Chapter 435 – The Third Wheel
“Understood, I’ll handle it,” Ding Yue deliberated for a moment before she replied.Content © NôvelDrama.Org 2024.
“But Stillwater is a small place. It’s not that easy to attract high-end talent. Even if we offer a salary that’s ten to twenty percent higher, those talents in big cities might not want to come here considering their future career prospects. If we want to expand, I suggest setting up branches in the provincial capital.”
“Let’s start with Harrow then, I need to go there anyway. Starline Bio is building a factory there,” Xiao Shun immediately agreed.
It seemed like Ding Yue and Yao Cen had similar ideas: remaining secluded wouldn’t help them grow.
Ding Yue nodded, “Alright, I’ll handle it as soon as possible.”
“More tasks will come in the future, don’t overwork yourself. Leave the less important tasks to your subordinates.”
Knowing Ding Yue well, Xiao Shun understood that she was just like Yao Cen, preferring to handle everything herself. But as their business expanded, she couldn’t do everything alone, so he gave her a gentle reminder.
He only trusted a few people, and Ding Yue was a crucial part of his future plans.
“It’s not a big deal, thank you for your concern, Mr. Xiao,” Ding Yue said with a warm heart and a smile on her face.
After chatting casually about other things, Xiao Shun bid Ding Yue farewell: “I won’t disturb your work any longer.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Ding Yue said as she stood up. She had a lot of work to do and didn’t try to keep him from leaving. After Xiao Shun nodded, Ding Yue pushed him out of the office. Once they were in the elevator, she called Duan Jia to bring the car to the front of the building.
It was the height of summer, and the sun was blazing.
Once they got downstairs, they waited in the shade for Duan Jia to bring the car.
“You can go back in, Duan Jia will be here soon,” Xiao Shun said to Ding Yue.
“That’s alright, I’ll wait with you,” Ding Yue replied with a smile.
Just as they were about to leave work at noon, a continuous stream of white-collar workers were coming and going. Suddenly, a man and two women walked in front of them and stopped.
“What a coincidence, Miss Ding, do you work here?” A woman in a floral dress asked sarcastically, then turned to Xiao Shun, “What’s going on? What happened to your boyfriend?”
“Xiao Shun…”
The man who was with her almost spoke at the same time.
The woman speaking was Chen Ting, whom Xiao Shun and Ding Yue had met at a restaurant. Always at her side was her assistant, Jiang Yiwen.
The man who recognized Xiao Shun was Yao Mingjun, a minor shareholder of Yao Group and a member of the Yao family.
Currently, his family was the largest shareholder of Yao Group, excluding Xiao Shun, owning five percent of the company. The other members of the Yao family collectively owned another fifteen percent.
After Yao De and his wife along with Yao Han were imprisoned, Morgan Capital, as the second largest shareholder, did not participate in the company’s operations.
Yao Mingjun was originally an executive director of Yao Group, and he also participated in the company’s operations and decision-making. Therefore, he quickly became the executive of Yao Group.
“My dear, you two know each other?” Hearing Yao Mingjun call out Xiao Shun’s name, Chen Ting looked at him in surprise.
“My cousin’s husband, who married into our Yao family, a despicable man,” Yao Mingjun sneered, looking at Xiao Shun with contempt.
Despite everything that had happened, seeing the Yao family on the verge of collapse, Yao Mingjun still looked down on Xiao Shun.
Starline Bio was flourishing, but he attributed that to Yao Cen’s efforts. He didn’t believe Xiao Shun had anything to do with it, thinking he was still a waste.
Xiao Shun’s behind-the-scenes maneuvering had also annoyed Yao Mingjun. When the Yao family set up a health product company, he had invested millions in it, which were still stuck in the company.
From the way Chen Ting addressed Yao Mingjun, Xiao Shun had an idea how she got her position as market director.
“So you’ve stooped to being a mistress now?” Jiang Yiwen laughed mockingly when she heard Yao Mingjun’s words.
“But given your qualifications, you don’t have to be a mistress. And to choose a disabled man, you’re really a joke,” Chen Ting said, shaking her head.
Then she turned to Yao Mingjun and joked, “He’s your brother-in-law. Aren’t you going to do something about this? He’s still out here meeting his mistress. He’s quite daring.”
She could tell from Yao Mingjun’s tonethat he despised Xiao Shun.
“He’s just that kind of despicable person. There’s nothing I can do about it. My cousin is just too naive, marrying a white-eyed wolf,” Yao Mingjun responded. He didn’t really believe that Xiao Shun was there to meet a mistress, but he didn’t mind shaming Xiao Shun.
The term “mistress” was sure to pique the curiosity of the crowd. The idea that even a disabled man could have a mistress made people even more curious, and soon a few people stopped to watch from a distance.
“Wow, did this guy just run out of the hospital to meet his mistress? Talk about dedication.”
“I’m so jealous. If he can find such a beautiful mistress, what have I been doing for the past twenty years? Am I not handsome enough?”
“Being handsome is useless. Maybe he’s rich.”
“Just watch the show, don’t make a fuss.”
They say that a straight foot is not afraid of a crooked shoe. Ding Yue and Xiao Shun remained calm in the face of these provocations.
“You two aren’t working during office hours, but came all the way here. I assume it’s not just to humiliate me?” Ding Yue glanced at Chen Ting and Jiang Yiwen, giving them a faint smile.
“A fallen woman like you isn’t worth our effort to come all the way here just to humiliate you,” Chen Ting retorted, seeing that Ding Yue was still acting aloof.
Ding Yue was not bothered by the remark: “So what are you here for?”
When you want to argue with someone but can’t, it’s a terrible feeling-exactly what Chen Ting was feeling now.
“Morgan Capital is the second largest shareholder of our Yao Group. You’ve always been mysterious. We came to visit, and it’s quite a coincidence that we ran into you, Miss Ding, dating a disabled man. I really don’t know what to say,” Jiang Yiwen said sarcastically, emphasizing the words “Yao” and “Manager Chen”.
“Well, you don’t have to visit. You can go back now,” Ding Yue replied.
Chen Ting was taken aback for a moment and then sneered, “How ridiculous. Who do you think you are? Do you still think you’re at Golden Harrow, able to throw your weight around? You’re not even worth a dog now, do you understand?”
Xiao Shun didn’t want to reveal that he was the boss of Morgan Capital, nor did he want the public to know that he had taken over Yao Group.
He had married into the Yao family and then taken over Yao Group, which might lead to unnecessary speculations.
On the other hand, using his current power to deal with these three would be like stooping to their level, devoid of any sense of achievement.
Usually, an elephant wouldn’t care about an ant’s screams. Of course, if it’s too annoying, he could just step on it and kill it.