The $400K Ultimatum

"Warm, let's get a divorce." The breakfast atmosphere, which had been relatively harmonious, froze at Han Qian's words. He looked at the woman sitting across from him—his wife, or more accurately, his employer, the woman who held his fate in her hands. Han Qian and Warm had been married for three years. Warm had chosen to marry Han Qian to wait for someone else's return, while Han Qian needed Warm's help to avoid the risk of going to prison. Fraud, embezzlement, and falsifying academic credentials—these three charges were enough to keep him behind bars for most of his life. Three years ago, Han Qian's family faced a major crisis. His mother, suffering from multiple illnesses, was hospitalized. To save a few hundred yuan on cooperative medical fees, she had refused to pay, only to end up in the intensive care unit, plunging the already struggling family into deeper financial trouble. The money from selling their house was a drop in the bucket compared to the exorbitant medical costs. When his father considered selling a kidney to raise funds, Han Qian stopped him, promising to find the money within a month. After leaving the hospital, Han Qian forged his academic credentials and applied for a position in the planning department of Changxiang Group, claiming to have years of project planning experience. With his silver tongue, he successfully landed the job. Within half a month, he identified the core issue plaguing Changxiang Group: their department store was losing money year after year, yet they couldn't afford to shut it down because competitors were waiting for them to do so. Han Qian had come to Changxiang specifically for this project. After two weeks of intense work, he developed a strategy to address the department store's problems. When the plan landed on the planning manager's desk, the manager frowned. The proposal seemed promising, and Han Qian seized the opportunity to make a request: the manager could take full credit for the plan, but Han Qian had to be involved in the project. The plan went through risk assessment and eventually reached the senior management meeting. Perhaps Han Qian was lucky, or perhaps the executives had no other options to save the department store. The project was approved, and the planning manager received praise. He showed his gratitude to Han Qian with a 10,000 yuan hush money payment. Han Qian accepted the money without hesitation, transferring it to his father before moving on to his next plan. Han Qian then resorted to various methods to embezzle company funds to cover his mother's medical expenses. When his mother was finally discharged from the hospital, Han Qian was preparing to find a way to fill the 400,000 yuan hole he had created. But before he could act, his actions were exposed. The police arrived at the company to investigate Han Qian. Faced with charges of fraud, embezzlement, and falsifying academic credentials, Han Qian gave up defending himself. Meanwhile, Changxiang Group's legal department filed a lawsuit against him. The planning manager also admitted that the project plan was Han Qian's work. After confessing everything at the police station, Han Qian was thrown into jail to await trial. A month passed, and just as Han Qian was losing hope, he suddenly learned that Changxiang Group's legal department had dropped the lawsuit, claiming it was all a misunderstanding and that they would no longer pursue any charges against him. When Han Qian left the detention center, he was confused. But when a red Alfa Romeo pulled up in front of him and he saw Warm, the vice president of Changxiang Group, in the driver's seat, he understood. It was this "fairy sister" who had resolved his troubles. Han Qian considered himself handsome, but he wasn't arrogant enough to think he could charm the most beautiful woman in Changxiang Group. "Get in the car!" Warm's voice was as gentle as her name. Warm's first impression was one of elegance. At 1.72 meters tall, she stood out among women. Her oval face set her apart from the typical "internet celebrity" beauty standards. Warm wasn't stunningly beautiful, but she exuded a comforting, spring-like warmth. Her long legs weren't just eye-catching—they were striking. Once in the car, Warm handed him a contract. "I want to make a deal with you. It might sound absurd, but you'd better hear me out. If you agree, I'll not only have the legal department drop the charges but also help you repay the 400,000 yuan debt. If you refuse, I'll send you back to prison." Han Qian frowned as he read the bold words on the contract: Marriage Contract. After skimming through it, Han Qian frowned and asked, "You and I get married? You're waiting for your childhood sweetheart to return from studying abroad, and I need to be your protector for the next three years?" Warm's expression turned slightly awkward as she replied in a low voice, "You're not qualified to be my protector, but you're right. I'm waiting for him to come back. I've discussed this with him. My parents don't like him and don't want me to be with him. They're forcing me to get married this year, or they'll take back my shares in Changxiang. Your job is to help me deal with my parents. Of course, if you need it, I can also play the part in front of your parents—if you want me to. I won't keep you for long, just three years at most. He'll be back by then." Han Qian nodded faintly. He didn't feel honored to marry a woman as beautiful as Warm; instead, he felt a sense of resentment. Of course, Warm didn't care about his feelings. She continued, "For the next three years, you'll live in my house as a full-time househusband, taking care of my daily life. But we'll only be married in name. I'll live in the attic, and you'll stay on the first floor. If you have any inappropriate thoughts about me, and if anything happens to me, Changxiang's legal department will sue you. I've also looked into your family's financial situation. Your mother needs a lot of supplements after her discharge from the hospital, and I can provide that. Once we're married, if you file for divorce within three years, you'll have to repay ten times the debt I cleared for you—that's 4 million yuan. Make your decision: sign the contract or go back to jail." This woman wasn't as gentle as her appearance suggested, nor as warm as her name implied. Han Qian turned to look at Warm. "We'll get the marriage certificate today? I might need to go home to get my household registration book." "No need for that. Just bring your ID card and yourself. Also, your project plan was excellent. The board of directors and my father have reviewed it and believe it could turn around the department store's situation. The department store manager wants to thank you." Over the next three years, Warm took good care of Han Qian. When his parents came to the city to visit, she warmly welcomed them and even let them stay at her home. They spent holidays with her family and New Year's with his. Both Han Qian and Warm seemed to have grown accustomed to this life. But now, Han Qian had brought up divorce, even though there were still two months left in their three-year agreement. Warm put down her chopsticks and looked at Han Qian, frowning. "Are you sure? If you file for divorce, you'll have to pay me 4 million yuan. You only have 6,000 yuan in savings right now. I won't turn down 4 million just because of our three years together. I could buy a new car with that." Han Qian smiled and nodded. "Let's get a divorce. If we wait until he comes back, it'll just make things awkward. Thank you for taking care of me these past three years. I'll find a way to repay the 4 million within a year." "By committing fraud again? I admit you're capable, but earning 4 million in a year is impossible for someone like you. Do you know how much trouble your filing for divorce will cause me? If you can't repay me within a year, I'll send you back to jail." Warm's tone carried a hint of threat. She wasn't ready for a divorce yet; three years had made her grow accustomed to having Han Qian around. Han Qian nodded again, still smiling. "Do you have time today? Let's go to the civil affairs bureau this afternoon." Warm's pride didn't allow her to give Han Qian another chance. They didn't even wait until the afternoon—within ten minutes of the bureau opening, they walked out with their divorce papers. Warm didn't even glance at Han Qian as she drove off, leaving him standing outside with a bitter expression. Before she had driven 200 meters, a phone call made Warm pull over. She took several deep breaths before answering. As soon as the call connected, a familiar yet distant voice came through. "Warm, why did he answer your phone last night? I was so excited to tell you that I'll be back in a month. I even booked my flight and wanted to tell you first. But when I finished speaking, it was him who said he understood! Have you two already..." Warm was momentarily stunned, then frowned. "Lin Zongheng, get your dirty thoughts out of your head! I left my phone on the first floor last night. Anything else? I'm busy." Lin Zongheng—the only son of Changxiang Group's chairman and Warm's childhood sweetheart. Warm—the only daughter of Changxiang Group's second-largest shareholder, who had always adored her handsome and gentle "Brother Zongheng." After hearing the woman's voice on the phone and the abrupt hang-up, Warm suddenly felt that her younger self must have been out of her mind to have fallen for such a playboy. She quickly tossed her phone back into the car and turned to look at the man squatting on the steps of the civil affairs bureau, smoking. She frowned and muttered to herself, "I didn't know he smoked." This year, Warm was 26 years old, and Han Qian was 25.