Yang Feng and Zhao Lifei walked in and out of the marriage bureau in less than thirty minutes with a marriage license and proper documentation that certified them as husband and wife. In order to protect their security, Chen Gaonan was notified in advance to bring the lawyers who made everyone present at the office sign a nondisclosure agreement.
If news of this were to travel, there would be an uproar. It was a risky move by going to the marriage bureau without the blessings of either of their parents. But in Yang Feng's eyes, all of that was unnecessary. What was the point of a blessing when both families had unstable marriages? There were frequent arguments between Yang Qianlu and Fan Jielan even though the two married for love. On Zhao Lifei's side of the family, her parents' marriage was forced and contracted.
"Go to your office." Zhao Lifei told Yang Feng once they entered the black Maybach. "I also need to head to Feili to sort out some meetings."
Yang Feng nodded his head. "Alright, then." He instructed Hu Wei to drive to Feili first.
Zhao Lifei tried her best to keep her composure from cracking. She was giddy at what had just happened. She still could not believe that she and Yang Feng were now registered in the system. In her purse was a copy of the documents and license, whereas the original one was being sent home by Chen Gaonan who'd rather lose his head than let the news leak.
When the car reached Feili, Zhao Lifei was about to open the door when a pair of muscular arms snaked around her waist. She could feel Yang Feng's comforting warmth radiating from his body due to their close proximity. She shivered when the heat from his breath tickled her ears.
In a low, seductive voice, he whispered, "I'll see you tonight."
She felt her body buzz with anticipation when he kissed the spot behind her ear. His lips trailed down further in open-mouthed kisses until he found a spot on her neck. She let out a quiet sound of pleasure when he suckled the area, bit it, and then soothed the pain with his tongue before his lips latched onto it again.
Zhao Lifei could feel her body beginning to warm up and right when she thought he would turn her around and kiss her, everything ended.
She let out a disgruntled sound that was accompanied by his fond laughter. He adjusted her collar and ensured that the mark was safely hidden. Then, he pressed one last kiss on the side of her head.
"Have a good day at work, my love." He bid her goodbye, watching with a mischievous smile as she glided out of the car, glaring at him in the process before slamming the door shut. He shook his head. Silly girl. If she wanted something much more, all she had to do was ask. He'd happily oblige.
Zhao Lifei continued to pull her collar higher in fear that the mark would be easily revealed. She swiped her private keycard, boarded the elevator, and went straight to the top floor. She went down a discreet hallway where none of the employees could see her. She decided once she made her debut as the official CEO, she would build herself an office here.
When she neared the area where Wei Hantao and Huo Qiudong were, she could hear a small commotion coming out from the door. She decided to soundproof her future office. Stepping closer to the door, she was about to place her hand on the handle when she heard something.
"The meeting was pushed up by a week? That's tomorrow!" Wei Hantao paced back and forth in his office, all the while Huo Qiudong watched with a troubled expression.
"That's not enough time for me to beg and plead for her forgiveness." Wei Hantao added on, nibbling on his nails as he tried coming up with a solution.
Zhao Lifei realized who they were referring to. Without warning, she opened the door and stepped in. "What happened?"
Wei Hantao jumped faster than his heart did at the sight of her. He did not expect her to come to the office today. He gulped. "...Promise you won't kill me?"
"I don't make empty promises." Zhao Lifei chuckled. She walked to the couch. Her latest season Louboutin Red Bottoms clicking upon the black-tiled floors. With each step, she sounded more and more intimidating. Plopping herself down on the couch, she crossed her legs, resting one arm on her thigh as the other was propped on her knees. She rested her chin upon her fist.
Huo Qiudong could tell a chaotic argument was on the rise. He wanted to step out of the room and let his Vice President suffer her wrath, but he could not abandon his bro code.
"Well, in regards to the private meetings…" Wei Hantao trailed off, his eyes darting around the room. He nervously licked his lips. All of a sudden his throat felt dry and hoarse, mimicking the Sahara desert. He took a big gulp of his morning coffee. "OneofthemiswithZhengTianyi." He rushed out.
Zhao Lifei's face became expressionless. Her auburn eyes darkened. "What did you just say?"
"H-hear me out, okay—"
"When is the meeting?"
"T-tomorrow afternoon at 2 PM sharp." Wei Hantao clenched the desk behind him. His knees felt weak when her eagle eyes pierced right through him. She was frightening. When she stood up, he felt like he was staring into the eyes of a tigress out for fresh blood. She could easily snap his neck if she wanted to.
Zhao Lifei gritted her teeth. She did not want to proceed with the meeting and clash with the very man who ruined her life. But she had no choice. This was business and in such a harsh world, one must learn how to separate their personal life from their work life.
If Zheng Tianyi himself was coming, it would only make sense if the CEO of Feili was also present.
"What does he want from us?"
"He planned on starting a subsidiary focused on the entertainment industry. In order for him to kickstart the small company, he needs our investment. From the proposal, he plans on buying out well-known actors and actresses into his entertainment company."
"Helping celebrities terminate their contracts will be extremely pricey." Zhao Lifei thought out loud. "Does he already have a building in mind? Or does he want to construct one?"
She could've sworn Zheng Corporation's net worth was in the mid-billions, well, at least, that was what she remembered from two years ago. It shouldn't be that hard to shell out a couple million, or perhaps a billion or two, if he wanted to start his own entertainment company. To poach A-list celebrities would be very expensive. She knew him best. He always strived to obtain the best of the best, so the celebrities, instructors, managers, and other employees would all be topnotch. That alone could cost a fortune.
"He already has a building in mind, but he would like our funding to begin hiring employees."
"Let me see the proposal he has sent us."
Huo Qiudong handed her the thick folder.
Zhao Lifei opened it and thoroughly examined the contents. She raised a brow. Did he hire an entirely new department or team to draft this? It was practically flawless, so much so, that it was suspicious to her. She took everything into great detail and read every word of the document.
The clock ticked on the wall, time passing extremely slowly for the men, but fast for her.
She carefully looked over the percentages. Taking out a calculator, she began to analyze and predict how much they would earn from this. In the end, the final numbers were unsatisfying.
"I'll be present tomorrow." Zhao Lifei placed her pen down. "However, I will most likely negotiate the numbers with them. They're too low." She said, standing up and placing the file back into Huo Qiudong's hands.
Wei Hantao carefully studied her face. Everything about her was guarded, starting from her eyes to her facial expressions. He could not predict what was going on in her head.
"Are there any more surprises I should know about?" Zhao Lifei sniped, her prickly words causing Wei Hantao to flinch.
"Aside from the private meetings, there are none." He informed her.
Zhao Lifei nodded her head. "The debut banquet will be one week from now. I expect you to be in charge of planning." Without waiting for his protest, she turned on her heels and walked out of the room.
Wei Hantao slumped in his chair, letting out a huge sigh of relief. He passed the first obstacle, now it was time to face the mountain.
"Contact the planners and decorators. Begin the preparation of the banquet." He instructed Huo Qiudong who nodded his head and left to carry out the orders.