Chapter 21 Playing Around!
The Qin Family’s company was located in Wanda Plaza, a towering 88-story building.
"Good morning, President Qin!" As soon as Qin Luoli entered the lobby, the security guards and receptionists all greeted her with deep respect.
They genuinely respected and admired Qin Luoli. This powerhouse of River City was a natural-born entrepreneur. Under her leadership, the Qin Corporation had grown relentlessly, and it was now poised to become the number one enterprise in the city. As a company ranked among the nation’s top 500, the Qin Corporation’s resources and influence far exceeded anyone’s imagination. This was evident from its location alone—the entire skyscraper served as the company’s headquarters.
The Qin Corporation had its start in electronics, but under Qin Luoli’s guidance, it had now expanded into cosmetics development and investments in various luxury goods. The cosmetics developed by her team had already earned an impressive reputation in River City, and their luxury items were coveted by all. Nowadays, for anyone in River City’s high society, it was considered almost embarrassing to be seen without using products from the Qin Corporation.
As Qin Luoli walked through the building, people constantly greeted her. From top executives to the cleaning staff, everyone met her with genuine smiles, and she returned each greeting warmly, showing none of the airs one might expect from a president.
This came as a surprise to Lin Mu. This seemingly proud and cold woman... to become the president of the Qin Corporation, she must have some extraordinary qualities.
"President, you’ve finally arrived." Just as she was about to enter the elevator, a tall man approached, his eyes fixed on Qin Luoli with undisguised adoration. While Qin Luoli might have been used to such gazes, Lin Mu frowned. The man was standing far too close to her.
Before Lin Mu could speak, the man shifted his gaze to him and asked with a frown, "President, this is...?" As he spoke, he took another step toward Qin Luoli, leaving only a single pace between them.
"This is my husband, Lin Mu," Qin Luoli said, a hint of displeasure in her eyes. She subtly took a step back, moving closer to Lin Mu and linking her arm with his. "His name is Gao Zi’ang, the company’s vice president," she whispered to Lin Mu, before adding on a strange impulse, "There’s nothing between us."
Lin Mu simply nodded, saying nothing. Seeing their familiar gesture, a dark look flashed in Gao Zi’ang’s eyes before it was replaced by what he considered a warm smile.
"Hello, I’m Gao Zi’ang. I’ve heard so much about you. Seeing you in person, you truly are as remarkable as they say," Gao Zi’ang said, extending his hand. His smile, however, was tinged with disdain.
Of course, he knew exactly who Lin Mu was. Everyone in the company knew President Qin had taken a live-in son-in-law, a good-for-nothing despised by the Qin Family. Gao Zi’ang had admired Qin Luoli for a long time—a fact known to all—so he had been dejected when he heard she had married. Fortunately, he later heard that her husband was a complete waste of space and disfavored by her family. That was when he saw his opportunity.
Gao Zi’ang was tall and handsome, and his regular workouts gave him a bright, sunny disposition. He had used this charm to take advantage of his fair share of female employees. Qin Luoli was aware of this, but given his position, she had never called him out on it. This was also why she kept their relationship strictly professional, with no personal feelings involved.
By offering a handshake, Gao Zi’ang wanted to appear magnanimous while also putting Lin Mu in his place. What no one knew was that Gao Zi’ang was also a Taekwondo expert. Lin Mu looked thin and weak; in a contest of strength, he was sure to lose badly.
Several onlookers watched the scene unfold with clandestine interest.
Just as everyone expected Lin Mu to accept the handshake, he simply grunted, "Hmph."
And that was all.
Gao Zi’ang’s hand was left hanging in mid-air, and he wasn’t sure whether to withdraw it or leave it there. The atmosphere turned awkward.
A dark look flashed in Gao Zi’ang’s eyes before he suddenly broke into a hearty laugh. "Well, I must say, President Qin’s husband has quite a personality. You won’t even grant me a little face." His laugh was booming and his demeanor elegant, causing many female employees to look at him with star-struck eyes. Their gazes then turned on Lin Mu, now filled with hostility. To them, this guy was just too arrogant, completely ignoring President Gao’s offered handshake.
"Face?" Lin Mu suddenly grinned. "Since you want it so badly, I’ll give you some." He had clearly detected the disdain in Gao Zi’ang’s tone as he reached out and grasped the offered hand.
A sharp glint flashed in Gao Zi’ang’s eyes, and a cold smirk played on his lips. His grip was not weak. He began to squeeze, intending to make Lin Mu suffer, but was shocked to find that Lin Mu’s expression didn’t change at all. In fact, he was still smiling. Gao Zi’ang squeezed even harder, but Lin Mu remained completely unfazed.
Now, Gao Zi’ang’s expression finally changed. How can he endure this much? he sneered inwardly. Let’s see how long you can last!
With that thought, Gao Zi’ang exerted all his strength.
Even Qin Luoli noticed something was wrong and was about to intervene, but then a thought seemed to strike her. She closed her mouth and simply watched, an amused look on her face. The other onlookers, however, began to snicker coldly. Trying to compete with President Gao in a test of strength? How conceited.
Just when everyone assumed Lin Mu was about to make a fool of himself, he simply smiled faintly and applied a bit of pressure.
"ARGH!"
Gao Zi’ang suddenly cried out in pain, as if he’d been electrocuted.
"Are you alright, President Gao?" Qin Luoli asked with feigned concern.
Gao Zi’ang forced a smile that looked worse than a grimace. "I’m fine, I’m fine."
Inwardly, he was screaming curses. Lin Mu was practically crushing his hand. Just as he reached his limit, Lin Mu released his grip and looked at him with a smile that was not quite a smile.
Gao Zi’ang hastily shoved his hand into his pocket. Only he knew that his palm was already swollen and red as a pig’s trotter.
"Are you sure you’re alright, President Gao?" Lin Mu asked.
Gao Zi’ang’s expression was grim. He had meant to teach Lin Mu a lesson, only to suffer a major loss himself. But he couldn’t complain in front of Qin Luoli, nor could he start trouble with Lin Mu, so he just shook his head. "I’m fine, I’m fine."
"Really?" Qin Luoli pressed.
A vein throbbed on Gao Zi’ang’s forehead. "I’m fine," he ground out. "Mr. Lin and I were just fooling around."
Qin Luoli glanced at Lin Mu, who put on an expression of pure innocence.
"President Qin, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way," Gao Zi’ang said. As he was leaving, he suddenly turned back. "Oh, by the way, Young Master Luo is waiting for you upstairs. He said it was important."
"Young Master Luo? Luo Jinping?" Qin Luoli’s expression changed slightly.
Gao Zi’ang smiled. "Yes, that’s him."
As Gao Zi’ang walked away, he sneered to himself. Lin Mu, just you wait until you meet Young Master Luo. We’ll see how you die then. After all, Young Master Luo’s feelings for Qin Luoli are...