Come on, What Kind of CEO Chases His Roommate Back to the Country? - Chapter 49

At this moment, Pei Song was busy handling documents in his office, completely unaware of the undercurrents surging through the high-level meeting.

Around noon, he went to the break room to make coffee and unexpectedly ran into Li Ming, who looked guilty and was trying to slip away.

“Wait.” Pei Song stopped him. “You seem preoccupied lately.”

Seeing Li Ming’s evasive expression, he added, “If something’s wrong, you can talk to me. We’re a team.”

Li Ming hesitated but eventually took the coffee Pei Song handed him. After making sure no one was around, he lowered his voice. “Two nights ago, I was working late at the Hyatt Hotel and saw Liu Yan having a secret meeting with people from Galaxy Real Estate.”

“Galaxy Real Estate?” Pei Song was taken aback, that was the biggest competitor for the ‘Starlight Plaza’ project.

“I… I took some photos.” Li Ming pulled out his phone. “They talked for a long time, and seemed to be discussing prices.”

Though the pictures were slightly blurry, Liu Yan’s smug expression while shaking hands with the other party was clear enough.

“There’s more.” Li Ming played an audio recording. Liu Yan’s voice could be faintly heard, “…seventy percent of the price… the project approval has already gone through… internal handling…” Though fragmented, it was enough to raise suspicion.

“What do you plan to do?” Pei Song asked.

“I really don’t know.” Li Ming smiled bitterly. “Liu Yan isn’t someone to mess with. I haven’t been able to sleep well these past few days.”

“Give me the evidence.” Pei Song patted his shoulder. “I’ll take care of it.”

In the following days, Zhou Feng frequently checked in on Pei Song for project updates.

Their conversations were never long, but he always found ways to refine the plan.

“The business strategy needs to be more detailed, and the risk control measures should be stronger,” Zhou Feng said. “The higher-ups are watching this project closely. We need to present the best possible proposal.”

With the workload increasing, Pei Song often worked late into the night.

That evening, when he entered the hotel room past ten, Shi Yancheng was sitting on the sofa, his expression dark.

“Working overtime again?” His voice was cold.

“Yeah. Boss Zhou is very focused on every detail of the Starlight Plaza project, constantly asking for improvements,” Pei Song replied as he poured himself some water.

“He’s been paying extra attention to you lately.” Shi Yancheng followed him, his tone laced with scrutiny.

Pei Song paused. “Isn’t that a good thing?”

“In business, you should always question the motives behind someone’s actions,” Shi Yancheng said meaningfully. “Some people seem to care about you, but they might have other intentions.”

His words made Pei Song reconsider.

Zhou Feng’s increasing involvement in the project was unusual, he even reviewed data personally.

“Your data and logic are solid,” Zhou Feng said during a meeting that afternoon, flipping through Pei Song’s proposal with an approving tone. “But the risk control measures could be refined further.”

As Pei Song took notes, he keenly noticed Zhou Feng’s gaze lingering on him longer than usual. That subtle but persistent attention made him uneasy, though he couldn’t pinpoint why.

Back at the hotel that night, Shi Yancheng noticed his exhaustion. “You worked late again?”

“Yeah.” Pei Song rubbed his temples.

Shi Yancheng didn’t say much, just silently helped him organize the project data.

Meanwhile, the investigation into the Starlight Plaza project had hit a roadblock.

Despite Li Ming’s evidence of Liu Yan’s dealings with Galaxy Real Estate, the photos and recordings weren’t enough for a direct accusation.

“This isn’t enough,” Pei Song frowned at his computer screen. “Liu Yan is too cautious, he didn’t leave any solid proof.”

Li Ming wasn’t having an easy time either.

Lately, he had the nagging feeling that someone was watching him. He had even started walking more cautiously.

Liu Yan’s threats weren’t explicit, but they were deadly accurate.

One afternoon, as Li Ming was making coffee in the break room, Liu Yan walked in.

“Well, if it isn’t our Engineer Li. Been spending a lot of time around Pei Song lately, huh?”

Li Ming’s hand trembled, spilling coffee on the table. “I’m just assisting with the project…”

“Project?” Liu Yan sneered, his gaze sharp. “Your girlfriend in the finance department seems to be doing well. I hear she’s up for a permanent position soon.”

Li Ming froze, a chill creeping up his spine.

“Of course, if something were to go wrong…” Liu Yan dragged out his words. “You know how hard it is to find a job these days.”

At that moment, Pei Song entered. He immediately noticed Li Ming’s pale face and understood the situation.

“Engineer Li, how’s the supplier analysis coming along?” He asked casually. “Boss Zhou needs it this afternoon.”

“I… I’ll get it ready right away.” Li Ming felt like he had been rescued.

“Good. I need to see Boss Zhou too,” Pei Song said. “Let’s go together.”

They walked out of the break room, with Pei Song sensing Liu Yan’s icy gaze behind them. Without looking back, he led Li Ming toward the office area.

That evening, when Pei Song returned to the hotel, he overheard Shi Yancheng talking to his assistant in the study.

“Have the plane tickets been booked?” His voice was as cold as ever.

“Yes, a direct flight to Country D next Friday,” the assistant replied. “The documents you requested are ready as well.”

Pei Song’s steps faltered. He knew Shi Yancheng would leave eventually, but hearing the actual date still stung.

The next day, Zhou Feng brought up the Country D training again.

“The training starts next month,” Zhou Feng said. “I think it’s a great opportunity, you should reconsider.”

Pei Song hesitated. Going would fulfill his personal ambitions, but he couldn’t leave the project at such a critical stage.

That night, he tested the waters with Shi Yancheng.

“The Country D training program, do you think I should go?”

Shi Yancheng, who had been reviewing documents, stopped. “No.”

“Why not?” Pei Song was surprised. “Isn’t it a good opportunity?”

“The Starlight Plaza project isn’t finished yet.” Shi Yancheng’s tone turned firm. “Now is not the time to leave.”

“So you think I shouldn’t go?” Pei Song asked, unwilling to back down. “Someone else could take over the project…”

“Someone else?” Shi Yancheng’s voice instantly turned cold. “Are you really that eager to just walk away?”

“I didn’t mean that…” Pei Song hurried to explain.

“If you took on this project, you need to see it through.” Shi Yancheng’s gaze was sharp. “Do you think business is child’s play? That you can just hand it off to someone else?”

“But Boss Zhou said—”

“Do you believe everything Zhou Feng says?” Shi Yancheng suddenly stood up, his anger surging. “Do you trust him that much?”

Pei Song was caught off guard by his sudden outburst. “What’s wrong with you today?”

“What’s wrong with me?” Shi Yancheng laughed coldly. “I just didn’t expect you to be so irresponsible. You’d abandon the project just to go to Country D?”

“I already said that’s not what I meant…” Pei Song’s voice grew weaker.

“Then what do you mean?” Shi Yancheng pressed on. “Are you that eager to go to Country D with Zhou Feng?”

There was no way Pei Song could admit that he just wanted to spend a month there with Shi Yancheng, it would be way too embarrassing.

“Forget it, I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” Frustrated, he stood up and stormed back to his room.