Chapter 206: Turning the Tables
The more Wei Xiao thought about it, the angrier he became. He took another gulp of beer.
Seeing his mood, the rich second-generation friends didn’t dare fool around anymore. They could only think of ways to cheer this young master up.
Even if Wei Xiao didn’t want to say it outright, it didn’t matter—they could guess.
One of them refilled his glass and said with a smile, “I heard Young Master Wei is now studying at Mingde. Did something unpleasant happen at school?”
Unpleasant? There were plenty of things. And when it came down to it, all of them were because of the student council. Otherwise, why would he bother getting close to Gu Qinghuan?
Wei Xiao’s silence was taken as confirmation. Another chimed in, “What kind of trouble could there be at school? Some clueless teacher trying to discipline you?”
Wei Xiao snorted. “No one dares to discipline me.”
He could tell they were guessing. Thinking that these playboys should know how to please people, he simply sat up and beckoned them closer.
When they gathered around, he said, “I’ve set my eyes on something a girl has. I need to find a way to get it.”
Someone almost blurted out “that’s easy,” but before he could speak, Wei Xiao’s next sentence shut them up:
“But that girl is hard to approach, and she’s protected by the Xia family. I can’t use force.”
At the mention of the Xia family, the rich kids all fell silent.
No matter which member of the Xia family, none of them were easy to deal with. And since she was a Mingde student, it likely involved Xia He. Who would dare provoke that madman? Even their parents had to be polite when facing him.
Seeing them fall quiet, Wei Xiao grew irritated again. He understood the Xia family’s power, but others’ reactions still annoyed him.
He deliberately asked, “Do you have any ideas?”
They looked at each other. Finally, one spoke up, “So… Young Master Wei wants to get close to that girl first?”
Wei Xiao neither confirmed nor denied.
They started throwing out suggestions, but either Wei Xiao had already tried them, or they were too cliché and exaggerated—he dismissed them all.
In the end, one particularly sharp-minded guy said, “Honestly, when it comes to winning someone over, if the person being pursued isn’t interested, then no matter how much effort you put in, it’s useless. They have to be interested.”
“You’ve probably tried a lot already, but she hasn’t reacted at all. Maybe you’re just not her type.”
Wei Xiao’s expression darkened. Did that mean there was no way?
The guy quickly added, “But think about it—you don’t actually need her to like you. You just want what she has, right? Then find someone who is her type, have them get close to her, obtain it, and pass it to you. Problem solved!”
As soon as he finished, the others immediately praised the idea.
“Nice! That’s basically using someone else as a weapon!”
Wei Xiao’s expression finally eased. Now that he had a plan, he could carry it out himself. The fewer people who knew, the less risk of leaks.
After sitting in the bar a while longer, he left first to go home and think it through.
The rich kids chatted for a bit, but without Wei Xiao as the center, they quickly lost interest and dispersed.
One of them, a playboy with purple-dyed hair, got into his car and quietly pulled out his phone, sending a message to someone he knew.
After a while, the reply came:
[Is this information reliable?]
Purple Hair hesitated for a few seconds, then answered honestly:
[Judging by how troubled he looked, it doesn’t seem fake. And there’s no need to bring up the Xia family just to scare people, right?]
The other side fell silent for a moment before replying:
[I’ll give it a try. If it’s true, I’ll credit you.]
It was already late at night. The once-busy traffic on the streets had thinned, but the office buildings along the road were still brightly lit.
Xia He let out a deep breath. There was a faint darkness under his eyes. He removed his blue-light glasses, tossed them onto the desk, used eye drops, then leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed.
His secretary knocked. Without opening his eyes, Xia He said, “Come in.”
The secretary entered, placed the sorted documents on his desk, and clearly explained the situation. Xia He asked questions from time to time. After receiving satisfactory answers, he waved his hand.
“That’s enough. Let everyone head back early.”
The secretary acknowledged, then added, “Also, Liang Zhuo from Youcheng Trading said he has a personal matter he wants to report to you.”
Xia He thought for a moment before recalling the name.
He had a project under consideration, and Youcheng Trading was one of the candidates.
It was an old-established company, now in its third generation. Unfortunately, the second generation—Liang Zhuo’s father—had nearly run it into the ground.
Back then, seeing things going south, the father abandoned his wife (who had postpartum depression), his eighteen-year-old daughter Liang Qu, and his newborn son Liang Zhuo, leaving behind massive debts and running away.
Liang Qu gave up university, took care of her mother and brother, and struggled for ten years to repay the debts, restructure the company, and finally get it back on track.
Now Liang Zhuo had joined the company as well. His work ability wasn’t outstanding, but he was extremely slick in social interactions—thick-skinned and mentally resilient.
At the Wei family banquet, after learning Xia He would be present, Liang Zhuo had disguised himself as a waiter, slipped in, and seized the opportunity to pitch his company.
Normally, Xia He would’ve had him thrown out. But the guy talked nonstop at machine-gun speed, explaining his intentions in one breath.
Even when other waiters grabbed him, he kept smiling and confidently assuring Xia He that choosing Youcheng would be the right decision.
A true talent.
So Xia He had his secretary give Liang Zhuo a contact for business matters, allowing Youcheng to become a candidate.
“Personal matter?” Xia He raised an eyebrow, then nodded. “Let’s hear it.”
The secretary handed over the phone.
Xia He took it. “What is it?”
Liang Zhuo got straight to the point:
“Wei Xiao from the Wei family is targeting a girl from Mingde. He said she’s protected by someone from the Xia family.”
Xia He’s eyelid twitched slightly. He glanced at the secretary, who immediately left the office and closed the door.
“Explain in detail,” Xia He said calmly.
On the other end, Liang Zhuo silently breathed a sigh of relief and quickly recounted everything. Xia He tapped his fingers lightly on the desk as he listened.
After finishing, Liang Zhuo asked, “Do you need me to keep an eye on things?”
“No need,” Xia He said leisurely. “She won’t fall for it.”
For Gu Qinghuan, seeing through others’ intentions was effortless. Xia He trusted her completely.
However, Liang Zhuo’s information wasn’t useless—it was a perfect chance to turn the situation to his advantage.
As he considered his next move, Xia He asked, “What do you want?”
Liang Zhuo exaggerated his tone. “Of course I want that project! But,” he added, “we’ll compete fairly. I trust my sister’s ability.”
“I just want our company to start on equal footing with the others.”
Xia He curved his lips slightly. “Don’t worry. That project is a trap I set for someone else.”
He already knew the project manager was actually planted by Xia Nanzhi, intending to funnel it to companies tied to her.
But the project itself was a trap—to catch Xia Nanzhi.
“Prepare well,” Xia He said. “In a couple of months, there’ll be a bigger project waiting for you.”
Liang Zhuo nearly jumped with excitement. “Alright! I’ll be waiting—don’t go back on your word!”
After hanging up, he tossed his phone aside and rushed into Liang Qu’s office.
“Sis! No need to worry anymore! Great news—huge news!”
Once he shared it with his sister, he would go thank that brother properly. This time, he really owed him a big favor—but it was absolutely worth it.
