realized that he was a stumbling block to Pei Du’s happy life, he would leave.

The more Wen Heng thought about it, the happier he became, feigning ignorance, “Is the woman we saw on the live stream related to him?”

“Yes, she’s his birth mother.”

Wen Heng looked surprised, “Oh my god! What a coincidence!”

Lu Zhengyang smiled knowingly, “Indeed, a coincidence.”

Wen Heng looked sympathetic, “His birth mother asking him for money… he’s quite pitiful.”

“Do you know about his family situation?”

Wen Heng shook his head, “Not very clearly. I only know that his parents divorced and neither of them wanted him.”

“I see.”

Wen Heng followed Lu Zhengyang into the office, completely unaware of Lu Zhengyang’s slight pause and cool glance as he stepped into the office, his mind focused solely on Sheng Yiguang’s affairs.

“Did you go to see him?”

“I did.”

“And who won your bet?”

“It’s a little early to say. I’ve only met him once.”

Wen Heng placed his hands on Lu Zhengyang’s desk, his face serious, and spoke to Lu Zhengyang in an almost commanding tone.

“I don’t care about your bet, but you can’t make things too difficult for him!”

Lu Zhengyang raised his eyes slightly, his emotionless gaze sweeping across Wen Heng’s face.

Wen Heng immediately cowered, withdrew his hands, and stood quietly, his voice softening as he explained, “I would feel very guilty if he got hurt because of it!”

Lu Zhengyang laughed softly, “Alright, I understand. Is there anything else? If not, I’ll have Xiaoyun take you downstairs to try some of my company’s desserts?”

Wen Heng raised his chin, like a proud little peacock.

“Okay.”

Lu Zhengyang pressed the call button on his desk.

The secretary entered.

Lu Zhengyang instructed, “Take Xiaowen down to try the desserts here.”

“Yes.”

As soon as the secretary led Wen Heng away, Lu Zhengyang seemed to take off a mask, the gentleness and smile on his face completely disappearing, revealing the coldness and wickedness beneath.

He tapped the desk with his pen.

“Xiaowen seems to be losing his appeal.”

He remembered the first time he met Xiaowen at a craft exhibition.

Lu Zhengyang’s hobby was pottery, and his work was on display that day. Because his name was on it, countless people surrounded it, showering it with praise.

Saying things like, “The lines are smooth, a masterpiece.”

In reality, it was a failed half-finished product that he had punched and then fired.

At the time, only Wen Heng remained silent.

He looked at Wen Heng and asked him, “What do you think of this?”

Wen Heng’s reply was particularly perfunctory, “It’s very good, beautiful.”

It was obvious that he didn’t mean it.

He liked people who weren’t obsequious.

Therefore, Lu Zhengyang immediately remembered him.

Later, after learning that Jin Zhi liked him, he pursued him as well.

He had been playing with this new toy for almost two years, and he was quite satisfied with it. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have spent so much money on Wen Heng’s live stream.

But just now, Wen Heng’s flattery and ulterior motives were too obvious.

Did he have a grudge against Sheng Yiguang, or was Xiaowen himself simply boring?

Lu Zhengyang decided to wait and see.

After the secretary returned, Lu Zhengyang instructed her to gather evidence of Hu Jiawei’s violations of company rules and fire him.

That day, Hu Jiawei was sent home.

When Yin Xue saw him carrying his belongings from his workstation, she felt like the sky had fallen.

“What happened to you?”

“Little Mr. Lu discovered that I was taking kickbacks and fired me.”

“How did he find out?”

“He probably became suspicious yesterday when he saw us.”

The more Hu Jiawei thought about it, the more remorseful he became. He shouldn’t have been greedy for that small amount of money, which aroused the suspicion of General Manager Lu and cost him his job.

Yin Xue’s heart turned cold, “What are we going to do now?”

They still had a mortgage to pay off.

The money she received from live streaming couldn’t cover the loan.

Hu Jiawei drooped his head in dejection, “I’ll keep looking for a job, but I’m getting older, and it’s impossible to find a good position. You have to work harder on your son’s side. The two of us will really have to rely on him for retirement.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll go even if you don’t tell me to.”

After Yin Xue finished her broadcast, she told the maid to make a simple dish and took it to Sheng Yiguang’s company the next day, only to be stopped by the receptionist.

“Tell him, I’m his mother.”

“I did, but President Sheng won’t see you.”

Yin Xue put the lunch box on the table, “Then at least help me give this to him, right?”

“I’ll call and ask.”

The receptionist made a call and quickly received a reply.

“President Sheng doesn’t want it.”

Yin Xue’s face turned cold.

How dare he!

She had come all the way to bring him food, but not only was she unable to see him, he wouldn’t even accept the food?

She restrained herself and didn’t lash out, sighing deeply, half helpless and half heartbroken, as she walked away.

For several days in a row, Yin Xue came to deliver food.

For the first two days, she carried the food with her, but later, knowing that Sheng Yiguang wouldn’t accept it, she stopped wasting it and simply carried an empty container, pretending to be pitiful as she went through the motions.

On the fifth day, the receptionist couldn’t help but advise her, “Please don’t come anymore, President Sheng won’t take it.”

Yin Xue sighed sadly, “My son has a knot in his heart. As his mother, I can’t really hold it against him.”

That day, rumors spread throughout the company that Sheng Yiguang was cold-hearted and indifferent, even ignoring his own birth mother.