—
Ma Dong’s heart cursed Mu En’s cunning.
Wasn’t this blatantly pitting him against Lin Jingzhi?
If he didn’t know Ye Qiu’s strength, Ma Dong might have competed, but now…
“Are you going to compete with me?” Lin Jingzhi stared coldly at Ma Dong.
Ma Dong hurriedly said, “Since Ms. Lin wants it, I’ll pass on this batch.”
Hm?
Mu En raised an eyebrow, Ma Dong’s reaction unexpected.
This puzzled him.
Ma Dong was usually arrogant, why back down so easily today?
Was he also smitten with Lin Jingzhi?
No, they must compete!
Only by making Lin Jingzhi see the jade was hard to get would she beg him, and if she begged, he’d have ways to get her into his bed.
In the business world, women value profit over their bodies.
Mu En asked Ma Dong, “You sure you don’t want this batch?”
“I’m cer—”
Before Ma Dong could finish, Mu En added, “Oh, I forgot to mention something.”
“Our Jade Association held a meeting a few days ago, deciding to limit one partner per province moving forward.”
“In other words, whoever gets this batch becomes my long-term partner.”
“Ma Dong, if you give up, you’ll lose my supply chain.”
Ma Dong’s face turned uglier than a bitter melon.
His jewelry company relied on jade, with Mu En as the main supplier.
If Mu En cut him off, his company would collapse.
Bankruptcy would make him a laughingstock, even his father, Ma the richest man, would look down on him.
But competing meant offending Lin Jingzhi, and if he did, Ye Qiu wouldn’t spare him.
Ma Dong was caught in a dilemma.
What to do?
Lin Jingzhi frowned too, unaware of this new rule from the Jade Association, clearly Mu En’s spur-of-the-moment scheme.
What was Mu En up to?
Stirring a fight between her and Ma Dong?
Did Ma Dong dare challenge her?
Just then, Ma Dong said, “Uncle Mu, if both Ms. Lin and I want this batch, what then?”
Mu En smiled, “That’s a question for Ms. Lin, but my suggestion is, if you both want it, compete fairly.”
“I only need one partner in Suzhou-Hangzhou.”
“Who that’ll be depends on your abilities.”
Ma Dong hesitated, saying to Mu En, “Uncle Mu, give me a few minutes to think.”
“Sure, think carefully,” Mu En said meaningfully.
Ma Dong signaled Gao Fei, and they stepped out of the hall.
“Gao Fei, what should I do?” Ma Dong asked.
Gao Fei hadn’t anticipated this, but hearing Mu En’s words, he was thrilled.
A chance for revenge!
He knew he couldn’t take Ye Qiu alone, so his only shot was through Ma Dong.
If he dragged Ma Dong in, he’d have his chance.
Without hesitation, Gao Fei said, “What choice is there? You have to compete!”
“Otherwise, you’ll lose Mr. Mu as a supplier.”
“No supplier, no stock, no stock, and your company’s done for!”
“Then, Young Master Ma, you’ll be the laughingstock of Suzhou-Hangzhou… no, maybe the whole country.”
“Think about it, your father’s the richest man in Suzhou-Hangzhou, his business thriving, if your company tanks, what will people say?”
“They’ll call you a failure, a useless second-generation, a waste, a good-for-nothing…”
“Enough!” Ma Dong cut Gao Fei off, annoyed. “I know all this, but Lin Jingzhi’s Ye Qiu’s woman…”
It all came back to his fear of Ye Qiu.
Gao Fei said, “Young Master Ma, you’re the son of Suzhou-Hangzhou’s richest man, are you really that scared of Ye Qiu?”
“This is business, not some jianghu grudge.”
“If you compete fairly with Lin Jingzhi, I don’t believe Ye Qiu would dare attack you.”
“Ye Qiu’s a jianghu man, he wouldn’t break jianghu rules, or the Dragon Gate’s Nine-Thousand-Year-Old won’t let him off.”
Right, the Dragon Gate has strict rules, the Nine-Thousand-Year-Old wouldn’t let its disciples run wild.
As one of the Dragon Gate’s four dragon envoys, if Ye Qiu broke jianghu ethics, it’d be a grave offense, and the Nine-Thousand-Year-Old wouldn’t spare him.
After Gao Fei’s analysis, Ma Dong’s fear vanished, and he asked, “Gao Fei, if I compete with Lin Jingzhi, how do I win?”
Gao Fei laughed, “Young Master Ma, you’re so spooked by Ye Qiu, you’re asking me something this simple?”
Ma Dong, irritated, “Cut the crap, tell me how to win this competition.”
Gao Fei said, “Young Master Ma, didn’t you bring Mr. Yao?”
“Don’t you know what Mr. Yao’s best at?”
“With Mr. Yao’s help, this competition’s in the bag.”
“From then on, Mr. Mu will keep supplying you, and your jewelry company will grow stronger.”
“Soon, your company’s revenue could surpass ten billion, going public would be a breeze, and you’ll be a titan in Suzhou-Hangzhou’s business world.”
“You’ll snag titles like Top Ten Outstanding Youth, Exceptional Entrepreneur, no problem, people won’t see you as a waste but as a charismatic, capable CEO.”
“They’ll praise you as a chip off the old block, your dad will be thrilled, maybe even hand you the company early.”
“Imagine, Young Master Ma, running a hundred-billion-yuan empire in your youth, how glorious!”
“Even provincial governors would respectfully call you Mr. Ma.”
“And those A-list actresses, they’d scheme to get into your bed, you’d pick whoever you want, a new bride every night, never the same.”
“Most importantly, you could tell those who looked down on you, ‘Thirty years east, thirty years west,’ and slap their faces hard.”
Thirty years east, thirty years west…
Ma Dong’s blood boiled.
“You’re right, I’m not just joining this competition, I’m going to win!”
“I’ll prove to everyone I’m not a waste, I’m a born king!”
“Gao Fei, thank you, you’re truly my brother!”
