Chapter 354: Riding a Tiger Is Hard to Get Off!

Mei Gui Yuan Bie Shu, basement wine cellar.

Lin Yuan tonight is destined to be harshly punished.

Lin Yuan stares at the whip, his heart tightens, yet he still lowers his head: "Director Su, is this really necessary?"

"Of course it's necessary."

Su Monong ignored him, walked to the wine rack, took a bottle of Burgundy red wine, rubbed the bottle twice with her fingers, then pulled out a corkscrew, with a "pop" she pulled the cork; the wine's rich aroma instantly intensified.

She poured two cups, handed him one, eyes commanding: "Drink."

Lin Yuan didn't dare take it; Su Monong directly brought the cup to his lips, tone forceful: "What? Do you want me to feed you?"

Lin Yuan could only open his mouth; Su Monong tilted the cup, red wine trickled down the corner of his mouth, dripping onto his shirt, spreading a dark stain.

"That's right." Su Monong took back the cup, sipped, then gripped the whip and walked to him, wrist flick— the whip cracked against the nearby wine rack, shaking a few bottles lightly.

Lin Yuan's body tensed; Su Monong smiled, finger wiping the wine stain at his mouth corner: "Scared? When you were with Sun Weiwei just now, why weren't you scared?"

She poured more wine, again brought it to his lips, this time pouring more hastily; Lin Yuan coughed twice, wine splashed all over his chest.

"Don't waste it." Su Monong leaned in, leaving a faint red mark.

She took another sip of wine, simultaneously the whip came down again.

"You brat, actually sis doesn't really want to punish you. But tonight sis is really angry, so…"

……

The next day.

The wine cellar's warm light still on, the wine bottles tipped over on the low cabinet, liquor dripped from the cabinet corner, pooling a small patch on the floor; the air blended oak and wine aroma, still tinged with lingering intimacy.

Lin Yuan was awakened by the phone alarm buzzing in his pocket, the "buzz-buzz" vibration against his thigh; he blearily opened his eyes, feeling sore all over, especially his legs, limp as boneless, trembling at any movement.

"Don't buzz…" Su Monong, naked, curled against him, voice husky from just waking, reached to pat his pocket, brow slightly furrowed— evidently also disturbed by the sudden alarm.

Lin Yuan fumbled out his phone, glanced at the time while silencing the alarm, pupils constricted: 7 a. m.

"Oh no!" He instantly sobered, hurriedly shoved Su Monong: "Director Su, get up! Your daughter should be awake now; if she catches us…"

Su Monong finally opened her eyes fully, propped herself on the low cabinet to stand, but her legs gave way, almost collapsing onto the carpet; fortunately Lin Yuan timely reached out to support her waist.

The two leaned on each other, barely stood firm, both couldn't help sucking in a breath of cold air— last night's romp in the wine cellar had gone on too long, even walking felt weak.

She had just pulled a crumpled silk nightgown over herself when she heard "thump-thump" footsteps outside the wine cellar door, plus Su Zhiyuan's sleepy yawn: "Mom? Where are you? Are you in the wine cellar? Why can't I find you? Why didn't you go back to your room to sleep…"

The footsteps grew nearer, it seemed they'd reach the wine cellar door any moment!

Su Monong's face instantly paled; she grabbed Lin Yuan's arm anxiously: "What do we do? She's blocking the door!"

Lin Yuan glanced at the wine cellar, his gaze landed on a small side window set into the wall in the corner—

That window isn't tall; outside is the rose bushes behind the villa, the only exit. He didn't think twice, grabbed the shirt draped over the wine rack, threw it on haphazardly, strode a few steps to the window, and shoved open the dusty glass pane.

"I'm going out this way!" he shouted back, just as he stepped onto the sill, his legs weak and nearly slipping; Su Monong rushed over, from behind lifted his waist upward.

Morning dew outside wet his trousers; Lin Yuan gritted his teeth, clung to the sill, laboriously swung himself out, landing he staggered a step, fortunately falling behind the rose bushes.

Almost the moment he flipped out, the wine cellar door was pushed open.

Su Zhiyuan rubbed her eyes and walked in, seeing the floor soaked with wine and Su Monong's messy hair, she tilted her head in confusion: "Mom, why are you here? Why is the floor such a mess? I thought I heard the window rattling just now…"

Su Monong forced composure, bending to gather the fallen wine bottles, fingertips still trembling: "Oh, Mom just came down to the cellar too; I was looking for yesterday's leftover wine, accidentally knocked over the bottle. The window? Maybe the wind blew it; this morning's wind is unusually strong."

She deliberately stood by the window to block her daughter's view of the open gap, then smiled and changed the subject: "Aren't you thirsty? The kitchen has fresh orange juice; Mom will go with you to get it."

Su Zhiyuan didn't think much, nodded and followed her out; passing the window she glanced unintentionally, only catching a glimpse of swaying rose branches outside, failing to notice Lin Yuan hiding behind.

Until the mother-daughter pair's footsteps faded at the stairwell, Lin Yuan emerged from the rose bushes, brushing off petals and dust.

This early morning, truly a nail-biting ordeal.

……

Morning, Lin Yuan and Su Monong came to the company, the two took the elevator together upstairs.

Except Lin Yuan got off at the 49th floor.

Because the group's Wind Control Department is on the 49th floor.

Lin Yuan walked out of the elevator.

Su Monong stood in the elevator, her beautiful eyes softly reminding: "Work well."

Lin Yuan nodded, "Okay, Director Su."

The elevator doors closed, continuing upward.

Lin Yuan turned and entered the Wind Control Department on the 49th floor.

The elevator dinged, stopping at the 49th floor; doors slowly opened; the corridor wafted a light coffee scent, yet could not conceal the Wind Control Department's distinctive tense atmosphere—

In the cubicles, colleagues buried their heads typing; even conversation voices were kept extremely low.

Lin Yuan walked out of the elevator with his briefcase, his suit still the one he changed into in the car this morning; last night's fatigue in the wine cellar hasn't fully dissipated, yet he must summon energy for his first day at the new post.

He walked down the corridor, passing each workstation, he could feel several furtive glances: curiosity, probing, and some deliberate aloofness—

After all, everyone knows he rose by stepping on Wang Lei, and he's at odds with Lu Chengyu.

The Wind Control Department office area is large; the middle holds ordinary employees' cubicles; window-side positions are the independent offices of the director and deputy director; Lu Chengyu's office door is ajar, allowing a glimpse of a moving silhouette inside.

Lin Yuan had just reached the door of his deputy director office, hadn't yet pushed it open, when a hurried sound of leather shoes came from behind; a female assistant walked over.

"Deputy Director Lin, Director Lu has summoned you to the meeting room for a meeting, saying there's an important task arrangement." The female assistant said.

Lin Yuan's heart skipped a beat; just on his first day on the job they're calling a meeting, and they specifically named him—probably not simple—but he still nodded and followed the assistant to the meeting room.

The meeting room was already filled with Wind Control Department colleagues; over a hundred pairs of eyes turned toward him in unison; the main seat at the long table was empty; beside the workstations, someone subtly gave him a look, as if reminding him of something.

The group's Wind Control Department has over a hundred colleagues; it's a large department.

Lin Yuan had just found a seat at the edge when Lu Chengyu walked in carrying a thick folder, his leather shoes making a "dong-dong" on the floor, he placed the folder on the table with a dull thud.

"Today we've gathered everyone to arrange an important collection task." Lu Chengyu sat in the main seat, fingers tapping the folder, his gaze sweeping the room, finally landing on Lin Yuan.

Lu Chengyu slowly said: "Our Wind Control Department just welcomed Deputy Director Lin; everyone knows Deputy Director Lin is very capable—he previously toppled Wang Lei and uncovered evidence of illegal lending, which was a great merit."

As soon as these words were spoken, the meeting room fell silent; some lowered their heads and whispered, others glanced furtively at Lin Yuan, their eyes full of sympathy—

Everyone knew that Lu Chengyu was giving him a "backhanded compliment"—

Lin Yuan tightened his grip on the pen, about to say, "I've just taken office and still need to familiarize myself with the business," when Lu Chengyu cut him off: "Perfect, there's a tough nut to crack—Gaode Pharmaceutical's over 20 million yuan in medicine payments, outstanding for three months. We've sent three collection teams before, but none got the money back."

He picked up the folder, pushed it toward Lin Yuan, raised his voice a notch so everyone in the room could hear clearly:

"I think this task is best assigned to Deputy Director Lin—first, it will let Deputy Director Lin quickly get up to speed on the Wind Control Department's core business; second, it will give our department a model to see how we can recover the bad debts."

Lin Yuan stared at the folder in front of him; the words "Gaode Pharmaceutical Accounts Receivable Collection Case" on the cover jumped out at him. He looked up at Lu Chengyu, trying to keep his tone calm:

"Director Lu, this case is too difficult—1.2 million in receivables have been unpaid for so long. We need to deliberate carefully. Besides, I've just taken the post and am still unfamiliar with the procedures..."

Lin Yuan isn't stupid—if Lu Chengyu suddenly handed him this business, it shows the task is definitely tough!

This is deliberately putting a stumbling block in Lin Yuan's way.

How could Lin Yuan possibly accept it?

"Precisely because it's difficult, we should let someone capable handle it!" Lu Chengyu immediately chimed in, deliberately turning to ask the senior employee, "Sister Zhang, you've been to Gaode Pharmaceutical before—don't you find it hard to deal with them?"

Sister Zhang blinked, then could only nod reluctantly: "Yes… their attitude is very firm, and they won't even let us in."

"See, even the veteran staff think it's hard." Lu Chengyu turned his gaze back to Lin Yuan, "But Deputy Director Lin is different—even Wang Lei can handle it, so why would you fear a mere collection task?"

He paused, his tone carrying an irresistible force: "Today, in front of the whole department, this task is yours—you must have results by the end of the month. Deputy Director Lin, don't let everyone down, and don't let the board's shareholders down either. After all, you do have the ability!"

Those words cut off Lin Yuan's retreat—

To refuse publicly would be to admit incompetence and earn the reputation of "making the board regret it"; taking on the task means gnawing at a hard bone that nobody else can crack.

Lin Yuan is now riding a tiger he can't dismount!