My husband Can Cultivate

Chapter 407: A Hundred Million in Hush Money?

Yang Qi was indeed strong, but when it came to matters like this, his capabilities were truly limited.

Could he really go door to door and wipe out those families one by one? Impossible. He couldn't do it, and even if he could, he'd have to fear the public outrage.

For now, the only option was to uncover the truth and present evidence as quickly as possible. That was the only way this situation could be resolved. Otherwise, it was all for naught.

After hanging up the phone, Yang Qi was a bit stunned. Just then, Ye Fei sent him a text message saying that people from the Hanfang Association wanted to discuss a collaboration.

"Cooperate my ass!" Yang Qi fumed instantly. The Hanfang Association actually came to Kang City? I should go and see for myself.

"Wait for me, I'm heading to the company now!" Yang Qi declared, then drove straight there.

As soon as he entered the company, he heard employees buzzing with discussion. They were all talking about how the Hanfang Association, a multinational conglomerate, wanted to collaborate with the Qifei Group, and that the Qifei Group was really about to take off.

But the more Yang Qi listened, the more disgusted he became. Given what the Hanfang Association had done, it was obvious they were not a respectable company. Cooperate on what? On how to steal assets together?

As Yang Qi walked into Ye Fei's office, he saw a man in his thirties leading a group of people out.

"President Ye, that's the gist of it," the man said. "I've already spoken with my boss. If our two companies can collaborate, we will have exclusive rights to handle all your overseas sales. Your medicines will quickly reach the global market, and your company will become even more famous than it is now!"

The speaker was the man in his thirties, supposedly Chen Mo, the Hanfang Association's manager in Kang City. He was a genuine citizen of the Dragon Country. Most foreign-owned enterprises preferred to hire locals, as it allowed them to better understand the local situation and gain firsthand information.

"I will discuss this with my boss as soon as possible. If he agrees, we can sign the contract tomorrow," Ye Fei replied with a smile, shaking the man's hand.

After seeing Chen Mo and his group out, Yang Qi sat down in the office with Ye Fei and Li Qingyan to discuss the matter.

"We are not going forward with this collaboration," Yang Qi stated bluntly.

"Why not?" Li Qingyan retorted, clearly displeased. She didn't know Yang Qi's true identity; all she knew was that collaborating with the Hanfang Association would be beneficial for the Qifei Group.

"Why not? Because I despise this deceptive, thieving corporation!" Yang Qi said coldly. "Working with them is just asking to be swindled. I've seen the draft contract. It says Jiang Yue and the others are to go to their company to 'guide' their research, and they also want to send their researchers to our company. It's obvious they're just after our technology and plan to steal it."

Of course, Ye Fei knew Yang Qi wasn't speaking without reason, but Li Qingyan was still in the dark. "You can't just make wild accusations like that; you have to give us your reasons! Besides, the Hanfang Association is very reputable. They just arrived in Kang City and are already planning to donate five hundred million to develop the local economy. They even invited us to participate and share in the honor."

"Enough!" Yang Qi cut in. "Do you have any idea where that money came from?"

"Where?" Li Qingyan asked curiously. She knew Yang Qi wasn't the type to make baseless claims. If he was this insistent, there had to be a problem with the money's origins.

Yang Qi sighed and told them what had happened in Thunder City. Both of them were utterly shocked by the story. Stealing one hundred billion from the Dragon Country and then using only five hundred million of it for a charitable donation... that was just too vile. The worst part was that the public had no idea and was still showering the Hanfang Association with praise.

"But why haven't they been arrested?" Li Qingyan asked, astounded. She finally understood why Yang Qi was so furious.

"We can't," Yang Qi sighed. "There isn't enough evidence. To arrest them, we need irrefutable proof. Otherwise, it would give them leverage and complicate things later. With the powerful families of Thunder City backing them, dealing with this is extremely difficult."

"That's absolutely despicable! Revolting! They're nothing but robbers pretending to be saints, using a mere drop in the bucket to fool the public. They've tricked everyone into thinking they're some benevolent enterprise, but behind the scenes, they're completely rotten! A company like that deserves to go bankrupt!" Li Qingyan was also filled with righteous indignation.

"So, about that contract?" Yang Qi asked.

"We're not signing it," Li Qingyan declared. "The Qifei Group needs to grow, that's true, but we won't stoop to collaborating with such shameless people!"

When it came to major issues of right and wrong, she was unwavering. This was one of the reasons Yang Qi appreciated her.

Before leaving the company, he made a special trip to the research department to visit the five newcomers. What he found there displeased him.

When Jiang Yue and Du Xin saw him, they were extremely enthusiastic, treating him as warmly as a great benefactor. Han Xinhong and Bai Shanshan were also fine; at least they offered a greeting.

He Honglang, however, had clearly let his new status go to his head. He looked at Yang Qi coldly and said, "I heard you only got in through the back door because you have some connection with the chairman. Someone like you should stay away from us from now on. As you know, we are now core researchers for the Qifei Group. We might even be collaborating with a major enterprise like the Hanfang Association soon. If people found out we associate with you, it would be humiliating."

"He Honglang, have you lost your mind?" Jiang Yue snapped. The others also chimed in with rebukes.

He Honglang, however, seemed completely unfazed. "Don't worry, you'll get your cut," he continued. "I'm not short on cash these days. How about this: just name your price. Think of it as hush money. But if you take the cash and keep bothering us, don't blame me for getting rough."

Everyone was shocked. How could He Honglang speak to Yang Qi like that? If it weren't for him, they never would have gotten this opportunity. They used to struggle just to find work, several of them crammed into a single apartment with curtains for walls. Now, the company provided them with large apartments and cars, and life was incredibly comfortable. Yet He Honglang seemed to have forgotten all of that.

Yang Qi sneered. "So you have money now? Alright. I won't ask for much—one hundred million should do it."

He Honglang's face flushed red. While it was true he had money now, having received several million in bonuses, one hundred million was still a massive, currently unattainable goal. Yang Qi was making an exorbitant demand.

The others could tell Yang Qi was getting angry, but He Honglang didn't seem to notice. "Don't push your luck, Yang Qi," he said coldly.

"Fine, forget it then," Yang Qi said, giving He Honglang one last cold look before turning to leave.

He now had to seriously consider whether it was time to cut this guy loose. Otherwise, someone like that could betray the company at any moment. If he left with corporate secrets, it would be a huge problem.