268: Are you really going to sell your ass?

"Hmm?"

Li Yao's face flashed with surprise upon hearing this. "You said his name is Ye Chen?"

"Yes! Ye Chen!"

Li Huai became even more agitated when he saw the police officer react.

"That man is fierce! His skills are especially powerful!"

"Elder Qin... the deceased, was like a little chick in his hands!"

"Officer, quickly arrest him!"

"It's too terrifying to leave such a dangerous person in society!"

Li Yao didn't respond immediately. He pondered for a moment, his eyes a little strange.

He took out his phone, quickly scrolled the screen, and soon pulled up a photo, then handed it to Li Huai.

"Take a look.

"Is it this person?"

This photo was forced upon Li Yao by his Younger Male Cousin, Li Qin.

Li Qin's original words were: "Brother, your future Brother-in-law has great abilities, but also a lot of trouble. Take his photo with you, just in case you encounter something on the road, don't let a minor misunderstanding cause major trouble."

Li Yao had thought his Younger Male Cousin was making a fuss and playing tricks on him at the time...

He never expected...

It actually came in handy?

Li Huai eagerly leaned closer to the phone, widening his eyes to look.

The photo showed a young man, looking exactly like Ye Chen...

No!

To be precise, it was the exact same person!

Li Huai instantly went numb, feeling a chill rush from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, his tongue tied in knots.

"It's him!"

"Officer, you... you know him?"

Li Yao retrieved his phone, his expression even more complex, then patted Li Huai's shoulder.

"Comrade, thank you for providing the lead."

"We will investigate the specific situation in detail."

"Now, please come back to the station with us to make a formal statement."

After speaking, without waiting for Li Huai to say anything more, he gestured to the police officers beside him.

Two police officers immediately stepped forward, one on each side, and "politely" escorted the still-dazed Li Huai into the police car.

Li Huai sat in the back seat of the police car, looking through the window at the flashing police lights and the gradually receding hotel, his mind a blank.

He seemed to have called the police to arrest Ye Chen, but the police knew Ye Chen?

Did this count as walking right into a trap?

His upcoming career of "selling his ass to pay off debts" hadn't even begun, was he going to experience life behind bars first?

A cold wind blew, and Li Huai was on the verge of tears.

No...

...

Ye Chen drove, and the two quickly returned to the Sheshan Villa Area.

"Alright, you should rest well at home for a few days first."

Ye Chen parked the car and turned to look at Jin Meiting. "The Gu worm has just been removed, your body still needs time to recover. Let the people at Tiangong handle things for now, don't overwork yourself."

Jin Meiting nodded.

Her complexion was actually much better than before, but there was still a hint of weariness between her brows.

She unbuckled her seatbelt, but didn't get out of the car immediately.

"A-Chen."

"Hmm?"

Ye Chen paused his movements and looked up at her.

Jin Meiting pursed her lips, then smiled charmingly.

"Do you... want to stay for lunch before you go?"

"I miss... 'making dumplings' with you."

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen's expression immediately became strange.

Making dumplings?

Of course he remembered!

Back then, this crazy woman dragged him into the kitchen right under Zheng Hu's nose.

She claimed it was to let her Younger Male Cousin make dumplings.

In reality, the two of them were making dumplings together.

That meal of dumplings, he also ate it with trepidation and without tasting anything...

"Cough cough."

Ye Chen coughed dryly, rubbing his nose. "That meal of dumplings... I ate it with trepidation."

Jin Meiting leaned forward, closer to Ye Chen, her red lips slightly parted, her voice carrying a hint of seduction.

"Then tell me..."

"Was it exciting?"

Ye Chen looked at her alluring face so close to him, his breathing hitched slightly.

This woman was constantly challenging his self-control.

He composed himself and nodded honestly.

"Exciting, yes."

"After all, Zheng Hu and Chen Bo were watching outside, but you said to treat them as dead men."

Jin Meiting smiled even more seductively.

"Then..."

"Want to relive it?"

Before she finished speaking.

She pushed open the car door, walked around, and directly pulled Ye Chen out of the car.

Ye Chen hadn't even reacted when she half-pulled, half-dragged him into the villa.

Jin Meiting didn't stop in the living room but directly pulled Ye Chen towards the kitchen.

As soon as the two entered.

Jin Meiting closed the kitchen door behind her, then turned and gently pushed Ye Chen against the edge of the countertop.

The distance between them instantly narrowed, close enough to feel each other's breath.

Ye Chen looked down at the woman with burning eyes in front of him.

"Meiting, you..."

However.

Before he could finish, Jin Meiting had already stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and precisely sealed his mouth with her red lips.

Not long after.

The sound of making dumplings came from the kitchen.

In the evening, Shuyue Group's top-floor conference room.

High-level executives of The Group filled both sides of the long conference table, and an invisible pressure permeated the air.

Bing Lan sat upright at the head of the table, dressed in a simple white pantsuit, which made her appear as cold as snow.

Reports were spread out before her.

A Vice President of the Marketing Department, sitting to her right, carefully spoke after adjusting his glasses.

"President Bing, the 'snow skin rejuvenation' series recently launched by Mitsubishi Group has received an overwhelming market response."

"In less than a month, with simultaneous online and offline efforts, they have already seized nearly 25% of the market share for our main skincare product line."

He paused, then looked up at Bing Lan, his face filled with worry. "Moreover, this trend... is still expanding."

An Operations Director next to him immediately added, his tone helpless.

"The key is their overwhelming advertising, celebrity endorsements, influencer marketing, short video marketing..."

"With this combination of punches, the presence of our 'Shu Yan' series has been severely suppressed."

"Many cooperative channels are providing feedback, asking if we have a countermeasure, or... updated products."

As soon as his voice fell, a suppressed murmur of discussion rose in the conference room.

Shuyue Group started with high-end lingerie design, later ventured into cosmetics and beauty skincare, and finally expanded into the jewelry line.

As a result.

By targeting the female market and with the considerable response brought by Bing Lan's own celebrity effect, it quickly gained a foothold in the market, especially in the skincare product line, where profit contribution has always been significant.

Now, being impacted by a competitor with such a rapid momentum, these executives couldn't help but be anxious.

Bing Lan took a deep breath and said in a low voice.

"Have their product quality inspection reports, ingredient analyses, and user adverse reaction data all been checked?"

The head of product monitoring immediately replied.

"Yes, President Bing, we purchased all batches of Mitsubishi's 'snow skin rejuvenation' series on the market and sent them to three different authoritative agencies for comprehensive testing."

"The publicly disclosed ingredient list is largely consistent with the test results, and no illegal additives were found."

"Heavy metals, microorganisms, hormones, and all other items passed."

"Even..."

He paused, a hint of confusion and frustration appearing on his face.

"Several of their patented active ingredients indeed show good effects in promoting skin metabolism and tightening."

"Especially their night repair cream, many real users report that after using it before bed, facial puffiness significantly improves the next morning, and the skin feels firmer and more elastic."

"This isn't fake reviews; we've conducted sample follow-up surveys."

This conclusion made the atmosphere in the conference room even more solemn.

The competitor's products were not only safe but also genuinely effective, which was the most troublesome aspect.

Bing Lan nodded slightly, her brows furrowed as she spoke.

"Bring me the samples and the complete inspection report to see."

"Yes." An assistant immediately stood up and quickly walked out of the conference room.

Before long, he returned with several exquisitely packaged bottles and jars and a thick stack of documents, gently placing them in front of Bing Lan.

Bing Lan picked up a bottle of face cream, unscrewed the lid, and sniffed it closely.

The scent was light and elegant, and the cream's texture was delicate and smooth.

She quickly flipped through the test report, her gaze lingering on several key data points for a moment.

Closing the report, she looked up towards the R&D department.

"R&D Department, regarding the current market competition and the characteristics of the competitor's products, do you have a prototype for the new season's plan?"

The question was posed.

On that side of the conference table, the faces of several R&D department heads and key personnel instantly flashed with awkwardness.

A silence spread through the conference room.

Hmm...

No one dared to respond.

Li Qin, sitting behind Bing Lan, leaned slightly and whispered into Bing Lan's ear.

"Sister Bing Lan, I... I secretly asked Old Chen from R&D before the meeting."

"He said... everyone has been pulling their hair out lately, trying dozens of formula directions, but the improvement in effectiveness isn't obvious."

"Either the cost can't be brought down, or the stability isn't enough, and it's still far from the 'snow skin rejuvenation's' visible tightening and de-puffing effect..."

"There's still a gap!"

"In the short term, it's probably impossible to come up with a new plan with disruptive competitiveness."

Although Li Qin's voice was soft, in the pin-drop silent conference room, it was vaguely caught by those nearby.

The atmosphere completely solidified.

The opponent's offensive was fierce, their own product strength was temporarily hampered, and R&D was stuck in a bottleneck...

Shuyue Group seemed to have truly encountered a significant hurdle in the skincare field.

Bing Lan's delicate brows immediately furrowed tightly.

Could it be...

They really had to temporarily avoid their sharp edge, shrink their battle lines, and wait for R&D breakthroughs?

Or, invest more resources in marketing and channels to resist?

None of these were her desired optimal solution.

Just as the entire room fell into silence...

Suddenly!

"Knock knock knock."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the conference room door.

Everyone was startled, subconsciously looking towards the thick soundproof door.

At this time, with an urgent high-level meeting underway, who would be knocking?

Bing Lan raised her eyes, her cold gaze fixed on the door, and her red lips slightly parted: "Come in."