If It’s Wrong, Then It’s Wrong - Chapter 52
Chapter 52: The Nineteenth Day
“CEO Cheng, I believe we’re quite fated,” Ji Mushan said into the phone, his face expressionless. To allay her suspicions, he added, “Someone is behind this incident, fanning the flames. I believe with Shenyin Technology’s expertise, this field will develop much faster.”
Cheng Liu only registered the first part of his sentence, completely ignoring the rest. She responded enthusiastically, “CEO Ji, I’ve always felt the same way.” Like they were fated to be family.
Of course, CEO Cheng didn't dare to say that last part aloud.
Ji Mushan: “…” Was that the point?
How could Cheng Liu be so oblivious at such a critical moment?
“Feel free to ask if you need any help,” Ji Mushan said again, forced to reiterate his offer.
If it weren't for Ji Chaozhou, he would never have said such a thing to Cheng Liu.
Cheng Liu, hearing his words, thought of something else entirely. CEO Ji and her beloved seemed to have a strained relationship. How could he possibly help her pursue his son?
But he was, after all, potentially her future father-in-law. Cheng Liu responded seriously, “Thank you, CEO Ji. I’ll definitely ask if I need your help.”
Ji Mushan glanced at his son. Having made such a generous offer, Chaozhou should be pleased, at least a little?
Cheng Liu, on the other end of the line, continued talking about fate: “CEO Ji, I felt a strong connection with you from the moment we met. You feel like family.”
Ji Mushan, his usually stern face, remained expressionless: “…”
Cheng Liu was truly a master of flattery. They hadn't even spoken during their first encounter, standing at opposite ends of the room, a crowd of middle-aged men between them, only able to see each other because of their height.
Ji Mushan, unable to deal with Cheng Liu’s blatant exaggeration, nudged his phone towards Ji Chaozhou, silently asking if he wanted to speak to her.
Ji Chaozhou looked down at Cheng Liu’s name on the screen, then shook his head.
She was still making small talk. She must have already figured out how to handle the situation.
Ji Mushan, seeing his son’s refusal, said into the phone, “CEO Cheng, I’ll leave it at that then. Call me if you need anything.”
“Okay,” Cheng Liu said, then hung up.
Ji Mushan turned to his son: “Don’t worry too much. Cheng Liu has overcome many challenges to get where she is today. She knows what she’s doing.”
But honestly, even Ji Mushan, in Cheng Liu’s position, wouldn’t know how to mitigate the damage caused by this incident.
Too many people wanted to see Cheng Liu fall. The Mingtai incident had simply opened a wound, their notification a weapon handed to her enemies.
Ji Mushan had seen Shenyin Technology’s official statement, but even if they brought down Mingtai, Shenyin Technology's reputation in the autonomous driving field had already been tarnished, a significant blow.
It would take time and effort to recover, and he suspected there would be further attempts to suppress Shenyin Technology.
Ji Mushan glanced at Ji Chaozhou. His only consolation now was the apparent connection between his son and Cheng Liu.
At least his son wasn’t silently pining for someone.
…
After hanging up, Cheng Liu reveled in her small victory. She felt one step closer to Ji Chaozhou. After all, Ji Mushan was also a Ji, and he was her beloved’s father!
After a while, she calmed down and tagged the PR manager in the company’s group chat.
The entire PR department was working overtime tonight.
Five minutes later, the PR manager knocked on Cheng Liu’s door.
“Come in,” Cheng Liu said. She was still in the emergency meeting room, alone now, He Bai having returned to his office to prepare for the press conference.
The PR manager entered, her face tense, and stood beside Cheng Liu: “CEO Cheng.”
“The fire isn’t big enough. Add more fuel tonight,” Cheng Liu said, looking up.
The PR manager looked at her, puzzled: “Add…fuel?”
They had been trying to suppress the trending topics, not fan the flames. Why would she want to make things worse?
Cheng Liu leaned back in her chair, her hands clasped, her chin resting on her hands: “Expand the discussion. Let people say that Shenyin Technology shouldn't be involved in autonomous driving.”
“CEO Cheng?” the PR manager blurted out. “We can’t do that! It will create a huge negative impact on Shenyin Technology!”
Cheng Liu looked at her and smiled: “That’s exactly what I want. The bigger the fire, the better. I want people to say that Shenyin Technology should be kicked out of the autonomous driving field.”
The PR manager was stunned, staring at Cheng Liu. Seeing that Cheng Liu wasn't changing her mind, she reluctantly agreed: “I’ll…get to it.”
CEO Cheng always made the right decisions. This time wouldn't be any different, she thought, as she left the meeting room.
…
After a night of fermentation, the trending topic about Shenyin Technology, though no longer “exploding,” remained at the top.
As Cheng Liu had instructed, the PR department had worked tirelessly throughout the night, fueling the online discussion, focusing all the negative attention on Shenyin Technology, creating a public outcry against their involvement in autonomous driving.
By the next afternoon, the situation seemed to have settled. Several mainstream media outlets had published articles criticizing Shenyin Technology, their tone definitive.
The PR manager, having been up all night, had managed a brief hour of sleep in her office that morning. Unable to rest any longer, she had fueled herself with coffee and continued monitoring the online discussions, pacing anxiously, biting her nails, watching her team frantically posting and messaging.
Most mainstream media outlets had now published their opinions. If this continued, Shenyin Technology’s reputation would be irreparably damaged, even if they managed to recover, it would be a long and difficult process.
“Knock, knock—”
Someone knocked on the door, but the PR manager, lost in thought, didn’t react, until one of her subordinates nudged her: “Manager, CEO Cheng is here!”
The PR manager snapped back to reality and hurried to the door, as if seeing a savior: “CEO Cheng!”
“Tonight’s tasks,” Cheng Liu said, handing her a folder. She looked at the PR manager’s face. “The press conference is in four hours. Get some rest.”
The PR manager, clutching the folder, thought she couldn't possibly sleep. She was at her wit’s end, her lips covered in sores from stress.
But before she could ask any questions, Cheng Liu had already turned and left.
The PR manager opened the folder and looked at the task list inside.
Ten minutes later, an excited female voice echoed through the PR department: “Everyone, go get some rest! We have work to do tonight!”
…
Two hours before the press conference, Cheng Liu checked into a nearby hotel, took a shower, and then had a nap. She even had time to call the renovation team and check on the progress, surprised to learn that the staircase had already been fixed.
They had worked too fast. She had deliberately based their payment on the number of days, not the actual work done. Weren’t they supposed to drag it out?
“Thank you for your trust, CEO Cheng. Our team worked tirelessly and finally finished installing the new staircase this afternoon,” the team leader said, his voice filled with emotion.
Cheng Liu: “…I wasn’t in a hurry.”
“It was our duty. Also, we’ve already cleaned the villa. It’s spotless, not a speck of dust. You can move back in anytime,” the team leader said proudly. “We’re professionals!”
They had even cleaned the villa?!
CEO Cheng, her face expressionless: “…Thank you.” She would never hire them again.
Just as she hung up, the doorbell rang.
Cheng Liu opened the door. It was He Bai, accompanied by a styling team.
“The press conference venue is ready,” He Bai said, looking at Cheng Liu. “Although we’ve released the recording, proving that Mingtai stole our technology and used it without authorization, the public opinion isn’t in our favor. They’re using this to target Shenyin.”
He Bai had asked his sister that morning. Everyone seemed to think Shenyin Technology was doomed.
“Mm, I know,” Cheng Liu said, looking through the clothes the styling team had brought. “I’m not wearing any of these.”
She wanted to wear the outfit Ji Chaozhou had chosen for her.
“The press conference is in a few hours. What clothes are you talking about?” He Bai asked, frowning.
Cheng Liu said, “The outfit I wore for the live stream.”
“You stay here. I’ll go get it,” He Bai said, accustomed to such requests. “Is the door code still the same?”
Cheng Liu: “…” So annoying! She just wanted to see Ji Chaozhou! Why were they all making things so difficult?!
Before Cheng Liu could refuse, her phone rang. It was the market department manager who had gone to H City.
Cheng Liu answered: “Go ahead.”
After listening for a few seconds, Cheng Liu covered the phone and gave He Bai the address of her villa: “Go get that outfit for me. It’s in the closet on the second floor.”
He Bai repeated the address and immediately left.
…
This was the first time He Bai knew the address of Cheng Liu's new home. He couldn't help but think of Ji Chaozhou, her neighbor.
He hadn’t met him yet, but he was curious about the man who had captured Cheng Liu's attention.
But at least, at this moment, he was the one by Cheng Liu’s side, helping her, while Ji Chaozhou, wherever he was, was doing nothing, unable to offer any assistance.
The thought made He Bai feel slightly better.
He drove to Villa Number Six, glancing at the villa next door as he got out of his car. They really were close, just a wall apart, no other houses nearby.
He Bai didn’t linger, entering Cheng Liu’s villa and going upstairs to retrieve her clothes.
In the living room of Villa Number Five, Ji Chaozhou sat reading, hearing a car outside, assuming it was Cheng Liu.
He waited, but no one came in.
Ji Chaozhou pursed his lips, put down his book, and went outside.
As a neighbor, he should at least check on her.
But when Ji Chaozhou reached the gate, he saw it wasn’t Cheng Liu's car. He walked towards the villa next door, and just as he was about to knock, the door opened.
—A stranger.
He Bai had quickly folded the clothes and put them in a bag. As he walked out, he saw a young man standing at the door, his tall, slender figure and strikingly handsome face immediately capturing his attention.
Almost instinctively, He Bai knew who he was: “Ji Chaozhou?”
Ji Chaozhou’s gaze fell on the white bag in He Bai’s hand, its double layers obscuring the contents.
He looked up, recognizing He Bai as Cheng Liu’s assistant, the man he had seen on the live stream: “Isn’t Cheng Liu back?”
“She’s busy,” He Bai said, pushing up his glasses, his tone polite yet distant, a smile on his face. “Senior needed a change of clothes, so she asked me to come get them.”
Senior…clothes… The words, combined with his tone and expression, created an impression of intimacy.
“Senior is in a hurry,” He Bai continued, smiling. “She’s always saying what a good neighbor you are. She’d like to have dinner with you sometime.”
He Bai’s words subtly aligned Cheng Liu with him, making Ji Chaozhou seem like the outsider.
“There’s no need,” Ji Chaozhou said, stepping aside, his voice calm. “If Cheng Liu wants to invite me to dinner, she can tell me herself.”
He Bai, carrying the clothes, got into his car, drove away, and didn’t stop until he had reached the intersection. He slammed on the brakes.
Having seen Ji Chaozhou in person, He Bai's heart sank.
He was incredibly handsome, his aura setting him apart, drawing the eye, impossible to ignore.
And his family background…the Ji family was just as influential as the He family.
No, they weren't together yet. He still had a chance.
He Bai composed himself and drove back to the hotel.
Back at the villa, Ji Chaozhou looked at the house next door. Did Cheng Liu know her assistant liked her?
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