A hundred flavors of life

Chapter 1348 Wei Wei at His Dead End! (Please Subscribe!)

P.S.: Wishing China all the best and our motherland prosperity and strength.

As dusk settled, Tan Zongming's villa estate exuded a secluded tranquility in the afterglow of the setting sun, and Andy's fingers gripping the steering wheel turned slightly white.

Old Tan's words on the phone, "There might be news about your brother," swayed violently in her mind like a heavy weight hanging on the thread of fate, stirring up all the thoughts about the past and the future that she dared not touch.

Having not seen her younger brother for many years, she felt both joy at hearing news of him and worry and anxiety. She worried that her brother was not doing well, and even more so that he might no longer be in this world.

She parked the car and practically rushed into the villa's study, where Old Tan and a travel-worn-looking Old Yan were waiting for her.

Old Yan is a friend of Tan Zongming, and he was asked by the latter to help inquire about Andy's younger brother.

“There is indeed a boy at the Sunshine Welfare Home in Daishan who matches your description very well. He has some intellectual disabilities, but he has a very gentle personality.”

Andy felt as if an invisible hand was squeezing his heart, and his breath caught in his throat for a few seconds.

However, Lao Yan's next words dashed her newly ignited hope:

"I originally wanted to take a picture of that child and bring it back, but unfortunately the entire orphanage, including all the staff and children, went on a trip to the United States a week ago. They said they received generous sponsorship from an anonymous philanthropist. Now, to confirm this, I have to wait for them to come back."

Anonymous sponsorship?

A hint of doubt flashed through Andy's mind, but before she could think about it further, her phone rang sharply. She said "sorry" and picked up the phone. Seeing that it was Qu Xiaoxiao calling, she answered it casually.

"Andy, I'm doomed! Help, Andy!"

Qu Xiaoxiao was crying uncontrollably on the phone.

Andy could only suppress her turbulent emotions for the time being. After thanking Lao Tan and Lao Yan, she asked the latter to keep an eye on things and to notify her immediately if there was any news.

Old Yan smiled and said, "Miss Andy, don't worry, you're Old Tan's friend, so you're my friend too, no question about it!"

Andy drove back to Ode to Joy and found Qu Xiaoxiao huddled at her doorstep, her makeup ruined by tears and her hair disheveled, like a stray cat soaked by a downpour.

"Andy, I'm too scared to go home right now, so I've come to you for help!"

Upon seeing Andy, Qu Xiaoxiao immediately rushed over, sobbing incoherently about how the GI agency had turned into a nightmare, how ten million US dollars had gone down the drain, and how the container was filled with retreaded tires that reeked of rubber.

Andy helped her into the house, poured her a glass of warm water, and calmly inquired about every detail.

The more she listened, the colder she felt inside.

The negotiations were brought forward, I happened to miss it due to an "accident," there were subtle differences in the other party's company name, and traps were set using formal contract texts. All of these things were interconnected and chilling.

A name, the name of the man she had been intimately with the night before, uncontrollably surfaced in her mind—Wang Baichuan.

Wang Baichuan had advised her not to interfere in Qu Xiaoxiao's negotiations with GI.

Moreover, the threatening words spoken with a smile at the resort still echoed in my ears: "Every single one of you who offended me just now can expect to be begging on the streets!"

"is it him?"

After settling the nearly exhausted Qu Xiaoxiao down and waiting for her to fall asleep, she took a deep breath and went downstairs to 2101.

She knocked, and the door opened from the inside. Hua Shier, dressed in pajamas, looked languid and seemed completely unsurprised by her visit.

After Andy entered, he got straight to the point:
"Someone impersonated GI and signed an agency contract with Qu Xiaoxiao, who was scammed out of ten million US dollars. Was that your doing?"

Her voice sounded somewhat stiff from trying so hard to control herself, and her eyes were fixed on Hua Shier's eyes, observing his subtle expressions.

Hua Shier walked to the liquor cabinet, poured himself a glass of whiskey, and turned to ask:
"Why do you ask?"

Andy took a deep breath:

"It's too much of a coincidence. Qu Xiaoxiao and I had already arranged for me to secretly participate via phone while she was negotiating, but the negotiation time was suddenly moved up, and I was caught by you."

"Qu Xiaoxiao's matter is indeed related to me!"

Hua Twelve took a sip of wine, then smiled and said:
"You look angry. Do you feel that I used you, held you back, and let that idiot Qu Xiaoxiao fall into the trap herself, harming your friend? So you're furious and want to get justice for her?"

Looking at his nonchalant demeanor, and remembering that she had been used, Andy felt a surge of anger and raised her hand to slap him across the face.

Her wrist was grabbed in mid-air; Hua Shier's strength was so great that she couldn't break free.

Hua Shier pulled her to sit on a high stool in the family bar and began to recount the whole story.

Success is more enjoyable when shared with others, isn't it?

"I was the one who did Qu Xiaoxiao's thing. I had someone register a company called 'Yaohong,' which sounds the same as Qu Jia Yaohong Group but has different characters, and then picked up the real GI signing representative at Pudong Airport!"

"After that, I had a German company with the same abbreviation picked me up at Hongqiao Airport by Qu Xiaoxiao!"

"As for why there might be errors in the GI flight information, you can imagine it yourself!"

"The day after my 'Yaohong' company signed the agency agreement with the real GI, I used the terms of that real contract to sign a contract with Qu Xiaoxiao!"

"That idiot Qu Xiaoxiao didn't even notice that the full English names of the companies she signed with were different. With her abilities, who can she blame for being deceived!"

Andy, being a genius, immediately realized the problem from Hua Shier's account:

"You have a few issues. First, I've looked into the relevant domestic regulations. Within the jurisdiction of the same registration authority, companies in the same industry are prohibited from registering companies with the same pronunciation but different characters!"

"Secondly, even if Qu Xiaoxiao is incompetent, there are professionals in her team who couldn't possibly have missed this!"

"Thirdly, GI is not so easily fooled by a fake company!"

"unless."

Even without Hua Shier explicitly stating the key points, Andy guessed something from the analysis:
"Unless there's a mole within Qu Xiaoxiao's team, and among those who took over the GI team, there must be someone they can completely trust!"

Andy's eyes narrowed:
"It was Qu Lianjie. Before Qu Xiaoxiao, Qu Lianjie was always in charge of communication and negotiations with GI, so GI knew he was the heir of Yaohong Group and naturally wouldn't suspect anything. And only Qu Lianjie could plant a mole in Qu Xiaoxiao's team!"

The more she spoke, the more certain she became:
"Furthermore, with Qu Lianjie's involvement, it also explains how you were able to circumvent the rules and register a company that sounds the same as Yaohong Group but has different characters. Because if you need to ask an acquaintance for a favor, the other party will assume that this Yaohong company is a subsidiary of Yaohong Group!"

clap clap.

Hua Twelve applauded Andy:

"That's amazing! I finally know what a genius looks like. You can summarize my design in just two sentences. Impressive! But you're wrong about one thing!"

Andy asked, puzzled, "Which point?"

"The problem is that Yaohong Company and Yaohong Group are not in the same industry. That would be a loophole. This company is in the trading business. Its main business is to buy retreaded tires from Germany and resell them to North Korea!"

Andy understood. If Qu Lianjie didn't admit it, then both Qu Xiaoxiao and GI would suffer in silence.

GI was forced to hand over the air conditioning agency rights to a trading company that intermediaries retread tires, as per the contract. If they disagreed, they would have to pay a penalty to get out of the mess. It was a trap for both sides.

"You are so despicable!"

"mean?"

Hua Twelve said jokingly:

"Andy, you're a top talent from Wall Street, a place that eats people alive. You should know that the business world is like a battlefield!"

"Gullibility, ignorance, and a little greed are the original sin."

"This scheme was set up before you even got involved; I even warned you not to get involved!"

"As for that night," Hua Shier paused for a moment:
"That was a beautiful accident, but even without that night, I would have found another way to prevent you from getting involved the next day!"

"For a good-for-nothing returnee like Qu Xiaoxiao, whether you exist or not wouldn't have affected her ending today."

Andy looked completely incredulous:

"Impossible! If I had spoken to her that day and participated in the entire negotiation and signing process, I would have definitely discovered the loopholes in the negotiations and stopped them in time. I wouldn't have let you succeed!"

Hua Shier smiled and shook his head. "It's no use saying more. Now take out your phone and try calling anyone. See if you can make the call!"

Andy took out his phone in confusion and dialed his secretary's number, but all he heard was a busy signal.

She couldn't believe that changing her number several times would lead to the same result.

Andy suddenly looked up at Hua Shier: "When did you tamper with my phone?"

Hua Shier tossed his cell phone over, then pointed to the landline at home:

"You can try a different phone and see if the effect is the same!"

Andy tried again, and sure enough, she couldn't dial any of them. Her face was filled with horror.

"Do you have top-tier hackers who can control other people's communications so precisely?"

"Look!"

Hua Shier spread his hands, his posture relaxed:
“Under my rules, she has no chance of winning.”

After he finished speaking, he took Andy's hand, his smug expression vanished, and his voice softened:

"Please don't let other people's issues affect our relationship, okay?"

Andy abruptly pulled his hand back:
"Wang Baichuan, you terrify me. This is the end between us."

She turned around resolutely, wanting to leave, but her hand had just touched the doorknob.

Hua Shier's smiling voice rang out from behind her again, not loud, but it exploded in her ears like thunder:

"Andy, you don't want anything to happen to your brother, do you?"

Andy turned around abruptly, his pupils shrinking.

Hua Shier now held a clear color photograph in his hand: "Come on, take a look at this!"

In the photo, Hua Shier is embracing a shy young man with clear eyes. The background is the gate of the Daishan Sunshine Welfare Home. The two are making a peace sign at the same time, with bright smiles.

The young man's features vaguely overlapped with the image of her younger brother in her memory and the blurry photo she had just seen.

"Isn't that a coincidence?"

Hua Shier shook the photo:

“I’ve known Xiaoming for a long time. He likes me a lot. I even sponsored all the old men and women in his welfare home to travel to the Ugly Country together.”

"Do you want to see him? I can arrange it; we can go to the Ugly Country together."

Andy froze on the spot, his blood seemingly freezing instantly.

Doubt, anger, fear, and intense longing and worry for her younger brother intertwined into a huge net that bound her tightly.

She stared intently at Hua Shier, trying to find any trace of deception in his eyes, but in those deep black eyes, there was only an all-powerful confidence and a hint of indescribable complexity.

She ultimately didn't break off relations. Almost through gritted teeth, she squeezed out the words: "Fine, I'll go to the Ugly Country to see him, but don't hurt him!"

Back in 2201, Andy locked the door and leaned against the cold door panel before allowing himself to tremble slightly.

Is my younger brother in Wang Baichuan's hands?

Is this a coincidence, or another, more elaborate scheme?

She forced herself to calm down and think quickly. She couldn't rely entirely on Wang Baichuan; she needed another trustworthy person to verify and check things from another perspective.

She suddenly remembered someone—Wei Wei. He was currently on a business trip in the United States!

To avoid potential eavesdropping, Andy went to his bedroom, retrieved a spare computer, plugged in a new network card, and sent a video call invitation to Wei Wei.

The moment the call connected, Andy could hardly believe her eyes. Wei Wei looked ten years older, with a lot of gray hair, as if this business trip had lasted for more than a few days, but for more than ten years.

"Old Wei, what's wrong with you?"

Wei Wei gave a bitter smile:
"Things are a bit complicated here, but let's not talk about that for now. Andy, what did you need me for?"

Since it concerned his younger brother, Andy couldn't care less about Wei Wei and quickly said:
"Old Wei, can you do me a favor?"

Andy tried his best to make his voice sound steady:
"Please help me check if the tour group from Daishan Sunshine Welfare Home is really in the U.S., and in which city specifically, especially the boy named Xiaoming, and whether he is safe."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone before Wei Wei's dry reply came through:

"Andy? I'm out on bail now, so I probably can't help you!"

“My goods were seized at the Port of New York. The problem is very serious. My lawyer said it is a major felony case of intentional violation of export controls, which could result in hefty fines or even criminal prosecution.”

"My company in China is finished!"

He paused, his voice filled with barely suppressed hatred:
"It's as if all the channels and partners have conspired to either demand payment or cut off all ties. They're deliberately refusing to pay what they owe, telling me to take legal action, but I don't have the time!"

"I've asked around, and it's Wang Baichuan. He's the one trying to destroy me!"

As Wei Wei spoke, he suddenly burst into tears in front of the camera. His pride and his cunning were shattered by despair at that moment.

Andy's heart sank. She hadn't expected Wei Wei's situation to be so dire, and she certainly hadn't expected Hua Shier's methods to be so ruthless and decisive. It was clear that Hua Shier was trying to kill Wei Wei.

She hesitated for a moment before speaking:
"Old Wei, I'll be going to the U.S. with Wang Baichuan in a couple of days. If you're willing, I can arrange a meeting between you and mediate between you!"

Wei Wei's sobbing stopped abruptly, then he suddenly looked up:

"Really, Andy? Thank you so much! Okay, I'm willing to apologize to him in person by serving him tea. Don't worry, Andy, I'll put aside what I'm doing to help you verify Xiaoming's safety. I promise I will!"

Andy thanked him repeatedly.

Just as Andy was about to hang up before ending the call, Wei Wei suddenly said:

"Wait, Andy!"

“I’ve thought about it. I did deliberately mock and target Wang Baichuan before. If you tell him to come here and help us mediate, he won’t see me. Can you come here and we can talk about it after we meet? I’ll treat you to a meal and apologize to him in person!”

Andy made this video behind Hua Shier's back. Even if Wei Wei hadn't said anything, she would have done it anyway, so she immediately agreed.

After the video call ended, Wei Wei took out his phone and called his lawyer in the United States:
"Last time you asked how much money I would need if I wanted to be completely exonerated?"

The reply they gave was:
"Mr. Wei, you must understand that your case is extremely serious, and it is simply impossible for you to be completely acquitted!"

“What I said was to shorten your sentence. In addition to the potential $2.5 million you might have to pay, if you come up with another $1 million, we can help you get it done, just like Martha Stewart, the former queen of home decor, who had her twenty-year sentence reduced to five months!”

A cold glint flashed in Wei Wei's eyes: "Alright, I'll raise the funds as soon as possible. You'd better get ready to help me get things done!"

Thanks to 08a, Little Tiger of the Demon Realm, and Brother Li Meng of the God of Death for their donations, and thanks to the brothers who voted for monthly tickets and recommendations. Thank you very much.