Chapter 327: The Troubled Subordinate

He mulled over the pros and cons of the deal. He thought about his professional ethics, the trust the company had placed in him and how they’d nurtured his career, and also about the pressures and frustrations of life.

His wife could see that something was weighing heavily on his mind and asked gently, "What’s wrong, Dashan? Is something bothering you?"

Xiao Dashan looked into his wife’s gentle eyes and felt a pang of sorrow. He squeezed her hand tightly and said, "I have to make a decision, but I don’t know if it’s the right one."

His wife gently stroked the back of his hand, comforting him. "As long as your conscience is clear, you can’t go wrong."

After a night of struggle and contemplation, Xiao Dashan finally made his decision.

He decided to refuse the deal. He understood that although life was full of pressure and difficulties, he could not betray his conscience and professional ethics.

Early the next morning, Xiao Dashan called Liu Defa and said, "I can’t accept your terms." Liu Defa was stunned on the other end of the line; he hadn’t expected Xiao Dashan to refuse so decisively.

After hanging up, Xiao Dashan felt a sense of relief and gratification. He knew his decision might bring him some trouble and hardship, but he believed he had made the right choice.

「Three days later.」 Inside a small tavern, two men sat facing each other. One was Liu Defa, secretary of the Niu Group, and the other was the technical Master, Xiao Dashan.

"Mr. Xiao, you just need to give me one technical document in exchange for a life of wealth and luxury. Isn’t that worth it?" Liu Defa said with a smile.

Xiao Dashan remained silent, just lowering his head to drink. Unhurried, Liu Defa continued to speak.

"Mr. Xiao, you’ve already demonstrated your technical prowess as a branch manager at Mingyue Group. You’ve mastered the most core technology. But if you can sell this technology to us, you’ll get a much greater reward."

Xiao Dashan raised his head and looked at Liu Defa. "Your two hundred thousand US dollars isn’t enough."

Liu Defa smirked to himself. He knew that for tech fanatics like Xiao Dashan, there was only one principle: whether the price was right.

So he immediately said, "Mr. Xiao, rest assured. As long as we can get Mingyue Group’s core technology, we will offer a higher price."

The corners of Xiao Dashan’s mouth curled up slightly. "I want to speak with your boss, Niu Fugui, personally."

Liu Defa was startled. He hadn’t expected Xiao Dashan to have such resolve. He immediately replied, "Alright, I’ll arrange a meeting for you as soon as possible."

The next day, Niu Fugui and Xiao Dashan met at another high-end tavern. The two sat facing each other, sizing one another up.

"Mr. Xiao, I hear you wanted to have a talk with me?" Niu Fugui was the first to speak.

"Yes, I want to talk to you about the technical documents," Xiao Dashan said, getting straight to the point.

"Oh? And what technical documents has Mr. Xiao gotten his hands on?" Niu Fugui asked curiously.

"I have Mingyue Group’s most critical technology," Xiao Dashan said confidently. "If you can offer me a higher price, I’ll consider selling it to you."

Niu Fugui looked at Xiao Dashan, silently sizing him up. He knew that for someone like Xiao Dashan, only personal gain was an effective motivator. He decided to offer Xiao Dashan a higher price.

"Mr. Xiao, your technology is indeed very appealing," Niu Fugui said with a smile. "If your asking price is reasonable, I would be very willing to cooperate with you."

The two began to negotiate the details and price of the technical documents.

Leveraging his profound understanding of the technology and his keen business insight, Xiao Dashan successfully got Niu Fugui to raise his offer. In the end, they struck a deal of considerable value.

At the Mingyue Group headquarters, Qian Laoliu hurried through the long corridor, striding quickly toward Chen Qingdi’s office. His face was filled with anxiety, as if a storm was about to break.

"Boss, we’re in big trouble!" Qian Laoliu pushed open the door to Chen Qingdi’s office and rushed to his desk in a panic.

Chen Qingdi raised his head, his deep gaze landing on Qian Laoliu as a smile played on his lips.

"Liu, don’t be so flustered. Whatever it is, sit down and tell me slowly."

"It’s Xiao Dashan!" Qian Laoliu said, panting.

"I recently discovered that he’s been in frequent contact with the Niu Group. Does this mean he’s secretly betraying us?"

Chen Qingdi’s brows furrowed slightly; this news was indeed a bit unexpected.

"Do you have any proof?" he asked in a low voice.

"Not yet," Qian Laoliu lowered his head. "But this is highly suspicious. We need to be on our guard."

Chen Qingdi smiled, his gaze revealing his understanding of and trust in his old friend.

"Liu, we can’t be so quick to suspect our own people. Perhaps this is just a misunderstanding."

He gently patted Qian Laoliu’s shoulder.

"But for the security of the Mingyue Group, I agree with your concern. Go investigate it thoroughly, but remember, don’t make any rash moves without concrete proof."

"Yes, Boss!" Qian Laoliu nodded firmly. He understood that any action required solid evidence; this was a rule a company of their caliber had to follow.

After Qian Laoliu left, Chen Qingdi sat quietly in his office, his heart filled with a mixture of feelings.

He trusted Xiao Dashan, but he also understood that business is like a battlefield and people’s hearts are hard to fathom. He needed to think about his next move.

Meanwhile, Qian Laoliu had already begun his investigation. He dispatched his best men to conduct comprehensive surveillance and analysis of Xiao Dashan’s movements and communication records.

He needed to find evidence to prove whether or not Xiao Dashan had truly betrayed the Mingyue Group.

Time passed quietly, and the results of the investigation left Qian Laoliu stunned.

Qian Laoliu took the investigation results and went straight to Chen Qingdi’s office. "Boss, take a look at this." He placed the investigation report in front of Chen Qingdi.

Chen Qingdi scanned the report, his expression shifting from confusion to surprise, and finally, to a relieved smile. "Liu, you’ve done well," he said appreciatively. "It looks like we should get some preparations in order."

Back in the security team’s office, Qian Laoliu’s eyes gleamed with a sharp light. He scanned the team members present and asked in a low voice, "Who is it that provides for you? Who do you owe your loyalty to?"

The question was like a stone tossed into a calm lake, immediately drawing a reaction from the team members. They weren’t fools; they knew who their boss was and where their paychecks came from.

"We’re loyal to President Qian, and even more loyal to Chairman Chen!" the team members answered in unison, their voices loud and firm.

Qian Laoliu’s lips curled in satisfaction. He stressed again, "I will absolutely not allow anyone to harm the interests of the Mingyue Group. Although I’m just a security captain, protecting the Mingyue Group’s safety is my ultimate duty."

With a grand wave of his hand, someone immediately brought over boxes of food and alcohol.