Plunder-Chapter 313: Crooked and Evil Ways

Several days later, Mrs. Jia suddenly appeared at Nanchen Group.

She was clamoring to see Zhou Jin’an.

The receptionist, not knowing her identity, had no choice but to call Cheng Lu.

"Assistant Cheng, there’s a lady here who wants to meet Director Zhou, she doesn’t have an appointment."

Zhou Jin’an was in a meeting.

Usually, this type of matter was handled by Cheng Lu.

"Okay, I understand, I’m coming now."

After hanging up the phone, he quickly walked into the elevator.

However, he did not expect at all that he would encounter Jia Xianzhen.

"I want to meet your president, I want to see Zhou Jin’an, don’t stop me."

Mrs. Jia’s voice was loud, and her attitude somewhat overbearing. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Mom, why did you come?"

Cheng Lu took several strides forward, reaching out to support Mrs. Jia’s arm, but she forcefully pushed him away.

"Who are you calling mom? Who is your mom? I don’t know you. I want to see Zhou Jin’an."

Cheng Lu, unable to save face, suddenly stiffened there.

Others nearby looked at him with strange glances, and being a sensitive person, he could guess the deep meanings mixed in those looks without even seeing them.

"Auntie, Director Zhou is in a meeting, what do you need him for? Why don’t you come with me to the lounge and wait a bit?"

Cheng Lu said respectfully.

Mrs. Jia gave Cheng Lu a cold glance, "Do I need to report to you what I want with him? Would I come here for no reason? I obviously need to see him because there’s a matter."

She didn’t like Cheng Lu, and there was no warmth in the way she spoke to him.

Cheng Lu did not argue with Mrs. Jia.

She was Lin Youyou’s mother, and no matter how much of a shrew she was, he had no right to reprimand her.

"Auntie, please follow me to the lounge."

Cheng Lu gestured with a "please" and Mrs. Jia walked ahead, head held high and chest puffed out.

The lounge was empty, not a soul around, Mrs. Jia sat down, leaning back in the chair with her arms crossed.

"How much longer for Director Zhou? When can I see him?"

Cheng Lu did not dare to bluff, he glanced at his watch.

"Director Zhou’s meeting usually last until around eleven o’clock in the morning, and it’s not even ten o’clock yet, you might have to wait an hour for him."

"An hour then an hour."

Mrs. Jia disdainfully swept her eyes over Cheng Lu, then turned her head away, refusing to look at him.

Cheng Lu walked out despondently, but soon turned back, pouring tea for Mrs. Jia and preparing some snacks.

"Auntie, please help yourself, I will be busy now."

Cheng Lu exited the lounge, he did not enter the meeting room but headed towards the fire escape.

The arrival of Lin Youyou’s mother was puzzling; although she refused to say why she had come, Cheng Lu had the nagging feeling that it concerned him.

He pulled out his phone to call Lin Youyou, but the moment his fingers dialed out, he immediately hung up.

Lin Youyou was busy feeding her child, and after hearing a single ring before the call ended, she grabbed her phone to see it was Cheng Lu calling.

Without thinking much, she immediately called back.

But Cheng Lu on the other end did not answer.

She then sent a message: "Did you just call? What’s up?"

But the message was met with radio silence.

Cheng Lu was typically tight-lipped; as long as he did not wish to speak about it, nobody could get a word out of him.

Just after eleven, Zhou Jin’an’s meeting finished.

"Director Zhou, Youyou’s mom has come, insisting on seeing you."

Cheng Lu did not delay and immediately went to report.

Zhou Jin’an looked astonished, "Are you sure you came to see me and not yourself?"

Cheng Lu shook her head, "Seeing you might just be for my sake."

Indeed, when Zhou Jin’an appeared in front of Mrs. Jia, she grasped at him like a lifeline and immediately began to plead her case.

"Director Zhou, hello, I am Lin Youyou’s mother. Thank you for always taking care of our Youyou. I am sorry to trouble you today, but I have a small favor to ask and hope you can help."

Zhou Jin’an sat on the sofa with an imposing look.

He squinted slightly at Mrs. Jia; at that moment, he seemed to understand Cheng Lu’s feelings.

"Please, speak."

"It’s like this," Mrs. Jia tidied the stray hair by her ear, "we only have one daughter, Youyou, she’s excellent, I know. But she is still young, only twenty-three this year. She’s a girl with ideals and ambitions and should have her own wonderful life."

"However, I heard that she got together with Cheng Lu from your company. Director Zhou, you’re Youyou’s boss, she admires you deeply and listens to everything you say."

Zhou Jin’an’s eyebrows slightly furrowed. He had spent many years in the business world, knew how to speak to different people appropriately, and had even mastered a talent without formal training—easily distinguishing whether someone was speaking frankly or just telling tales.

Clearly, Mrs. Jia had taken a long-winded approach to willingly win his cooperation.

"Say it, what is it?"

Zhou Jin’an asked coldly.

All the while, his gaze remained on the documents at his hand; he didn’t give Mrs. Jia another glance.

"Youyou doesn’t understand, she plans to marry someone unsuitable for her, and we, her parents, disagree with this marriage. Now Youyou is like possessed, insisting on marrying that man. We have advised as much as we can and hope you can intervene to persuade her."

Mrs. Jia looked eagerly at Zhou Jin’an, hoping for a response.

Zhou Jin’an instantly understood Mrs. Jia’s intention.

He tugged at the corner of his mouth, barely smiling, "I’m sorry, but Nanchen Group’s employees have the freedom to love, and they are all adults now, capable of thinking about serious matters like marriage. I personally believe parents should not interfere with their children’s romantic lives."

By saying this, Zhou Jin’an effectively refused Mrs. Jia’s request.

"Director Zhou, please have mercy on us old folks. We only have Youyou as our daughter, she is just starting her life, and she really can’t afford to lose!"

Mrs. Jia was extremely emotional.

No sooner had Zhou Jin’an refused than she got up and knelt down before him with a thud.

"Please stand up, stand up!"

Zhou Jin’an tried to help Mrs. Jia up, but she adamantly refused to get up.

"Director Zhou, could you please help me?"

Her eyes were already red.

Zhou Jin’an glanced at his watch, "You should know, Cheng Lu is my assistant; he has been with me for many years, and I trust his character. He will surely treat Lin Youyou well and fulfill his duties as a man."

"But he has been in prison! Our Lin Family cannot accept such a person. How will Youyou’s child face a father who has been in prison?"

"What about it if he has been in prison? He made a mistake, realized it, and amended it, isn’t that enough? Besides, it’s not important whether the Lin Family accepts him or not; as long as Lin Youyou wants to be with him, nobody can oppose it."

Zhou Jin’an slammed the documents he was holding onto the table, "If there’s nothing else, please leave. I have work to attend to."

Mrs. Jia was reluctant but Zhou Jin’an, as the CEO of Nanchen, had the final say here.

"Director Zhou, I’m sorry for bothering you. I leave Youyou’s matter in your hands; she really shouldn’t marry Cheng Lu."

Zhou Jin’an hung his head, but the gloom in his eyes increasingly surfaced.

Outside, Cheng Lu was standing there.

He had heard every word Mrs. Jia said.

Ultimately, it was still about him not being good enough.

Such a wonderful girl, how could he possibly be good enough for her?

That evening, Zhou Jin’an was walking with Qiao En in the backyard, and they discussed the matter of Cheng Lu and Lin Youyou. Zhou Jin’an casually mentioned Mrs. Jia causing trouble at Nanchen to Qiao En.

"Oh, Youyou and Cheng Lu are indeed pitiable now. The couple had finally reached a point of joy after enduring hardships, and now a determinedly opposing mother-in-law pops up."

Zhou Jin’an lamented.

"It’s tough on Cheng Lu and Youyou. They clearly love each other, but now they have to separate because of their parents’ objections," Qiao En said.

However, they underestimated Mrs. Jia’s capabilities; finding that persuading Zhou Jin’an was futile, she began to resort to other unscrupulous methods.