"Mr. Zhou, isn’t it a bit difficult for me to have to explain the reason for something like this?"
Qi Jiayi smiled faintly, "I think my current job is quite good, thank you for your kindness, Mr. Zhou, but it seems I’m not fortunate enough to accept it."
"What is lacking? Salary, benefits, or do you think that working for me might require some sacrifice on your part?"
Zhou Wang looked at Qi Jiayi’s suddenly cold expression, feeling a bit confused inside.
He always felt that Qi Jiayi at this moment was very different from before, but couldn’t quite figure out what the issue was.
Logically, with Qi Jiayi’s status as a senior partner at the Beidou Yunshangyun Law Firm, she should vaguely know about his other identity, and at the very least, she should have listened to the terms Zhou Wang offered, even if...
Even if she was determined not to work with Zhou Wang, she shouldn’t have refused so directly, without even a hint of hesitation, completely disregarding Zhou Wang’s face.
This was somewhat inconsistent with the all-rounder she had previously presented herself as.
Zhou Wang hadn’t figured it out yet when Qi Jiayi glanced at her Bulgari watch on her wrist and suddenly looked up, "I’m sorry, Mr. Zhou, I have another important meeting in a little while, so if there’s nothing else, do you mind...?"
Zhou Wang didn’t say much more, just nodded to indicate she could do as she pleased.
After Qi Jiayi hurriedly left, Zhou Wang watched her curvaceous figure as she walked away, still with a thoughtful look in his eyes.
It was really strange, if he didn’t sense it wrong just now, Qi Jiayi’s expression had clearly shown some impatience before she left.
But just a second ago, they were still chatting and laughing, even somewhat ambiguous. Even if women have the label of being fickle, it couldn’t be this inexplicable, could it?
Although Zhou Wang felt a bit displeased, he didn’t get too emotional. He didn’t think everyone needed to revolve around him, but Qi Jiayi’s behavior in that moment was something he couldn’t quite understand.
...
On the way to the Jingcheng Building, Zhou Wang thought for a moment and decided to make a phone call.
The call was answered extremely quickly, and a steady male voice came from the other end, with a tone of laughter:
"Mr. Zhou, long time no contact. How have you been lately?"
"Hello, Lawyer Gao. Honestly, I’m embarrassed. I’ve been so busy that I haven’t even had the chance to give you and Professor Wang a call to say hello..."
"Mr. Zhou, what are you talking about? Needing emotional connections is for outsiders. As for me and your Teacher Wang, we see you as one of our own, so where is the need for such formalities?"
Lawyer Gao Zhenbang, a senior partner at the Yunnan Province branch of Yunshangyun Law Firm, laughed heartily at these words.
After a few more pleasantries, Zhou Wang knew Lawyer Gao was also very busy, so he got straight to the point about his request.
"Investigate someone?"
Gao Zhenbang was surprised, "Who is it that you need to investigate, Mr. Zhou? I do know some seasoned professionals in the field..."
"I just think that if it comes to investigating this person, perhaps your position, Lawyer Gao, would be more convenient. As for whether professional help is needed, you can make the assessment yourself. Of course, I will cover all costs, no matter what they amount to."
"Who exactly does Mr. Zhou want to investigate?"
Detecting Zhou Wang’s seriousness about this matter made Gao Zhenbang’s tone also become more earnest.
"Your senior partner at Yunshangyun Law Firm in Beidou, Qi Jiayi."
Zhou Wang said softly, "I want all of her information, as detailed as possible... especially the info that’s not available online."
The phone went silent at once.
It was a long while before Gao Zhenbang quietly "hmm"ed and said "I got it" before hanging up the phone.
Listening to the "beep beep" of the busy signal, Zhou Wang smiled.
He genuinely appreciated Gao Zhenbang for not asking any questions.
Moreover, Lawyer Gao’s "I got it" indicated that he would fully commit to this matter.
Indeed, dealing with smart people is comfortable...
...
The autumn breeze was evident, and the skies were painted with the evening glow.
Before dinner, Zhou Wang returned to the 50th floor of the Jingcheng Building.
Setting the Beidou branch office of Wangzhou Culture here was the result of a discussion between Jiang Qingkui and him.
The primary consideration was that Zhou Wang’s current enterprises in Beidou mainly included the newly acquired "Jingwang Club" (formerly known as Jingcheng Club), and the entire 50th floor was basically the asset of the club, with a lot of usable unused space, so Zhou Wang agreed to Jiang Qingkui’s reasonable suggestions.
The location of the Jingcheng Building was indeed excellent; even if Zhou Wang acquired other businesses in Beidou in the future, having Jingcheng Building as the center would conveniently cover most areas of Beidou City District.
Since the Beidou branch had been established, and might involve shareholding matters related to Douyin Group in the future, recruiting staff became necessary.
These affairs were entirely entrusted to Jiang Qingkui, with Zhou Wang only providing her with a baseline when it came to setting salaries and benefits for various positions.
Jiang Qingkui had even debated with him over this, thinking that Zhou Wang’s offers were overly generous, not in line with the current human resource market.
"To hell with market trends, I’m the trend. Most people in this world are living hard enough. I may not be a saint and can’t save all the workers, but at least in my own domain, even if they’re working like oxen or horses, why not raise their happiness index a bit? It’s not that much more money anyway, so why not?"