Chapter 57: So This Is How One Can Be So Evasive!

Efficiency is just one of Wang Zheng’s many “flaws.”

A round of interviews that would have taken an entire morning was effortlessly wrapped up in an hour with Wang Zheng’s intervention. In that time, he even brewed a cup of cooling tea and took a trip to the restroom.

Whether this counts as meddling or not, Lin Xiaolei found herself with no impression of the fifteen candidates who passed the interview. Wait—there was one thing she did remember: not a single one of the fifteen was a man. All were women.

“See you, ladies! Tomorrow, I’ll treat you to coffee!” Wang Zheng waved to the two consultants who had helped, grinning with the air of someone deeply bonded and loyal.

“No backing out!” the two women shouted, then disappeared into the elevator.

Lin Xiaolei sat in her chair, glaring fiercely at Wang Zheng, who stood by the door. His smile was so aggravating that even someone as gentle as Lin Xiaolei felt the urge to knead his face like dough. Too annoying, too domineering, too unruly, too dictatorial, too… She really wanted to buy him some “Gentleman’s Elixir” to soften him up.

Wang Zheng turned and entered Lin Xiaolei’s office. She was sitting in her chair, lost in thought. Wang Zheng approached, tapped the desk, and asked, “What are you thinking about?”

“You.”

“Thinking about me?” Wang Zheng froze for a moment, then with a shy look, began fiddling with his shirt and replied bashfully, “So direct—I’m not emotionally prepared yet!”

“No… that’s not it!” Lin Xiaolei hastily corrected herself. “I mean, I was thinking about what you did during the interview.”

“Oh!” Wang Zheng nodded, then leaned forward on the desk, giving her a mysterious look. “So, what do you think? Didn’t I look especially dashing when I decisively made those selections?”

“I… I just think your decisions were too hasty, and besides, I think you might be abusing your authority for personal gain.” Lin Xiaolei voiced her concerns, afraid the situation would get even more tangled if she kept them to herself.

“Abusing authority for personal gain?” Wang Zheng looked puzzled. “I’m working for you, so what’s there to gain? Up till now, I’ve only given, not received.”

“No, what I mean is…” Lin Xiaolei struggled to find the right words. She felt uncomfortable keeping her thoughts inside but feared that saying them might offend him. After all, he was helping her without any compensation. If she upset him now, it would jeopardize the whole plan for Zhongtian, and their chance to turn things around would be lost. He wouldn’t be that petty, would he?

Lin Xiaolei observed Wang Zheng carefully. Once she was sure he was in a good mood, she finally spoke her mind.

“What I mean is, why did you only hire women? And only pretty ones?” Lin Xiaolei’s heart thudded as she watched Wang Zheng’s expression, worried he might get angry.

But Wang Zheng didn’t get angry; instead, he crossed his arms and smiled meaningfully. “Does this really matter to you?”

His gaze was almost magical, sharp enough to pierce through anything—including the human heart. After a brief moment of eye contact, Lin Xiaolei quickly looked away, afraid he would see right through her. It felt as awkward as standing naked in front of a man.

“I just feel it’s a bit inappropriate,” Lin Xiaolei whispered.

“Inappropriate?” Wang Zheng chuckled and then adopted the persona of a righteous defender of women. “Since the World Conference on Women in Nairobi, Kenya, enhancing women’s rights and status has become a global issue, and the signing of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women was held. What I’m doing is simply keeping up with the times. If I hired only men, and word got out to the United Nations, wouldn’t I be violating the convention? I don’t want to be the enemy of every woman on earth. Don’t you agree?”

Lin Xiaolei was speechless. She had no idea how a straightforward interview could be linked to the UN convention or dragged in every woman in the world. She only realized… that sophistry could be taken to such extremes.

Seeing Lin Xiaolei’s helpless expression, Wang Zheng circled the desk and leaned against it, facing the window. The previous pretense was gone, replaced by a calm demeanor. He said quietly, “Whether the plan succeeds is still uncertain, and we didn’t intend to hire anyone long-term, did we? Most importantly, these people are here to be seen by others. In fact, you already answered your own question—why did I choose attractive candidates? With a beautiful woman sitting right here, why would I risk upsetting her by choosing less attractive ones? I just want anyone who comes to Zhongtian Import & Export to know that our company is vibrant and that choosing us is the right decision. I’m not selling appearances—only creating an atmosphere. So… did I do wrong?”

Lin Xiaolei turned slightly to look at him. Sunlight softened his features. No matter the situation, when it came from his lips, it always sounded perfectly reasonable, leaving no room for rebuttal.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, not even knowing why she apologized.

“No sincerity—I refuse to accept it.”

Huh? Lin Xiaolei stared in disbelief. Was he angry?

“What do I need to do for you to accept my apology?” she asked, hoping to make amends for an apology that hardly existed.

“Accept my invitation and have lunch with me. How about that?” Wang Zheng suddenly turned, smiling, showing the earlier seriousness was all an act.

“Lunch? No, I won’t go!” Lin Xiaolei refused without hesitation.

“Why not?”

“You… you always force me to eat so much, but I really can’t eat that much!”

Wang Zheng looked at the timid Lin Xiaolei. What a lovable maiden.

“Don’t worry—as long as you eat properly, I won’t force you.”

From meeting Lin Xiaolei in the bar to running into her again on the street, it had only been a few days, yet Wang Zheng felt she had lost weight. For a woman, facing adversity alone and persisting was no easy task. Wang Zheng’s insistence that she eat was not ill-intentioned. He simply believed that health was the foundation for everything. If Lin Xiaolei kept neglecting her meals, she would eventually collapse. Besides, Wang Zheng disliked skinny, frail women who could be blown to Siberia by a northern wind.

He didn’t have the time to search every inch of Siberia’s snow for her.

Seeing Wang Zheng’s expression, Lin Xiaolei understood his meaning—everything he did was out of kindness. Grateful for his concern, she nodded gently in agreement.

…

For Wang Zheng, Lin Xiaolei, and Zhongtian Company, all that remained was to wait. This was a war—a battle between exporters and importers, where the one who endured longest would emerge victorious.

China’s tea exports account for half the global market. If Chinese tea is slow to enter the international market, it will inevitably affect global prices. Rarity drives value; less tea will mean higher prices. So foreign buyers are hardly better off than domestic exporters. Delay a day, and prices might rise, meaning losses for them. For these buyers, patience is everything. They hope to pressure eager exporters to lower prices before international rates climb, thus maximizing their own gain.

In previous years, export company bosses scrambled to entertain foreign buyers, hoping for large orders, appearing desperate. Foreign buyers exploited this, intentionally dragging things out to make the bosses anxious and force them into price wars.

But now things were different. Wang Zheng had arrived. The export companies had quietly banded together, suddenly showing no urgency. So this time, would it be the foreign buyers who grew anxious?

An interesting game was still underway, and only time would reveal the ultimate winner.