On the second evening, Wang Jianzhu hosted an apology dinner for them at the most renowned restaurant in Tongyuan City.
Though it was framed as an apology, the moment Bian You and her group entered, they were greeted by an overwhelming array of liquor both Chinese baijiu and foreign spirits, piled high on the rotating center of the table, enough to make anyone’s scalp tingle.
Apart from Wang Jianzhu, the gathering included three men and two women, clearly intent on making things difficult for them.
Bian You remained unfazed, her expression unchanged, a relaxed smile still playing at the corners of her eyes. Her assistant, Zhou, who stood beside her, couldn’t help but admire how composed she was her emotional control was simply impeccable.
“Director Bian! You’ve finally arrived, we’ve been waiting for you!” The moment Wang Jianzhu spotted her, his eyes lit up, and he hurried over, extending his hand for a shake.
Wang Jianzhu appeared to be in his forties, a beta of average build. Though he didn’t yet have a pronounced beer belly, signs of weight gain were evident. His greasy, ingratiating smile was enough to make anyone’s stomach turn.
“Director Wang, I’ve long heard of your reputation,” Bian You replied smoothly, shaking his hand briefly before withdrawing. Wang Jianzhu’s smile didn’t falter, though he failed to take advantage of the situation.
“Director Bian, since you’re new here, you might not be familiar with everyone. Let me introduce you.”
At his cue, the more socially adept immediately poured drinks. Each time Wang Jianzhu introduced someone, that person would raise their glass to toast Bian You.
Yet Bian You merely raised her own glass in acknowledgment, her lips never touching the alcohol.
Her actions clearly displeased Wang Jianzhu. His expression darkened slightly as he said, “Director Bian, this isn’t very gracious of you. My people have all drunk up, but you haven’t taken a single sip. Do you look down on us?”
“Not at all. It’s just that I have a low tolerance for alcohol, and drinking too much might interfere with tomorrow’s negotiations,” Bian You replied with a faint smile, glancing at Zhou, who was now surrounded by the two women but seemed to be handling it well. She felt reassured.
“What’s the big deal? We can discuss matters while drinking tonight, no need to wait until tomorrow!” Seizing the opportunity, Wang Jianzhu raised his glass and declared, “This time, I’m toasting you. If you refuse again, you’ll be disrespecting me.”
Watching him down the entire glass, Bian You smiled faintly and nodded. “How could I ever disrespect you, Director Wang? Our future collaboration still relies on your mediation.”
With that, she tipped her head back and drained her glass in one go, then turned it upside down to show it was empty.
“Now that’s the spirit!” Wang Jianzhu cheered, and the others followed suit with applause and cheers, as if getting her to drink was some grand achievement.
Bian You guided Zhou to sit down and, without beating around the bush, turned to Wang Jianzhu with a smile. “Director Wang, I assume you’re well aware of the purpose of our visit?”
“Director Bian, you’re being rather impatient. Who discusses business the moment they arrive? According to our customs, we must first drink a round,” Wang Jianzhu chided, adopting the tone of an elder lecturing a junior.
Hearing this, Zhou nearly lost her composure, her brow twitching.
Did Wang Jianzhu even realize who he was dealing with? As the future successor of the Bian Group, how dare he make things difficult for her?
“Is that so? President Wang enjoys drinking this much?” Bian You maintained a composed and smiling expression on the surface, but inwardly, she was growing increasingly irritated.
Among the people Wang Jianzhu had brought along were one Alpha and two Omegas. Their pheromones now mingled in the private room, blending with the scent of alcohol and food, making the air feel unbearably thick to her.
What’s more, perhaps reacting to the pheromones of other Omegas, the mark left by Qi Zhi’e on her own gland was stirring restlessly, sending sharp pulses through her neck.
“President Bian, you might not realize it, but alcohol is the best way to bring two people closer,” Wang Jianzhu said, tilting his glass toward her in an attempt to clink cups while subtly brushing his pinky against the back of her hand.
Bian You’s gaze dropped to that little finger, her expression unreadable as she remarked, “President Wang… your hands seem very well-maintained.”
Her words froze the atmosphere in the room for a moment. Everyone’s eyes followed her comment to Wang Jianzhu’s hand especially the way his pinky was slightly raised making his intentions all too obvious.
Zhou, Bian You’s assistant, was stunned. She hadn’t expected Wang Jianzhu to be so brazen not only pressuring Bian You to drink but now even daring to make advances.
Did he truly have no regard for the Bian Group at all?
Wang Jianzhu’s face stiffened briefly before he forced a thin smile, then boldly reached to grasp Bian You’s hand.
“President Bian, I’m well aware of your current standing in the company. The board must have quite a few opinions about you, no? And let me be frank, this project isn’t just something your group wants. Even the Qi Group is eyeing a piece of it. You should think carefully.”
As his clammy hand closed over hers, Bian You suppressed her disgust and listened to his thinly veiled threat. She understood his implication: if the project went to the Qi Group instead, she’d have no way to justify the failure to the Bian Group’s board.
“I’ve slept with plenty of Alphas over the years, but I’ve never met one quite like you, President Bian. Let’s not beat around the bush, after tonight, everything can be settled.”
This time, Wang Jianzhu made no attempt to hide his intentions. His lecherous gaze roamed freely over her body, and the people he’d brought along erupted in laughter, their mocking eyes fixed on Bian You and even Zhou, who stood beside her.
Zhou was furious. She had anticipated Wang Jianzhu’s provocations, but she never imagined he would go this far.
Did he really have no fear of Bian You’s retaliation?
Bian You lowered her eyes, staring at his thick, meaty hand, then suddenly let out a soft chuckle.
It seemed that whether in reality or within the pages of a book, such situations always existed.
And coincidentally, Bian You despised them most of all.
If not for the constraints of the law, she often wondered, what if every time she encountered someone like this, she simply eliminated them? Would the world be a better place with fewer of these people in it?
A pleased curve lifted at the corners of her lips as she said lightly, “But someone like you, don’t you ever feel ashamed? How dare you exploit others like this?”
“Honestly, just looking at you makes me feel dirty.”
The moment these words left her mouth, everyone except Assistant Zhou gaped at her in shock. The people Wang Jianzhu had brought along even looked at her as if she’d lost her mind.
Wang Jianzhu’s expression darkened instantly, and he swung a slap toward Bian You’s face.
“You ill-bred brat! I’ll teach you a lesson your mother never did!”
The slap came with a sharp whistle of wind clearly, he hadn’t held back at all. Yet before anyone could even process what had happened, Wang Jianzhu let out a pained cry, his face turning deathly pale as he clutched his other hand, trembling violently from the pain.
The scene left everyone stunned. Someone hurried forward to support Wang Jianzhu and check on him, only to be shoved away. Wang Jianzhu’s face twisted with fury as he snarled, “You bitch! Do you even know whose turf this is? Beat her! I don’t care if she dies!”
Blinded by rage, he clearly no longer cared who Bian You was.
At his command, the others hesitated. While Wang Jianzhu had lost his mind, they hadn’t. At most, they’d dared to harass Bian You a little during drinks earlier, but outright offending her was another matter.
Wang Jianzhu had Ning Zhiyuan’s backing to shield him from consequences, but they didn’t. If things went south, they’d likely be the ones thrown under the bus.
Seeing their reluctance, Wang Jianzhu roared, “Have you forgotten who you work for? Do you still want a future in Tongyuan City?!”
That snapped them into action. Gritting their teeth, they charged forward. Each of them had dirt held over them by Wang Jianzhu between offending him or someone else, the choice was obvious.
As they rushed her, the two female Omegas pinned down Assistant Zhou, while the three men grabbed liquor bottles from the table and swung them at Bian You’s head!
Bian You inwardly scoffed. Zhiyuan Group really hadn’t shed its underworld roots after all these years, they still resorted to thuggish violence at the slightest provocation.
She dodged the bottles with swift movements, kicking a chair toward them before snatching up a bottle herself and smashing it over one man’s head.
Crash!
Alcohol and shattered glass sprayed everywhere. The man she’d struck seemed dazed, lifting a hand to touch his head in disbelief. Only when he saw the bright red blood staining his fingers did he seem to register the pain, swaying before collapsing to the ground.
The sight enraged the others. Holding nothing back now, the overpowering scent of Alpha pheromones flooded the private room, an attempt to suppress Bian You through sheer dominance.
The space was too cramped for her to fight freely, and the exit was blocked by the two Omegas. Assistant Zhou, no fighter himself, flailed helplessly like a panicked little crab when restrained.
Catching sight of his wide-eyed, pitiful expression, Bian You found herself fighting the urge to laugh at the absurdity of it all.
Dodging the swinging chair by bending over, he delivered a swift kick to the man’s shin, sending him howling in pain as he clutched his leg.
What truly shocked the Alpha was the situation his rank wasn’t low, yet he hadn’t detected even a trace of Bian You’s pheromones. Stranger still, Bian You remained completely unaffected by his own pheromones!
1:00 AM.
The shrill ringtone shattered the silence of the night. Qi Zhi’e’s head throbbed as he forced himself to grab his phone, only to see it was a call from the Tongyuan City Police Department.
As he listened to the explanation on the other end, his eyes slowly widened in disbelief.