Bloody Romance: I, the big troublemaker, Zhong Yuemin!

Chapter 558 Li Yuanchao's Invitation!

Zhong Yuemin smiled and waved his hand.

"You can't say things like that. My relationship with that Miss Meichuan is purely business cooperation. She's the vice president of a major Japanese conglomerate, and I'm at most a... strategic investor. What 'flirting' stuff? It would be really bad if word got out."

The group burst into laughter, unsure whether they believed it or not.

Zhong Yuemin cleared his throat and then said:

"Alright, let's get down to business. Since you're all here today, I'd like to give you a heads-up. The company has officially acquired a stake in Japan's Umekawa Machinery Co., Ltd. Although the current shareholding is not large, we are now a shareholder with some influence."

"The factory plans to select a group of highly skilled core employees to undergo a six-month to one-year training program at Meichuan Machinery's headquarters in Japan. There are limited spots available, and it's voluntary. Which of you is interested?"

"Going to Japan?"

The group exchanged bewildered glances, momentarily stunned. Cao Gang scratched his head, hesitant.

"Yuemin, we... we don't speak Japanese either. We'll be in a completely unfamiliar place there. Will we be able to manage?"

"What are you afraid of?"

Zhong Yuemin said,

"The company will arrange a translator to accompany you, and there will be someone to take care of your daily life. Besides, haven't you dealt with those Japanese engineers quite a bit lately? You got things done through a combination of talking and gesturing, didn't you?"

"If you don't know how, you can learn. This is a rare opportunity for you. But let me make it clear from the start: this trip will last at least a year and a half. You'll be separated from your wives for a while, so you'll have to be able to endure the loneliness. You'll also need their support. Go back and think it over carefully. I won't force you."

"I'm going! I'm going!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Dayong was the first to raise his hand, eagerly, as if afraid that someone else would beat him to it.

Cao Gang said sarcastically:

“Hey Dayong, why are you in such a hurry to go to Japan? Is it because you're afraid your ‘tiger mom’ at home is too strict and you want to escape to some peace and quiet? Or are you thinking about… what kind of special services are there in Japan? I’ve heard that Japanese women are very open-minded, and there are even those… legal services.”

"Go away! Stop insulting people here!"

Zhao Dayong glared at him, annoyed.

"I'm going there to learn technical skills, not like you guys with all those ulterior motives!"

Looking at his old buddies present, his tone became serious, tinged with a touch of emotion:

"Hey guys, to be honest, we've been like slaves to those engineers lately, putting on a smile and saying all the nice things we could think of. What are we trying to do? Just try to squeeze some real information out of them, right?"

"Do you really feel good about being so subservient?"

"To forge iron, one must be strong oneself. I refuse to believe that we, the proud Chinese, are less intelligent than those little devils. Can't we learn what they can make?"

These words made the others stop smiling and look thoughtful. After a moment, Cao Gang and Qian Zhimin also expressed their willingness to go.

Zhong Yuemin gestured to them:

"Alright, alright, don't rush to grab it. Go back and discuss this with your wives before making a decision. Go ahead, or you'll end up with trouble at home after you've left. I can't take that responsibility."

As the group was chatting and laughing, the phone on the desk rang. Zhong Yuemin answered it; it was Liu Jing calling.

"Yuemin, Gao Yue just called from Zhengrong Group. She sounded really anxious, but didn't say what it was about. Do you think we should go over there?"

Zhong Yuemin hesitated for a moment and said, "Okay, you drive over and pick me up, we'll go together."

About half an hour later, Liu Jing's red Audi came to a steady stop at the factory gate. Zhong Yuemin got in the car, and the two drove together toward the Zhengrong Group headquarters.

This was his first time in this place. The registration and identity verification process at the entrance was quite strict, and it took quite a while before the car was allowed to enter.

As soon as the car stopped in the parking lot, Gao Yue, who had been waiting on the side, ran up to greet him and opened the car door for Zhong Yuemin.

"Sister Liu, President Zhong, you've finally arrived!"

Liu Jing got out of the car and asked in a low voice, "Xiao Yue, why did you have to call President Zhong over so urgently? What happened?"

"It's that Li Yuanchao,"

Gao Yue spoke rather quickly.

“He came to my office in person today and specifically asked me to contact General Manager Zhong, saying that there was an urgent matter and that General Manager Zhong must come over. He wouldn’t tell me what it was about.”

Liu Jing frowned slightly and looked at Zhong Yuemin:

"President Zhong, what is Li Yuanchao up to? Could it be... that he knows your true identity?"

"If you know, you know."

Zhong Yuemin looked relaxed.

“At the last banquet, when Vice Minister Wang showed up, eight or nine out of ten people there should have known what was going on. It’s not like it’s anything shameful. Who cares what he’s up to? We’ll see what he’s doing. Xiao Gao, lead the way.”

Gao Yue responded and turned to lead the two into the magnificent building of Zheng Rong Group.

The building's interior was extremely grand, with polished marble floors, enormous crystal chandeliers overhead, and expensive green plants lining the corridors.

The most eye-catching feature is that elevator. These days, only a handful of businesses can afford it, but Zhengrong Group not only installed them, they have four of them – truly showing their wealth and power.

Zhong Yuemin looked around and sighed:

"Manager Liu, look at their grandeur, and then think about our company's dilapidated three-and-a-half-story building, the rusty iron gate, the potholed cement floor... Tsk, compared to them, we're so shabby we're embarrassed to even mention it."

Liu Jing glanced at him, a slight smile playing on her lips, her tone indifferent:

"President Zhong, haven't you always looked down on these superficial and empty gestures? You said it yourself: be practical, not empty talk, focus on the core, not the surface. How come you've suddenly become so... shallow and vulgar today?"

Zhong Yuemin touched his nose and didn't respond. Ever since he broke through that barrier in their relationship and had a more "deep" spiritual exchange, this woman had become increasingly bold and unrestrained. She didn't take him, her boss, seriously at all. Her little mouth would chatter away, and she could come up with a whole set of sarcastic remarks without using any vulgar language, subtly insulting him.

But he couldn't refute it.

Seeing his discomfiture, Liu Jing's red lips curled slightly, a hint of smugness appearing in her eyes. She then went along with his wishes.

"Don't worry, and don't envy others. Our company's new headquarters building in Beijing is already under construction. The location is no worse than here, and we've hired a top-notch design team from Hong Kong. We'll be able to move in as early as next year. You, Mr. Zhong, will then have a top-floor office building where you can stand in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows and overlook the scenery of Beijing within the Second Ring Road."

He slightly raised his chin as he spoke, his tone casual yet exuding confidence:

"At that time, it will be no worse than Zhengrong Group."