Chapter 61 Hard And Soft Skills


    In the office, James was talking with his top management team. Seeing here in, the senior


    executives immediately stood up and closed their folders. One of them said, "I think we can break


    here, Mr. Xi. I''ll ask them to redo this and get it on your desk as soon as possible."


    James nodded and the senior executives left.


    Maria and James were the only left in the office. The man leaned back on the sofa, his legs crossed


    gracefully. "You went to a lot of trouble to see me. Why?"


    With two paper bags in her hands, Maria sat beside him without missing a beat. She carefully


    removed the suit from one bag and held it up for him to see. "Check this out, James. I picked out


    two suits for you myself. They are really heavy. I''m exhausted!"


    She didn''t ask the shop to deliver, preferring that personal touch. It would mean more if she gave


    them to James herself. "I put these together. Remember to iron them before you put them on.


    The man looked at the clothes she''d gotten him. It was ck formal wear with dark embroidery on


    the chest pocket and cor. James watched the woman silently, as she took out the second dark-


    colored suit.


    "This one has dark patterns. I know you usually wear formal clothing, so I bought you tailored suits.


    Surprised?" After the woman chattered, she tilted her head slightly and looked at the man


    expectantly.


    The innocent look on her face didn''t match her usual image at all. Nor did her slip dress, for that


    matter.


    He didn''t seem impressed at all. "You came here just to show me two suits?"


    "Yes, they''re top quality. Touch them and see!" As she spoke, she grabbed his hand and ced it


    on the sleeve of a suit jacket. "Isn''t that something? They cost me a cool mil each." Out of the three


    million dors she got for the earrings.


    James was speechless. Her hands felt good, even softer than the suit. And her scent was exquisite,


    ents of tuberose and musk. This really turned him on.


    James withdrew his hand, as if trying to hide something. He stood up from the sofa, put his hands in


    his pockets, and turned his back on her. "I don''t need them. If there''s nothing else, Ms. Song,


    please leave. I have business to attend to."


    Maria smiled quietly. She stood up, walked over to him, and gave him a hug. The woman pressed


    her face against his back and said, "Fine, I''ll leave you alone then. But I have another favor to ask."


    James lowered his head and looked at the pair of arms encircling him. He noticed her slender


    hands, decorated with burgundy-red nail polish and sequins. "Maria Song."


    "Yes?" Sensing the warning in his tone, Maria let go of him.


    "Get out!"


    Maria circled around him and raised her head slightly. "I''m here to discuss something with you, Mr.


    Xi." There was an unreadable expression in her sparkling eyes. "I''m flirting with you. Don''t you think


    you should treat me with more patience? Or I might have to force you." She gently put her soft,


    white hand on the man''s cheek.


    Maria knew exactly why she was here. She was going to discuss herwsuit with him. She was


    going to be nice about it, too. If he refused to listen to her, however, he couldn''t me her for being


    rude.


    James grabbed the hand caressing his face and growled, his eyes dark. "Do you want to die?"


    "Of course not!" She threw herself into his arms and smiled innocently. "I just wanted you to see


    these. Like them? I think they got my good side. " He looked at her phone, and saw pictures of him


    carrying her in his arms while entering the hotel. Since he held one of her arms tightly, she stretched


    the free one to trace circles on his cheek.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    A hint of danger shed in his eyes, but he said nothing.


    "If I post these on the Inte, what do you think will happen? Everyone knows HL Group and Tang


    Group are going to unite through marriage.


    She couldn''t hide hercent smile.


    Gritting his teeth, James asked, "So what?" She was trying to set him up!


    "I know, I know, you''re the teflon CEO. Negative media coverage doesn''t seem to affect you.


    Everyone knows you and Alina are going to get engaged. Imagine what will happen if they find out


    you were sleeping with your ex-wife? Don''t you think it might impact the share price of HL Group?"


    What Maria hinted at was even if James didn''t care about his own image, he needed to consider his


    company''s reputation. The two were linked.


    But what she didn''t know was that the man next to her was nning her death.


    "You think you can threaten me?" James was used to this. They failed all the time. He was too


    powerful to be ckmailed. Each time, he would call their bluff. And they would fold. Maria


    underestimated him.


    Maria shook her head and answered, "Of course not. You''re James Xi! What''s a little money to


    you?" The woman''s lips slowly raised a bloodthirsty smile. "But what if I jump off this building? I''ll


    yell, ''I hate you, James Xi! You slept with me and dumped me!'' And then down I fall!"


    The crazy look in her eyes reminded James of that night in T Country. He was sure she was a


    lunatic. He couldn''t tell how he felt. He didn''t know whether he should hate her, or show her some


    sympathy. He stared at her, lost in thought.


    "Go ahead. See if I care," he said.


    Maria was a little confused. She tried all her tricks. Why didn''t he fall for it?


    James continued, "I''ll just tell people you


    slipped. HL Group is more than a hundred stories high, a few hundred meters. You''d probably hit


    the ground before you could say anything."


    Thinking of the scene he described, Maria shivered.


    She hadn''t taken her revenge yet, so she


    couldn''t die. She resolved to go nowhere near


    the top floor. He might push her off, and that


    would ruin all her ns.


    Finally, James saw a trace of fear in the eyes of this iparably strong woman. He was quite


    satisfied. He loosened her wrist, pinched her chin, and raised it. "You can post the pics as you want.


    If someone sees them, I lose."


    Thecency in the man''s eyes stung Maria''s pride, and a rush of anger came over her. She


    came to HL Group, using both hard and soft skills. She was already beaten before she began.


    She lifted her foot and stepped heavily on the man''s leather shoes. Heedless of the man''s changing


    expression, she gritted her teeth and growled, "Stay out of my fight with Alina Tang. Why is that so


    hard? Why do you love her so much? Hmm..." He gripped her jaw hard.


    Maria exhaled a sigh of pain and continued, "A marriage based on love is so different from a


    marriage without love. We were married for two years, but you never treated me like you do her.


    Alina Tang isn''t even your wife yet, but you are so protective of her."


    He squeezed harder, and she dug her heel into his shoe even further. No one would admit defeat


    first.


    Instead of answering her question, he stared daggers at her and said, "Take your foot off me.


    "Let go of me first!" Why should she make the first move? What a bastard!


    They both faced each other fearlessly, neither willing to admit defeat.