Chapter 52 — Loving Someone

"Why would we go looking for Zhou Yanning?" Wang Pu was baffled. "What—are we supposed to threaten her too?"

"That's right. Threaten her. Heh heh." Huang Shu smiled darkly.

"What?" Wang Pu was taken aback, then shook his head with a bitter smile. "Don't be absurd. How could Zhou Yanning be threatened that easily? Her mother is President Hua—do you really think she would stand for being threatened by the likes of us?"

"President Hua—I don't think President Hua would interfere," Huang Shu said with a smile. "Because what we're about to do is, in fact, exactly what President Hua wants done."

"What do you mean by that?" Wang Pu asked, not quite following.

"Simple. We bring Zhou Yanning here, threaten her with Yang Ce, and force her to submit," Huang Shu said slowly. "You can see it plainly enough—Zhou Yanning is in love with that fellow Yang Juehuan, and deeply. We use the safety of the man she loves to force her together with Zhitao, and I think Zhou Yanning will give in."

"Oh?" Wang Pu raised his head in surprise. "That's a clever scheme of yours. Our target is Yang Ce, not Zhou Yanning, so President Hua shouldn't have any objection. But are you certain Zhou Yanning will submit?"

"Hmph. Running a business—that I don't understand. But when it comes to human nature, to playing dirty, yours truly Huang Shu is a master." Huang Shu nodded. "When the time comes, here is what we'll do..."

Huang Shu laid out his plan for Wang Pu.

"Good. Very good. Brilliant—you're truly brilliant," Wang Pu could not help exclaiming in admiration. "You're the Marquis Wu of Zhuge himself come back to life."

"You flatter me, President Wang." Huang Shu nodded, rather pleased with himself.

"Still, there's one problem." Wang Pu asked, still uneasy. "We can threaten Zhou Yanning for a time, but we can't threaten her forever. What if, when the time comes, I'm in prison and she breaks up with Zhitao anyway?"

"Heh heh, President Wang, you're overthinking this." Huang Shu spoke with complete unconcern. "Women are the most fickle things in the world. Have Zhitao press his advantage when the time comes—once the rice is cooked, what mind will she have left to think about that Yang Ce? President Wang should know this from experience. That stubborn girl Xiaohua—at first she was ready to die rather than let you have her, and now doesn't she serve you in perfect comfort?"

Xiaohua was one of Wang Pu's mistresses, originally a junior clerk at Wang's Enterprises. After Wang Pu took a fancy to her, he called her into his office and had his way with her. At first Xiaohua kicked up a tremendous fuss and wanted to report Wang Pu, but after he had taken her a few more times, she resigned herself to her fate and in the end became utterly docile.

So Wang Pu felt that Huang Shu's words made excellent sense. He said, "Fine. Then it's decided."

And so their fine calculations rang out loud and clear—except that they had made one fatal, decisive mistake. They had overlooked something very important.

The premise underlying all of this rested on Wang Lin being a normal man. But the situation now was that Wang Lin was utterly incapable of performing as a man—heh heh—and for that they had Chen Afu to thank. That afternoon, Zhou Yanning was driven by her mother's chauffeur to the foot of the Wang's Century Valor Group building. Wang Pu had telephoned President Hua, saying he wished to speak with Zhou Yanning personally; President Hua naturally could not refuse. The last time her daughter had caused a scene in the Western restaurant, Wang Pu's dignity had been badly embarrassed, and she was now looking for a chance to mend their relationship.

"This way, please, Miss Zhou. President Wang is waiting for you upstairs." At the entrance of Wang's Group there was of course a receptionist, who led Zhou Yanning upstairs. When they reached the door of the chairman's office, the receptionist said, "Please go in, Miss Zhou. President Wang is waiting inside."

Zhou Yanning nodded. She did not know what Wang Pu wanted now, but she supposed it must have something to do with Wang Lin.

With a surge of helplessness, Zhou Yanning knocked on the door and entered the office. To her surprise, Wang Lin was not there—only Wang Pu and a man seated in a wheelchair.

"Uncle Wang," Zhou Yanning said, out of courtesy.

"Jiajia, sit down, quickly. No need to stand on ceremony here with your uncle." Wang Pu rose with a smile and gestured to the sofa nearby.

Zhou Yanning nodded, sat down on the sofa, and watched Wang Pu quietly, waiting for him to speak.

"Ahem." Wang Pu had not expected Zhou Yanning to hold her patience so well. He thought to himself that she was indeed a daughter of a distinguished house, beyond the ordinary run of people. He cleared his throat twice and came to the point. "Jiajia, about you and Zhitao—I think we should find a time soon and settle the matter."

Zhou Yanning frowned. So it was about this after all, she thought. But her face betrayed nothing as she said, neither haughtily nor servilely, "Uncle Wang, I think you must have seen that I already have someone I love."

"Jiajia." Wang Pu waved a hand, cutting her off. "Young people—dating, playing around, that's nothing. But you can't take it seriously. Look at your family's circumstances, and then look at Yang Ce's. Are they even in the same league? I think you and Zhitao are the most suitable match."

"Uncle Wang, you needn't say any more." Zhou Yanning shook her head. "If this is what it's about, then my feelings are already perfectly clear. I don't wish to discuss it further."

"Still, I've taken a look at this Yang Ce—the young man has promise. Give him a few decades of hard work and perhaps he'll make something of himself." Suddenly a sinister voice drifted over—Huang Shu had spoken. "Only, if some accident were to befall him, that wouldn't be so pleasant. Dying young..."

"What do you mean by that?" Zhou Yanning started, looking at Huang Shu, then at Wang Pu. "Uncle Wang, are you threatening me?"

"Threatening? Not at all. You're my future daughter-in-law—how could I threaten you? Heh heh." Wang Pu smiled benignly. "It's just that this subordinate of mine has doted on Zhitao since the boy was small. If he were to see Zhitao heartbroken, there's no telling what extreme things he might do."

"So that's it. Uncle Wang, you're truly vicious. You'd even dare do something illegal." Zhou Yanning's brows knitted tightly; she looked at Wang Pu with anger.

"Illegal? I only spoke of an accident," Huang Shu said with a smile. "Besides, in Songjiang City there's nothing that I, Huang Shu, don't dare to do. What does it matter if a person or two dies?"

"You—" When Zhou Yanning had come, she had guessed that Wang Pu might try to persuade her to be with Wang Lin, but she had never imagined they would stoop to using Yang Juehuan's safety to coerce her.

"I don't mind telling you—those competitors of our President Wang who dared to step forward and find fault, none of them came to any good end," Huang Shu said darkly. "Miss Zhou, you're a clever person. Weigh your gains and losses carefully, and don't wait until it's too late to regret it."

Zhou Yanning fell silent. She too had been born into a wealthy house, and she knew the treachery and ruthlessness of the rich. So the words of Wang Pu and the cripple beside him were no idle scare-mongering—if they wanted to arrange some accident or other to dispose of Yang Ce, it was not impossible.

"I hear Yang Juehuan's father is a worker, and his mother has no job. Heh heh. If the son dies and the father loses his job, won't the whole family have to kill themselves together? Heh heh, that's rather amusing." Huang Shu twisted his mouth into a smile, as though speaking of something thoroughly delightful.

Zhou Yanning trembled with rage at his words. That such shameless people could exist! Yet she was utterly helpless—if she told her mother, her mother certainly would not involve herself in such matters.