Chapter Sixty-three: Sister, don’t pay him any attention from now on

“If it’s convenient for you, President Pei, why don’t we sign the contract for the partnership today?” Zhao Haihe appeared somewhat anxious. “Everyone has worked so hard for this project, and now that you’ve come here, people have seen you and their spirits are lifted.”

Pei Susu neither agreed nor refused outright. She glanced around the office at everyone present, then turned back with a gentle smile.

“I’m sorry, President Zhao, as you know, I’m not here alone this time. The entire project team collaborating with you, as well as Vice President Zhou, are not present today. Although I am President Pei, I can’t make every decision entirely on my own, can I?”

Upon hearing Pei Susu’s words, Zhao Haihe realized that signing the contract today was likely out of the question.

“In that case, President Pei, it’s only right that you take some time to consider, and discuss it with the others in your company,” Zhao Haihe’s smile faded for just a moment before returning to its usual amiable, approachable expression.

He could still keep up the act for now, but in a while, it might not be so easy.

“Shall I continue showing you around, President Pei? If there’s anywhere you’d like to see, we can visit together, and then have lunch at noon—”

“There’s no need, President Zhao,” Pei Susu interrupted him. “You already treated me generously yesterday. If you insist on inviting me again, I’ll feel I don’t deserve such hospitality.”

“If there is an opportunity, let’s wait until we successfully sign the contract and celebrate at a banquet.”

Her words sounded gentle, yet for some reason, the executives of Haihe Company felt as if they’d been stung.

“Very well, shall I arrange a car to take you back to your hotel?”

Pei Susu shook her head, still smiling softly.

“There’s someone waiting for me downstairs, so there’s no need for you to send someone personally.”

With those words, she nodded slightly and descended the stairs, retracing the path she’d come.

Everything turned out to be simpler and lighter than expected. The people at Haihe Company feigned ignorance, but none were bold enough to do anything to her in front of everyone.

Upon reaching the ground floor, she saw not far away Fu Zhichen standing by the roadside, waiting for her. His gaze never left Haihe Company’s entrance, just as it had when she entered that morning.

It was as if he had been watching over her all along.

“Why are you standing at the door? You could have waited for me in a shop,” Pei Susu unconsciously quickened her pace, stopping only when she reached him and taking his hand.

Fu Zhichen pressed his lips together and said nothing, but Pei Susu could sense the worries weighing on him. So she recounted everything that had happened inside Haihe Company.

He listened calmly at first, but when she mentioned the phone call from Liang Wenru, his expression grew dark and sharp, and on closer inspection, he seemed even a bit anxious.

“Susu, don’t ever pay him any mind again. He only remembers you now because he thinks you’re better than others. He never truly loved you.”

His amber eyes glimmered in the sunlight. Pei Susu instantly understood what was on his mind, so she reached out and gently embraced him.

“I won’t go off with anyone else, you can rest assured. And I will never fall for someone who once discarded me like worthless trash.”

Pei Susu knew she was not one to degrade herself.

Hearing this, Fu Zhichen’s anxiety faded, and with a muffled sound of agreement, he let Pei Susu lead him into the car.

“Going to Haihe Company today only confirmed my suspicions; this company is absolutely not one we should partner with.”

“At least we discovered it early,” Pei Susu mused, pondering how she would explain things to the project team once they returned. Everyone had been hoping for so long, believing they’d found the best solution, only to be played once again.

“I need to find Zhou Haoyue first, and talk about Haihe Company,” she said.

The identity of the mole was still unknown, but Pei Susu was certain it wasn’t Zhou Haoyue. Two heads were better than one when it came to solving problems.

Her thick, butterfly-like lashes trembled. “Zhou Haoyue definitely knows you, so you can’t come with me. Zhichen, you should head back to the hotel alone, alright?”

So furtive—just for a moment, it felt as if she were sneaking around for a clandestine affair. Pei Susu was helpless, but Fu Zhichen’s unique status gave her no choice.

“Alright, Susu.”

There was no danger in meeting Zhou Haoyue, so after sending Fu Zhichen back to the hotel, Pei Susu immediately called Zhou Haoyue.

“I’ve already been to Haihe Company today. Just as I suspected, this collaboration will likely be strangled in its infancy.”

Zhou Haoyue was surprised, but after hearing Pei Susu’s account, indignation quickly flared.

“They actually dared to install cameras in the hotel room? I’ll make sure they pay for that the moment I confront them!”

The thought that she’d spent an entire night under surveillance made Zhou Haoyue shudder. “I’ll let everyone know when I get back; tonight we move out.”

“I’m afraid we can’t just yet,” Pei Susu interrupted her. “Who booked our hotel this time?”

It seemed an irrelevant question, but Zhou Haoyue was puzzled only for a moment before understanding.

Of course—the person who booked the hotel had just happened to choose one owned by Haihe Company, allowing them to prepare in advance and install cameras in the rooms. It couldn’t be a coincidence; it meant—

“We’ll have to catch the mole during our stay in Wanjiang,” Pei Susu said.

There were ten people between Team A and Team B; it wasn’t hard to narrow down suspects. Still, after such an incident, it was inevitable people would feel disheartened.

“I’ll start looking when I get back. We keep this quiet for now, right?” Zhou Haoyue and Pei Susu had worked together several times, and their mutual understanding was seamless.

“I don’t want things to get ugly.”

Pei Susu’s voice was cool and clear. “Where are you now? I’ll come find you so we can discuss our next steps. Haihe Company’s ambitions are surely more than just a trivial partnership.”

“Before coming to Wanjiang, I carefully reviewed the previous report—it was flawless, not a single error no matter how I checked.”

“But Zhao Haihe doesn’t seem meticulous enough for that; someone else must have prepared the report.”

If there was someone else behind Zhao Haihe, everything would make much more sense. Zhou Haoyue immediately gave her location.

“I’m alone here right now, come over… By the way, a video just hit the trending searches. It’s quite interesting—you should take a look.”