Exclusive Model for the Top Painter Chapter 43

Forced Into a Trap

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At A City International Airport, when Wen Di came to pick the two up, his first words were, "Congratulations to the chairman and the chairman's wife, happy new marriage."

Liang Jin coughed gently, "Thank you. But, Wen Di, I have to correct you. It's not wife, but husband." He gave Ji Xiuyuan a teasing glance, "Am I right, Chairman Ji?"

Ji Xiuyuan smiled lightly and squeezed his palm, "Well, it's all the same." He whispered something in Liang Jin's ear, and the latter immediately blushed: "Shut up."

Wen Di had long since become accustomed to such scenes and automatically entered the role of invisible utility man.

After getting into the car, Ji Xiuyuan asked, "Have you identified the cause of the company's share price fluctuation?"

"Well, it was an art company that pulled the strings." Wen Di reported as he drove, "The company is called Kotter Art, and the owner is called Zhang Yuanqing. They used to hold a significant share of the domestic art market, but since Tian Han established the international art department, they lost a large number of clients. Since they couldn't compete with Tian Han, they joined forces with other companies in the industry and used some underhanded tactics."

Wen Di handed a laptop in the car to Ji Xiuyuan, "There's a file on the laptop called Kotter, it's research I've done recently."

Ji Xiuyuan turned on the computer and examined it for a moment. Afterwards, he looked at the time, which was 5:23 p.m., then ordered, "At 7 o'clock, hold an emergency board meeting."

Wen Di raised his index and middle fingers and waved them in front of his forehead, "Understood! I'm waiting for your command."

Liang Jin asked, "Ji Shen, it looks serious, is it really difficult?"

"It's fine." Ji Xiuyuan rubbed his hair, "It's been a long time since you've been in A City, is there anything you want to eat? I'll bring you a late-night snack after the meeting tonight."

"Wow, that's great! I've been eating western food lately, I especially miss domestic food! I want to eat barbecue! Fried chicken! Crawfish! Spicy hotpot! Pan-fried buns! Handmade pancakes! Grilled cold noodles!"

Ji Xiuyuan frowned, "No, that doesn't sound very healthy. It's better to wait for me to come back and make something for you."

Liang Jin was a little frustrated that he couldn't have the snacks he had been longing for. But Ji Shen's handiwork was even better than all of the above put together, so it wasn't a big loss.

Liang Jin was still a little worried, "But it feels like your meeting is going to be long, so if it's too late, forget it. That Kotter or whatever, I think I've heard of it. I've dealt with them in the past when my dad was collecting art, and they seem quite difficult to deal with."

Wen Di interjected, "You're worrying too much about that. In all the years I've followed Director Ji, I've never seen a company he couldn't handle. In terms of business warfare, Kotter isn't qualified."

"Then what's the point of calling an emergency meeting?"

Wen Di explained, "The emergency meeting wasn't entirely because of Kotter. The main reason is that Director Ji has been absent from the company for too long, and the share price is fluctuating, so I'm afraid that the old guys on the board of directors might have some bad intentions. If we hold a meeting and knock them around, they'll all be honest."

Liang Jin: "Wen Di, you are so knowledgeable."

Wen Di: "This is nothing, in front of Director Ji, I pale in comparison."

Liang Jin: "Ji Shen, your image in my mind is even more glorious, it's already shining."

Ji Xiuyuan kissed the corner of his eyebrow, "Really?"

"A thousand percent true."

"Then tonight... you'll have to prove it to me." Ji Xiuyuan wrapped his arms around his waist and whispered, "How I, shine, in your heart."

Wen Di: Am I driving, or are they?... It's better not to drive this car.

———

As the two had taken almost a month's leave, they were both busy with this resumption of work.

But, no matter how late they came home or how tired they were from work, the nightly routine was still essential.

In the past, Ji Xiuyuan always coaxed him by saying that this kind of exercise could release stress, boost his metabolism and regulate his body functions, which was good for his physical and mental health. He didn't believe a word of it, but now that he thinks about it, it seems to make sense.

At least, after the torment of a tiring day at work, lovemaking with Ji Shen was indeed one of the most enjoyable things in the day.

Since winning the award at 'Night to Shine', Liang Jin has been getting more and more offers. As a result, he has been given an assistant by Tian Han, a lovely girl called Qi Qi.

She was still at university and this was her first internship.

What Liang Jin particularly didn't understand was that whenever Ji Xiuyuan stood with him, an unusually excited light would erupt from the bottom of her eyes.

Until one day, Qi Qi said to him, "A'Liang, do you know why I came to Tian Han for my internship?"

"Why?"

"I'm actually a fan of yours."

"I didn't expect that I could have fans."

"I won't allow you to say that!" Qi Qi sounded agitated, "Do you know how popular you are in our circle?"

"No clue..."

"Let's put it this way, once the internship position at Tian Han was released and I heard it was to be your assistant, the sisters in the circle were all buzzing!"

Liang Jin thought it was strange, he wasn't a star, he shouldn't have any buzz, so he asked tentatively, "If I may ask, that circle of yours, what circle is it?"

Qi Qi smiled brightly: "Knock cp, you know?"

Liang Jin: ... Can I pretend that I don't understand?

That morning, according to the schedule, Liang Jin arrived at Woya Company to shoot a print advertisement.

During the break, he saw Zhou Hai and Shu Yue walking from the other end of the corridor.

Zhou Hai was carrying a briefcase and had the look of an industry elite. Shu Yue was walking behind him with his feet dragging, looking rather timid.

This kid, when did he become so disciplined? Liang Jin was curious and was about to talk to him.

When Shu Yue saw him, he immediately announced to Zhou Hai as if he had seen a saviour, "Boss! My brother is here! I have a personal matter to discuss with him!"

When Zhou Hai saw Liang Jin, he nodded at him as a greeting. Then, looking at his wristwatch, he said to Shu Yue, "The meeting starts at ten o'clock, do not be late."

"Ahhhhh okay, got it."

As soon as Zhou Hai left, Shu Yue complained with a sniffle and a tear, "Brother, do you know how miserable I am? The life I've been living lately is not a human life. Guess how much my monthly salary is now?"

Liang Jin thought that with Zhou Hai's fine-tuned style of handling things, it was impossible to offer a very high salary to an intern. So he casually guessed, "3,000?"

"No," Shu Yue held out five fingers, "Guess again?"

"5,000? He can actually be that generous?"

"It's minus 5,000!" Shu Yue clenched his fist loudly, "I wanted to pay him 5,000 yuan and just leave. But this guy actually said that the internship contract hadn't expired and refused to let me go."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't like to take losses!" Shu Yue's eyes flickered with a little sharpness: "I already have a plan! Soon, he will go to a dinner party, I want to take advantage of his drunkenness and put something in his wine, heh heh heh."

Liang Jin was shocked: "That's a bit of a big play!"

Shu Yue looked like he was thinking of some extremely beautiful scenario: "Don't worry! When the time comes, I will make him cry and beg me!"

Liang Jin still wanted to advise him to think carefully, but Shu Yue looked down at the time and immediately ran towards the conference room, "Enough talk Brother, I'll be late, see you next time!"

Liang Jin: ......

———

It was around 6 o'clock in the afternoon when the work was done.

It was still quite early today, I wonder if Ji Shen will be back earlier?

Qi Qi had to make a trip to Tian Han Group, which was not in the same direction as he was going back, so the two parted ways at the junction.

As he was walking along the road towards the metro station, a black car approached slowly and pulled up beside him.

The window rolled down, and a man in black wearing sunglasses poked his head out and asked, "Are you Mr. Liang Jin?"

"I am, what can I do for you?"

The man got out of the car and opened the door to the back seat, "Mr. Ji has instructed me to come and pick you up, please get in."

Liang Jin was very vigilant and sensing something subtle, he deliberately made up a lie and said, "Oh, I know. It is indeed so, you must be Xiao Wang, the driver of Tian Han Group, right? Your wife's name is Wendi and your child's name is Yu Shan, he's in the third grade now?"

The man in sunglasses laughed dryly a few times and agreed, "Yes, yes, I am Xiao Wang."

Liang Jin instantly understood that this was a trap! Wendi and Yu Shan were both made up off the top of his head, and this person didn't even think twice: "Xiao Wang, I forgot something at the office. Wait for me here, I'll be right back."

Just as he was planning on quickly running from there, two other men in black got out of the car.

One of them, with a rag in his hand, crept up from behind and covered his nose and mouth. He felt his vision go black and he lost consciousness instantly.

When he woke up again, he was sitting at a rusty iron table with his hands tied.

The man in front of him had a greasy face, was wearing hairspray and was sporting finger-thick gold chains. When he saw him wake up, he immediately smiled pretentiously and said, "Oh, Xiao Liang, you're finally awake. Let me introduce myself, I'm the general manager of Kotter Art, Zhang Yuanqing."

Liang Jin looked around, and it looked dilapidated and deserted, not like being in the city. Liang Jin said, "Mr. Zhang, I don't seem to have any grudges with you, do I?"

Zhang Yuanqing lit a cigarette: "I invited you here because I want to talk business with you."

"What kind of business?"

"As long as you can help me accuse Ji Xiuyuan's paintings of plagiarism, I can promise you any amount of money you want."

"That's unlikely."

Zhang Yuanqing flicked the ashes from his cigarette and winked at the man beside him.

The man in black immediately punched Liang Jin in the face with enough force that blood was instantly visible at the corner of his mouth.

"You have to think before you speak." Zhang Yuanqing continued, "How about this, I'll give you a chance. Later, I will call Ji Xiuyuan and negotiate a deal with him. If you want to save your life, you have to cooperate with me, understand?"

Liang Jin kept silent.

Zhang Yuanqing dialled the phone and Ji Xiuyuan's voice came from the other side, "Hello?"

"Director Ji, this is Zhang Yuanqing. Hello, you've reshuffled the industry by yourself, I really admire you. Wait, don't hang up yet, are you looking for Liang Jin now? I've got him."

There was a noticeable pause for a while.

After a long time, his low voice came over the speaker, "What do you want?"

Zhang Yuanqing put out his cigarette and said in a condescending manner, "It's simple. First, you must admit that your paintings were plagiarised; second, you must transfer the international art department of the Tian Han Group to me, and Tian Han will henceforth withdraw from the art market."

"Let me talk to him."

Zhang Yuanqing gestured for the man in black to untie Liang Jin and once again instructed, "Ah, Xiao Liang, I don't need to teach you what to say, do I?"

Liang Jin took the phone and was surprisingly calm: "Ji Shen, I'm fine, I'm fine now. There's something I need to tell you."

He pressed the phone close to his ear and spoke significantly faster, "Don't promise them. If you choose to dishonour your art because of me, I will never be able to forgive myself. I can accept any imperfection you have, but never allow myself to be a stain on you, never."

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: June 24, 2023