CH 114

Chapter 114: Malicious Competition

Wang Xijie is very young, in his early twenties, but when it comes to work, he exudes a maturity that is not commensurate with his age.

Jin Yang likes to communicate with smart people at work. Smart people don’t need to explain everything too much, and he can understand without meaningless arguments. And for some things, everyone understands the rules inside, so there’s no need for unnecessary packaging. You can completely show him the core of what you want to show.

“Director Jin is very organized, and even if it’s just a verbal discussion of a cooperative plan, it’s much better than I imagined, so…” Wang Xijie paused for a moment.

“What?” Through their conversation just now, Jin Yang realized that this person is not someone who likes to beat around the bush. When it comes to this point, he must have a purpose.

“So, after this project is over, would you be interested in considering changing companies?”

Jin Yang took out a tissue from the napkin box and lightly wiped off the chili oil that accidentally got on the corner of his mouth, then revealed a very polite smile.

“Mr. Wang, you are intentionally poaching employees.”

Wang Xijie took two bottles of glass bottled drinks from the shelf, one Coca-Cola and one soy milk. After opening both bottles, he inserted a straw into the soy milk bottle and handed it to Jin Yang.

“Yucheng Group is like this bottle of soda, sweet and sour, but if the fizz runs out, the taste will be greatly reduced. Our Jingcheng Group is like this bottle of soy milk, the taste is not as stunning as coke, but more nourishing. Director Jin is a smart person, this is clear.”

Jin Yuan of course understood, he was a person who was extremely good at assessing the situation.

He took a sip of soy milk and said, “To be frank, in the past two years, I have received olive branches from no less than eight companies, even though this is not me bragging. Every one of them offered very tempting conditions in terms of position, salary, and future prospects, whether real or just a painted picture. If I go to any one of them, the treatment will be much better than what I have now.”

Jin Yuan smiled at him and continued, “Your company is a leader in the industry, not only in China, but even in the global context, it has a reputation. This olive branch is a golden olive branch. If I miss it today, I may not be able to find anything better than your company in the future. But I still have to apologize to you.”

Wang Xijie seemed unsurprised as he held the glass bottle in his hand and said, “Is it because of the kindness of the Yucheng Group’s CEO towards you, Director Jin?”

“Yes, it’s easy to add icing to the cake, but difficult to do good deeds in times of adversity. I can never forget his kindness.”

The other leaned in a little, his expression hard to read, “Then, I don’t know how Director Jin views the other old saying, ‘Those who have been wronged will seek justice, and those who have been harmed will seek revenge’?”1

Jin Yang raised his eyebrows slightly and remained calm: “Did I commit an unintentional mistake that offended Mr. Wang?”

Wang Xijie smiled and said, “I haven’t known Director Jin for long, of course not, but I do know a little about your past. I heard that when Director Jin started his own company and had achieved some success, he was brought down by unfair competition in the industry and fell into debt, suffering a lot until he met the CEO of Yucheng Group. However, do you not want to know the truth behind the so-called ‘malicious competition’ back then?”

This was a tempting question, and for someone who had once stumbled and had a head injury due to a stone, they would definitely want to know the reason for their fall, let alone if they were pushed.

“What does Mr. Wang know?” Jin Yang asked.

He drank half a bottle of Coke in one breath, released the straw and said, “I know some of the truths that Director Jin wants to know. The so-called malicious competition was actually not a conflict between industries at all. What involvement or competition could there be between an information technology company and a real estate company?”

Wang Xijie didn’t reveal everything, keeping three parts fact and seven parts vague. The remaining information was even more heart-wrenching.

“So, the truth behind it all is the bargaining chip for Mr. Wang to invite me to switch jobs?” Jin Yang asked.

Wang Xijie didn’t speak. He rubbed his chin, looked down at his watch and said, “Since I deliberately invited Director Jin, it seems inappropriate to use this kind of news to threaten and coerce. Rest assured, if you want to know about this matter, I will tell you everything. It has nothing to do with poaching. But today may not be possible. I still have a very important matter to attend to. I’ll leave now. Director Jin, please take care of the bill.”

He left in a hurry, but Jin Yang felt that this person didn’t really have anything important to attend to. He probably just left to give him a hard time and wait for him to come crawling back next time.

. . . . .

After paying the bill and driving home, Jin Yang found that a piano had been placed in his home. It was an old upright piano with a pristine white lacquer finish that looked exquisite and elegant.

Zhou Mushi came out of the bedroom, still wearing the white shirt he had worn to work, radiating a princely aura.

“You’re back.”

“Mm-hmm,” Jin Yang replied and pointed to the piano in the corner of the living room. “What’s this?”

“It’s from my house,” Zhou Mushi said as he unbuttoned his shirt.

“Why did you bring the piano over out of nowhere?”

Walking up to the piano, Zhou Mushi’s slender fingers lightly played a few keys, producing a beautiful melody.

“My dad asked me to bring it over, claiming it’s better to preserve my mom’s legacy with me.”

“What’s the real reason?”

Zhou Mushi stopped playing, sat down on the bench, and stared at the black and white keys as he spoke softly. “My stepmom’s pregnant, and my dad’s rearranging the house to make room for the baby. He’s afraid the piano might bump into or harm the child.”

Jin Yang’s mouth twitched awkwardly. He wasn’t sure if he should say “congratulations” at this moment. He couldn’t guess Zhou Mushi’s mood, so he kept quiet.

With his back turned to Jin Yang, Zhou Mushi’s fingers danced across the keys, playing a beautiful melody that Jin Yang couldn’t recognize. He was surprised to learn that Zhou Mushi was such a skilled pianist, but he supposed it wasn’t unusual for wealthy children to learn the piano. Zhou Mushi had started at age four and had achieved a good level by middle school.

When Zhou Mushi was young and sat by the piano after finishing his homework, Jin Yang would help wash dishes and sweep the floor. It seemed that their paths would never cross, but luckily, education became the bridge that brought them together.

Studying was always the most effective way to close the gap.