“Yes, sir. I will confirm YR’s CEO right away.”


  The secretary left Ji Ziming’s office while hugging the tablet PC.

  When only the couple was left in the room, the man’s smile returned as he gave the woman a look. His low voice was clearly tinged with a smile. “How is it? Are we still making the bet?”


  “Sure, why not?”


  Pei Ge refused to believe his taunting. She had heard of YR’s CEO before. He was reputed to be a man of principles, so she did not believe that he would give up his company for the bit of profits in front of him.

  When Ji Ziming brought her to meet YR’s elderly CEO, the latter said something unexpected to her. “Is there a woman called Ji Miao in your company?”


  A look of surprise flashed across her eyes as she sat in the chair, but she quickly reoriented herself. “Why are you asking this?”


  “I’ll be honest with you, madam. Ji Miao is the daughter of one of my comrades. Can I ask for a favor from you two to let her off? I will compensate the losses she had caused madam’s company for twice the amount. I can also guarantee that your company will see a three-percent increase in profits for two years. How about it?”


  Only then did she understand that YR’s elderly CEO was not here to discuss cooperation but to talk about Ji Miao, instead.

  YR’s CEO—people in the industry called him Sire Nine. He was a lowkey man. Although his business was not common, he was a partner one must have. It was precisely because of this that his business continued to grow. Still, there were only three industries he dabbled in: F&B, travel, and entertainment.

  “Looks like Sire Nine is here to put me on the spot.”


  Ji Ziming chuckled. He sat in his chair with cool eyes and kingly aura, putting his CEO demeanor in full display.

  “Young Master Ji must be joking. How could I possibly put you on the spot? I’m here to talk business with you and madam. We are merely making an exchange. I want the safety of a person, and you guys want a guarantee that the company will remain profitable even after the leak of the documents. This is a win-win situation, so why not?”


  Sire Nine laughed aloud. He was still very spirited despite being in his sixties. No matter how long time had passed, he still showed no fatigue. Nonetheless, he was, after all, a senior and the man before him had sharp instincts brought by years of working in the industry; his kingly aura could not be denied thusly.

  “Sire Nine truly loves to pull my leg. If it’s money, I have a lot of it. There is no need for your help in my wife’s company. As her husband, it is totally normal for me to help her get through this rough patch, so you won’t have to worry.”


  Ji Ziming knew that, if they allowed Ji Miao to go, it was likely that Pei Ge’s company would suffer an unprecedented damage and might even lose its meaning and presence in the entire industry.

  “Looks like Young Master Ji isn’t agreeable with my suggestion. It’s fine. Since we are unable to reach an agreement today, I won’t force it. Then, I request that you treat Ji Miao a bit better. Give her some hope for survival, alright?”


  Sire Nine stood up after saying this, his spirited disposition surprising the man for a moment.

  “As the saying goes, ‘if one plan doesn’t work, try another’. Since I don’t need the terms you mentioned, you can try suggesting others, and I may consider them.”


  Pei Ge instantly understood what he was getting at the moment she heard that.

  “I don’t know what the CEO means; please enlighten this old man.”


  Sire Nine stood in place and looked at the man with a frown.

  It was rumored that this chap was planning to make a move to his company and was even willing to acquire it using his riches.

  He did not take these rumors to heart. The reason he had come to the Ji Group to look for the man today was, first, he was truly worried about Ji Miao and, second, it was to test the validity of the widespread rumors.

  When he heard the man say that, he could no longer remain calm.

  If they were to compare wealth, he was far behind this man and his Ji Group. It was even less than a tenth of this conglomerate’s profits. To save that young lady, the conditions he had offered Pei Ge were already the greatest extent he could go. Anything beyond that was not something he could afford.

  After all, he still had a lot of people under him who relied on him for a living, and his useless son still had no accomplishments.

  “I wonder if Sire Nine has heard of the rumors in the circle recently—about me and my wife wanting to acquire your company?”


  Ji Ziming sat on the sofa and looked at Sire Nine with a smile, ushering him to sit back down to talk.

  “I heard of those. Is Young Master Ji truly intending to acquire my company?”


  The elderly man felt uneasy as his hand which was pressed against the chair’s armrest trembled. If this were real, he would most likely end up as a subsidiary under this man’s company. The business he had painstakingly built for a good half of his life might end up being under another’s control just like this.

  “I’d like to clarify that the company I wanted to acquire was PYR—a Chinese company overseas, so please don’t worry about those baseless rumors. You are our senior in this industry, so how can we possibly acquire your company?”


  When he finished speaking, even Pei Ge, who was sitting beside him, felt surprised.

  He was clearly the one who had suggested the bet if they could acquire YR, yet he was now putting it out as that he had no intention to do such a thing. Were her ears playing tricks on her or was this man a different Ji Ziming from the one before?

  “Young Master Ji, are you for real?”


  Sire Nine’s voice trembled. Even he did not believe it himself after he asked the question.

  “It’s true. You need to believe that I have always treated you as a senior, so you don’t need to worry about being acquired by the Ji Group.”


  “That’s good; that’s good,” muttered Sire Nine as though having totally been defeated. It was a total contrast to his spirited self before. Now, it was as though someone had plucked out a taut nerve in him, and he was sitting down on the chair paralyzed.

  “You don’t need to worry in the future, too. Not only will my company not acquire your YR, I will also not let other companies do it. You can continue with your businesses in the capital without any worries. I know that you and my dad had once been rivals many years back. If not for you helping him when he needed it the most, the Ji Group would likely not exist today.”