Chapter 23: Changing the Cup

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My emotions were in such turmoil that I didn't want Hua Jingjing to notice anything unusual, so I simply leaned back in my seat, closed my eyes, and pretended to rest. Yet my mind was working ceaselessly, my thoughts racing with feverish intensity.

I was considering how I might quietly and skillfully counter their scheming against me.

According to what Cheng Jia had told me over the phone, they intended to drug my wine at the banquet. But what kind of drug? Poison? A sedative? I had no idea. Still, I doubted they would go so far as to use something lethal. First, because the enmity between Hua Jingjing and me had not yet reached the point of irreconcilable hatred—there was no need for such drastic measures. Second, in a society governed by law, murder would mean paying with one's own life; I couldn't believe Hua Jingjing would dare flout the law so brazenly. So I guessed, whatever it was, it would at most make me suffer for a while, but not kill me.

But I absolutely could not let myself fall into their trap! The question was, how to act without giving anything away?

If I were to expose their conspiracy to their faces and curse them out, it would merely provide brief satisfaction, but would not serve to teach them a real lesson or allow me to vent my anger properly. That would be the worst option.

Calling the police would not be wise either. First, I had no evidence and no way of knowing when exactly they would drug the wine. Second, if the drug wasn't serious, they could always pass it off as a joke. Most importantly, these people were well-connected; it was unlikely they would face legal consequences over something so minor. That was a middling solution at best.

The best strategy would be to come up with some clever plan to switch the glasses without anyone noticing, letting Hua Jingjing end up suffering from her own scheme—caught in her own trap, unable to protest even if she wanted to. Only then would I, Tang Qian, demonstrate my true skill and thoroughly teach this vicious, scheming woman a lesson.

But what was that clever plan? I wracked my brains, calculating every possibility, weighing several options, but none of them seemed workable, and I dismissed them all one by one...

While I was plotting, a song rang out from Hua Jingjing’s purse as she drove—astonishingly, it was Xu Shu’s song. With one hand, she reached into her bag, pulled out a sleek, delicate phone—the ringtone had been coming from her mobile.

“Hello? Hmph! So this superstar still remembers her old classmates? You haven’t contacted me in ages—do you think you’re above us ordinary folks?... I call you? How could I dare? Every time I call it’s either busy or you don’t pick up—talk about having an attitude… Now that’s more like it. So, what brings a superstar to call me in the midst of your busy schedule?... Birthday party? Oh right, you’re a December baby—was it the fifteenth? Time flies, doesn’t it? We’re both twenty-three now... Of course I’ll come—what gift do you want? A giant teddy bear? Haha, just thinking about it makes me laugh... Okay, okay, I won’t mention it again. Hey, are the other girls from your old idol group coming?... Yeah, such a pity, I really miss those days, sigh!... Me? Please! I’ve only just got back from America, how could I have a boyfriend?... Stephen? Please, don’t even bring him up. That guy’s trash! Just the thought of him makes me sick—let’s not talk about him. By the way, what day is the fifteenth? ... Next Monday? Where’s the party?... Okay, I’ll be there on time… Great, bye!”

After finishing, Hua Jingjing immediately dialed another number. “Hello? President Chen, this is Hua Jingjing... Yes, I’m almost there... What? You haven’t left yet? You’d better hurry up... Yes, twenty-fourth floor, private room number five, all right, see you soon.”

She placed the phone on the dashboard, turned the steering wheel, and drove into the parking lot of the China Grand Hotel—a five-star hotel.

Getting out with her, I glanced at the imposing hotel and thought, This woman is really sparing no expense just to set me up. I’d never even set foot in a place this upscale before, let alone dined here. Ah, the extravagance of the wealthy.

We entered and took the elevator straight up to the twenty-fourth floor’s luxury dining area. A hostess in a red cheongsam greeted us with a bow and a smile. “Welcome! How many guests?”

“I’ve reserved a private room,” Hua Jingjing announced with impressive poise.

“Which room, please?” the hostess inquired.

“Number five.”

“Number five? Are you Miss Hua? Right this way, please.” The hostess was very attentive, leading us to an exceptionally spacious and lavish room, complete with a dance floor and karaoke setup. A massive round table sat in the center, easily large enough for fifteen people—truly extravagant. I thought it was a bit much; there were only two of us, and even if the others brought more, five people at such a huge table felt odd.

Hua Jingjing and I chose seats on one side, and she called over the attendant to order food. In a place this extravagant, I knew the minimum charge was three thousand yuan—a whole month’s salary for me. And that was the minimum! Order a couple of premium dishes and a good bottle of wine, and the bill could soar past ten thousand. I shook my head inwardly, unimpressed by the lifestyles of the rich.

But I didn’t dare get too distracted; with the others not yet arrived and the food and wine not yet served, I needed to make my move soon. I mulled things over for a bit, then suddenly realized—what’s the point of so much planning? No matter how carefully you prepare, life always throws you a curveball. Instead of having everything thrown into chaos by the unexpected, perhaps it’s best to go with the flow and adapt as things happen. After all, I already knew about their plot and was on guard; whatever happened, I wouldn’t come to much harm.

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Having made up my mind, I stopped overthinking, a cold smile playing on my lips as I watched Hua Jingjing order.

She was evidently a regular at such high-end places, pointing to a dozen or more dishes—all expensive, some of which I’d never even seen before, only heard about in stories. I thought to myself, I may not dare touch the wine, but I won’t hold back on the food. No point letting all that money go to waste, since you’ve gone to such trouble to set me up.

Seven or eight minutes later, the hostess brought in several more people—three men and one woman. Two of the men, both sturdy and dressed in identical black suits, stationed themselves—one inside the door, one outside—looking just like bodyguards from a Hong Kong gangster movie. The last man wore an all-white suit, topped with a long coat reminiscent of Chow Yun-Fat in “God of Gamblers.” His hair was styled just like Chow’s, and even his build and features bore a resemblance. At first glance, I thought the star himself had shown up! Only a second look revealed my mistake—a brief, pointless excitement.

As soon as the “fake Chow Yun-Fat” entered, Hua Jingjing stood up to greet him. “President Chen, what took you so long? I’ve been waiting forever.”

He smiled, “Sorry to keep you waiting. Let me introduce everyone—this is my secretary, Miss Luo Aixian.” He gestured to the elegant woman beside him, then to me. “And this gentleman is...”

Hua Jingjing quickly interjected, “He’s my secretary, Mr. Tang Qian.”

Playing along with their act, I stood up and politely extended my hand. “Hello, President Chen.”

He looked me up and down with a curious gleam in his eyes, shook my hand briefly, and said with a noncommittal “A pleasure, a pleasure.”

Hua Jingjing motioned for them to sit. “Please, have a seat. I’ve already ordered some dishes—let me know if they suit your tastes. Attendant, please bring the menu for President Chen to see.”

Settling into a seat, President Chen waved his hand. “No need, no need. Miss Hua, you’re too thoughtful—anything you order is sure to be excellent. Let’s all sit.”

His secretary, Miss Luo, sat beside him, and from the moment she entered, she’d been observing me, her expression as curious as her boss’s. I could tell they were intensely interested in me—the man for whom Hua Jingjing would go to such lengths, sparing no expense and scruples to get rid of, just what manner of person was I?

So they kept sneaking glances at me. If I hadn’t known the real reason in advance, I might have thought there was something wrong with my clothes or perhaps some dirt on my face.

From the corner of my eye, I caught Hua Jingjing signaling to President Chen, who cleared his throat and said, “Our Fuhua Supermarket has developed nicely these past two years. We now have six large chain stores across the city, with a broad customer base. This year, we’re planning to expand into several neighboring cities, spreading the Fuhua name further, and we’ve already picked out some locations. My plan is to open branches in all major cities across the country within fifteen years, building Fuhua into a chain as famous as Walmart. So, partnering with us offers a very bright future and obvious benefits. Miss Hua, you’re a sharp and visionary entrepreneur—latching onto me so quickly after taking office, ha! Your prospects are limitless.”

Hua Jingjing rolled her eyes and smiled. “Yes, Fuhua Supermarket is certainly strong and well-known, with a promising outlook—that’s exactly why our company is keen to work with you. But our Green Lady Beverage Co. is no slouch, either. Our Green Lady brand drinks are distributed nationwide, and our market share is among the top in the industry. Especially in the three northeastern provinces, everyone knows the Green Lady brand—we dominate the market there. I believe if Fuhua partners with us, your gains will be even greater.”

President Chen laughed heartily. “Absolutely, absolutely…”

At that moment, dishes began to arrive one after another. Hua Jingjing said, “I don’t know what President Chen likes to drink, so I haven’t ordered yet. Please, choose whatever you prefer—don’t worry about saving me money!”

President Chen smiled and said to the attendant, “Let’s have a bottle of Rémy Martin XO, then.” He turned to Hua Jingjing, “Miss Hua, do you drink?”

She told the attendant, “Bring me a bottle of ’86 Bordeaux, please.”

President Chen shot a sly look at me. “Does Mr. Tang drink? There are just two men here—if you don’t drink, I’ll be rather lonely.”

I thought quickly and said, “I’m not used to brandy; I’ll have the same as Miss Hua.”

Hua Jingjing settled it. “Bring one bottle of XO and one bottle of red, then—and please hurry with the dishes.”

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The attendant left, and President Chen remarked, “Miss Hua is going all out today—such expensive food and wine! I suppose your contract proposal must be a tough pill to swallow. Maybe we should look at it before we eat, so I don’t end up agreeing to a losing deal after drinking your wine.”

Hua Jingjing feigned annoyance. “President Chen, how could I let you suffer a loss?” She shot me a look. I understood—they wanted me to play along, so I did. I took the contract proposal from my briefcase and handed it to President Chen.

He took it and began reading carefully.

Soon, both bottles of wine arrived. The attendant uncorked them, pouring Rémy Martin for President Chen and Bordeaux for the rest of us.

Suddenly, Hua Jingjing reached into her pocket and exclaimed, “Oh no, I left my phone in the car!”

She looked at me.

My heart skipped a beat. Here it comes—they’re putting their plan into action.

Hua Jingjing pulled out her car keys and said, “Chairman Qi will be calling me soon, but I left my phone in the car. Tang Qian, could you fetch it for me quickly?”

I laughed inwardly. This was a perfectly reasonable way to get me out of the room—if I hadn’t known about the plot, I’d never have noticed anything amiss. They played their parts so well; I suspected this wasn’t their first time pulling such tricks. Too bad for them they picked the wrong target this time—let’s see how I turn the tables.

I took the keys and said, “No problem, I’ll go right away.”

But I didn’t go straight for the phone. Instead, I lit a cigarette and planned my own counterattack—a diversion worthy of Sun Tzu. As I smoked, the plan took final shape in my mind.

After finishing my cigarette, I retrieved the phone from the Ferrari, thinking that by now whatever drug they intended to use must be in place.

Riding the elevator back up, I searched my pockets and finally took out my ID card, deciding it would do nicely.

Holding Hua Jingjing’s phone in my right hand and my ID card hidden in my left palm, I strode into private room number five. I walked over to Hua Jingjing, handed her the phone, and at the same time covertly let my left hand drop, flicking the ID card silently under the table.

Hua Jingjing took the phone and thanked me.

“You’re welcome,” I replied, then glanced casually under the table and made a show of surprise, pointing dramatically. “Hey! What’s that down there?”

It’s human nature to be curious—at my startled cry, everyone instinctively looked under the table. In that split second, I quickly switched my wine glass with the one next to Hua Jingjing’s, then swapped hers back to my place. The whole exchange took less than two seconds, my hand steady as if I’d practiced a hundred times, not a single drop spilled—truly unnoticed by all.