Chapter 115
Master-level Massage Technique
China Industrial Group made new ordinary purchase orders and the employees passed their probation and could start work on production. Xia Lei knew though, that the new ordinary purchase orders were not related to the bet between Mu Jian-Feng and himself. Mu Jian-Feng gave the orders which he could have assigned to his local production in Jing-Du to Thunder Horse Manufacturing because of Xia Lei’s agreement to go to Germany.
“You’re going to Germany?” In the office, Liang Si-Yao looked very surprised when she heard that Xia Lei was going to Germany soon.
“You know about this. I’d promised China Industrial Group that I will go to Germany to study their lathes and upgrade the local lathes after I’ve come back in exchange for this piece of land,” said Xia Lei.
“I know, and I support you going. Our company has you who can process those high precision parts but you are just one person and you’ll burn yourself out handling all those orders on your own. If you can upgrade our lathes to the same standards as those in Europe and America, our regular workers may be able to process high precision parts too. If they can, we will gain an advantage in this industry.” Liang Si-Yao’s line of thought was in line with Xia Lei’s.
“You’re so thoughtful, Senior Disciple. I’ll leave you in charge when I’m away,” smiled Xia Lei.
Liang Si-Yao quirked her lips, “I’ve never seen a boss like you. You’re away from the company two days out of three. I’m not your housekeeper either so how can I keep helping you to run your company? Others will start to talk.”
“Um…” Xia Lei knew what she meant by housekeeper and said awkwardly, “You’re my Senior Disciple. We’re one big family so what is there to gossip about? I’ll fire anyone who offends you.”
Liang Si-Yao looked a little appeased by that. “Never mind. Take it as I owe you from my past life. Rest assured and go to Germany, don’t worry about things here. I’ll help you keep the business running.”
“Thank you, Senior Disciple. You’re the best!” Xia Lei spoke pleasing words.
“I’m not falling for that. Come home with me after work. My dad misses you. He didn’t say it but I know he wants to see you. Come home with me, cook him some dishes and have a drink or two with him,” said Liang Si-Yao.
“Mm, we’ll go to your place after work and I’ll make sure to accompany the old man.” Xia Lei did actually miss Liang Zheng-Chun too.
“He… Well, he sees you as a son. I’m a little jealous.” Liang Si-Yao rolled her eyes at Xia Lei rather charmingly.
Xia Lei’s heart fluttered. There was another meaning to her words if he thought about that line from another angle.
“Uh…” Liang Si-Yao looked a little embarrassed, “About the product… Have you thought of anything?”
Xia Lei’s attention was diverted. “I still don’t have any concrete ideas. I will think more carefully on my trip to Germany. Maybe I’ll get some good tips over there,” said Xia Lei.
Liang Si-Yao stretched lazily and moved to the sofa, grumbling, “Oh man, I have to take care of everything when you’re away. I’m so tired. My neck is so sore…”
Xia Lei took the hint and walked to the back of the sofa. “I’ll give you a massage, Senior Disciple.”
“Okay.” Liang Si-Yao smiled happily. She wriggled backwards, prepared to receive Xia Lei’s massage. She was tired from the past few days.
Xia Lei’s hands circled her snowy neck and he started to massage her gently. He used only a little strength, as if afraid that he would damage her tender skin.
Liang Si-Yao wrinkled her brows, “Put some back into it. Are you afraid you’ll damage me while massaging, or what?”
Xia Lei was struck by a thought, ‘Massage puts an emphasis on meridian stimulation. If I grasp the positions of the acupuncture points and meridians, she’d probably feel very comfortable if I massage her gently in those areas, right?’
With that thought in mind, Xia Lei’s left eye went to work. He stared at her snowy neck and the skin and fat gradually disappeared from his sight, revealing blood vessels and nerves, as well as the cross section of meridian lines, an acupuncture point.
Seeing her acupuncture point and nerves, Xia Lei moved his fingers over and massaged them. This movement brought good results.
“What’s this? It feels so good! When did you learn how to massage like this?” Liang Si-Yao was obviously feeling more comfortable and she closed her eyes in pleasure. Red bloomed on her cheeks and neck; she was excited and feeling good.
The nerves and acupuncture points were sensitive areas. She was very comfortable, of course, when Xia Lei stimulated these areas, and this comfortable feeling encompassed a type of comfortable which made women bashful and that was why her cheeks and neck were red.
‘Looks like I can get very good results. I should take a look at a meridian map and memorise it, then study massage or acupuncture. If she asks me to give her a massage again I can make her even more comfortable. I may even be able to treat people who need acupuncture treatment…’ Xia Lei thought.
Being able to see acupuncture points and meridians made it easy for Xia Lei if he wanted to become a professional in both fields of massage and acupuncture. It wouldn’t be impossible to become a Master in both fields if he spent some time in immersive research!
This thought seemed to have influenced his next move. Xia Lei’s gaze went to her ears, and the nerves of that area entered his eye. He moved both his thumbs over and pressed on the most concentrated nerve-ends spot behind her ear, massaging gently.
A string of odd sounds escaped Liang Si-Yao’s petite lips, half pain, half pleasure. Her earlobes turned red immediately. Before Xia Lei massaged her more, her eyes flew open and asked him shyly and nervously, “You… What are you doing?”
“Giving you a massage.” Xia Lei acted normally.
Liang Si-Yao glared at him in shame, “You can’t massage that place. It’s too… too sensitive.”
Xia Lei grinned, “Was it comfortable?”
Liang Si-Yao recalled the earlier feeling and the embarrassing way her body had reacted. She spoke shamefully, “Comfortable, my foot. I don’t want a massage anymore. You’re doing this on purpose. I’ll tell my dad you bullied me when we go back tonight.”
Xia Lei was speechless.
Pleasing her had now become bullying. What logic was this?
At that moment, a security guard appeared in the doorway, arms open in a stance that looked like he was blocking someone, saying, “No. You cannot see our chairman without an appointment.”
“Get out of the way!” Chi Jing-Qiu suddenly appeared. She stuck her chest out and aimed to hit the security guard’s arm with her chest.
The security guard seemed afraid to touch her chest and he moved his arm. Chi Jing-Qiu took the opportunity to get around the security guard and walked into the office.
“Chairman Xia, she…” the security guard tried to explain.
“It’s all right. You can go back to your post,” said Xia Lei.
The security guard gave a sound of agreement and left the office.
Chi Jing-Qiu strode over to Xia Lei and Liang Si-Yao. She saw the red-faced Liang Si-Yao and had a weird look in her eyes.
Xia Lei spoke, “Jing-Qiu, didn’t you receive the message I sent you? I don’t intend to accept that purchase order.”
Chi Jing-Qiu snorted, “You have the time to be cavorting about in your office but no time to accept my order? What’s the meaning of this?”
Xia Lei’s brows wrinkled.
Liang Si-Yao wasn’t a woman to anger either. She stood from the sofa, “What are you saying? You seem like a decent person but you behave like a shrew. Watch your words or I’ll throw you out!”
Chi Jing-Qiu was about to retort but Liang Si-Yao’s fierce glare made her lips tremble and she did not dare speak the scolding words she’d prepared. She could not compare to Liang Si-Yao looks-wise and she lost by a landslide in terms of personality. Most importantly, Liang Si-Yao was a Wing Chun expert. If she angered Liang Si-Yao and she hit her, would Xia Lei help her? Obviously not.
“Jing-Qiu, I’m really sorry but I’ve thought it over several times and I don’t want to accept your order. Look for someone else. I really am sorry to have delayed for so long,” said Xia Lei.
“Do you know how much money this order is worth?” Chi Jing-Qiu said passionately, “It’s worth 3,000,000! You’re so poor you had to open a supermarket to supplement your company, and this supermarket will net you just three or four million a year, right? Finishing this order will take you less than a month. What are you thinking?”
Xia Lei spoke indifferently, “I lack money but there is some money that should not be made and I don’t want to make that sort of money.”
Chi Jing-Qiu grit her teeth and spoke after some hesitation, “Fine. My client says the price can be increased to four million, and he can pay me my commission.”
Xia Lei shook his head still, “I’ve made it clear. I will not accept the job. Look for someone else.”
“You bastard!” Chi Jing-Qiu cursed.
Xia Lei shrugged indifferently, “So I’m a bastard then. Please leave.”
“Your company will collapse sooner or later! You’ll be poor your whole life - your sort of people are poor your whole lifetime!” Chi Jing-Qiu seemed to have lost control, “No wonder Gu Ke-Wen said you were a lucky bastard upstart. You’ll end up back on construction sites moving bricks!”
“You bitch!” Liang Si-Yao could not hold back any longer and she shot forward, hand raised in a slap aiming for Chi Jing-Qiu’s cheek.
Xia Lei hurriedly blocked Liang Si-Yao’s slap and pulled her back, saying, “Forget it. She’s like that. Why lower yourself to her level?”
Chi Jing-Qiu didn’t dare make a scene and backed away.
Liang Si-Yao looked angrily at Chi Jing-Qiu but made no move to hit her.
Xia Lei looked at Chi Jing-Qiu and asked probingly, “Jing-Qiu, this order of yours is from Gu Ke-Wen, isn’t it? You know what sort of relationship we have. This is also the reason why I don’t want to accept your order.”
“You…” Chi Jing-Qiu’s gaze was shifty, “What nonsense are you talking about?”
“I said, this order is from Gu Ke-Wen, isn’t it?” said Xia Lei.
“Heh heh” Chi Jing-Qiu laughed twice sneeringly, “Acting smart, huh. Would I be so foolish to look for you to do Gu Ke-Wen’s order? I know how it is between you two.”
“Then whose order is this?”
“Aren’t you very clever? Guess. I won’t ever give you any more orders in the future!” Chi Jing-Qiu turned and left after she was done speaking.
‘If it wasn’t Gu Ke-Wen, then who was it?’ wondered Xia Lei.
This was very strange indeed.
Xia Lei took out his phone after thinking for a bit and dialled Qin Xiang’s number. “Hello, Qin Xiang? Chi Jing-Qiu just left my office. She may be going to see her mysterious client. Help me keep an eye on her.”
“No problem. I’m too bored here in the office. It’s nice to go out for a bit of exercise.” From his voice, Qin Xiang seemed more than happy to do this sort of thing.
“Be careful.”
“Got it.” Qin Xiang hung up.
Liang Si-Yao was still angry, “Why didn’t you let me slap her? Her smelly mouth was asking for a beating.”
Xia Lei smiled, “Forget it. Why lower yourself to the level of a woman like Chi Jing-Qiu? Don’t be angry. I’ll massage you again and help you be rid of your anger.”
A faint smile appeared on Liang Si-Yao’s face, “Okay, but you can’t massage that place… Um, you can if you have to but not so much. Just a little bit.”
It looked like she had had a taste of memorable sweetness and wanted to experience it again.
Xia Lei, however, was in a tough spot. Did this mean that she wanted to be massaged there or not?