Plunder-Chapter 176 Temporary Extortion

"Speak."

Zhou Jin’an clenched the phone and stood up.

Qiao En happened to go to the kitchen to get a spoon for her soup and was unaware of who the call was from.

The Qiao matriarch wanted to speak, but before she could, she made a demand.

"First, release my son. Once Ah De is safely out, I will definitely tell you."

Zhou Jin’an could imagine that it must have been Qiao De who instructed his mother to say this.

He had said that he could set him free at any moment.

But he could also take that freedom away at any moment.

"Fine."

After Zhou Jin’an finished speaking, he hung up the phone.

"Release him."

Zhou Jin’an dialed Cheng Lu’s number.

"Director Zhou, do you really intend to release that brat? If he gets out, he’s sure to be trouble."

Zhou Jin’an’s eyes darkened as he turned to look toward the kitchen, where Qiao En had found the spoon and was coming out.

Seeing him on the phone, she slowed her movements considerably, afraid of making a noise that would bother him.

She was always considerate of him, and how could he not prioritize her in return?

"Release him first, and we’ll deal with the rest later."

Zhou Jin’an gave the order, and ten minutes later, Qiao De was freed.

"There’s a bit of an emergency at the company, I need to go over there right away."

Zhou Jin’an found an excuse to leave the house.

He rarely lied, especially to Qiao En.

But today’s situation involved Qiao En, and he feared it might hurt her, so he chose to lie.

"Should I go with you?"

Qiao En said, already getting up to change clothes.

"No need, Cheng Lu is there. You just rest at home today, I’ll come and find you once I’m done," he said rapidly and walked out the door.

Qiao En didn’t think too much about it.

Last night had been too wild, and she really was exhausted all over.

After eating, she cleaned up briefly and went back to the bedroom.

Just as Zhou Jin’an returned to Nanchen, Cheng Lu brought the Qiao family mother and son over.

Upon seeing Zhou Jin’an, the Qiao matriarch immediately thanked him, "Director Zhou, thank you so much. Ah De owes all of his fortune today to you."

Now that Qiao De had regained his freedom, not only did he lack gratitude on his face, but there was also a hint of chilliness.

"Let him step out."

Zhou Jin’an was sitting in his executive chair and spoke.

He had released Qiao De for one reason—to get the truth.

"If you want my mom to speak, you’ll have to get through me first," said Qiao De, seizing the opportunity to press for more.

This was Qiao De’s style, extemporaneous bargaining.

Even though he had attended university for two years, he hadn’t learned anything good. Having been in the society for just over half a year, he had picked up quite a few bad habits.

"And how should I inquire?" asked Zhou Jin’an, with a depth of darkness in his eyes. He leaned against the chair back, his gaze coldly sweeping over Qiao De.

"I want to work here, in the position of sales director," Qiao De demanded brazenly.

The Qiao matriarch, not daring to speak, silently acquiesced to his demand.

"The sales director position requires a master’s degree and ten years of related industry experience. Do you meet any of those criteria?" Cheng Lu, who usually kept to himself, couldn’t hold back this time.

Qiao De was not tactful.

He was even somewhat delusionally optimistic. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Zhou Jin’an curved his mouth into a mocking smile.

"Do you really want to do it?"

Qiao De lifted his chin, "Of course, my major in university was in economics and trade; I have experience in this area."

"A frog in a well knows nothing of the great ocean," Cheng Lu sneered.

"Who are you calling a frog? You have no skills, yet you mock others. I’m talking to Director Zhou, and you butt in—what do you think you are?" Qiao De pointed at Cheng Lu, yelling defiantly.

"You—"

Cheng Lu was about to retort when Zhou Jin’an stopped him.

"Assistant Cheng, such insolence is not tolerated here," Zhou Jin’an intervened.

Cheng Lu had no choice but to hold back.

"Okay, I agree. Is it today that I start the job, or tomorrow?"

Qiao De hadn’t expected Zhou Jin’an to really agree.

Overjoyed, a smile stretched to his ears.

"Tomorrow, it’s already afternoon now. I’ll come to work at eight o’clock tomorrow morning."

"I have something to discuss with your mother now. Please go to the HR department to complete the hiring process. Assistant Cheng, please take him."

Cheng Lu’s eyes opened wide as if they were brass bells.

"Director Zhou."

He lowered his voice to remind him.

Business is like a battlefield; what’s needed are generals fierce like tigers and wolves. Cannon fodder like Qiao De would drop dead the moment he entered the fray.

"What? You’re not going to follow my orders?"

Zhou Jin’an barked sharply.

"Let’s go, Assistant Cheng. Starting tomorrow morning, you can call me Director Qiao." Qiao De was somewhat carried away with pride.

He followed Cheng Lu out, leaving only Zhou Jin’an and Qiao En’s mother in the office.

He retrieved the photograph from the drawer and placed it on his desk.

"Tell me, who are they?"

Qiao En’s mother’s gaze darted away as she bowed her head.

"Director Zhou, to be honest, I don’t recognize them either."

"You don’t recognize them?"

Zhou Jin’an asked back suspiciously.

"Twenty-five years ago, they rented in our little Tube Building, the same room we live in now. I had been married to En’s dad for just three years. We were too poor and wanted to earn some extra money, so we decided to rent out that room."

"They were tenants?"

Zhou Jin’an asked again.

Qiao En’s mother nodded, "Yes, but they didn’t stay long, just three months. It’s said that the couple wasn’t married, and the woman was already pregnant when they secretly snuck away together."

"This pair of twins are their children, one of them is Qiao En?"

Facing Zhou Jin’an’s question, Qiao En’s mother no longer concealed the truth.

"Yes, Qiao En is one of those children."

"And the other child?"

"The other one?" Qiao En’s mother’s expression turned unsightly, and she looked exceedingly abnormal.

"I don’t know, I really don’t know."

She began to deny it.

Zhou Jin’an, having seen through countless people, knew who was lying and who was telling the truth.

For example, right now, Qiao En’s mother was lying.

"It seems you’ve forgotten. Take your time to remember; we have plenty of time. Whether your son can secure his seat depends on you."

Zhou Jin’an left the decision-making to Qiao En’s mother.

Sweat started to form on her brow, and after a long while, she finally spoke up.

"The orphanage?"

"Which orphanage?"

"Fuyuan."

As the conversation reached this point, Zhou Jin’an felt some discomfort in his heart.

"Why was that child sent to the orphanage?"

Qiao En’s mother kept wringing her fingers, seemingly torn and hesitant to speak up.

Without her saying a word, Zhou Jin’an kept on staring at her.

In the end, she could no longer endure the inner struggle.

"I... I sent her there."

She admitted it.

"They weren’t your children; what right did you have to keep Qiao En and send the other child to the orphanage?"

A fury was swirling in Zhou Jin’an’s heart.

This rage was already blazing.

"They owed back rent and couldn’t pay. At the time, the couple weren’t married and couldn’t afford to raise the children, so... they gave the children to us. Both kids were girls, and our circumstances weren’t good, so we could only afford to raise one of them, so..."

Qiao En’s mother didn’t finish her sentence, but Zhou Jin’an had already understood everything.

What should he say?

Should he thank them for adopting Qiao En and keeping her from a life of instability?

Or should he resent them for abandoning Su Nian, letting her go through such a terrible life?

"Is what you’re saying now the truth?"

"Absolutely true, not a word of a lie."

Qiao En’s mother swore with her hand raised.

But it wasn’t until later that Zhou Jin’an realized that the more a vow sounded truthful, the more utterly false it was.