Who's going to be the female lead's simp? Aren't the supporting female characters mor

The Jiang family villa is located on a hillside in the western suburbs of Haicheng. It is a typical Suzhou-style garden with winding corridors, artificial hills and flowing water.

The restaurant was brightly lit.

A round, carved mahogany table was laden with all sorts of delicacies.

"Xiao You, come on, try this."

Jiang Zhenguo was dressed in a Tang suit. Although he was over fifty years old, he was in good spirits.

He personally used serving chopsticks to serve food to Bai Jingyou, his eyes revealing the complex emotions of a father-in-law looking at his son-in-law—both satisfied with the boy's abilities and feeling a bit bitter that his own cabbage had been eaten by a pig.

"Thank you, Uncle Jiang." Bai Jingyou didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up a piece and took a bite. The meat was perfectly marbled with fat and lean, and it melted in his mouth. "Mmm! This tastes amazing, even more authentic than what I had at Cuihua Restaurant in Beijing."

Jiang Mengyao sat next to her, head down, eating her rice, the tips of her ears red.

Hearing Bai Jingyou's praise, she couldn't help but smile and secretly kicked him under the table, signaling him to tone it down.

"Eat as much as you like." Jiang Zhenguo raised his wine glass, which was a 30-year-old Shaoxing wine that Bai Jingyou had specially sent over. "Today's meal is partly a family dinner, and partly... also to thank you."

The old man's expression suddenly turned serious, and he put down his wine glass.

"Without the building materials you secured beforehand for that project in the east of the city, the Jiang family would probably have suffered a serious blow this time." Jiang Zhenguo sighed. "There aren't many young people these days with your foresight."

"It's all luck, all luck." Bai Jingyou raised his glass with a smile. "It's mainly because Sister Mengyao... oh no, Mengyao trusts me."

This change of address made Jiang Zhenguo burst into laughter, and the atmosphere immediately became lively.

However, this warm atmosphere was broken in less than three minutes by a rapid telephone ring.

Jiang Zhenguo's personal cell phone vibrated wildly on the table.

He glanced at the caller ID, frowned slightly, and answered the phone: "Hey, Lao Liu? What's up so late... What?!"

"Snapped!"

Jiang Zhenguo dropped his chopsticks to the ground, his face turning deathly pale instantly.

"How is that possible? It's clearly written in black and white in the contract... How dare they breach the contract? The quality inspection report? That's slander! Utter slander!"

Jiang Zhenguo roared a few words into the phone, then hung up helplessly, looking as if he had aged ten years in an instant, and slumped into a chair.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Jiang Mengyao panicked and quickly helped her father up.

"It's over..." Jiang Zhenguo's voice trembled. "Just now, Lao Liu from the purchasing department called. Our largest steel supplier in Beijing, Hongtu Industry, suddenly announced the unilateral termination of our cooperation. Moreover... they also reported to the regulatory authorities that there were serious problems with our previous batch of goods. Now, the Haicheng Housing and Construction Bureau has sealed off the construction site and demanded a complete halt to work for inspection!"

"What?!" Jiang Mengyao's face paled. "How is this possible? That batch of goods clearly had certificates of conformity, and it's been in the market for two months. If there were any problems, they would have been discovered long ago!"

"It's the Chu family."

Jiang Zhenguo closed his eyes, gritting his teeth. "The controlling shareholder behind Hongtu Industry is the Chu family of Beijing. This is a frame-up! This is revenge! Once construction is halted for inspection, the penalties for the delay will bankrupt the Jiang family, and with these rumors... the Jiang family's reputation will be completely ruined!"

The restaurant was deathly silent.

That was a ruthless move.

This act of cutting off the Jiang family's most important business has effectively destroyed their resources.

Bai Jingyou pulled out a tissue to wipe his mouth, glanced at his watch, and a playful smile appeared on his lips. "Uncle Jiang, if I remember correctly, Hongtu Industry's breach of contract this time requires them to pay three times the penalty, approximately two hundred million, according to the contract?"

"What's the point of mentioning breach of contract penalties now!" Jiang Zhenguo slammed his fist on the table in frustration. "If they dared to do it, they'll find a way to renege on their debts! And the crucial point now is that the construction site is shut down, their reputation is ruined, and no amount of money can salvage the situation!"

"What if..." Bai Jingyou put down his chopsticks, took a USB drive from his suit pocket, and gently pushed it in front of Jiang Zhenguo, "What if I said that batch of steel never even entered our construction site?"

Jiang Zhenguo was stunned: "What do you mean?"

"About two weeks ago, right after I received this batch of goods," Bai Jingyou leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table, "I had someone resell this batch of goods."

"Sold?!" Jiang Mengyao's eyes widened. "What kind of equipment was used on that construction site?"

"I used premium steel that I sourced from the Ye family's channels. It's two grades higher than Hongtu's junk in terms of both hardness and environmental standards." Bai Jingyou smiled like a sly fox. "As for Hongtu's batch of goods... I resold it through several middlemen and finally sold it back to the Chu family's branch in Haicheng—Tianji Trading."

[Now that I've read the script and know that old bastard Chu Cang likes to tamper with the raw materials, how could I not be careful?]

[That's what you call, I anticipated your prediction.]

Bai Jingyou pointed to the USB drive: "Inside is the complete logistics and replacement record, as well as the full video recording from a third-party notary office. In other words, the batch of steel that is currently sealed in the warehouse and reported as having problems does indeed have issues, but it's not the Jiang family's goods; it's the Chu family's own goods."

Jiang Zhenguo opened his mouth wide enough to fit an egg.

He's a seasoned veteran in the business world, but this move... was simply a stroke of genius!

Did they resell the defective goods back to the person who poisoned them?

"Moreover," Bai Jingyou took out his phone, opened a live stream, and handed it to Jiang Zhenguo, "the real show is just beginning."

On the phone screen, a live stream of a warehouse in Haicheng was playing.

A group of uniformed law enforcement officers were sealing off the area, while several reporters surrounded a bald man covered in sweat—Wang Biao, who had previously fled.

"Mr. Wang! What is the purpose of Skyway Trading's stockpiling of a large quantity of substandard steel?"

"According to sources familiar with the matter, this batch of steel is intended for the construction of a kindergarten project?"

"Hongtu Industry reported that there was something wrong with this batch of steel, but it turned out the goods were in your own warehouse. Isn't this a form of commercial self-inflicted damage?"

The reporter bombarded Wang Biao with questions, leaving him pale and speechless for a long time.

In the corner of the frame, Chen Mo, with his glasses pushed up, was quietly taking photos with his phone.

"This..." Jiang Zhenguo stared at the screen, his hands trembling with excitement. "This not only relieved the Jiang family's predicament but also turned the tables on the Chu family?!"

If the Jiang family had used this batch of goods, it would have been a catastrophe.

But now that the goods are in the Chu family's own hands, that's knowingly breaking the law and being utterly immoral!

"Hongtu Industry's accusation against Tianji Trading is like a flood washing away the Dragon King's temple; family members are biting each other." Bai Jingyou shrugged. "I didn't expect Chu Cang to be so cooperative. The accusation letter was written in such detail, even fabricating rumors. Now, the evidence is irrefutable; there's no way to deny it."

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

Jiang Zhenguo slapped his thigh suddenly, his face flushed, and his previous dejection vanished.

He raised a full glass of Shaoxing wine to Bai Jingyou, saying, "Xiaoyou, this glass is for you! You are a benefactor of the Jiang family!"

"Uncle, you flatter me." Bai Jingyou quickly stood up and clinked glasses with his. "We're family, no need for formalities."

Jiang Mengyao sat beside him, looking at the spirited Bai Jingyou, her beautiful eyes sparkling with admiration.

How many more surprises does this man hold that she doesn't know about?

That composed demeanor, that domineering presence that could obliterate enemy ships with a mere laugh... it's simply mesmerizing.

……

Meanwhile, in the capital city.

The atmosphere in the study of the Chu family's villa was extremely oppressive.

"Bang!"

Another precious blue and white porcelain vase was destroyed, reduced to shards.

Chu Cang watched the news broadcast on his tablet, his usually dignified and profound face now twisted like a demon.

The news headline is shocking: "Well-known Beijing company suspected of using substandard steel, what is the reason for its disregard for human life?"

The comments section below was filled with insults, and the stock price of Chu Group began to plummet in after-hours trading.

"Bai, Jing, You!"

Chu Cang squeezed out these three words through gritted teeth, each word sounding as if he had chewed up bones.

He orchestrated a scheme to force Hongtu Industry to breach its contract, and even went so far as to sacrifice Hongtu's reputation to report the Jiang family, all in an effort to forever brand the Jiang family with shame.

The results of it?

The knife was thrust out with all its might, but it ended up stabbing itself in the thigh!

Not only was Sky Trade, the stronghold he had established in Haicheng for many years, rendered useless, but the reputation of the Chu Group was also severely damaged.

What made him most furious was that the problematic steel was the very batch he had bought at a high price!

Did you spend money to buy poison, and then report yourself?

What kind of idiotic move is this?!

"Master..." The butler walked in tremblingly, holding a black satellite phone in his hand, "Ye... Ye Lingqing's phone."

Upon hearing this name, Chu Cang's eye twitched violently.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his turbulent emotions, and answered the phone.

"Feed".

"Old dog Chu, I watched the evening news."

On the other end of the phone came Ye Lingqing's lazy and teasing voice, "This act of turning against one's own family was quite good. Reporting one's own subordinate company for using substandard steel, tsk tsk, I admire such high moral character."

"Ye Lingqing, don't push your luck!" Chu Cang's hand gripping the phone bulged with veins.

"So what if I bully you? Do I have to pick a day?" Ye Lingqing sneered, her tone instantly turning icy. "I warned you, I'm doing business in Haicheng. If you mess with the Bai family, you're messing with my money. This time I only shut down your shell company, next time…"

"I'll let you disturb the Chu family's ancestral graves in the capital."

"Beep beep beep..."

The call was disconnected.

Chu Cang stared intently at his phone, his chest heaving violently, a metallic taste rising in his throat.

"puff!"

A mouthful of blood spurted out, staining the Xuan paper on the desk red.

"Master! Master!"

The study was in complete chaos.

……

Jiang Family Villa, Haicheng.

Dinner is over.

Bai Jingyou stood on the terrace, holding a cup of tea, gazing at the myriad lights of the city in the distance.

The night breeze was slightly cool, dispersing some of the smell of alcohol.

"What are you thinking about?"

Jiang Mengyao walked over wearing a shawl and carrying two peeled apples.

"I'm thinking..." Bai Jingyou took the apple, took a bite, and found it crisp and sweet. "That old man Chu Cang's blood pressure must be pretty high right now."

Just then, Chen Mo pushed open the door and came out. He glanced at Jiang Mengyao next to Bai Jingyou and then spoke to Bai Jingyou.

"Young master, I'm sorry to interrupt your enjoyment."

Chen Mo remained expressionless, but his eyes clearly betrayed a hint of disappointment. "I just received news that Chu Cang suffered a stroke from anger and was hospitalized. However..."

"But what?" Bai Jingyou's smile vanished.

"But before he went to the hospital, he issued a secret order." Chen Mo swiped the screen and pulled up a screenshot of an encrypted email.

The above clearly indicates a willingness to completely sever ties, suggesting that Chu Cang is unlikely to swallow this insult.

After all, the business setbacks, coupled with the pressure from Ye Lingqing, likely caused Chu Cang some hardship.