Fatal Desire

Chapter 140 The Calm Before the Storm (1)

I returned to China on the same Gulfstream aircraft, which was parked in the VIP private passage of Paris Le Bourget Airport.

Zhao Yansen followed Song Xi onto the plane. As they entered the cabin, she suddenly turned around, her gaze sweeping over Paris behind him before quickly returning to its original position, as if it were merely an illusion of light and shadow.

This journey has far exceeded Song Xi's initial expectations.

Her original plan was to go to New York to say goodbye to her psychologist and completely end the past, and then visit Fu Guanyue and Fu Minghui in Paris.

Zhao Yansen was not included in this plan.

After returning to Beijing, it was a critical period for the company's new drug application. Song Xi did not go home to live, but buried herself in the office all day long. The lights of Beijing outside the floor-to-ceiling windows were as plentiful as the documents on her desk.

After the meeting ended, she and Shang Shixu had a rare moment of free time and chatted on the sofa in the reception area.

"The Sino-Swiss cooperation project is progressing smoothly. Having weathered the first half, the second half will be much easier," Shang Shixu said.

A new message popped up on her phone. Song Xi glanced at it; it was from Song Yunyu, asking her to make time for a meal soon.

Holding her phone, she typed a reply as she said, "The Qiao Group is declining, and Qiao Kun wants you to come back and inherit the family business?"

"That's true, but I didn't agree." Shang Shixu paused, then smiled faintly. "Fu Wenxin couldn't make it in China, so she went back to the United States. Qiao Yifan got drunk and got into a fight, and ended up in jail."

After Song Xi finished editing the message, she clicked send.

"Knock, knock, knock."

There was a knock at the door.

"President Song, President Shang, there's been a problem."

Cheng Nian gently knocked on the door and placed an encrypted document in front of them. "The Phase II clinical data of the PD-1 combination therapy has been anonymously published on an industry forum. It is suspected that the leak was made by an investigator from Quintiles."

Upon hearing this, Shang Shixu frowned: "This will directly affect the progress of our project, and we must send a lawyer's letter immediately."

“No rush.” Song Xi put down her phone, her mind racing, and said calmly, “Cheng Nian, have the tech department trace the IP first, and prepare two public relations statements: one strong version accusing the data of malicious tampering, and one mild version explaining it as academic exchange. We’ll decide which weapon to use once we find the source.”

"The technology department is already tracing the source, and there will be a preliminary report within 24 hours." Cheng Nian took notes, then turned to Shang Shixu, "In addition, the AI ​​drug company that President Shang contacted last month, the founder of the other party insisted on cooperating in the form of technology equity, and refused cash acquisition."

“I mentioned this to you on the phone before.” Shang Shixu pushed the analysis report in front of Song Xi. “Their generative AI model can shorten the screening cycle by 50%, and this technological barrier is worth conceding.”

“Technology-based equity is acceptable.” Song Xi glanced through the documents, her voice calm. “But a five-year non-compete agreement must be signed, with the breach of contract clause set at thirty times the valuation. Cheng Nian, have the legal department expand the non-compete scope to the Asia-Pacific region.”

After serving for several months, Cheng Nian has gained a certain understanding of Song Xi.

President Song possesses a shrewd mind in the business world. On the surface, she appears to be a refined and quiet young lady, but in reality, she has an iron will, remains calm in the face of danger, and has a surgical precision in judging people and situations.

*
Song Xi didn't attend the last gathering organized by Meng Weixian, but today she specially hosted a banquet in a courtyard deep in the alley, inviting Meng Weixian, Qin Fanghao, and Shang Shixu to dine together.

As night falls, the lights are on.

After finishing her workday, Song Xi instructed Cheng Nian to take Shang Shixu's ride to the alley after get off work.

The courtyard is a simple and elegant three-section courtyard with four entrances, which retains the Ming and Qing dynasty style. Next to the rockery with its jagged rocks, a pool of water reflects the phoenix-tail bamboo.

Wandering through the winding corridors, we arrived at the private room, where four friends sat around a round table made of huanghuali wood.

"President Xi, it's like climbing to heaven to see you!" Meng Weixian exclaimed exaggeratedly when he saw Song Xi.

Song Xi sat down next to Qin Fanghao and laughed, "Then climbing to heaven is more difficult."

"I brought three bottles of wine that I imported from Switzerland." Qin Fanghao asked the waiter to bring them the wine. "You're not allowed to leave until you finish them all."

Despite his dazzling success in the entertainment industry, Qin, a famous star, is a heavy drinker in private and can't live without alcohol. After exchanging pleasantries, the dishes were served one after another.

"There's something else I'd like to discuss with you both today," Meng Weixian said seriously after taking a few sips of tea. "The planetarium is holding a special exhibition called 'Life and the Universe,' and we'd like to borrow your protein crystal holographic projector."

Shang Shixu put down his teacup: "That's a patented device worth tens of millions."

"The exhibition will only last for three days, and all ticket revenue will be donated to the ALS Foundation." Meng Weixian clasped his hands together, his eyes pleading, "Consider it a way to popularize science."

Shang Shixu glanced at Song Xi; he had no objection.

“Okay.” Song Xi also did not object.

"Besides having me dress up as an alien, is there anything else the exhibition needs me for?" Qin Fanghao asked, half-jokingly, half-asling, while swirling his wine glass.

“If Sister Qin were willing to record audio guides, I guarantee the number of visitors would triple!” Meng Weixian clapped his hands and laughed. “Your fans would line up all the way to Chang’an Avenue just for ‘the voice of the great star Qin’.”

The friends were drinking and laughing. Suddenly, Meng Weixian blurted out, "Hey, Sister Qin, Li Jinyue is back, did you know?"

Upon hearing this, Song Xi turned her head to look at Qin Fanghao.

Qin Fanghao replied listlessly, "I know."

The Qin and Li families are on good terms. Li Jinyue has been pursuing Qin Fanghao since he was a child, and has been pursuing her tirelessly for more than ten years. Occasionally, people jokingly say that he is the number one romantic in the capital.

"He caused trouble abroad and couldn't make it in the industry anymore?" Song Xi asked.

"Pretty much." Qin Fanghao took Song Xi's empty wine glass and poured her some wine. "She said she was going back to China for me, but as soon as she got back to Beijing, she found a bunch of girls who sang Kunqu Opera and played the pipa, and they spent three days having fun at the club."

Meng Weixian slammed her hand on the table and stood up immediately: "Nonsense! All sweet talk from men is nonsense! Sister Qin, don't believe it!"

These people in the circle are born with exceptional advantages: money, connections, and a life of indulgence. They rarely stay committed to one person or remain chaste.

Young masters like Li Jinyue appear impeccably dressed on the surface, but secretly they live a life of extravagance.

Song Xi glanced at Meng Weixian and said, "Meng Er, sit down."

Meng Weixian immediately sat back down.

"Do I look like the type to be easily fooled?" Qin Fanghao raised an eyebrow, a smile blooming on her beautiful face. "I called and reported him for soliciting prostitutes, and we caught him red-handed. He should be getting some discipline right now."

Qin Fanghao has a carefree and straightforward personality and doesn't engage in internal conflicts.

Everyone laughed and raised their glasses to toast: "Well done!"

They enjoyed the meal immensely, chatting and laughing.

When Meng Weixian and Shang Shixu went to the balcony for a smoke, Qin Fanghao suddenly turned around and asked Song Xi:

"Your brother is going to marry Miss Li?"

“That’s not true.” Song Xi denied without hesitation.

From Qin Fanghao's perspective, not long after Song Xi and Zhao Yansen got together, a laboratory explosion occurred, and they lost contact.

At that time, Song Xi was not in good condition, so she did not want to pry into the matter.

Now, Qin Fanghao looked at Song Xi's beautiful face and asked curiously, "So what's the progress between you two?"

(End of this chapter)