Flake touched his beard and leaned back on the sofa, his gaze, unclear and enigmatic, fixed on Qing Muye, a curve playing on his lips as he smiled meaningfully.
Despite Qing Muye’s imposing aura, Flake was in no way inferior.
Qing Muye leaned back, crossed his legs, clasped his hands over his abdomen, and met Flake’s gaze with calm, dark eyes, awaiting his response.
Their eyes met. Though no words were spoken, it was an exchange of glances that lasted for several seconds without a clear victor.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
Flake feigned ignorance.
The young man sitting opposite him did not get annoyed. He merely raised his right hand slightly. “Then allow me to rephrase. Mr. Streeter has been secretly colluding with multiple companies to suppress Zhuo Rui Technology. I, Qing, am foolish and truly don’t understand. I hope you can provide an answer.”
Since they didn’t want to discuss Song Jun’s matters, it was better to start from the crux of the issue.
Although Flake had learned about Qing Muye, this was their first meeting. And in this single encounter, Flake had already developed a sense of wariness towards him. After all, he could feel the sense of crisis brewing in his heart.
Flake had encountered countless people, most of whom were servile or timid in his presence. Yet, the Qing Muye sitting before him, the very person he had been targeting and attacking recently, could remain so composed and calm.
That composure was clearly not an act.
“Business competition needs no reasons,” Flake’s response was watertight.
Hearing this, Qing Muye raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Fair competition is reasonable, but it could lead to mutual destruction, allowing others to reap the benefits. In the business world, I prefer mutually beneficial wins.”
“Oh? Is that so?” Flake crossed one arm and gently swayed the transparent wine glass in his other hand. The red wine within sloshed, exceptionally clear and bright under the light.
The finer the red wine, the clearer and more transparent it became, emitting a rich aroma that was intoxicating.
Then, Flake continued unhurriedly, “Tell me about it?”
“The real estate market is currently saturated, and other industries are fiercely competitive. In comparison, the research and development field holds more promise and advantages. Currently, Zhuo Rui Technology is making rapid progress in drone technology and home butler robot technology. It is already in the trial operation phase and will soon be mass-produced and launched into the market. However, no one in Country C has ventured into this area yet. I would prefer to cooperate with Mr. Streeter.”
Pretending ignorance when one knew the truth was not exclusive to Flake; Qing Muye was equally adept at it.
“Hiss~” Flake inhaled sharply, knitted his brows, and pondered for a moment. “The news reported a problem with a household intelligent robot some time ago. It seemed to be… which company? Was it yours?”
As the mastermind behind the scenes, he knew this better than anyone.
Naturally, Qing Muye, aware that the ‘mastermind’ was right before him, refrained from acting, maintaining his composure as if nothing had happened. “Yes.”
He nodded in agreement, not denying it.
“The news was simply misleading. Those individuals were households that participated in free trials through official channels and collaborated with the company’s technical department to conduct comprehensive tests of the home intelligent butler service, providing feedback to our company. It was later discovered that a company engaged in malicious competition, bribed the trial users with money, and secretly incited them to cause trouble. The matter has since been resolved, the mastermind has been apprehended and brought to justice, and the company has issued a corresponding statement and encrypted the system.”
Qing Muye explained the situation perfectly.
With a plausible reason, Flake was convinced.
Those users were the first batch of consumers to purchase the technological products. However, Flake had gathered information, hired hackers to infiltrate the intelligent system and disrupt it, causing negative repercussions for numerous users.