Forbidden Fruit [Full Text] - 21

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Chapter 293 As Lu

Tianfeng and his secretary drove away, they continued their discussion on the road. The secretary was driving, and Lu Tianfeng, sitting next to her, suddenly shook his head and laughed, saying, "In the end, it turned out like this… This is truly unexpected."

The secretary asked, puzzled, "Manager, what exactly is President Lin trying to do? Why is he being so mysterious?"

Lu Tianfeng shook his head, saying, "I don't know either…" Suddenly, Lu Tianfeng's eyes lit up, as if he had thought of something, and he exclaimed with delight, "Ah—that's right! President Lin is using Ye Tianya's influence in Lin City. Remember? Today at the airport… Ye Tianya's influence is so great; it's entirely beneficial to the development of our company. Let him be the figurehead, while the actual operations…" "We'll handle this... That's how it is. President Lin chose Lincheng and Ye Tianya; the reason must be this."

The secretary suddenly realized, "I see." Then she asked doubtfully, "But Manager, it seems Ye Tianya isn't just a figurehead; he's carrying out President Lin's instructions. He just assigned us a whole bunch of things, like contacting headhunting companies and notifying colleagues to start work. What if he keeps bossing us around like that?"

Lu Tianfeng said, "Since he's the investor's representative and is carrying out President Lin's instructions, then his bossing around is also President Lin's instruction. Of course, it has to be President Lin's instruction; otherwise, even if he's the investor's representative, don't expect me to listen to him. We have to act in the company's best interests."

...

Ye Tianya wasn't really going back to the hotel to rest. After Xia Yi returned to her room, Ye Tianya left the hotel with Xingye.

Although Lincheng had changed a lot in the past two years, it couldn't fool Ye Tianya and Xingye; this was the place they grew up in. The flower shop at the East Gate was still there, only now more elegantly decorated, though the prices were significantly higher. As they passed the shop, Xingye and Ye Tianya both stopped and looked inside. They remembered a time when they had paused like this before, when Ye Tianya had emphasized to Xingye, "If I ever have money, I'll definitely buy you the most beautiful lily in this shop."

Over a year ago, at Xingye's birthday party, Ye Tianya had airlifted the most beautiful lily from this shop to Xingye, only to have Zhao Xiangyu sabotage it, causing the lily to lose its luster and leaving both of them to suffer. Standing at the shop's entrance again, both felt a lump in their throats. Ye

Tianya gently took Xingye's hand and led her inside. Xingye nestled close to Ye Tianya, saying nothing, simply watching her quietly as she selected flowers, one by one, but ultimately failing to find one she liked.

"Sir, are you buying flowers for your girlfriend? Do you like lilies? These are freshly arrived, absolutely fresh… Lilies symbolize sacred, pure, and flawless love…" The florist broke the warmth and tranquility Xingye was enjoying, professionally introducing the flowers. Ye Tianya interrupted, saying, "Is this all you have? Do you have anything else?"

The florist, assuming he wanted to buy a lot, quickly nodded, "Yes, we have a greenhouse in the back, with many more…"

Ye Tianya immediately said, "Can I go to your greenhouse in the back? I only want one lily… I want the most beautiful one."

The florist paused, looking Ye Tianya and Xingye up and down, noticing their elegant white attire and handsome appearance, unlike… Looking rather shabby, he said with some dissatisfaction, "I'm sorry, if it's just a single flower, I can't help you."

The shop assistant lost interest in serving a customer who wanted to go into the greenhouse to choose flowers even though he only wanted to buy one. He finished speaking politely and turned to attend to other customers. Just as Ye Tianya was about to get angry, an elegant middle-aged woman hurriedly approached from the other side of the flower stand. The woman was dressed very elegantly and tastefully; even her smile conveyed her refinement. Upon arriving, she first reprimanded the shop assistant, "Xiao Gao, what kind of attitude is this? Meeting customer requests is our job. Apologize to this gentleman."

Xiao Gao looked at Ye Tianya reluctantly, clearly unwilling to apologize. Ye Tianya then spoke... The shop assistant apologized to the elegant woman, saying, "No need, our requirements were a bit too demanding. However, please do us a favor, miss. If you need to purchase a certain number of lilies to get them into the greenhouse, I'm willing to pay the same price."

The elegant woman looked Ye Tianya and Xingye over, then smiled and suddenly asked, "Did this gentleman visit our shop in November of the year before last?"

Ye Tianya paused slightly, exchanged a glance with Xingye, and then said, "No, but I asked a friend to buy it from your shop. I only want one lily."

The elegant woman's eyes lit up, and her gaze became somewhat admiring as she asked, "Was it an urgent shipment to S City by air?"

Ye Tianya paused again, then nodded, "Exactly."

The woman smiled and said, "Every time someone buys..." When I saw the lilies, I wondered what kind of person the customer would be who bought only one lily and insisted on choosing the most beautiful one in the shop. I never expected to have the honor of meeting them in person today. My name is Yun Ceya, the owner of this little shop. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Ye Tianya smiled and said, "Me too. Miss Yun, you are as elegant as your name suggests. But... I wonder what conditions I need to meet to choose the most beautiful lily in your shop right now?"

When Yun Ya asked Ye Tianya if he had bought a flower more than a year ago and had it air-shipped to S City, she had been paying attention to Ye Tianya's expression. Seeing that he answered affirmatively without any suspicion of the girl next to him, she knew that the flower was for this girl. Otherwise, he would not have responded so frankly without worrying that the girl would be jealous. Yun Ya smiled elegantly at Xing Ye, who was nestled against Ye Tianya, and said, "If I'm not mistaken, that lily from two years ago was for this young lady, wasn't it? Flowers are given to lovers. In this materialistic society where money reigns supreme and emotions are indifferent, it's an honor for Yun Ya's flower shop to receive such a sentimental visitor. No conditions are required. Please follow me." Yun Ya gestured for them to enter and led the way into the back.

"Thank you very much, Miss Yun." Ye Tianya was determined to find the most beautiful lily for Xing Ye today, so he politely said this and took Xing Ye's hand, following them inside.

The shop assistant, still stunned, murmured, "One lily? Urgent air freight to S City? So romantic… but why only one?" Before she could

linger, two female students, seemingly high school seniors, entered. They ordered two bouquets for their teacher's birthday and waited excitedly, discussing something. The shop assistant arranged the flowers according to their request while listening to their conversation:

"Do you think… the teacher might actually ask the principal to invite Ye Tianya to give a speech at our school?" "The teacher

always keeps his word. He'll definitely ask the principal. As for whether the principal will invite Ye Tianya, that's another story."

"If the principal invites him, do you think he'll come and give a speech? He's a very busy man, one of the two giants of China's stock market, a stock market guru. I heard he can earn hundreds of millions in a minute. How much money do you think he'll make in the time it takes to give a speech at our school?"

"If the principal invites him, he'll probably come. After all, he came from our school."

"Hard to say. He only failed half a year of his senior year before taking the college entrance exam. He was self-taught before, so maybe he doesn't have much attachment to the school. Ah, if only… he really came to our school to give a speech." "

Who wouldn't want that? The senior students are all making a fuss, demanding that the school invite Ye Tianya back to his alma mater to give a speech and share his college entrance exam experience. Didn't the news say he'd come today? I wonder if he's come yet. Look at you, all lovestruck. You're probably going to fly over and offer yourself to him the moment you see him."

"Is it funny? I wanted to offer myself to him, but he wouldn't take it. In the future, when I look for a man, I'll definitely find one as talented as Ye Tianya..."

"You're just going to draw your Prince Charming in your mind based on Ye Tianya's appearance. All the girls in the school are probably sketching their princes based on his looks. There aren't that many Ye Tianyas in the world, you little fangirl, stop dreaming."

The florist was a recent high school graduate who hadn't gotten into university and was now working at the florist's. She was very familiar with the name Ye Tianya, though she had never seen him. Like these students, Ye Tianya had once left an indelible mark of admiration on their hearts. As she handed the bouquet to the two students, she couldn't help but ask, "Hey, do you think Ye Tianya is coming back to Lincheng? When is he coming?"

The two students nodded, "You don't know? Didn't you see the news? It should be today. Turn on the TV and watch the news. If Ye Tianya comes to Lincheng, it'll definitely be on the news. He's a big celebrity in Lincheng." The two students paid for the flowers and left the shop. The florist busied herself finding the remote control behind the counter, turning on the TV above it, and watching the program while trimming the flowers.

When Ye Tianya and Xingye emerged from behind, Yunya was already holding a lily still glistening with dewdrops. She had personally wrapped the lily beautifully and handed it to Ye Tianya, saying, "Give this to your loved one. She will be the happiest person in the world. This flower is free; it's my blessing for you."

Ye Tianya accepted it and sincerely said, "Thank you. We will cherish this blessing forever." As he spoke, under Yunya's smiling gaze, Ye Tianya gently handed it to Xingye.

Xingye's eyes were a little wet. She accepted the flowers with both hands and said softly, "Thank you, brother."

After saying that, Xingye thanked Yunya again. The two then said goodbye and walked towards the door. When they reached the door, Yunya suddenly called out from behind, "Sir, can you tell me... why did you only choose one lily instead of a bouquet?"

Ye Tianya and Xingye both stopped and turned around. Ye Tianya first looked at Xingye affectionately before looking up and smiling, "For an eternal promise—"
Chapter 294 Vow at the Grave
As soon as Ye Tianya and Xingye left the flower shop, Yunya sighed, "What is love in this world!"

The shop assistant, Xiao Gao, knew that the proprietress had opened the flower shop after being hurt in a relationship. Looking at her lonely figure, she was about to say a few words of comfort when she was drawn back by a name on the TV news. That name was 'Ye Tianya'.

The announcer was broadcasting: "At 11:10 this morning, Ye Tianya, the talented young man from Lincheng who returned to invest in his hometown, appeared at Lincheng Airport. He is here representing the globally renowned Tianya Real Estate to invest in Lincheng. Surprisingly, he was accompanied by Xingye, who was named one of the 20xx People Who Moved China for standing up for his brother against powerful forces..."

The shop assistant turned around abruptly and saw the airport scene. Reporters surrounded a familiar man and woman, bombarding them with questions. The young couple, dressed entirely in white, looked so familiar... Just as

Xiao Gao was trying to remember where she had seen them, the shop owner behind her exclaimed in surprise, "Aren't they the two guests who just left? Are they Ye Tianya and Xingye?"

Xiao Gao suddenly realized she had forgotten them so quickly. She thought to herself, no wonder she failed her college entrance exam. But she didn't have time to blame her memory. She jumped up excitedly and exclaimed, "It really is Ye Tianya and Xingye!" "They're actually a couple! Oh my god, I actually saw Ye Tianya and Xingye so close! I actually... I actually didn't want to do business with them! Boss lady, I feel like dying..."

Xiao Gao regretfully beat her chest and cried out to the sky. Yun Ya also said in a daze, "Those two just now were the legendary Ye Tianya and Xingye? Oh dear, how could I forget? I was wondering why that girl looked so familiar. It turns out she appeared on TV during the Great Injustice Rectification that year..."

Xiao Gao chased after them out of the flower shop and headed towards the city center, ignoring Yun Ya who called her several times. But she chased for a long time without seeing the white-clad figures. In the end, she had no choice but to turn back dejectedly. However, when she turned back, she ran into her sister. If Ye Tianya saw her sister, he would be surprised to find that her sister was the female reporter who blocked him at the train station entrance when he was admitted to Huaxia and left Lincheng to report to S City. She insisted on answering his questions but blushed when he asked her, "What color are your underwear?"

Because of this encounter with the female reporter, Xiao Gao brought Yun Ya's flower shop a fortune she could never have imagined...

※※※◎◎◎※※※

It was still that suburban cemetery. Amidst the overgrown weeds, a tomb stood out, larger and more luxuriously maintained than the surrounding graves. It seemed to have been neglected for a long time, overgrown with weeds. The tombstone bore the name of Ye Tianya's adoptive father. For years, Ye Tianya had dared not reveal his identity as Ye Xin, and thus dared not return to pay his respects. Only this Qingming Festival, with Xingye by his side, did he dare return. Xingye's efforts to clear Ye Xin's name were well-known in Lin City and even nationwide. With her accompanying him to offer incense to his brother Ye Xin's adoptive father, no one would suspect anything.

Ye Tianya carefully cleared the weeds around the tomb, and Xingye then neatly arranged the fruit, steamed buns, wine cups, and incense they had bought after leaving the east gate in front of the tombstone.

Lighting incense and candles, Ye Tianya respectfully kowtowed before glancing at Xingye before facing the tombstone and softly saying, "Father, Xin'er has come to see you, and your daughter-in-law Xiaoye has also come to see you. Father, I was afraid to come to see you before for fear of my identity being exposed. Please forgive me. I have come back this time to do something important. This is something that you might not have allowed me to do if you were alive. However, if you were alive, you wouldn't have let him treat me so cruelly back then. So there's no need for me to do this now. It's all not my fault. You once said that anyone who does something wrong should be punished accordingly. Even if my grandfather blames me in heaven, I will do it without hesitation. I apologize to you first."

When Xingye first heard Ye Tianya say that she was her father's daughter-in-law, she blushed slightly and nestled close to Ye Tianya. But the more she heard, the more confused she became. Who was Ye Tianya trying to get back at? Why was he apologizing to his father? Who had treated him so cruelly?

Xingye, being incredibly clever, quickly grasped Ye Tianya's intentions. She couldn't help but sit up in surprise and look at Ye Tianya, asking, "Brother...you're here to deal with Brother Junfeng? Why?"

Knowing Xingye's intelligence, Ye Tianya wasn't surprised. He looked at the distant mountain peak and said, "Xiaoye, do you know who told Liu Qiyun that I was a witness to their rape of Dingxiang?"

"You mean...Brother Junfeng?" Xingye asked in astonishment, her face clearly showing disbelief.

Ye Tianya nodded and said, "Do you remember when Liu Qiyun was taken away in court, I quietly went up to him and asked him some questions? Dingxiang's accident happened on Du Qing's birthday. We were all at the orphanage celebrating Du Qing's birthday that day, and Junfeng was there too. But Liu Qiyun told me... that Junfeng told him I was a witness. I couldn't believe it at the time. Later, when Liu Qiyun escaped and I caught him, I interrogated him again. No one can lie through my interrogation methods. I also don't want to believe that the person who really framed me is actually my sworn brother who has lived with me for more than ten years..."

As Ye Tianya spoke, his face showed extreme pain. Xingye murmured in surprise, "Impossible, how could this be? How could it be Brother Junfeng? How could he frame you for your godfather's property? How could he..."

Ye Tianya looked at Xingye's disbelief and sighed, "Xiaoye, I know you won't believe it, and I don't want to believe it either, but the facts force me to believe it. What I have to do, I must do. So... you don't need to persuade me."

Xingye was startled and looked at Ye Tianya nervously, saying, "Brother, don't misunderstand. I believe you, of course I believe you. It's just that I never expected Brother Junfeng to be so heartless. But... thinking about it, it makes sense. Even his own mother can be indifferent to family ties, let alone a sworn brother with no blood relation. In the face of self-interest, how many people can resist?" At this point, Xingye touched upon a wound she had always avoided, and the painful expression on her face made Ye Tianya's heart ache. But no matter how much pain Xingye was in, she was more worried that Ye Tianya would blame her for not supporting his decision. She quickly grabbed Ye Tianya's hand and added, "No matter what you do, brother, I will always be by your side. I will never forgive those who hurt you."

Ye Tianya was both heartbroken and moved, pulling Xingye into his arms and holding her tightly, saying, "Xiaoye, do you remember that in this graveyard, there's a place we should go?"

"There's another place?" Xingye paused, then suddenly understood, her face flushing red. She hugged Ye Tianya even tighter, saying, "Brother, shall we go there and see?"

Ye Tianya stood up, facing the tombstone before him, and said, "Father, I will stay in Lincheng for a while. Xiaoye and I will come to see you again in a few days." With that, Ye Tianya, holding Xingye, climbed over a small hill, turned to the other side, and after several turns among the graves, they reached the foot of a cliff. The weeds there were even taller. Ye Tianya and Xingye pushed through the weeds and finally found a small mound. Seeing this mound, Xingye nestled in Ye Tianya's arms, looked up at him with tender affection, and said, "Brother, shall we destroy it?"

Ye Tianya shook his head, saying, "No, I want it to stay. I want to remember that a girl once swore here that she would avenge me and then become my wife. " "This little mound used to be a grave, but now, let it be a testament to that girl's vow. Now, let it also witness my vow, Ye Tianya's vow: I, Ye Tianya, will love Xingye—my most beloved—with my life for the rest of my life."

Xingye nestled tightly against Ye Tianya, her eyes welling up with tears, which finally rolled down her cheeks. Yet, she stubbornly tilted her head back, facing Ye Tianya, facing his head that was gradually lowering and drawing closer…

Ye Tianya and Xingye had just returned to the hotel when Xia Yi, who had been waiting for them for a long time, asked anxiously, "Ye Tianya, where did you go? You didn't answer my calls. I was about to call the police and report you missing."

Ye Tianya smiled and said, "I'm so sorry, Lawyer Xia. Xiaoye and I went out to run some private business, and my phone died. I didn't expect Lawyer Xia to be rested so quickly."

Xia Yi said discontentedly, "I wasn't rested that quickly. It was those…" These damn reporters are driving me crazy! Who are you two anyway, high-ranking officials or international celebrities? One group of reporters just left and another one shows up. How can I possibly sleep? These reporters are constantly knocking on the door. I was so angry that I had security keep all the reporters out. By the way, how did you get in? Weren't you blocked by the reporters at the door?

Ye Tianya smiled and said, "We accidentally... came in through the back door." Lawyer Xia, since you've rested enough, let's go for afternoon tea. Afterwards, Xiao Ye and I will go to a banquet. Are you coming too?

Xia Yi shook her head and said, "No, I'm not going. If I go with you, I'll definitely be in the newspapers. I don't want to be famous. I'd rather stay in the hotel and sleep. Let's go, let's go for afternoon tea now. It's your treat, as compensation for making me worry for so long. Also, change your phone battery immediately, otherwise Manager Lu and the others might have an emergency." "I can't find you either."

Ye Tianya smiled and handed his phone to Xingye to change the battery before turning to Xia Yi and saying, "Like attracts like. Your boss, Hu Qing, is just like that. He always finds an excuse to treat people to meals. I guess I'll accept it, but the location is right here in this hotel. I can't guarantee we won't run into reporters blocking the way once we leave."

Xia Yi snorted and said, "No sincerity. Fine, who told you to benefit from those damn reporters?"

Ye Tianya looked at Xia Yi's extremely reluctant expression and thought bitterly, "She's just like Hu Qing, getting the benefits and still acting innocent..."
Chapter 295 Reunion with My Sworn Brother
Lu Tianfeng came to the hotel to pick up Ye Tianya and Xingye to attend the banquet. Ye Tianya originally had no interest in this kind of banquet, but his name was on the invitation, and it wouldn't be right for him not to go, even for the sake of the relevant government departments. He had no choice but to bite the bullet and go.

Before reaching the banquet hall, a swarm of reporters thronged the area. Ye Tianya remained unchanged; unless he so desired, the reporters wouldn't utter a single word. Xingye, standing beside Ye Tianya, also remained silent. Lu Tianfeng, however, was overwhelmed by the reporters' incoherent questions. Back at Tianya Real Estate, Lin Siyin had always been at the forefront when dealing with reporters. Now, following behind Ye Tianya and Xingye, he could only manage a forced smile and say "no comment," his head spinning. He hurriedly followed Ye Tianya into the banquet hall, finally managing to stop the reporters outside thanks to the hotel security.

As soon as he reached the door, a short, stout middle-aged man greeted him with a hearty laugh, saying, "Mr. Ye, welcome, welcome! Please come in, please come in..."

Ye Tianya looked at the middle-aged man and smiled, "And you are...?"

The middle-aged man laughed and extended his hand to Ye Tianya, as if to shake his hand, saying, "Thank you for calling me 'senior,' my surname is Wu..."

Hearing the surname Wu, Ye Tianya knew who it was and reached out to shake the middle-aged man's hand, smiling, "So it's Director Wu. I'm sorry I'm late and have kept everyone waiting. But... it's all Director Wu's fault."

"My fault? But... what do you mean?" The middle-aged man was taken aback at first, then asked in surprise.

Ye Tianya smiled and said, "Director Wu has worked tirelessly on the infrastructure construction of Lincheng, making the city so different in less than two years. Skyscrapers stand tall everywhere. I've only been away for a little over a year, and I'm already lost. This is certainly Director Wu's responsibility."

Ye Tianya's sarcastic compliment immediately turned Wu's surprise into delight, and he laughed heartily, "My apologies, my apologies, it really is my fault, hahaha, my fault! Please come in, please come in. Let me introduce you to some of the well-known figures in Lincheng who have made outstanding contributions to the city's infrastructure."

Ye Tianya smiled politely and turned around... He glanced at Lu Tianfeng before turning to the man surnamed Wu and saying, "Director Wu, this is Manager Lu, the head of Tianya Real Estate's Lincheng branch. Since Tianya isn't an expert in the real estate industry, we were worried about not getting along with the guests at the banquet, so we took the liberty of inviting Manager Lu. Please forgive us, Director Wu."

The chubby director looked up at Lu Tianfeng and chuckled, "It was our oversight; we forgot Manager Lu's invitation. Please forgive us."

Lu Tianfeng handled this situation with ease, smiling politely, "It's alright, it's alright, I'm here today..." " I'm just here to join in the fun with Mr. Ye. In Lincheng, I'll have to ask Director Wu for your guidance."

Compared to Ye Tianya, Lu Tianfeng's words were much more diplomatic. The man surnamed Wu chuckled and said, "Since Mr. Ye and Manager Lu are here to contribute to the development of Lincheng, of course I will fully cooperate..." The man surnamed Wu knew from Lu Tianfeng's words that Lu Tianfeng wasn't as simple and easy to deal with as Ye Tianya, and didn't want to waste time with him and get him to make any demands. So he turned to Xingye and said, "Miss Xingye, I've long admired your talent, I never expected to see you here today..." "It's an honor to meet you. Please come in..."

Xingye smiled slightly, nodded, and followed Ye Tianya inside. Ye Tianya was very familiar with the banquet scene; it was exactly the same as the automotive industry gathering he had witnessed at the Blue Palace. Ye Tianya was used to it and smiled as he responded to the curious glances he received. Director Wu introduced everyone along the way, and Ye Tianya greeted each person with a smile. He accepted business cards but never handed them out. Instead, he would introduce Lu Tianfeng whenever he received a card, asking Lu Tianfeng to distribute his cards.

As for the bosses and CEOs introduced along the way, Ye Tianya didn't remember many of them, but he remembered one person: the last person Director Wu introduced him to, Ding Junfeng, the general manager of Changfeng Real Estate. When he saw Ding Junfeng, Ye Tianya tightened his grip on Xingye's hand. Xingye was startled, felt a pain in her hand, and quickly turned her head nervously to look at Ye Tianya, whispering, "Brother—"

Ye Tianya was momentarily stunned by his own emotions, but quickly regained his composure. He forced himself to calm down, gave Xingye a reassuring smile to reassure her, and then walked towards Ding Junfeng. When Director Wu introduced Ye Tianya, Ding Junfeng, after smiling and greeting him, completely failed to notice the change in Ye Tianya's mood. He looked at Xingye beside Ye Tianya and said excitedly, "Xiao Ye, we... meet again."

Ye Tianya turned to Xingye, smiled, and said, "You two chat," before beckoning a passing waiter, grabbing a glass of wine, and finding a corner to sit down. He disliked this kind of insincere socializing; sitting in a corner allowed him to avoid being approached by others for conversation. Watching Ding Junfeng converse with Xingye from afar, and observing Lu Tianfeng mingling effortlessly among the merchants, Ye Tianya couldn't calm down. Ding Junfeng hadn't realized he was his sworn brother from years ago, but Ye Tianya could see the burning intensity in his gaze towards Xingye. Ye Tianya wasn't worried about Xingye; he was afraid he wouldn't be able to control his emotions and might reveal his identity to Ding Junfeng.

Ye Tianya wanted to calm down, but someone wouldn't let him. He had barely sat down when someone sat down next to him. He looked up in surprise and saw a beautiful woman, but she seemed unfamiliar, as if he'd seen her somewhere before. He couldn't help but smile and say, "Hello?"

The woman smiled and said, "Hello, Ye Tianya. Don't you remember me? Remember when you left Lincheng for Huaxia University two years ago? You even teased me at the train station."

Ye Tianya immediately remembered the two female reporters at the train station who had asked him about his underwear color when he left. This woman was one of them. Hearing the word "teasing" in her words, Ye Tianya couldn't help but feel embarrassed. He shook his head and smiled wryly, "Miss reporter, you're wrong about me. Back then..." "That question was asked to me by your reporter. If that counts as flirting, then I was flirted with too."

Mentioning that question, the female reporter blushed instantly, inwardly cursing herself for asking for trouble. But a reporter is a reporter, and she quickly recovered, smiling, "Ye Tianya, you really don't suffer any loss! I never imagined that in less than two years, Ye Tianya would return as a wealthy man returning home in glory. But your mouth is still so sharp."

Ye Tianya smiled and said nothing more, intending to end the conversation with the reporter. He raised his glass to her in acknowledgment, then turned to look at the crowd. Since Ye Tianya had introduced Lu Tianfeng to the businessmen and announced that Lu Tianfeng would be in charge of all work in Lincheng, everyone went to deal with Lu Tianfeng, leaving Ye Tianya with some peace and quiet. Watching Lu Tianfeng handle things so smoothly, Ye Tianya felt somewhat inadequate in this area and couldn't help but curiously observe Lu Tianfeng's communication skills among the businessmen.

Seeing Ye Tianya's cold silence, the female reporter said with dissatisfaction, "Mr. Ye Tianya... oh, no, now you should be Mr. Ye, it seems you disdain talking to us proletarians?"

Ye Tianya secretly grieved. He was now stuck; he couldn't remain silent. So he smiled wryly and said, "Miss reporter, it's not that I disdain talking to you, but I'm afraid of talking to reporters. What if one day a news item suddenly appears in the newspaper revealing the color of my underwear? I'd be too ashamed to show my face. Too much talk leads to mistakes, so I have no choice but to keep quiet."

The female reporter blushed again and said, "Mr. Ye, are you so afraid of reporters? Is Li Yao that scary that you can't avoid her?"

Ye Tianya smiled and said, "No, it's not that. I'm the kind of person who hates being stripped naked and having no privacy at all. I'm worried that Miss Li is here to find writing material."

The female reporter deliberately put on a long face. "Mr. Ye, that's really unfair. Even if you protect yourself like a cocoon, you shouldn't think of us reporters as so terrifying. We reporters also have normal lives, right?"

Ye Tianya smiled bitterly to himself, but said helplessly, "Ms. Li has misunderstood. So... what would you like to talk about, Ms. Li?"

Conversations between people that are forced to have a topic can feel extremely awkward. Ye Tianya's words made Li Yao feel bored, but she was unwilling to leave without saying anything or getting any information. She hesitated for a moment before speaking, "How about we talk about what projects Mr. Ye plans to invest in during his trip to Lincheng?"

Ye Tianya smiled and said, "Look at you, Ms. Li, you really can't stop talking about your old profession. Investment projects are trade secrets. I really want to tell you, Ms. Li, but I'm only using Xueya Shuangye's funds for investment. If the secret is leaked, I'll be fired by the boss when I get back to the company, Ms. Li. You don't want me to be fired, do you?"

With the topic changed, Li Yao, the reporter, immediately relaxed and said with a smile, "Mr. Ye is still as discreet as ever. I wonder what kind of person can get out of Mr. Ye?"

Ye Tianya smiled and said, "What could I possibly have to say?" "What? Lots of saliva, a kiss and he'll spill everything."

Ye Tianya persisted in his rambling, pointing east and west, Li Yao blushed, and spat, "They say men with money become bad, Mr. Ye doesn't seem to be the genius student he used to be anymore."

Ye Tianya laughed, "Men with money become bad? Is that Miss Li's experience from being a reporter for so many years? Have you ever considered that I was originally a beast in human clothing?"
Chapters 296-298
296 Reunion with my sworn brother

Lu Tianfeng came to the hotel to pick up Ye Tianya and Xingye to attend a banquet. Ye Tianya originally had no interest in such banquets, but his name was on the invitation, and it wouldn't be right for him not to go, even for the sake of the relevant government departments. He had no choice but to bite the bullet and go.

Before reaching the banquet hall, a swarm of reporters thronged the area. Ye Tianya remained unchanged; unless he so desired, the reporters wouldn't utter a single word. Xingye, standing beside Ye Tianya, also remained silent. Lu Tianfeng, however, was overwhelmed by the reporters' incoherent questions. Back at Tianya Real Estate, Lin Siyin had always been at the forefront when dealing with reporters. Now, following behind Ye Tianya and Xingye, he could only manage a forced smile and say "no comment," his head spinning. He hurriedly followed Ye Tianya into the banquet hall, finally managing to stop the reporters outside thanks to the hotel security.

As soon as he reached the door, a short, stout middle-aged man greeted him with a hearty laugh, saying, "Mr. Ye, welcome, welcome! Please come in, please come in..."

Ye Tianya looked at the middle-aged man and smiled, "And you are...?"

The middle-aged man laughed and extended his hand to Ye Tianya, as if to shake his hand, saying, "Thank you for calling me 'senior,' my surname is Wu..."

Hearing the surname Wu, Ye Tianya knew who it was and reached out to shake the middle-aged man's hand, smiling, "So it's Director Wu. I'm sorry I'm late and have kept everyone waiting. But... it's all Director Wu's fault."

"My fault? But... what do you mean?" The middle-aged man was taken aback at first, then asked in surprise.

Ye Tianya smiled and said, "Director Wu has worked tirelessly on the infrastructure construction of Lincheng, making Lincheng change so much in less than two years, with high-rise buildings everywhere. I've only been away for a little over a year, and I'm already lost. This is of course Director Wu's responsibility."

Ye Tianya's sarcastic compliment immediately turned Wu's surprise into delight, and he laughed heartily, "My apologies, my apologies, it really is my fault, hahaha, my fault. Please come in, please come in. Let me introduce you to some well-known figures in Lincheng who have made outstanding contributions to the city's infrastructure construction."

Ye Tianya smiled politely for a moment, then turned to look at Lu Tianfeng before saying to Wu, "Director Wu, this is Manager Lu, the head of Tianya Real Estate's Lincheng branch. Since I'm not an expert in the real estate industry, I was afraid I wouldn't get along with the guests at the banquet, so I took the liberty of inviting Manager Lu to come along. Please forgive me, Director Wu."

The fat director looked up at Lu Tianfeng and chuckled, "It was our oversight; we forgot Manager Lu's invitation. Please forgive us, Manager Lu."

Lu Tianfeng handled this situation with ease, smiling politely and saying, "It's alright, it's alright. I'm just here to join in the fun with Mr. Ye. In the future, I'll have to ask Director Wu for your guidance in Lincheng."

Compared to Ye Tianya, Lu Tianfeng's words were much more diplomatic. The man surnamed Wu chuckled and said, "Young Master Ye and Manager Lu are here to contribute to the development of Lincheng, of course I will do my best..." "You've cooperated..." The man surnamed Wu knew from the moment Lu Tianfeng spoke that Lu Tianfeng was not as simple and easy to deal with as Ye Tianya. He didn't want to waste time with him and actually get him to make some demands, so he turned to Xingye and said, "Miss Xingye, I have long admired your talent. It is an honor to meet you today. Please come in..."

Xingye smiled slightly, nodded, and followed Ye Tianya inside. Ye Tianya was very familiar with the scene of the banquet. The scene of the automotive industry gathering he had witnessed at the Blue Palace was exactly the same. Ye Tianya was used to it and smiled as he responded to the curious glances he received along the way. Director Wu introduced people one by one, and Ye Tianya greeted each person he introduced with a smile. He accepted business cards but never handed them out. Instead, every time he accepted a business card, he would introduce Lu Tianfeng and ask Lu Tianfeng to distribute his business cards.

As for the various bosses and executives introduced along the way, Ye Tianya couldn't remember them all. But he did remember one person: the last person Director Wu introduced him to, Ding Junfeng, the general manager of Changfeng Real Estate. Upon seeing Ding Junfeng, Ye Tianya tightened his grip on Xingye's hand. Xingye was startled, her hand stinging. She quickly turned her head and nervously looked at Ye Tianya

, whispering, "Brother—" Ye Tianya was momentarily stunned by his own emotions, but quickly regained his composure. He forced a reassuring smile at Xingye, assuring her to relax, before walking towards Ding Junfeng. When Director Wu introduced Ye Tianya, Ding Junfeng greeted him with a smile, completely oblivious to Ye Tianya's changing emotions. He then looked at Xingye beside Ye Tianya and said excitedly, "Xiaoye, we... meet again."

Ye Tianya turned to Xingye, smiled, and said, "You two chat," before beckoning a passing waiter for a drink and finding a corner to sit down. He disliked this kind of insincere socializing, and sitting in a corner allowed him to avoid being approached by others. Watching Ding Junfeng and Xingye converse, and observing Lu Tianfeng's ease among the businessmen, Ye Tianya couldn't calm down. Ding Junfeng hadn't realized he was his sworn brother from years ago, but Ye Tianya could see the burning intensity in his gaze towards Xingye. Ye Tianya wasn't worried about Xingye; he was afraid he wouldn't be able to control his emotions and might reveal his identity to Ding Junfeng.

Ye Tianya wanted to calm down, but someone wouldn't let him. He had barely sat down when someone sat down next to him. He looked up in surprise and saw a beautiful woman, but she seemed unfamiliar, as if he'd seen her somewhere before. He couldn't help but smile and say, "Hello?"

The woman smiled and said, "Hello, Ye Tianya. Don't you remember me? Remember when you left Lincheng for Huaxia University two years ago? You even teased me at the train station."

Ye Tianya immediately remembered the two female reporters at the train station who had asked him about his underwear color when he left. This woman was one of them. Hearing the word "tease" in her words, Ye Tianya couldn't help but feel embarrassed. He shook his head and smiled wryly, "Miss reporter, you're wrong about me. When I asked..." "That question was asked to me by your reporter. If that counts as flirting, then I'm the one being flirted with too."

The Eighth Route Army soldier

brought up the question, and the female reporter blushed instantly, inwardly cursing herself for asking for trouble. But a reporter is a reporter, and she quickly recovered, smiling, "Ye Tianya, you really don't suffer any loss! I didn't expect that in less than two years, Ye Tianya would return as a wealthy man returning home in glory. But your mouth is still so sharp."

Ye Tianya smiled and said nothing more, intending to end the conversation with the reporter. He raised his glass to her in acknowledgment, then turned to look at the crowd. Since Ye Tianya had introduced Lu Tianfeng to the merchants and explained that Lu Tianfeng would be in charge of all the work in Lincheng, everyone went to deal with Lu Tianfeng, leaving Ye Tianya with some peace and quiet. Watching Lu Tianfeng handle things so smoothly, Ye Tianya felt somewhat inadequate in this area and couldn't help but curiously observe Lu Tianfeng's communication skills among the merchants.

Seeing Ye Tianya's cold silence, the female reporter said with dissatisfaction, "Mr. Ye Tianya... oh, no, now you should be Mr. Ye, it seems you disdain talking to us proletarians?"

Ye Tianya secretly grieved. He was now stuck; he couldn't remain silent. So he smiled wryly and said, "Miss reporter, it's not that I disdain talking to you, but I'm afraid of talking to reporters. What if one day a news item suddenly appears in the newspaper revealing the color of my underwear? I'd be too ashamed to show my face. Too much talk leads to mistakes, so I have no choice but to keep quiet."

The female reporter blushed again and said, "Mr. Ye, are you so afraid of reporters? Is Li Yao that scary that you can't avoid her?"

Ye Tianya smiled and said, "No, it's not that. I'm the kind of person who hates being stripped naked and having no privacy at all. I'm worried that Miss Li is here to find writing material."

The female reporter deliberately put on a long face. "Mr. Ye, that's really unfair. Even if you protect yourself like a cocoon, you shouldn't think of us reporters as so terrifying. We reporters also have normal lives, right?"

Ye Tianya smiled bitterly to himself, but said helplessly, "Ms. Li has misunderstood. So... what would you like to talk about, Ms. Li?"

Conversations between people that are forced to have a topic can feel extremely awkward. Ye Tianya's words made Li Yao feel bored, but she was unwilling to leave without saying anything or getting any information. She hesitated for a moment before speaking, "How about we talk about what projects Mr. Ye plans to invest in during his trip to Lincheng?"

Ye Tianya smiled and said, "Look at you, Ms. Li, you really can't stop talking about your old profession. Investment projects are trade secrets. I really want to tell you, Ms. Li, but I'm only using Xueya Shuangye's funds for investment. If the secret is leaked, I'll be fired by the boss when I get back to the company, Ms. Li. You don't want me to be fired, do you?"

With the topic changed, Li Yao, the reporter, immediately relaxed and said with a smile, "Mr. Ye is still..." "You're always so tight-lipped, I wonder what kind of person could possibly get out of Mr. Ye?"

Ye Tianya laughed, "What could I possibly have in my mouth? Plenty of saliva, a kiss and I can get anything out of you."

Ye Tianya persisted in his rambling, digressing, and Li Yao blushed, spitting out a retort, "They say men with money become bad, Mr. Ye doesn't seem to be the genius student he used to be."

Ye Tianya laughed, "Men with money become bad? Is that what you've learned from being a reporter for so many years, Miss Li? Have you ever considered that I'm actually a beast in human clothing?"

297

Li Yao chuckled and said, “A beast in human clothing? Mr. Ye, you must be joking. As a journalist, I’ve heard plenty about Ye Tianya’s deeds. Just consider his donations of hundreds of thousands to orphanages and his promise to provide tuition for orphans across the country who could get into Huaxia University—that’s not something a beast in human clothing would do.”

Ye Tianya really didn’t want to talk to this reporter anymore and looked to Xingye for help. Xingye, though occasionally glancing his way, was held up by Ding Junfeng and couldn’t get away. Ye Tianya could only smile politely at Li Yao and said, “That means we’re not just beasts in human clothing. Miss Li, I need to use the restroom. Excuse me.” Ye Tianya put down his cup and stood up. Li Yao knew Ye Tianya was just making an excuse to leave, but she had no reason to refuse, so she politely said, “It’s alright,” and watched him leave. Staring at the glass of wine Ye Tianya had put down, he couldn't help but say defiantly, "Whether you're a hypocrite or what, I'm going to strip you naked and see what you're really like..."

Although Xingye wanted to come to Ye Tianya's place, Ding Junfeng's barrage of greetings made her feel awkward in responding coldly. After all, Ding Junfeng had grown up in the same orphanage as Ye Tianya before being adopted by her adoptive father, and he had taken good care of her when she was young. On the other hand, Xingye wanted to confirm one thing: was Ding Junfeng the one who lied to Liu Qiyun and harmed her brother?

Xingye was certain that she would stand by Ye Tianya no matter what, but she worried about whether what Liu Qiyun told Ye Tianya was true. If Liu Qiyun had a grudge against Ding Junfeng and lied until his death to use Ye Tianya to deal with Ding Junfeng, then Ye Tianya defeating Ding Junfeng would inevitably put her in an unjust position.

Ding Junfeng was quite enthusiastic, reminiscing with Xingye about their childhood. He then exclaimed, "Time flies! It's been so long since we last met. By the way, Xingye, where are you staying now? Why don't you come home with me after the banquet and stay at my place? It'll be nice for me, as your older brother, to do my best as a host."

Xingye shook her head and smiled, "No, thank you for your kindness, Brother Junfeng, but my brother and I have already booked rooms at the hotel, so we won't bother you."

Ding Junfeng quickly waved his hand, saying, "No bother, no need to bother you." "It's so uncomfortable staying in a hotel. Are you really going to be so formal with Brother Junfeng? We grew up in the same orphanage, we're like family. Now that Brother Junfeng has some success, he should take care of you."

Xingye felt increasingly uncomfortable under Ding Junfeng's intense gaze. She wanted to quickly ask him for clarification before making a quick getaway, but just then, Ding Junfeng suddenly seemed to remember something, his expression changing drastically as he looked at Xingye and said, "Brother? You mean your brother? Is he…?"

Xingye keenly noticed the rapid change in Ding Junfeng's expression when he suddenly noticed her calling him "brother." Xingye suddenly realized something, glanced back at where Ye Tianya had been sitting, and realized he wasn't there anymore. Xingye felt a slight panic, but quickly calmed down and said to Ding Junfeng, "Brother is Ye Tianya, you met him earlier."

"What? Your brother… Ye Tianya?" Ding Junfeng asked again in surprise. However, his tone was much more normal than when he first heard Xingye say "brother." As Xingye witnessed Ding Junfeng's fluctuating emotions, a series of thoughts flashed through her mind: first, Ding Junfeng's refusal to retrieve her brother's body, leaving it to be thrown into a cave behind the prison; then, she remembered that after Ye Xin's accident, Ding Junfeng hadn't visited the orphanage; and just this afternoon, the area around Ye Tianya's adoptive father's grave had clearly been neglected for a long time, and yesterday was Qingming Festival, yet Ding Junfeng hadn't even gone to sweep the grave…

The more she thought about it, the more firmly she abandoned her earlier plan to confront Ding Junfeng, her tone unconsciously becoming much calmer as she said, "Yes, he's my brother. He was just like Ye Xin's brother was

back then, very good to Xiaoye." When she mentioned 'Ye Xin's brother,' Xingye paid special attention to Ding Junfeng. Her keen eye easily caught the flicker of panic in his eyes, and her heart turned cold. Why was the world she lived in so indifferent? Why was kinship no longer like kinship? Why do people in this world value profit so highly?

Xingye sighed deeply in her heart. Ding Junfeng seemed to notice that Xingye's voice was no longer as enthusiastic as before, and assumed it was because mentioning Ye Xin had upset her. He immediately changed the subject, saying, "Xiaoye, Ye Tianya... no, what project is your brother planning to invest in this time in S City? Has he planned to find partners? How about giving Junfeng a hint?"

Xingye felt a surge of disgust. She said indifferently, "I don't know about my brother's investment decisions. I don't like to pry into my brother's work..."

As Xingye spoke, she saw Ye Tianya coming out of the restroom and took the opportunity to say to Ding Junfeng, "If Junfeng wants to know, just ask my brother. I'll go over there first."

Xingye ignored Ding Junfeng's opinion and turned to walk towards Ye Tianya. Ding Junfeng hesitated slightly, then quickly followed. Seeing Xingye naturally leaning towards Ye Tianya after reaching him, he felt a surge of jealousy. But he was unwilling to give up the opportunity to cooperate with the renowned Tianya Real Estate; profit always took precedence in his mind.

After Xingye approached Ye Tianya, Ye Tianya took the opportunity to move away from the reporter Li Yao and find a secluded corner. He beckoned a passing waiter to bring a glass of wine and a glass of champagne, handed them to Xingye, and then sat down. Xingye naturally leaned against Ye Tianya's arm, watching Ding Junfeng approach in the distance, and whispered to Ye Tianya with some concern, "Brother, he's coming."

Ye Tianya turned his head and smiled slightly at Xingye, indicating that she didn't need to worry, but inwardly he forced himself to remain calm, constantly subconsciously reminding himself that he was no longer Ye Xin but Ye Tianya.

Ding Junfeng approached and saw Ye Tianya looking down and smiling at Xingye. Although he was inwardly seething with jealousy, he outwardly extended his hand in a gentlemanly manner, saying, "Mr. Ye, hello, may I sit here?"

Ye Tianya feigned surprise, looking up only after realizing it was Ding Junfeng. He then smiled, stood up, and shook Ding Junfeng's hand, saying, "Oh, it's Mr. Ding. Please have a seat."

Ding Junfeng sat opposite Ye Tianya and Xingye, smiling, "I just heard Xiaoye say that her brother takes good care of her. Xiaoye and I grew up in the same orphanage. Please accept my sincerest gratitude, Mr. Ye, for taking care of Xiaoye."

Ye Tianya feigned surprise, saying, "Really? So Mr. Ding and Xiaoye grew up in the same orphanage? My apologies, Mr. Ding." "With his current achievements, the children in the orphanage should be well taken care of. Xiao Ye has always worried that the children in the orphanage might suffer. Now, it's good that there's such a well-known entrepreneur in Lincheng. The children's lives certainly won't be so poor." Upon hearing

Ye Tianya's words, Ding Junfeng immediately looked somewhat embarrassed and said, "Mr. Ye is joking. I'm not a well-known entrepreneur at all. My abilities are limited. I can't even make ends meet by managing a small company. You're too kind, Mr. Ye. However, if the orphanage really needs my help, I would absolutely not refuse, even if it means selling everything I own. After all, I grew up eating their food..." Ye

Tianya sneered inwardly. With Ding Junfeng's personality, asking him to sponsor the orphanage was simply a pipe dream. It would be strange if he wasn't embarrassed. His words sounded nice, but what he meant was that he hadn't sponsored the orphanage because it hadn't encountered any difficulties and hadn't come to him to make any requests. Ye Tianya cursed inwardly, but outwardly smiled and said, "Director Wu said that everyone attending this banquet today is a well-known entrepreneur in the city. Mr. Ding is being too modest. Mr. Ding's gratitude to the orphanage is truly a model for us all."

Ding Junfeng chuckled and said, "Mr. Ye, you're too kind. It's my great honor to meet such a famous person as you today. What's more, I didn't expect that you are Xiao Ye's brother. It seems we are destined to meet. Mr. Ye has come to Lincheng to invest, and I hope to have the opportunity to cooperate with you. To celebrate this connection, I'd like to offer you a toast."

Ye Tianya smiled, raised his glass, and before Ding Junfeng could clink glasses, he raised it to his own lips, forcing Ding Junfeng to only raise his glass. This polite gesture was perfectly acceptable, but it prevented Ye Tianya from actually clinking glasses with Ding Junfeng.

If it were anyone else, upon hearing a suggestion of cooperation, they would usually politely offer a few words like "it would be an honor to cooperate" or other pleasantries. But Ye Tianya didn't touch his drink, nor did he offer any pleasantries. Ding Junfeng took a sip and said somewhat reluctantly, "Mr. Ye, what are your targets for this investment in Lincheng?"

Ye Tianya smiled and said, "Well… there are investment opportunities everywhere in Lincheng, I'm almost overwhelmed with choices. Mr. Ding, do you have any good suggestions?"

Ding Junfeng was secretly pleased; it seemed he had found the right person. He thought for a moment and said, "I recently bought a piece of land and am preparing to develop it, not far from the orphanage. I wonder if Mr. Ye would be interested in working with me on something there?"

Ye Tianya exclaimed happily, "Really? That's wonderful! I was worried about the land issue, and now Mr. Ding has truly provided a timely solution..."

Just then, the reporter Li Yao appeared inappropriately beside him and said with a smile, "Mr. Ye, aren't you afraid of revealing trade secrets now?" Ye Tianya looked up and saw that the reporter was holding two glasses, one of which he had just put down. The reporter first curiously glanced at Xingye next to

Ye

Tianya, then handed the glass to him, saying, "Mr. Ye, you haven't finished your wine. Isn't that a waste? Mr. Ye and Li Yao didn't have much to say, but you seemed to be having a very pleasant conversation with Mr. Ding. Would I have the honor of sitting down and listening?"

Ye Tianya smiled wryly, "Ms. Li is right, it is indeed a waste. I will definitely be more careful in the future. If Mr. Ding doesn't mind, of course I welcome Ms. Li."

Ding Junfeng was very gentlemanly. He stood up and gestured to Li Yao, saying, "Ms. Li, esteemed reporter, how could I not welcome you? Please, please sit down."

After Li Yao sat down, she looked at Xing Ye again and said, "This must be the renowned Xing Ye, the talented woman of Lin City. My name is Li Yao, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Xing Ye smiled lightly, then said somewhat sadly, "Ms. Li, hello. Being renowned throughout Lin City is too much of an exaggeration. If I could, I would rather not have this fame."

Li Yao's expression changed slightly. She realized she was rubbing salt in someone's wounds. As a reporter, while digging for fresh stories was part of their job, she was more interested in finding something appealing about Xing Ye. The information was meant to attract the public's attention, but she couldn't bear to reopen the wounds of the pitiful girl she sincerely admired. She immediately said seriously to Xingye, "I'm sorry, Miss Xingye, I didn't mean to bring up the past. Please forgive me."

Xingye smiled calmly, glanced at Ye Tianya, and then said, "It's alright, I know Miss Li didn't mean it."

Li Yao breathed a sigh of relief and changed the subject to divert Xingye's attention, saying to Ye Tianya and Ding Junfeng, "I overheard Mr. Ye saying that he seemed to be planning to cooperate with President Ding on some project. Has Mr. Ye found an investment target?"

Ye Tianya smiled, a subtle, eerie glint in his eyes, and said, "Miss Li may have misunderstood. It's fine if you misunderstand Tianya, but it would be bad if you misunderstood President Ding. President Ding just told us that he grew up eating food from an orphanage and that he would repay the orphanage whenever he had the chance, never uttering a word of dissent. Xiaoye has also always wanted to repay those who raised and nurtured her for more than ten years." "The orphanage where I grew up. Although Lincheng has undergone tremendous changes over the years, the orphanage is still in the same dilapidated state. I came back this time to fulfill Xiaoye's wish and build a dormitory for the Lincheng orphanage. President Ding is planning to cooperate with us. I think President Ding, who is determined to repay the orphanage that raised him, would definitely not suggest donating the land next to his orphanage to us for development. Investments require returns, but President Ding is repaying kindness without seeking anything in return. You can't misunderstand and use the word 'investment' to describe it, right, President Ding?"

As soon as Ye Tianya began to repeat Ding Junfeng's words, "I will definitely not say a word against repaying the orphanage," Ding Junfeng sensed something was wrong. The more he listened, the uglier his face became. When he heard Ye Tianya take it upon himself to combine the land for building the orphanage dormitory with the project, his face turned extremely pale. In that short moment, he suddenly felt that the banquet hall was very cold, and his hands and feet were icy.

Even at the very end, Ye Tianya wouldn't let him off the hook. In front of a reporter, he actually demanded that he make a statement. Li Yao was famous in Lincheng for exposing the dark side of society. She and another female reporter named Gao Ying were the two most famous reporters in Lincheng. The two had been competing for nearly a year, and both had exposed a lot of dark aspects of society. But unfortunately, one of them was the daughter of Vice Mayor Gao, and the other was the daughter of real estate tycoon Li Xinmin. Those whose dark sides had been exposed were helpless against them. Ding Junfeng was in a terrible predicament. If he shook his head now, there might be an article about him being ungrateful in Li Yao's special edition the next morning, and he would never be able to hold his head up in Lincheng again.

"What? Could it be... that Mr. Ding was just joking with Tianya when he said he would do everything he could to help the orphanage that raised you?" Ye Tianya was relieved to have Ding Junfeng make a statement to prevent him from making an excuse to leave. Seeing that he was hesitant to make a statement, he immediately asked.

Li Yao's eyes were now fixed on Ding Junfeng, shining brightly. Whatever he said would provide material for her article tomorrow. Whether she portrayed him as a grateful and virtuous person or an ungrateful villain depended entirely on his words. Ding Junfeng, seeing Li Yao's gleaming gaze, inwardly regretted getting involved with Ye Tianya. He forced a smile and said, "Of...of course I'm not joking."

Before Ye Tianya could speak, Li Yao excitedly asked, "So...Mr. Ding is planning to donate the land next to the orphanage to build dormitories?"

With things unfolding this way, Ding Junfeng had to suppress his heartache and feign nonchalance, saying, "Of course, of course. If the orphanage hadn't taken me in when I was still nursing, I wouldn't be where I am today."

Li Yao excitedly stood up, saying, "Great! Excellent! After so many years of investigating the dark side, it seems I have to make an exception today. I must spread this news throughout the city!" "I need to launch a large-scale charity event. It seems I have to act immediately, starting tonight. This is an opportunity I can't miss."

Li Yao said, standing up. Before Ding Junfeng and Ye Tianya could react, she ran to the banquet hall's stage, grabbed the microphone, and excitedly announced, "Distinguished guests, please be quiet. Li Yao has some fantastic news to share with you all. Tonight, our protagonist, Mr. Ye Tianya, has announced that, in order to help Miss Xingye fulfill her long-cherished wish to repay the orphanage that raised her, he is prepared to donate funds to build a new dormitory for the Lincheng Orphanage free of charge. And the land for the dormitory will be provided by Ding Junfeng, a young and promising entrepreneur in this city and the general manager of Changfeng Real Estate." "Mr. Ding, Mr. Ding revealed that he also came from an orphanage in Lincheng. He was raised there before he was even weaned. He wants to take this opportunity to repay the orphanage and society. Now, let's give a warm round of applause to Mr. Ye and Mr. Ding to say a few words to everyone, okay?"

A burst of enthusiastic applause resounded throughout the banquet hall. Everyone looked towards Ye Tianya and Ding Junfeng. Ye Tianya stood up and looked at Ding Junfeng, whose face was extremely pale but who had to force a smile, and said, "Mr. Ding, why don't you go up and say a few words to your colleagues?"

Ding Junfeng's heart was clenched with anxiety, but he helplessly stood up and walked with Ye Tianya towards Li Yao. Li Yao was the first to... The microphone was handed to Ye Tianya, who smiled slightly as he accepted it. He glanced at the impeccably dressed men and women in the banquet hall, who were all staring at him and Ding Junfeng, and said with feigned delight, "Good evening, esteemed seniors of the real estate industry. I'm new to this industry and dare not presume to claim any significant achievements. The reason I chose this place, Lincheng, is because I came from here. I'm also an orphan; I don't even know where my hometown is, but I consider Lincheng my home. I have a special attachment and a special connection to this place."

A moment of silence fell over the room; everyone was moved by Ye Tianya's subtle emotion. Even Li Yao, standing beside him, genuinely admired Ye Tianya's ability to evoke emotion. With just two short sentences, he had silenced the businessmen in the banquet hall, who reeked of money.

Ye Tianya paused for a moment, then continued, "This trip back to Lincheng was made possible by the strong support of Lin Siyin, General Manager of Tianya Real Estate. It was through this support that I had the opportunity to do something for the children at the Lincheng Orphanage who were as lonely and destitute as I once was, and to fulfill Miss Xingye's long-held wish and repay the orphanage that raised her. What makes me even happier is the strong support from General Manager Ding of Changfeng Real Estate. In addition to expressing my sincere gratitude to General Manager Lin of Tianya Real Estate and General Manager Lu Tianfeng of Lincheng Company, I especially want to express my heartfelt thanks and admiration to General Manager Ding Junfeng for donating the land. Thank you."

After Ye Tianya finished speaking, a round of enthusiastic applause erupted. Ye Tianya handed the microphone to Li Yao, who praised him emotionally for a few words before handing the microphone to Ding Junfeng and pushing him to the front of the stage.

After being tricked by Ye Tianya, Ding Junfeng didn't even have a chance to react before being pushed to the forefront, forced to put on a brave face and smile. Only he knew the true bitterness he felt. Ye Tianya, seeing how reluctant he was to walk, knew how much pain he was in. But now, he could only smile and say to everyone, "Fellow colleagues, seniors, good evening. Changfeng Real Estate is only a third-rate company in Lincheng, with limited financial resources. But as Ms. Li Yao just said, the orphanage raised me, and repaying the orphanage is our duty. We hope our colleagues and friends will support us. Thank you!"

Another round of applause followed. Ding Junfeng's heart was bleeding; he had no heart to accept the applause and praise. After saying thank you, he hurriedly left the stage. Li Yao then went up and praised Ding Junfeng, immediately unleashing her extraordinary ability to engage him, delivering a passionate speech, starting by praising Ding Junfeng... It started by praising the virtue of Lin Cheng's merchants who "help others when they are successful," and they began organizing immediate charity events. Her father, Li Xinmin, to support his daughter, immediately wrote a check for 100,000 yuan, explicitly stating it was to support Ye Tianya's construction of an orphanage dormitory. Li Yao somehow got hold of a cardboard box, cut a small opening in the top, and without even covering it with a bright red cloth or attaching a donation box label, placed it on the front desk…

It's almost 5 a.m. now. After working all night, I've finally managed to finish two chapters and post them. I know I haven't updated for two days due to personal matters, and I apologize to all my friends who have supported me. Thank you for your support. Wherever you are reading my book, please accept my early New Year's greetings: Happy New Year!
Chapter 299 Unexpected Gain
As the representative of the organizers, Director Wu immediately expressed his absolute support for Ye Tianya's dormitory construction, promising preferential treatment in terms of policy. He also delivered a passionate speech, specifically hinting that he would "remember" the contributions of the entrepreneurs who donated to Lincheng's infrastructure construction. These people were all shrewd individuals; they naturally knew what Director Wu meant by "remember." Immediately, someone wrote a check for 80,000, even making an excuse that it was 20,000 less than Li Xinmin's: "80,000, an auspicious number."

Later, all the donors who wrote checks used this "auspicious" number of 80,000 as a benchmark. However, these people wouldn't feel the pinch of a mere 80,000. If they were extravagant, it would only amount to a few meals. Their generosity was not only to give face to "Tianya Real Estate," which Ye Tianya represented, but also to Director Wu. Of course, in the end, it was all about gaining some intangible investment for themselves through Director Wu's "remember," and also to build a good reputation, because writing checks leaves a mark.

Ye Tianya himself hadn't expected that his impromptu plan to deal with Ding Junfeng would not only succeed, but also, thanks to Li Yao's interference, raise so much money for his orphanage construction. This was completely unexpected. Even more unexpected was the influence of the reporter, Li Yao. Her collaboration with Director Wu had truly turned Ye Tianya's welcoming banquet into a charity event. Ye Tianya was overjoyed and, for the first time ever, stepped forward to deliver a heartfelt and inspiring speech of gratitude. Even these money-grubbing businessmen couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction and satisfaction at having donated tens of thousands of yuan. Of course, there was one exception: Ding Junfeng, who, after being coaxed onto the stage by Ye Tianya and saying a few words, hadn't shown a proper smile.

Ye Tianya quickly understood why the reporter Li Yao had such influence. She had introduced him to her father, the man who donated the most at the event. He was a prominent and smug figure. After the introductions, Ye Tianya learned that Li Yao was the daughter of Li Xinmin, the richest man in Lincheng. Even more outrageous, Li Yao's mother was the sister of the current mayor, Cao Weikai. No wonder so many businessmen gave her face; she could raise such a large sum of money with a single call.

After Ye Tianya politely thanked Li Xinmin and exchanged a few pleasantries, Li Xinmin revealed his true intentions. Like his daughter, he wanted to find out what Ye Tianya intended to invest in in Lincheng, and whether it was the villa development that Tianya Real Estate was best at.

Ye Tianya smiled and said, "Chairman Li, I'm still investigating what to invest in. Right now, the priority is building the orphanage's dormitories, which will take some time. I want to gain some experience first, so I'd appreciate your guidance, Chairman Li. I'd like to use this time to investigate further before deciding what to invest in. There's plenty of time, right?"

Li Xinmin, somewhat reluctantly after being politely declined by Ye Tianya, said, "Mr. Ye, you're too kind. Young Master Ye is cautious and not as impulsive as most young people; that's truly admirable." " It seems Mr. Ye will be staying in Lincheng for quite some time. A new golf course has been developed in the southern suburbs of Lincheng

. I, Li, will be hosting a party tomorrow afternoon. I wonder if Mr. Ye would do me the honor of joining us?" Ye Tianya looked embarrassed and smiled wryly, "Chairman Li's invitation is too kind for me to refuse. However, I have just arrived in Lincheng, and there are many things to be done at the company. I'm afraid I can't get away. Please forgive me, Chairman Li. Once the company is on track, I will definitely host a party to make amends."

Li Xinmin chuckled and said, "It is I who did not think of this. Mr. Ye has just arrived in Lincheng, and there are many things to be done." "I'm definitely tied up, so it's settled then. After Mr. Ye's company makes its move, I, Li, will be waiting for you at the golf course."

Ye Tianya hadn't expected Li Xinmin to actually go along with it so readily, so he could only laugh and say, "Definitely, definitely."

When Ye Tianya agreed, Li Yao smiled subtly, glanced at Ding Junfeng who was talking to other businessmen in the distance, and then whispered to Ye Tianya, "Mr. Ye, I've helped you so well today, shouldn't you repay me?"

Ye Tianya was taken aback. It turned out that this reporter had noticed Ding Junfeng's reluctance from the beginning, and he couldn't help but laugh and say, "Of course, of course. Miss Li initiated a fundraising campaign for the orphanage, and I thank Miss Li on behalf of the children of the orphanage. I will definitely tell them that there is a kind-hearted reporter who has worked so hard for them..." Ye Tianya deliberately misunderstood, attributing all the credit to the children of the orphanage rather than to him, thus avoiding her so-called 'repayment'.

Li Yao, of course, understood the implication in Ye Tianya's words and immediately interrupted him with displeasure, saying, "Mr. Ye, you're so petty. Humph, no good deed goes unpunished." Ye

Tianya shook his head and smiled bitterly. Li Xinmin quickly stepped in to smooth things over, stopping Li Yao before smiling at Ye Tianya, "Young Mr. Ye, my daughter has been spoiled since childhood. Please forgive her for any offense she may have caused."

Ye Tianya quickly smiled and said, "It's alright, Miss Li, this is just your true nature. As the saying goes, true nature is rare."

Li Yao said discontentedly, "For people like you who interact with each other wearing masks and with ulterior motives, true nature is certainly rare. Hypocritical, humph!" After saying this, Li Yao shook off the embarrassed Li Xinmin and Ye Tianya and walked towards Xingye. Leaving Ye Tianya and Li Xinmin looking at each other with bitter smiles.

Although Lu Tianfeng managed to fend off most of the merchants who wanted to extract information, quite a few still managed to get involved with Ye Tianya. After finally managing to get through the banquet, Xingye reluctantly declined Ding Junfeng's generous invitation before getting into the car Lu Tianfeng had driven with Ye Tianya. Only then did Ye Tianya let out a long sigh of relief.

Xingye turned her head and smiled, "Brother, these kinds of occasions must be exhausting. How about we don't participate next time?"

Ye Tianya nodded and said, "I don't want a next time. It's really a headache."

Lu Tianfeng, who was in front, turned around and smiled, "Mr. Ye, I'm afraid you'll have a hard time avoiding these events in the future. One banquet after another will be flying in."

Ye Tianya had witnessed Lu Tianfeng's talent tonight. He was completely at ease amidst all this money-grubbing. Ye Tianya was even more impressed with himself in this regard. Moreover, Ye Tianya knew that Lu Tianfeng's initial coldness towards him was entirely due to a misunderstanding that he would become the company manager and put pressure on him. Now that the misunderstanding was gone, Lu Tianfeng's smile was much more sincere. Ye Tianya also sincerely said, "Brother Lu, please don't call me 'Mr.' If you don't mind, just call me Tianya. I'll have to rely on Brother Lu a lot in the future."

Lu Tianfeng paused slightly, then laughed and said, "Then I won't stand on ceremony, brother. Tianya, since you represent the investors, all these businessmen, big and small, at today's banquet have been eyeing you quite a bit. After the company is officially established, there will be a ton of banquets for you to attend, so you'd better be mentally prepared."

Ye Tianya sighed, "It's over, it's over, my life is over."

Xingye was amused by Ye Tianya and giggled, "Brother, you're getting funnier and funnier. I think your real trouble is that reporter Li Yao. I just heard her muttering that she won't stop until she digs out every last bit of your privacy."

Ye Tianya suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. It would have been better if Li Yao hadn't been mentioned, but now that she was, Ye Tianya felt a secret pang of unease . "This woman is a madwoman whose curiosity is bigger than the universe," Ye Tianya thought, somewhat regretting that he had embarrassed her at the train station. He couldn't help but sigh, "Which great philosopher once said, 'You can offend anyone, but never offend a woman'? It seems to be a truly wise saying."

Xingye burst out laughing, "Brother, what philosopher said such a thing? You must be the philosopher."

Ye Tianya could tell that Xingye hadn't been in a good mood since her conversation with Ding Junfeng, and wanting to cheer her up, he deliberately teased, "Oh right, no wonder I couldn't find anyone who said that after counting all the philosophers throughout history. Turns out I forgot to count myself, really."

Xingye again... Amused, just as the car reached a fork in the road, Ye Tianya quickly told Lu Tianfeng to stop the car, opened the door and got out of the driveway: "Manager Lu, you go back first. It's been years since I've been back. Xiaoye and I will walk around the streets and take a taxi back to the hotel."

Lu Tianfeng stuck his head out and said: "Tianya, be careful. I'm going back first. See you at the company tomorrow morning."

Ye Tianya waved goodbye to Lu Tianfeng before turning back to Xingye and saying: "Xiaoye, what's wrong? You don't seem very happy?"

Xingye sighed and said: "Brother, I just can't accept it. Why can interests always surpass feelings? Junfeng, he..."

Ye Tianya gently held Xingye's hand and said: "Silly girl, don't be so pessimistic. Even if all the feelings in the world are diluted by interests..." "But my brother's feelings for Xiaoye can't be diminished, and Xiaoye's feelings for me are the same, aren't they?"

Xingye's eyes regained their light, and as Ye Tianya pulled her into his arms, she hugged him tightly, saying, "Xiaoye knows, brother loves Xiaoye, and Xiaoye feels the same way, deeply loving brother, forever..."

Ye Tianya gently stroked Xingye's long, smooth hair, saying, "Xiaoye, shall we go back to the orphanage now to see the director?"

Xingye looked up, delighted, and said, "Okay, let's go tell the director about building dormitories; she'll be very happy."

Ye Tianya nodded, saying, "Okay, let's go now... no, let's go to the mall first to buy some gifts for our younger brothers and sisters."

"Mmm—" Xingye nodded excitedly, linking arms with Ye Tianya as they excitedly walked towards the city center. Far off on the side of the road, inside a BMW, Ding Junfeng's eyes were practically spitting fire…
Chapter 300:
A Loving Mother and Her Child. Upon seeing the old director again, Ye Tianya couldn't help but feel an urge to cry. From childhood, the children, orphaned and childless, had always treated this old woman like a mother. The old woman had poured countless hours and effort into raising them. Xingye had once said that on the day he was sentenced, the old director locked himself in his office… The memory of crying in the office always made Ye Tianya feel a tightness in his chest and a stinging pain in his nose...

When Ye Tianya and Xingye arrived at the orphanage, it was already past nine o'clock. Most of the children were already asleep, except for two who were studying hard under the lamp, preparing for the college entrance examination. When Xingye and Ye Tianya appeared in front of the old director who was washing a pair of baby shoes, the old director was so surprised that the little shoes fell into the basin with a thud. He excitedly hugged Xingye and choked out, "Xiaoye, my Xiaoye, the child has come back to see me..."

"Director—" Xingye sobbed in the director's arms. Ye Tianya's nose tingled, his vision blurred, and he almost blurted out "Director." He quickly turned away so that no one would notice his wet eyes, but he heard Xingye and the old director embracing and weeping. He quickly wiped away his tears and sighed several times to compose himself, but two teenagers walking towards them saw him clearly. These two were students preparing for the college entrance examination. Ye Tianya recognized them. The boy was named Song Tao, the most taciturn one when Ye Tianya was still in the orphanage. Although orphans often felt inferior, this wasn't the case among orphans; he was an exception. The girl was named Liu Caihong. When Ye Tianya had the accident, they were already in high school. Upon suddenly meeting them, Ye Tianya almost called out their names, but then realized that in his current situation, he shouldn't recognize them. They had just noticed him wiping away tears, and fearing they would discover something amiss, Ye Tianya quickly turned back to comfort Xingye and the old director.

Song Tao and Liu Caihong also came to comfort the director, and Xingye and the old director finally calmed down. Xingye wiped away her tears before pulling Ye Tianya aside to introduce her to the old director. The feeling of reintroducing a group of people she was already very familiar with filled her with a pang of sadness.

When Ye Tianya was introduced, he bowed deeply to the old director. Although he longed to embrace this kind, motherly woman and weep freely, he couldn't. He could only suppress his emotions and express his respect with a deep bow. The old director

looked at Xingye and Ye Tianya with satisfaction. She had heard many stories about them, especially about their collaboration with Yin Chao to sponsor two orphanages and their announcement of paying tuition for orphans admitted to universities in China. She had been moved to tears when they did. She could see that Xingye, whom she considered a daughter, had found a good home. Throughout her life, she raised many orphans. Over the decades, the four most outstanding were Ye Xin, Du Qing, Xing Ye, and Ding Junfeng. Ding Junfeng and Du Qing, after achieving success, never returned to the orphanage. Ye Xin was framed and died unjustly. Of the remaining four, Xing Ye not only exonerated Ye Xin but also never forgot the orphanage as her home. She was the one who brought her the most joy among her four most beloved children. Seeing Xing Ye find such a good home, the old woman couldn't help but be happy for her.

Although they were very familiar with Xingye, their older sister, and both Xingye and Ye Tianya had taken good care of them in the past, Song Tao and Liu Caihong were still somewhat reserved in front of Xingye, whose identity had changed, and Ye Tianya, whom they no longer recognized. Xingye was a little uncomfortable with their restraint and couldn't help but look at them, saying, "Xiao Tao, Xiao Hong, what's wrong? Don't you recognize your sister?"

The two looked embarrassed, and Song Tao spoke first, "Sister Xiaoye, of course we recognize you... We... we were just reviewing our lessons."

Ye Tianya sighed inwardly, wondering how they had become so estranged. Song Tao was clearly making conversation, creating an awkward atmosphere. Ye Tianya quickly stepped forward and handed the gifts he had bought to Song Tao, saying, "You two go back to your studies. Take these and put them away. Distribute them to your younger siblings tomorrow morning. We have something to discuss with the director, and we'll come back to play with you later." After saying this, Ye Tianya naturally and gently nudged Song Tao's shoulder. This natural gesture made Song Tao feel more comfortable. He said "Oh" and left with Liu Caihong. After taking a few steps, he suddenly felt a familiar feeling emanating from Ye Tianya—a feeling… from the moment Ye Tianya gently nudged him…

"Child, is there something you want to tell me?" The director, hearing that Ye Tianya had something to discuss, looked at Ye Tianya kindly after Song Tao and Liu Caihong left and asked.

Ye Tianya nodded and said, "It's like this, Director. Xiao Ye has been worried about the children's dormitories being too dark and damp. This time we came back, we're planning to build a new dormitory for the children, not far away, and we'll connect it to this courtyard…"

Before Ye Tianya could finish speaking, the old director was already so moved he was at a loss for words. He looked at Xingye excitedly and said, "Really? Good, good, good child, your brother in heaven is happy for you too..." The director's face darkened as he said, "It's a pity he can't see it. This wicked society, my poor Xin'er..." The old director suddenly thought of Ye Xin, and his voice choked with emotion.

Ye Tianya's nose stung, and he almost told the director that he was Ye Xin, but he quickly swallowed the words back. Xingye was also moved by the director's words and choked up as she comforted him, "Director, your brother will see it, he can see it. Don't cry, or your brother will be sad..."

"Don't cry, don't cry, I won't cry, child, you shouldn't cry either..." The old man and the young man supported each other, wiping away their tears. Ye Tianya couldn't hold back his tears, and they welled up in his eyes again.

"Xiao Ye, you stay and talk to the dean for a while. I'm going to check on Xiao Tao and Xiao Hong as they review their lessons," Ye Tianya said hurriedly, turning his back to the dean so she wouldn't see the tears welling up in his eyes. He walked to the corner, wiped away his tears, took a few breaths to calm his heart, and headed towards the room where the light was still on. That was where he, Xing Ye, Du Qing, and Ding Junfeng used to study together at night. After he and Ding Junfeng were adopted by their adoptive father, Ding Junfeng never came back, but Ye Tianya often returned, so he was very familiar with this place.

He knocked twice, and the door opened from the inside. Song Tao appeared in the doorway, still as reserved as ever, and said, "Mr. Ye... please come in and sit down."

Ye Tianya frowned upon hearing "Mr. Ye" and said, "Xiao Tao, your sister Xiao Ye calls me brother, so you should call me brother too. And Xiao Hong, do the same. Don't call me 'brother,' okay?"

The two lowered their heads shyly and softly called him brother. Only then did Ye Tianya smile and walk in. He glanced around the place where he and Xing Ye had once spent time together. The four large characters "Diligence Can Make Up for Clumsiness" that he had written with a brush on the wall were still there, and the desk he used to use was still there, now piled high with books.

Ye Tianya's gaze finally settled on a group photo hanging on the wall. There were four people in the photo: Du Qing, Xing Ye, the director, and himself. Ding Junfeng was not in the photo; he had rarely returned to the orphanage since being adopted by his adoptive father. Looking at his own face, which should have been Ye Xin, and then at the photo of himself and Xingye still looking so young, Ye Tianya couldn't help but sigh. Time flies, and the years take their toll. The dean, who had a full head of black hair back then, now had graying temples in just a few years.

Seeing Ye Tianya staring at the photo, Song Tao said with some sadness, "Sister Xiaoye is the third one, and the one in the middle is the dean. After Brother Ye Xin's accident, the dean aged a lot. Besides the dean and Sister Xiaoye, the one on the far left is Sister Du Qing. She left after finding her parents and never came back. The one next to the dean... is Brother Ye Xin. He was the one who was framed by villains, and Sister Xiaoye cleared his name. This room is where Sister Xiaoye and Brother Ye Xin used back then. The dean said they were her pride and that we should learn from them here..."

Ye Tianya turned back to Song Tao and asked, "What about you? What do you think?"

Song Tao hesitated for a moment and said, "Sister Xiaoye and Brother Ye Xin are also our... " "Your pride is the pride of our orphanage. We are studying hard to become someone the director can be proud of."

Ye Tianya looked at Liu Caihong, who was no longer so shy and had raised her head, and asked, "Xiao Hong, what about you? What is your goal?"

Liu Caihong took a deep breath, as if she had mustered a lot of courage, before looking at Ye Tianya and said, "My current goal is to secure the tuition fee that Mr. Ye... Brother Tianya promised."

Ye Tianya laughed and said, "The threshold for Huaxia University is very high. Are you confident?"

Liu Caihong glanced back at the four characters "Diligence can make up for lack of talent" that Ye Tianya had once written, and said firmly, "I am confident. Brother Tianya, just wait and see how much you'll spend."

Liu Caihong was a little more relaxed than Song Tao before she finished speaking, and then gave Ye Tianya a playful smile. Ye Tianya laughed, "As long as you can get in, I'll be happy even if it costs me money. Xiao Tao, you too."

Perhaps it was Liu Caihong's relaxed demeanor that influenced Song Tao, and this shy boy gradually opened up, smiling at Ye Tianya. Liu Caihong said confidently, "Brother Tianya can't escape Brother Tao's share. Brother Tao is the top student in our grade, he's guaranteed to get into Huaxia." As she spoke, Liu Caihong naturally took Song Tao's arm, and Song Tao returned a tender smile to Liu Caihong. This action and smile suddenly reminded Ye Tianya of the scene when he studied with Xingye back then, and he felt a little emotional. He couldn't help but smile and look back and forth between the two of them. Liu Caihong immediately realized the ambiguity of her natural action, blushed, quickly let go of Song Tao, and stuck out her tongue playfully at Ye Tianya.
Chapter 301 Secret Instructions
Looking at the dozen or so elite figures Lin Siyin had previously sent to Lincheng in the conference room, Ye Tianya smiled slightly and pointed to Xia Yi, saying to the assembled people, "Let me introduce you all. This is our company's preliminary legal counsel, Ms. Xia Yi."

Perhaps Lu Tianfeng had already spoken to the group before Ye Tianya arrived, because the dozen or so people didn't put on any airs towards him and warmly applauded in welcome. Xia Yi calmly stood up and said, "Everyone here is an elite from Tianya Real Estate. I am honored by President Lin's favor to come and learn from you all. Please take good care of me. Apart from Mr. Ye and Ms. Xingye, I am the youngest here. You can just call me Xiao Yi."

When Ye Tianya and Xingye heard Xia Yi say this, they exchanged a glance, barely suppressing their laughter.

The young man on the far left of the ten elites was probably still single. Seeing such a beautiful colleague arrive, he was excited and wanted to be the first to speak, saying excitedly, "Hello Xiaoyi, my name is Fu Zhigao, welcome to work at Tianya Real Estate..."

He was a little too excited, and before he could finish, several sensitive people in the office burst into laughter. Ye Tianya and Xingye couldn't help but exchange a smile, and Lu Tianfeng quickly caught on and laughed too, saying, "Xia, you're trying to take advantage of us the moment we meet? A lawyer's true colors, playing word games with us right away."

The excited young man then realized he had just been tricked, and his face immediately turned bright red. Xia Yi chuckled and said... "Manager Lu, you've misunderstood. What's wrong with calling me Xiao Yi? Just like this nephew Fu, how sweetly he calls me 'Auntie'! Just for that one word, I'll definitely introduce him to a beautiful girlfriend someday... Oh, I forgot to ask nephew Fu, do you have a girlfriend? If you do, I take back what I just said."

Fu Zhigao's face turned bright red, and everyone in the conference room burst into laughter. But an elite is an elite; he quickly regained his composure, his embarrassed expression replaced by a calm smile: "These are the words of Miss Xiao Yi. If you don't introduce me to a beautiful girlfriend, I'll cling to you and you can temporarily take my place." By adding "Miss" after Xiao Yi, Fu Zhigao prevented it from being misheard as 'Auntie'. Ye Tianya secretly praised him; this guy's adaptability was quite good.

Xia Yi hadn't expected Fu Zhigao to react so quickly. After a slight pause, she smiled and said, "As expected of an elite from Tianya Real Estate, your adaptability is superb. I admire you."

Ye Tianya knew that if this continued, the meeting would be over, so he coughed and said, "Please be quiet. The lady next to me is... Xingye. She's my assistant at the company."

Xia Yi deliberately embarrassed Ye Tianya and interjected, "Mr. Ye emphasized that Ms. Xingye is his assistant at the company, which means that outside the company, Ms. Xingye is his girlfriend. In other words, he's telling everyone not to make a move on Ms. Xingye. Actually, Mr. Ye doesn't need to be so careful. Everyone knows about your relationship with Ms. Xingye. Why be so cautious?"

Another burst of laughter followed, and Ye Tianya and Xingye were immediately embarrassed. This Xia Yi, she really was used to being a lawyer; her words were sharp. Ye Tianya glanced at Xingye's embarrassed face and quickly coughed again, saying, "Ms. Xia, we're still having a meeting. It's fine to lighten the mood, but let's not get off-topic."

Xia Yi's expression changed slightly, and she quickly quieted down. The others also stopped laughing and looked at Ye Tianya. Ye Tianya then said, "Those sitting here today are all elites and key personnel of Tianya Real Estate. I am an outsider and dare not presume to teach you. I will only convey a few instructions from President Lin." Upon hearing President Lin's instructions, the dozen or so people from Tianya Real Estate immediately became respectful. Ye Tianya was secretly impressed by Lin Siyin's prestige. He carefully chose his words before saying, "According to President Lin's instructions, I can only exist as a representative of the investor, and all the company's work will be handled by Manager Lu Tianfeng. That's the first point. Secondly..." "I must announce that our first mission for the Lincheng Construction branch is..."

Ye Tianya paused, then continued, "This is confidential. If any colleague feels they cannot keep this secret, please leave now. Once this mission is announced, not a single word of it can be uttered from your mouths until it is completed..."

The dozen or so people exchanged glances, but no one stood up to leave. Ye Tianya said with satisfaction, "Good, as expected of President Lin's most trusted subordinates. Listen carefully, everyone. Our first mission is to crush Changfeng Real Estate! This is the true purpose of our choice to invest in Lincheng."

"Ah—"

Back when Lin Siyin announced her entry into Lincheng, everyone, both inside and outside the company, was wondering why Lin Siyin would choose this place, including these dozen or so people from the company. But now, when the real reason came out of Ye Tianya's mouth, all of them showed expressions of surprise. Lin Siyin's investment in Lincheng was not for making money, but to crush Changfeng Real Estate. Targeting a company by name would not be without reason. What was the reason behind this? It must be because Changfeng Real Estate has a grudge against Lin Siyin. What grudge? These people didn't know, nor dared to inquire, but the fact that the branch company was established for revenge was a huge surprise to everyone, including Xia Yi.

Ye Tianya looked at everyone's surprised gazes and said firmly, "I know you're surprised, but this is our goal. Put aside any questions or misunderstandings you may have and strive to complete our primary task." His firm voice was full of pride and domineering spirit, which shocked the dozen or so people and brought them back to their senses.

Lu Tianfeng then spoke up, "Tianya, about President Ding's land donation last night, was it you..."

Ye Tianya nodded and said, "That's right, the land donation wasn't voluntary on his part. I set a trap for him."

“But what if he shamelessly goes back on his word?” Lu Tianfeng said with some concern, “If he goes back on his word, then it will be bad for Tianya Real Estate if we say we’ll build dormitories for the orphanage but don’t actually build them.”

Ye Tianya thought to himself that this guy really was thinking of Tianya Real Estate in every way, and immediately said, “I went to the orphanage with Xiaoye last night and talked with the old director. If Ding Junfeng goes back on his word, we will rebuild the dormitories on the existing site of the orphanage. Building dormitories for the orphanage was a decision we made before we came here. It’s just that last night we happened to find out that Ding Junfeng had such a piece of land, so we decided to squeeze him out of it and make him lose a lot of money. President Lin’s point is that building dormitories for the orphanage is an opportunity for our transformation. Tianya Real Estate has always developed villas. Through this opportunity, we can successfully transform into the development of apartment-style residential buildings. Building dormitories for the orphanage is also a good deed for Tianya Real Estate, isn’t it?”

Lu Tianfeng looked at Ye Tianya in surprise. He didn’t expect that Ye Tianya would start making moves before the company was even officially listed. Lu Tianfeng completely understood what Ye Tianya meant by President Lin's decision. A sudden leap from villa development to apartment building development without a smooth transition was unacceptable. Moreover, building apartments for the orphanage was not only a virtuous act but would also greatly benefit Tianya Real Estate's reputation. In any case, the investment was a matter for Ye Tianya and Xueya Shuangye. Thinking this, Lu Tianfeng secretly applauded President Lin's brilliant and wise decision.

The other dozen or so people exchanged glances. Finally, Fu Zhigao spoke up, "Mr. Ye, what about our company's manpower?"

Ye Tianya smiled slightly and said, "Now that we have a mission objective, let's move towards it. Yesterday, I asked Manager Lu to contact the headhunting company. I wonder if it's settled?"

Lu Tianfeng looked at his secretary, a capable woman who stood up and said, "Mr. Ye, I've already made contact. They said that as long as we give them the information on the people we want to recruit, they can be mobilized at any time."

Ye Tianya nodded and said, "Good. Regarding Mr. Fu's question about personnel, I think Manager Lu should organize the recruitment first, leaving about ten positions vacant. Once Ding Junfeng brings out the land documents, have the headhunting company spare no expense to poach the key business personnel from Changfeng Real Estate. Finally, I want to remind everyone that this is..." "Confidential, absolutely confidential. I don't want anyone to be fired by President Lin for letting something slip. Oh, by the way, Manager Lu, regarding the Changfeng land, send someone to contact him as soon as possible. When you go, make an appointment with that big-name reporter

, Li Yao; she can be of great help to us." Ye Tianya's commanding presence and infectious energy always made people nod in agreement. Even though Lu Tianfeng was supposed to manage all the company's work, Lu Tianfeng himself couldn't help but nod earnestly when Ye Tianya gave the order. This feeling was something he only had when Lin Siyin gave orders, but now he still nodded involuntarily, saying earnestly, "I understand."

The other eight people, except for Lu Tianfeng's secretary, were astonished that Lu Tianfeng would say "I understand" so respectfully and earnestly. After Ye Tianya left Xia Yi behind and returned to the office that Lu Tianfeng had arranged for him with Xingye, Lu Tianfeng immediately made a long-distance call to S City to ask Lin Siyin if Ye Tianya's so-called "President Lin's instructions" were truly hers.

"Manager Lu, listen up. From now on, all of Ye Tianya's decisions represent my will. I've entrusted him with all the work in Lincheng, and that means he'll act as my representative in Lincheng. His words represent my will, and if any problems arise, he'll be directly responsible to me."

To ensure everyone present could testify, and if Lin Siyin said Ye Tianya's words weren't her intention, then others could vouch for it. He put the phone on speakerphone so Lin Siyin's voice could be heard clearly. When Lin Siyin said this seriously, he and the others couldn't help but exchange bewildered glances. Despite their surprise, no one dared to disobey Lin Siyin; they all followed Ye Tianya's instructions.

Ye Tianya had barely settled into his office when Xia Yi knocked on the door and handed him a newspaper, saying, "Mr. Ye, look..."
Chapter 302 Exposing the Angel.
Xia Yi brought in the Lin City newspaper, the Lin City Evening News, the city's best-selling newspaper. His name, Ye Tianya, was prominently featured under two headlines on the front page. The left headline was about his upcoming investment in building a Lin City orphanage, while the right headline was "A Lifetime Promise, A Lily," which was about him buying lilies for Xingye, even digging up the story of him sending a lily by air two years ago.

Ye Tianya glanced at the first headline; it was written by Li Yao. This wasn't unexpected; he had guessed last night that there would definitely be an article by Li Yao in today's paper, and about his investment in building the orphanage dormitory. However, he hadn't expected another reporter named Gao Ying to dig up such a trivial matter. However, Ye Tianya quickly learned what had happened from the news. Yesterday afternoon, he and Xingye went to a flower shop to buy flowers, and only there could the information about his air-delivered lilies have leaked. The people from the Spy Shadow organization who helped him air-deliver the lilies would never dare to reveal their leader's secret.

Ye Tianya handed the newspaper back to Xia Yi and said, "These reporters... they really are everywhere."

Xia Yi smiled and said, "Of course they are everywhere. You know, today's newspapers are in high demand. When I bought the newspaper, I heard some interesting news. These two reporters, oh, I mean Gao Ying and Li Yao, have been at odds for over a year. Situations like today, where they fight over the front page, happen frequently. They are evenly matched but determined to win. The Lincheng Evening News is their battlefield. I just didn't expect that this time, you would become the fuse of their war. I'm sure these two reporters will definitely come looking for trouble with you again. I really look forward to seeing what secrets they will dig up from you next time."

Ye Tianya couldn't help but shudder. Li Yao alone was already giving him a headache, and if Gao Ying, who was equally matched with Li Yao, were added, wouldn't he be overwhelmed with trouble? Thinking of this, Ye Tianya couldn't help but turn his head to look at Xingye. The two exchanged a wry smile, while Xia Yi said with a gloating expression, "Serves you right! You always act mysterious, now you're in trouble. You two better watch out. If I find any useful information, I'll sell it to one of these two reporters. They'll definitely offer a high price." Xia Yi giggled after saying this, and Ye Tianya said irritably, "You really are influenced by your surroundings. You're just like your boss

. Did you come here to remind me with this newspaper?" Xia Yi smiled awkwardly, put down the newspaper, and then took out a folder from under her arm and handed it to Ye Tianya

, saying, "Sign here. I'm an unofficial employee of the company. I need your signature to purchase office equipment." Ye Tianya took it, glanced at it, signed his name, and then said somewhat unhappily, "This Lu Tianfeng is really... quite shrewd. Siyin's subordinates are really loyal."

"Sister Siyin?" Xia Yi asked疑惑地, then suddenly realized, "Oh, I know, no wonder President Lin asked you to represent her. So you're quite familiar with her. Wow, this is big news, it's sure to fetch a high price..." After saying that, Xia Yi snatched the signed documents from Ye Tianya and fled the door, turning back to make a face at Ye Tianya.

Ye Tianya and Xingye shook their heads and smiled wryly again. Since the company hadn't officially started operating yet, Ye Tianya didn't have much work to do, just transferring funds from Xueya Shuangye and reviewing some approval documents. Xingye, on the other hand, was studying her own law courses in the office, going to Xia Yi's office for guidance whenever she had questions. Besides helping Ye Tianya with legal matters, another task Hu Qing had given Xia Yi in Lincheng was to guide Xingye's studies, and she, of course, devoted herself wholeheartedly to it.

While everyone in the company was busy preparing for the listing, the two reporters, Gao Ying and Li Yao, whom Ye Tianya and Xia Yi had just been discussing, bumped into each other in the editorial department. These two always greeted each other like best friends, but their conversations were always full of sparks. Sure enough, after their warm greetings, Li Yao spoke first: "Ying, your alley-digging skills have really come through again! You actually dug up such a big secret from Ye Tianya. How come your luck is always so good? You just had to run into him."

Gao Ying, a tall and beautiful woman like Li Yao, retorted with a smile: "I can't help it. Unlike you, Yao, I don't have a rich father who can easily get exclusive news. I don't have a billionaire father, so I can't go to those high-class places to meet Ye Tianya. I have to continue to cultivate my alley-digging spirit."

Gao Ying's words directly implied that Li Yao had just uncovered such a big secret. The exclusive news was only obtained with his father's help, not through his own ability. As a reporter, Li Yao could easily understand this obvious implication. Her expression turned somewhat unpleasant, but she quickly regained her composure and said, "I went through a lot of trouble to get into that banquet. I'm definitely not as good as you, A-Ying. You bumped into a flower-selling cousin and managed to get such a great story. A-Ying, how come you're always so lucky?"

Gao Ying immediately understood the implication in Li Yao's words. She was implying that compared to Li Yao's hard work in finding material, Gao Ying relied on luck, not ability. Li Yao dared to so directly belittle her abilities, and her expression turned somewhat ugly. Like Li Yao, she quickly regained her composure and smiled, "Yes, good character is blessed by heaven, always giving me such good luck."

Li Yao was furious. Gao Ying meant that she had bad character. Gao Ying and she had been competing with each other since childhood. One was the daughter of the deputy mayor, and the other was the mayor's niece and the daughter of the richest man in Jialin City. From kindergarten to university, the two always seemed to clash. They fought over the red flower, and they fought over being the top student. Their battle for the top spot was fierce, a silent competition that had raged for over a decade. After graduating from university, they found themselves competing again. The newspaper was only hiring one person, and both were neck and neck, pulling out all the stops. The editor-in-chief, realizing their exceptional talent, couldn't decide and ultimately kept them both. This decision, however, led to a frequent split of the front page of the Lincheng Evening News between the two, their silent battle now taking place on the paper itself. Whenever they couldn't decide whose story to feature, the editor-in-chief would make a tearing gesture.

Like this time, Li Yao painstakingly unearthed a firsthand story, hoping to finally defeat Gao Ying and send her slinking to the advertising section. But Gao Ying had somehow managed to get such a sensational story, once again sharing the front page with her. What angered her even more was that the information she had gone to so much trouble to obtain was being accused by this girl who just happened to get the material of having her father's help. The ever-unyielding Li Yao couldn't stand it. Despite her

anger, Li Yao didn't want to show it and make Gao Ying happy. She smiled slightly and said, "I think it's probably because of the heavy fog in Lin City these days. Sorry, I still have to do follow-up interviews and keep an eye on the news. I don't have A-Ying's luck, so I can only try my best."

This time it was Gao Ying's turn to be angry. Li Yao saying that Lin City was foggy these days was basically saying that God was blind or hadn't seen it, perfectly silencing her comment about "God's favor." Just as she was about to retort, Li Yao had already picked up her bag and left briskly. After her anger subsided, she became anxious. Although she had been lucky enough to run into her cousin and get a story that could be featured on the homepage, Li Yao's story was one that could be followed up and reported. She wouldn't linger any longer, immediately packed her tools, and left. She had to go find more material. Otherwise, she would be the loser in the next round.

The silent battle between the two reporters continued, but Ding Junfeng was currently fuming in the conference room, his head spinning. He wanted to come up with a way to change the fate of the land next to the orphanage, preventing it from being given away for nothing. The land was in the city center, just steps from Nanmen Street. Although it wasn't street-facing and couldn't be used for commercial purposes, building a residential building there could be incredibly profitable in the city. The land had cost Changfeng Real Estate 70-80% of its working capital when it was purchased, with the intention of using it as collateral for a bank loan. However, Ye Tianya and the reporter had conspired to keep the land tied to the guise of 'repaying kindness'.

What's infuriating is that if this reporter were an ordinary journalist, a little money could have made the news disappear without a trace. But this reporter happens to be one of the two most famous journalists in Lincheng right now. These two are known as "angels of exposure," specializing in exposing shady dealings and the suffering of the poor, and they are deeply loved by the people. Of course, in the eyes of Ding Junfeng and his ilk, these two are "devils of exposure." Whether it's a high-ranking official or a wealthy person, there's no one in Lincheng they wouldn't dare expose. As long as they know even the slightest bit of the inside story in Lincheng, nothing will remain hidden from the light of day. If he rashly spent money to silence her, his image on the front page of the newspaper this morning would probably be quite different.

The newspaper on the table only fueled Ding Junfeng's anger. He was furious that despite donating the entire plot of land, his name was only mentioned three times on the front page. Compared to Ye Tianya's three prominent names, he was completely negligible. Li Yao was clearly using Ye Tianya's name to boost sales, attracting attention and relegating him, the philanthropist, to a corner with only a few words.

He glanced at his subordinates in the conference room, his anger rising...
Chapter 303 Changfeng's Regret
"What can we do? Speak up!" Ding Junfeng slammed his hand on the table and stood up, roaring as his subordinates remained silent. He'd been seething with anger ever since he got home last night, and now he couldn't hold back any longer. He roared at his equally helpless subordinates, "Didn't you all always call yourselves elites? Are you all mute now? Where did your elite skills go? What am I keeping you around for? Are you just here to eat? If you don't come up with a good solution today, nobody's going home!"

The subordinates exchanged bewildered glances. Some of the men, already quite irritated by Ding Junfeng's outbursts, finally couldn't hold back any longer and stood up, saying, "Mr. Ding, given the current situation, we're completely immobilized. You promised to give up the land at the banquet in front of all our industry peers in the city. It's been written in the newspapers; everyone in the city knows now. Besides pretending to be happy and handing over the land, are we supposed to be branded as untrustworthy or have you branded as ungrateful? That would be a huge loss for the company and for you, Mr. Ding!" "The loss to people is immeasurable..."

Ding Junfeng slumped into a chair, dejected. He himself realized that the situation was beyond saving, but he was unwilling to give up and accept the situation. That's why he reluctantly pulled his subordinates over to come up with a solution and try to make a last-ditch effort. However, his subordinates' words made him accept the fact helplessly. He couldn't bear the infamy, the infamy of being untrustworthy and ungrateful. Those two infamys would be enough to ruin his company, which would be more serious than the loss of this piece of land.

Since taking over the company, Ding Junfeng has suffered the most unjust defeat this time. Just a few words, a label of "gratitude" attached to him, and he was utterly ruined. The company, which was not large to begin with, could not withstand such a blow. Although he was filled with remorse, it was too late. Looking back on the time since the company came into his hands, with his scheming abilities, few business rivals had lasted more than a few moves against him. As a result, the company had grown to the point where it could participate in real estate exchange meetings organized by the infrastructure department. But this time, he was utterly defeated as soon as they met. How could this ever-victorious schemer accept this?

"No, we have to come up with a way. Even if Ye Tianya wants to take this land, he'll have to pay a price..." Ding Junfeng stood up and paced back and forth in the conference room. A group of his subordinates all sighed with their heads down. They also didn't want to see the company run into trouble, and they were all thinking of solutions. Suddenly, a young woman looked up and said, "President Ding, let's start with the Urban Planning Bureau. As long as the Urban Planning Bureau decides that the land cannot be used to build the orphanage dormitory, then Ye Tianya will be helpless..."

The speaker was Tang Shaoyan, the manager of the company's public relations department. Her words made everyone in the office look up sharply, and they all happily expressed their approval of this good idea. Ding Junfeng's eyes also lit up and he said, "Good, good idea. Manager Tang, you should do this immediately. If you succeed, I'll give you a 5% commission..."

Manager Tang stood up and hesitated for a moment before saying, "President Ding, I will do my best. However, the officials in Lincheng government are known for their integrity from top to bottom. This hurdle will be difficult to overcome. I can't guarantee the result, but I will do my best."

"This isn't just a matter of trying our best; we have to overcome this hurdle, or the company will face an unprecedented disaster. If we can't overcome this hurdle, you can forget about being a manager." To put pressure on Tang Shaoyan, Ding Junfeng, the schemer, uttered these words that he would regret for the rest of his life after Ye Tianya had thrown him off balance. When he said this, the expressions of several of his managers and key business personnel changed slightly, but Ding Junfeng, who was currently delighted with Tang Shaoyan's suggestion, did not notice. He originally thought that by giving Tang Shaoyan a 5% commission, he could buy her wholehearted dedication to the company, and that anything else he said wouldn't be a big deal. However, he didn't expect to say such things to the meritorious person who had just made a good suggestion. How disheartening! Unfortunately, the person he was talking to this time was a public relations manager. People in public relations don't show their emotions. She immediately acted very seriously and respectfully as a subordinate, saying, "Yes, I will do my best to overcome this hurdle..."

"Good, good..." Ding Junfeng said "good" several times. Just as he was about to say a few words of praise, the secretary reported through the conference room phone that a reporter named Li Yao and Lu Tianfeng, the manager of Tianya Real Estate, wanted to see him.

Ding Junfeng's expression changed, and he said angrily, "Ye Tianya is really in a hurry, coming so quickly, and even bringing reporters along. What is that damned Li Yao up to?"

He then turned to Deputy Manager He Shouyi and said, "Deputy Manager He, go out and deal with this. Make it seem like I'm not here; I received an urgent call halfway through the meeting and left."

The deputy manager knew that if the people from Tianya Real Estate and that reporter were to see Lu Tianfeng (Troy's Night: Shouldn't it be Ding Junfeng? Thirteen made a typo.), the land ownership would be lost. So he solemnly nodded and went out to do as instructed.

After Lu Tianfeng and Li Yao arrived empty-handed, Li Yao looked at the deputy manager who had warmly welcomed them with suspicion and asked, "Deputy Manager He, what urgent matter did President Ding encounter that made him leave in such a hurry?"

"Uh, I don't know either. Mr. Ding was in a meeting when he suddenly received a phone call and left. It's probably something to do at home. As his subordinates, we shouldn't pry. I'm really sorry, both of you. How about this... if you need anything... leave a message, and I'll pass it on to Mr. Ding as soon as he gets back."

Lu Tianfeng sneered inwardly. As a general manager, his schedule was entirely controlled by his secretary. Even if he had an urgent matter to attend to, he would inform his secretary so that the secretary could adjust the schedule. The general manager's secretary had just confirmed that Ding Junfeng was in a meeting, so he immediately guessed that Ding Junfeng was in a meeting. Feng was making an excuse, so he smiled slightly and said, "No need. It would be too abrupt of me to bother you today. How about this, I'll make an appointment and ask this secretary to arrange it so that I can visit you when President Ding is available."

As the general manager's secretary, the secretary naturally knew what Lu Tianfeng's purpose was. The shrewd secretary smiled and said, "Manager Lu, could you please leave your contact information? I'll check our general manager's schedule and make arrangements for you as soon as possible, and then I'll call you to let you know, okay?"

Helpless, Lu Tianfeng could only leave his business card and take his leave with Li Yao. On the way back, Li Yao asked with some doubt, "Ding Junfeng is clearly avoiding us. Could it be that he wants to back out? Manager Lu, what do you think?"

Lu Tianfeng laughed and said, "Miss Li, you can analyze it however you want. I dare not make any rash judgments. However, I think that as a child who grew up in an orphanage, President Ding would not be so ungrateful. If President Ding wanted to back out, their public relations department would be fully mobilized. But I just glanced at the public relations department and every seat was occupied. This means that President Ding is not backing out, but has really left because of something."

“Public Relations Department…” Li Yao seemed to have caught something, murmured the name, and then her eyes lit up. She looked up at Lu Tianfeng and said, “President Lu, since things didn’t go smoothly, I’ll take my leave now. If you receive the schedule for the meeting with President Ding, please let me know, okay?”

Lu Tianfeng smiled with satisfaction, “Sure, no problem. See you then.”

The reason he smiled with satisfaction was that he deliberately mentioned Ding Junfeng’s public relations department to remind Li Yao to pay attention to the public relations activities of Changfeng Real Estate. Li Yao had clearly grasped the most important thing in his words, so how could he not be satisfied? Watching Li Yao wave goodbye, Lu Tianfeng gave a meaningful smile and said to his assistant who had been following him, "Xiao Fu, Tianya was right. This reporter can be a great help to us. Hopefully, Ding Junfeng won't fall into her trap."

Fu Zhigao laughed and said, "Manager, you're quite clever to think of reminding her like that."

Lu Tianfeng smiled and said, "She's also quite smart. She grasped the key point immediately. No wonder she's a reporter with a keen sense of smell. Xiao Fu, let me test you. If Ding Junfeng wants to back out, where do you think he'll start his lobbying efforts?"

Fu Zhigao lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said, "If I were Ding Junfeng, the only public relations activity I could do would be with the Municipal Urban Planning Bureau, because he wants to donate land." The news was already known throughout the city. Only the Urban Planning Bureau's refusal to allow the construction of the orphanage dormitory on that land saved him from losses.

Lu Tianfeng chuckled and patted Fu Zhigao on the shoulder, saying, "Kid, not bad, not bad. No wonder President Lin made an exception and promoted you to be my assistant. You've got some skills. Keep up the good work. Since President Lin recognizes your talent, he won't treat you unfairly."

Fu Zhigao scratched the back of his head somewhat embarrassedly and laughed, "Manager Lu, please don't praise me too much. I can't take too much praise; too much praise will make me arrogant. Right now, I can't think of a solution. If Ding Junfeng really manages to get things done at the Urban Planning Bureau, it'll take us much harder to defeat Changfeng. Manager, do you have any good ideas?"

Lu Tianfeng shook his head and said, "All we can do is try our best to prevent them from succeeding in their bid, and also get the company listed as soon as possible. We need to ask Ding Junfeng for land through the infrastructure department, and force him to hand over the land before he succeeds in his bid. Otherwise, we'll really have to put in a lot more effort. Let's go back and discuss it with Tianya, and get the company listed as soon as possible."

Fu Zhigao said "Oh," got into the driver's seat, started the car, and drove off after Lu Tianfeng got in. At the same time, he said from the front, "Manager, what do you think of Ye Tianya?"

Lu Tianfeng thought for a moment and said, "Xiao Fu, I don't know much about what kind of person Tianya is, most..." I mostly know a little about him from TV and newspapers, but... one thing is certain: he's absolutely a loyal and devoted person. His legendary stories with Xingye prove this. And look at today's front page—a lily! For some unknown promise, he actually airlifted a lily. That alone is enough to earn his respect. From this perspective, he's definitely someone worth befriending, but..."
Chapters 304-305,
Chapter 304: The Devil's Taller,

Lu Tianfeng suddenly changed the subject, "But... being friends with him will be very stressful."

"Why?" Fu Zhigao asked, puzzled.

Lu Tianfeng thought for a moment and said, "There are still many things about him that are hard to understand. I think he should be a high-ranking coordinator, not a lowly pawn. Usually, friendships last with people of similar status, background, and circumstances. To befriend someone in a high position requires strength and courage. People in positions of power always focus on big things and don't concern themselves with trivial matters. You might not understand some of the things they do, and being their friend would put a lot of pressure on you."

Fu Zhigao said with a bitter face, "Manager, I really don't understand this. What do you mean?"

Lu Tianfeng shook his head and smiled bitterly, "I'm just baffled too." "My intuition tells me that even if he's not in a high position now, he'll definitely be one who oversees thousands or tens of thousands of people in the future. Haven't you noticed how everyone agrees without hesitation when he calmly issues orders? That's the kind of charisma a leader possesses. I've only ever felt that way with President Lin."

Fu Zhigao nodded. "I do have that feeling. I felt it this morning when he issued his orders too—a kind of inexplicable influence that made people nod and obey. President Lu, are you saying he'll definitely achieve great things in the future?"

Lu Tianfeng nodded, looking at the receding street scene outside the car window. "He definitely will, or... he already has. " "You've achieved great things, Xiao Fu. Focus on driving. What we should do is concentrate on our work, not analyze people. If you feel he's worth befriending, then let things take their natural course."

When Ye Tianya heard Lu Tianfeng return to report that the CEO of Changfeng Real Estate was avoiding him and preparing to back out, he said without surprise, "If Ding Junfeng doesn't back out, he wouldn't be Ding Junfeng. If he really gives up that piece of land, he'll be severely weakened. If we add fuel to the fire, we can turn Changfeng into a dead end. Now that he wants to back out, Mr. Lu, just do as you arrange. Immediately begin preparations for the company's listing ceremony. Do you still have the business cards you received at the banquet that day? Those who received business cards..." "Send invitations to everyone, and also send one to Director Wu to invite him to the ribbon-cutting ceremony for our company. I'll call General Manager Lin; if she's free, she might fly over to attend."

Hearing that Lin Siyin would be coming, Lu Tianfeng immediately perked up and excitedly said, "It's great that General Manager Lin is coming! I'll get on it right away. Let's set the opening date for the morning after tomorrow. We'll put out the recruitment ads today, and start recruiting immediately after the opening." After saying that, Lu Tianfeng excitedly turned around to instruct his subordinates to do so. Ye Tianya looked at his somewhat out-of-control excited appearance and couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. This Lu Tianfeng must be one of the 'love rivals' that Lin Siyin mentioned.

"Brother, what do we do now? Has he really changed his mind? Is the only option to demolish the old dormitory and build a new one?" Xingye asked softly from the side.

Ye Tianya thought for a moment and said, "Xiao Ye, if Ding Junfeng wants to back out without ruining his reputation, what do you think he'll do?"

Xing Ye thought for a moment and said, "I think he'll start with the government's planning and construction, pull strings to get the urban planning department to designate that piece of land as a site for a specific project. That way, we'll

be left with nothing but to watch helplessly. He'll gain fame without losing the land." Ye Tianya smiled with satisfaction and said, "Xiao Ye is so clever. Since he dares to take the underhanded route to try and get the land back from the government, let's put two spotlights on his path. Once we illuminate it, his underhanded dealings will have nowhere to hide."

Xing Ye laughed and said, "Brother, actually, none of the government officials in Lincheng dare to embezzle a single penny now. His underhanded approach definitely won't work."

Ye Tianya smiled and pulled Xing Ye into his arms, kissing him before saying, "That's not necessarily true. Although the officials in Lincheng have been clean for over a year, some might still be tempted by money. We..." " We can't be too careless. It's good to give them a warning so they don't go astray. As for these two searchlights, what do you think of Li Yao and Gao Ying?"

Xingye smiled, wrinkling her little nose in Ye Tianya's arms. "Brother, you're really making the most of them. These two will definitely be interested, but how can we let them know? We can't just call them directly, can we?"

Ye Tianya smiled and gently rubbed Xingye's little nose. "Why are you wrinkling your nose? Have you forgotten that Spy Shadow has branches in various places responsible for intelligence gathering? If they want to pass a message to Gao Ying and Li Yao, it's a piece of cake. I'll make a call first and also tell them to keep an eye on Changfeng's movements."

Ye Tianya used his phone to call the head of Spy Shadow's Lincheng branch. After explaining his purpose, the head of the branch respectfully patted his chest and accepted the task. Only then did Ye Tianya hang up with peace of mind. He then called Lin Siyin. Lin Siyin was initially surprised that the company was in such a hurry to go public, but she understood after hearing Ye Tianya's explanation.

Lin Siyin said gently on the phone, "I'll definitely make time to come over, Tianya. Is it hard there?"

Ye Tianya laughed, "Siyin, compared to when you started your business all alone, what's so hard about this? With Manager Lu and other elites around, I'm just idly thinking about you in the office."

Xingye, nestled in Ye Tianya's arms, chuckled as she heard him whispering sweet nothings to Lin Siyin. She leaned closer to the phone and said, "Siyin, my brother's eyes are glowing, he's all lecherous. He must be thinking about that night before he left, he must be thinking about that little bedroom behind the study... mmm."

Before Xingye could finish, Ye Tianya covered her mouth. On the other end of the line, Lin Siyin blushed and spat, "You little brat, daring to tease me! I'll teach her a lesson when I go to Lincheng!"

Lin Siyin paused before adding softly, "Tianya, I miss you too. I'll come tomorrow afternoon..." "Let's go to Lincheng. I'll keep you company tonight, okay?"

Ye Tianya's whole body trembled. Recalling the blissful night he left Lincheng, he couldn't help but say, "Okay, I'll wait for you."

Lin Siyin spat and said, "Don't think nonsense. Give the phone to Xiaoye. I need to talk to her."

Ye Tianya smiled and gave the phone to Xingye, but Xingye chased him out of the office, saying, "I need to have a private conversation with Sister Siyin. Brother, you're not allowed to eavesdrop."

Ye Tianya shook his head and smiled bitterly, but he didn't want to go against Xingye's wishes. He strolled down the company corridor and saw the dozen or so people in the company busy in the several rooms of the large office. So he went over and saw that the table was piled with invitations. Lu Tianfeng's secretary was writing invitations with his head down, and the others were preparing gift lists, banners, flower basket orders, etc. So he rolled up his sleeves and joined in. The others looked at him in surprise when they saw him join in. Ye Tianya smiled and said to the secretary who was writing invitations, "What's wrong? My handwriting is just as good as yours. This is called 'when everyone is of one mind, their strength can break metal.' We

can't let me be idle." Lu Tianfeng appeared out of nowhere and laughed, "That's right, that's right. When everyone is of one mind, their strength can break metal. Let's all work together."

Everyone exchanged smiles and got to work. Ye Tianya took the invitation forms and began to write with great flourish. After finishing one, the secretary exclaimed in surprise, "My goodness! If I had known Mr. Ye's handwriting was so good, I wouldn't have bothered. Oh well, I'm so disappointed. These are all yours, Mr. Ye. I'll go order the flower baskets."

Hearing this, everyone crowded around to look at Ye Tianya's handwriting. They unanimously agreed that from now on, Ye Tianya would write all the invitations. Seeing that he had become friends with everyone, Ye Tianya was in high spirits and laughed, "No problem! Whoever hasn't finished their work by the time I finish these invitations today will treat everyone to dinner, how about that?"

Fu Zhigao stood up and laughed, "Okay, if Mr. Ye is the last one to finish, he'll treat everyone, how about that?"

Ye Tianya smiled and said, "No problem, I'll get to work now. You all better work harder!"

"I'll help you guys, we absolutely have to make Mr. Ye treat us!" Xia Yi suddenly appeared out of nowhere, standing opposite Ye Tianya, making a face at him and saying, "You're dead meat today, get your money ready to treat us."

Ye Tianya shook his head and smiled wryly, "That depends on the results, just you wait and see!"

After this spurred on, the office immediately became lively. Apart from Xia Yi, no one was really there because Ye Tianya was going to treat them; everyone was just infected by the harmonious atmosphere. Even Lu Tianfeng couldn't help but join in. Ye Tianya suddenly felt a joy in his work, a joy in working together, a joy in unity. Perhaps, Lin Siyin had also felt this kind of joy when she was in her previous corporate days.

However, Ye Tianya knew that starting a business was definitely more bitter than sweet. He didn't know how Lin Siyin had survived that year, but he was certain she had suffered a lot. His current situation in Lincheng was nothing compared to her entrepreneurial journey, yet he still felt overwhelmed by difficulties. Not to mention Ding Junfeng's reneging and refusal to hand over the land, he had no idea how to conduct business after the company was officially listed. He could only imagine how Lin Siyin had endured it.

While Ye Tianya and his team were preparing for the company's listing, Changfeng Real Estate's public relations department began to stir. Li Yao had been closely monitoring Changfeng Real Estate's movements. Her intuition told her that Changfeng Real Estate was definitely planning to back out. If she could dig up some material from them, it would be a sensational news story. She caught Changfeng's public relations department making a move, but she was unaware that Gao Ying had 'accidentally' obtained a tip and was already lying in wait at the Urban Planning Bureau. These two reporters, being renowned journalists, naturally possessed a vast network of informants. Although these informants were paid to do their jobs, these two... To prove themselves superior, the top reporters spared no expense, gathering information from thugs throughout Lincheng's streets and alleys. This brought the city planning department and Changfeng Real Estate's public relations department under their surveillance...

Chapter 305: The One Who's One Step Ahead. Gao

Ying and Li Yao's informants had been monitoring the movements of key figures at Changfeng Real Estate and the city planning department. As luck would have it, based on their informant's report, the two bumped into each other in front of the Huanglong Hotel. Changfeng Real Estate's public relations manager, Tang Shaoyan, and the person in charge of the city planning department were both there

. "What are you doing here?" Gao Ying asked, surprised and annoyed, seeing Gao Ying sneaking into the Huanglong Hotel.

"And what are you doing here?" Gao Ying asked, equally displeased.

"Is it any of your business?" Li Yao retorted coldly.

"Then why are you bothering me?" Gao Ying retorted sarcastically.

"Hmph, you just want to follow my lead, don't you? I thought you were something special?" Li Yao snorted.

"What do you mean, 'your line'? Valuable information takes skill to obtain. Who do you think you are? Who says I can't follow this story? Enough nonsense, whoever gets it is skilled. Humph!" Gao Ying wasn't swayed by Li Yao's provocation.

After a brief staring contest, the two reporters stormed into the hotel, exchanged glares, and then simultaneously snorted and turned away. However, somehow, they both ended up dressed as waiters and bumped into each other again outside the kitchen.

"You... why are you copying me..." Li Yao asked angrily.

"Shh—, why aren't you copying me?" Gao Ying glanced around nervously and whispered her retort.

"What do you want?" Li Yao asked, annoyed. Gao Ying chuckled softly

, "Now's not the time for infighting. Let's work together, and if we succeed, it'll be a shared reward?"

Li Yao said helplessly, "You win. Humph, let's go!"

Both reporters knew that if either of them caused trouble at this point, they would only undermine the other's efforts. They had no choice but to cooperate and dig for important information.

Seeing that she was awake, Ye Tianya reached out and gently pulled her close, kissing her forehead tenderly before softly saying, "Just woke up, Siyin. You were smiling even in your sleep. What sweet dreams did you have?"

Lin Siyin blushed even more, revealing a playful, girlish side to Ye Tianya for the first time, and said with a smile, "I won't tell you." She then pressed her face against Ye Tianya's and said tenderly, "Tianya, being in your arms...it feels so good."

Ye Tianya gently stroked the woman's smooth back and smiled, "This embrace is always yours. As long as you like it."

Lin Siyin looked up, gazing closely into Ye Tianya's eyes, and said, "I like it. I want to stay in this embrace forever, Tianya, thank you."

Ye Tianya hugged Lin Siyin tighter, saying affectionately, "Silly girl, I'm the one who should be thanking you. The greatest credit for my career belongs to you, but I... I can't give you anything in return. I feel ashamed, Siyin-jie. Thank you for your generosity and selflessness, thank you!"

Lin Siyin, moved, nestled against Ye Tianya's chest, kissing him and saying, "Don't say anything more, Siyin doesn't need anything. Siyin is content just to be by your side, in this embrace. Really, I don't ask for anything more, I only hope that Tianya will never abandon us."

Ye Tianya couldn't find any words to express his gratitude, only able to kiss Lin Siyin deeply, passionately, wishing they could melt into each other. Until both of them felt their brains were deprived of oxygen... "Only after fainting did she loosen her grip. Lin Siyin, blushing, buried her face in Ye Tianya's arms and sweetly said, "Tianya, it's time to get up. There's a ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning." Although she said this, she held Ye Tianya's waist tightly, unwilling to let go. Ye Tianya went along with her, lowering his head to smell the fragrance of her hair, and said, "No rush, it's still early. It doesn't start until after nine o'clock, it's only six-thirty now."

Lin Siyin snuggled closer to Ye Tianya and said, "But what if Xiaoyu and Xiaoye get up later?"

Although Lin Siyin said this, she still didn't let go of Ye Tianya. Ye Tianya chuckled and said, "Don't worry, Sister Yu has been through it before, are you afraid of her? As for Xiao Ye, don't worry, it's nothing. Don't talk, let me hug you, just hold you like this, quietly hold you, can you feel it? A feeling of possessing the whole world..."

Ye Tianya's voice grew softer and softer, consciously guiding Lin Siyin. Sure enough, Lin Siyin's whole body went limp in Ye Tianya's arms, lying quietly, feeling Ye Tianya's heartbeat. She truly felt the feeling of possessing the whole world that Ye Tianya had described. Ye Tianya was her whole world…

The more you worry, the more likely it is to happen. Lin Siyin was worried that Li Lanyu and Xingye would get up earlier than them, and they really did. When Li Lanyu woke up in the morning, she found Lin Siyin's room empty and the bed cold, obviously untouched overnight. Her eyes lit up and she immediately knew where Lin Siyin was. The clever Li Lanyu didn't knock on Ye Tianya's door directly. She sneaked into Xingye's room, grabbed the key to Ye Tianya's room, and quietly opened Ye Tianya's door and barged in. She saw Ye Tianya quietly holding Lin Siyin on the bed. This time, the big devil was not happy. She slammed the door shut and pounced on the bed, pouting and complaining, "Sister Siyin, you…you've gone too far! You actually…you actually…you actually…"

Ye Tianya knew it was either Li Lanyu or Xingye the moment she opened the door. When she entered, Lin Siyin blushed and nestled into Ye Tianya's arms. Ye Tianya, however, calmly dealt with Li Lanyu's outburst. Seeing her pounce on the bed, he released Lin Siyin and immediately pulled her close, kissing her passionately until she forgot all about Lin Siyin sneaking into his room. She was kissed into a limp, slumped against Ye Tianya. Lin Siyin seized the opportunity to laugh, "Xiaoyu, how about... Tianya makes it up to you now?"

"No!" Li Lanyu reflexively rolled off Ye Tianya, stood up, hands on hips, blushing, and said, "I'm not going to let this kid get away with this! Get up! Xiaoye's already up. What if she sees you two..."

"It's no big deal if I saw it. I knew it all along." Xingye's voice rang out from the doorway. She had already pushed the door open and walked in. Xingye in the morning light was like a lily blooming in the dew, bringing a refreshing feeling. Ye Tianya sat up and opened his arms to Xingye. Xingye nestled into Ye Tianya's arms

without any affectation and said to Lin Siyin, whose face was flushed, "Siyin-jie, did you sleep well last night?" Lin Siyin was both shy and ashamed. She nodded with a red face and said, "I...I'm fine. I'm sorry, Xiaoye, I...I..." She wanted to explain something to Xingye, but Xingye quickly held her hand and said, "Siyin-jie, you don't need to explain anything. I'm so happy to see you with your brother. Really, you don't need to feel guilty. I know that Siyin-jie and Xiaoyu-jie will love Xiaoye as much as your brother loves you, right?"

"Xiao Ye," Lin Siyin, disregarding her own nakedness, tearfully snatched Xingye from Ye Tianya's arms, holding her tightly and saying, "I will, Xiao Ye, I always will."

Touched by her reaction, Li Lanyu sat back down on the bed, embracing Lin Siyin and Xingye, and whispered, "Xiao Ye, I'll cherish you like Siyin did. Thank you, Xiao Ye."

Xingye smiled happily, stroking Lin Siyin's smooth skin, and said, "Sister's skin is so beautiful, brother is so lucky."

Lin Siyin's face immediately flushed red again, and she glared at Ye Tianya beside her, saying, "Tianya, get up, Xiao Ye and I need to whisper something."

Ye Tianya sat up with a smile. Li Lanyu obediently took Ye Tianya's clothes from the bedside and helped him dress like a little wife before gently 'shooing' him out of the room. She then returned to the bed and sat around Lin Siyin and Xingye.

"Xiao Ye, did you and your brother...do that?" Li Lanyu asked Xingye curiously after sitting back down.

Xingye blushed slightly, lowered her head, and gently shook her head, saying, "Brother said... I'm still young, he'll only... only..." Xingye couldn't finish her sentence, her little face turning red to the roots of her neck.

Lin Siyin smiled and hugged Xingye back into her arms, saying, "Xiaoye, your brother truly loves you, have you... thought about it yourself?"

Xingye's flushed face gradually became solemn when Lin Siyin asked this question, and she said earnestly, "Sister Siyin, Sister Xiaoyu, you'll understand in the future. Love at its deepest can transcend all of this."

"Love at its deepest can transcend all of this..." Lin Siyin and Li Lanyu looked at each other in astonishment, murmuring to themselves, repeating Xingye's words. They understood, but they couldn't do it themselves, yet they longed for that state of being.

Ye Tianya had just finished washing up after leaving his room when his phone rang urgently. He picked it up and saw it was Lu Tianfeng calling. Thinking something had gone wrong at the ceremony, he quickly answered, only to find out it was Director Wu who had called, hinting that high-ranking city officials would be present at the ceremony and requesting adjustments to the ribbon-cutting guest list.

"Did Director Wu say who from the city would be coming?" Ye Tianya asked into the phone, shaking the water off his hands.

Lu Tianfeng excitedly said on the phone, "Director Wu's hint is very clear. Mayor Cao and Secretary Hua will both be there. They're here for you and President Lin. What do you think... should we make some adjustments?"

Ye Tianya thought for a moment and said, "Since two of them are coming, the only one who can be moved is Director Wu. He wouldn't want to stand next to the mayor if he were here. Li Xinmin can't be moved either. This kind of 'inviting someone up and then kicking them out' approach will offend people. How about you give my seat to Secretary Hua, or... add a swivel ball? It's up to you."

Lu Tianfeng was probably excited because he didn't expect the city government of Lin City to value Tianya Real Estate so much. He immediately said happily, "Okay, then I'll add a swivel ball and a pair of scissors. By the way, Tianya, is President Lin up? I'll send a car to pick her up right away."

Ye Tianya chuckled inwardly. This kid's real intention was probably in that last sentence...

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