Chapter 31

“President Ming, as of today, Chuangyi’s team still refuses to make contact. Emails, calls, office visits—without exception, they’ve all been rejected.”

“The latest update: Chuangyi has reached a cooperation agreement with the Tang family’s Benshi and FAW in the new energy vehicle sector. Today is the 15th; word is they will announce it at the Chaolin Investment Fair tomorrow.”

In the President’s office, Li Haiyang, manager of the Group’s Investment Department, was giving a one-on-one report to Ming Jiayue.

Market trends over the past half-month had been extremely unfriendly to the Ming family. Without a breakthrough in Ming’s own technology, the faster the market iterated on new energy vehicles, the greater their losses would be.

Especially since Ming Jiayue had personally spearheaded the expansion into overseas markets. The initial investment was massive, and her spending was staggeringly generous. Her overall style was bold and aggressive; in other people’s home courts, she had accurately sniped her competitors’ markets with a perfect record.

However, times had changed. The overseas market used to be a golden goose, but with the emergence of next-generation products, it now posed a high risk of triggering a financial explosion for the entire group.

Li Haiyang, thin with a single-lidded gaze, usually handled affairs with a breezy, adaptable ease. At this moment, however, he looked uncharacteristically anxious. After careful deliberation, he proposed a strategic contraction to accelerate cash flow recovery.

Having finished, Li Haiyang looked toward Ming Jiayue—the actual pilot of this behemoth known as the Ming Group.

She had led the Ming family, and led them, to create one industry miracle after another. Li Haiyang believed with absolute conviction that she would once again lead the Ming family to a comeback from a desperate situation.

Ming Jiayue held a fountain pen, its body entirely black with a metallic luster. The top of the cap featured a five-petaled gold-leaf flower pattern—she couldn’t remember which year Ji Shuangci had given it to her as a gift. Holding the pen, her nib hovered over the paper, hesitating for a long time.

Finally, Ming Jiayue made a stroke.

“No. Increase investment in the overseas market. I require you to seize the Western Australian market within six months at most.”

This was a decision that ran contrary to all conventional wisdom. Li Haiyang’s eyes widened in shock; he wanted to confirm one more time, but saw Ming Jiayue simply wave her hand dismissively, signaling for him to leave.

Li Haiyang left, and the office finally fell into a rare state of quiet.

Unable to hide her exhaustion, Ming Jiayue rubbed her temples, stood up, and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, staring absently at the skyscrapers below.

Next to the Ming headquarters was the Ruijin Center, the tallest commercial building in H City. Word was that Chuangyi had rented three floors there for their offices.

Thinking of Ji Shuangci, Ming Jiayue’s eyes flickered, and she let out a sigh.

Secretary Wang, carrying a stack of contracts and materials, was about to enter. Seeing that Ming Jiayue was finally no longer hunched over her desk, he quickly withdrew his foot and gently closed the door.

Currently, the industry was whispering that the newly appointed President Ji of Chuangyi was a workaholic who valued money over her own life, working day and night without rest.

Secretary Wang felt President Ming was no different. She had been working around the clock for a week—endless meetings and a blizzard of incoming proposals…

This year was likely going to be tough.

Secretary Wang sighed heavily, pulled out his phone, and opened the chat with Ji Shuangci. After struggling with it for a moment, he put the phone back.

Just a few years ago, Ji Shuangci and President Ming were so close, yet now they were turning to face each other with swords drawn.

The investment fair on the 16th Read on BaiLianTales arrived as scheduled. Ming Jiayue received an invitation and attended as agreed.

Without a doubt, Ji Shuangci was the highlight of the entire fair.

She wasn’t wearing a business suit today, but rather an elegant red gown—radiant and high-spirited. Surrounded by men in formal suits, she occupied the center position. Logically, her attire was somewhat inappropriate, but no one cared, much less dared to criticize her.

A crowd of business elites conversed with her, polite yet enthusiastic, trying to gauge market trends in advance. After all, the Ming family and the Tang family were both massive titans, and these people wouldn’t bet easily until they saw clear profit.

Ji Shuangci was flawless, managing everyone with ease. Every now and then, she checked her watch and remarked:

“Why hasn’t the younger President Tang arrived yet?”

As soon as she said this, everyone understood: the news of Chuangyi and the Tang family cooperating was true.

Ming Jiayue stood outside the crowd. Ji Shuangci tilted her head to finish a glass of wine and suddenly toasted her from a distance. Her eyes were curved, filled with triumph—looking both proud and provocative.

Ming Jiayue gracefully picked up a glass of red wine from a table, raised it in a silent toast, and took a sip. Her every gesture was steady, composed, and breezy; one couldn’t see even a hint of desperation.

She was as beautiful as an oil painting.

The smile on Ji Shuangci’s face dimmed for a second, then flared up again as she dove back into the business arena.

Ming Jiayue simply standing there was like a mountain one had to look up to. But Ji Shuangci thought: So what? She was no longer the one seeking shade under her canopy; she had become another peak.

Sooner or later, she would stand equal to her.

No.

She would prevail over her.

The investment fair on the 16th ended successfully, and Ji Shuangci became the darling of countless financial media outlets overnight. Previously, that position had belonged to Ming Jiayue.

There was no shortage of people eager to see the drama. Seeing that they couldn’t squeeze into the crowd around Ji, they walked over to Ming Jiayue.

“President Ming, young people these days are truly getting more and more capable, don’t you think? Our generation still has to respect them.”

“After all, they are different from us. Young people are impulsive; they have a stick in their hands and they actually dare to strike.”

It was nothing but painless probing. Ming Jiayue followed the conversation smoothly.

“Indeed. Young people have healthy bodies; they naturally have a lot of strength to exert.”

Ming Jiayue’s “none of my business” attitude left them unsure how to respond, and the atmosphere fell silent for a time.

No one present could have predicted that today would be the start of a commercial war that would go down in history.

One year later, on March 16th, the Tang family officially launched the “Chase the Moon” (Zhuyue) series of new energy vehicles, officially replacing Ming’s “Huaxia” series as the most advanced new energy cars in the world.

News of the new energy vehicle iteration arrived like a landslide, followed immediately by the continuous decline of Ming Corp’s stock. [bailiantales.com]Many industry insiders began to speak disparagingly of Ming Jiayue and Ming Corp online.

“President Ming is old, after all. She doesn’t have the drive of the youth. Look at the Zhuyue research team; not a single one is over 30.”

“The Huaxia series started cutting prices globally six months ago; who knows how much loss that will recoup? Anyway, I have money, I’m buying the best.”

“Yu Qihua and Zhang Daimi are major shareholders of Ming Corp, and even they’ve started selling off their stock. What hope is left?”

Over this year, Ming Jiayue and Ji Shuangci clashed frequently in the industry. Aside from seeing each other twice at public galas, they had no private contact.

Two months after the Zhuyue series launched, the “Zhuyue 3” followed—another complete technological iteration. Media outlets used terms like “a thunderous blow” to describe the impact on the domestic auto industry.

At the same time, Ming Corp’s automotive division seemed driven to a dead end with no room to retreat.

As the hype continued to climb, Ming Jiayue and Ji Shuangci’s past was entirely dug up by netizens—Ji’s past as an actress, Ming’s previous protection of her, and so on. Rumors were rife and confusing. No one knew how they had reached this current state.

But the “CP” fans of the two remained steadfast, continuously producing videos of them—from the taboo feeling of the age gap to the blood-pumping thrill of arch-rivals fighting to the death. The captions were even more ambiguous:

[The winner takes all. My spoils of war include you.]

[Everyone thinks we are at each other’s throats, but only I know: you are the only one who understands me.]

[If you don’t even care about the elder’s tears, what other weapon does she have left?]

The two companies were separated only by a road. Read on BaiLianTalesWhen the employees of both firms saw these videos, they all looked speechless. Even if something had happened before, it was absolutely impossible for anything to happen now.

Outsiders didn’t know, but these employees did: this year of back-and-forth had seen both sides pour money in—fighting for talent and market share. It couldn’t even be described as spending money like water; it was spending money like a waterfall.

It was truly “needle against wheat awn,” a fight to the death. Both sides had a breath of frustration held in their chests, their teeth itching with hatred.

The market was only so big. Zhuyue had seized the technological initiative. Ming Corp had gone from the sole leader to the current state of equal rivalry. Many industry insiders speculated that Ming’s move to clear Huaxia inventory was a sign of surrender, and it was highly likely they would be acquired by Zhuyue.

Under such circumstances, Ming Jiayue was enduring a pincer attack from both internal and external pressures. The stress was imaginable.

However, throughout this year, no matter how many shareholder meetings were held, Ming Jiayue remained steadfast: the overall strategy would not change.

Almost all shareholders felt she was seeking death, acting on impulse, and unable to bend her waist or lower her head because she had stood at the top for too long—she couldn’t accept defeat. Ming Jiayue made no excuses; she simply pushed her decisions forward with an air that allowed no dissent.

Late one night, Ming Jiayue returned home from a business function. She had drunk too much wine and her stomach was in pain. A few hundred meters away from home, she had the driver stop the car, got out, and walked slowly alone.

After walking a distance, she couldn’t hold it back and threw up violently by the roadside.

Ji Shuangci was also returning from an engagement. From her car, she saw that familiar figure by the road from a distance.

As she slowly drove the car over, Ji Shuangci’s expression was more complex than ever. She had heard an hour ago that Ming Jiayue had downed six bottles of red wine at a table full of men just for a production line for a small component.

Knowing this, Ji Shuangci didn’t know what words to use to describe her state of mind—bewilderment, mixed feelings, a bit of sadness, and perhaps a mix of joy and emptiness at the impending victory in their clash.

A car requires over twenty thousand parts, with a high degree of customization; stolen contentit’s impossible to manufacture every part oneself.

Ji Shuangci’s mood was unprecedentedly complex. She stopped the car, grabbed a bottle of water, and got out. She walked to Ming Jiayue’s side, supported her, and handed the water over.

“Rinse your mouth.”

Ming Jiayue took the water. When she looked up, she saw Ji Shuangci’s face—calm, as if the tide of her countless emotions had receded.

Whether out of sarcasm or some other thought, Ji Shuangci let out a sneer.

“President Ming truly lives up to the saying ‘old but vigorous.’ Six bottles of red wine in one night—I admit defeat.”

As the wind blew, the intoxication rose; Ming Jiayue’s cheeks, ears, and neck were flushed red. She gazed at Ji Shuangci and blinked slowly. Whether she was truly drunk or not, she began to laugh.

Ming Jiayue’s hair had come loose. She tilted her head back slightly, her eyes bright. The moonlight shining between the two was very moving.

In an instant, Ji Shuangci’s entire body went stiff.

A few seconds seemed to pass, or perhaps a few centuries.

Ming Jiayue was likely truly drunk. She stumbled away from Ji Shuangci’s hand, her eyes looking both cross and resentful. “And isn’t that… because of you?”

As the wind rushed into her embrace, Ji Shuangci stared at her without blinking. After a long daze, she realized a possibility: Was Ming Jiayue just acting spoiled toward her?

Ji Shuangci stepped forward in disbelief, holding bailiantales.comMing Jiayue steady with both hands. Her voice trembled as she pressed:

“What did you just say? Say it again.”

Ming Jiayue only laughed, then waved her hand as if wanting to walk back.

Ji Shuangci thought for a moment and followed. Half-forcefully and half-coaxing, she led the woman back to her own home.

After a bout of uncooperative cleaning, Ji Shuangci finally got Ming Jiayue to lie properly on the bed. But her obedience was temporary; a moment later, Ming Jiayue wanted to leave.

She wouldn’t speak; she just looked at Ji Shuangci coldly.

Somewhat annoyed, Ji Shuangci simply pinned her down so she couldn’t move. Amidst the scattered long hair, Ji Shuangci’s sharp eyes caught a few streaks of silver—Ming Jiayue’s white hairs.

Her gaze scanned Ming Jiayue’s face inch by inch, her fingertips following the same path.

They hadn’t met or had a proper conversation in a very long time.

Ming Jiayue’s breath carried the scent of wine, sinking into Ji Shuangci’s lungs. She lowered her head and pressed a deeply cherished kiss onto Ming Jiayue’s lips. That soft touch felt like a sharp arrow striking her heart.

A massive sense of happiness suddenly enveloped Ji Shuangci. For a moment, she even couldn’t help but let a tear fall.

Her hunger for her had never faded; the more she repressed and restrained it, the more it boiled.

Ji Shuangci gazed at her with heavy eyes, coaxing her in a low voice, their hair [read the original at bailiantales.com]intertwining in the hazy light.

“Why won’t you just admit defeat?”

“You go to them, but you don’t come to me. Come to me. Open your mouth and beg me. Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you.”