E-Ladies: Navigating the Wired World
Chapter 125: Turning Misfortune into Blessing, Task 1 Completed Successfully

Chapter 125: Chapter 125: Turning Misfortune into Blessing, Task 1 Completed Successfully

"How could it be too hasty? I also think we should help! After all, without his investment, there wouldn’t be an us today, right? Just make sure not to back yourself into a corner while helping others. There’s always a way out when you get to the mountain! Don’t be too anxious! I have already scheduled a meeting with Mr. Liang from Dannis North China General Agent to get the final payment tomorrow..." Li Jiniang comforted Zhou Xueyin while talking about her own plans.

"Mr. Liang’s final payment is 80K! If we get it, we’ll be one step closer to our target, right? Wanwan and Xiaoyun have also collected a small 30K in final payments, so we’re only 400K away from the 500K profit! We’ll achieve it soon! Spring Festival is still a long way off, so don’t worry!"

"Jixiang... you’re my stress reliever!" Zhou Xueyin threw herself onto Li Jiniang, crying with emotion.

As if she wanted to release all the pressure that had built up recently, Zhou Xueyin suddenly couldn’t stop sobbing loudly.

Yao Shanshan and Kang Siyin, each holding a cat, hurried over upon hearing the commotion, constantly comforting Zhou Xueyin, telling her to be at ease.

After all, the company was founded by four people together. If there’s a problem, everyone should solve it together. One person shouldn’t bear it all on their shoulders; otherwise, it would definitely be too much to handle.

The next day, after work, Li Jiniang went alone to the increasingly popular Hilton Hotel to meet with Liang Youbin. Zhou Xueyin had wanted to come too, but Li Jiniang was worried about her mood and did not bring her along.

Furthermore, Liang Youbin had emphasized that he preferred Li Jiniang to come alone, so it wasn’t good for others to follow. After all, this man was quite troublesome, always looking for various excuses to delay the payment.

"Oh, Miss Li, I’m so sorry... there was a serious traffic jam on the way. You weren’t too anxious, were you?" Liang Youbin, wearing a camel-colored overcoat and gold-rimmed glasses, looked quite presentable.

"It’s fine; I’ve only just arrived myself." Since it was a meeting at such a high-class restaurant, Li Jiniang had also made a special effort to dress up.

Inside her white rabbit fur coat was a body-hugging dark red mermaid skirt, her makeup was not overly dramatic but a delicate nude style, exuding an airiness that made her very approachable.

"Miss Li, you look beautiful and captivating today!" Liang Youbin’s eyes shone when he saw Li Jiniang, almost drooling with admiration.

"Am I not always beautiful and captivating?" Li Jiniang teased in return.

"Beautiful and captivating! Miss Li is always beautiful, but today you are exceptionally so!" Liang Youbin flattered her and gestured, "After you, Miss Li..."

He very gentlemanly opened the hotel’s grand door for Li Jiniang and, once inside, even took her coat. He guided her very carefully to the dining area, being extremely cautious at every turn.

"Please..."

Liang Youbin pulled out the chair for Li Jiniang, inviting her to be seated.

"Thank you..." Li Jiniang silently remarked to herself that this man really knew his Western dining etiquette; from the moment he had walked in, he had been considerate of her needs. However, she wondered if she could successfully collect the final payment.

"Waiter... we’d like to order..." Liang Youbin snapped his fingers, calling the waiter hovering nearby, "I’ll have a French steak medium-rare, XO sauce baked cod, and pâté with French bread..."

Liang Youbin rattled off several dishes Li Jiniang had never even heard of, but it irked her a bit that he hadn’t thought to ask about her preferences.

"Oh, right, Miss Li, how would you like your steak? Let me tell you, medium-rare is the best in terms of texture, medium-well gets a bit tough, and well-done is also an option, but it is really... um..." In an effort to show off his knowledge, Liang Youbin explained with exaggerated emotion.

"Medium-well, please... I only eat sushi raw; I don’t really like anything else uncooked." Li Jiniang forced a smile.

"Well, well, a woman should eat less cold and raw food; it’s not good for the womb," Liang Youbin said, his smile laden with meaning.

"..." Li Ji thought to herself, she wasn’t so familiar with him that they should be discussing personal matters. But her face still bore a forced smile.

Seemingly noticing Li Ji’s displeasure, Liang Youbin quickly apologized with a face full of regret, "Cough, look at me, babbling nonsense again. If I may be so bold, Miss Li, do you have a boyfriend?"

"I do, we’ve been together for a long time," she answered without hesitation, hoping to put an end to this man’s unsavory thoughts as quickly as possible.

"Oh, that’s really too bad. For a great beauty like Miss Li, the boyfriend must be quite the outstanding man, right?" Liang Youbin asked with an ulterior motive.

"He’s not quite the ’outstanding man,’ just a local from Beijing..." Li Ji’s eyes wandered, anxious for the meal to be served to shut this man up.

"Local? That’s great! You won’t have any issues settling down in Beijing then," Liang Youbin said with an awkward smile, "Not like me, I still need to work hard to buy a property in Beijing just to settle down..."

"Heh..." Li Ji chuckled, "Keep at it... By the way, about the remaining payment for our company..."

"Excuse me, here’s your mixed jellyfish salad..." The waiter brought over the appetizer.

"Thank you..." Li Ji politely thanked the waiter.

"You’re welcome..." The waiter replied politely and returned to his position to wait for the next dish to be ready.

"Thank him for what? It’s his job, serving us, no need for thanks!" Liang Youbin, who had been so polite all this time, actually said something so classless?

Li Ji was truly taken aback, but she didn’t correct him. After all, once the final payment was settled, there wouldn’t be any contact with this man anymore, so it wasn’t worth arguing over such a minor detail.

"By the way, Miss Li, what does your boyfriend do?" Liang Youbin asked, making small talk.

"He’s a musician, currently studying abroad," Li Ji replied casually, more focused on savoring her light jellyfish salad than on making idle conversation with him.

"Oh, a musician, huh? That’s not very stable... I think Miss Li should advise him to find a more stable job, which would be more secure for your future. Don’t you agree?" Liang Youbin suddenly adopted a condescending tone that was very uncomfortable to listen to.

And it wasn’t just his lack of propriety or poor manners; as he ate, not only did he smack his lips, but his utensils clattered noisily against the plates.

Even if the finest steak were served, at that moment, Li Ji found it utterly unappetizing. The person sitting before her was not a well-dressed gentleman, but rather a pig in the midst of feeding...

"Damn, why is there still tendon on this steak? Waiter! Come here!" Liang Youbin suddenly slammed his knife and fork down and shouted unhappily.

"Sir, what can I do for you?" The waiter approached respectfully.

"Look at this, look! There’s still tendon on this steak! Are you targeting me? Do you look down on people from outside the area, or what? Do you think I’ve never eaten Western food before? Go, tell your kitchen to get me a new one!" Liang Youbin did not feel embarrassed at all, shouting and bellowing from his seat, "You must comp this meal for me!"

Meanwhile, Li Ji frowned, cutting her steak, and continued to eat without saying a word.