Chapter 84: How Do You Know

Meng Xingzhe stared at the suddenly appearing Meng Yutang at the door, feeling as if an invisible thunderbolt had struck his head.

How could he have forgotten to change the password lock before doing something sneaky?

His voice trembled with a new tone as he called out, “Dad?!”

Meng Yutang smiled warmly and said, “My dear son, you’re calling me with such emotion today. Do you miss your old dad?”

Meng Xingzhe felt Yao Jia, who was leaning on the sofa, tremble all over.

Taking advantage of Meng Yutang looking down to find his slippers, he quickly stood up from the sofa, walked over to block Meng Yutang’s view, giving Yao Jia time to compose herself and her emotions.

“Why did you suddenly come here?” He spread his arms and put his hands on his hips, as if trying to widen his body to block more of Meng Yutang’s view.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you in advance. The retirement home is having a big cleanup today, can’t stay there,” Meng Yutang said as he opened the shoe rack to get his slippers.

“Then why don’t you go back to your own villa?”

“That place hasn’t been lived in for so long. It’s not as comfortable as here.”

Meng Yutang changed his shoes and was about to enter the house. Worried that Yao Jia hadn’t regained her composure, Meng Xingzhe wanted to stall a bit longer to give her more time to prepare.

“What about Mom?” he asked.

“She’s out shopping with her friends from the retirement home,” Meng Yutang replied, then suddenly exclaimed, “Hey? Why is there a pair of high heels here?”

He looked down at the high heels and then up at Meng Xingzhe. Meng Xingzhe felt his father’s sharp gaze making him tense all over.

“Son, tell me the truth. Do you have some special hobby? Cross-dressing?”

“……” Meng Xingzhe almost knelt down before his father. “Dad, what are you thinking? Can’t I just have a guest at home?”

“Oh?” Meng Yutang pushed him aside. “A guest at home? Let your old dad see what kind of guest a loner like you can have!”

Meng Xingzhe’s face turned so dark it could drip ink.

Meng Yutang pushed him aside and saw Yao Jia standing gracefully in front of the sofa. He quickly assessed her with a glance, then beamed and walked over to the sofa.

“Child, who are you?”

Yao Jia had managed to piece herself back together from her earlier state of disarray. Although her heart was still a bit chaotic, pounding in her chest, she appeared calm and composed on the outside.

Looking at Meng Yutang, she finally understood where half of Meng Xingzhe’s good looks and demeanor came from. This was indeed a distinguished and handsome middle-aged man.

She greeted Meng Yutang politely, giving a slight bow. “Hello, Uncle. I’m Yao Jia, a… friend of Meng Xingzhe.”

Due to the sudden situation, her vocal cords tightened, and her voice carried a slight hoarseness.

Meng Yutang’s eyes crinkled with a smile, adding two more crow’s feet at the corners. “Good, good! What a pretty young lady!” He then shifted his tone to a more serious one. “Uncle really has to thank you for being friends with our unsociable kid!”

“……?” Yao Jia almost couldn’t react. What a humble and accurately self-aware father!

But how could such a father have a son who is so pretentious and thinks he’s a heartthrob?

“……Uncle, you’re too kind,” Yao Jia thought for a long time and could only come up with this polite but empty phrase.

Meng Xingzhe was visibly displeased. “Old Meng, let me ask you, am I your biological son? Do you have to belittle me like this?”

Meng Yutang ignored him, smiling as he sat on the single sofa and motioned for Yao Jia to sit as well.

Yao Jia sat a bit reservedly on one side of the long sofa, close to the single sofa.

Her heartbeat gradually returned to normal, and the tension in her voice slowly eased.

Looking at Meng Yutang’s kind and amiable smile, she felt that Meng Xingzhe’s father was much easier to get along with than Meng Xingzhe himself.

Meng Yutang acted as if he were the master of the house. After inviting Yao Jia to sit, he waved at Meng Xingzhe. “You sit too, don’t stand there. No need to be so formal at home.”

“……” Meng Xingzhe sat next to Yao Jia. Under his father’s sharp gaze, he had to keep some distance from her.

After sitting down, he sensed something was off and said to Meng Yutang, “Dad, why don’t you watch TV here for a while? Yao Jia and I need to discuss some business in the study.”

As soon as Yao Jia heard the words “business,” the scene of him pinning her down on the sofa to “discuss business” flashed before her eyes, and her ears instantly turned red with embarrassment.

She tried hard to control herself, preventing the embarrassment from spreading to her cheeks, and heard Meng Yutang ask, “What kind of business are you discussing?”

The phrase “what kind of business” made Yao Jia’s guilty conscience flare up even more, causing the fire in her ears to spread more intensely.

She straightened her back on the sofa, as if the more upright her posture, the more legitimate their “business” would seem.

She looked at Meng Xingzhe, waiting to hear his answer.

Meng Xingzhe earnestly told Meng Yutang, “We need to discuss matters related to the company.”

Yao Jia followed his voice to look at Meng Yutang. As she turned, she met Meng Yutang’s gaze. Her body involuntarily trembled. Although the elder was smiling, his eyes were sharp and piercing as if they could see right through her. He asked, “Can I listen in?”

Meng Xingzhe and Yao Jia spoke simultaneously—

Meng Xingzhe: “It’s not convenient.”

Yao Jia: “Of course, you can.”

Yao Jia was so intimidated by Meng Yutang’s piercing gaze that she wanted to prove that the business between her and Meng Xingzhe was indeed legitimate and not messy, so she agreed without thinking.

In contrast, Meng Xingzhe was straightforward. He said to Meng Yutang, “Dad, I need to discuss matters concerning Kunyu Electric with Yao Jia, which involves internal company affairs. Is it convenient for you to listen?”

Meng Yutang smiled at him. “As the owner of another company discussing internal matters of another business, if you’re comfortable talking, why wouldn’t I, a retired person with nothing to do, be comfortable listening?”

“……”

Yao Jia saw Meng Xingzhe being thoroughly stumped by his father. She almost wanted to laugh.

“Old Meng, isn’t this a bit too nosy?” Meng Xingzhe, frustrated, began to retort against his father.

Yao Jia nudged his arm, worried that he might start bickering like she did with Yao Bingkun. She quickly said, “It’s fine, Uncle. If you want to listen, go ahead. Didn’t you say Uncle is fully retired? Listening shouldn’t be a problem!”

Meng Yutang chimed in, “Exactly. Having been in big business myself, maybe I can offer some advice where you’re confused.”

That did make some sense.

But Meng Xingzhe was still momentarily helpless. After a brief pause, he seamlessly continued discussing matters concerning Qiu Lishi.

Yao Jia was in awe of his ability to maintain a serious demeanor without being overly pretentious.

“Let me lay out the timeline for you,” Meng Xingzhe said, ignoring his father’s gaze and looking at Yao Jia with sincerity. “First, one morning, I took leave to attend the Industry Summit. Then you said Qiu Lishi showed you photos of me at the summit. Have you ever wondered why he, not knowing me, would specifically photograph me?”

Yao Jia, prompted by his question, asked, “Yeah, how did he notice you? What exactly happened when you attended the meeting that day?”

Meng Xingzhe recapped, “That day, I went to the summit not wanting anyone to know I was the real boss of Xingbei Technology, so I didn’t sign in. Coincidentally, I ran into your dad’s assistant. He recognized me and came over to greet me.”

Yao Jia interrupted him, “Wait, why would my dad’s assistant know you and actively greet you?”

Meng Xingzhe lifted his chin and said, “Your dad knows me. It’s not strange that his subordinates recognize me and greet me.”

Yao Jia looked at his pretentious demeanor. If Meng Yutang weren’t there, she would have mocked him.

Speaking of Meng Yutang, she was a bit curious. He sat there listening intently, not asking who was who, as if he understood everything about the people she and Meng Xingzhe mentioned.

Yao Jia seized the moment to ask how Meng Xingzhe knew Yao Bingkun.

Meng Xingzhe briefly recounted his unexpected encounter with Yao Bingkun behind an ancient tree, where they shared a cigarette.

Yao Jia listened with her mouth slightly agape. “I don’t remember my dad being such an approachable person. How did sharing a cigarette lead to such camaraderie?”

Meng Xingzhe lifted his chin again, full of pride. “Maybe once people get to know me, they can’t help but like me.”

“…” Yao Jia was speechless, but she thought she heard a soft laugh nearby, tinged with a hint of derision.

—This was official mockery from Meng Xingzhe’s father!

At that moment, Yao Jia thought Meng Xingzhe’s family seemed quite normal; it was just him who wasn’t.

In the midst of his busyness, Meng Xingzhe reminded his father not to make random noises, saying that an audience should have the quality of an audience. He continued, “At the summit, your dad’s assistant came to greet me. I was worried about how to explain why a small customer service rep from Kunyu was attending such a large industry conference, but he helped me out by asking if Li Wangli had chosen me. Seeing him offer me a way out, I quickly agreed. After that, we exchanged a few words.”

Yao Jia interjected, “Assistant Hou, as my dad’s assistant, holds a special position. He never casually talks to people. I can’t believe he not only approached you but also chatted with you.”

Meng Xingzhe took the opportunity to boast again, “That’s personal charm for you.” Yao Jia fought the urge to mock him as he continued, “I guess Qiu Lishi saw Assistant Hou talking to me. Since Assistant Hou rarely approaches people, he must have been curious about me. After Assistant Hou left, Bei Luonan came to find me to enter the venue. We had arranged to meet at the registration area. When I met Bei Luonan, I had a feeling someone was watching me.”

“It must have been Qiu Lishi,” Yao Jia said. “He not only watched you but also took pictures of you and Bei Luonan.”

After a pause, Yao Jia added, “I’ve recently discovered that Qiu Lishi is quite suspicious. That day, he must have been wondering about your relationship with my dad’s assistant—in reality, he just wanted to know your connection with my dad. So, he might have his assistant try to get information from my dad’s assistant later.”

Meng Xingzhe said, “Assistant Hou is very cautious and probably won’t say anything. But during the phone rescue incident, I pushed you, the real rescuer, into the conference room. Qiu Lishi might have seen me then. If he has a good memory…”

Yao Jia interrupted to add, “He has an excellent memory! A few days ago, he was chatting with me, saying he still remembers what my dad said during a meal they had decades ago and how much it cost. His recollections made my dad nostalgic and sighing.”

At this point, Yao Jia thought she heard a slight exhalation from Meng Yutang.

She turned to glance at the listening uncle, who waved his hand dismissively, saying, “Continue, don’t mind me, pretend I’m not here.”

“…” Yao Jia thought, how can I pretend you’re not here when your presence is so strong?

Meng Xingzhe snapped his fingers in front of her to regain her attention. “So, at the summit, he must have recognized me, which made him suspicious about how a small Kunyu customer service rep could attend such a high-end conference and be so chummy with Bei Luonan, a partner at Xingbei Technology.”

“Did he start investigating you afterward?” Yao Jia asked.

Meng Xingzhe shook his head. “He probably didn’t start investigating right away.” He asked Yao Jia, “Do you remember what Lu Jingyi said when we had dinner together later?”

Yao Jia nodded. “He mentioned that refurbished machines appeared in the rural distribution.”

Meng Xingzhe said, “After the refurbished machines returned to Kunyu Electric, they had to go through the storage department. Out of curiosity, I took the opportunity to get to know a small leader in the storage department, Mu Jingjing, after the summit.”

Yao Jia remembered the girl. She also recalled spilling water just because she saw Meng Xingzhe chatting with Mu Jingjing.

Thinking back, her secret annoyance at the time was probably jealousy.

“Later, I invited her to Pizza Hut for dinner to ask about the refurbished machines.”

When Meng Xingzhe mentioned this, Yao Jia’s heart skipped a beat.

The day Meng Xingzhe and Mu Jingjing went to Pizza Hut, she was in the dormitory having hot pot with Tian Huasheng. Because he wasn’t there, the hot pot felt like half her world was missing.

“At Pizza Hut, when we talked about it, I realized Mu Jingjing was evasive and even tried to get information from me, asking how I knew about it and why I was interested. With my intelligence, it would be strange if she got anything out of me! Of course, I was evasive too. Later, I was in a hurry to get back to the dorm, so I didn’t bother continuing the mind games with her.”

Meng Xingzhe raised an eyebrow at Yao Jia, ignoring his father’s presence, and asked directly, “Can you guess why I was in such a hurry to get back to the dorm that day?”

Yao Jia had a vague idea, which made her heart race a bit, so she asked, “Why?”

“Because Tian Huasheng texted me, saying you set the table with three sets of utensils.” Meng Xingzhe looked at her with deep eyes and a magnetic voice, “So I had to hurry home to accompany the little one subconsciously waiting for me.”

Yao Jia’s face turned red instantly. She warned Meng Xingzhe with her eyes that his father was still there, so he shouldn’t say such mushy things.

She didn’t dare turn to see Meng Yutang’s expression or let him see her blushing face.

But Meng Yutang spoke up, “Son, I always thought you’d never learn to sweet-talk girls in your life. It seems I was wrong! But son, you should hold back a bit. After all, I’m getting old, and my skin gets looser with all these goosebumps!”

Meng Xingzhe, feeling a bit overwhelmed, turned to Meng Yutang and said, “Dad, why don’t you go lie down in the bedroom for a while?”

Meng Yutang refused, “It’s broad daylight. Why would I lie down in the bedroom?”

“Then go sit in my room on the massage chair!”

“Who needs that thing? Your mom will give me a massage when I get home tonight.”

“Then go read a book in the study!”

“Do you have One Piece? I won’t read anything else.”

“…”

Meng Xingzhe was defeated again and again.

Meng Yutang clearly intended to stay in the living room and listen to their conversation.

Meng Xingzhe had no choice. He turned back to Yao Jia and asked, “Where was I?” He was so flustered by his troublesome father that he forgot.

Yao Jia’s eyes went blank for a moment. She had been watching the father-son duo spar and was still surprised that Meng’s father, despite his age, was into One Piece.

It was Meng Yutang who reminded them, “You were talking about the small leader in the storage department.”

“Right,” Meng Xingzhe continued, “I went to find Mu Jingjing in the storage department to ask about the refurbished machines, but she was very cautious and didn’t say anything while trying to get information from me. A few days later, Qiu Lishi urgently revised the rules and tried to fire me for an unauthorized absence—this was clearly targeting me.”

“So, I’m going to make a bold guess here. I think the issue with the refurbished machines is related to Qiu Lishi, and Mu Jingjing is part of Qiu Lishi’s faction,” Meng Xingzhe concluded.

“Let’s piece together the logic of the whole situation. I believe that during the summit, Qiu Lishi noticed me and became suspicious and curious. Later, when I inquired about the refurbished machines from Mu Jingjing in the storage department, it was like stirring up a hornet’s nest. She reported this to Qiu Lishi, which raised his alertness. Knowing that I was acquainted with your father’s assistant, he became nervous, fearing I might inform your father about the refurbished machines. So, he quickly investigated me. Upon discovering that voice recording and combining it with the summit situation, he confirmed my real identity as the owner of Xingbei Technology. Then he hurriedly changed the policy, using Unauthorized Absence as a reason to forcibly fire me, aiming to prevent me from having any chance to contact your father and mention the refurbished machines.”

Yao Jia pondered after listening. Something still felt off to her.

“If he knew you were an undercover boss from another company, why didn’t he just use that as an excuse to fire you? Why go through all the trouble of changing policies and taking such a roundabout way?”

Meng Xingzhe replied, “Because he was certain that if he fired me, given my undercover status, I wouldn’t dare to resist or make a fuss and would just leave quietly. His goal was for me to disappear from under your father’s nose. He also worried that if he exposed my undercover identity, I might retaliate by revealing the refurbished machines issue.”

Yao Jia suddenly understood, “He intended to fire you, thinking your special status would mean you’d leave quietly without causing trouble, and everything would settle down unmentioned. He didn’t expect that we had a connection and that I would insist on keeping you. He became anxious, fearing you might tell me about the refurbished machines, which would implicate him. So, he rushed to me and my father, claiming you were a fraud, a corporate spy, and that your true identity was the owner of another company. That way, no matter what you said, it wouldn’t be credible. Even if you mentioned the refurbished machines, it would be dismissed as coming from a fraud and a spy, with malicious intent.”

Meng Xingzhe nodded, “Looking at it this way, that’s how it is.”

Yao Jia sighed with a hint of frustration, “I still feel there’s something missing.”

She lowered her head to think, suddenly pinpointing the odd detail that had been bothering her: “Wait, on the day of the Industry Summit, since Assistant Hou saw you, given his meticulous loyalty to my father, he would definitely have informed him about seeing you.”

Yao Jia looked at Meng Xingzhe, her eyes filled with doubt, “Didn’t my father find it odd that a small customer service employee skipped work to attend the Industry Summit?”

Meng Xingzhe frowned slightly, “I’ve wondered about that too. Later, I thought maybe your father considered our special connection and was a bit more lenient with me.”

Yao Jia nodded, still somewhat skeptical.

Beside them, Meng Yutang let out a soft, derisive snort, so quiet that only Yao Jia heard it, while Meng Xingzhe did not.

Meng Xingzhe continued, “So we’ve reached a consensus: Qiu Lishi is problematic. He should be the parasite within Kunyu Electric.”

Yao Jia nodded, “I’ve been suspecting him too. As soon as I took office, I started thoroughly investigating the company’s financial situation and discovered some very suspicious things—the Customer Service Department has been paying salaries to certain individuals whom I’ve never heard of or seen in the department.”

Meng Xingzhe raised an eyebrow at this.

Yao Jia explained, “I privately asked Chen Luoxi in the finance department, and she told me that the payroll list is managed by human resources. Every month, the Human Resources Department sends a signed list to finance, which then issues the salaries according to the list.

“So I went to the Human Resources Department to ask Lu Fangfei. She, remembering our past help, told me the truth—that these people are actually ‘invisible employees’ of the company.”

“Invisible employees?” Meng Xingzhe echoed.

Yao Jia informed him, “Yes. They’re people who don’t actually work at the company but still receive salaries.”

Meng Xingzhe frowned slightly.

Yao Jia continued, “Lu Fangfei also told me that it’s not just the Customer Service Department; other departments have invisible employees too. So, I’ve been busy investigating this matter, checking each department thoroughly. The results were shocking,” Yao Jia said, her emotions rising, “The company has been supporting a lot of these invisible employees! They’re concentrated in the Customer Service Department, the Security Department, the Storage Department, and the After-sales Service Department.” She couldn’t help but pound the sofa, “The company has been so harsh on female employees, yet it’s been wasting money on so many parasites!”

“How were these people brought in?” Meng Xingzhe asked with a frown.

Yao Jia replied, “I asked Lu Fangfei to privately investigate how these ‘people’ were hired. She reported back that they all have one thing in common—they were all handled by Zhang Xirun, the head of the Human Resources Department.”

Meng Xingzhe narrowed his eyes, recalling Zhang Xirun’s seemingly harmless demeanor. It appeared that his harmlessness was just a facade, hiding a true nature that was aiding someone in exploiting and harming the company.

“As an HR Manager, he shouldn’t be so audacious. Looking further up, whose person is he in Kunyu Electric?”

Yao Jia looked at him and said, “Qiu Lishi. He was promoted by Qiu Lishi.”

Meng Xingzhe gave a complex expression that was both surprised and unsurprised by this revelation.

“It’s not surprising that this is related to Qiu Lishi. But as a Vice President of Kunyu and a small shareholder, why does he keep doing things that harm Kunyu? Even with my great wisdom, I find this puzzling.” He paused and asked Yao Jia, “Have you told your father about this?”

Yao Jia replied, “Yes, I have. Judging by his expression, he might have already known about Qiu Lishi arranging invisible employees to receive salaries. But I don’t understand why he doesn’t pursue it.”

At this point, Meng Yutang suddenly spoke up, “Haven’t you asked your father directly why he doesn’t pursue it?”

Yao Jia turned to him, responding politely, “I asked indirectly. He said the situation is quite complicated, and he’ll explain it to me later.”

Meng Yutang chuckled, and to Yao Jia, it seemed like a cold laugh.

“Complicated, my foot!”

Yao Jia was taken aback to hear such a trendy expression of disdain from Meng Yutang.

“I think your father finds it too embarrassing to admit.”

Hearing this, Yao Jia was even more surprised.

Not only her, but even Meng Xingzhe leaned in closer, focusing on his father.

“Old Meng, do you know something about this?” he asked.

Meng Yutang leaned back against the sofa, his hands resting on the armrests, looking as comfortable as a lord, not hiding his satisfaction at knowing more.

“Of course!” He turned to Yao Jia, saying, “Back when your father was a young man, he was quite the idealist, forming brotherhoods everywhere. Hey, young lady, did I use the term ‘idealist’ correctly here?”

Yao Jia nodded, “You used it right!” Her eyes widened in surprise. She never imagined that Meng Xingzhe’s father would know about her father’s past secrets! Could it be because they were in the same business circle back then?

She thought it was no wonder that Comrade Yao Bingkun had said when he heard about her and Meng Xingzhe’s brotherhood, “I thought that was something from our generation. I didn’t expect you young folks from the ’90s to still do this.”

“Your father once formed a brotherhood with Qiu Lishi.”

“!!!” This was a development Yao Jia never anticipated. She didn’t have the time to turn and see Meng Xingzhe’s expression, but she imagined it was as colorful as her own.

“The origin is quite cliché. When your father was young, he had a car accident, and Qiu Lishi saved his life. Your father etched this debt deep into his bones. Back then, Qiu Lishi had a small company that was struggling. Your father, Yao Bingkun, though he appeared to be a tough guy with a bad temper, was actually soft-hearted like tofu dregs. Out of brotherly loyalty, he acquired Qiu Lishi’s company, gave him some shares of Kunyu Electric, and, considering Qiu Lishi’s dignity and feelings, made him the Vice President of the company.”

Yao Jia found this information fascinating. Her father had never shared these stories with her. But upon reflection, it wasn’t surprising, given that their relationship had only recently begun to improve.

“The employees from Qiu Lishi’s original small company were all retained at Kunyu Electric. Some were promoted by Qiu Lishi to leadership positions. Over the years, these individuals formed a nepotism network within Kunyu.”

Following this line of thought, Yao Jia seemed to unravel the members of this nepotism network.

The head of the Human Resources Department, Zhang Xirun, the head of the Customer Service Department, Li Wangli, the former head of the Security Department, and the heads of the Warehouse Department and After-sales Service… these hidden employees, concentrated and exerting effort to conceal issues in the refurbished machine chain, were likely all part of it.

“Your father, valuing old ties, originally thought that as long as Qiu Lishi didn’t go too far and only sought benefits for himself, he could tolerate it. At worst, whatever Qiu Lishi embezzled, your father would cover out of his own pocket. He probably intended to endure Qiu Lishi until his retirement. But unexpectedly, in the past two years, Qiu Lishi seemed to have lost his mind. He wasn’t just content with seeking personal gain; he started engaging in activities that harmed the company’s interests. The refurbished machines you mentioned are a vivid example. This time, your father can’t endure it any longer. He knows all this, and he’s just waiting for the right moment to lay everything out and catch everyone in the nepotism network in one fell swoop.”

Listening to this sequence of events, Yao Jia felt a strange sense of alarm. It was as if Yao Bingkun had picked up the snake from the farmer and the snake fable and raised it. This snake had bred a group of smaller snakes, which expanded into a network, corroding Kunyu Electric.

She was momentarily lost in her feelings of shock and reflection, unable to think about anything else.

Suddenly, she heard Meng Xingzhe’s voice in her ear.

“Old Meng, how do you know so much about Kunyu Electric and Old Yao’s affairs? Did you know him from the beginning?”

His voice carried a heavy tone of doubt, even accusation.

“Does that mean Old Yao knew me from the start too?!”

“Did he already know who I was when I first went undercover in the Kunyu Electric Customer Service Department?!”

— Translator’s Notes —

• the farmer and the snake fable: This alludes to the Chinese fable ‘The Farmer and the Snake’ (based on Aesop’s ‘The Farmer and the Viper’), where a compassionate farmer revives a frozen snake with his body heat, only for it to bite him fatally, illustrating the peril of showing kindness to the inherently treacherous.