Chapter 271: This Is Temptation

Two days later, at the Mingyue Group, Chen Qingdi was in his chairman's office, handling the work at hand.

He had been very busy lately. Not only did he have to manage the Group's affairs, but there were also private matters that required his personal attention.

Suddenly, the phone rang, interrupting Chen Qingdi's train of thought.

Chen Qingdi glanced at the caller ID. It was an unfamiliar number. But he knew that anyone who had the number to his private line was bound to be someone important.

With that in mind, he quickly answered. "Hello, who is this?"

"Mr. Chen?" A middle-aged man's voice came from the other end. Though his tone was gentle, it carried the unique authority of someone in power.

"Hello! Yes, this is he. And you are…?" Chen Qingdi's heart began to race, his curiosity about the caller's identity growing.

"I am Xiaoye Erfu from Outer Island. I wonder if you've heard my name, Mr. Chen?" the man said with a chuckle.

"So you're Mr. Xiaoye from Outer Island. I've heard so much about you… I never imagined that the esteemed Mr. Xiaoye of Outer Island would call me personally. I'm truly honored." Chen Qingdi's tone grew much more respectful.

Xiaoye Erfu was a famous and powerful magnate from Outer Island. Although Chen Qingdi didn't know why the man was contacting him, he figured that building a good relationship would be a positive development.

"Mr. Chen, you're too kind."

Xiaoye Erfu smiled, then got straight to the point. "I'd like to invite you to be my guest on Outer Island, Mr. Chen. I wonder if you would do me the honor of attending?"

Chen Qingdi's eyes narrowed slightly. He was surprised; he hadn't expected Xiaoye Erfu to invite him personally. The whole thing felt unusual.

"Mr. Xiaoye, this… is all rather sudden. Is there something I can help you with?" Chen Qingdi asked cautiously. After all, they were complete strangers. It was hard not to suspect ulterior motives behind such a gracious invitation.

Xiaoye Erfu chuckled softly, then said slowly, "Mr. Chen, you can simply think of this as an ordinary dinner invitation. I hope you will grace me with your presence. Of course, I also have a few projects I'd like to discuss with you. If we can cooperate with the Mingyue Group, I am prepared to offer eighty million US Dollars."

Hearing "eighty million US Dollars," Chen Qingdi's eyes instantly lit up. Eighty million USD was an absolutely colossal sum for the Mingyue Group at its current stage—enough to double its revenue.

Although he was still deeply suspicious, now that the other party had offered such terms, it would be ungracious to refuse.

With this in mind, Chen Qingdi laughed. "Haha, alright! Since you've invited me so graciously, Mr. Xiaoye, how could I refuse? It's just that I'm quite busy at the moment. Once this busy period is over, I'll head to Outer Island to visit you. I hope you'll still be willing to see me then!"

"Haha! Then here's to our successful collaboration!"

After hanging up, Chen Qingdi immediately called his secretary. "Make the arrangements. I'm going to Outer Island."

......

At nine that evening, just as night fell, a welcome banquet for Chen Qingdi's arrival was underway at Xiaoye Erfu's home on Outer Island.

The table was laden with an array of seafood delicacies. Xiaoye Erfu stood up, wine glass in hand, surveyed the room, and then spoke with a smile.

"Gentlemen, it is my great honor to have invited Mr. Chen Qingdi to join us for dinner tonight. On behalf of my entire family, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to all of our guests. Please, enjoy yourselves to the fullest—eat, drink, and have a wonderful time!"

Everyone rose and applauded.

Chen Qingdi walked over to Xiaoye Erfu's side and said with a smile, "To be invited personally by you, Mr. Xiaoye, is a great honor for me!"

"Haha, Mr. Chen, please!"

Xiaoye Erfu was the first to drain his glass of red wine. Seeing this, the others followed suit and finished their own.

Much to Chen Qingdi's surprise, throughout the entire banquet, whenever he tried to bring up the collaboration, Xiaoye Erfu would change the subject, seemingly avoiding the topic deliberately.

This immediately put him on guard.

'What exactly does this Xiaoye Erfu want? Is he a friend or a foe?' Chen Qingdi began to regret not bringing Chen Yuan and the others with him. He wouldn't have been so isolated and helpless now.

Still, since he was already here, he might as well see it through. Even though Xiaoye Erfu refused to state his reasons, Chen Qingdi had no intention of leaving. The man hadn't made any hostile moves, so he decided to wait and observe for the time being.

After several rounds of drinks and multiple courses, the banquet finally came to an end.

Chen Qingdi followed Xiaoye Erfu back to a private room. Once the door was closed, Chen Qingdi began to make small talk, though all his words revolved around the potential collaboration.

He was trying to probe Xiaoye Erfu's intentions, but the man was impenetrable, revealing absolutely nothing of his true attitude.

"Mr. Chen, this is a gift I've prepared for you."

After they had chatted for a while, Xiaoye Erfu suddenly pulled a bank card from his pocket and handed it to Chen Qingdi.

"And what is this supposed to mean?"

Chen Qingdi frowned at Xiaoye Erfu, more confused than ever about the man's intentions.

"It's a small token of my sincerity. I hope you'll accept it, Mr. Chen. I'm sure you'll like it," Xiaoye Erfu said with a beaming smile.

After a moment of silence, Chen Qingdi finally reached out and took the card.

"Then thank you, Mr. Xiaoye. But is this the collaboration fund you mentioned earlier?"

As he spoke, Chen Qingdi handed the card back to Xiaoye Erfu.

Noticing Chen Qingdi's wariness, Xiaoye Erfu clapped him on the shoulder and laughed heartily. "No need to be so guarded, young man. You guessed correctly. There are fifty million US Dollars on that card. It's a down payment for our collaboration. As long as you're willing to establish a long-term partnership with the Xiaoye Family, we will pay you a sum at regular intervals, guaranteed to be no less than five million US Dollars each time. What do you think?"

Hearing these terms, even with his composure, Chen Qingdi couldn't help but draw a sharp breath. Who wouldn't want a partner like that?!

Countless people would be desperate to get on the good side of the Xiaoye Family, and Chen Qingdi was no exception. But that was precisely what worried him. 'There's no such thing as a free lunch.' Xiaoye Erfu's sudden goodwill definitely came with strings attached.

As he thought of this, a sense of crisis washed over him.

"What? Is Mr. Chen unwilling?" Xiaoye Erfu raised an eyebrow, a mocking smirk touching his lips.

"I'm just a little surprised, that's all. Heh. Your terms are incredibly tempting, Mr. Xiaoye. However, the risks seem far too high. The slightest misstep could lead to utter ruin. Forgive my foolishness, but I dare not agree so rashly. After all, I'd like to stay alive."