Fatal Desire

Chapter 86 Encounter
At 4:30 p.m., the summit ended, and attendees left in waves.

Song Xi walked briskly, grabbing only her phone. She stood up, walked to the aisle, and was about to leave when the middle-aged man in the jacket suddenly called out to her, "President Song."

Song Xi turned around at the sound.

Three prominent figures in the pharmaceutical industry smiled at the middle-aged man. Two of them had previously refused to cooperate with Morningside, and the other was Qiao Kun, the biological father of Shang Shixu.

"Song Xi, President of Morningside Biotech." The middle-aged man introduced Song Xi to them, displaying a leader's demeanor that was both authoritative and approachable.

Seeing this, the two bosses immediately introduced themselves to Song Xi in a smooth manner. As for Qiao Kun, he looked down on Song Xi and Shang Shixu, but because he was in front of his superiors, he still chose to speak solemnly: "Qiao's Pharmaceuticals, Qiao Kun."

Song Xi smiled impeccably: "I know that your company is currently in a lawsuit with Morningside."

"A lawsuit?" a CEO asked. "Have you two encountered a conflict in business?"

“It’s not that serious.” Song Xi spoke with measured pace. “The general manager of Qiao’s mistakenly thought that the drug patent developed by Chenxing overlapped with hers, and accused us of theft.”

Since ancient times, all warfare is based on deception. The commercial battles known to the world are few and far between, such as watering money trees or praying to Buddha for curses. True commercial warfare is often bloodless and best left unsaid.

Suing competitors for patent theft in exchange for resources is nothing new. But the Joe Group is a decades-old company, while Morningside is just a rising star. Using such methods to steal patents is despicable and despicable.

Qiao Kun was surprised that Song Xi would bring this up publicly, and his eyes narrowed.

He values ​​his reputation, so she ruthlessly tore it apart. So vicious for such a young age! No wonder she's involved with an illegitimate child; they're both worthless little brats.

"Is there a dispute between President Qiao and President Song?" The middle-aged man, who had been in office for many years, was well aware of the situation, yet he still asked the question knowing the answer.

"It must be a conflict between the employee and General Manager Song." Qiao Kun's attitude was noticeably more amiable when facing his superior. "I don't know anything about it."

The middle-aged man, with his hands behind his back, glanced at Qiao Kun meaningfully upon hearing this: "Such a big matter, shouldn't the employees consult with General Manager Qiao?"

The implication is that the employees don't respect you, you're mismanaging the company, and there are serious problems with the overall order within the company!
Qiao Kun felt a chill run down his spine, as if a cunning snake had crawled up his neck, giving him a long-lost sense of dread.

The Qiao family is currently competing for government projects, and leaving a bad impression will definitely affect the bidding results.

Having grown up in the Zhao family, Song Xi had come into contact with many powerful and influential people. When facing people of lower social class, she could handle them with ease and without breaking a sweat.

After chatting for more than ten minutes, Song Xi smiled and said goodbye to the middle-aged man. As she stepped out of the conference hall and turned the corner, she saw Cheng Nian, who had been waiting for her for a long time.

Cheng Nian carried a laptop bag containing a laptop, notebook, and pen. She had taken notes throughout the summit and compiled them into concise meeting minutes.

"Mr. Song, the banquet starts at 6:30. May I go outside for a stroll first?"

This was Cheng Nian's first time in Shanghai, and she was curious about everything in the city, unable to contain her excitement.

“Okay.” Song Xi looked around but couldn’t find the man.

He's most likely gone.

Zhao Yansen's whereabouts have always been a mystery, shrouded in secrecy and not to be spied on by others.

Cheng Nian went out shopping, while Song Xi returned to her hotel suite.

She sat on the sofa with her laptop for an hour, working on her project. When it was almost time, she set off to attend a business banquet.

The banquet was hosted by the eldest son of Zhong, Shanghai's richest man, and was held at a private estate in the suburbs. Vehicles entering and leaving the estate were required to show their invitations and verify the identities of the guests. Security was tight.

In the spring, the weather is still slightly chilly, and the sycamore trees on both sides of the street have already sprouted tender buds.

The manor's parking lot was filled with luxury cars, and uniformed security guards stood there waiting to help, occasionally catching car keys tossed to guests and helping them park their cars.

Cheng Nian followed behind Song Xi and was secretly surprised when she saw the internationally limited luxury cars. She only recognized Rolls-Royce.

I stole a glance at President Song's reaction.

...There was no reaction.

Song Xi said, "When you go in later, go directly to President Shang." If Cheng Nian wanted to learn how to socialize and deal with people, working with Shang Shixu would be better than following her; her methods were not suitable for Cheng Nian.

"Okay, I understand." Cheng Nian had learned to hide her emotions, and no matter how surprised she was, she tried her best to appear calm.

The manor hall is decorated in a Mediterranean style with a touch of understated European luxury. The crystal chandeliers on the ceiling are dazzling and magnificent, reflecting a cool white light onto the marble floor.

The long table was laden with a dazzling array of drinks and snacks, and groups of guests toasted each other as waiters carried trays of wine back and forth among the crowd.

Upon seeing Song Xi, Shang Shixu excused himself to the CEO in front of him and walked over through the crowd.

How was the summit?

"It's alright, quite a lot of information. Cheng Nian will send it to you when she finishes organizing the data."

As the waiter walked by, Song Xi took a glass of champagne and said, "Take Cheng Nian with you. Call me if anything happens."

Her phone is reachable 24/7.

It wasn't convenient to discuss personal matters at the dinner party, so Shang Shixu nodded and watched as that slender figure gradually disappeared into the distance.

As darkness fell completely, the private estate was brightly lit. Shang Shixu led Cheng Nian through social interactions, teaching her how to deal with different people and how to adapt to changing circumstances.

Midway through, Shang Shixu received a call from his secretary, who said that cooperation with Huasong Group required access permissions, and that Song Xi herself had to authorize access to the company's confidential information database.

He ended the call, and Cheng Nian, who was standing next to him, said, "President Shang, I can manage on my own. If you have something to do, please go ahead and take care of it."

Cheng Nian has grown significantly in the few months she has been by Song Xi's side. Shang Shixu nodded.

He knew where Song Xi was, but instead of calling her, he went straight to the backyard.

Weaving through the crowd and circling around to the road on both sides of the bushes, Shang Shixu stood in front of the towering pine and cypress trees and saw figures not far away.

The moonlight was like silver, and clear spring water gushed forth continuously from the white jade crystal pool. Song Xi sat on a long wooden bench, holding a glass of champagne, admiring the moon and the pool.

Shang Shixu was beaming with joy, thinking about the past, when suddenly a tall and slender figure appeared in his field of vision.

The man was dressed in an expensive black shirt, and every gesture he made exuded an air of nobility nurtured by immense power.

Song Xi's older brother, Zhao Yansen.

In a daze, Shang Shixu saw Zhao Yansen sitting next to Song Xi, patiently looking down at her, as if listening to what Song Xi was saying.

The chatting is normal.

Shang Shixu lifted his foot and took a step forward. Just then, Zhao Yansen raised his hand and casually stroked Song Xi's earlobe with his fingertips, once or twice.

Then, Song Xi tilted her head up and eagerly moved closer to Zhao Yansen, who turned his head away, deliberately avoiding her advances. She looked quite displeased, frowning and glaring at him.

Zhao Yansen chuckled and curled his lips. Then, he gripped her chin with his thumb and forefinger, slightly shifting the bridge of her nose, and pressed down on her with an aggressive, possessive motion.

Upon witnessing this scene, Shang Shixu froze.

The spring night was warm and gentle. The man was tall and imposing, which made the girl appear even more petite. The two kissed passionately, their necks intertwined.

But aren't they...?

Shang Shixu's brain completely shut down, and he didn't know how to react.

His business partner, a junior from the same school, and the girl he secretly admired, was actually kissing Zhao Yansen while snuggling in his arms!
Shang Shixu didn't know how long he had been standing there watching. When he came to his senses, Zhao Yansen finally let go of Song Xi. She buried her head in his shoulder, as if trying to calm her breathing.

The next second, without warning, the man lifted his eyelids and looked over precisely.

"!" Shang Shixu's scalp tingled and he felt a chill run down his spine.

(End of this chapter)