Tang Yin's expression remained unchanged as she listened to the man's interrogation, as if nothing could stir her. "You're definitely not waiting for me, and you wouldn't be that bored. I need a job. If I join, the Tang family will definitely join as well. I need a 20% stake, with 10% going to the Tang family."
Zhao An gave the woman a curious look. "Miss, I haven't agreed to work with you yet. Why are you so eager to state the terms?"
"You will definitely work with me. Are you confident that other groups will partner with you besides me? I admit you're very capable and your background is complex. But some things can't be accomplished alone. Patent applications, sales of patented products, distributor distribution models, and so on—from technical to commercial sales and promotion—are all quite complex. You need a professional to handle it. I can help you." Tang Yin finished speaking, picked up her coffee, and raised the cup, as if in a toast.
Zhao An's expression was a bit odd. "Honestly, I thought it was Tang Bing who came to talk, but I didn't expect it to be you. Even if it was Tang Wu, I'd be fine, but it was you. My advice is that you'd better not cooperate with me. This is what I really mean."
"Because you want to sleep with me, right?" Tang Yin brushed her hair, her expression calm and composed. She knew all about men's dirty thoughts. Besides pursuing money, weren't men just playing with women?
"Yes, after you cooperate with me, with the accumulated time we spend together, I'm sure you'll sleep with me. So, to avoid embarrassment, you don't need to cooperate with me." Zhao An didn't hide anything. He and Tang Yin really had a tacit understanding. One spoke, the other answered, as if there was nothing shameful about sexual desire between men and women. They openly laid it out.
"Haha!" Tang Yin put down her coffee cup, stood up, and spun around, exposing her body to the man.
Zhao An didn't hide anything either. Instead, he gave her a sharp glance at her large breasts. If he couldn't touch them, he could look at them.
"The Tang family is not to be trifled with. Every woman has her own value, a tool for marriage alliances. I'm no exception. You can't make me your mistress. You can rape me, even toy with me. In the end, you'll still be held responsible," Tang Yin said bluntly, patting her large breasts.
"Whether others know this or not, I don't know, but from my observation, you're very possessive of women. I'm a virgin, and I can sleep with you, but what happens after that? The family wants me to marry another man, and can you just watch me marry and sleep with him?" Tang Yin smiled charmingly, a smile tinged with a hint of squeamishness, a hint of playfulness, and a touch of resentment.
This resentment stemmed from resentment towards the family. While women in large families may have no worries about food and clothing, they lack the freedom to marry. And aside from the ancient practice of marriage alliances, other methods are unreliable. Breaking this tradition requires more than just courage and strength.
Zhao An was silent for a moment. "If you sleep with me, I really won't let you get married."
"So you only have one choice: marry me or fight the Tang family." Tang Yin sat back down, her tone eerily calm. She could even blush and speak without a second thought, reminiscent of Qian Yuling back then.
Zhao An tapped his desk. "Times have changed. Nothing is off-limits. In my opinion, a large family is a business; everything is a business. As long as the price is right, I can buy you. But why are you leaving the Tang family? Working hard to earn enough to negotiate?"
At this point, Tang Yin fell silent for a moment, pulling out a cigarette and trying to light it.
Zhao An tossed a pack of cigarettes over. "Take mine. I have wine. Do you have a story?" He stood up, pulled out a brandy from his liquor cabinet, and poured them both a glass.
Tang Yin looked at the cigarette box in her hand. It was wrapped in wood, the finest wood, with barely any trace of craftsmanship visible, practically a natural finish. Forget anything else, this cigarette box alone would fetch millions at auction. That was the truth.
Take out a cigarette, light it, and take a drag. Tang Yin stared at the cigarette in amazement. It felt so good, so refreshing. There was no artificial mint like those women's cigarettes add, just a natural fragrance, a faint aroma of medicinal herbs wafting through the air. This herbal aroma was refreshing and soothing. "What kind of cigarettes are these?"
"Medicinal herbal cigarettes. One cigarette costs ten thousand yuan, and a box sells for at least one million. I don't know how to sell them, and there's no need to. Production is difficult, so I smoke them myself." Zhao An lit the cigarette, blew out a smoke ring, and looked a little proud.
Tang Yin remained silent, quietly smoking the cigarette. She also took a sip of the brandy, finding that the cigarettes and the alcohol were a perfect match.
"I'm a Harvard graduate, and my family has supported me from childhood to adulthood. In the Tang family, any woman, whether direct or collateral, can ascend to power if she's capable, but she's deposed if she's incompetent. Therefore, the distinction between direct and collateral branches is determined solely by who leads the family. This practice has ensured the Tang family's century-long history."
"The family supports every member, and each member must pay a corresponding price. Those who work hard to contribute to the family, and those who seek independence, are invariably taken back by the family." Tang Yin recounted this chilling story in a cold voice.
"When you say taken back, do you mean killed?" Zhao An even made a gesture of wiping his throat.
Tang Yin nodded. "Yes, it happened in history, more than once. It's a taboo, even now. If you want to leave the family, you must pay a heavy price. Offer enough benefits, and the tiger won't let you go until it's full."
"Okay, if that's the case, then the price is clearly marked. What about you? How much are you worth? Give me a total. Something of similar value will definitely have a price. Isn't it just selling a daughter? What's the big deal?" Zhao An finally understood. Wasn't it just selling a daughter? It's just that the big families sold them for a higher price. Most people couldn't afford it, and the price would make them faint at the mere mention of it.