Chapter 41 Shameless Wager

At this point, everyone knew there was little point in continuing the board meeting. After all, their goal had been achieved—or rather, the goal of Mr. Huang and Xiang Wei had been met: seizing the opportunity to undermine Tang Rui’s position in the company and gradually pull her down.

Watching Lin Fan and Tang Rui’s retreating figures, Xiang Wei stood where he was, his face dark, eyes fixed on Lin Fan with a cold snort.

Back in the office, Tang Rui said, “Inform everyone that our collaborative project with IBM is moving ahead of schedule. Their team will arrive tomorrow, so I need everyone to work late tonight and finish the software, even if it means pulling an all-nighter. Wages will be calculated at five times the usual rate.”

“Yes!” the assistant responded before hurrying out. Even though they knew the chances of success were slim, they still had to give it their all.

Once the room was empty, Tang Rui managed a smile, though it was tinged with bitterness. “Thank you for speaking on my behalf just now, but there’s still one crucial hurdle in the software system we haven’t overcome. With just a dozen hours left, there’s no way we’ll finish. You should go. Take my car home and tell Sister Lin I’ll be staying at the office tonight.”

“I’ll stay with you. Don’t forget, I’m your bodyguard—and your boyfriend, remember? Besides, my sister sent me here to learn from you. Are you really going to kick me out? Even if I don’t know much about software development, I can at least help out—run errands, bring tea and water,” Lin Fan grinned, rattling off several reasons in one breath.

Hearing Lin Fan still refer to himself as her boyfriend made Tang Rui blush, but she didn’t take offense. After the events just now, she realized he wasn’t a bad person—just quick with his words and fond of teasing. Settling into her chair, Tang Rui shot Lin Fan a grateful look and smiled. “Thank you.”

“If you want to thank me, shouldn’t you do something a bit more tangible?” Lin Fan replied, a mischievous smile on his lips as he tapped his cheek.

“If this collaboration with IBM goes smoothly, maybe I’ll grant you the reward you want,” Tang Rui said, exasperated by Lin Fan’s shamelessness—he always had something outrageous to say.

“Do you mean that?” Lin Fan’s eyebrows shot up as he broke into a sly grin, thinking, “Looks like I stand a chance!”

Tang Rui had only said that to make Lin Fan quiet down and stop saying such “explosive” things. She didn’t really believe someone as clueless about software as Lin Fan could help her. But since he’d asked, she couldn’t deny her words and nodded instinctively. “Yes, though I doubt you can pull it off.”

Tang Rui was certain Lin Fan couldn’t possibly accomplish the task, and she was purposely trying to knock him down a peg. Despite her gentle appearance and good temper, she was stubborn and strong-willed at heart, never one to surrender easily. Of course, she still hoped Dongxing Group could secure the IBM order. But if they failed, at least she’d get to see Lin Fan make a fool of himself—serves him right for always trying to take advantage and calling himself her boyfriend.

“No way, if I go through all that trouble and get it done, and all I get is a peck on the cheek, that’s hardly fair. If that’s the case, I might as well go to a club and find someone to spend the night with. Then I could do whatever I want, don’t you think?” Lin Fan’s grin widened as he watched Tang Rui sip her water.

The mention of “spending the night” brought a flush to Tang Rui’s cheeks; women tend to be sensitive about such things. Yet the more outrageous Lin Fan became, the more she was convinced he was destined to fail. Setting her cup down, she asked, “So what do you want?”

“Let’s raise the stakes. If you lose, you’ll—you’ll—you’ll…” Lin Fan trailed off deliberately, keeping her in suspense.

Tang Rui’s heart was pounding. What did he mean? Did he really expect her to spend the night with him? That price was far too steep, but there was no turning back now. If he dared make such a demand, she would simply refuse.

She made up her mind: no matter what, if the price of winning this order was her own body, she would never agree. It simply wasn’t worth it.

“All I want is a kiss here,” Lin Fan said, pointing to his lips.

There’s a difference between lips and cheeks? Of course there is—for Lin Fan, at least. A kiss on the cheek ends in a second, meaning little to a man, but a kiss on the lips, especially if it’s a first, could leave a lasting impression. Lin Fan was sure he could make her fall for that feeling.

Relief washed over Tang Rui at his words. She had been worried he’d ask her to spend the night, but this was still within her limits.

Little did she know that Lin Fan had indeed intended to ask for a night together, but seeing the resolve in her eyes, he changed his mind at the last moment.

Lin Fan understood that if he made that demand, Tang Rui would flatly refuse, and he would lose out entirely. In truth, he had always intended to help her win the order with no strings attached, but since she’d offered herself up so readily, he couldn’t let the chance to take a little advantage slip by.

What surprised Lin Fan was how much Tang Rui valued her first kiss. Women like her were virtually extinct these days—aside from Zhao Ying, of course.

“Alright, I agree,” Tang Rui said, as if steeling herself for something monumental. She wasn’t sure if agreeing was a good thing or not, but if Lin Fan somehow succeeded, it would be a victory for Dongxing Group. If she had to make a small sacrifice, so be it—after all, none of the experts had managed to solve the problem, and she didn’t believe Lin Fan, who knew nothing about software, could possibly succeed.

Lin Fan pursed his lips, feigning a great loss.

Seeing his silence, Tang Rui thought he was hesitating and her stubborn streak flared. “What, you’re afraid to bet now? If you’re scared, I’ll let what happened earlier slide for Sister Lin’s sake. We’ll pretend none of this was said.”

Lin Fan ignored her words, instead staring at her lecherously before coming out with something even more shocking: “That’ll be your first kiss, right? And your chest is a bit on the small side.”

In truth, Tang Rui was fairly well-endowed for her age, but compared to Zhao Ying, she did seem a bit smaller.

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