Power and Wealth

Chapter 1720

Hallway.

Dong Xuebing opened the door and walked out, with Yu Meixia hurriedly following behind. This action stunned many of the company's senior executives. They had assumed Dong Xuebing was waiting for their apology and conditions, but unexpectedly, he left without any demands. After watching the spectacle for a while, he left. They couldn't understand why he had stayed if he was so resolute in his stance. It felt like being deceived, and everyone was speechless. They didn't know Dong Xuebing's character; he had always been this unscrupulous. Many had suffered under his rogue behavior before, and their company wouldn't be the first or the last.

Deputy Director Chang also walked out. "Since it's been settled privately, we won't get involved anymore. Let's go, wrap it up."

The police officers followed suit and began to leave.

As Dong Xuebing turned around, he thanked Deputy Chang. "Thanks a lot, Officer Chang."

"We're just doing our duty," Deputy Director Chang replied politely.

"Thank you, comrades," Dong Xuebing added. "By the way, we're going out for lunch. It's well past noon. Haven't you eaten yet? Let's go together. My treat. We can find a restaurant downstairs. How about it?"

Deputy Director Chang blinked. "Well... that's fine."

"Great, it's settled then," Dong Xuebing said, heading towards the lobby.

Seeing Dong Xuebing about to leave, Mr. Zhou and the other company executives became anxious. Moments ago, Mr. Zhou had maintained an apologetic expression mixed with a hint of dignity. Now unable to sit still, he hurriedly followed. They couldn't let Dong Xuebing leave. While it might be a minor issue for him, it was a matter of life and death for their company.

Bankruptcy?

They certainly didn't want that!

"Wait! Please wait!" Mr. Zhou caught up and pleaded.

"There's nothing more to say. It's settled," Dong Xuebing replied firmly.

Seeing this, Mr. Zhou rushed forward. Even General Manager Wu, who Dong Xuebing had assaulted, stepped forward quickly. He didn't want to witness the company's bankruptcy either.

In the lobby...

Mr. Zhou immediately said, "Everyone, I'll treat you to lunch. We've delayed you, and we should make amends. Please accept it as a token of our sincerity."

Dong Xuebing waved his hand. "No need."

Mr. Zhou continued hurriedly, "Actually, we've already booked a restaurant. There's no need to wait. The food will be served immediately. Please do us the honor."

Dong Xuebing remained silent.

The officers from the police station also remained quiet.

Gradually, everyone started to leave.

Mr. Zhou instructed General Manager Wu nearby, "Get a car!"

General Manager Wu understood the seriousness of the situation. If they let Dong Xuebing go, their company would be finished. There would be no turning back. Even though he still harbored resentment towards Dong Xuebing, he had to hold it in. Ignoring the pain in his mouth and nose, he immediately called someone, shouting loud enough for the staff outside to hear. They quickly went to find a car.

Mr. Zhou blocked the way and delayed Dong Xuebing. "Mr. Dong, Ms. Yu, there's been a misunderstanding. It was our oversight. It's all our fault. Please don't hold it against us. We're just a small business, and it's really... quite difficult."

Dong Xuebing chuckled. "You're a small business? I thought you were quite well off before?"

Mr. Zhou smiled bitterly. "We underestimated the situation... underestimated it indeed."

Many of the employees in the lobby still didn't understand what was happening. Just moments ago, when they entered the surveillance room, things weren't like this. How did it happen that Mr. Zhou and Mr. Wu suddenly were lowering their heads to that person? Didn't that young man vandalize their company and even hit someone? What's going on here? Everyone was puzzled, their faces full of astonishment, looking around.

Mr. Zhou no longer cared about saving face. Saving face? You could only do that if you had a face to save. If the company went under and left everyone in debt, he wouldn't know where to hide his face. He naturally understood what was more important and had already made his calculations.

"Mr. Dong!"

"Let's just move on, okay?"

"Please, just one meal to save face!"

The saying goes, "Extend your hand without hitting a smiling face." Mr. Zhou and his company were in such a state that Mr. Dong couldn't afford to be tough with them. Dong Xuebing himself was a very kind person. After all, he grew up in a poor family and didn't have many bad habits. His actions of hitting people and being arrogant were mostly forced upon him. Otherwise, he was generally polite and courteous to others.

They walked intermittently until they finally left the company building. Outside, two cars were already waiting there. Mr. Zhou and Mr. Wu personally opened the doors of one of the cars.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please, as a gesture of goodwill. Miss Yu, please, come on."

Mr. Zhou signaled to a female employee.

The female employee understood upon seeing this and immediately approached, grabbing Yu Meixia with a smile and urging her into the car. Yu Meixia wasn't like Mr. Dong in terms of temperament. She had always been gentle and soft-hearted. Seeing someone plead with her like this, she somewhat absent-mindedly got into the car.

"Mr. Dong, Deputy Chief Chang, please."

Mr. Dong pursed his lips, but seeing Miss Yu already inside, he had no choice but to give a glance to Deputy Chief Chang.

"Deputy Chief Chang, shall we accept their invitation?"

Deputy Chief Chang smiled, "Up to you."

Dong Xuebing nodded and stooped into the car.

Deputy Chief Chang and the others got into the following Mercedes-Benz.

A few minutes later.

The cars arrived at the restaurant diagonally across the street. Mr. Zhou and several company executives exited the car first, courteously ushering Dong Xuebing and his group inside. They entered the private room that had been pre-booked and instructed the waiter to serve the dishes. Then Mr. Zhou promptly told a few executives something and immediately pulled a young man out of the room, seemingly to discuss something.

Outside.

The young man looked troubled. "Mr. Zhou."

"Call a few celebrities to accompany us."

"Now?" The young man was surprised, "Isn't it too late?"

"It's never too late! Tell Yoyo and the others that if they don't make it within twenty minutes, the movie won't premiere today, and they won't be needed for any future TV shows or movies invested by the company. We have an important guest today; tell them to come immediately!"

The young man gritted his teeth. "Okay, I'll contact them!"

"Make sure nothing goes wrong!" Mr. Zhou reminded repeatedly.

The young man knew it was a critical moment. "I understand. You can trust me."

After Mr. Zhou finished speaking, he returned to the private room, his face again smiling.

The young man immediately took out his phone and started making calls. Of course, his priority was to call the person Mr. Zhou mentioned, Chen Ying.

"Hello, Chen Ying?"

The voice on the other end was soft and gentle. "Brother Wang?"

"The boss wants you to come over. It's urgent."

"Urgent matter? What's going on?" The woman was momentarily stunned.

"We have a very important guest today. Mr. Zhou insists that you come to the dinner; otherwise, our movie won't be able to premiere," the young man explained.

"Why?" The woman was puzzled.

"I can't explain it right now. Just come over. That's all you need to know." The woman furrowed her brows.

"Accompanying drinks?" The young man nodded, "Hurry up. I'll explain more when you get here."

Chen Ying was a second-tier actress, barely qualifying as third-tier. She had starred in several movies, but none had brought her significant fame. She was also the lead actress in the upcoming movie; her salary had been settled, but visibility was more important for many celebrities. If a movie paid well but never got released, it wouldn't help her career; it would just keep her stagnant. This was ultimately about money. "How did this happen? Wasn't it supposed to premiere early this year?"

"It got stuck somewhere. The State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television disapproved. They need you to accompany them for this." The young man explained. "For heaven's sake, come over, and Mr. Zhou and the company are impatient!"

The woman hesitated. "Can I prepare myself first?"

"Hurry up," the young man urged anxiously. "Otherwise, forget about any chances with our next movie. No matter what your management company thinks, our next movie has already started casting. If you can resolve this, you'll have an eighty percent chance of being the lead actress. I can promise you that on behalf of the company. Moreover, we've cooperated for several years, and our reputation is solid, right? We've helped you a lot, haven't we?"

"I know that," the woman responded.

"Then I'll send you the address of the restaurant."

"... Alright," the woman agreed reluctantly.

"Ying Ying, your first TV drama was picked by our company, and we have high hopes for you. Future collaborations won't be an issue. Just hurry over, okay?"

"Alright," the woman agreed.

Twenty minutes later, dishes began to arrive.

Mr. Zhou greeted Dong Xuebing and Yu Meixia and told them to start eating. Just then, the private room door was pushed open, and several women entered one after another.

There was a plump middle-aged woman, a petite girl, and even a girl in a school uniform.

The police officers looked straight at them; obviously, someone recognized them.

"Isn't she the one from that show?"

"Isn't she Sister Rong from that TV drama?"

Deputy Director Chang also glanced at them a few more times, understanding Mr. Zhou's intentions.

On the other hand, Dong Xuebing didn't recognize any of them. It couldn't be helped; he liked watching movies and had some free time recently. Previously, he had not been interested in TV dramas or the entertainment circle. However, judging by the police officers' attitudes, Dong Xuebing also understood that the other side should be small stars who had acted in TV dramas or movies. Thinking of this, Dong Xuebing had no response. He was a very principled person. Despite his lecherous nature and inability to move away from women, he had never engaged in corrupt activities!