Mr. CEO, Spoil me 100 Percent! - Chapter 230

Chapter 230: Success Is Hers

 

The atmosphere at the lab was a fiesta.

Ruobing’s team of engineers was ecstatic. They’d finally created the perfect artificial human limb.

Everyone there knew what this success meant.

It meant a giant step for the betterment of humanity, a page in the history books!

Fame and money, those were the rewards waiting for the crew who had a hand in this project.

Of course, as the manager that championed this ground-breaking research, Ruobing was going to secure herself a life of wealth and power.

Ruobing knew this development was inevitable but she still found it difficult to suppress the hysteria in her heart.

She cheered alongside her team and then turned to Luo Jun with a smug smile. “Aren’t you glad you’re here to share in my moment of glory‽ It is too late for Xia Xinghe, too late, you hear me! I did it first, the victory is mine!”

Luo Jun suddenly felt absolute contempt for this woman.

The design was Miss Xia’s handiwork, how can she be so shameless as to claim it as hers and, not only that, gloat about it?

Luo Jun felt sorry for Miss Xia. All the rewards that were supposed to be hers were now taken by Yun Ruobing. How is that fair?

At that moment, Luo Jun wanted to expose Ruobing so badly.

However, he had no proof, so he resigned himself to standing there quietly waiting for the celebration to pass.

Ruobing cackled triumphantly, savoring Luo Jun’s cowed silence. After that, she quickly pulled out her mobile to inform Elder Xi of the good news.

Elder Xi was overjoyed. He started guffawing. The attention of the people around him was attracted by this unusual behavior of his.

“Good! Good! Well done, Ruobing! Now send the arm over to the hospital now, the doctors are waiting to conduct the surgery. After this thing is over, name your price and I will give you anything you want!” Elder Xi promised happily.

Ruobing could feel her blood boiling, her eyes shined with a manic glow.

“Alright Elder Xi, I’ll have my men send the thing over now!” After she hung up the phone, she also followed the crew to the hospital. Her caution toward Xinghe was completely out the window.

In her eyes, Xia Xinghe had completely lost.

Success was already hers. There was no need to be vigilant toward Xia Xinghe anymore.

Indeed, Xia Xinghe… who?

Ruobing’s impression of Xinghe dropped from caution to condescension. Xia Xinghe was less than the scum under her fingernails.

Her team of engineers, especially the Dumb and Dumber Duo, felt the same way.

In their eyes, Xia Xinghe got her just deserts for coming after their beloved Leader Yun.

In the lab, perhaps only Luo Jun was on Xinghe’s side. He fulfilled his responsibility and carried a finished prototype back to Xinghe.

However, he nursed a ball of fire and grievances.

“Miss Xia, you have no idea how smug that Yun Ruobing was. She has taken all the glory by using your design and she’s going to the hospital now with the final product! If you don’t expose her now, it’ll be too late, she would have taken all the advantages.”

Luo Jun’s anxiousness infected Xia Zhi.

“He’s right, Sis. We need to hurry and expose that despicable woman!”

Xinghe was their complete opposite, a paragon of serenity and calm.

She was taking her time poring over Ruobing’s prototype.

This only made Xia Zhi more anxious. “Sis, how come you can still be so calm?”

“Why should I be worried?”

“Because Yun Ruobing is practically one step away from the finish line!”

Chapter 231: Yun Ruobing’s Vanity

 

“Finish line?” Xinghe scoffed, “How can she reach the finish line with a faulty product?”

Xia Zhi was reminded of the fact that Ruobing’s design was a fake.

“But didn’t they say they’ve succeeded…”

“He’s right so how can it be faulty? They’ve tested it and the product appears to be fine.” Luo Jun was equally confused.

“Because I say so,” Xinghe confirmed with finality.

Xia Zhi believed her unconditionally. “Sis, I believe you. Yours is the real one and hers has to be faulty!”

“But which part of it is faulty? I’ve seen the design myself and it is perfect…” Luo Jun was still hung up on it.

Xia Zhi advised him, “Stop getting yourself worked up over it, just have faith in my sister. If she says it’s faulty then it has to be. She has never been wrong before.”

“…” It was not like Luo Jun had any other choice.

By then, Xinghe had finished poring over Ruobing’s prototype. She turned to Luo Jun and ordered, “Bring me to one of the working labs and get me a few trustworthy technicians and engineers; I’m getting this done in an hour!”

Luo Jun was shell-shocked.

…

At the hospital, the group of surgeons led by Lu Qi was standing at the ready.

Every Xi Family member was there, even Tianxin.

Today was the surgery for Old Madam Xi; for the Xi family, this was a momentous event.

The whole surgery building was closed down by security guards. Unrelated personnel were not allowed entry.

Everyone was gathered in a giant conference room examining Ruobing’s artificial human limb.

The limb was connected to a control panel and a few doctors were trying it out by issuing it multiple commands.

Everyone stared gob smacked at the dexterous arm…

If they didn’t know it was an artificial limb, they would think it was an actual severed arm.

It looked just like one, appearance-wise!

In actuality, Xi Family’s Lab had long since perfected the appearance aspect of artificial limb technology. However, they were lacking in the internal machinery that could bring it to life.

Ruobing’s design was the breakthrough they’ve been looking for. The intricate, internal technicalities combined with the already perfect appearance lent it an authenticity that couldn’t be denied.

With such an artificial limb fitted to a human being, people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.

The few doctors were beyond shock. This was a technology that they didn’t expect they could see in their lifetime.

“Impressive, just too impressive!” An awed senior doctor exclaimed, “This design is simply too perfect, a much-needed catalyst to advance the medical technology!”

“Indeed, this will be a technology that rocks the world,” Another doctor added.

They felt honored to be given the opportunity to participate in such a ground-breaking surgery.

This was the highest honor possible for those in the medical industry.

Even Lu Qi who was greatly influential in the medical field was on his figurative knees over the design.

He looked at Ruobing with admiration, praising, “Miss Yun, you are definitely a genius. This design and product is miraculous.”

Everyone gave her admiring and idolizing looks.

This gave Ruobing’s ego a massive boost. She could barely keep her vanity in check as she replied with as much humility as she could muster, “You flatter me too much, Doctor Lu. I’m barely a genius since I spent so many years toiling over this design. Success has eluded me for a very long time.”

“Ruobing indeed had spent years pouring her heart and soul into this design. To be honest, I didn’t expect she would achieve success so soon, so this is such a pleasant surprise…” Grandfather Xi laughed happily.

Chapter 232: The Enhancement Is Complete!

 

No one had seen Elder Xi so happy before. One could hear his happy guffaws throughout the day.

Everyone lined up to shower Ruobing with praises, to get in her good books…

There was only one exception. Mubai stood outside the conference room door, picked up his phone to call Xinghe.

“Where are you?” he asked.

Xinghe held the phone to her ear but her focus was completely on monitoring the technicians’ movement. “Finishing up the product at the lab.”

“Ruobing is already here with hers, the surgery will be starting soon.”

There was a slight pause in Xinghe’s response, but nothing beyond that. She enquired, “When exactly is the surgery time?”

“1 pm.”

It was slightly past 12 pm so there was still time.

Xinghe replied softly, “Thank you, I will be there before 1 pm.”

“Okay, call me if you need any help.”

“Thank you.”

Both hung up at the same time. The moment Mubai turned around, he saw Tianxin who was exiting the room.

“Mubai, who were you on the phone to? Was it Xia Xinghe?” Tianxin asked as she narrowed her eyes at him.

Mubai’s expression was unreadable. He had no interest of starting any conversation with Tianxin.

When he made to leave, Tianxin moved to block his way. “Mubai, Ruobing has already succeeded so why are you still banking on Xia Xinghe? She has already lost!”

Mubai frowned slightly. “What is your point?”

Tianxin added sullenly, “I just want to remind you of your promise to Old Madame Xi…”

The one where if Xia Xinghe failed, he was not to have any relationship with her anymore.

Mubai chuckled. “What about the promise?”

Tianxin furrowed her brows. “What do you mean what about the promise? You can’t go back on your words and stay with that woman after she fails. And on that matter, why are you so obsessed with her? I am a million times better and…”

“This has nothing to do with you.” Mubai brusquely ended the conversation and went into the conference room.

Tianxin stood frigidly at the spot. Her face was one of wrath.

She gripped her hands tightly to suppress the madness, anger, and displeasure that were rising in her heart!

Xi Mubai was hers, he had to be hers! She couldn’t bear the thought of giving him to someone else.

Therefore, regardless of the result, Xinghe had a calamity coming, courtesy of Chu Tianxin…

…

“Sis, I still don’t get it. I realize your design is slightly different from Ruobing’s, but what’s the catch?” Xia Zhi asked as he stared at the design on screen.

Her whole team was confused.

The change to her design was minimal. It was pretty much the same as Ruobing’s.

“The key difference is durability,” Xinghe revealed.

The answer didn’t exactly help clear up the confusion.

The materials used are the same, so how come Ruobing’s won’t be durable?

Xia Zhi had learnt to not question his sister so he stopped fixating on the question.

Xinghe didn’t build the artificial limb from scratch. She merely introduced a series of enhancements to Ruobing’s ready-made prototype.

With everyone’s cooperation, the enhancements were done under an hour!

“Miss Xia, it’s ready!” Luo Jun ran over excitedly to inform her, “What should we do now, go to the hospital?”

He couldn’t wait for the face-slapping to begin and for Xinghe to claim back the glory she rightfully deserved.

Chapter 233: Xia Xinghe Is Finally Here

 

Before Xinghe could answer, Xia Zhi chimed in eagerly, “Of course, we’re heading to the hospital. Isn’t that right, Sis‽”

Xinghe couldn’t help but smile noticing their anticipated looks. “You’re right, we shall leave for the hospital now. It’s time to face-slap certain people!”

Xia Zhi and Luo Jun cheered.

Xia Zhi had many reasons to be happy for Xinghe, but for some reason, Luo Jun had also found himself in Xinghe’s camp.

When they arrived at the hospital, they met with Chang An who had been waiting for them.

“Miss Xia, you’re finally here. CEO Xi ordered me to wait for you at the entrance so thank God you’re finally here!” Chang An exclaimed happily, secretly relieved.

Xinghe immediately got down to business, “Has the surgery started?”

“It’s starting soon!”

“Take us there now.”

“Right this way.”

With Chang An leading the way, they soon reached the top floor.

By then Old Madam Xi had been wheeled into the surgery hall.

The team of doctors was scrubbing up. The rest of the family was waiting outside the operation hall.

Almost everyone was waiting for the surgery to commence, Ruobing being the most excited of all.

After the surgery was done, she would have everything she ever wanted, to fill the gaping maw in her heart that yearned for luxury, power, and the stability that they would bring since she was an abandoned orphan girl.

Her dreams were about to come true…

“It’s almost time, we shall get the operation started. Everyone, do wait for our good news,” Lu Qi informed them with a smile before leaving with his team of surgeons.

“Wait—” Mubai ordered suddenly. The room turned to him with a confused look.

“What are we waiting for?” Lu Qi asked.

“We can’t start the operation yet,” he said in a severe and determined tone.

“Why not?”

“Mubai, what exactly are you up to?” His grandfather frowned, bewildered.

As Mubai was about to answer, they heard a series of footsteps coming their way.

For some reasons, Mubai could discern Xinghe’s footsteps among them easily.

Mubai turned and he could see that he was right because Xinghe was walking towards them.

His face involuntarily lit up with a smile as their eyes matched. He felt happy from just seeing her face but he had no clue why, perhaps he was just happy on her behalf.

Other people saw her too.

Ruobing widened her eyes in shock and a seed of anxiety grew in her heart.

What is Xia Xinghe doing here at a time like this?

This question was on everyone’s mind.

Mrs. Xi saw her and frowned unhappily. “Xia Xinghe, what are you doing here?”

Xinghe sauntered over calmly and confidently. Facing their curious gaze, she smiled slightly and announced, “The reason I’m here is of course to give Old Madam Xi my artificial limb. I’ve finished constructing my design, so I hope I’m not too late.”

What! She is here to give Old Madam Xi her artificial limb?

Mrs. Xi laughed in her face. “You are indeed too late! Ruobing has already created the best artificial limb so we no longer need yours. Furthermore, your designed product can’t be better than Ruobing’s anyway!”

“Is that so? How can Mrs. Xi be so certain of that fact if you haven’t even seen my design before?”

“Ruobing’s design is perfect, there can no improvement on it, all of us here agreed. So no matter how good yours is, it can’t be better than hers!” Mrs. Xi said bluntly.

Chapter 234: She Stole my Design!

 

Xinghe didn’t answer but turned to look at Xia Zhi.

Xia Zhi took the cue and opened the big box that he was carrying in his arms. It opened to reveal a human-emulated artificial arm.

Other than Mubai, everyone present was shocked!

“Isn’t… isn’t this the same as Ruobing’s?” Mrs. Xi blurted out.

She was right, the arm was the exact same as Ruobing’s.

They had just finished studying Ruobing’s product so the striking similarities couldn’t be mistaken.

Ruobing dashed forward angrily. “Xia Xinghe, so you did steal my stuff! This is not your handiwork; it’s mine! My team created three prototypes and the one you have there is one of mine!”

The crowd was startled.

How can Xia Xinghe steal Ruobing’s design and then pretend that it is hers? The woman really knows no shame!

Mrs. Xi scoffed angrily, “Xia Xinghe, how can you steal from someone else! This is illegal; we can sue, so you better explain yourself!”

“Xinghe, how can you do something like this?” Tianxin took the opportunity to chime in.

The two ladies were swaying the crowd’s opinion.

Almost everyone was looking at Xinghe with a condescending gaze.

The only exception was of course Mubai who kept a confident smile. He had great faith in Xinghe, she would rise up to the occasion.

After this short period of time together, he got a feel of her real personality.

She was an incredibly cautious person. She would only strike if she was a hundred percent confident.

He snuck a look at her, and as he suspected, there was no trace of panic on her face.

She said calmly, “I think the lot of you have mistaken. This here is my design. Other than me, no one else could have come up with it.”

“You must be joking!” Mrs. Xi challenged her furiously, offended by her shamelessness, “The thing you have is the exact same replica as Ruobing’s that we just saw. Plus, I was told you haven’t been in the labs for the past few weeks so how could you have come up with a finished product so fast? It is clear as day that you stole this from Ruobing, that thing belongs to Ruobing!”

“Stop arguing and let me see the arm!” Elder Xi announced with authority.

Xia Zhi turned to elicit Xinghe’s opinion. He strode to Elder Xi after Xinghe gave him the affirmative nod.

Elder Xi picked up the arm and studied it closely with a verifier’s eye.

He narrowed his eyes sharply at Xinghe and scoffed, “This is completely the same as Ruobing’s design! Do you think we are all so dumb that we wouldn’t be able to tell the difference? Xia Xinghe, where did you get the courage to lie to us so openly‽”

“Xia Xinghe, why did you steal my design?” Ruobing interrogated angrily as if she had truly been wronged.

Then again, the prototype was indeed hers so she did have some justification on her side.

The design might be Xinghe’s but Xinghe did steal her prototype. The dumb b*tch implicated herself.

Ruobing was angry on the surface but was actually overjoyed within because Xinghe gave her the perfect reason to crush her.

“That right, Ruobing did construct this.” Xinghe admitted freely.

Ruobing was startled. So was everyone else, they didn’t expect her to admit her mistake so easily.

Just as Mubai was about to jump in, Xinghe raised her finger and pointed at Ruobing. “And that should have been the extent of her claim, the physical labor, because the design behind is not hers but mine! She stole it from me!”

Chapter 235: My Capability Is the Best Proof

 

Befitting a telenovela plot, Xinghe counter-claimed that the design was hers and it was Ruobing who stole her design…

“Xia Xinghe, you are accusing me wrongly, where is your proof‽” Ruobing retorted angrily, “You say that I stole your design when the fact that is you stole mine! Or else how could you come up with such an impressive design hiding all this time at home? It is impossible without referencing the lab materials!”

“That’s right. You have zero experience in this field, so how can you dare claim that the design in yours?” Mrs. Xi had zero belief in Xinghe. “I think you’re here just to create chaos for everyone. Luckily, all of us here are clever enough to see through your baseless accusation.”

“But this is my sister’s design and the thief is Yun Ruobing,” Xia Zhi argued.

Tianxin sneered. “Then, show us the proof. Xia Xinghe, if you can’t produce the evidence, then Ruobing can sue you for theft of intelligence property.”

Ruobing gladly piled on, “That’s right, Xia Xinghe, can you produce the proof? If not, this can only mean that you stole my design! Give it up, everyone here believes the design is mine!”

“I believe the design is Xinghe’s!” Mubai announced suddenly, surprising everyone.

His mother frowned and complained, “Mubai, why would you believe her? The reality is as plain as day, the design is obviously Ruobing’s. If the design is really Xinghe’s, why would she wait until after Ruobing finished the product to expose her? That’s because she needed Ruobing to finish the prototypes so that she can steal it from her!”

Mubai explained matter-of-factly, “I believe Xinghe because I’ve seen what she is capable of. This kind of intricate design is way above Ruobing’s level.”

“That’s impossible. This is Ruobing’s field of expertise, and she had spent years studying this field, so the design has to be her breakthrough. In comparison, Xia Xinghe knows basically nothing, much less something as esoteric as medical computer science,” Mrs. Xi voiced everyone’s thoughts.

In their eyes, Ruobing was the leader of a science lab and Xinghe was a useless divorcee back to seduce her ex-husband.

It was obvious who was more believable.

Other than Mubai and a few others, no one believed Xinghe.

Even Elder Xi was not on her side. He stared gravely at Xinghe, asking, “Can you produce any proof to say that this is your design? If not, this is an imputation!”

“Father is right, produce the proof if you can,” Mrs. Xi pressured.

“What kind of proof do you need?” Xinghe smiled confidently, saying, “When my capability is the best proof there is!”

“You must be joking, you are capable of nothing!” A random woman attached to Xi Family by marriage started laughing. This was the best joke she had heard all day.

Their impression of Xinghe was still stuck at the period when she was still married to Mubai, the walking shell.

So, it wasn’t completely their fault that they didn’t side with Xinghe. They hadn’t seen what she was capable of.

“Indeed, why don’t you show us what you’re capable of?”

“I think something must be wrong with her brain…”

Almost everyone was ridiculing her.

Ruobing rested happily and comfortably in the knowledge that everyone was supporting her. Taking down Xia Xinghe was less of a challenge than she’d imagined.

Chapter 236: The Original Design

 

An angry Xia Zhi suppressed his urge to punch Ruobing’s smug face.

He turned to Xinghe instead, “Sis, show them the proof, let them eat their words!”

“You have proof?” Mubai also questioned, his voice filled with concern.

Actually, Xinghe had the perfect proof in the form of a witness. With Ee Chen’s testimony, she would have a valid case against Ruobing.

But she didn’t want to implicate Ee Chen to shield him from possible law suits.

It was not that she favored Ee Chen but he had information that she still needed.

Furthermore, in Ee Chen’s defense, he didn’t technically betray Xinghe and he had received due punishment so Xinghe decided to hold up her end of the bargain and not drag him into the mess.

To be perfectly honest, Xinghe wanted to spare Ruobing due to their similar history but the other woman showed zero trace of remorse. Not only that, she actively came after Xinghe, so Xinghe realized there was no point in holding back.

Xinghe smiled, confident in her plan. “The type of proof you want, I do not have. Like I said, the only proof I have is my capability. My design which Ruobing stole is indeed the best but I have to warn you, the design she stole is a fake, thus the product she made is faulty.”

Ruobing was shocked, panic struck her heart.

The design I stole is fake? Impossible! The final product has undergone many tests. It passed them all so it can’t be faulty. The b*tch must be lying.

The others had no reason to believe Xinghe. Mrs. Xi scornfully scoffed, “In other words, you have no proof! Xia Xinghe, you need to go to the mental department not the surgery hall. Now get lost, we don’t welcome you here.”

“Xinghe, we’ve all seen Ruobing’s design and it is definitely not faulty so, for everyone’s sake, please stop with the accusation.” Tianxin appealed with a heartbroken expression.

Xinghe definitely did not have public opinion on her side. After all, she provided zero reason for people to trust her.

Elder Xi’s patience was wearing thin. He roared angrily, “If you have no proof, why are you here to waste our time! I’m asking you one last time, is the design yours or Ruobing’s? Xia Xinghe, this is the last chance I’m giving you so I advise you to think carefully before you answer.”

“Of course, it is mine!” Xinghe answered in an imposing manner. Her sharp gaze stared everyone down, “Only I could come up with such a design!”

Elder Xi was startled. He could hear the faith Xinghe had in her words. Either she was telling the truth or she was highly delusional. For some reason, he started to lean towards the former.

“It is mine!” Ruobing challenged with confidence burning in her eyes, “This is my design. Xia Xinghe has spent less than two days at the lab. She couldn’t have come up with something as good as this without in-house research and testing!”

“Ruobing is right. I can attest to the time and effort Ruobing has poured into this design over the years. I’m sure everyone at the lab will say the same,” Tianxin said to support her friend. She had quite a good standing within the Xi Family so she managed to pull most of the crowd over to Ruobing’s side.

Alas, she was unable to shake Mubai’s conviction.

He added as a counter-argument to Tianxin, “This design is Xinghe’s. I’m willing to bet my reputation on it!”

“That’s right. This is my sister’s design, I’m willing to bet my life on it!”

Chapter 237: Use Ruobing’s Product

 

“I also believe the design is by Miss Xia…” Luo Jun added weakly.

In total, three people believed Xinghe.

The situation entered a stalemate, neither party refused to back down.

Regardless, even with Mubai’s support, Xinghe was on the weaker side because she couldn’t produce factual proof that the design was hers.

“Now is not the time to argue about this because we need to carry on with the surgery,” Lu Qi interrupted suddenly. He was tired of the drama. He just wanted to get the job done.

Lu Qi turned to Elder Xi and said, “Elder Xi, we have to start the surgery soon. Please decide now, whose product are we using.”

Elder Xi hesitated, caught between logic and faith.

Even though he fully believed the design was Ruobing’s, at that particular moment, he found the decision to be extremely hard.

After all, too many things hinged upon this one decision… He didn’t want to risk anything.

“Elder Xi, I know you have a good eye for character. Have faith in my words,” Xinghe said softly.

Elder Xi stared at her wordlessly but the uncertainty on his face was conspicuous.

“Grandfather Xi, my design is perfect, and you’ve inspected the final product yourself. Xia Xinghe can say those words because the one she has is also one of mine, so there is technically no difference which one you pick because they’re both mine,” Ruobing explained in a hurry, worried that Elder Xi would be persuaded by Xinghe.

Xinghe chuckled; she leveled an icy stare at Ruobing before saying, “Who said our products are the same. Admittedly, the actual difference is small but it is the key that decides whether the product is faulty or not!”

“Xia Xinghe, just how do you sleep at night? You stole my design and now have the audacity to frame me. Karma will punish you!” Ruobing said with indignation. The room was sold by her acting. After all, would she act this way if she was not really the victim?

Even Xinghe was impressed by the woman’s utter shamelessness.

“Nice acting there. But Yun Ruobing, real is real; fake is fake. I advise you to come out and admit your mistake before your actions hurt somebody,” Xinghe persuaded. However, Ruobing had long since passed the point of honesty; there was no way she was willing to admit her mistake.

“The design is mine, that product you have over there is mine, I swear to God, they are all mine!” she yelled agitatedly at Xinghe, but it was difficult to tell whether she was convincing the crowd or herself.

Xinghe’s face frosted over. “Fine, if you want to do it this way so be it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you beforehand, Yun Ruobing. And if the rest of you want to side with her then feel free to use her product, but I am not accountable for what happens next.”

Suddenly, a nurse opened the surgery room door to say, “Old Madam Xi said to use Miss Yun’s product; she believes her.”

It turned out Old Madam Xi had heard everything from within.

She had the nurse come out to relay her intention.

After all, of all the people there, her most trusted confidant was Ruobing.

She raised Ruobing herself and Ruobing had done everything she could to repay her kindness. Old Madam Xi trusted her adopted granddaughter unconditionally.

Since his ex-wife had made the decision, Elder Xi followed, “Okay then, we will use Ruobing’s!”

Ruobing’s eyes widened with surprise and joy. However, she quickly turned to gloat at Xinghe. Of course, she couldn’t miss the chance to rub her victory in Xinghe’s face!

Many people in the crowd also tossed smug looks at Xinghe; they believed fully picking Ruobing was the right choice.

Chapter 238: Fate on the Line

 

They thought Xinghe would punch herself from the failure of her plan.

To their bitter disappointment, Xinghe merely turned around and walked away wordlessly.

However, she didn’t leave. She stopped in front of a long bench and planted herself there.

It appeared like she was waiting for the surgery to finish…

Witnessing her shamelessness, the group of people started to say unsavory things about her.

Thankfully, Xinghe was far away from them so she didn’t hear anything. Then again, she probably wouldn’t have reacted even if she did.

The same couldn’t be said for Xia Zhi.

He was incensed by the condescending looks the crowd kept tossing their way.

“Sis, these people are really too much. How can they not believe you and choose to believe that wily thief? Bunch of blind idiots!” Xia Zhi who stood in front of her groused.

“Miss Xia, do you have any other plan? Is there no proof you can produce to show your innocence?” Luo Jun was also fuming with indignation.

In contrast, Xinghe was as calm as ever.

“Don’t fret, I’d predicted as much,” she comforted them.

Xia Zhi was startled. “Sis, you predicted this? Then, why are we here to suffer? We should find ourselves a lawyer and sue that Yun Ruobing!”

Xinghe smiled good-naturedly. “But they were right. I can’t produce any proof. Ee Chen will definitely not sell her out.”

Technically speaking, Ee Chen was Ruobing’s accomplice in helping her steal the design. Selling her out would only implicate him.

That was probably why Ruobing was so confident that her plan would not fall apart.

“Then what can we do? Sit here quietly and see that Yun Ruobing take all the credit that is rightfully yours? I can’t stand that smug face of hers!”

“Don’t worry,” Xinghe said calmly, “The proof will show itself soon enough.”

Xia Zhi and Luo Jun were pleasantly surprised.

“Sis, what do you mean by that? What proof?”

“The faulty product itself is the proof.”

The answer came not from Xinghe but Mubai who was walking towards them.

Xia Zhi and Luo Jun looked at each other in confusion over his sudden arrival and answer. They had a hard time understanding what he meant.

Mubai didn’t explain, instead he stared deeply at Xinghe before adding, “I want to have a private conversation with Xinghe.”

Before waiting for the two of them to respond, he sat down beside Xinghe and asked under his breath, “Am I right?”

Xinghe turned to look at him before nodding, “You’re right.”

“What will be the consequences?”

“Nothing life-threatening, a little pain of the flesh.”

“You have no intention of stopping it?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

Mubai’s lips curved into a smile. “Certain people need a sound slap to the face before they can see reality more clearly. Other than that, not stopping this will give them the chance to see the real you and cure their prejudice.”

“I’m not doing this to change their impression of me.” I’m doing this just for my son.

Mubai understood the words that were left unsaid. His dark eyes glowed slightly before continuing, “Indeed, you shouldn’t jump through hoops to purposely endear yourself to others. Living with a constant mask is a pain. Use your talent to impress them all and they will love you for who you are and not how you act.”

At least that is why I fell in love with you.

I love how real you are and the confident way you carry yourself; the majestic presence that speaks of the fact that you have control of your own fate.

The self-assurance and the talent behind it, they are dazzlingly beautiful.

But most of all, I love you because, Xia Xinghe, you are uniquely your own. You are one of a kind and irreplaceable.

Mubai confessed in his heart because he knew Xinghe was not one for lovey-dovey proclamation and the timing was not right.

Chapter 239: Your Plan? What Plan?

 

He believed fully that after this incident his family’s view of Xinghe would have a dramatic change.

Xinghe would make their impressions of her turn upside-down. She would use her capability to show that the girl who could do nothing was just a phase in the past.

No one would look down on her again.

It would stem their prejudice and grievances towards her.

However, as stated previously, all of this wasn’t Xinghe’s aim. The only reason she did all of this was for their son’s custody.

Mubai turned to meet the eyes of the people who were staring daggers at Xinghe and he felt sorry for them.

They thought they would at least elicit a response out of Xinghe with their condescending looks and barbed words, but in reality, Xinghe couldn’t care less about them. Mubai shook his head at their conceit.

However, the saddest thing was the most conceited was probably his mother.

“Mubai, come here; I have something to discuss with you,” his mother called him over, annoyed to see him sitting so close to Xinghe.

Tianxin who stood beside his mother also frowned at his close contact to Xinghe.

Mubai turned his gaze back to Xinghe. “I’m going back over there. I’m sorry for putting you through this inconvenience. I will try to help in any way I can,” he apologized as he stood up.

Xinghe tossed him a confused look. “But I don’t feel inconvenienced.”

Mubai couldn’t help but laugh. “Right, you’re not. Regardless, I still feel the need to apologize.”

He knew she didn’t care about how they viewed her so their condescending insults and angry looks didn’t faze her.

Regardless, his heart still panged witnessing her being mistreated like this…

However, he also knew she wouldn’t want him to step in on her behalf so the only thing he could do was to step away, to spare her the looks from his mother and ex-fiancé.

Mubai looked intensely at her before taking his leave. “I’ll talk to you later.”

The moment he left, Xia Zhi returned to Xinghe’s side. He nudged her and asked, “Sis, what were the two of you talking about? I couldn’t understand a word of it.”

Xinghe stared confusedly at him. “Not even a word?”

“Sis, stop giving me that look, you know I have the IQ of a normie, so it’s only natural that I don’t understand what the two of you discussed…” Xia Zhi complained petulantly, complete with a childish pout.

Xinghe smiled at his antics. “We didn’t discuss much, but he did see through my plan.”

“Your plan? What plan? How come I had no idea there’s a plan?” Xia Zhi squeezed out a tear or two, certain that his IQ was really that of a normie.

Xinghe turned to meet Ruobing’s smug gaze and confident smile. Xinghe smirked and said softly, “In a sentence, the plan can be described by: the bigger they are, the harder they fall!”

Xia Zhi followed his sister’s gaze to see Ruobing who was gloating at them. At that moment, he seemed to understand his sister’s plan.

Xinghe’s plan was actually very simple. It was to create more hype around Ruobing’s product.

The greater their support for Ruobing, the faster they would turn on her when the cat got out of the bag. The higher the expectation, the bigger the disappointment, human emotions were too easily manipulated sometimes.

She could have pointed out the error in Ruobing’s design, impressing them all with her talent, to show that the design was hers.

But this would’ve been too easy of an exit for Yun Ruobing. Since she showed no signs of remorse, Xinghe decided to not spare her any kindness.

They would most likely forgive Ruobing if Xinghe came out to correct her mistake at the very beginning since no one was hurt at this point. But after the faulty device malfunctioned, Ruobing would have the wrath of the entire Xi clan to deal with. She was not getting out of this one with just an apology.