C5 Calm down

In the CEO's office of Tianyan Building, the decor was a study in monochromatic simplicity. Stark lines and a black-and-white color scheme dominated the space. Only the subtle scent of Milanese perfume hinted at the office belonging to a woman.

Lyi Banruo had a penchant for such stark contrasts; her world was one of black and white absolutes. Clad in silver high heels that added ten centimeters to her stature, slim-fitting trousers, and a designer white shirt, her attire complemented her figure and aura impeccably. She had just ended a call with Lyi Tianzhao and now stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, biting her lip thoughtfully. After a brief pause, she swiftly gathered her long hair into a high ponytail with a rubber band and reached for the internal phone on her desk.

"Sally, come to the office," she commanded.

The response was prompt, a knock at the door soon followed.

"Come in," Lyi Banruo called out, settling back into her chair.

Sally entered, impeccably dressed in her office attire. At 28, she was Lyi Banruo's most trusted confidante and personal assistant.

"Director Lyi, did you need me?" Sally inquired.

"I need you to visit the Flowing Water Workshop. Take the inspection team and equipment with you. Collect samples from every batch of our blemish cream for testing. We need to know if there's an issue," Lyi Banruo instructed, her voice growing colder with each word. If Tianzhao was right, she needed to bring Tang Ye into the company. How could he possibly know about a fault in the production line? The management of the workshops in the production area was stringent, and the formula and process for the blemish cream were highly confidential. How did he come by such information?

"Understood," Sally replied, immediately setting out to follow the directive, leading her team out of the office and towards the factory in the industrial park.

Half an hour later, at Oceanview Hall, Lyi Tianzhao's phone rang with a call from Lyi Banruo.

"Sis, what did you find out?" he answered.

"Where is the person who informed you about the workshop issue right now?" she asked.

Could it be resolved?

Lyi Tianzhao's instincts told him there was indeed a problem with the upcoming product line, judging by his sister's tone. He glanced at Tang Ye, who had been across from him on the sofa, busy with his phone until Lyi Banruo's call came through. Now, Tang Ye put his phone away and met Lyi Tianzhao's gaze with a serene expression.

"Sis, he's still with me."

"Put him on the phone." Lyi Banruo's voice was as icy as ever.

Lyi Tianzhao handed the phone to Tang Ye.

Tang Ye had anticipated that Lyi Banruo would want him on the line.

He took the phone and held it to his ear.

"Who are you?"

"The title of Zluftin's number one ice queen suits you perfectly. You're always so cold, no matter who you're speaking with," Tang Ye scoffed.

"How did you find out there was a problem with the workshop's products?"

"Does it really matter how I know?"

"This is your last chance. Who are you, and who added excessive salicylic acid to the Anti-Aging Serum?" Lyi Banruo's tone carried a veiled threat.

Her BioAesthetics brand had always been positioned at the high end of the market. A bottle of Anti-Aging Serum retailed for 3,300 yuan, with a production cost of 800 yuan per bottle, not including labor and equipment wear and tear. Sally had just called from the workshop—three batches were compromised, tens of thousands of bottles in total.

Tang Ye gave a slight smile and hung up the phone.

He decisively ended the call with Lyi Banruo.

Lyi Tianzhao was momentarily taken aback.

Someone had hung up on his sister?

This was the woman who would stand up to her entire family, whose admirers could form a line from the CBD to Wrehpool. She was always the center of attention, and now... a son-in-law had just hung up on her?

Before Lyi Tianzhao could gather his thoughts, Tang Ye had already risen from the couch and entered a series of digits into his phone.

"Here's my bank account. The fact that your sister called confirms the accuracy of my information. I'm not in a hurry for the money."

Handing the phone back to Lyi Tianzhao, Tang Ye intended to leave Scent & Sovereignty.

He had done nearly all he came to do, with Lei Ming waiting for him outside.

"Mr. Tang, please wait." Lyi Tianzhao caught up at the doorway, brandishing his phone. "The money's been transferred. There's one more thing—I'd like to get your take on it."

*Beep! Beep! Beep!*

A notification popped up on his phone indicating that Lyi Tianzhao had completed the money transfer.

"Hmm? What is it?" Tang Ye paused.

"Do you know Lee Jingzhou?"

This was the true purpose behind Lyi Tianzhao's request for Tang Ye to stay!

Lyi Tianzhao needed to be convinced that Tang Ye had emerged from the black sands, not by his rapid gun disassembly skills, but by Tang Ye's mention of the Lyi and Fang families' falling out.

The Lyi and Fang family headquarters were both located in the capital, where the families had been close allies since their founding generations. To strengthen this strategic alliance, intermarriage between the Lyi and Fang families was a longstanding tradition. However, half a year ago, the families unexpectedly became adversaries. Subsequently, Lyi Banruo and Lyi Tianzhao's businesses began to encounter frequent issues. Thankfully, Lyi Tianzhao was able to resolve these issues.

But then, a new problem arose with Lee Jingzhou's involvement.

Lee Jingzhou had once been an admirer of Lyi Banruo. At a high-profile gathering in the capital, he was smitten with Lyi Banruo and openly declared his feelings for her, only to be publicly humiliated by her rejection and a slap to the face.

Following that incident, Lee Jingzhou vanished from the capital's social scene for roughly two months.

During that time, Lyi Banruo's BioAesthetics had already laid a solid foundation in Zluftin, and she was single-mindedly focused on taking the company public, having completely forgotten about Lee Jingzhou. But just as the IPO approached, a scandal broke out regarding the quality of the cosmetic raw materials used by the company, derailing the public offering. The whole debacle was orchestrated by Lee Jingzhou.

Lee Jingzhou, a core member of the Li family in the capital, held a status comparable to Lyi Tianzhao.

Lyi Tianzhao had reasons for keeping Tang Ye around. One was that the rift between the Fang and Lyi families was a closely guarded secret, one that even he had only recently learned of.

Moreover, Lee Jingzhou's move against Scent & Sovereignty was something Lyi Tianzhao would have remained oblivious to if not for Tang Ye's disclosure.

"Lee Jingzhou... He's a rather interesting character," Tang Ye mused before speaking.

"How so?" Lyi Tianzhao asked, clearly intrigued.

"The issues with your sister's cosmetic batches? He was orchestrating that mess. Considering the straightforward way you handled payment, I'll throw in a free tip: advise your sister to switch professions sooner rather than later." With a smile, Tang Ye turned and left the Oceanview Hall.

He had said all that needed to be said.

Now, it was time to deal with Lei Ming and Wang Hao.

Exiting the Oceanview Hall, Tang Ye descended the stairs. He wasn't surprised to find Lei Ming absent from the entrance; even with all the courage in the world, Lei Ming wouldn't dare acknowledge knowing Tang Ye in Lyi Tianzhao's presence. The orphanage land was Lei Ming's vulnerable spot.

At the Scent & Sovereignty's reception.

No sooner had Tang Ye come down than two individuals approached him, one noticeably taller than the other. Their gait suggested they were trained fighters.

"Mr. Tang, Mr. Lei requests your presence," the shorter one said, gesturing politely.

"Mr. Tang, right this way."

Tang Ye nodded, straightened his shirt collar, and followed the pair out of the Scent & Sovereignty.

Outside, Lei Ming's car was already waiting.