Chapter 100: Tianrou Investment

The department head who happened to share the same name as the legendary brush-master? He Tian had been focused on receiving Lazy Cat and the others, and later on rescuing Shen Feng, so he had never really paid attention to that matter. Everything had been left to Lan Ji to handle. As for how well she had handled it, He Tian had not asked.

“His ending must have been quite amusing, wouldn’t you say?” He Tian asked with a smile as he looked at Wang Xinrou.

“More than amusing. He’s got nothing left now, and he’s already been thrown into prison.” Wang Xinrou said with gleeful animation. “You should have seen it. His wife stormed the school and made such a scene that the whole campus was filled with her roaring. And yet everything he had came from that very wife in the first place! His position was already shaky. No one knows just how many people he had offended before, but when the attitude of the school’s upper leadership shifted, someone suddenly struck. They brought out plenty of proof of his embezzlement, and he was taken away on the spot.”

“And the most important thing is... the wife he had relied on is now divorcing him!” Wang Xinrou laughed. “His wife is an extraordinary woman... on the same level as that rich lady we met at the mall last time!”

“Uh...” Thinking of that rich woman from the mall, He Tian still felt a lingering chill. A woman like that was definitely someone a man should stay as far away from as possible. Otherwise, one might even risk one’s life.

“So that means Ma Liang is completely finished?” He Tian asked with a look of feigned curiosity.

If Lan Ji personally stepped in and still failed to deal with a Ma Liang, that would truly be a disgrace.

Forget that Ma Liang himself was not clean; even if he had been spotless, the man still would have been taken down, and with astonishing speed.

Damn it. He had the nerve to covet Wang Xinrou? Was that not courting death?

Although He Tian was still hesitating over whether to make his relationship with Wang Xinrou public or leave it unspoken for the time being, that hesitation was only on the premise that Wang Xinrou herself must be secured.

If anyone else dared to set their sights on Wang Xinrou, they were terribly mistaken. That was something He Tian absolutely, under no circumstances, would permit.

“Absolutely, completely finished!” Wang Xinrou nodded.

Thinking of Ma Liang’s former smug expression, and then combining it with what had happened to him now, Wang Xinrou felt immensely refreshed.

“I’m guessing your investment strategy will change a little as well?” He Tian asked with a smile.

“Of course it has to change. The company’s whole positioning is to face university students. Being closely tied to the schools is naturally best. But the company’s basic structure won’t change; we’ll just set up an office at Tianhai University and expand gradually that way,” Wang Xinrou said with a smile. “With your powerful capital injection, my goal now is to take over all the universities in Tianhai University in one go!”

“That sounds good, but it doesn’t seem quite so simple, does it? Even just the staffing issue alone would be enough to give you a headache,” He Tian said with a smile.

“Exactly. I didn’t realize how hard it would be before. Now that the procedures are finished and the office space has been renovated, all that’s left is to furnish it and move in. But everything I plan afterward must be supported by enough people with professional skill and keen judgment. That’s not easy to do,” Wang Xinrou said with a frown.

“So no matter how good the idea is, things still have to be done step by step. Don’t rush to spread out to every university in Tianhai City just yet. Use Tianhai University as a trial ground first. Build up some experience, and take the opportunity to discover some truly talented people. Once you have a reserve of talent and some accumulated experience, expansion afterward will be much easier,” He Tian suggested with a smile.

“Mmm, that makes sense too. But then too much capital would be left idle,” Wang Xinrou said, clearly understanding the problem as well. What she was worried about was that such a vast amount of money used only on one university seemed like a poor use of resources.

“Are you really this slow, or what? Bingbing has already proven her ability. If you don’t take advantage of the fact that you have capital in hand and bind her firmly to your chariot now, what are you waiting for?” He Tian couldn’t help tapping Wang Xinrou on the forehead.

“Oh! How did I forget that? Haha, Brother He Tian, thank you. I’ve got so many new ideas now!” Wang Xinrou’s eyes lit up as if she had suddenly seen the light.

“Very teachable indeed,” He Tian said with a smile, stroking his chin. Unfortunately, his chin was smooth and bare; if he had a bit of stubble, he would look even more like a scholar.

“I’ve decided!” Wang Xinrou suddenly said loudly.

“Decided what? Don’t make such a scene, will you?” He Tian glanced sideways at her, looking like he had been startled.

“I’ve decided that you will be the general manager of the investment company!” Wang Xinrou said with complete seriousness. “I’ll be the company president!”

“Hey, hey! You seem to have it backwards! All the company’s money was invested by me. By rights, I should be the president! And now you’re giving me the general manager position? Doesn’t that mean all the work gets dumped on me?” He Tian said indignantly. “No, absolutely not! Let me think... I put in the money and then I have to do the work too? However you look at it, I’m the one getting the short end of the stick! No way! Not happening!”

“You’re such a big man, why are you being so fussy?” Wang Xinrou rolled her eyes. “Fine, then you can have the president title. I’ll be vice president. We can decide on the general manager later, once we find the right person.”

“That’s more like it,” He Tian said, finally somewhat satisfied.

“Then it’s settled! From now on, our Tianrou Investment Company will be officially established!” Wang Xinrou blinked and smiled. “Actually... all the paperwork was done under your name. You’re the one who paid, so how could I forget you? Right, Brother He Tian?”

“Why do I feel like I’ve been tricked?” He Tian eyed Wang Xinrou suspiciously.

“Tricked? Not at all. Everything is perfectly normal,” Wang Xinrou said, spreading her hands in an innocent gesture.

“Tianrou Investment. What is this? Why didn’t I know the company name beforehand?” He Tian said sternly.

“The heavens and tenderness—our two names! Don’t you think that name is very creative?” Wang Xinrou said with a smile. “And it sounds lovely too.”

“Creative? You call that creative? I’m impressed,” He Tian said. “Besides, don’t you think the name Tianrou is a little too feminine? And not grand enough?”

“I think it’s great! Even the heavens are gentle—what investment could we possibly fail to take down? What a wonderful meaning,” Wang Xinrou said with a smile. “Brother He Tian, now that the name is already decided, don’t say anything more, all right?”

“Fine, fine, I won’t say anything else. I think I might as well just be a figurehead president. Sooner or later this will become a puppet shell anyway,” He Tian said bitterly.

“Brother He Tian!” Wang Xinrou immediately took his arm and said softly, “Are you angry?”

“Can I not be angry?” He Tian wore a face full of indignation.

“My goodness, you really are angry! How petty!” Wang Xinrou did not coax him with any sweetness. Instead she rolled her eyes, used her favorite catchphrase, and looked at He Tian with open disdain.

“You’ve defeated me,” He Tian said, unable to keep it up anymore.

“Brother He Tian, I know your abilities. At the beginning, you must help me a lot. Once everything is on the right track, I absolutely won’t trouble you again,” Wang Xinrou said earnestly, her eyes pleading.

“All right, all right. Who told me to be softhearted?” He Tian said helplessly.

“That’s wonderful!” Wang Xinrou said, clenching her fists in excitement.

“Can we start practicing now? Give it another try and let me see,” He Tian said.

“Wait a moment. There’s one last question,” Wang Xinrou said.

“What question?” He Tian asked.

“Was Ma Liang your doing?” Wang Xinrou asked, staring at him.

“It wasn’t me,” He Tian said without hesitation. It really hadn’t been He Tian. It had been Lan Ji.

“Really not you?”

“Really not?”

“Then who was it?”

“How should I know?”

“Then did you send someone to do it?”

“Do you want the truth or the lie?”

“My goodness! Don’t try to fool me with the lie!” Wang Xinrou said, her eyes brightening.

“Hold on. Didn’t you say you only had one question? How did it turn into so many?” He Tian said evasively, changing the subject.

“This is one big question,” Wang Xinrou said seriously. “No matter how many smaller questions there are, they’re all centered on one core point. Strictly speaking, that counts as one question!”

“All right, all right. Women are always a bit unreasonable,” He Tian could only yield. Arguing with a woman was best avoided unless one truly did not care about her feelings; otherwise, as a man, one would always end up losing.

“What did you say? Who are you calling unreasonable?” Wang Xinrou seemed on the verge of an outburst.

“I wasn’t talking about you,” He Tian said.

“Then what, you’re saying I’m not a woman?” Wang Xinrou was even angrier.

“...”

He Tian was truly at a loss for words.

When a woman refused to be reasonable, she could be unbearably exasperating.

“Answer my question quickly. Was it someone you sent?” Wang Xinrou finally returned to the point. “I want the truth.”

“All right. Then I’ll answer you. Yes, I had someone do it. That Ma Liang deserved exactly that end. He actually dared to lay hands on you, the bastard. How could I just sit by and let him continue living it up as if nothing had happened?”

“Brother He Tian, you’re so good to me!” Wang Xinrou’s whole body seemed to soften.

He Tian’s words completely moved her.

According to Wang Xinrou’s thoughts, at this point He Tian should have pressed his advantage and confessed his feelings to her.

And Wang Xinrou herself kept urging for that to happen in her heart.

There were more and more women around He Tian, and Wang Xinrou was already full of a sense of crisis...