Chapter 478: You Dare to Steal My Man?
"Lin Mu, I..." Tao Shiyu looked at the property deed in her hand, her voice trembling slightly. "I can’t accept this. Please, take the house back!"
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Tao Shiyu found Lin Mu, intent on returning the property.
Lin Mu smiled. "What’s wrong? You don’t like it?"
"No... it’s not that. It’s just..." Tao Shiyu wiped her eyes and forced a smile. "This is just too valuable. I can’t accept it."
Lin Mu looked at her seriously. "Tao Shiyu, to me, friends are more valuable than money."
Tao Shiyu was about to protest again, but Song Wenrou cut in. "Shiyu, just take it. That guy dragged us here at the last minute to be his hosts. We’ve earned this." Then, she shot a resentful look at Lin Mu. "Isn’t that right, Lin Mu?"
That guy. He did it on purpose. How dare he ask me, the dignified Miss of the Song Family, to be his host? If there isn’t a good reward for this, I’m definitely not letting him off the hook!
"That’s right. This is what you’ve earned," Lin Mu said with a smile. "If you think it’s too valuable, you can come work for me. Consider it your way of repaying me."
"Work for you?" Tao Shiyu bit her lip and said softly, "But I don’t know how to do anything."
Lin Mu laughed. "What is there that you can’t do? You can just learn. Besides, Coiling Dragon Bay is missing a property management department. How about I put the three of you in charge?"
"Oh, that’s great!" Song Wenrou was overjoyed. "Living in such a nice house and getting a good job, too! Lin Mu, you’d better call me next time you have an opportunity this good."
Lin Mu’s expression turned serious. "We can be friends, but let me be clear. You must manage Coiling Dragon Bay properly. If anything goes wrong, I will hold you responsible!"
"Yes, sir!" Song Wenrou snapped her feet together and gave Lin Mu a sharp salute.
"Lin Mu, thank you," Ye Tong said, clutching her own property deed tightly as she offered her sincere gratitude.
Lin Mu nodded. "I’ll have someone show you around Coiling Dragon Bay later. From now on, you’ll be in charge of property management."
"President Lin, rest assured! I definitely won’t let you down!" Song Wenrou said earnestly.
Lin Mu shook his head. "I’d prefer it if you just called me by my name instead of President Lin."
Seeing Lin Mu’s earnest expression, the three women all silently thanked him in their hearts. Tao Shiyu felt more than just gratitude; she was deeply moved. She had just lost her job, and now Lin Mu had given her not only a house but also a new career. She was overcome with both gratitude and emotion.
「...」
"Excuse me, is... is President Lin available?" Yu Fei, Peng Qin, and the others stood at the entrance to the sales office, cautiously asking a staff member.
"I’m sorry, President Lin is busy and not seeing any visitors at the moment," the staff member replied.
"But we really have urgent business with him," Yu Fei said anxiously.
"That’s right," Gu Jie chimed in. "I’m one of President Lin’s classmates. He knows me."
The staff member gave Gu Jie a doubtful glance and sneered. "A classmate of President Lin? Then why didn’t I see you with him earlier?"
"We were in the audience," Gu Jie mumbled, her face flushing with embarrassment.
"In the audience?" The staff member’s expression turned cold. "Do you take me for a fool? If you have no other business, please leave."
"But we really need to see Lin Mu. Please, can’t you make an exception?" Yu Fei pleaded, hurriedly offering a cigarette.
The staff member slapped his hand away, clearly annoyed. "Who do you think you are, calling him by his name? Address him as President Lin!"
"Yes, yes, of course. President Lin," Yu Fei said awkwardly. "Sir, please, just let us see President Lin."
Yu Fei and the others had come to apologize to Lin Mu, hoping that if he accepted, all their problems would be solved.
"Yu Fei, I can’t believe you still have the nerve to come looking for Elder Brother Mu." Liu Zijian walked over, looking at the group with mockery. "I told you yesterday, Elder Brother Mu is someone completely out of your league. Hurry up and leave. Don’t embarrass yourselves here."
"Manager Liu, it’s my fault," Yu Fei said, quickly adopting a placating tone. "Please, just let us see Lin Mu. We’re all classmates, after all."
"Yes, we’re all classmates! Yesterday was just a misunderstanding," Peng Qin added hastily.
"A misunderstanding?" Liu Zijian said with disgust. "Peng Qin, you’re nothing but a damn ingrate. Still talking about misunderstandings? Get lost!"
"Liu Zijian, you...!" Peng Qin’s face fell, shocked that Liu Zijian would be so blunt.
"If you don’t get lost right now, don’t blame me for getting rough!" Liu Zijian’s expression turned ugly. He had absolutely no sympathy for any of them.
"Manager Liu, Brother Jian, I’m begging you. We just want to apologize to Lin Mu in person," Tang Man said with a fawning smile. "Please, just help us out. I’m begging you."
"An apology won’t be necessary."
At that moment, Lin Mu emerged with Song Wenrou and her friends. He cast an indifferent glance at Yu Fei’s group.
"Lin Mu! President Lin, we..." Seeing Lin Mu, their faces lit up, and they moved to approach him.
However, several security guards stepped in their way, their gazes sharp.
"Lin Mu, how can you treat your old classmates this way?" Tang Man demanded indignantly. "What are you so proud of? So what if you’re rich? Do you really think you’re so important?"
"Shut up!" Yu Fei spun around and slapped Tang Man hard across the face. "Are you trying to get us all killed?!" he snarled.
This foolish woman, Tang Man, is a complete liability! I was still hoping Lin Mu would give me the property management contract for Coiling Dragon Bay. If he refuses out of anger because of her, how could I even bring it up?
"Sorry, but I don’t deserve to be called your classmate," Lin Mu said, glancing at Yu Fei before turning and walking away without a second look.
Song Wenrou gave Yu Fei a pitying look. "Yu Fei, you might as well save your breath. Lin Mu has already given the three of us the property management rights to Coiling Dragon Bay." She then turned to the others. "And as for the rest of you, since you never treated Lin Mu like a classmate, don’t humiliate yourselves by trying to suck up to him now."
After saying her piece, Song Wenrou quickly left with Ye Tong and Tao Shiyu.
Yu Fei could only stare, lost and dejected, at Lin Mu’s retreating figure as it grew smaller in the distance. Peng Qin and the others instantly turned pale, filled with limitless regret.
"Lin Mu, wait!" Tang Man yelled, chasing after him breathlessly. When Lin Mu finally stopped, she smoothed her hair, forced a smile, and asked, "Lin Mu, you don’t have a girlfriend yet, do you?"
Lin Mu was taken aback, wondering what on earth this woman wanted now.
Tang Man did a little twirl in front of him. "I broke up with Yu Fei," she said with a grin. "So now’s your chance."
Lin Mu was stunned for a second, then burst out into incredulous laughter.
Just then, a white Maybach pulled up in front of Tang Man, engulfing her in a cloud of dust.
Qin Luoli stepped out of the car like a queen. She gently took Lin Mu’s arm, lifted her chin, and fixed Tang Man with a cold, haughty stare, her powerful aura on full display.
"What’s this? You dare try and steal a man from me, Qin Luoli?"