Not long after, Ji Xinyu saw a low-profile black Maybach drive into the residential compound. Soon after, she received a call from Ren Pingzheng. Ji Xinyu answered it, but she did not go to the Ren family home as the person on the phone had expected.
She turned and went downstairs. On the table in the living room was a bowl of congee with dried scallops, cooked until perfectly soft and smooth. Next to it, in a small steamer basket, were dishes like lotus leaf-wrapped chicken, shrimp dumplings, phoenix claws (chicken feet), and beef short ribs.
Beside Ji Changyuan sat a pot of morning tea. He was sipping it while chatting with Xu Ruozhi.
This was a classic Cantonese morning tea setup. Ji Xinyu took a seat next to Xu Ruozhi, who served her a bowl of congee.
Xu Ruozhi was from Guangdong. After marrying Ji Changyuan, she followed him to the capital to build their life. After all these years, their family's taste in food still leaned towards Cantonese cuisine. Sometimes, they even communicated in Cantonese at home.
This aligned perfectly with Ji Xinyu's own habits.
Ji Changyuan placed a cup of tea next to Ji Xinyu. "What are you planning to do?"
Ji Xinyu hadn't hidden her recent research into information from various countries from Ji Changyuan. To be honest, he was very pleased. He didn't have a preference for sons over daughters. He had raised his daughter, not for her to become a full-time housewife in the Ren family.
But she had been insistent before. Ji Changyuan had tried to dissuade her a few times without success and eventually had no choice—after all, she was his own flesh and blood. What else could he do?
Now that Ji Xinyu was finally going to work, it made Ji Changyuan happier than closing several multi-million dollar deals.
Ji Xinyu looked up at Ji Changyuan. "I need one billion."
One billion was not a small amount, but for a family like the Ji family, it wasn't an astronomically large sum either.
Ji Changyuan studied Ji Xinyu seriously for a long moment. "Alright. You'll have it by tonight."
Ji Changyuan didn't ask Ji Xinyu what she intended to do with the money, and Ji Xinyu didn't offer an explanation.
Seeing Ji Changyuan trust her so implicitly, Ji Xinyu's feelings were quite complex. Before her transmigration, she hadn't been her father's favorite child. What she received from her father—whether gifts or money—had been very, very little.
She wasn't one to dwell on the past. She focused on her meal, not letting her thoughts wander.
After the meal, Ji Changyuan left for the office, and Xu Ruozhi had a beauty appointment. They went out together. Not long after they left, Ren Pingzheng arrived.
It had to be said, for the original host and the eldest daughter-in-law of the Marquis's household to have taken a liking to him, Ren Pingzheng was indeed handsome. Tall, over six feet, dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, his expression cool and detached.
However, his good looks didn't attract Ji Xinyu. After all, back in her Wall Street days, her friends had been quite wild, and she had seen men of all types.
Ren Pingzheng's looks couldn't compare to those men.
Seeing what Ji Xinyu was wearing, Ren Pingzheng's brow furrowed. He intensely disliked his woman dressing too flamboyantly.
Although they weren't yet truly husband and wife in the full sense, in Ren Pingzheng's mind, Ji Xinyu was already marked as his.
But today, he wasn't here to critique her attire. He sat on the sofa opposite Ji Xinyu and looked up at her.
"I received the express delivery you sent me." Ji Xinyu had mailed the divorce papers directly to Ren Pingzheng's company.
Ren Pingzheng had seen them as soon as they arrived. The reason he hadn't responded was that he thought it was just another one of Ji Xinyu's ploys to get his attention.
She had often done things like this early in their marriage. This was just a new variation, and Ren Pingzheng had no intention of humoring it.
But Ji Xinyu going abroad on vacation and then heading straight to her parents' home upon return was clearly beyond Ren Pingzheng's control.
Right now was the first step in encroaching on the Ji family's business. Ren Pingzheng couldn't allow any deviation.
"Hmm, so when shall we go handle the formalities?" Ji Xinyu sat on the sofa. The education she had received emphasized maintaining proper decorum at all times and places. As the legitimate daughter, Ji Xinyu had been required by her mother since childhood to excel beyond all the illegitimate children.
Even now, simply sitting, Ji Xinyu's back was straight, her posture naturally elegant.
Ren Pingzheng reached up and loosened his tie. "Xinyu, stop making a scene."
Ji Xinyu looked at him. The gaze he leveled at her was full of contempt and impatience.
Ji Xinyu knew this contempt and impatience were directed at the original host. But that didn't stop her from feeling angry. The faint, almost imperceptible smile on her face vanished instantly.
"Making a scene? You think I'm making a scene?" When Ji Xinyu spoke without a smile, her voice turned ice-cold.
Ji Xinyu's sudden change in expression made Ren Pingzheng's already furrowed brow crease even deeper.
"Isn't it?" Ren Pingzheng found it extremely irritating to waste time on someone he deemed utterly insignificant.
But he had no choice but to placate her. "Xinyu, I know you have complaints about me rarely coming home. But as I've told you before, this is the most critical period for the company's overseas expansion. I hope you can be more understanding."
The Ren family business was in electronic communication devices. Although it was a Fortune Global 500 company, the field of electronic communication devices evolved rapidly, requiring massive annual investments in research and development.
The Ji family was in real estate. Thanks to Ji Changyuan's sharp foresight, he had bought land all over the country over a decade ago. Now, even without building, just selling the land could generate enormous profits.
Not to mention the profits from constructing and selling buildings. Ren Pingzheng had calculated it carefully; the sheer profit margin made him deeply envious.
Ren Pingzheng had been domineering since childhood. His modus operandi was simple: if someone else had something he wanted, he would take it.
He had devised several plans. Marrying Ji Xinyu was the most effective and carried the lowest risk.
But Ji Xinyu wasn't a fool either. So, after much contemplation, he had launched an operation he called "The Hunt."
Ji Xinyu was the prey; he was the hunter.
Now that the prey was in the cage, as an experienced hunter, Ren Pingzheng certainly couldn't let her escape just like that.
Ji Xinyu couldn't help but laugh inwardly. Sure enough, in any world, some men were arrogant, and men like Ren Pingzheng were especially so.
"Think whatever you want. But if you don't agree, then our only option is to settle this in court." The divorce had to happen. Carrying the title of a married woman was already deeply uncomfortable for Ji Xinyu.
Mentioning a court battle made Ren Pingzheng's expression turn even colder. At that moment, he finally took seriously Ji Xinyu's intention to divorce.
In the world of wealthy families, wanting a divorce is an extremely difficult matter, as it involves not only the collaboration between the two families but also issues of face.
And in this marriage between Ji Xinyu and Ren Pingzheng, anyone with eyes knows who the beneficiary is and who is at fault!
Ren Pingzheng has been married for three years, leaving his wife to keep the bed warm alone for all three years—this is common knowledge within their circle. Even for necessary social events, he attends with his secretary by his side.
Who in their circle doesn't gossip that Ren Pingzheng's secretary is his true love?
But Ji Xinyu doesn't care and isn't anxious. No matter how much others fret, it's like the emperor isn't worried but the eunuchs are—it has little to do with them anyway.
But looking at Ji Xinyu's face, Ren Pingzheng understood.
"Do we really have to go this far? Xinyu, I know you've been wronged these three years, and I apologize for that. I promise you, once I finish this busy period, I will definitely come back to accompany you. How about that?" Ren Pingzheng still believed Ji Xinyu was just throwing a tantrum.
Over three years, he had become convinced that Ji Xinyu was deeply in love with him. He had tested it; someone who had been "tamed" couldn't just stop loving their tamer.
Divorce is a "weapon" women often keep at the ready, something Ren Pingzheng had understood since childhood.
Back when his father was having affairs, his mother frequently used this tactic against him. Each time, his father would hold out for a while, but would soon rekindle the old flames.
In the end, his three half-siblings from those affairs were brought into the household, and she still never actually divorced. If it weren't for the plane crash when he was twenty, who knows how long the entanglement would have lasted.
"Since President Ren doesn't believe me, then just wait for my lawyer to sue you in court," Ji Xinyu said with a calm expression, taking a sip of the black coffee on the table.
Seeing that cup of black coffee, Ren Pingzheng's face darkened again. In Ren Pingzheng's "control" over Ji Xinyu, foods like black coffee were something he "did not wish" for her to consume.
As he had told Ji Xinyu on WeChat, drinking too much black coffee harms the body, and he hoped she would drink healthier alternatives.
Like milk or fruit juice. Of course, those specially prepared juices were "spiked"; otherwise, how could the original host, the sole heiress of a wealthy family, have become so obedient to Ren Pingzheng in such a short time?
To be honest, when Ji Xinyu learned all this, her nerves were tingling, and her interest in this kind of "ingredient" grew immensely.
If such a great "thing" had existed in her pre-transmigration world, she wouldn't have had to work so hard to seize the family fortune. But it's not too late to know now. Once she gets her hands on this drug, she must increase the dosage for Ren Pingzheng!
She was just particularly curious about the effects of a heavily increased dose of this stuff.
Hearing this "harsh remark," Ren Pingzheng's heart immediately settled. In his memory, his mother had said similar things to his father.
Because of his mother, Ren Pingzheng looked down on women; he believed women were synonymous with weakness.
He felt he had wasted enough time and had given Ji Xinyu enough face. But if Ji Xinyu wouldn't come down the ladder he offered, there was nothing he could do.
"Xinyu, I have matters to attend to in the U.S. It's a critical period. Wait until I finish this busy stretch, and I'll come back to be with you." Ren Pingzheng straightened his clothes and left directly.
After he left, Ji Xinyu leaned back on the sofa and closed the dimensional livestream on her phone.
[Ji Xinyu, the Eldest Daughter-in-Law of a Wealthy Family: Did you see that? Some men, no matter how great their achievements, remain chauvinist pigs at heart.]
[Lin Xi, the Earth Girl: Since joining this group, all my idealized notions about wealthy families have been completely shattered.] As a girl of the new era, who hasn't read a few novels about the rich and powerful?
Back when Korean-style novels were all the rage, Lin Xi had read plenty of stories like "The Cinderella Transformation," and her initial impression of wealthy families was based on those.
[Qin Suyuan, the Switched-at-Birth Real Heiress: Tell me about it. If I hadn't experienced it personally, who would have thought 'wealthy families' were such a thing! They're truly foul, like a festering boil of the new century.]
Qin Suyuan's comment received likes from Ye Bingbing, the Villainess from a CEO novel, and Hang Xingyue, the Slacker Contrast Character from the Entertainment Circle.
Their likes made Qin Suyuan's words seem even more poignant—the three of them were textbook victims of wealthy families.
[Gu Nuanyang, the Reborn Transmigrator: So, there's nothing wrong with being an ordinary person either.]
[Ah Huahua from the Primitive World: Absolutely!] After seeing what their sisters in the group had been through with disgusting male leads, female leads, and villainesses, the first three to join the group—Ah Huahua, Lin Duxi, and Xu Huanhuan—were extremely thankful they hadn't encountered such things.
[Xu Huanhuan from the Ancient World: Everyone, try this new wine I've brewed.] Xu Huanhuan sent over a dozen bottles to Lin Xi, who distributed them among the group members.
She stored her own bottle in her space.
[Ah Huahua from the Primitive World: Everyone, try my newly roasted meat.] Ah Huahua sent over roasted meat cut into pieces. Her world had already entered the snowy season.
Her daily staple now was this kind of meat, but her ingredients were much more varied. In the final days before the snow season, she harvested all the vegetables planted outside her dwelling and buried them in a large cave.
The innermost part of the large cave was warm, and the vegetables buried in the soil remained fresh and green even after all this time. Because of this, Ah Huahua's fame within the tribe rose even higher.
Now, above the bonfire in their cave hung a large stone pot with boiling water, available for everyone to drink. At mealtimes, they would cook a pot of vegetable soup in it.
Honestly, after so many days into winter, none of the elderly or children in their tribe had fallen ill.
The meat roasted in Ah Huahua's world was delicious. During transmission through the group chat system, any viruses from another world were automatically eliminated by the system.
Everyone engaged in a new round of exchanges. Lin Xi drove her car home.
Chi Xiangping had already finished dinner and gone out to chat with friends.
Winter had passed, and the weather was getting better. In the evenings, people enjoyed visiting each other more.
Lin Xi took a shower, practiced a round of the "Yi Shu Shi San Jing" exercises, returned to her room, opened the chat window with Lu Shenzhi, and discussed the ownership of the bracelet with him.
Among all the tasks she had completed and the many rewards she had received, this bracelet from Lu Shenzhi was the most valuable.
A small fortune! Lin Xi had truly never seen that much money!
[Lin Xi, the Earth Girl: How about I give you something else in return, and I send this bracelet back to you?]
[Lu Shenzhi from the Power Struggle World: Since you mention it, you can keep it there for now. I'll let you know when I need it. I'll send you a new reward in a couple of days.]
Once something was given, Lu Shenzhi had no intention of taking it back. However, he also knew that Lin Xi would not accept such a valuable item for the time being.
So, it was settled for now. As for other forms of repayment, Lu Shenzhi looked at the stars outside the window; he would obtain that soon enough.
King Yu's thirst for vengeance was far more intense than he had imagined. Perhaps it wouldn't be long before he could return to that memory of Bianjing City, bustling and prosperous beyond compare.
"Tap, tap." Two knocks sounded against the window. Lu Shenzhi opened it, and a piece of paper floated into his room.
Lu Shenzhi bent down to pick it up and unfolded it. Bold, forceful calligraphy met his eyes. He smiled faintly and used the candle flame on the candlestick to light the paper, burning it.
He stepped outside, captured a photo of the starry sky, and shared it with Lin Xi.
After receiving the picture, Lin Xi glanced outside and typed a reply to Lu Shenzhi: The clouds are very thick here. I think there will be heavy rain tomorrow.
Lin Xi's words were correct. By the later part of the night, rain began to fall, accompanied by the rumble of spring thunder. Lin Xi turned over and slept even more soundly.
While she was fast asleep, Lu Shenzhi slipped out through the back window of his room and hurried towards the location written on the paper.
It was a small pavilion built on a mountain. Many scholars and poets had visited here, leaving behind famous poems and verses widely circulated in this realm.
Having consumed the gene repair serum and practiced the Yishu Thirteen Sutras, Lu Shenzhi walked as if on level ground even on this pitch-black, moonless night.
A dim yellow lamp lit the pavilion. A figure with broad shoulders sat steadily on a stone stool inside. Beside him sat a pot of tea, likely already cold.
Two guards with swords stood on either side of the pavilion, and inside, another man stood slightly bowed.
Lu Shenzhi recognized him. Because shortly after Lu Shenzhi himself had entered the quarry, this man had followed.
They had slept in the same shack and shared not a little "comradeship" during those days. Being able to leave the quarry so quickly was also thanks to him.
"Mr. Lu has arrived." The moment Lu Shenzhi approached, the man sitting on the stone stool stood up.
In this ancient era, for someone of high status to act in this manner was already a significant show of respect and humility towards talent.
Lu Shenzhi didn't harbor excessive expectations for the rulers of this era. He stood outside the pavilion, cupped his hands, and bowed: "Lu Shenzhi pays his respects to Your Highness. I apologize for keeping you waiting..."
Before Lu Shenzhi could finish, the man inside the pavilion strode out. He gently raised Lu Shenzhi's hands: "There's no need for such formalities. Moreover, the Grand Tutor was once my teacher. By seniority, you are my junior brother."
At this point, King Yu paused. When he spoke again, his tone was filled with regret and sorrow: "The Grand Tutor taught me so much back then. When misfortune befell him, I was utterly unable to help. I am truly ashamed..."
The two walked into the pavilion together. The moment Lu Shenzhi stepped inside, he knew he had officially entered the "game" of this nation in this realm.
He had become a piece in this game, but it didn't matter. He would step by step become the player moving the pieces.
Just as Lu Shenzhi was entering the game, over on Ji Xinyu's side, she had already received the money from Ji Changyuan.
The influx of these funds greatly boosted Ji Xinyu's confidence. Toppling a Fortune Global 500 company was no easy task.
Although the Ji family's business was publicly listed, it wasn't in the same industry as the Ren family's. Bringing them down would require time to set the stage. Just like Ren Pingzheng, who spent a full twelve years laying the groundwork to devour the Ji family.
This was a "game" of wits and patience. Ji Xinyu's patience wasn't as good as Ren Pingzheng's, so she challenged herself to make the Ren family change its heir within three months.
In six months, she would become a shareholder of Kuangte Electronics Group. In one year, she would become its sole controlling shareholder.
If others saw this plan, they would surely deem it a pipe dream. For Ji Xinyu, it was also an enormous challenge.
This was her first time undertaking such a large project without any assistants.
If she succeeded, she would definitely ask Lin Xi to send an email to her former good friends!
Thinking this, Ji Xinyu tagged Lin Xi in the chat group. She wanted to exchange for a storage space. Some confidential things were safest kept inside a space.
She would use the fresh ingredients recently air-freighted to her home for the exchange. She believed Chu Qianmo would like them.
Lin Xi quickly transmitted the storage space to Ji Xinyu. Ji Xinyu placed the laptop and documents she had been using frequently these past few days inside the space.
After casually creating a decoy in her room's desk, Ji Xinyu exchanged with Yao Xiran for a surveillance device.
She installed the device in her room and, following Yao Xiran's instructions step by step, linked it to her phone.
She then went downstairs, heading for Ji's Real Estate. Passing through the living room, she deliberately glanced at a certain young helper in the kitchen.
She was about twenty-four or twenty-five, wearing the uniform of the Ji family staff, with a few small freckles on her delicate face.
Her name was Song Ping, the daughter of the family driver, Uncle Song. After high school, she refused to continue her studies, so Uncle Song brought her to work for the Ji family.
Because she was around the same age as the original host, Xu Ruozhi assigned her to clean the original host's room.
Over time, the original host became familiar with her. The original host's many "chance encounters" with Ren Pingzheng in those years owed no small thanks to this person's tip-offs!
In that lifetime as the eldest daughter-in-law of the marquis's household, the leak of some of the original host's business decisions was also largely thanks to her "relaying." Her reason for doing so was very simple: she also liked Ren Pingzheng and was jealous that the original host could marry him.
Causing trouble for the original host was exactly what she wanted. Moreover, Ren Pingzheng was never stingy with her—she already had money and a villa.
The reason she continued working for the Ji family without leaving was simply to maintain her role as Ren Pingzheng's informant.
Since the Ji family had such a loyal "dog" for the Ren family, Ji Xinyu naturally intended to make good use of it. When going out, she specifically asked Uncle Song to drive her.
Sitting in the car, she turned her phone volume to the lowest, opened the surveillance app, and watched as Song Ping boldly entered her room, took photos of the items on her work desk, then changed into a white sleeveless dress from her walk-in closet, took selfies in her room with her face covered.
Afterwards, she brazenly lay on Ji Xinyu's bed, pulled down her clothes to expose parts of her body for photos, her face flushed red, with an indescribable look of intoxication.
Seeing this scene, Ji Xinyu's face instantly darkened.
Ji Xinyu had a strong sense of territoriality. She absolutely despised having her personal space invaded, especially her bed!
It was one thing that the original owner of this body had slept in that bed. She and the original owner were now one and the same; she was the original owner, and the original owner was her. She had no right, nor would she ever, to disdain the original owner.
But what kind of thing was Song Ping! How dare she wear the original owner's clothes and sleep in her bed?!
Ji Xinyu cracked her knuckles, a smile playing on her lips.
"Uncle Song, I see Ah Ping isn't young anymore. When is she getting married?"
Ji Xinyu initiated a casual chat with Uncle Song.
Uncle Song was driving up front. Hearing this, he chuckled and replied, "She doesn't want to get married, oh. Over all these years, her mother and I have introduced her to many people, but she's unwilling to marry any of them. Her mother is so worried she's gone over a month without speaking to her."
Uncle Song was a Hakka from Guangdong province. He had started working for the Ji family at twenty-two and was now nearly fifty. He had watched the original owner grow up, ferrying her to and from school from kindergarten all through high school.
Both Ji Changyuan and Xu Ruozhi trusted Uncle Song one hundred percent.
Who would have thought that someone who had worked for the Ji family his entire life would, in the end, deal them the most fatal blow?
Of course, every betrayer finds some "helpless" excuse for themselves. Uncle Song's excuse was that Song Ping was already pregnant with Ren Pingzheng's child.
What else could he do but help his daughter and future grandchild? Ji Xinyu was Ji Changyuan's only daughter, and Song Ping was his only daughter too!
"It must be that the people you introduced didn't meet Ah Ping's standards. Uncle Song, tell me, what are Ah Ping's requirements for a partner? Maybe I know someone suitable!"
Uncle Song glanced at Ji Xinyu in the rearview mirror, his smile tinged with gratitude. "Thank you, Miss, but even Ah Ping herself doesn't know what kind of husband she wants. Ask her too much and she gets angry, ah."
Uncle Song's salary as the Ji family's driver wasn't low. They were employees of Ji Corporation and had received a discount when buying their apartment. Their home was in a nearby complex, spacious and luxuriously decorated.
By today's standards, with property prices within the second ring road of Xia City, their apartment was easily worth tens of millions. When they bought it years ago, Ji Changyuan had given them a fifty percent discount—a five-million property for only two point five million.
Ji Xinyu toyed with the bracelet on her wrist. This was exactly why people shouldn't be fed too well—it leads to trouble. And dogs shouldn't be fed too richly either, or they forget they're dogs. A measly little benefit, and they start dreaming of turning the tables and becoming the master.
Arriving at the Ji Corporation building, Uncle Song hurried out to open the car door for Ji Xinyu. As she walked towards the entrance, she heard Uncle Song on the phone behind her. From his tone, she could tell it was Song Ping calling.
Ji Xinyu pushed open the glass door. A wave of cool air rushed out, instantly dispelling the summer heat she'd built up during the short walk.
The receptionists in their uniforms stood up and bowed upon seeing her. Ji Xinyu smiled and nodded at them, turned left, passed the waiting area, used her fingerprint to unlock the elevator access, and headed straight for the top floor and Ji Changyuan's office.
Ji Changyuan's office took up more than half of the top floor. She knocked and pushed the door open. "Daddy~"
In the original owner's memories, the terms of address in the Ji family were quite chaotic, changing with mood—Daddy, Papa, Dad. Ji Xinyu had originally planned to call him 'Dad,' but her father had, without even being asked, given her a hundred million.
Ji Xinyu didn't mind being a bit more affectionate with them.
Ji Changyuan was on the phone, beaming. Hearing Ji Xinyu's voice, he turned his head, glanced at her, and then said into the phone, "Well, the sun must be rising from the west. Our precious daughter has finally set foot in my office after three years."
She couldn't hear what was said on the other end. Ji Changyuan hung up and stood up from behind his desk.
"My precious daughter finally deigns to visit. Your daddy's office is truly honored. What would you like to drink? Juice? Coffee? Milk tea?"
"Just plain water. It's so hot outside, I'm terribly thirsty." Ji Xinyu walked in and sat on the black leather sofa.
The view from the top floor of Ji Corporation was excellent. Three walls were glass, and the reception area sofa was placed before the irregularly shaped floor-to-ceiling window. Sitting here, one could take in the entire view of Xia City's most bustling commercial district.
Across from her was Xia City's landmark building, also the headquarters of the National Television Station.
Ji Changyuan fetched a glass of water from the tea area. It was cooled boiled water—his usual drink when not having tea.
He sat opposite Lin Xi, crossing his legs. "What brings you here today?"
His expression turned serious.
"I've come to borrow the Ji Corporation's legal department. I want to file for divorce."
Ji Changyuan's face changed. He uncrossed his legs. "Are you sure?" His gaze at Ji Xinyu was full of doubt.
The memory of Ji Xinyu's stubborn insistence on marrying Ren Pingzheng was still vivid. Ji Changyuan had never imagined in his life that he would hear his daughter speak of divorce.
"Why wouldn't I be sure? If anyone doesn't know what kind of life I've been living, Dad, you certainly do. I'm not just filing for divorce; I'm also filing an economic dispute lawsuit."
"Those hundreds of millions I brought as a dowry when I married were 'borrowed' by Ren Pingzheng. There's an IOU. It's been three years now. Time for him to repay." Ji Xinyu's expression was calm.
She truly couldn't understand what Ren Pingzheng had to be so arrogant about in front of the original owner, or in front of her. As the only daughter of the Ji family, the original owner's dowry had been accumulating since she was a child.
By the time she married, not counting jewelry, the cash alone amounted to five hundred million. Not long after entering the Ren household, that sum had been "borrowed" by Ren Pingzheng.
Ren Pingzheng had at least had some semblance of shame back then and wrote the original owner an IOU.
But what good was that? In three years, not a single cent had been repaid. You even pay interest on bank loans, but the original owner hadn't seen a single hair of her money back.
And 'not a single hair' applied in every sense. Ji Xinyu really couldn't comprehend how the original owner had been so thoroughly PUA'd.
Ji Changyuan looked at Ji Xinyu. Ji Xinyu met his gaze without flinching.
After two minutes, or perhaps even less, Ji Changyuan burst into hearty laughter. "Good! That's my daughter."
Ji Changyuan had never had a shred of goodwill towards Ren Pingzheng. Not to mention how he had sweet-talked his daughter into marriage back then, but after winning her over, he left her to a lonely, empty marriage and even "borrowed" her dowry.
For most of these years, he had largely ignored her and shown no respect to them, her parents, not even offering greetings during holidays. Who wouldn't be furious?
Ji Changyuan and Xu Ruozhi would curse up a storm at home every holiday. Of course, they couldn't bear to curse their daughter, so they doubled the curses on their son-in-law instead.
Now that his daughter has come to her senses, Ji Changyuan felt like setting off firecrackers right at the entrance of Kuangte's headquarters!
That's a great idea. Ji Changyuan planned not only to set them off at the headquarters entrance but also at the branch offices—they have gates too, don't they! Anyway, he has the money; he can afford the fines!
Besides that, he should also give out some bonuses to everyone in the company. He couldn't neglect his benefactors either, so he decided to offer a discount on the properties currently listed for sale in his developments.
Of course, he shouldn't undermine those who had bought houses in recent years. So, he decided to compensate people who bought properties in his developments with a bit of the price difference.
As Ji Changyuan pondered, hundreds of millions were casually allocated.
He sat at his desk and called the legal department. Ji Xinyu turned on the monitoring device; Song Ping was still sound asleep in her bed.
A pink handmade silk quilt worth tens of thousands tightly wrapped around her body.
After finishing his call, Ji Changyuan walked over, and Ji Xinyu handed him her phone.
Ji Changyuan took it, and his face instantly darkened: "Is this Song Ping?! How utterly lawless!"
Ji Changyuan was furious: "What is the butler doing? What are all those staff members doing? I spend so much money every month to hire them to work for me, and this is how they do their jobs?"
Many thoughts flashed through Ji Changyuan's mind. For instance, was Song Ping the only one doing this, or were all the cleaning staff doing the same?
When his wife and he weren't home, did the person responsible for cleaning their rooms also wear their clothes and sleep in their bed?!
Just the thought made Ji Changyuan seethe with anger. Ji Xinyu detested others touching her things, and Ji Changyuan was exactly the same.
"Dad, scroll back a bit earlier."
Ji Changyuan examined the software carefully, found the storage space, and scrolled forward. When he saw Song Ping filming Ji Xinyu's workstation, he had already calmed down, at least his eyes weren't quite as viciously cold.
Ji Xinyu picked up her water glass and took a sip: "Just now, Uncle Song drove me to the company. I had barely stepped out of the car when Song Ping's call came through. Dad, tell Mom to cut back on some charity galas and take a few minutes to tighten the reins at home."
Xu Ruozhi enjoyed charity work. Recently, she had been involved in a charity aiding children in impoverished mountainous areas, and sometimes Xu Ruozhi would even visit the areas herself.
The Ji family's annual investment in charity amounted to tens of millions, even hundreds of millions. If a major natural disaster occurred, this charitable investment would be even greater.
The Ji family's years of persistent charity work had indeed yielded results, as evidenced by the fact that this world rewound twice after the original host's death.
"Alright, I'll talk to your mom. She just mentioned to me that you'll be home more often these next few days. The scheduled trip to the northwestern rural areas will be postponed, so she can focus on managing the household."
The Ji family's butler was hired through a headhunter with a high salary. Over the years, his work had never had any issues, which is why Xu Ruozhi, after observing him for several years, delegated authority to him.
Who would have thought that this relaxation of control would lead to such a situation.
Having achieved both purposes of her visit to the Ji Corporation today, Ji Xinyu had no intention of leaving. She needed to understand the Ji family's assets, as this would all be her domain in the future.
Moreover, her visit today was also to form an alliance with Ji Changyuan. To deal with Ren Pingzheng, she had to secure her home base.
Ji Changyuan and she were natural, unbreakable allies.
"Back when you had those chance encounters with Ren Pingzheng, was there any involvement from Old Song and Song Ping?" How clever was Ji Changyuan? From the video Ji Xinyu showed him and that statement about Song Ping calling Uncle Song, he deduced the truth behind Ren Pingzheng's frequent "coincidental" meetings with the original host.
Ji Xinyu raised her glass to him in acknowledgment. Ji Changyuan, enraged, shot to his feet.
He was absolutely livid.
Meanwhile, on the way to his residence in M country, Ren Pingzheng, having received the tip-off from Song Ping, picked up his phone and made a call.
"Qiao'er, Ji Xinyu has been too idle lately. Find something to keep her busy."
Ren Pingzheng hung up the phone.
Not long after, Ji Xinyu's phone rang. She looked at it; it was the homeroom teacher of Ren Pingzheng's youngest brother, Ren Pingyi.
She answered the call: "Ms. Ji, hello. Ren Pingyi got into a conflict with a classmate at school today. He beat the other child quite severely. If you have time, please come and handle this."
Ji Xinyu clicked her tongue inwardly. She was truly disappointed in Ren Pingzheng. Were his tactics limited to just this? So utterly unimpressive. No wonder it took him over ten years to scheme to swallow a company, and even then, using such a lowly method akin to preying on a family with no male heir.
"Contact his brother. I have no obligation to deal with him." With that, Ji Xinyu hung up. She lacked the patience of the eldest daughter-in-law of the Marquis's household or the original host. What on earth did Ren Pingzheng's siblings have to do with her?
