Little Deer - Chapter Thirty-Four: Catching the Cat

The autumn winds are already blowing, and November is almost over. Next month will be the end of the year, bringing with it a string of year-end work summaries, reports, and meetings. Performance evaluations for each department will be released soon, and whether or not the initial targets were met, as well as year-on-year growth, will all be weighed. Therefore, this last month is exceptionally important and incredibly busy. The sales department is especially stressed. Their leader, Cheng Dan, is under immense pressure, and those below her aren't having an easy time either. Even Ye Zhaowen, usually the most composed and unassuming person in the department, has started moving around and making sales.
Liang Lu was no exception. While managing Manager Cheng's busy schedule, she also had to attend social events to build relationships and help other colleagues close deals. She was so busy that she didn't even have time to eat properly, and working overtime was a regular occurrence. She also had very little time to go to the gym.
On the contrary, Xiao Qin seemed quite unhurried, even more so than before. He was there whenever Liang Lu managed to squeeze in a few gym visits, looking relaxed and leisurely like a boss waiting to reap the rewards at the end of the year. He even seemed to have some complaints about Liang Lu's busy schedule. He scolded her for her inconsistent boxing practice while questioning, "Is your department really that busy at the end of the year?"
"Does your boss assign you a lot of work?"
Exhausted, Liang Lu just wanted to go home and lie down. She barely made it to the gym, and even then, she just did the bare minimum, looking listless and muttering, "Hmph, Mr. Xiao, how could you understand the hardships of ordinary people like us? Why don't you try it yourself and you'll see."
Xiao Qin chuckled, pinched her bitter-looking face, and said, "How do you know I haven't tried it?"
Liang Luhun didn't care about his answer, and didn't think his proposition was valid anyway; he was just saying it casually.
Since that day, Liang Lu has become increasingly busy. Manager Cheng was away on a business trip, a long one at that, involving meetings and training sessions, leaving Liang Lu to coordinate a bunch of things. One of her tasks was to help Li Chengnan follow up on the Bell mobile phone order.
If Li Chengnan is in charge of this, it's definitely not a small order; it must be one that Manager Cheng values highly.
Speaking of Li Chengnan's impressive business skills, it's all thanks to his own knowledge, interpersonal skills, persuasive tongue, and ability to hold his liquor. There's only one person in the entire department like Ye Zhaowen, who can close deals without even leaving the office, just by talking on the phone. Why? Because she married a wealthy husband, and has plenty of connections and people eager to flatter him. While other salespeople are busy chasing orders, she's enjoying tea and surfing the internet, never working overtime. Even Manager Cheng turns a blind eye, making many female colleagues openly and secretly envious and resentful. Liang Lu doesn't have any objections; after all, it's her skill. She's met Ye Zhaowen a few times; she's wealthy, straightforward, and outspoken. She has clear likes and dislikes, is well-informed, and never hides anything, which Liang Lu quite likes.
That day, Ye Zhaowen learned from her husband's friend that Ding Jian, the person in charge of Bell Mobile, was having an event at Xianghuwan Entertainment City in the east of the city, and then told Liang Lu.
Bell Mobile was a tough nut to crack, even Li Chengnan found it difficult. They had actually visited several times, but the people there were ambiguous, neither refusing nor offering a clear path, and they still couldn't get a meeting with the person in charge, Ding Jian. Upon hearing the news, Li Chengnan immediately made a decision: "Although Xianghu Bay Entertainment City is large, its most famous feature is its Bay Bar, which is high-end and expensive, a place that people like them like to go. Whether they go out to eat or play, they might end up having a drink there."
So the two of them went to stake out the place after work.
Early winter has arrived, and it gets dark early. By the time they escaped the rush hour on the Third Ring Road at 6 o'clock and entered the northern part of the city, the city lights were already on.
Surrounded by Xianghu Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the province, to the north of the city, with its clear, rippling waters, lush vegetation, and birdsong, and with nearby wetlands and ecological parks, it has become an affluent area. Wealthy people flock here to buy houses, especially lakeside properties, which are extremely rare and highly sought after.
Xianghu Bay Entertainment City is built on the Xianghu Peninsula, where land is extremely valuable. The Bay Bar occupies a prime lakeside location with expansive views and a seamless blend of water and sky.
Liang Lu got out of Li Chengnan's car, slung her small leather bag over her shoulder, slightly pulled up the collar of her black wool coat, and buried her delicate, fair chin in it. This city is a northern city located slightly south of the city center. Although it wasn't yet freezing cold, there should have been a sense of desolation, like leaves falling in the west wind. Who would have thought that standing in front of the bar's spacious courtyard would evoke such a feeling of springtime beauty amidst the desolation? The long, narrow, flowing landscape pools on both sides stretched from the roadside to the bar's entrance, over a hundred meters away, steaming like hot springs, and the surrounding flowers and plants were lush and verdant, showing no signs of decay.
She stood by the roadside waiting for Li Chengnan to park his car. She hadn't noticed while she was in the car, but now that she saw the front of the car coming from the opposite direction, she realized that Li Chengnan's car was also a well-known and reputable brand. Now that it was parked among a bunch of luxury cars, it didn't look strange at all.
"Hey, tell me, what good business have you done in the past few years working at the company? You bought a house and a car," Liang Lu joked as Li Chengnan walked over.
"Selling male beauty, what other good business is there?" he answered smoothly.
"Pfft." Liang Lu laughed out loud at his calm yet unexpected reply. She bantered with him as they entered the bar.
It was early for the bar, and there weren't many people inside yet, so they found a seat near the door where they could see people coming in. They waited until 11 o'clock, and as the place gradually filled up, Liang Lu started to feel sleepy, when Li Chengnan, staring at the door, whispered, "They're here."
Liang Lu had never met Ding Jian, but Li Chengnan had met him once. He watched Ding Jian and his group until they sat down, and then, when a seat became available at the next table, he subtly led Liang Lu there, listening at a distance as these middle-aged successful men chatted about local company gossip, industry trends, and jokes.
Liang Lu covered her mouth and yawned. Li Chengnan nudged her with his elbow and whispered, "Do you see the person sitting in the middle?"
"I saw him. But isn't Ding Jian sitting at the very back?"
"Yes, let's not talk about Ding Jian for now. Did you notice? The person sitting in the middle is the central figure at their table tonight."
"Yes, that's true." Liang Lu nodded. The people around her kept mentioning that person in their conversations, and they spoke with great respect. Whenever that person spoke, everyone echoed him.
"So what?" Liang Lu asked, puzzled.
Li Chengnan did not answer, but affectionately raised his hand and brushed a long hair off her shoulder.
"What are you doing?" Liang Lu felt something was wrong and tried to dodge, but he quickly grabbed her.
"Shh... Calm down. Just act. Listen to what that person is saying."
Liang Lu was suspicious, but she still trusted him, knowing he knew what he was doing, so she calmed down and listened to the man in the middle complaining: "Do you know how hard it is for me to be a father? I work so hard to run the company and make money, all so that my child can have a better life. I spent so much money to send my daughter to a good school abroad, but she doesn't appreciate it at all, saying it's for my own sake so I can have an easy life."
He sighed again: "You know, isn't this going to drive me crazy! He's been throwing a tantrum at me lately, and he won't even answer my video calls."
Everyone quickly comforted him and calmed him down. Li Chengnan suddenly turned to the side and said, "Hey... as for coaxing international students, you'll have to ask me!" He then pointed at Liang Lu, "Back when my girlfriend was studying abroad, we were in a long-distance relationship. We argued a lot, and almost broke up several times. I always managed to coax her back by creating surprises."
Liang Lu was drinking water when she heard this and coughed.
Li Chengnan patted her back gently to calm her down, explaining, "Oh dear, my girlfriend is a bit introverted and shy."
The man in the middle was indeed intrigued and leaned forward to ask, "How did you manage to win her over? My daughter is about the same age as your girlfriend."
Li Chengnan leaned out to join the conversation, but the bar's resident singer was singing an exciting part and his voice was a little too loud, so he was momentarily drowned out.
The man couldn't hear clearly, so he immediately gestured for them to come over and sit at a table to chat.
Without hesitation, Li Chengnan, acting like a helpful and enthusiastic citizen, pushed Liang Lu to sit down.
Although the two of them had planned to come here to find an opportunity to get close to Ding Jian, Liang Lu hadn't expected to have to use the tactic of pretending to be a couple. Now that she was forced into it, there was no room for discussion, so Liang Lu gritted her teeth and continued to pretend.
Li Chengnan had genuinely studied abroad, so what he said wasn't just empty talk. He taught the person, "What do international students miss most? It's not necessarily their parents, but definitely the delicious snacks and food from home!"
She then listed them on her fingers: "Barbecued skewers, crayfish, hot pot, ramen, rice noodles, hairy crabs... It's rare to find authentic versions of these abroad. What to do? Let her eat them all! Vacuum-pack and ship the things she likes that can be shipped, and send a chef with the ingredients to cook the things that can't be shipped. Of course, if you have the time, it would be best if you went and cooked them yourself. I guarantee you'll be so touched you'll be speechless..."
Liang Lu was nodding in agreement when suddenly her phone lit up. It was a text message, just two words and a question mark: "Where are you?" There was no name attached. This was the first time Liang Lu had received a message from this number, but she almost immediately knew who it was. She felt a mix of excitement and inexplicable panic. She typed and deleted several times before finally sending, "Working overtime. What's up?"
The other end quickly replied: "Working overtime at the bar?"
Liang Lu jolted awake, her eyes widening as she stared at the text message, feeling as if struck by lightning. She could feel his mockery even through the screen. A chill ran down her spine. She stiffly looked up and surveyed the bar, then turned to see him diagonally behind her, accompanied by two or three men and women of similar age.
He leaned back on the sofa, holding his phone, staring at her. He had been looking at her for who knows how long, a slight smile playing on his lips, but his eyes were like a deep pool, sharp as a sword.

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Little Deer - Chapter Thirty-Four: Catching the Cat

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