Chapter Forty-Five: Could He Be the Renowned Mr. Chen?

Qin Muxue batted her eyes at Chen Yang and said, "You seem to have a pretty good relationship with President Shen, right?"

Chen Yang immediately grinned. "It's alright, I suppose. Why do you ask?"

She blinked again, a trace of mischief in her eyes. "I have a classmate, Liu Lu. Her husband runs a construction company too. Somehow, she got in touch with me this afternoon—I'm not sure how she found me—and said she heard I have a good relationship with President Shen. She wants me to put in a good word for her, see if her husband's company can cooperate with President Shen's company."

"Isn't President Shen's company the one that bought that land in the northern suburbs? Now, all sorts of construction companies in Linhai have shown up, each wanting a share of the pie. I agreed to help Liu Lu, but honestly, I'm not that close to President Shen myself. So... could you help me out?"

A faint flush colored her cheeks as she finished speaking, as if she too couldn't quite believe she was the one asking Chen Yang for help. The irony was almost too much.

Chen Yang, having heard her out, immediately understood the reason behind her winks and smiles—she was asking for a favor.

What Qin Muxue didn't know was that the real owner behind Huading Company's northern suburb project was none other than himself. If the other company's credentials were in order, all it would take was a single word from him to settle the matter.

Still, Chen Yang had no intention of revealing too much. After all, he didn't know much about the other company yet.

He chuckled. "How big is her company, anyway?"

"About a hundred or two employees, I think. I'm not sure about the specifics," Qin Muxue replied.

He thought for a moment, then smiled lightly. "Alright, I'll talk to President Shen tomorrow. But it's not my company, so I can't guarantee anything."

She smiled softly. "That's fine, just help me ask."

"Consider it done," Chen Yang said with confidence.

While Chen Yang and Qin Muxue chatted, Han Qin had been watching Chen Yang closely. She saw his slight air of smugness and couldn't help but feel a surge of contempt. In her eyes, Chen Yang was nothing more than someone who happened to know President Shen; yet, he acted as if Shen were his own father. Han Qin found it especially irritating.

Unable to hold back her annoyance, she sneered at Chen Yang, "The way you talk, you'd think you owned the company."

"Mom, for all you know, maybe I do own Huading," Chen Yang said with a laugh.

She snorted. "When did your skin get so thick?"

He grinned. "Mom, am I being thick-skinned, or is it just possible that it's true?"

Han Qin rolled her eyes dramatically, about to retort, but Qin Muxue cut her off. "Alright, that's enough. What's the point of bickering all day?"

Still feeling stifled, Han Qin got up. "I'll go make dinner," she snapped, heading to the kitchen.

Watching her go, Chen Yang could only shake his head with a wry smile. "With that temper, Mom's bound to get herself into trouble sooner or later."

"Forget it. Just help me ask President Shen tomorrow," Qin Muxue said.

"Of course, I'll take care of it," Chen Yang replied with a smile.

The next morning, as soon as he arrived at the Huading Company office, Chen Yang summoned Shen Donghua and asked if he knew of Liu Lu's construction company.

Shen Donghua said he'd received a cooperation request from "Jianfeng Construction," whose legal representative was indeed Liu Lu.

Chen Yang followed up by asking about the company's credentials.

Shen Donghua shook his head. Jianfeng Construction's qualifications were lacking, and they'd had more than one credibility issue in the past. It would be best not to cooperate.

Chen Yang nodded, saying he understood, and dismissed Shen Donghua.

Now he knew exactly what kind of company Jianfeng was, and he had made up his mind: there would be no cooperation.

Though this was a favor Qin Muxue had asked, it wasn't really her own business. Besides, this was the first project Chen Yang was overseeing, and there was no way he'd let it be compromised by a company with questionable credentials.

That evening, upon returning home, Chen Yang spoke to Qin Muxue with a note of resignation as soon as he entered. "Muxue, you'd better call your classmate. Tell her their company's qualifications aren't up to par—President Shen has decided not to cooperate."

"Did you really ask President Shen?" Qin Muxue looked at him, a hint of disbelief in her eyes.

"Of course. Want me to have President Shen call you right now?"

"No, no, that's not necessary," she quickly said. She certainly didn't want to trouble President Shen over such a small matter.

Right then and there, Qin Muxue called her classmate Liu Lu. "Lulu, I'm really sorry. I asked Chen Yang to talk to President Shen yesterday, but he said the slots are already filled. Sorry about that."

On the other end of the line, a woman with straight, jet-black hair and a classic, oval face, dressed in a high-end black business suit, was seated in Jianfeng Construction's office. Her expression was somber. "Xiaoxue, you didn't speak to President Shen yourself? You had your husband do it?"

Qin Muxue felt a little embarrassed. "Actually, I'm not that close to President Shen. It’s Chen Yang who knows him better."

"Him? Xiaoxue, if I'd known you were going to have him talk to President Shen, I never would have asked for your help. What can he possibly do?" Liu Lu said with obvious irritation, venting all her frustration and resentment at being rejected directly at Chen Yang.

Qin Muxue was awkward and helpless. "Lulu, calm down. I'm really sorry."

"Whatever. Forget it," Liu Lu said curtly. To her, Qin Muxue was no longer of any use, so why bother with pleasantries?

After hanging up, Qin Muxue shook her head in resignation.

She looked at Chen Yang. "That's it, then. You can get back to your work."

Chen Yang smiled faintly. "If a company doesn't have the proper qualifications, it doesn't. Trying to pull strings just won't work."

Qin Muxue replied earnestly, "Liu Lu really seemed to want to seize this opportunity."

"But her company has had multiple credibility problems. Why would Huading ever cooperate with them? She should just give it up," Chen Yang said coldly, then went upstairs.

Qin Muxue was left with mixed feelings, unsure what to say. Well, things had turned out this way—there was nothing more to be done.

The next morning, Chen Yang arrived at the gates of Huading Company, ready to start his workday. By coincidence, he ran into Liu Lu, his wife's classmate, who had just pulled up in a red Mercedes.

Liu Lu and her handsome husband had arrived early, waiting for the gates to open so they could go in and speak to Shen Donghua in person.

Back when Qin Muxue got married, Liu Lu had been one of her bridesmaids, so she and Chen Yang were at least acquainted.

Upon seeing Chen Yang, Liu Lu called out, "Hey, Chen Yang."

Chen Yang smiled back and walked over. "Here to talk business?"

She looked him up and down. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm out for a stroll," he replied lightly.

She was, after all, Qin Muxue's friend. There was no way Chen Yang would reveal his true identity in front of her.

"Was it you who called President Shen yesterday?" she pressed.

"Yes, I know him fairly well," he replied calmly.

She sneered. "Aren't you confident? If I'd known it was you talking to President Shen, I never would have asked Xiaoxue for help."

Chen Yang couldn't help feeling a bit annoyed. If he really had gone out of his way to help, the least she could do was show some gratitude—instead, she blamed him. It was exasperating.

Still, he wouldn't stoop to her level. "Sometimes, what's meant for you will be yours. If it's not, no matter how hard you try, it won't be."

"Spare me. I can't believe I'm wasting my time talking to a delivery guy," she said with disdain.

Chen Yang just laughed. "Who knows? Maybe I'm not a delivery guy."

She scoffed. "You're not? What are you, a garbage collector?"

He laughed again, utterly unconcerned. After all, he knew Liu Lu would never get the cooperation she was after, no matter how hard she tried.

Just then, the retractable gate at Huading's entrance began to open. Liu Lu's handsome husband, sitting beside her, said coldly, "The gate's open. Let's go in."

"Go back to picking up trash, and stay out of my business from now on," Liu Lu spat with contempt.

Her husband drove the car into the company courtyard, and Chen Yang watched them go, a faint smile playing on his lips.

By nine o'clock, Chen Yang was already in his office, while Liu Lu, her strikingly handsome husband, and a crowd of hopeful company bosses waited in the conference room for their turn.

Suddenly, Shen Donghua appeared at the door, drawing everyone's attention.

Liu Lu, eager to win the project for her husband, was the first to stand up and greet him with a smile. "President Shen, you're here!"

Shen Donghua scanned the room, his gaze finally landing on Liu Lu. "You must be Liu Lu from Jianfeng Construction?"

Her heart skipped a beat, a ripple of excitement running through her. Did this mean he was aware of her and perhaps interested in cooperating? She beamed. "Yes, President Shen, that's me."

But no sooner had she confirmed her identity than Shen Donghua doused her hopes with a cold, blunt dismissal. "President Chen has already reviewed your company's credentials and decided not to cooperate. He asked me to pass on a message: What is meant to be yours will be yours; what is not, no amount of effort will change that."

Liu Lu was stunned, left speechless by his words.