Zhan Mohan sipped his red wine, observing the scene. If not for the peculiar circumstances, he would have invited Wei Yumeng to watch the show.
However, the three had been locked in a stalemate for some time, with no one backing down or making a move, which only amplified the awkwardness of the atmosphere.
Finally, President Gu spoke first, "Alright, Catherine. I believe you've learned my limits over this period. From today on, we have no further ties. As for the project, I will approach President Wei directly and ask her to assign me a different person in charge."
Of course, for President Gu, it would be ideal if Wei Yumeng herself was in charge.
After speaking, he stood up and headed for the door.
Catherine immediately moved to follow him, "President Gu!"
But Sydney grabbed her arm, "Linlin, you still owe me an explanation!"
At this, Catherine unleashed all her pent-up anger on Sydney.
"Why did you suddenly appear and ruin everything in my life? Do you know how much I sacrificed to get where I am today? Sydney, what can you give me in return now?"
Sydney was taken aback by Catherine's accusation, "Linlin, what's going on? I don't understand at all!"
Tears streamed down Catherine's cheeks. The only reason she could hold her head high at Feng's Group was due to President Gu's backing. Now, she was likely to return to those days.
Having lost this project again, she would undoubtedly face even harsher ridicule.
Catherine had no desire to explain anything further to Sydney. She simply pushed the door open and left the restaurant.
Zhan Mohan's objective had been achieved. He quietly approached Sydney, "It's alright. We can discuss the project at another time. Go find her first."
Upon hearing Zhan Mohan's words, Sydney no longer had any reservations and immediately went after Catherine.
Zhan Mohan watched the direction they left, narrowing his eyes. Now that Catherine had lost President Gu's support, she would likely be quiet for a while. Sydney had no affiliation with Feng's Group, so there was no need to worry about Catherine relying on him to cause more trouble.
This matter was considered temporarily concluded.
Catherine felt incredibly wronged. Why had things ended up this way? None of this should have happened, yet it all unfolded so coincidentally.
The coincidence was almost unbelievable.
"Linlin, wait for me. Let me explain," Sydney kept pace behind her.
Catherine gradually slowed her steps. Regardless of how Sydney perceived her now, she needed to understand what had truly happened.
"Linlin, you finally stopped," Sydney panted slightly.
Catherine looked at him, "Why were you there today? Just for dinner?"
"No, President Zhan invited me there to discuss matters."
As soon as Catherine heard this, she understood completely. Their encounter today was likely arranged by Zhan Mohan.
Perhaps Zhan Mohan had investigated their frequent dining spots and scheduled the meeting there, leading to their "chance" encounter.
It seemed Zhan Mohan was truly determined to make her life difficult. In fact, she had already lost President Gu's support, and all her previous sacrifices were in vain.
Catherine looked at Sydney, "Sydney, we've been tricked. Everything you saw today wasn't real. I am indeed in charge of the project with President Gu, but our relationship isn't what you imagined. Have you ever considered that everything you saw today was orchestrated?"
Sydney looked at Catherine, feeling a touch of disdain. He wasn't a fool; he could see the relationship between those two.
However, since Catherine was actively trying to explain, and he didn't want to lose her as a pawn providing him with benefits, he decided to play along, making Catherine believe he accepted her explanation.
"You mean... Zhan Mohan?"
Catherine nodded, "Actually, my time living in China hasn't been easy. Zhan Mohan and his wife, Wei Yumeng, view me as a thorn in their side. That's because Wei Yumeng is my parents' biological daughter. They want to seize control of Feng's Group and have been opposing me at every turn. I was originally the president of Feng's, but they used schemes to replace me. Not long ago, I finally managed to secure this project with President Gu, and they didn't want me to have it easy, so they deliberately brought you here to cause trouble."
"There's such a thing?" Sydney feigned an expression of utter disbelief.
However, in his heart, he felt that Zhan Mohan's business standing was already so high, and Feng's Group was merely a decent company. If he were someone like Zhan Mohan, why would he be interested in Feng's Group?
Moreover, if Zhan Mohan truly wanted Feng's, he would have many other ways to achieve it, rather than resorting to such troublesome methods to deal with her.
Catherine looked at Sydney, even crying, "Do you know what kind of life I'm living now? At the company, they constantly mock me. My office is even shared with the general staff. They're deliberately making things difficult for me."
Sydney stepped forward and pulled Catherine into a hug, "I'm sorry, Linlin. This is my fault. I shouldn't have doubted you and fallen for someone else's deception. But you should believe me. It's precisely because I love you so much that I was so easily fooled."
Catherine hugged Sydney back, weeping, "Sydney, let's meet less from now on. I don't want to affect you because of me. Your cooperation with Zhan Mohan still needs to continue; it can't change because of me."
Sydney replied, "Linlin, my dealings with them are purely a matter of cooperation. They have no control over our personal affairs. I won't abandon you. You can still rely on me here."
This was exactly what Catherine wanted to hear. Although President Gu was no longer reliable, Sydney, as a business partner of Zhan Mohan, still carried some weight here.
Catherine, feigning emotion, said, "Sydney, you're so good."
Sydney, holding Catherine, had a mocking smile on his face. "Linlin, don't worry, I won't abandon you."
As long as he could still gain benefits through Catherine, he would indeed not abandon her. Since Catherine wanted to deal with Zhan Mohan and Wei Yumeng, it was likely for the position of president of Feng's Group.
As long as he continued to pretend to be on Catherine's side, when she finally obtained Feng's Group, would the benefits for him be limited?