Chapter 488: It Was My Foolishness Before

When he heard Meng Xiao xing's words, Cheng Jianjun's complexion grew even worse, his brows knotted into a lump, and his tone was full of grievance and dissatisfaction:

"No, Meng Xiao xing, are you really that precise with me? What's our relationship, after years of cooperation, you're splitting it this finely?"

He paused, his tone taking on a hint of threat, "Do you still want to keep making money with me in the future? Without me, could you have the channels you have now?"

Meng Xiao xing heard this, her face still wore a smile, but the smile now carried a touch of detachment and indifference as she said slowly:

"Earn, of course—why wouldn't I earn when there's money? I'm not at odds with money."

She shifted her tone, a sharp edge in her eyes, "But if you still want to cling to that old way of making money now, I think there's really no more game left."

She lifted the tea cup on the table, took a gentle sip, and in a calm yet unmistakably confident tone said, "Hey, calculate it yourself—those big contracts we signed in the past two years all went through my own channels, hardly related to your position as Industry and Commerce Section Chief, right?"

"That foundation was also laid by me!" Cheng Jianjun retorted immediately, his voice rising a few notches, "If I hadn't helped you open the joints back then, could you have smoothly set up the company? Could you have had the chance to run those channels? Remember your roots, you must not forget your origin!"

Meng Xiao xing listened while continuously nodding, a perfunctory smile on her face, replying repeatedly:

"Yes, yes, yes, right, right, you're absolutely correct; indeed we owed it to you back then."

That careless tone only intensified Cheng Jianjun's anger.

"Oh, I get it." Cheng Jianjun stared at her expression, then let out a cold laugh, his eyes full of insight and fury, "You think the market economy is now thriving, opportunities everywhere, that I, as Industry and Commerce Section Chief, am useless and can't help you much, so you want to kick me aside, right?"

Meng Xiao xing set down the tea cup, the smile fading from her face, her eyes becoming clear and resolute as she looked at Cheng Jianjun and said calmly:

"Since the conversation has come to this point, let's stop beating around the bush and speak openly."

She leaned forward slightly, her tone turning serious, with an uncompromising resolve, "Starting today, the two of us either settle everything, clear the old accounts, and go our separate ways thereafter."

"Or, you resign and dive into the private sector, work solidly with me, and we split the profits according to the rules." She paused, her gaze sharp on Cheng Jianjun, "Two paths—choose one."

The office air froze instantly, Cheng Jianjun's anger mingling with disbelief as he stared blankly at Meng Xiao xing, as if meeting the once-obedient woman for the first time.

Meng Xiao xing's fingertips unconsciously brushed the hem of her garment, she glanced up swiftly at Cheng Jianjun, a hint of regret and a few notes of determination in her eyes, then she spoke softly:

"It was my foolishness before, only focusing on the immediate benefits, ignoring the treacherous hearts and the pitfalls of a wrong path, treating them as mere background noise."

She leaned forward a bit more, her tone deepening, bearing undeniable seriousness:

"But now, having taken losses and stumbled, I see everything clearly—clearer than anyone. Your scheming, your shortcuts may look glorious in the short term, but they won't last."