Return of the Antagonistic Lady Boss

Chapter 1027: Chapter 1000: Back-and-Forth

Mo Di gave Chen Xiaoqian a brief introduction about the situation on this side, while Apiao and Li continued their fake courtesy.

”Apiao, I’ve been looking for you these days. I just got a new car and wanted to take you for a ride. Driving an A4 isn’t that great, honestly. Our institute just gave us bonuses; saving it in the bank feels pointless, so I just bought one.” Li started with a capitalistic show-off move, trying to bruise Apiao’s ego, but it was useless.

Apiao just snorted, clearly not interested in engaging with him as a successor of socialism.

Li swiftly moved to his second tactic, trying to pat Apiao familiarly on the shoulder. His chubby hands were strong, always making Apiao’s small frame hurt. Before he could make contact, Mo Di stepped in swiftly, pushing Apiao aside and enthusiastically extended a hand.

”Mr. Li, long time no see!”

As soon as Li shook hands with Mo Di, he felt like his hand was being clamped by a giant vise. Mo Di had been practicing walnut crushing at night just for this move, determined not to let this small fry go unscathed!

This round, the proletariat team claimed victory.

Mo Di only let go when Li’s face turned red from the grip, and Chen Xiaoqian, sharp-eyed, noticed Li’s chubby hand had turned white. He was embarrassed to even rub it.

”Mo Di, brother, you’ve gotten stronger. I heard you were cooking yesterday. Is all this strength from moving firewood? I mean, with such meager wages, why do you prefer cooking over office work? What’s the point of it all?”

”Director, don’t be so vulgar. The power of spirit is inexhaustible. Talking money with them is vulgar, isn’t it?” the woman named Liu Miao from the research institute interjected.

The moment she spoke, Chen Xiaoqian noticed her. This behavior of seemingly mediating while actually stirring up trouble was indeed annoying. What’s worse, Liu Miao eyed other people’s men with her wrinkled eyes!

”Sure, I mustn’t be vulgar. Our Apiao is the most transcendent person. Just to be stubborn, he refused to come to the institute to work under me and went off to steam buns. I saw it in today’s news—Doctors steaming buns, quite promising, hahaha!” Li laughed arrogantly.

When reporters were covering the fire-fighting efforts, they gave special mention, saying there was a team of highly-educated staff making buns, using dozens of words to praise Apiao and the others, and today it became a joke.

Apiao’s face turned red with anger, ”I didn’t come here to avoid you!”

Apiao was specially recruited; his qualifications made him eligible for research at the institute, but he wanted to fulfill his boyhood dreams. Yet, this scoundrel of a senior, Li, always thought Apiao was there to avoid him, out of envy, perhaps. Although not the same year in school, Apiao had outshone Li several times back then, which quietly sowed the grudge.

One would think they’d have little contact after joining the unit, but the institute was just set up in the capital, and the unit was really lacking talent. While Apiao was part of the unit’s system, he was also engaged in research tasks, with their group’s outcomes shared with the school. This occasionally led to encounters and clashes with the institute folks whenever their paths crossed.

”Yes, you didn’t come to avoid me, but you liked eating buns in school. Growing up to steam buns is fulfilling a wish, huh, haha!” Li quipped harshly.

His subordinates all laughed heartily, but the psyche group couldn’t bring themselves to smile. Were it not for their status, they’d really want to punch these annoying guys one by one!

”By the way, who’s this girl?” Li noticed there was a new Chen Xiaoqian among Apiao’s team and pointed at her.

”She’s our external aid, a psychology expert, Chen Xiaoqian,” Apiao introduced.

Chen Xiaoqian, however, was thoughtfully watching Li, as if pondering something.

Why does this person look so familiar?

”Wow! Seems like you guys aren’t as financially strained as rumored. You can even afford external aid.” Li refused to stop speaking without jabbing at Apiao.

While Liu Miao looked at Chen Xiaoqian, in a male-dominated field, a young woman appearing, one as youthful and comparably attractive as herself—though in reality others saw Xiaoqian as the superior—made Liu Miao uncomfortable, prompting her to ask casually.

”This sister looks very young. Where did she graduate from, and who was her mentor?”

”Classified, no comment,” Chen Xiaoqian replied indifferently. The other woman didn’t know she was Yu Minglang’s wife, but she was aware that this woman had once eyed her husband, so of course, she wouldn’t be pleasant.

”Haha, such a temper.” Liu Miao, hitting a cold nail, sneered disdainfully, not speaking further.

”This sister has quite a temper... but Apiao, I don’t know whether I should say this. Although we are all researchers, you and I are a bit different. I know you follow superiors’ orders, but don’t bring in too many connections, right? After all, research requires rigor, don’t you think?” Li seized another chance to jab Apiao, indirectly jabbing at who he brought along.

The psyche group was angry at these words, with the merry duo losing their expressions quickly, feeling like punching this guy any second.

Apiao too clenched his fists tightly, facing such humiliation was unpleasant, yet Xiaoqian’s background was indeed hard to explain.

Li struck a sore spot.

He was insinuating Chen Xiaoqian was a nepotism case.

Such research projects generally weren’t open to outsiders. As an external aid, these folks speculated Xiaoqian got in through connections, since opportunities like this were exceedingly rare.

Knowing Li was mean-spirited, they couldn’t quickly counteract him, making the psyche group seethe with indignation.

At this moment, Chen Xiaoqian finally recalled why Li seemed familiar. She looked at Li with a sneer.

”After all those years in school, this is all the quality you’ve got? Seeing me young and assuming I’m here through connections, completely devoid of a researcher’s rigor, judging everything by instinct. I sincerely doubt whether someone like you is suited for rigorous research.”

She didn’t want to get involved in these old classmates’ battles, but only if they didn’t use her or treat her as collateral, much less covet her man.

No one had ever witnessed Qian’s eloquence, and with Xiaoqian’s words, Li was displeased.

”So young, yet so arrogant. I’m unfit for rigorous research, but you, with holes in your background, are fit?”

Li’s bluntness made the atmosphere tense instantly. Liu Miao, still a bit smug from Xiaoqian’s earlier brush-off, watched Xiaoqian closely.