Chapter 48: Was It You Who Did This?

"Xiao Zhu, I'm downstairs at the company. The new security guard doesn't recognize me and won't let me through. You need to come down and get me."

Hearing this on the other end of the line, Xiao Zhu sounded puzzled. "I already notified the security department just now. Brother Jiang, wait a moment, I'll be right down."

Hearing me address Xiao Zhu on the phone, the security guard let out a disdainful snort and muttered under his breath, "Where did some random nobody come from, acting all high and mighty here?"

Although I heard every word clearly, I didn't stoop to his level, keeping a polite smile on my face.

After a short while, Xiao Zhu came bustling out through the main gates. "Brother Jiang, you're here."

He then frowned at the security guard. "What's your name, and what's your employee ID? Didn't your security department supervisor tell you that Mr. Jiang is to be let straight through upon arrival?"

Seeing that Xiao Zhu, Xu Zhixia's executive assistant, was so familiar and courteous with me, the security guard instantly lost his previous arrogance, bowing and scraping as he said,

"Oh, Mr. Jiang, I'm truly sorry, I'm new here—"

"Didn't you just say I was some random nobody acting high and mighty? Do you know you're wrong now?"

Terrified, the security guard didn't dare meet my eyes, continuously bowing. "I'm sorry, Mr. Jiang!"

I didn't pay him any more mind. Besides, it wasn't my company's security guard anyway; I would have preferred Xu Zhixia to have a few more fools like him under her command until they managed to offend all her clients.

"Don't worry, Brother Jiang, I'll have the security department fire him right away."

"If Xu Zhixia finds out you fired an employee because of me, won't she come after you?"

Xiao Zhu chuckled twice. "Such a trivial matter won't reach President Xu's ears."

True enough, Xiao Zhu was Xu Zhixia's executive assistant after all, and held considerable power within Zhaohui. Dealing with a security guard was merely a matter of a single word from him.

"Has Xu Zhixia finished her meeting?"

"Not yet, but it should be soon. Brother Jiang, why don't you wait in President Xu's office for a moment? What would you like to drink, I'll go prepare it?"

"Mineral water is fine. But Xiao Zhu, there's a question I've always wanted to ask you. All these years, everyone around Xu Zhixia has been well aware of her attitude toward me, always looking down their noses at me. Yet you alone have always treated me with warmth and courtesy."

"Why is that?"

Xiao Zhu froze upon hearing this, then said with a touch of sheepishness, "Why did Brother Jiang suddenly think to bring this up?"

"In all these years around President Xu, I've met quite a few people who all thought of me as nothing more than a servile lackey. Only Brother Jiang treated me with genuine sincerity and looked at me as a human being. While I couldn't change President Xu's attitude toward you, I certainly wasn't going to kick a man when he was down."

Xiao Zhu recounted several past events that even I had long forgotten. In truth, they were merely trivial matters of petty convenience, yet Xiao Zhu insisted that he had remained deeply grateful for them.

It turned out that sincerity could indeed be reciprocated with sincerity, except that I could never win in return the sincerity of Xu Zhixia.

Sitting in the office, I heard the crisp sound of high heels tapping against the floor of the hallway outside.

The door was pushed open, and Xu Zhixia walked in.

She wore a gray shirt on her upper body, pinned with a sun-shaped yellow gemstone brooch. The main stone was a ten-carat yellow diamond, which was quite dazzling.

Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, revealing her fair arms and the Richard Mille white ceramic watch with its striking red accents on her wrist.

On her feet, she wore a pair of beige, slender-heeled pointed-toe pumps.

Her long hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, which, paired with her mature makeup, gave her a capable and heroic air—an aura of unapproachable frostiness.

Seeing me sitting on the sofa, Xu Zhixia frowned slightly, a flash of disgust crossing her eyes.

"Why are you here? Who let you in?"

"President Xu, it was me—"

I directly cut off Xiao Zhu, placing the insulated food jar I was holding onto the desktop. "I promised to make you seafood porridge. Have a taste."

Xu Zhixia's gaze shifted from my face to the insulated jar. "I thought you wouldn't make it after all. Didn't you already secure the Xuxing project? To think you'd still bring me porridge."

Xu Zhixia sat in her executive chair. It was evident that, despite her revulsion toward me, she couldn't resist the temptation of the seafood porridge.

They say that to capture someone's heart, you must first capture their stomach. Total nonsense; Xu Zhixia loved the food I cooked, yet it never made her love me.

I opened the insulated jar, took out the pre-prepared bowl and spoon, scalded them in front of Xu Zhixia with boiling water from the tea bar station, and handed them to her.

Xu Zhixia glanced at me, a complacent smile curving the corner of her lips, seemingly quite satisfied with this serving behavior of mine.

As the seafood porridge touched her lips, Xu Zhixia's reaction was even more exaggerated than expected, but seeming to feel that showing such an expression was beneath her dignity, she quickly pretended as if nothing had happened at all.

"This porridge is different from the previous ones. What did you put in it?"

"The base of the porridge was simmered using Red Tilapia fish bones and a secret rich broth, with added Red Tilapia fish fillets and fish balls."

"It seems you've made quite a pretty penny on the Xuxing project."

I deliberated for a long time, finally biting the bullet to speak. "Xu Zhixia, I came here because there's one more thing I'd like to ask your help with."

Xu Zhixia's hand holding the spoon paused. She raised her eyes to look at me, her expression a mix of astonishment and mockery.

"You really never visit unless you want something. You previously claimed that once we divorced we'd cut all ties and never cross paths again, and now here you are asking me for a favor."

Xu Zhixia pushed the porridge bowl aside, propping her chin with her right hand as she stared at me with half-closed eyes. "Jiang Jian, you really are utterly pathetic. Where did all that backbone from before go? Aren't you right back here begging me like a lapdog?"

"Xu Zhixia, don't speak so harshly."

"Heh, didn't I tell you that if you want to beg for help, you need the attitude of a beggar? Do you really think that by latching onto Ji Leqing, I, Xu Zhixia, can no longer keep you under my thumb?"

"Let me guess, you came looking for me because of Chenghui's raw materials, didn't you?"

I hadn't expected Xu Zhixia to guess my purpose, and I abruptly raised my head, looking at her in shock.

Meeting her smug and arrogant smile, I involuntarily clenched my fists. How could she possibly know I was after Chenghui's materials?!

Outwardly maintaining my composure, my mind raced at lightning speed, turning over every possible scenario.

"Xu Zhixia, did you have someone sabotage Xushuo?"

Xu Zhixia laughed as if she had just heard the greatest joke in the world. "Jiang Jian, you overestimate yourself by far. If I, Xu Zhixia, wanted to deal with a tiny company like jiansha, would I even need to resort to such cheap tricks?"

"Are you even worthy?"

"You've searched through every single raw material supplier in the industry, and you expected me not to notice? Do you really take my company for some toy to play games with you?"

Xu Zhixia's eyes were filled with utter disdain and contempt, mocking my overestimation of my own capabilities.

Faced with her mockery, I hesitated. Could it really have been just a coincidence, an accident, and not something orchestrated by Xu Zhixia behind the scenes?

Regardless, to weather jiansha's current crisis, I had to beg her; I had to secure Chenghui's materials at all costs.

"I'm sorry..."

"I don't need an apology from the likes of you. Furthermore, you surely don't believe a word I say anyway. You might as well drop this hypocritical act—it's utterly sickening to look at."

I took a deep breath, steadied my emotions, and spoke to Xu Zhixia. "Tell me, what will it take for you to let Chenghui supply materials to Xushuo?"