"Moreover, Xu Pidai gets along quite well with the top tycoons on Harbor Island. With all the companies you've invested in, if you ever want to go public on Harbor Island, you'll inevitably have to deal with the tycoons there. If the Harbor Island tycoons don't support your company's listing, it could be very troublesome."

"Xu Pidai told me that although his application to go public on Harbor Island failed last year, he's confident he'll succeed next year. He said his circle of tycoons there will support him by buying up large quantities of his company's stock."

"Even if you don't have a good first impression of Xu Pidai, there's no need to reject him like this. He's the real estate kingpin in Yangcheng, and we've acquired several plots of land there, so we might need his help in the future."

"As the saying goes, more friends mean more opportunities. Isn't it good to work together and help each other?"

Yi Anguo shook his head and said, "I won't befriend Xu Pidai, nor will I do business with him, and I certainly won't ask for his help."

"Furthermore, I advise you not to get too close to him. Be careful or you'll get burned."

With that, Yi Anguo bid farewell and left.

Perhaps associating with Xu Pidai now could bring some benefits, but Yi Anguo didn't care for them. He didn't want to bring any trouble upon himself later on.

After Yi Anguo left, Zhuo Weidong was still pondering. What exactly did he mean by his last words? How could it lead to getting burned? Does Xu Pidai have some unknown, sinister side? Is he not a good person?

"President Zhuo! Does Mr. Yi have some issue with me? Did I offend him somehow?" Xu Pidai asked, approaching Zhuo Weidong after seeing Yi Anguo leave.

"Not at all. He really had an urgent matter to attend to, which is why he left in such a hurry," Zhuo Weidong hurriedly explained.

"Don't take it to heart. Mr. Yi is just like that with everyone, though he's relatively nice to me."

"Really? How does someone who dislikes making friends become so successful in business?" Xu Pidai asked, clearly skeptical.

For one thing, if you don't befriend bankers, how do you get loans? If you can't secure loans, how can your business develop?

Yi Anguo wasn't worried about Zhuo Weidong getting conned by Xu Pidai. In fact, Zhuo Weidong was far shrewder than he appeared, and tricking him wouldn't be easy.

As for Zhuo Weidong wanting to befriend Xu Pidai, he wouldn't try to stop him, nor could he. Zhuo Weidong also wanted his company to go public on Harbor Island. Since Xu Pidai had already integrated into the circle of tycoons there, his help would be significant for the listing—an opportunity Zhuo Weidong naturally didn't want to miss.

After Yi Anguo entered the elevator, it descended halfway before the doors opened. A beautiful young woman who was slightly disheveled ran in. As soon as she got in, she frantically mashed the 'close door' button, looking extremely nervous.

Yi Anguo couldn't help but frown. The woman reeked of alcohol; she was obviously drunk.

Once the elevator doors closed, the woman seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. She leaned against the wall and slowly slid to the floor, as if in great pain.

Yi Anguo took a closer look at the woman. He felt that she looked somewhat familiar, yet he couldn't place her.

"Miss! Are you all right? Should I call the police for you?"

Sensing something was off, Yi Anguo squatted down and asked kindly.

"Don't... I want..." the woman mumbled incoherently.

So does she want me to or not? Yi Anguo thought, feeling speechless.

In the next second, however, she suddenly lunged at Yi Anguo and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"So hot...! I want...!"

Yi Anguo felt her hot, alcohol-scented breath. Just as he was about to push her away, he realized she was holding him tightly, and then he realized she was forcefully kissing him.

What kind of situation was this? Although she was a beautiful young woman, being kissed by a drunkard was not a pleasant experience at all.

When they reached the first floor, the elevator doors opened. She was still holding onto him, leaving lipstick marks all over his face and neck. However, she seemed to retain a shred of lucidity, at least.

When the elevator doors opened, the woman acted more restrainedly than she had inside. She still clung to Yi Anguo, though, as if terrified he would abandon her.

Left with no other choice, Yi Anguo asked a staff member to get a room and took the woman inside.

By now, he realized she wasn't just drunk. It was more likely she had been drugged, though he had no idea by whom. Strangely, he hadn't seen anyone chasing her either!

Yi Anguo couldn't bring himself to just leave the woman in the hotel lobby and walk away.

Once inside the room, the woman could no longer contain herself. She began unbuttoning Yi Anguo's shirt, pleading with him to save her.

Of course, Yi Anguo didn't want to get involved carelessly. He was mainly worried the woman might have a husband, and having a boyfriend was also a problem.

"It looks like you've been drugged. Do you have a husband or a boyfriend? I can call him to come help you," Yi Anguo said, fending off her frantic advances.

"Please help me... I don't have a husband... or a boyfriend... and I won't hold you responsible," she said haltingly, while continuing to pull at his clothes and kiss his exposed skin.

"...I feel so horrible!... My body feels like it's on fire... I can't take it anymore... If you don't help me... I'm going to die... I'm really going to die!"

...

Finally, it was over. Looking at the utterly exhausted woman now fast asleep, Yi Anguo gave a helpless, wry smile. He never thought he'd see the day he'd be forced by a woman. However, upon noticing the crimson plum blossoms scattered across the white bedsheet, Yi Anguo felt a sense of relief.

At least she didn't have a husband or a boyfriend, so there wouldn't be any troublesome aftermath.

Yi Anguo went into the bathroom, rinsed himself off, and called Yang Hai, asking him to buy a set of clothes for him and a change of clothes for a woman.

As Yi Anguo picked up the clothes strewn across the floor, an ID card fell out of a pocket.

He picked it up and read the name: Zhao Liying. He was taken aback. No wonder she looked so familiar—she was a famous actress!

However, at this time, Zhao Liying was not yet well-known. She had only played minor roles in TV dramas, such as maids and other supporting characters.

Her background was not favorable either. She was born into an ordinary family in Yan-Zhao Province; her ancestors were farmers, and she had grown up in the countryside. Her rural upbringing had forged her strong will and tenacious personality.

As a child, Zhao Liying loved watching others act and dreamed of one day becoming an actress herself. However, her parents worked ordinary jobs and, despite living and working in the city, they had no connections or the financial means to support her dream. After graduating, she was admitted to the flight attendant program at the local Electronic Information Engineering School. Unfortunately, due to her family's financial constraints, she had to give up the opportunity to become a flight attendant upon graduation and instead took a sales job at a small company near her home.

This continued until 2006, when Zhao Liying entered a televised star-search competition. Thanks to her performance and the support of online voters, she won the championship, officially beginning her career in the entertainment industry. Even so, she started out with minor roles in commercials, short films, and TV shows.

The pay wasn't great and she had no fame. Yi Anguo couldn't understand why she would be here.

Although Zhao Liying was not yet famous, she was destined to become a wildly popular superstar in the future, starring in numerous blockbuster films and television series.

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