novelraw Chapter 499: The Fear of Being Ruled by Xiao Jing!
Chapter 499: The Fear of Being Ruled by Xiao Jing!
Swish swish—
As Tang Song and Yao Lingling talked, countless gazes landed on the girl standing in the corner like spotlights converging.
Chai Wei maintained her radiant smile, but those sharp eyes of hers were discreetly sizing up Yao Lingling—
From her clothes and demeanor, to the naturally flowing interaction between her and Tang Song.
Chai Wei keenly picked up on several key details.
For a moment, she wanted to slap her own thigh in regret.
Because of their positions, she and Qian Rui were always among the first to get internal updates. Ten minutes into the board meeting, they already knew the results:
He Jingping, the once-powerful chairman of over twenty years, had officially “stepped down.” Tang Song, with a 4:3 majority, had become the new chairman.
What was even more shocking—President Wu Wei had actually chosen to betray He Jingping and side with Tang Song.
As a traditional manufacturing company, Huashang Apparel was rife with internal factions.Senior executives like the HRD, CFO, and VP of Sales were all He Jingping’s trusted people.
Now that the power structure had flipped, a full leadership shake-up was inevitable.
Chai Wei and Qian Rui had hurried over to make their presence felt precisely because they personally handled the onboarding of Zhang Jiahong and Li Shumin—and had heard these two were special hires under Tang Song’s recommendation.
Even Assistant General Manager Feng Yashan had specifically reminded them that Tang Song placed great importance on the two new hires.
But what Chai Wei never expected was that the real person she should’ve been buttering up... was their friend.
Tang Song walked over to Yao Lingling, his gaze soft as he looked at his junior.
Maybe it was because she had just formally left Shangya—today she looked relaxed and comfortable, wearing a plain sweatshirt and sweatpants, with sneakers.
Tall figure, delicate oval face, fresh and natural looks—it was a quietly appealing kind of beauty.
Even after a while apart, it was obvious she’d kept up her glute workouts.
Even with loose sweatpants, the full and curvy silhouette still showed.
No doubt, she was naturally gifted—on par with the big sis now!
Tang Song’s gaze only lingered a second before he turned to Design Director Zhao Chengwen and spoke in a gentle but firm tone: “Director Zhao, this is our company’s fashion designer, Yao Lingling. She’ll be working with you on the production coordination between Songmei Apparel and Huashang.”
Zhao Chengwen immediately nodded. “Understood, Chairman.”
Tang Song then turned to the two dumbfounded junior classmates and smiled at them. “And let Zhang Jiahong and Li Shumin from your department participate as assistant designers.”
Zhao Chengwen glanced at the two of them and responded right away, “Got it.”
Only then did Zhang Jiahong and Li Shumin snap out of their daze.
Even though they heard the conversation, they still couldn’t quite wrap their heads around what was happening.
Wait, what?
Why were Director Zhao and the others calling Senior Tang Song Chairman?
Just as the two of them were lost in confusion, Zhao Chengwen turned and waved to a bespectacled female employee. “Peishan, come here a moment.”
Li Peishan quickly stood up and walked over, her voice slightly nervous. “Director Zhao, you called me?”
Zhao Chengwen stepped slightly aside and introduced, “This is our company’s new Chairman, Mr. Tang. There’s an important coordination project coming up, and your team will lead it.”
At that moment, the entire office was filled with the sound of collective gasps. All eyes turned to Tang Song in disbelief.
“Hello, Chairman!” Li Peishan bowed deeply, her voice trembling with excitement.
“Hello, Peishan. Thank you for your hard work.”
Li Peishan quickly replied, “It’s my duty. Please rest assured, Chairman, we’ll give it our all!”
Tang Song nodded lightly, then turned his gaze back to Yao Lingling with a gentle smile. “Lingling, it’s a bit crowded here. Let’s talk about the coordination work in a meeting room. You can meet the rest of the team too.”
“Sure, Mr. Tang!” Yao Lingling took a deep breath, her eyes resolute.
Compared to Zhang Jiahong and the others, she had far more contact with Lin Muxue and Tang Song, and had long known that Tang wasn’t just some ordinary person.
What she didn’t expect—was that her senior was the chairman of the very company they all used to look up to.
Still, to her, whether he was the owner of Lan Feng International Hotel or Huashang Apparel’s chairman—
He was someone far out of her league.
The path to reverse-chasing her senior was long and steep!
Wu Wei chimed in at the right time, “Director Chai, please arrange a meeting room, and have someone prepare some tea and snacks.”
Having worked at the company for years, he was deeply familiar with all the internal factions.
He knew Chai Wei wasn’t exactly one of He Jingping’s people. She had simply climbed to the Admin Director role through seniority and her savvy nature.
She was also listed as one of the “potential allies” by Deju Renhe.
The real reason Wu Wei dared to betray He so cleanly was because of Tang Song’s shocking strength—
Zheng Qiudong from Deju Renhe personally backed him, not to mention the family trust overseas and a private equity fund worth billions.
He Jingping’s family simply wasn’t in the same league.
Chai Wei’s smile immediately brightened. “Chairman, this way, please. I’ll take you there!”
Footsteps rang out again, gradually moving away from the office area.
The entire office instantly exploded in chatter, buzzing with nonstop discussion.
Zhang Jiahong and Li Shumin’s faces were flushed red, their bodies trembling from excitement.
They were just ordinary young women—and now they knew their “backer” was the actual chairman of the company. Words couldn’t even begin to describe how they felt.
Very quickly, every employee’s corporate email received a message from HR:
“Notice Regarding Board Restructuring and Future Development Plan”
“Dear colleagues:
After the recent shareholder meeting, the company’s board has completed its restructuring. The new board will continue to uphold…”
The announcement didn’t mention the He family’s exit or any specific personnel changes.
But rumors—
Spread faster than ever before.
And this… was just the beginning.
Soon, all senior executives received private notifications. A closed-door meeting would be held in the large conference room at 1:00 PM.
Shortly after, middle management (workshop heads, department managers) received more detailed written notices. They were instructed to inform their teams and ensure smooth implementation of the new board’s policies.
…
Around 2 PM.
Chang’an District, Xucheng Property Headquarters, 3rd floor.
Shen Yuyan walked calmly, wearing a perfectly tailored business suit, exuding both professionalism and elegance.
Beside her, Li Meixia carried a thick document bag, focused and slightly anxious.
“Please wait here for a moment. Manager Gao is currently in a meeting.”
The receptionist politely showed them into the lounge.
“Thank you.” Shen Yuyan nodded with a smile and lightly smoothed her skirt before sitting down gracefully.
After watching the receptionist leave, the two sat quietly, making small talk while observing their surroundings.
They waited for nearly half an hour.
Li Meixia frowned slightly, a little concerned. “Yuyan, we had a 2 PM appointment to sign the contract. Why is Manager Gao suddenly in a meeting? You don’t think something’s changed, do you?”
Shen Yuyan said firmly, “Don’t worry. The framework agreement’s already signed. With Xucheng Property’s reputation, they’re not going to go back on their word.”
Her confidence came from how sincere the other party had been throughout the negotiation process.
Not only had Manager Gao from procurement been involved, even a vice president had personally attended several meetings with them.
The cooperation terms offered were also very generous.
Li Meixia nodded and sat up straight, saying nothing more.
Just then, the door to the reception room was suddenly pushed open, and a tall, burly man walked in.
He looked to be in his forties, with a face covered in acne scars and slightly tanned skin.
Shen Yuyan’s face instantly lit up with a radiant smile as she stood up gracefully. “Manager Gao, hello!”
The three of them exchanged a few pleasantries before sitting down again.
“Manager Gao, we’ve already prepared the contract. You can have your legal team take a look,” Shen Yuyan said confidently and politely, giving Li Meixia a small nod.
Soon, a stack of official documents was laid out on the coffee table.
But instead of looking at them, Gao Zhixue raised his head to glance at the sexy, beautiful woman across from him. With a polite smile, he said, “President Shen, I appreciate your efforts. I trust your contract, but…”
He deliberately paused, his tone turning heavy. “After some internal discussions, there have been some changes.”
Shen Yuyan’s heart sank, but she remained composed on the surface. “Manager Gao, if there are any specific concerns, we’re happy to discuss and make adjustments. Uclean Services values this partnership very much and came in with full sincerity.”
Gao Zhixue nodded slightly, seemingly agreeing, but then changed the tone again: “I understand your intentions, but our audit team raised a few concerns about your company’s financial disclosure. From what we understand, your financial situation isn’t ideal.”
Shen Yuyan tried to keep her voice steady. “Manager Gao, we do have a performance-based agreement with an angel investor. As long as we meet the targets, funds will be disbursed next month. Please rest assured on that point.”
Gao Zhixue waved his hand, his tone mild but laced with refusal. “President Shen, I believe in your abilities, but ultimately this is a decision made by upper management. They want partners with more financial stability, so we won’t be moving forward with the contract for now.”
Li Meixia’s face changed drastically. She couldn’t help but speak anxiously, “But didn’t we already sign the framework agreement last Friday?”
Gao Zhixue gave a faint smile, looking calm. “The framework agreement only reflects intent to cooperate and isn’t legally binding. Plus, it was based on a preliminary assessment. Now that the audit is done, we have to reconsider.”
His explanation sounded perfectly reasonable, but Shen Yuyan caught a different message between the lines. Her eyes trembled slightly.
She suppressed the anger rising within and asked cautiously, “Manager Gao, if we complete our financing, can we immediately resume the signing process?”
Gao Zhixue smiled. “Of course. My suggestion is that you take the framework agreement and talk to your investor. See if you can get the funds locked in first.”
Shen Yuyan clenched her teeth slightly, voice low: “Alright. Thank you for your time, Manager Gao.”
“Well then, I’ve got other matters to attend to. You can go make some calls now so we can figure out the next steps.” Gao Zhixue stood up, gave Shen Yuyan one more glance, then strode out of the room.
Bang— The reception room door closed.
Li Meixia asked urgently, “What do we do now, Yuyan? If we can’t lock down this client, we’ll never meet the terms of the performance clause. It’s a dead loop!”
Shen Yuyan’s expression darkened. “Let me make a call.”
She picked up her phone and dialed Ren Mingyuan’s number. “Hello? Mr. Ren, is now a good time to talk?”
A calm voice came through the receiver. “Sure. Haha, what’s going on? Why the sudden call?”
Shen Yuyan took a deep breath. “Mr. Ren, we’re following up with a very important client, projected annual profit could reach ten million yuan.”
She clearly and seriously explained the situation, and finally pleaded, “As the largest shareholder in Uclean Services, I’m sure you don’t want to miss this opportunity. I want to ask—could we possibly speed up the financing based on the framework agreement?”
Ren Mingyuan was silent for a few seconds before his tone lowered. “Yuyan, Gongying Tech’s internal process is a bit complicated. Moving this much capital requires board approval.”
“Mr. Ren, this really is a special situation. If we lose this project, not only will it hurt our cash flow, it could also scare off potential clients. Is there anything you can do—even a temporary solution?”
After thinking for a moment, Ren Mingyuan slowly said, “Remember that ‘Investor’s Night: Smart Leaders of the Future’ event I told you about?”
“Yes!”
“Well, it’s next Saturday in Modu, right after the National Day holiday. All our board members will be there. Come to the event—we can talk about this face-to-face, and I think we can get it done.”
“Mr. Ren, are you sure?”
“I’m sure!” Ren Mingyuan replied confidently. “You know Gongying Tech is currently working on our C+ round and future IPO plans. Most of our execs are in Modu right now meeting investors, including—”
He paused, then laughed, “—Jingwu Capital. If you’re lucky, you might even meet some of the big dogs.”
Hearing this, Shen Yuyan’s chest rose and fell. After a moment of silence, she said, “Okay, Mr. Ren. I’ll arrive in Modu ahead of time. I hope you can help coordinate with the board.”
“No problem! I’ll leave it to you. Oh right, send the framework agreement with Xucheng Property to me. I’ll give them a heads-up and see if we can get that performance clause deadline pushed back.”
“Got it. Thanks, Mr. Ren.”
“No need to thank me—we’re alumni. And I want Yancheng to thrive too. Sigh… Tang Song’s just too powerful,” Shen Yuyan added meaningfully.
She hung up. Just as Yao Lingling was about to ask—
Ring ring ring— Her phone suddenly rang.
Gao Zhixue glanced at the screen and quickly picked up. “Hey, Qingqing, what’s up?”
From the receiver came Xu Qing’s excited shout: “Yanyan, huge news! My DB11 just arrived at the dealership! The sales manager told me I can go pick it up now—license and insurance included! You’re done with your meeting, right? The contract’s signed? Come with me! Afterward, let’s go for a drive and party tonight!”
Shen Yuyan pressed her lips together, voice a bit low. “Sorry, Qingqing. Something really important came up. I can’t go with you.”
“Aw? What happened? Need help?”
“No, I’ve got it. You go pick up the car. Don’t forget to send me photos.”
“Alright, we’ve got a long holiday coming anyway. Plenty of time. You handle your stuff first.”
“Okay. Bye.”
After hanging up, Shen Yuyan let out a sigh, her gaze firming again. “Come on, Meixia. Let’s go find that Manager Gao and talk again.”
……
Desheng Luxury Auto Direct Sales Center, the only parallel-import dealership in Yancheng, located in the Huaxin District.
The showroom had a very modern design. Huge floor-to-ceiling windows made the whole building bright and open. Several luxury cars were parked outside for display—very impressive.
“This way, Miss Xu Qing. Your car is ready.” Sales Manager Wang Bin stepped aside and gestured, leading her toward the showroom.
“Mm, thank you.”
Xu Qing looked serious on the surface, but her big dark eyes were darting around, scanning every luxury car as her mind ran wild with visions of herself behind the wheel.
As the two got closer to the pickup area—
Xu Qing’s eyes were instantly locked on the DB11. Her cheeks flushed with excitement.
It stood there quietly, the body lines smooth and elegant, the “PET Satin Shangge Rouge” color glowing with a soft, noble luster under the lights, making it impossible to look away.
This was her Aston Martin DB11!
(C)
Xu Qing’s eyes practically turned into heart shapes—she couldn’t be bothered to pretend to stay calm anymore.
She walked up to the car, touching here and there, checking over and over again to make sure there were no scratches or dents.
“So, so beautiful!” she muttered excitedly to herself, her voice brimming with barely contained joy.
She, Miss Xu Qing, finally had a car worthy of her identity!
It was like a novel coming to life—so f**king satisfying!
Countless scenes played out in her mind.
Wearing a polished office-lady outfit, driving this car through the city streets, with passersby casting envious glances…
Xiao Song falling head over heels for her charm; Liu Ruyan falling to her knees, begging to call her big sis; and that weirdo Xiao Jing trembling in fear, not daring to meet her eyes.
“Hahahaha~~”
Overwhelmed with excitement, Xu Qing stood akimbo and burst into maniacal laughter.
Wang Bin, who was standing off to the side explaining the car, was professionally trained, but the corner of his eye couldn’t help twitching.
After inspecting the car and signing the contract,
While waiting for the plates to be processed, Xu Qing took the DB11 for a few laps around the area with a professional test driver, getting fully familiar with all the car’s performance and features.
Around 4 p.m., Xu Qing finally got her beloved car, now officially registered.
She sat in the soft, comfy driver’s seat, the luxurious interior wrapping around her.
Vroom— The deep, rich engine roar made her blood boil with excitement.
(H’)s
As she drove out of the showroom, she could practically feel the envious stares from pedestrians—her lips curved up uncontrollably.
Too bad her besties weren’t here—she had no one to share the joy with, and it was honestly kind of suffocating.
After cruising around the 2nd Ring Road, Xu Qing parked her car along a scenic ginkgo-lined road.
The setting sun cast a golden glow across the rouge-red car body, reflecting a mesmerizing luster—it looked like a literal work of art.
She walked around the car several times, showering it with praise, before pulling out her phone to start taking pictures!
Click click click—
Front, side, 45-degree angle...
She didn’t even spare the logo on the wheel hub.
After a good ten minutes of nonstop shots, she leaned against the car, picked out a few of her favorites, and posted them to her WeChat alt account’s Moments, deliberately blocking that weirdo Xiao Jing.
Her alt was mostly used for adding readers and anime-loving friends. Content originally comes from novel※fire.net
Back when she used to LARP as “Xu Yanqing” from the novels, she’d brag in the otaku circles that her first sports car would be this exact Aston Martin DB11 in “PET Satin Shangge Rouge.”
She never imagined it would actually come true one day!
Tang Song really is my f**king chosen one!
After posting the Moments, she sent a whole bunch of selfies to her girlfriends and boyfriend.
Then she climbed back into the car, lovingly caressing the luxurious and refined interior, her eyes practically squinting from smiling so hard.
Just then—
Ding-dong—ding-dong— Her WeChat started blowing up.
Xu Qing blinked and unlocked her phone. Someone had @'d her in the [The Beauty of 2D Life] group.
She tapped in—and her face changed instantly.
【Sisi: DB11.jpg…】
【Sisi: “First time seeing @Qingqing-sama’s ride, the whole rich girl / elite lawyer vibe is so on point—so badass!!”】
【Bai Zhigu: “So fancy! @Qingqing-sama, take us for a ride!”】
【Susu: “@Qingqing, boss lady, you finally have some free time? Out enjoying life?”】
Xu Qing let out a quiet “ah!”—panicking.
She’d totally forgotten she had a few of those people added as friends!
Which meant that creep Xiao Jing probably saw it too?!
Oh no! (0∞On)!
She’d gone out of her way to block her!
She’d even been avoiding speaking up in the group just to stay off her radar!
Just then—
Dun dun dun— WeChat voice call incoming.
【Xiao Jing】
Xu Qing’s hand trembled, almost dropping her phone.
D*mn you, creepy Xiao Jing! How the h**l is your nose this sharp?!
She hesitated for a long while, but still didn’t answer—pretending to be busy.
That Xiao Jing was seriously clingy for some reason.
Last weekend, when Tang Song wasn’t in Yancheng, she got dragged out to hang with her all day—it was terrifying!
She’d been teetering on the edge of totally blowing her cover the whole time!
Just then—
Buzz buzz buzz— Another message popped up on WeChat.
【Xiao Jing: “Qingqing, I’ve just finished the resignation process at my company, and I’m totally free now. If I’m not wrong, you’re in Huaxin District, Xiangming Street, right? That’s super close to my place!”】
【Xiao Jing: “Drive over and hang with me! No one’s home tonight. Let’s chill at my place. I’ve got so many cute outfits—we can dress up and play all kinds of games.”】
Reading that, Xu Qing nearly exploded—
Her brain started flooding with all kinds of weird images.
A spacious luxury bedroom, walls covered in anime posters, cosplay costumes…
Xiao Jing holding a tail plug, whip, candle, red rope, bell… and that creepy, shady smile...
o(>~<)o noooooooo—
Xu Qing shuddered and kept pretending to be offline.
【Xiao Jing: “Oh right, those cosplay pics we took at the dressing studio last week were so cute. I was thinking of posting them to Moments. Don’t worry, I’ll only let a few of my close girlfriends and my boyfriend see them—you’re okay with that, right?”】
Seeing that message, Xu Qing instantly broke out in a cold sweat!
A few days ago, they’d gone out shopping, and she’d been tortured into trying on a cosplay outfit with Xiao Jing.
It was just one outfit, maybe ten, fifteen minutes tops. She didn’t remember anyone taking pictures!
Buzz buzz buzz—
【Xiao Jing: “Lolita_Pair_Selfie.jpg”】
She opened the photo, and in her ears, it was like she could hear Xiao Jing’s creepy whisper:
“Qingqing, you wouldn’t want me to find out that… we’re dating the same guy, right?”