"I…" He sucked in a deep breath. "And what do I get if I am on your side?" he asked.
"At the end of all of this, you get to have a job. You won't be blacklisted," she said.
"And… the money?" he asked.
"If they give it to you, accept it. It'll help you cover your costs," she said with a smile.
"How can I take their money and then…" he trailed off, panic gripping his chest.
"You gave them the pictures. That's what they wanted from you. You did the work and got the money. You think we can't safeguard you?" she asked.
The man gulped.
"Think about it carefully." Li Min pulled out her card and handed it to the man. "We won't hold the offer for long," she said.
The man took the card and held it for a second before looking up. "I'll do it," he said finally.
"You chose well."
Actually, it was easy to convince a weak person who was motivated by fear and money. Qian Meng didn't have to personally come, but she wanted to do as Mo Qingchen did and see if it felt better.
Destroying someone for harming you… turned out. It wasn't so bad.
When Qian Meng slid into the car, Li Min looked perturbed. "Boss, you said to take the money from Sophie's Secret. Why did you do that? He could turn at any moment," she said.
Qian Meng glanced at her secretary. "Do you think they will pay him? They used a personal connection and enticed him into doing it. If they pay him money, it will leave a money trail. They already made a small deposit to him to show they were reliable," Qian Meng explained.
"But it could be written off as an acquaintance giving them money for something," Li Min understood. And then she understood. "When the lawsuit is filed… he will have to constantly attend. Everyone will know what he did. He'll never get a job in the industry, right?"
Qian Meng chuckled. "Of course. The number of years the lawsuit goes on, he will definitely not get a job. If he does, it won't be a job where he has any important work," she commented.
"That's one way to get revenge," Li Min commented. "So, he will basically have no money to survive. Is that what you wanted?"
Qian Meng smiled. "Let's hope Sophie's Secret pays him for his services, then." It was a cheeky response.
"I have already spoken to Li Jun and the lawyers in Hong Kong. They will work together, take a statement, and then file the lawsuit by the end of tomorrow."
Qian Meng nodded. "Wait for the go-ahead from Li Jun and then ask the influencers to post. No open comments yet. It's all speculation until Li Jun drops the bomb."
Li Min smiled. "Understood, Boss." She paused. "Our business here is just about done. The manager in the Hong Kong region has already signed the new manufacturers on as per your details. When will we be going back?"
Qian Meng thought about it. "Let's wait for tonight and check if everything goes smoothly. Book a flight for next morning if it does," she said.
Li Min made a note of this. "You have to check the emails from the external audit team and the newly formed team for 1314, too," Li Min informed her.
Qian Meng felt a bubble of joy. "Progress report? I'm sure Mo Qingchen has received it as well. Last I checked, the team for 1314 had hired some good people."
She arched and tried to smooth the knots in her back. "Let's head back to the hotel. If we don't have any other issues related to Sophie's Secret, I'll work on HQ and other projects." She noted.
The car arrived at the hotel and Qian Meng opened her eyes reluctantly.
She walked into the room and found Mo Qingchen busy with work in the dining area. "You came back early," he said calmly. He looked up from his laptop and gave her a crooked smile.
"Yeah. Work is done. Just waiting for everything to fall into place," she informed him. "Have you had anything to eat?" she inquired with an arched brow.
"I had the breakfast you ordered for me. It was delicious," he told her. "What about you? Did you grab some food on your way out?"
She shook her head. "I had a few bites of steak. I am famished. I'll eat lunch and then get to work," she said promptly.
He looked at her curiously. "Why don't we take the next flight out if you sorted everything?" he asked. "Are you dragging your feet again?"
She rolled her eyes. "I learned my lesson from last time. I'm using it as an excuse to spend the evening and night with you. Mixing work with pleasure."
'And what a pleasure it will be.'
Qingchen eyed her suspiciously. "What do you have planned?"
She blinked innocently. "Nothing outlandish. Go, finish your work. I'll order food. After six in the evening, you are all mine," she claimed without restraint.
He laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. "I am always yours, no matter what time of the day."
Silver-tongued scoundrel!
She bit back her reply and the tingling in her stomach and called for food to be delivered to their room. Room service was a boon in such cases.
"Ah, did you read the mail from 1314?" she asked. "I haven't looked at it yet," she admitted.
"I did. They've hired all key personnel already. The app is a complete mess design-wise so it will take some time to get it all under control. Just look at the email once. I'll discuss the rest with you later, okay?" he asked.
She nodded. She pulled the phone to her ears and ordered the most delicious stuff on the menu.
After that, she pulled out her laptop and sat opposite him. She worked and peered at him ever so often. He didn't look up, but there was a knowing tug on the edge of his lips.
Working together was so much fun.