Chapter 58 Keeping a Calm Demeanor

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Qin Ke took Ling Yunkai to an authentic Sichuan hot pot restaurant.

Ling Yunkai seemed to be in exceptionally high spirits. She ate until she was sweating profusely and unexpectedly drank three bottles of beer. Qin Ke claimed he had a cold and only had one glass of beer.

After dinner, under the pretext that his cold was not fully recovered, Qin Ke said he wanted to go back to the hotel to rest. Ling Yunkai said, "The night is still young, and I haven't had enough fun yet. You treated me to dinner, so you have to treat me to drinks."

"I'll treat you next time," Qin Ke tried to decline again.

"No way. I still want to drink right now. Let's go to that Blue Bridge bar." Ling Yunkai firmly disagreed with returning to the hotel.

"We can't go there," Qin Ke said hastily.

"Why can't we? Are you afraid of that pretty owner, Shen Jing?" Ling Yunkai smiled.

"She's my girlfriend's friend. You're just making things uncomfortable for me. Did you do this on purpose?" Qin Ke asked.

"I did it on purpose. If you don't go, I'll go by myself. Aren't you afraid I'll say bad things about you?" Ling Yunkai smiled.

Seeing Ling Yunkai resort to childish stubbornness, Qin Ke had no choice but to put on a helpless expression and take her to the Blue Bridge bar.

Seeing Ling Yunkai clinging to Qin Ke's arm and walking in swaying, Shen Jing sneered, "Miss Ling, you are truly brave and persistent. And Qin Ke, your courage is growing by the day."

Ling Yunkai beamed with radiant joy and said, "Owner Shen, I treated Qin Ke to dinner, so he has to treat me to drinks. I just like him. Is there something wrong with that?"

Qin Ke immediately interjected, "Shen Jing, don't listen to her nonsense. She's drunk. She's doing this on purpose."

Shen Jing said with a cold face, "Qin Ke, whether she's doing it on purpose or not, I don't care. It takes two hands to clap. Let's see how you plan to explain this to your girlfriend."

Ling Yunkai said triumphantly, "That's right, Owner Shen is right. I'm also quite a beauty, who could remain indifferent upon meeting me? We're both single and free. Why shouldn't I like him?"

Shen Jing mocked, "Miss Ling, you certainly have nerve. His girlfriend is practically a tigress. Aren't you afraid?"

Ling Yunkai laughed heartily, "Then I'm a lioness. We can go toe-to-toe."

Seeing Ling Yunkai running her mouth without restraint and chattering endlessly, Qin Ke really wished he could seal her lips shut.

Shen Jing brought over six bottles of beer, picked up one herself, and said, "Miss Ling, alcohol feeds a coward's courage. Your bravery is admirable, but I hope you don't lose too badly. Drinks are on me tonight. Come on, cheers!"

Buoyed by the alcohol, Ling Yunkai said nonchalantly, "Who wins and who loses remains to be seen. Come on, cheers."

Shen Jing and Ling Yunkai clinked their bottles together, and both finished a bottle of beer in one breath. Qin Ke watched in stunned silence.

Growing even bolder, Ling Yunkai opened another bottle of beer and smiled, "Beauty Shen, I haven't been this happy in a long time. Water-side pavilions get the moonlight first. Cheers!" With that, she drained her second bottle of beer in a single breath, and then slumped over the table, motionless.

Shen Jing leisurely finished the beer in her bottle, sneered, and said, "With just that little bit of drinking capacity, she dares call herself a lioness." She then cast a mocking glance at Qin Ke.

Qin Ke hurriedly explained, "Shen Jing, she was the one who insisted on coming to Blue Bridge. Her legs belong to her, who could stop her? You have to help me drag her back to the hotel."

"Do I even need to tell you? With the two of you unattached people together, I'm worried for Xiaoqi." Shen Jing glared at Qin Ke and said.

Shen Jing had a waiter help carry Ling Yunkai into a taxi and accompanied Qin Ke to the Sheraton Hotel. Shen Jing helped Ling Yunkai into her room, undressed her, and tucked her in under the quilt. As she walked out of the room, she saw Qin Ke waiting at the opposite doorway, so she walked straight into his room.

Closing the door, Qin Ke said, "Shen Jing, I don't trust anyone from Company C right now. I suspect Ling Yunkai is faking her drunkenness, so I couldn't say too much in front of her. This afternoon, through her, I reviewed the accounts receivable of the Southwest Branch and found that the payment made by Shutian Technology to the Southwest Branch was nearly three million less than the engineering payment disbursed by the Bureau of Finance. I suspect Shutian Technology is just a shell company acting as a middleman, buying and selling a few pieces of equipment twice in the project to pocket more money. It seems this shell company has unusual backers, otherwise, they wouldn't dare act so lawlessly."

Shen Jing smiled at Qin Ke and said, "Looks like Xizhou is going to have another good show soon. These are two boxes of Emei Mountain tea; take them back for Xiaoqi. I'm leaving. You'd better figure out how to explain tonight's events to Bian Xiaoqi."

Qin Ke went downstairs to see Shen Jing off, returned to his room, and immediately called Bian Xiaoqi to tell her everything that had happened today. Then he said, "Xiaoqi, everything Ling Yunkai did tonight was on purpose."

Bian Xiaoqi said, "With Shen Jing present, you don't need to be nervous. I think Ling Yunkai is half-acting and half-revealing her true feelings; otherwise, she wouldn't have let you look at the account books. Why did she insist on going to the Blue Bridge bar? Did she figure out your and Shen Jing's whereabouts?"

"I was in Shen Jing's car; I didn't notice us being followed," Qin Ke said.

"Since she knows you're acquainted with Shen Jing, she probably wanted to gather some information from her. Therefore, she might be faking drunkenness as a pretext to spy on and overhear your conversations and behavior. You still need to keep a poker face and preserve the evidence properly. Do not show it to anyone; maintain your composure against all changes. I estimate that your inspection this time will likely end in a hasty wrap-up with a safe and sound result," Bian Xiaoqi analyzed.

"I plan to deliberately bring up terms like 'yin-yang' accounts tomorrow to see how they react," Qin Ke said.

"Just touch upon it lightly and don't press too hard, so as not to arouse their suspicion," Bian Xiaoqi advised.

(II)

In the breakfast restaurant, just as Qin Ke was finishing his morning meal, Ling Yunkai made a late appearance. Qin Ke focused solely on eating, avoiding eye contact and conversation with her.

When Ling Yunkai woke up in the morning and found herself completely naked, and then saw Qin Ke not daring to face her, she assumed Qin Ke had taken advantage of her the night before. Unable to hold back any longer, she demanded, "Supervisor Qin, how did I get back last night?"

"I carried you back," Qin Ke replied with a very calm expression.

"You came into my room?" Ling Yunkai asked.

"Did you expect to walk back by yourself?" Qin Ke countered.

"What did you do?" Ling Yunkai blurted out.

"Don't you know?" Qin Ke suddenly smiled, saying with deep implication.

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"You saw everything?" Ling Yunkai's face flushed instantly as she spoke.

"Saw what? I didn't see anything," Qin Ke said serenely, finding teasing her rather amusing.

"You're hateful. You, you, you have to take responsibility for me," Ling Yunkai said anxiously, her face burning red.

"Where did all those bold words from the bar go? Isn't this what you've been looking forward to for a long time? Take responsibility for what? Who can testify? Haha," Qin Ke continued to tease her.

Qin Ke cleared his breakfast tray and left Ling Yunkai sitting there alone. Ling Yunkai looked at Qin Ke's retreating back and stamped her foot in anger, feeling she had tried to steal a chicken only to lose the rice used as bait.

Qin Ke's words truly stung Ling Yunkai, leaving her restless all morning. She took the initiative to invite Qin Ke for coffee. Qin Ke feigned extreme reluctance, following her half-heartedly to the coffee room.

"Supervisor Qin, what you said this morning was just teasing me, right?" Ling Yunkai asked in a low voice.

"What do you think?" Qin Ke countered.

"You're not that kind of person," Ling Yunkai said ingratiatingly.

"What kind of person am I supposed to be?" Qin Ke smiled.

"A gentleman," Ling Yunkai said.

"Thank you, Manager Ling, for such a high evaluation. A gentleman should return a peach for a plum, shouldn't he?" Qin Ke continued to run circles around her with a smile.

"Aren't you afraid your girlfriend will get jealous?" Seeing Qin Ke still teasing her, Ling Yunkai brought Bian Xiaoqi back into the conversation.

"Manager Ling, I really give you credit. You can steer any conversation back to my girlfriend in just a few words. How did she offend you? Instead of meddling in other people's business, you should focus your energy on your work. The technical proposal on my end is flawless. I'm the one worried about your end," Qin Ke said.

"What are you worried about regarding me?" Ling Yunkai asked, instantly turning alert.

"Last night, I suddenly recalled someone mentioning the topic of 'yin-yang' accounts. Therefore, I suggest you give it some serious thought as well," Qin Ke said leisurely.

"The accounts are in black and white, perfectly clear. Don't try to divert me. I need to figure out what you did to me last night, or the two of us aren't finished," Ling Yunkai said, turning around and storming off immediately.

Qin Ke guessed she had gone to report to Tang Anhua.

On the afternoon of the fourth day at the Southwest Branch, the members of the inspection team gathered again for a brief meeting. Aside from Qi Guosheng, whose brows were tightly furrowed, the other five all seemed quite relaxed. The meeting delivered a preliminary conclusion: the Southwest Branch had exercised sound management in technology, sales, and finance, and the inspection team had found no issues whatsoever.

Qi Guosheng reported the meeting's conclusions to the leadership at the Beijing headquarters and the Southwest Branch, and then decided the inspection team would return to Beijing the following day.

Branch General Manager Xu Yunlong hosted a farewell dinner for the inspection team, joined by several vice presidents of the Southwest Branch. They clinked glasses and swapped toasts with the inspection team members like sworn brothers, creating a remarkably harmonious atmosphere.

Qin Ke excused himself on the grounds that his cold was not fully cured and declined the toasts offered by everyone. Given his low rank, the branch leadership paid him little mind and allowed him to eat and drink freely. The other five members grew slightly intoxicated amidst wave after wave of toasts.

After dinner, Xu Yunlong arranged for the inspection team to go to a karaoke lounge to sing and dance. He and several vice presidents hovered around the three directors from the Beijing headquarters, forgoing singing and dancing in favor of drinking and chatting.

Ling Yunkai was already seventy percent drunk. As soon as she entered the karaoke lounge, she latched onto Qin Ke, hugging him to dance and refusing to let go.

The lighting in the lounge was dim. Ling Yunkai pressed her head tightly against Qin Ke's chest, leaning her entire body into his embrace. Swaying to the shifting rhythm of the music, she seemed almost asleep. Qin Ke mechanically held her warm body, the scent of alcohol and powder drifting straight into his nostrils.

"Tonight, I'll allow you into my room so you can see everything," Ling Yunkai murmured as if talking in her sleep.

Feeling Ling Yunkai's firm breasts pressing against his chest, combined with her provocation, Qin Ke lost control, and his body reacted. He wanted to push her away, but she only hugged him tighter.

Upon returning to the hotel, Qin Ke had a staff member help him support Ling Yunkai to her room before hurriedly retreating to his own. Ling Yunkai opened her faked-sleep eyes, watched Qin Ke flee in panic, and couldn't help smiling inwardly at the thought of his physical reaction in the dance hall.

"Xiaoqi, you were right. Our inspection results are a happy ending for everyone. I'm flying back to Beijing tomorrow," Qin Ke said to Bian Xiaoqi over the phone.

"That's only a temporary result. I have a feeling you'll be sent back to Xizhou again," Bian Xiaoqi said.

They met during breakfast and then rode together in the vehicle arranged by the Southwest Branch to the airport. Ling Yunkai remained silent the entire time upon seeing Qin Ke. Their seats on the plane weren't even close to each other. Free from Ling Yunkai's harassment, Qin Ke actually found it quite peaceful. He slept comfortably and soon arrived at Capital Airport.

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Bian Guoning provided two bottles of Luzhou Laojiao. Jiang Sumei provided four pieces of Bian Xiaoqi's favorite Ya'an Huangmu cured pork. Shen Jing provided two boxes of Emei Mountain tea. Qin Ke brought them all back to Beijing.

When he returned to his home in Zhichunli, Bian Xiaoqi was still at work. He called her and asked her to come home for dinner that evening.

Bian Xiaoqi had been eating boxed lunches like the sales office staff for the past few days and was thoroughly sick of them. When Qin Ke said he would cook dinner for her at home, she was overjoyed. She told him to make a few extra dishes and invite Lin Haidong to join them as well.

Upon hearing that Qin Ke was inviting him over for dinner, Lin Haidong accepted immediately. He instructed Qin Ke to prepare a few good dishes so they could share a few drinks properly.

Qin Ke went to the supermarket to shop, buying eight hairy crabs, a yellow croaker, two pounds of premium pork ribs, half a pound of pig ears, a lotus root, half a pound of peanuts, half a pound of garlic bolts, two cucumbers, four tomatoes, and a head of broccoli.

By the time Lin Haidong arrived, Qin Ke had already finished making fried peanuts, pig ears with shredded cucumber, tomatoes with white sugar, broccoli with garlic sauce, lotus root and ribs soup, and cured pork stir-fried with garlic bolts. The braised yellow croaker in soy sauce was still simmering down on low heat. The hairy crabs had been placed in the steamer, waiting for Bian Xiaoqi's arrival to start cooking.

Looking at the table full of dishes that appealed to sight, smell, and taste, Lin Haidong exclaimed in surprise, "Old Liu, I didn't know you had this trick up your sleeve. I'm going to come over for free meals often from now on."

"You wish. Bian Xiaoqi invited you today, otherwise I wouldn't have called you. How come you came empty-handed?" Qin Ke scolded with a smile.

"You just came back from a business trip; you must have good wine, so there's no need for me to spend money," Lin Haidong joked.

Hearing the doorbell ring, Qin Ke told Lin Haidong to open the door while he started steaming the hairy crabs.

As Lin Haidong opened the door, he saw Bian Xiaoqi and Meng Changxue standing gracefully side by side on the threshold. For a moment, he froze with his mouth open in a daze.

Watching his expression, Bian Xiaoqi smiled and said, "Classmate Lin, aren't you going to invite us in?"

Lin Haidong snapped back to reality and hurriedly said, "Welcome, Director Bian and Supervisor Meng, to my humble abode. Please come in quickly."

Hearing Lin Haidong's words, Qin Ke walked out of the kitchen and laughed, "Classmate Lin Haidong, do you have to be this nervous? Welcoming guests to a humble abode is supposed to be my line, how did it become your turn?"

"Indeed, this is my home. Do I need an invitation from classmate Lin?" Bian Xiaoqi bantered.

"Right, right, exactly. No, no, I was saying it to Supervisor Meng, not to you, Director Bian," Lin Haidong stammered incoherently.

Witnessing Lin Haidong's awkwardness, Meng Changxue pressed her lips together and smiled.

Qin Ke laughed heartily, "Lin Haidong, did you ever think you'd see this day? Supervisor Meng, please come in."

Qin Ke had Lin Haidong help move the dining table into his large bedroom, offering the only two stools to Bian Xiaoqi and Meng Changxue while he and Lin Haidong sat on the bed.

Qin Ke served the steaming hairy crabs and braised yellow croaker onto the table, smiling as he said, "Now is the absolute best season for hairy crabs. You have to eat them while they're hot."

Before Meng Changxue could move, Lin Haidong had already picked out the largest and fattest hairy crab, cracked open the shell, and handed it to Meng Changxue.

Meng Changxue smiled and said, "Thank you."

Qin Ke smiled at Lin Haidong and said, "What about Bian Xiaoqi? She needs you to crack one open for her too."

"Classmate Bian Xiaoqi has your service. That's outside my jurisdiction," Lin Haidong retorted unceremoniously.

"Changxue, these two shared a bunk bed for four years in college, and that's simply their style of speaking. Don't be startled," Bian Xiaoqi explained with a smile to Meng Changxue.

Qin Ke cracked open a hairy crab for Bian Xiaoqi, which was equally plump and full of roe.

Lin Haidong and Qin Ke drank Luzhou Laojiao liquor, while Bian Xiaoqi and Meng Changxue sipped Zhangyu dry red wine.

Raising his glass, Qin Ke smiled and said, "Welcome, Haidong and Supervisor Meng, as guests in our humble home. To be honest, the living conditions are a bit crude. Right now, it feels a bit like our college days when dorm mates gathered for a meal."

"Whenever female classmates wanted to come to our guys' dorm, everyone would scramble to clean up and straighten the beds. Old Liu, you've kept the room this tidy, so it seems you haven't forgotten our tradition. Worthy of praise," Lin Haidong chimed in with a laugh.

"Give it a rest. Every time you only cared about showing off that beat-up guitar of yours, while I was the one tidying your bed," Qin Ke said.

"We'll move into Qinghe Jiayuan next summer, and our living environment will change completely. Haidong, we must settle this now: when that time comes, you can't just keep freeloading meals at my place; the two households have to take turns hosting," Qin Ke added.

"Judging by the color, aroma, and taste of this braised yellow croaker and lotus root rib soup, I simply can't match you. Old Liu, I suppose you'll just have to suffer me. Look, I come over to cheer you on frequently, don't you feel proud of yourself?" Lin Haidong deliberately riled Qin Ke up.

"Cut it out. Show me some of that pride of yours. Let me finish toasting this drink first before you interrupt, alright?" Qin Ke said.

After draining his small cup of liquor in a single gulp, Qin Ke noticed Lin Haidong had only taken a tiny sip and immediately retorted, "Number Four, when did you become so coy about drinking? Did the sun rise from the west today?"

"Old Liu, the circumstances today are special, and I wasn't mentally prepared. Another day, I'll treat you," Lin Haidong said hesitatingly.

"Is it because the sudden arrival of Classmate Meng Changxue caught you unprepared? Hiding behind a pipa like a shy bride, stop putting on an act. Who doesn't know who?" Qin Ke pressed relentlessly.

"Old Liu, show some sympathy for your old classmate's state of mind right now," Lin Haidong pleaded.

"And just what state of mind is Classmate Lin Haidong in right now? Care to share it with us?" Bian Xiaoqi seized the opportunity to ask with a smile.

After hesitating for a long time, seeing that Meng Changxue was also smilingly looking at him, Lin Haidong mustered his courage and said, "With my old classmate Qin Ke here, I won't stand on ceremony. At the same time, I'd like Director Bian to serve as a witness. I really like Changxue. The first time I saw her at the sales office, I fell for her. I swear I've never felt this way before. I just don't know what Changxue thinks." Having said that, he didn't dare look at Meng Changxue, keeping his eyes glued to the wine glass in front of him.

When Lin Haidong finished, silence fell over the room. Both Qin Ke and Bian Xiaoqi turned their gaze toward Meng Changxue.

Meng Changxue thought for a moment, first raised her glass, and smiled as she said, "Thank you, Sister Xiaoqi and Supervisor Qin, for your generous hospitality. The hairy crabs are exceptionally rich and flavorful; the braised fish is well-seasoned with a Shandong cuisine style; the lotus root and ribs soup carries a Huaiyang culinary touch, light and refreshing; and the amber-colored cured pork has a gorgeous hue. This is my first time eating cured pork this delicious and savory."

Bian Xiaoqi interjected, "Changxue, this was my favorite cured pork growing up. I had my mom have Qin Ke bring it back from Xizhou."

Qin Ke chimed in, "Supervisor Meng, is your mother from Shandong Province?"

"Yes. Although my family is in Baoding, my dad is from Changzhou, and my mom is from Jinan," Meng Changxue replied.

Lin Haidong hastily said, "Classmate Bian Xiaoqi, Classmate Qin Ke, could the two of you stop interrupting? Let Changxue finish what she has to say. We need to hear the main point."

Seeing Lin Haidong's eager impatience, Qin Ke and Bian Xiaoqi exchanged a glance and laughed, "Fine, fine, let's listen to Supervisor Meng continue."

Meng Changxue glanced at Lin Haidong and said, "Sister Xiaoqi has already honestly shared some of Lin Haidong's background with me. To be honest, I still have some reservations, so I can't make any promises to Lin Haidong today. How about this: give me half a year to get to know him as much as possible."

Qin Ke smiled and said, "Supervisor Meng is very calm and her words are quite grounded. Haidong and I work at the same company, I'll help you keep an eye on him."

"Changxue is right, time is the ultimate touchstone. Half a year is neither long nor short, and I think it's entirely feasible. Classmate Lin Haidong, Classmate Meng Changxue has extended an olive branch, what are your thoughts?"

Lin Haidong sat up straight and solemnly stated, "Changxue, I have no objections to your decision. Half a year isn't long. No matter how much longer it takes, I can withstand the test."

Qin Ke immediately followed up with a smile, "Haidong, since you say so, should we extend the time to a full year?"

Hearing Qin Ke's words and seeing Lin Haidong glaring at him in exasperation, Meng Changxue and Bian Xiaoqi couldn't help bursting into laughter.

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