Chapter 47: How Close Are You to Qiao Weiwei?
A swirl of indifference flickered in Song Mi’s eyes as she said, “That depends on what it is. Seventh Miss, perhaps you should spend more time thinking about your precious son and awaken some maternal love in yourself. It might remind you to be cautious, to watch your words and actions, and make sure you don’t…”
“They’ve dealt with Steward Zhou!” Children are indeed the heart of their mothers. At the mention of her son, Shen Ruming lost her composure. “You know how much weight Steward Zhou carries in the Shen family and among the old guards of the Four Seas Group. Even Steward Zhou has stepped forward to oppose you now. Song Mi, do you really think you still have much of a chance?”
—Steward Zhou?
This was indeed unexpected to Song Mi.
Steward Zhou was Old Master Shen’s confidant, the most trusted person in his lifetime. It was Steward Zhou who oversaw the proceedings at the memorial hall that day.
What reason could he possibly have to stand against her at this moment?
For a moment, Song Mi was genuinely puzzled, but she betrayed nothing, maintaining her lofty tone. “It seems Seventh Miss doesn’t care much for her precious son after all; everything you say circles back to the same matter.”
“Whether I can hold onto the Four Seas Group’s chairman position is none of your concern, Seventh Miss. Instead, why don’t you just tell me honestly…” Her tone grew cold and forceful, applying pressure without ambiguity. “Who is the mastermind among you?”
Shen Ruming knew this was a question she couldn’t dodge. She had little affection for her so-called siblings anyway, but she needed to secure herself a backup. “Song Mi, if I tell you that, how can I stay in Jinzhou?”
“Last time I asked for fifty million, you refused. Eight million isn’t exactly asking for the moon, is it?” This was her bottom line, and she would not yield another cent!
Ruiri was her lifeblood. Since Song Mi had set her sights on Ruiri, she dared not provoke her, but she could escape!
Let Shen Yanye and Shen Ruowei fight among themselves. As long as she had this money, she could take Ruiri abroad and live a peaceful life.
Song Mi sneered inwardly. If eight million isn’t excessive, what is? As soon as she opened her mouth, it was eight million. If she had to pay off all twelve siblings, it would be at least a hundred million. Did they really think the Four Seas Group was a mint?
“Three million. Once you’ve boarded the plane, I’ll transfer it directly to your Swiss bank account.” That was Song Mi’s bottom line. Even this three million had to come out of her own pocket first.
The Four Seas Group was a publicly listed company; any fund transfer required proper paperwork and justification. It wasn’t as simple as her saying so. Besides, she had only just taken the chairman’s seat. Even if she were exceptionally capable, she still needed time.
On the other end, Shen Ruming wanted to haggle, but Song Mi’s attitude grew even colder. “If I were you, I’d take the deal and leave. Book your ticket now, have the servants pack up tonight, and get out as quickly as possible!”
“You wouldn’t want your son to be surrounded by strange looks from teachers and classmates as soon as he arrives at school tomorrow, would you? Shall I remind you who Su Zherui’s biological father is…”
“Shut up!” Shen Ruming trembled with rage and dread. That man was a beast, but Ruiri was innocent!
As long as she lived, she would never let Ruiri learn the truth about his father. “If you promise never to mention this to anyone, I—I’ll leave. I’ll take my son far away!”
“Three million, and not a cent less!” she snarled, warning fiercely, “Song Mi, you’re pushing me too far!”
“But karma always comes back. If you dare break your word, I, Shen Ruming, will come for you with explosives strapped to me, and neither of us will die in peace!”
With that, Shen Ruming hung up.
A moment later she sent a text—three simple words: San and Shi.
Song Mi understood at a glance.
San meant Third Young Master of the Shen family, Shen Yanye.
Shi referred, of course, to Tang Lishi.
As expected. To go against her, it was always the Shen family behind it.
Yet Song Mi couldn’t shake a vague sense of suspicion.
With the concrete proof she held of the illicit affair between these two, she could destroy them both in an instant.
Was it really just these two together? Or was someone else using her as a blade, intending to eliminate both Shen Yanye and Tang Lishi in one strike?
Who could it be?
—Shen Ruowei?
But Shen Ruowei had no son. Was she clearing the way for her husband?
From what Song Mi knew, Shen Ruowei’s relationship with her husband was always strained. Her husband was hardly fit for grand ambitions, kept mistresses year-round, and hardly regarded his wife at all.
If it truly was her, then Shen Ruowei would be… quite the surprise.
Just as she was pondering, her phone rang. It was Ye Zhao. “Miss Song, I’ve roughly determined which unit Xia Yuan is in at Maple Grove Court.”
Song Mi wasn’t worried about Xia Yuan. Her concern was Qiao Weiwei.
The Qiao family was one of the four great families of the capital. Three generations back, they produced some truly illustrious figures.
If the Qiao family was alerted, the repercussions would be enormous.
Her thoughts collected, Song Mi quickly said, “Catch the leader first. Go straight to Wei Jiu. In the end, they’re just after money.”
Ye Zhao agreed. “Alright!”
She had barely hung up when she heard sounds outside. Song Mi glanced at the clock—almost six.
This man was punctual indeed.
He’d said he’d be back around six, and he wouldn’t break his word.
What surprised her was that he brought good news. “Pei Qiuyang has found where Qiao Weiwei is being held.”
Song Mi truly breathed a sigh of relief. “Where?”
Wen Yanli didn’t answer immediately, instead gazing at her with a faint frown. “You’ll soon receive a call for negotiation.”
Song Mi’s question was written on her face.
“The team we sent over tipped them off.” But what worried him wasn’t that—it was her inability to stay put.
The doctor had ordered at least a week of bed rest.
But at this rate, she wouldn’t last three days.
There was another matter. This afternoon, a man named Qiao Yudong went to Meise. He announced he was looking for the boss.
That name signaled he was family to Qiao Weiwei.
Fortunately, the waiter, Chen Yu, was quick-witted and said the boss had left town with friends.
Chen Yu also judged by the man’s attire and bearing that he wasn’t just any wealthy person.
Just as she feared, trouble had arrived.
Song Mi was thinking about how to get a replacement SIM card for Qiao Weiwei, so if the Qiao family tried to contact her, she could bluff.
Now, all she could do was hope Qiao Yudong wouldn’t suspect anything or linger in Jinzhou.
“He’s Qiao Weiwei’s older brother.”
Wen Yanli gave her a deep look.
Born and raised in the capital, Wen Yanli had spent twenty years there. Although they weren’t classmates, the name Qiao Yudong was familiar to him.
“How close are you and Qiao Weiwei?”
He’d seen them together only twice.
Their personalities were opposites—one cold as autumn frost, the other lively and boisterous. It seemed unlikely they would get along.
He recalled that business negotiation, when a Western man spoke at length about her illustrious history at Washington Business School.
Objectively, Qiao Weiwei hardly seemed qualified to be her classmate.
With her temperament, she wouldn’t easily confide in others. Judging by her attitude toward Qiao Weiwei, she was typically cold outside, warm inside.
Cold was her default.
But warmth—what was its cause?
He was curious.
“I’ve known her for over half a year,” Song Mi said, unaware of his thoughts. “I once saved her life in South Africa.”
That revelation was not insignificant.
But for Wen Yanli, ever since he’d seen her draw a gun yesterday, nothing about her would surprise him anymore.
His deep, unfathomable eyes betrayed no emotion, and his handsome face remained calm as ever. Soon, he responded lightly, “Mm.”
That reaction satisfied Song Mi.
“I’ll go cook.” Just as he turned to leave, her phone rang again.