Theodore gazed quietly and steadily into the depths of Valentin’s eyes, a faint smile lingering at the corner of his lips.
In that very moment, he took a good, long look at the surprise etched on Valentin’s face—the pure, unprepared innocence and bewilderment.
Yes, that was right. Only like this did he truly look like a child overshadowed by Theodore, a junior.
Nothing should ever overstep before him.
For a brief moment, Valentin’s eyes trembled, as if he still couldn’t quite comprehend why Gu Zhaoping would have any connection with Theodore. After all, before this, Gu Zhaoping had never appeared at this venue.
Nor had Gu Zhaoping ever had any interaction with their family. In theory, he should be the first member of the La Roche family that she had ever met, but—
As he quickly sank into confusion for an instant, the competitive instinct honed by long-term striving upward kicked in, pulling him back to reality. Fleeting, uneasy thoughts flashed rapidly through his mind.
Yet before they could fully take shape, the thunderous applause from the thousands behind him, following Theodore’s lead, drowned out his voice and emotions.
Theodore had already turned his head back, focusing seriously on the stage where Gu Zhaoping was waiting to give her speech, without glancing back again.
“Why do you—”
Valentin’s question barely left his lips when Gu Zhaoping began the first part of her speech, cutting off his words perfectly at that moment.
Theodore raised his hand, gently making a shushing gesture with his finger.
…Yes, this was not the time to interrupt her speech, nor to be distracted during Miss Gu’s important presentation.
He gritted his teeth.
Even as Valentin gradually recovered from his daze, his heartbeat thundered louder and louder in his chest, filling his ears. His hands clenched the armrests tightly, veins bulging, yet he didn’t continue speaking. Instead, he kept his gaze fixed on the stage, remaining silent.
Though his mind had already turned over those thoughts a hundred times.
Valentin quickly realized—could it be that his brother, knowing about his recent contact with Miss Gu, had already gone to meet her as a guardian?
If that was the case, it was really not a good sign. From what he knew of Miss Gu’s character, she would definitely dislike such probing into her past and background. To recklessly investigate her history like that, it was…
Valentin’s movements stiffened again. He also thought of another, even more unbelievable possibility that rose from the depths of his heart.
That thought made his chest tighten sharply, sending a flush of heat down his spine, triggering a defensive instinct.
Now, he hoped it was only a guardian’s inquiry. That would be best.
But the shock caused by Gu Zhaoping’s appearance extended far beyond just Valentin. In fact, compared to others, his shock was relatively mild.
Standing right at the entrance of the conference hall were two men in their twenties, both dressed in formal suits. They had once looked sharp and refined, men of some status and class.
If it weren’t for the twitching, twisted expressions on their faces at this very moment, someone passing by might have respectfully addressed them as “Young Master So-and-so” or “President So-and-so.”
But now, the looks on their faces had contorted into something terrifying.
They seemed as if they didn’t even recognize the person on stage.
If it weren’t for the cold air conditioning in the hall making them shiver all over, they might still have been too stunned to snap out of it.
They had imagined this moment a thousand times, ten thousand times, even considered every possible rival and scenario.
Gu Zhaoye and Gu Kaichang had even cursed each other, and cursed Gu Zhaosi—the one who had only ever appeared once before in front of them.
But no matter how many times they cursed, no one had ever expected this!
The person standing on stage was—her!!
Gu Zhaoye felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He was the one who found it hardest to believe.
Looking at the woman on stage, who bore a striking resemblance to him—no, perhaps she looked more like Gu Zhaosi.
That face was far too familiar, one he had seen thousands of times since childhood. But every time, it should never have been in a scene like this, with this expression—she was so confident, calm, and composed, commanding the room as she looked down at the audience, effortlessly delivering lines that should have belonged to him!
They had only met a couple of days ago, up on the snowy mountain, where she had just given him a harsh lesson. At that time, he had gritted his teeth, which only strengthened his resolve to apologize to the old master.
He was determined to regain the old master’s trust and favor. The old master’s reliance on him was what would elevate his status above Gu Zhaoping’s. Otherwise, he would be left with no place to argue after being defeated by her like this!
But how could she?! How could she appear here?!
After countless lightning-fast moments of realization, a thunderclap finally split through Gu Zhaoye’s mind, slowly piecing together some information!
Wait, she had said last time that she would take leave, that she wouldn’t attend this session. Could it be that she came here specifically for this meeting??
Was that possible? Could the old master have already agreed so early on to let Gu Zhaoping come?
How could this be? The old master hadn’t considered him, nor anyone else, but had chosen Gu Zhaoping?!
This was a massive, nuclear-level shock to Gu Zhaoye.
After all, in CEO novels, the one who mingles with a domineering male CEO is usually another domineering male CEO.
Those who smoked and drank with him on cruise ships, at banquets, and dinners were always high-ranking male heirs.
If there was a wealthy woman involved, her role was often to arrange a marriage alliance or snatch a golden son-in-law as a scheming “green tea” character.
He had never connected Gu Zhaoping with power before.
No matter how fiercely Gu Zhaoping made a scene, he still believed she was merely striving to secure her future position within the Gu family—a position that never once posed a threat to him.
He thought Gu Zhaoping’s ambition was limited to being the eldest sister.
As the arrogant and domineering eldest daughter, Gu Zhaoping had honestly maintained that image for a long time.
But today, she was no longer that.
She stepped out from those lavish banquets, leaving behind the jewelry auctions, the luxury boutiques—every place a wealthy heiress was supposed to be.
She had taken control of the situation; she was now the one calling the shots.
She held the microphone, commanding everyone below to listen to her voice.
“Over the past decade, the new energy industry has evolved from its tentative beginnings to a booming sector. Every technological breakthrough, every policy implementation, has propelled us toward a future of sustainable energy…”
Gu Zhaoping paid no mind to their reactions—if anyone even noticed them at all—and she had already begun her speech.
Her tone was calm, composed.
Not a trace of the nervousness they expected to see.
This only made his expression grow darker.
“In this grand context, our family business has identified three core development directions, determined to become an innovative leader in the new energy field.”
Her voice echoed throughout the venue. At the entrance, Gu Zhaoye’s eyes widened gradually as realization dawned on him, and he shook his head hard.
She was about to start her presentation—what could she possibly say?
Ridiculous! Gu Zhaoping had never been involved in these fields. Even if it were him, he would never dare to spout nonsense about the energy industry. At most, he would speak on topics within his own expertise in new technology…
No, if he were representing Yuanqi Technology, he might not even have had the chance to step on stage and speak.
Gu Zhaoye was completely oblivious to this fact. He just stared at Gu Zhaoping on stage with eyes full of rage, helplessly watching her open her mouth again.
“First, we will focus on the in-depth development of distributed energy systems. We recognize that distributed energy offers unique advantages in terms of flexibility and reliability of energy supply…”
Gu Zhaoping turned, signaling to the large screen behind her.
Detailed and thorough data appeared on the display, scrolling in an orderly fashion with her gesture.
The two men standing by the door were stunned, watching in disbelief as she actually delivered the speech!
At that moment, Ruan Nian, who had been lagging behind, finally caught up.
Because she didn’t have an invitation and couldn’t prove her identity, she had to spend a long time explaining that she was Gu Zhaoye’s partner and verifying the surveillance footage before she was allowed in.
Now, she saw the two who should have hurried into the venue standing stiffly at the entrance, frozen in place—not a single one had entered. She couldn’t help but stop as well, panting and curiously asking,
“Zhaoye, why aren’t you going in?”
Ruan Nian still didn’t understand what was going on. She gasped a few times, then suddenly looked up. Even before she got an answer, her eyes darted over the layers of people in the conference hall—and there, standing under the spotlight on the stage, was that person—
Gu Zhaoping.
Ruan Nian’s pupils constricted.
How could she be here?!
This was the last place she ever expected to run into Gu Zhaoping!
What was happening? Why was Gu Zhaoping standing on the stage at an event like this?!
In a flurry of panic, she quickly glanced down at the audience below—thousands of guests packed tightly together, along with even more media and prominent figures from all walks of life.
Security at this conference was extremely tight. They had passed through multiple checkpoints just to get in. It was only because of Gu Zhaoye’s status within the Gu family—and the Gu family’s significant role in this summit—that he was allowed entry. Ruan Nian had followed as his companion.
But they had entered through a back door, where layers of reporters with cameras and equipment crowded behind it, while the front entrance was sealed off.
Without an invitation, no one could enter from the front.
So now, on that stage that everyone’s eyes were fixed on—
Ruan Nian’s pupils tightened in disbelief.
She couldn’t even fully grasp what Gu Zhaoping had just said. There were too many technical terms, and her college-level English was barely enough to keep up.
Yet, under her gaze, Gu Zhaoping didn’t stop.
“Second, we will vigorously invest in the hydrogen energy industry chain. Hydrogen, as a zero-emission, high-energy-density clean energy source, is regarded as the ideal carrier of future energy. We will begin with the large-scale production of green hydrogen…”
“Third, we will build an intelligent energy ecosystem by deeply integrating new energy with big data and artificial intelligence…”
What was he talking about? How could he speak so confidently like this?! Did he really understand all this? Had he mastered it?
Ruan Nian still couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t figure out why Gu Zhaoping could stand there so calmly, almost like a genuine entrepreneur, delivering such a lengthy and professional speech in front of everyone.
All the impressions she had of Gu Zhaoping lately were swirling rapidly in her mind, turning over like a whirlwind.
She was at once incredulous and on the verge of breaking down as she desperately reconstructed her understanding.
Gu Zhaoping said she was good at those skills…
Gu Zhaoping had defeated that curator using jiu-jitsu.
Gu Zhaoping had run their shop on the show, winning with the highest profits. Even during bidding, he had already outpaced many others, suffocating them with pressure.
The image Gu Zhaoping had shown them recently—calm, composed, unshakable—was completely different from the Gu Zhaoping she had known before.
All this time, Ruan Nian had believed that her goal was to gain control over Gu Zhaoye, to secure a higher status within the Gu family, and perhaps, in the future, to arrange for Gu Zhaoye’s fiancée to be assigned to her.
She never imagined there could be any other possibility.
But now, she felt as if a barrier surrounding her world was shattering layer by layer.
— This new female supporting character who had just taken over was different from any supporting character Ruan Nian had ever seen or experienced before. More importantly, she was nothing like what Ruan Nian had expected!
She actually wanted to wrest power away from Gu Zhaoye!!
No, she wanted to directly kick Gu Zhaoye off the stage and take his place herself!
The sudden realization hit Ruan Nian with overwhelming terror, her expression turning pale and frantic in an instant.
No one present understood better than she did how this Gu Zhaoping had come to be!
Could it be that the absence penalty given by the system before was...?
At the mere thought of this possibility, a chill ran through Ruan Nian’s entire body. She dared not look toward Gu Zhaoye, nor imagine how furious he would be if he ever discovered the truth—and how he would blame her!
She had no idea what kind of world Gu Zhaoping truly came from, or what experiences he had endured in the past!
Why was he so restless and disobedient?
Why was he unwilling to be just a supporting character, content to play simple roles that would highlight her image, then obediently follow the system and smoothly log off to return to her original world?
Why, after arriving in this world, did he insist on putting down roots here, almost with an irresistible, aggressive stance, reclaiming his voice from everyone around him?!
Ruan Nian was terrified beyond measure, her whole body trembling!
She had caused a huge disaster!!
If all of this really came true, the consequences would be unimaginable!!
At that moment, Gu Zhaoping gently pushed up his glasses. The cold gleam of the camera lens flashed, reflecting a bright white light on his lenses. He was dressed in a black shirt and pristine white trousers—common colors among the entrepreneurs in the audience—but the moment he stood on stage, he was impossible to ignore.
“I have always believed that fossil fuels are not a natural inheritance, but a high-interest loan we have mortgaged to the future.”
“Starting today, we will end this loan agreement.”
“As early as the Song Dynasty, our ancestors used the water-driven armillary sphere to observe the stars. Back then, they surely never imagined that one day we would harness the power of stars in the universe.”
“The essence of the energy revolution is to evolve humanity from beggars of nature into partners of the cosmos.”
He extended his hand slightly, pressing lightly on the screen behind him, which then went dark, signaling the end.
Theodor in the audience listened intently.
Of course, those around him were even more captivated. Many wore expressions bordering on obsession, lost in thought. Theodore didn’t need to look closely to know how many had been deeply moved and convinced by the power of this speech.
After Gu Zhaoping finished on stage, he even turned his gaze around and nodded slightly at him among the crowd.
Theodore said nothing else but was the first to lead the applause. He knew Gu Zhaoping would understand that this was his response—a symbol of the contract they were about to embark on together.
Gu Zhaoping closed his eyes briefly, smiled, and nodded back at him. But at that moment, Theodore noticed that the applause wasn’t coming from just his own hands.
He was slightly taken aback and glanced sideways, catching sight of a man in the two rows behind, who was also looking up attentively at the stage and clapping earnestly.
Theodore hadn’t paid much attention to this man before; it seemed they had crossed paths once earlier in the parking lot.
His gaze settled on Ni Tiansong’s focused expression but he didn’t think much of it.
Almost everyone in the audience wore the same expression after Gu Zhaoping’s speech—completely absorbed. The man behind was just one among many.
It was only then that the entire audience slowly came to life, a ripple of astonished murmurs spreading outward like waves.
As the rounds of enthusiastic praise built up, the applause swelled gradually, and under the flashing lights, it thundered like a storm!
Finally, some people reacted, turning to those beside them to ask, “Who is this person on stage? Where is she from? What’s her name?”
Although she had introduced herself at the start, at that time no one had paid much attention to the voice. Only after her words settled did more people become eager to learn about her.
Whether it was her past background or her future plans, everyone wanted to know more.
“Gu Zhaoping?”
“Gu, Zhaoping.”
She hadn’t introduced an English name. For most, the Chinese name wasn’t easy to pronounce. Still, many persisted, repeating the unfamiliar syllables over and over, trying to smooth them out into something familiar they could use going forward.
Someone beside Ni Tiansong asked him as well, since he looked like he shared the same nationality as the person on stage.
Ni Tiansong turned his head and carefully repeated the name to him.
Again and again, he broke down the three characters, letting them roll off his tongue with great care—just so the other person would remember the name.
Hearing that many influential figures around intended to privately approach Gu Zhaoping after the event, Theodore couldn’t help but smile.
He began to realize that perhaps it wasn’t Gu Zhaoping who needed his help; instead, he had discovered a terrifyingly promising rising star.
He felt happy for himself.
He hadn’t expected the speech to end so abruptly while they were still stunned.
At that moment, Gu Zhaoye finally moved his stiffened eyes slightly, his gaze burning with fury as he watched Gu Zhaoping just step down from the stage and immediately get surrounded by a crowd rushing to meet him.
He even lowered his head to glance slowly at his watch, still unable to believe that this seemed to be a moment worthy of the grand finale—they really had let Gu Zhaoping go on stage.
No one knew, and no one had ever anticipated it.
Gu Zhaoye suddenly lifted his head. Even though he had been standing there for quite a while, his breathing was still heavy and ragged, as if he had just finished a strenuous run, refusing to settle down.
He didn’t even have time to think about what he had just heard, or why Gu Zhaoping could so effortlessly finish her speech. He didn’t think, and he didn’t dare to think.
His senses numbed, he frantically scanned the crowd, desperate to find the old master to ask him for an explanation. How could he have made such a decision?!
But there were too many people around him, constantly pushing past as they rushed forward, bumping him so that he staggered down the corridor again and again. No one paid attention to who he was or what status he held.
He still hadn’t found—
ChunྉRiྉ
the old master. He searched anxiously for a long time. Only the figure of Gu Zhaoping standing on the stage was strikingly conspicuous!
While Gu Kaichang stood dumbfounded, he saw Gu Zhaoye suddenly stride forward beside him.
“Zhaoye—” Ruan Nian’s eyes widened, her pupils shrinking. Before she could grab him, Gu Zhaoye had already forcefully pushed through the crowd.
He shoved aside everyone standing in front of him and strode down the steps, heading straight toward Gu Zhaoping on the stage.
This was bad! He wouldn’t dare confront Gu Zhaoping here, would he?
This was, after all, a gathering of the world’s elite, with countless cameras focused on them!
But Gu Zhaoye’s mind was clouded with disbelief and anger, leaving no room for any calm or rational approach.
All he wanted was to rush up to Gu Zhaoping and find the old master to get a clear answer. What exactly was going on? Did they really intend to push him out of the core circle of the Gu family?
Did they really—?
Before he could even finish that thought in his mind, he was already standing very close to Gu Zhaoping.
She was surrounded by a group of people, politely exchanging greetings and discussing related matters.
Some of them were even familiar to Gu Zhaoye. In the past, they had never shown him such a friendly face, never been so eager to talk to him.
He had always had to greet them politely, trailing behind the old master as a respectful junior.
But now, Gu Zhaoping didn’t need to.
She calmly conversed with these people, as if they had come to her of their own accord, and she was merely responding.
“Gu Zhaoping.” He panted heavily, calling out in a low voice, but no one paid him any attention. Furious, he called out again, “Gu Zhaoping!”
This time, the group finally paused, turning one by one to look at this impolite man. Some frowned at his rudeness, wondering how someone with such poor manners could have entered the venue.
Gu Zhaoping finally heard him. She hesitated for a moment, then turned around and saw Gu Zhaoye standing there.
She looked genuinely surprised.
I had thought that after being slapped in the face on the snowy mountain and ending up like that, Gu Zhaoye would have taken Ruan Nian to retreat and avoid visitors again. But this time, he didn’t go into seclusion and actually showed up in front of everyone. That in itself was progress for him—truly something to celebrate.
Only, that progress came too late.
A nearby entrepreneur frowned and said, “Who is this? If you want to discuss the matter with Miss Gu just now, please line up at the back, okay?”
So rude. There were so many people ahead already, yet he wanted to barge straight in.
Gu Zhaoye’s eyes flashed with disbelief as he stared at her. Was he here to talk to Gu Zhaoping about these things? He clearly was—
Gu Zhaoping nodded to the entrepreneur beside her and apologized, “Really sorry about that.”
She then looked up at Gu Zhaoye, lifting her chin slightly as she nodded at him. “This is my younger brother.”
“My apologies for his lack of manners and for embarrassing everyone.”
She raised her head again, her tone and expression as cold as ever, switching back to Chinese.
“Gu Zhaoye, go back.”
This is not a place for you.
