Zhao Jianhua revealed a rogue's smile and said, "Don't forget we signed an agreement. If you dare to withdraw the project personnel, you'll have to compensate me three times the loss."
Zhan Jiayi stared at him vigilantly and said, "I've already given you the technical personnel you wanted. It was you yourself who didn't object to Huangfu Group changing the plan. You can't blame anyone else. Solve your own problems, why are you looking for me?"
Zhao Jianhua's expression tensed, and he glared at her, "Who was it that made you Xie Zhendong's woman, leading to your current status? You've probably forgotten what we agreed on back then, giving me nothing in return. Now you want to suppress me like Xie Zhendong. Do you think you're worthy?"
As he spoke, he approached Zhan Jiayi and roughly grabbed her chin.
He had some genuine feelings for Zhan Jiayi, and he was reluctant to give her to Xie Zhendong. Seeing her again at such close range, he couldn't help but fantasize about possessing her again.
As he leaned in to kiss her, Zhan Jiayi slapped him without hesitation and said sternly, "If you dare to touch Xie Zhendong's wife, you'll have hell to pay when he recovers and gets out of the hospital!"
Zhao Jianhua pushed her away, no longer fantasizing about what could happen between them, and said, "Now that you are temporarily acting as the chairman of Xie's Group, you can do everything according to my wishes. Otherwise, I will release this video."
"If you dare to release it, I'll have Zhen Dong make sure your group can't survive!" Zhan Jiayi said, unyielding.
"When Xie Zhendong sees this captivating video of you, will he still listen to you?" Zhao Jianhua said with a laugh. "Your status is higher than mine now. Anyway, I'm the one with nothing to lose. Let's see who loses more."
"Shameless!" Zhan Jiayi asked directly, "Tell me, what exactly do you want from me?"
"I want too many things," Zhao Jianhua said jokingly. "How about this, while Xie Zhendong is recuperating, we join forces to take over Xie's Group. Then I'll be the chairman, and you'll still be the chairman's wife. I'll divorce my wife at home and only be good to you."
Zhan Jiayi said disdainfully, "Dream on! With your capabilities, you still want to swallow up the entire Xie's. Destroy that video, and I'll give you ten million."
"Ten million to buy this video? Don't even think about it. I want to show it to Xie Zhendong; it's worth far more than ten million," Zhao Jianhua thought of the video as his cash cow.
Zhan Jiayi saw through his intentions and didn't want to entangle herself further. "Do you think I care about this video? Offering ten million to buy it is already showing you respect. Since you have such a big appetite, do as you please. Things like this in your hands can't threaten me!"
With that, she turned and left. Zhao Jianhua was a greedy scoundrel, and she wouldn't bargain with him anymore.
The taxi that had brought her was still waiting at the door. She got in directly and told the driver to drive back.
After driving a considerable distance from the small villa, she took out her phone from her pocket. The recording function had been on all along, capturing everything Zhao Jianhua had said.
Especially the part where Zhao Jianhua said he wanted to divorce his wife and only be good to her – she planned to edit it and let Zhao Jianhua's wife hear it.
...
Zhao Jianhua watched Zhan Jiayi leave, feeling that this woman had indeed grown wings.
He hadn't realized Zhan Jiayi had such capabilities and abilities back then, or he wouldn't have given her to Xie Zhendong.
Now, Huangfu Group hadn't truly swallowed Xie's yet. As Zhan Jiayi said, if he angered Xie Zhendong, he wouldn't get away with it.
Therefore, even though he had this video, he still didn't dare to release it casually.
But what if he gave this video to Huangfu Sishu? Wouldn't that help Huangfu Group again?
Once Huangfu Group dealt with Xie's, Zhan Jiayi would be nothing. He could bring her back to his side.
...
The next day at noon, Zhan Jiayi called Zhao Jianhua's wife.
She knew Zhao Jianhua's wife was also a formidable woman, and only she could deal with him.
She wouldn't be manipulated by him. Once you give in to such a person, there's a first time, and there will be endless demands.
"Hello," Zhao Jianhua's wife's voice came from the phone.
She used to be afraid of being discovered by Zhao Jianhua's wife, and even more afraid of facing her.
Now it was different. Zhan Jiayi had enough standing to speak to her as an equal.
"Mrs. Zhao, hello. I am Zhan Jiayi, and I would like to meet you privately."
Zhang Yuyun said, "Should I call you Miss Zhan, or Mrs. Xie? Why should we meet?"
"I think you know that my husband and I are no longer connected, but he suddenly contacted me last night and said some things that surprised me," Zhan Jiayi said patiently. "I think it's necessary for you to know about this."
Zhang Yuyun said in a deep voice, "When, and where?"
Zhan Jiayi stated the time and place and hung up.
Two hours later, Zhao Jianhua's wife, Zhang Yuyun, appeared at the appointed coffee shop.
They had known of each other's existence before, but they had never met face-to-face like this.
Zhang Yuyun felt that she had underestimated Zhan Jiayi at the time, thinking she was like other women.
Once Zhao Jianhua gave her to Xie Zhendong, her fate would be tragic when Xie Zhendong got tired of her.
She hadn't expected Zhan Jiayi to become Xie Zhendong's official wife and now acting chairman of Xie's Group.
"Who exactly are you, and why did you get involved with Old Zhao back then?" Zhang Yuyun asked directly as she sat down.
She suspected Zhan Jiayi's identity was not that simple; otherwise, how could she have firmly captured someone like Xie Zhendong?
Zhan Jiayi didn't answer her and asked politely, "Mrs. Zhao, would you like something to drink?"
"Anything."
Zhan Jiayi ordered two of the most ordinary lattes. She didn't really care what she drank.
"Mrs. Zhao, don't you want to know why Zhao Jianhua contacted me?"
Zhang Yuyun said indifferently, "Why else? It's just that trivial matter. At my age, I've come to terms with it. Men are all like that."
Zhan Jiayi took out her phone and handed a Bluetooth earphone to Zhang Yuyun, gesturing for her to listen.
Zhang Yuyun put on the Bluetooth earphone, and Zhan Jiayi played the recording.
She observed Zhang Yuyun's expression.
Zhang Yuyun's usually calm demeanor finally turned furious. She took off the earphone, "Damn Zhao Jianhua, I've been tolerating him and not divorcing him, and he's plotting against me!"
"Mrs. Zhao, please rest assured. My past with your husband was a moment of confusion. Now, I will not leave Xie Zhendong and will marry him," Zhan Jiayi said. "But I think you need to know about this, lest he take all the assets when he divorces you, and you remain in the dark."
Zhang Yuyun saw that she was not a simple person and wondered why she would kindly remind her like this.
She quickly calmed down and said, "Then I really must thank you. You're telling me this because Old Zhao has some leverage over you, right? A woman like you who climbed up through being a mistress must have a dark past. Before Old Zhao, you must have had many men, haven't you?"