Chapter Forty-Nine: What Did You See?

“No,” came the reply.

Before Tan Songhai could say a word, Tan Xue pushed the door open and walked in. She had listened to Li Youlan and was watching Chu Dong to see what he was up to. When her father followed Chu Dong into the office, she hurried over to eavesdrop. The secretary outside the door dared not stop her and simply pretended not to see anything. As soon as she heard Chu Dong asking for Silver Dragon’s entire marketing plan, she couldn’t hold back and barged in.

“Nonsense!” Tan Songhai, caught off guard by Chu Dong’s request, was unsure how to respond. Seeing his eldest daughter burst in, he snapped, “You have no manners at all.”

“Dad, you can’t give it to him. Even if you agree, would the other board members? And even if they did, who can guarantee he’ll achieve the set targets? I don’t care, I just don’t agree.” Tan Xue’s stubborn streak flared up, though she didn’t dare push too hard against her father. She went behind him and gently tapped his back.

“Uncle Tan, don’t worry about it too much. I just think Silver Dragon’s marketing seems off lately. Nearly fifty thousand square meters of construction were developed in the first half of the year, but the profits haven’t been ideal, right?” Chu Dong understood the situation. He’d noticed Silver Dragon’s performance had declined these past two years and wanted to find out why—hence today’s scene. He had no interest in any other company.

“What does the decline have to do with you?” Tan Xue’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment and anger. She hated hearing that; as the chairman’s assistant, she managed the marketing planning herself. Having Chu Dong criticize her work at this moment was naturally displeasing.

“Don’t be upset, Xue’er. Let me explain, and you’ll understand,” Chu Dong said with a smile, not waiting for Tan Songhai’s response. “Last year, the scale of land Silver Dragon developed was about the same as this year’s first half, but profits were twenty percent higher. The year before, they developed seventy thousand square meters, and the profits were three times what they are now. That means Silver Dragon’s costs are increasing, but profit output is shrinking.” He gestured in the air to stop Tan Xue from interrupting.

“Don’t tell me Silver Dragon is intentionally cutting profits so ordinary people can afford homes. House prices have gone up at least two thousand yuan per square meter since before. So, can you tell me where the money went?” Chu Dong asked Tan Xue, who was still annoyed, in a slow, deliberate tone.

Tan Xue was left speechless. Her mind raced in circles but she couldn’t come up with anything to refute him. With a huff, she turned away and ignored him.

“Dongzi, you’re right—this issue does exist. We’ve talked about it many times in meetings but haven’t yet found the root cause. The costs haven’t risen as fast as housing prices, but when we tally the profits, they keep shrinking. Do you have any suggestions?” Tan Songhai had initially hoped to give his son-in-law a chance to make some money, but now he was genuinely concerned. This problem had been bothering Silver Dragon for quite some time.

“To prescribe the right medicine, we need to find the illness first. I only have an outsider’s perspective on Silver Dragon and can see these issues exist, but to solve them, I’d need a deeper understanding. I’m just offering my thoughts—I can’t guarantee I’ll find the answer,” Chu Dong replied, careful not to corner himself. He always left room to maneuver.

“If it weren’t for Old Chu’s stubborn refusal to let you join us, I’d have brought you in long ago.” Songhai sighed with regret, venting his frustration with his father-in-law right in front of his son-in-law.

“Uncle Tan, even if I can’t work at Silver Dragon, it doesn’t mean I can’t help. If you trust me, let me look over Silver Dragon’s marketing accounts from the past two years. Maybe I’ll spot something.” Chu Dong quickly changed the subject. It wouldn’t matter if his father and Songhai got into a shouting match or even rolled up their sleeves to fight—he’d still have no say in it.

“Xue’er, I’ll call Finance. Take Dongzi over to check,” Tan Songhai instructed his daughter.

“Dad!” Tan Xue shook her father’s arm. “He’s not part of the company. How can he see confidential documents? What about the finance staff who signed confidentiality agreements? If there’s a leak, who do I hold responsible?” Her concerns were reasonable, but deep down she resented Chu Dong meddling. She felt her education and abilities were more than enough to handle such issues. Even if she couldn’t find the cause of the profit decline, Chu Dong wouldn’t fare any better. After all, it was her area of responsibility, and Chu Dong’s criticism stung.

“Not part of the company? This company, including you, will belong to him one day. Would he sabotage himself?” Feigning anger, Tan Songhai teased his daughter.

“I, he…” Tan Xue almost blurted out that he was dreaming, but remembered her grandfather’s furious face from last time and swallowed her words. Her almond-shaped eyes flashed as she glared at Chu Dong, who was waiting to leave with her, and stormed ahead in a huff.

Tan Songhai nodded, signaling Chu Dong to follow. Chu Dong understood immediately and hurried after Tan Xue.

The crisp sound of high heels echoed on the floor as Tan Xue’s shoulders swayed rhythmically. Behind her, Chu Dong shamelessly stared at the alluring curve of her figure. He was so absorbed that he didn’t even notice when she stopped and bumped into her, head down.

Finance was on the tenth floor. When the elevator stopped, Tan Xue was bumped from behind by Chu Dong and her anger flared. Now that her father was absent, she was free to act. She reached out and pinched Chu Dong’s ear, pulling him close. Her voice was low but fierce as she warned, “Watch yourself. Just because you’ve charmed my father doesn’t mean you’ll get your way. Understand?”

“Ow, ow, easy! Yes, I understand, I understand!” With his ear twisted and head bent, Chu Dong’s eyes happened to catch a glimpse down Tan Xue’s slightly distorted collar—a tempting expanse of fair skin, delicately wrapped in a pale pink bra, with a faint fragrance wafting over him…

She’d asked if he understood, but he replied that he’d seen, missing the point entirely. Just as Tan Xue was about to scold him further, she realized Chu Dong was nearly drooling, and noticed her own posture was perfect for a lecher to sneak a peek, almost as if she was forcing him to enjoy that tantalizing spring scene. She bit her lip and demanded, “What did you see?”

“So white… really white,” Chu Dong muttered, utterly entranced.

“You want to look? I’ll give you something to look at!” Embarrassed, Tan Xue switched tactics, turning her pinch into a twist.

“Easy! I didn’t see anything, really, nothing at all.” His face pulled up, Chu Dong regretted his actions, silently vowing, “If heaven gives me another chance, I’ll just take one look, and sear this moment into my memory, like a snapshot that preserves it forever as a beautiful recollection.”