The call regarding Xiao Qiang.

Faced with Chen Yinuo's curious questioning, Ye Chen casually brushed it off.

It wasn't that he didn't want to tell the truth but rather that he feared scaring her. At the same time, he wasn't sure how to explain the series of events.

Fortunately, Chen Yinuo was not the suspicious type who would relentlessly dig for answers. Even though Ye Chen dodged her question, she didn't think much of it.

8:00 PM

Ye Chen checked the time, jumped into his unregistered Mercedes G-Wagon, and sped toward A Café.

Guided by a waiter, he arrived at precisely 9:00 PM and appeared before Xiao Qiang, who had arrived early.

Short-cropped hair paired with an outfit as stylish as any younger woman's, she exuded a unique charm of maturity.

Her well-maintained skin and exceptional features made it hard to believe she was in her forties. On the street, she could easily attract suitors in an instant.

In a business suit, she was a formidable deputy CEO of Hengda. Out of the suit, she was a strikingly intellectual beauty.

It was surprising how youthful Xiao Qiang looked. Without her detailed profile on Baidu, anyone would have guessed she was just over thirty.

Ye Chen didn't sit down immediately. Instead, he smiled faintly and said:

"Ms. Xiao, are you expecting me to praise you?"

Gone was the businesswoman's domineering aura. Xiao Qiang responded with a graceful smile. She gestured to the seat opposite her.

"Please, Mr. Ye."

"Ms. Xiao, appearing before me like this—are you here as Hengda's deputy CEO to negotiate, or are we just having a casual chat?"

After taking his seat, Ye Chen spoke calmly. His composure and the profound depths in his eyes gave Xiao Qiang an inexplicable pressure.

It felt as though his aura overshadowed even that of Xu Jia, the chairman of Hengda.

But how could this be? He was just a young man under thirty!

Moreover, his simple, inexpensive attire couldn't have been more ordinary.

Where did this imposing presence come from? How had it been cultivated?

For someone as adept at capturing details and steering conversations as Xiao Qiang, this was unsettling.

"No rush, Mr. Ye. What would you like to drink?" Xiao Qiang didn't immediately answer his question and instead deflected.

"Water. Plain water will do," Ye Chen replied with a smile.

Xiao Qiang nodded, pressed the button on the table, and ordered.

Before the water arrived, Ye Chen broke the silence again.

"Ms. Xiao, you haven't answered my question."

"Does it matter?" she asked.

"Yes, it does. If you're here as Hengda's deputy CEO, we can talk. But if this is just a casual chat, I can only thank you for the water. My wife and daughter are waiting for me at home," Ye Chen said.

"A man with such a strong sense of family responsibility is truly rare," Xiao Qiang remarked with amusement.

"If a man doesn't even take family responsibility seriously, can he still call himself a man?" Ye Chen said solemnly.

Xiao Qiang was momentarily speechless.

The waiter soon brought over the water.

Ye Chen took a sip and said, "Ms. Xiao, let's cut to the chase."

"Very well. Mr. Ye, do you intend to sell the land in Jinzhong Village?"

Perhaps it was the cool air-conditioning or something else, but Xiao Qiang draped the light black jacket from her chair over her shoulders.

Instantly, her iron-lady aura returned, as if she had transformed back into the powerhouse of the business world.

"My decision depends on how much benefit Hengda can offer me," Ye Chen replied bluntly.

"Mr. Ye, I understand the total acquisition cost for Jinzhong Village was just over 60 million, which averages out to about 1 million per house. Here's my offer: 1.5 million per house. I have the authority to finalize this deal on behalf of Hengda. What do you think?" Xiao Qiang asked, her gaze fixed intently on Ye Chen's micro-expressions.

In university, she had taken a course on microexpression psychology, which had been immensely useful throughout her career.

But now, she couldn't detect any reaction from Ye Chen. It was as if he hadn't heard her at all.

"Ms. Xiao, are you joking?"

Ye Chen finally set down his water glass and smiled faintly.

"If I were content with 1.5 million, do you think I would have asked Su Yan to find someone in Hengda with decision-making power to meet me?"

Xiao Qiang narrowed her eyes.

"Mr. Ye, you completed the acquisition only yesterday. Within a single day, you could make a 50% profit—over 30 million yuan. Isn't that enough?"

"This is Hengda's sincerity?" Ye Chen asked.

Xiao Qiang blinked in surprise.

Ye Chen took another sip of water, set the glass down, and said, "Ms. Xiao, thank you for the water. Goodbye."

With that, he stood and strode away.

Xiao Qiang was stunned.

By the time she regained her composure and got up, Ye Chen was already at the door. Without a backward glance, he left, leaving only his back for her to see.

"Damn it!"

This man played by no rules.

Forget the fact that 1.5 million per house was already generous.

In business, who just gets up and walks away like that?

For the first time in her career, Xiao Qiang had encountered such a situation!

Moreover, Ye Chen remained calm and smiling throughout, showing no trace of dissatisfaction.

Yet this was the result?

Ultimately, Xiao Qiang suppressed her impulse to call him back.

After all, she hadn't expected to seal the deal in one meeting.

This was merely an exploratory negotiation.

But the outcome was unproductive.

What she could confirm, however, was that Ye Chen was a tough negotiator—one of the toughest she had ever encountered.

It seemed she'd need to report this to Chairman Xu Jia.

Back at the rental apartment.

Ye Yoyo was watching Paw Patrol.

Chen Yinuo was reading a book.

Suddenly, the door opened.

Startled, Chen Yinuo turned her head.

"Didn't you say you were going to discuss a deal? Why are you back so soon?"

She glanced at her phone. "It's only been an hour?"

"The talks fell through," Ye Chen replied with a smile.

"What happened?" she asked, setting her book down.

"I wanted to make 400 million. They wanted me to settle for 20 million," Ye Chen said.