“Mr Xia, you came at the right time. Please reason this out with him!” Koen pointed at Song Baicheng. “He attempted to rape Miss Sylvia but he does not want to admit it, and this Mr Ling even tried to solve this problem with money.This is an insult to us!”

“Something like this was going on?” Xia Lei looked like he was spitting mad. “Doing such a thing in broad daylight? Is there no regard for the law anymore?”

He seemed to have forgotten that it was not day right now, but night. His words did express his stand on the matter and his attitude towards it, though. He was on the Germans’ side.

Ling Han's expression darkened. He had a feeling that this was not as simple as it looked. Song Baicheng was his right hand man, and he knew what he was like. Song Baicheng was somewhat of a lecher, but he would never do something reckless, much less rape Sylvia, and important person of the German delegation, right in Thunder Horse Military Factory!

"Are you all right, Miss Sylvia?" Xia Lei went to Sylvia's side and asked in concern, "Don’t be scared, and don’t be nervous. Ling Han is the supervisor. He will get justice for you."

On the other side, Ling Han's interpreter translated every single word Xia Lei had said.

Ling Han's expression darkened further. His eyes stopped on Xia Lei, and the look in his eyes started turning ice-cold. He smelled a trap.

Xia Lei did not care about Ling Han's feelings, nor his reaction. After he comforting Sylvia, he took off his tank top and tied it around Sylvia's waist. Sylvia was still in her underwear, but it was still inappropriate to be so exposed in front of so many men.

“Thank you, Mr Xia, thank you.” Sylvia wiped the tears in the corners of her eyes, and looked very grateful.

“Mr Xia, please tell me how you plan on taking care of this matter?” pressed Koen.

Before Xia Lei could say anything, Ling Han pulled Koen to the side and said softly, "Mr Koen, you came to do a technology exchange. We have also been very cooperative. I believe that this must be a misunderstanding. Give me a little time to investigate the truth, and will give you a satisfactory answer. In consideration of both of our interests, let’s not make this into a huge deal. If this situation is blown up, it will not be good for you nor be good for us."

This was a suggestion.

This suggestion was immediately considered. Germany valued this exchange very much, and the technology of Thunder Horse Military Factory was the main focus, not this situation before them now. Koen was hesitant.

Xia Lei nudged Sylvia.

Sylvia suddenly started bawling again, and she looked like she couldn’t control her emotions. “I have never been so humiliated. I… I…” She suddenly climbed up the balcony’s guardrail.

Xia Lei grabbed her by the waist as he said, “Mr Koen, quick! Talk her out of it!”

Koen then came over to them and pulled Sylvia's by the arm as he said comfortingly, "Sylvia, don’t be reckless. Calm down. There will definitely be a recompense for this. Don’t forget what we came here to do."

As Koen talked, Xia Lei let go of Sylvia, and she became tangled up with Koen. In Koen’s arms, Sylvia whispered, "If you want Xia Lei's technology, you must make these two leave."

Koen paused.

Sylvia's voice became even quieter, "Pleasing Mr Xia should be more important than pleasing these two officials, right? You need to understand that what we want is Mr Xia's technology, and no one else's."

Koen did not know why Sylvia was participating in this power battle, he clearly knew which side he should be standing on. It was not beneficial at all for him to go along with Ling Han’s suggestion, and pander to these two Chinese officials. On the other hand, if he got on Xia Lei's good side, he could complete his goal here more beautifully, and maybe even get some pleasant surprise. How would someone like him, who had been in political circles for many years, not know what to choose to do in this situation?

“No problem. Do you have proof?” Koen said quietly in Sylvia’s ear, “This will become easier for us to handle if you can produce concrete evidence.”

“I took a video with my phone,” said Sylvia.

“That would be great. Give it to me,” said Koen

Sylvia stopped crying and making a fuss; she calmed down. She gave Koen her phone when he let her go.

Sylvia and Koen’s whispering made Ling Han suspicious. His heart sank when he saw Sylvia hand her phone to Koen. Before Koen could look at the phone, Ling Han walked up to him and pulled at his hand. "Mr Koen, I’ve made things very clear. I hope you will consider it more carefully."

Koen knotted his brows. “Mr Ling, could you please wait a moment? Sylvia said she took a video of what happened with her phone. I want to see it.”

Ling Han's expression stiffened.

Koen played the video on the phone. The video was very shaky but Sylvia and Song Baicheng could be seen clearly. Sylvia's voice was also very clear, speaking of her rejection of Song Baicheng, and calling for help. However, Song Baicheng pushed her onto the bed in the end, and pressed her violently beneath him, while moving to pull at her underwear.

"Shit! He is not a man!" cursed a German technician.

"This cannot be forgiven easily. This is an insult to Germany!" cried someone.

“Call the police! Take this guy to court!”

“Trash! He is trash! He should be castrated!”

The Germans were filled with righteous indignation.

Ling Han’s gaze turned to Song Baicheng, and his eyes were filled with hate and a terrifying coldness.

Song Baicheng did not dare to look Ling Han in the eye. He avoided his gaze, and cold sweat dotted his forehead. He’d not expected Sylvia to be recording a video on her phone and that she had recorded the whole series of events. He had not actually gone overboard, but based on what Sylvia was saying in German, which he did not understand, there was definitely something wrong!

Koen finished watching the video and his face filled with anger. “Mr Ling, you were saying that you want evidence, right? We have the evidence now. How do you plan to take care of this?”

“We will take care of it the way it should be taken care of. We have our laws. We will punish Song Baicheng accordingly,” said Ling Han coldly.

“I…” Song Baicheng wanted to explain but he swallowed his words when they came to his mouth. He could not explain it, much less prove his innocence.

Koen took out his phone and dialled a number.

Ling Han frowned. “Who are you calling, Mr Koen?”

“I am calling our ambassador, of course. This is a very serious case. We cannot just let it go,” said Koen.

“Making a big deal out of this will not bring you any advantages,” said Ling Han.

Xia Lei then spoke up and said, “Mr Koen, I think Mr Song had had one too many to drink, so he’s also unaware of what he was doing. How about we give him a chance? What do you think?”

Ling Han and Song Baicheng couldn’t help exchanging glances. They suspected that Xia Lei had a hand in this, and did not expect that he would speak up for them at such a critical juncture.

Koen cursed in his head but he kept the angry look on his face. "Fine. Since Mr Xia is putting in a word for you, I don’t want to make this into a big deal either, as long as Miss Sylvia does not pursue the matter. This is a scandal that will negatively affect both parties after all." He turned to face Sylvia. "You make the decision, Sylvia."

Everyone’s eyes went to Sylvia.

Tears clouded Sylvia’s eyes. “I don’t want to see these two people anymore. If they stay at Thunder Horse Military Factory, then I will go to the embassy myself to get justice.”

“This…” Xia Lei started to say something, and stopped.

“Mr Xia, I respect you but I have decided on this. Either they leave, or I go to the embassy,” said Sylvia.

The interpreter translated Sylvia’s words for Ling Han.

Ling Han was immediately enraged. “You want me gone? Are you kidding me, Miss Sylvia? What did I do wrong? I am helping you solve the problem! Even if I did do something wrong, you do not have the right to tell me to leave, unless you people do not want to stay here anymore!”

This was already a warning.

“Brother Ling, calm down. Why make such a big deal out of a small matter? Besides, we cannot let the German delegation leave, no matter how big of a situation it is,” said Xia Lei.

Ling Han was threatening to end the technology exchange if the German party continued to cause trouble, but Xia Lei had stepped forward to say that the Germans couldn’t leave, no matter how big the issue was. He was obviously supporting the Germans, and relieving the pressure on them.

Ling Han stared at Xia Lei. He was not stupid. Things had progressed so far that he had already understood most of it.

Xia Lei did not care how Ling Han felt at all. He also did not care if Ling Han knew that he was the mastermind behind all of this. He would not be able to hide it even if he wanted to, because Fan Fan would come to Thunder Horse Military Factory to assume responsibility for this technology exchange the next day. How could Ling Han not figure out that Xia Lei had implicated him then?

So what if he knew? Xia Lei didn’t care!

He had already not regarded Ling Han as his friend anymore, back when Ling Han and Yu Shanhe worked together to try to take Thunder Horse Military Factory away from him!

Now that Xia Lei had shown where he stood, Koen hesitatedno more. He sorted. "Mr Ling, you are going too far with your bias towards your aide. Since Miss Sylvia has made her decision, I will respect it. I will now give our ambassador a call. Ambassador Philip will negotiate with your side to get someone else sent over.”

There was no more room for negotiation.

Ling Han looked at Xia Lei and suddenly grinned. "Xia Lei, my good Brother. Thank you for speaking up for me earlier."

Xia Lei sighed. "We're Brothers – don’t mention it. It’s too bad that I was not able to help."

"Xia Lei!" Song Baicheng pointed straight at Xia Lei and said angrily, "Stop putting on an act here. You dare say that you had no hand in this?!"

Xia Lei shrugged. "It seems that you show no repentance for your behavior. Why not just let the Germans take you to court?"

"You…" Song Baicheng was so angry he could not retort.

"Have you not embarrassed yourself enough? Leave!" hollered Ling Han.

Song Baicheng glared at Xia Lei, and left.

Ling Han looked at Xia Lei again. “Brother, must you do this?”

Xia Lei looked as if he had been wronged. "Brother Ling, do you also think that I am behind this? If that is what you really think, then I have nothing to say either. Do as you guys please. Excuse me."

Ling Han’s lips moved but he did not say anything. His eyes were frighteningly cold.