After Divorce, My Ex-Wife Became My Creditor

Han Qian was scrubbing his shirt at the sink, muttering about how nice it would be to have some soap. Just as he finished speaking, a bar of soap was placed beside him. He turned to see Yan Qingqing entering the men’s restroom, and he frowned.

“This… isn’t really the place for General Manager Yan, is it?”

Yan Qingqing ignored his comment, her expression somewhat pensive as she sighed.

“Han Qian, how confident are you that your plan will be profitable and not result in losses?”

Han Qian shook the water off his hands and was about to reach for the cigarettes in his pocket when Yan Qingqing suddenly stepped forward, took the cigarettes from his coat hanging on the door, lit two, and handed one to him. Han Qian frowned but smiled.

He thought Yan Qingqing was just avoiding trouble, but she was simply being considerate.

Taking a drag from the cigarette, Han Qian chuckled.

“If the planning proposal is successfully approved, profitability is certain. It’ll take two to three years to break even, and then it’s all profit. General Manager Yan! I owe a lot of money, a whole lot. I need to pay it back. Forty thousand is crucial for me, extremely crucial. Don’t blame me for asking too much. If this land isn’t managed well, the losses won’t be just forty thousand.”

“Let’s hope you don’t disappoint me at tomorrow’s meeting. Gucci is too old-fashioned; I prefer LV. Once your plan is on track and I see it won’t incur losses, I’ll gift you a set.”

“General Manager Yan doesn’t like Gucci?”

“Utterly dislike.”

“Fond of LV?”

“Absolutely.”

Yan Qingqing left, and Han Qian stood there, looking at the Gucci coat hanging on the restroom door, feeling a bit conflicted. Wen Nuan liked Gucci and despised LV. Thinking of this, Han Qian slapped himself. Damn, what am I thinking? Aren’t they just clothes? Do you really want them, Han Qian?

But somehow, wanting Yan Qingqing’s clothes didn’t feel burdensome!

…

At ten in the morning, Yang Lan, dressed in a blue blazer, walked confidently ahead, her high heels clicking crisply. Behind her were Han Qian in a gray suit with short hair and Su Liang in a black suit with long hair.

The two handsome employees and their supervisor headed towards the large conference room on the thirteenth floor.

The trio’s expressions were serious. The woman was beautiful, the men handsome. Rongyao Group wasn’t short on attractive people, but the aura of these three had already intimidated employees from other departments. Some whispered about how Supervisor Yang from the General Affairs Department seemed like a different person today.

Others wondered about the two men behind her, who looked colder than bodyguards, and when they had joined the company, as they had never been seen before.

In the conference room, Yan Qingqing was already seated in the general manager’s position, with all the company’s senior management present. Yan Qingqing was slightly nervous, facing these seasoned veterans with a project that carried significant risk.

Beside Yan Qingqing was a man around thirty-five or thirty-six, dressed in a custom-made black suit that looked very expensive. The Vacheron Constantin on his wrist highlighted his status.

Rongyao Group’s deputy general manager, Gao Lvxing.

The only person in Rongyao Group who could rival Yan Qingqing.

Yan Qingqing arrived at the office today dressed in formal attire, but her burgundy hair still stood out strikingly. She took a deep breath and tapped the table.

“Now that all the department managers are present, let’s begin the meeting. No need for pleasantries. Regarding the airport land issue, I believe you all have heard about it. The local government intends to select a company from among Rongyao, Changxiang, Xinghui, and Yunhong groups. We’ve received reliable information that the Wen Family and the Lin Family at Changxiang have pulled their connections and opted out of this hot potato. Xinghui and Yunhong, being newer enterprises, won’t be troubled by the government. That leaves us, Rongyao Group, with deep pockets. I’ve discussed with several board directors over the phone, and this project has been designated to us a month ago. You might have caught wind of this too. Any thoughts on this parcel of land from those present?”

Song Jing from the Human Resources Department slightly lowered her head, and Sun Ya from the Public Relations Department shrugged as she spoke.

“General Manager Yan, it wasn’t just a month ago, but much earlier that I heard this project would fall to Rongyao. I considered communicating with the local government, but was tactfully rebuffed. I’m no expert in investment, but any development on this land seems doomed to failure.”

Yan Qingqing nodded, turning her gaze to the supervisor of the Investment Department. The middle-aged man glanced at his documents and frowned in response.

“General Manager Yan, the location is indeed prime. Buses 3, 18, and 22 all have stops here, it’s a ten-minute walk from the bus station, and right across the street are the Building Materials Market and the wholesale market. A twenty-minute walk away are RT-Mart and Fortune Street. However, all these landmarks are on the south side, while our site is on the north side, right behind a military airport used for training pilots. The airport was supposed to relocate years ago, but the local government didn’t approve it, and now they’ve made it clear they won’t be moving and demand that no buildings interfere with their training. Both the wholesale and Building Materials Market are just two stories high. The Investment Department advises against investing here.”

A person from the Risk Department quickly added,

“General Manager Yan, we’ve assessed the price of the land; the location is excellent and the price is low, but the developmental potential is very limited. The surrounding areas are now filled with tall residential buildings. Even with soundproofing, the noise from nighttime flights is clearly audible, and high-rise construction is not feasible. All factors combined, the chances of a successful residential development are around 80% against us. Building a mall is also risky since there are established shopping centers like the wholesale market, RT-Mart, and Fortune Street with their steady clientele nearby. Plus, it’s only a ten-minute drive from the city center. The likelihood of a mall failing is about 70%, and as for an amusement or golf park, the area is simply too small, with a 100% chance of failing. I forgot to mention, two kilometers away is the Second People’s Hospital, so a hospital isn’t feasible either, and the height restrictions would be exceeded.”

The leader of the Planning Department kept his head down, not daring to meet Yan Qingqing’s eyes, though she had already written him off. She turned to Gao Lvxing with a wry smile.

“Mr. Gao, perhaps you have a way to shift this parcel off to another company, or some other solution?”

Gao Lvxing’s expression was neutral, and he even let out a soft chuckle.

“General Manager Yan, the board has likely already exhausted all available connections. Moreover, the bidding is tomorrow, and I have no other solutions. If it really comes down to it, I’ll accompany you to the board of directors to apologize.”

Ha!

Gao Lvxing sneered inwardly. He had secretly arranged to take on this problematic land just to trouble Yan Qingqing and show the board her incapacity to sit in the general manager’s chair-a mere girl.

In fact, attending tomorrow’s bidding would be pointless. The land was already destined for Rongyao; all that was left was to go through the motions and transfer the funds to the local government.

Yan Qingqing sighed with a bitter smile.

“Let’s end the discussion here. After we attend the bidding tomorrow… Ah! Mr. Gao, you might not be aware, but the bidding time has been changed. It’s not tomorrow, but tonight. Will you join me?”

“General Manager Yan will suffice. As a deputy general manager, I wouldn’t want to be a burden.”

“Meeting adjourned.”

Yan Qingqing stood up and walked out of the meeting room, shaking her head slightly at three individuals outside.

“Supervisor Yang, you have the day off. Su Liang, you as well. Han Qian, you stay.”

The three, who had been prepared to leave, were taken aback. Han Qian immediately stepped forward, blocking Yan Qingqing’s path, his brows furrowed as he spoke coldly.

“Are you playing games with me?”

Yan Qingqing replied coldly.

“I don’t have the time or the inclination. Come to my office.”