I Am
Chapter 3/15
“Boss Lin, this situation is unlike anything we have seen or heard of before. I’ve made calls to five bank presidents, but they either refused to pick up the call, or gave us various absurd reasons. They’re not willing to fork out a single cent to us at all, despite us having no issues with our past records,” Wu Yue said, frustrated.
Lin Ruoxi stroked her hair quietly. It couldn’t be seen from her look how she was currently feeling. “Understood. Continue calling the other banks that we have a partnership with, and at the same time withdraw some cash from the few major funds under our company.”
“Yes, Boss Lin.”
Wu Yue wanted to end the call, but Lin Ruoxi suddenly asked, “Has Muyun Corporation been informed about this yet?”
“I sent them the news half an hour ago. Actually, they must’ve realized that something is wrong. A lot of people have started paying attention to us since Yu Lei is majorly affected by the American stock exchange. I bet Muyun Corporation will ask us about it as well. Vice President Li Minghe is having a discussion with their CEO Li Muhua. By my estimations, we should be getting an answer to all this soon”
“Alright. Muyun Corporation has a share in the launch of our new material as well. It’s impossible for Li Muhua to step aside from this. Ask Vice President Li to directly contact me after the discussion is done.”
At this moment, the car had entered the resort where the Athena Team was based at. Similar to the last time they came, there was basically no one in the resort, as if it was an abandoned place. Only a handful of people were aware that this place was built for the internal operations of Yu Lei.
After exiting the carr, Lin Ruoxi asked the manager to bring Hui Lin and An Xin to rest.
“It’s very late now. You guys may rest at the guest rooms for now. I’ll send someone over to ensure your return by tomorrow morning” Lin Ruoxi said to the two ladies.
Hui Lin shook her head. She begged, “Elder Sister, please let me follow you. I want to be by your side.”
“Kid, you’re not supposed to be worried about stuff like this. What you have to do now is take care of your own safety, and go home tomorrow morning… I know that you can fight well. Mom and Wang Ma will need you,” Lin Ruoxi advised coldly.
Hui Lin still looked rather reluctant. An Xin pulled her arm gently and said, “Hui Lin, your elder sister is right. You won’t be of much help in the world of business. I only found out today that you’re so good in martial arts. Can you stay with me? I’m really afraid now.”
Hui Lin pouted her mouth. Although she knew that An Xin’s fearful look was only an act, she was aware that she indeed couldn’t help Lin Ruoxi on anything in the business world. Thus, she nodded and said, “Then I’ll make my return by dawn. Elder Sister, I’ll take care of the house. Don’t worry.”
“Alright. Someone will send you home tomorrow.” Lin Ruoxi then looked at An Xin before sighing slightly. “Miss An, I didn’t expect the situation to turn out this way when we’re out for a trip. Regardless of what happened between us, I don’t hope that you’re harmed because of me. If you want, you may call the bodyguards of the An clan to come over to grant you protection and send you back. This isn’t a secret place.”
An Xin smiled as she shook her head. “No need. Their target is Yu Lei, not the An clan. I’ll be fine as I return to Zhonghai City tomorrow morning.”
Lin Ruoxi had nothing else to say. At last, she turned her head to look at Yang Chen in doubt.
Yang Chen waved his hand with a strange smile. “Do you possibly want to get rid of your husband? I’ll smack your butt if you suggest that.”
“I don’t have time to joke around now,” Lin Ruoxi said coldly.
“I also am not joking around,” Yang Chen said innocently.
Lin Ruoxi opened her mouth and looked like she wanted to say something, but gave up. She turned around and walked toward the building Athena Team worked in before saying, “Do whatever you want.”
Yang Chen felt rather helpless in times like this. Why can’t she learn to ask for my help, and say something like ‘hubby I’m really afraid’. If she does that, both of my two legs will soften, while the middle ‘leg’ will harden to shoot all the bad guys to death with my missiles, he thought.
Yang Chen turned around with a smile and said to Hui Lin and An Xin, “Don’t look so solemn. Everything will be fine with me here. Babe An Xin, I think you should listen to Ruoxi and ask your dad to send bodyguards to escort you back. You never know what might happen next.”
An Xin looked at Lin Ruoxi who was walking away. Smiling, she said, “Is Athena Team a specially built group by Lin Ruoxi? I’ve never heard of such organization in Yu Lei. I really want to have a look, but it seems to be heavily guarded.”
Yang Chen pinched An Xin’s cheek. “Stop thinking nonsense. She’s not your enemy. You won’t gain anything by looking into her.”
“Who says she isn’t…” An Xin stuck her tongue out. She gazed upon Yang Chen resentfully as she said, “You’re the only one who’s this petty. I’m not even allowed to guess your wife’s secret. Alright, I’ll leave in the morning. You’re here anyway, I don’t think anything will happen with you around.”
“I’m glad that you know,” Yang Chen said before taking out a cigarette from his pocket and putting it in his mouth. He then slowly walked to the direction Lin Ruoxi went.
He had come to the base of Athena Team before, so he was familiar with the place. After taking a few turns, he stepped into an office guarded by bodyguards.
Lin Ruoxi must’ve informed them before, so Yang Chen wasn’t stopped from entering the place.
A dazzling display of calculators and screens could be found there. Different types of sounds that one could hear in an office filled the place. There were around seven to eight young elites from all over the world typing incredibly fast on their keyboards.
Since they were urgently summoned, two of the western ladies were wearing silk pyjamas. Fortunately, the heater in the office was turned on, so they wouldn’t catch a cold while working.
“Damn it. We encountered the enemy,” a man with messy hair said with an Irish accent. Pushing his spectacles up, he said to Lin Ruoxi who was looking at the screen which displayed the stock market, “Boss, this is bad. Not only are they very experienced, have executed their plan so perfectly that there is nowhere for us to counter their attacks. Their speed is similar to ours.”
“I spent a lot of money to hire you to work, not to state the obvious,” Lin Ruoxi said without turning her head.
The Irish young guy made a stupid face, but continued to busy himself with the task happily. Evidently, he was used to Lin Ruoxi’s personality, and was extremely confident in his ability.
Lin Ruoxi was immersed in looking at the data displayed on the screen. She suddenly detected the smell of smoke which was getting stronger. Frowning, she turned her head to look behind, only to find Yang Chen who was seated on a swivel chair, leisurely smoking a poor-quality cigarette with both his legs placed on the railing.
“Who allowed you to smoke in here?” Lin Ruoxi had been in a bad mood from the start. She couldn’t help but get frustrated to see Yang Chen calmly smoking in the workplace.
Yang Chen was focused in seeing the large number of data in red and green. After he was called by Lin Ruoxi, he noticed that he had subconsciously lit up a cigarette. Smiling awkwardly, he pinched on the cigarette end before keeping it in his shirt pocket. He wasn’t bothered that the ash had gotten into it. “I’m sorry Babe. It wasn’t intentional. I only wanted to put it in my mouth, but I accidentally lit it up.”
Lin Ruoxi refrained her anger as she took a deep breath. She didn’t have energy to get mad anymore. “My mind is in a mess right now. If you want to be with me, please don’t behave this way. At least don’t make me feel that you’re watching a movie.”
“I’m not watching a movie.” Yang Chen pointed at the screen which was repeatedly changing. “I’m analysing the situation.”
Lin Ruoxi felt a little better now. She asked, “Enlighten me then, what do you think of the situation?”
“I don’t know,” Yang Chen replied.
“Aren’t you looking at the data?” Lin Ruoxi asked as she frowned.
Yang Chen waved his hand. “I am, but I fail to understand a single thing.”
“You…”
Lin Ruoxi had the urge to take a few bites off Yang Chen’s meat, but the situation was critical now, so she decided to leave him aside. She had long gotten used to this man’s senseless behavior. She murmured, “I have to stay calm… I have to stay calm…” as she looked away.
At this moment, Yang Chen stood up smilingly and walked to Lin Ruoxi’s back. When she wasn’t paying attention, he used one of his arms to hug her waist.
Lin Ruoxi felt that the skin of her waist had been covered by a warmth. She shivered a little in shock. She looked behind and noticed Yang Chen’s weird gaze.
Although it wasn’t enough to be noticed by the other people in the room, Lin Ruoxi was still really nervous. She flushed as she tried to struggle off Yang Chen. Softly, she said, “Let me go. Why are you doing this suddenly…”
Yang Chen said beside her ear, “I can tell that you’re nervous, so I want to help you relax.”
“I told you I don’t have time to joke around.” Anger filled Lin Ruoxi’s eyes. She was trying to come up with a solution for Yu Lei’s difficulty, but this man was still playing games. He wasn’t trying to relax her, but was pissing her off instead.
“You should be most aware that anger won’t solve the problem,” Yang Chen said with a smile.
“Can you solve the problem by messing around?” Lin Ruoxi asked as she stared at him angrily.
Yang Chen held a complex expression. He contemplated for quite a while, before finally opening his mouth. “Miss Lin Ruoxi, I’m now offering you a deal, not as your husband, not as your employee, not as your family, but merely as a man called Yang Chen. What do you think?”