The vice president of Yuanqi Technology suddenly felt a sense of absurdity rising within him.
He knew full well that this whole turmoil started with that exchanged glance at the summit, and earlier, on the snowy mountain, where Gu Zhaoping's image had been brutally contrasted with Gu Zhaoye's.
Gu Zhaoping had done everything exceptionally well, exceeding everyone's expectations. The moment she appeared, she thoroughly overshadowed Gu Zhaoye.
Even they felt dazed looking at Gu Zhaoping on the screen. Was this the young lady they used to know?
...No, actually, the young lady had been like this recently. Ever since that day she came to work and pulled off such a major incident at the financial summary meeting, her image had completely reversed from the past.
So reliable, so calm, and now even appearing at such a grand occasion, representing the Gu Family to give a speech. This fully demonstrated that Grandpa held her in high regard, and that her own capabilities were sufficiently formidable.
The vice president suddenly drew in a sharp breath. A wildly ambitious idea, not yet fully formed, abruptly surfaced in his mind.
If one day... Yuanqi Technology really were to change its leader...
Would their current crisis then be very likely to be resolved?
Gu Zhaoye's reputation was already in tatters. But what if he were replaced by someone who was his exact opposite... someone currently enjoying a positive reputation and possessing considerable ability... as the new leader?
Once this thought emerged, it lingered, circling incessantly in his mind!
In a daze, he paused, realizing this was the first time he had ever considered this question.
He was actually daring enough to think about getting himself a new boss.
Meanwhile, it took some time for all the news from back home to reach them.
Liang Zhiwei and Chu Yanze sat dumbfounded in the tea room. They were still somewhat stunned after watching Sister Zhaoping win so swiftly against her opponent and then leave.
Then, someone sighed, "Sister Zhaoping is really amazing."
Chu Yanze finally snapped back to reality and turned his head to look in the direction where Ni Tiansong had strode off.
His earlier premonition seemed likely to come true.
From the first moment he saw this man, he had felt uneasy, though he couldn't quite articulate why at the time.
Now he understood.
It was Ni Tiansong's reaction to Sister Zhaoping, which seemed somewhat excessive, as if anything Sister Zhaoping did could surprise him.
And now, he was even boldly chasing after her so openly.
What did he think his status was? Just someone Li Xunwen hired to cheat at chess. Would Sister Zhaoping even give him the time of day?
By the time he caught up, Sister Zhaoping would probably have already gotten in her car and left. Would she even listen to him?
However, when Gu Zhaosi ran after Li Xunwen and they both got up to follow, they saw that man had also gotten into a car and driven off, seemingly in the same direction Sister Zhaoping had gone.
Chu Yanze looked in that direction, his brow slightly furrowed, an even more unpleasant premonition stirring in his heart.
He suddenly felt that this person might have further contact with Sister Zhaoping, not limited to just this chess game.
Remembering also the man who had been by Sister Zhaoping's side in the helicopter on the snowy mountain, Chu Yanze grew heavy-hearted.
Boys of this age, even those outstanding in looks and career development, how could they possibly feel confident when facing Gu Zhaoping?
Many thoughts could only churn anxiously because of her. Words stuck in their throats, unspeakable; asking one more question felt like an impertinence.
With these turbulent emotions swirling inside him,
Chu Yanze turned his gaze to Li Xunwen and joined Gu Zhaosi's team.
"Are you going to write it or not?"
Li Xunwen was in the midst of an emotionally charged back-and-forth argument with Gu Zhaosi when another voice suddenly cut in from the side!
He froze for a moment, looking at Chu Yanze in disbelief. "What, you're ganging up on me too?"
Chu Yanze's face turned cold. His young, handsome features stared down at Li Xunwen icily. "There are 38 minutes left. If you can't write it, do you remember what the penalty for breaching the agreement is? I can remind you."
Li Xunwen was about to explode with rage.
Fine, just fine! So your group is all united, huh? You're all just fawning over Gu Zhaoping! She's not even here, and you're still busy currying favor with her! Has she even given you a second glance?
Then he thought of his own team on the show, saddled with that useless Ruan Nian who caused them so much trouble, and Gu Zhaoye who was more of a liability than an asset.
The more Li Xunwen thought about it, the more suffocated he felt. His team had conflicts at every turn, so why did these people listen to Gu Zhaoping so obediently?
Gu Zhaosi was also somewhat surprised. He glanced at Chu Yanze and let out a soft "heh."
Trying to get on my good side to please my sister, kid?
Go ahead, try. I'm going to show you personally that this tactic won't work!
My sister definitely won't develop any fondness for you just because you're trying to suck up to me.
And I won't report your behind-the-scenes behavior to her either!
With someone competing for the title of "Bootlicker-in-Chief," Gu Zhaosi's enthusiasm surged even higher. He directly grabbed Li Xunwen's shoulder. "Don't want to write? Fine! Let's go look at the contract right now! We'll do this formally, get someone to send you a lawyer's letter immediately!"
"Gu Zhaosi!"
Without another word, the two of them, one on each side, twisted Li Xunwen's arms and forced him down in front of the table. Liang Zhiwei, acting with perfect tacit understanding, swiftly found paper and a pen and slapped them down in front of Li Xunwen. "Write it by hand."
Li Xunwen glared at her furiously!
Gu Zhaosi turned his face back, making him glare at himself instead, and glared right back!
Li Xunwen clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth hard for a long time as if he had already bitten Gu Zhaosi to pieces.
You people from the Gu Family are all lunatics, absolute lunatics!
He never should have joined this damn show in the first place.
Stupid variety show, stupid production team, stupid guests, a bunch of unlucky jerks!
In the end, Li Xunwen, with his arms held down, was forcibly pressed into the chair and made to start writing on the paper. His face was full of stubborn defiance, stubbornly maintaining the expression of a chaste young man being forced into a life of shame.
Finally finished writing, he thought he was finally off the hook. Gu Zhaosi glanced at the timer. "Four minutes overtime. Unacceptable."
Li Xunwen shot him another fierce glare. Damn it, Gu Zhaosi, are you insane?? Gu Zhaoping only asked me to finish writing it, and you're giving me a time limit too?
Gu Zhaosi seemed to relish oppressing him. He pressed Li Xunwen's head down to keep writing. "One extra minute equals a hundred extra words. Write!"
Chu Yanze also immediately joined in, pressing down on him without hesitation!
Like a prisoner, Li Xunwen was held down and confronted by several people for several more hours, forced to write several hundred more words, trembling with anger until he was about to burst!
Gu Zhaosi pressed down on his
spring day
hand, Chu Yanze forced him to open the camera, take a photo, and post it on Weibo. Then Gu Zhaosi shoved him outside. "Get lost!"
Li Xunwen stumbled as he was shoved down the steps. He turned his head and glared fiercely at the two of them, finally grinding his teeth in fury as he climbed into his own car, shouting at the driver to leave immediately! Go!
Just at that moment, Liang Zhiwei's phone rang loudly, its shrill tone interrupting the two people's impassioned emotions, causing them both to turn their heads to look at her.
Liang Zhiwei was startled for a moment, then quickly answered: "Huh? The Boss of Huaxing Entertainment?"
She was taken aback. She wasn't originally an artist under Huaxing Entertainment; in fact, she was only a contracted actress under one of Huaxing Entertainment's subsidiary labels. It's just that her original company was very small and had recently become unsustainable, with the boss planning to flee, so the artists under them had been taken back under the management of Huaxing Entertainment.
Although Liang Zhiwei had been forcibly inserted into this program to act as a supporting character to Ruan Nian, she still cherished this chance to be in the spotlight. Once she was fully under Huaxing Entertainment, a top-tier company in the entertainment industry with so many artists competing, it would be hard to say if she'd ever get another chance to stand out.
But seeing that this call was actually from the Boss of Huaxing Entertainment himself?
She quickly walked to the side to answer: "Hello, Boss?"
"Zhiwei, you're recording the program, right? Heh, I haven't disturbed you until now. Things have been settled now, so I'm telling you. Record with peace of mind, don't be afraid. We've already resolved the previous public opinion issue!"
Liang Zhiwei was dumbfounded: "What public opinion?"
She had been on the snow mountain these past few days, almost completely cut off from the outside world. After coming down, she went straight to the hospital and hadn't had time to check the news.
"Ah, you didn't know?" Even the Boss of Huaxing Entertainment was stunned. He had been worried that Liang Zhiwei had been unable to eat or sleep peacefully because of the negative rumors lately, but it turned out she hadn't even bothered to pay attention?
After such a big fuss, Liang Zhiwei herself actually had no idea at all?
What kind of laid-back attitude was this...
The boss was speechless for a moment, then said, half laughing and half exasperated: "Forget it, it's like this..."
Liang Zhiwei was initially somewhat dazed, but as she listened, her scalp immediately began to tingle.
Oh my god, what's going on this time? Good heavens, who's spreading rumors about me again? Has my unlucky life started up again?
"Oh my god, Boss, what should I do? How do we handle the PR? How should I cooperate, or..." Liang Zhiwei's lips trembled as she spoke, already imagining the worst outcome, "or... are you going to terminate my contract?"
She blurted it out thoughtlessly, then jolted, suddenly realizing the boss had said something a moment ago...
He said they had already resolved the public opinion issue?!
Liang Zhiwei was shocked. Wow, what efficiency is this? It's only been a day or two??
Is this what a big company is like?!
A small-time artist like her, with no background and no status, could also be treated so seriously by the PR team?
Liang Zhiwei was astounded, feeling both honored and overwhelmed, and repeatedly expressed her thanks: "Oh my, oh my, how can I accept this? Oh no, no, Boss! Is this really the treatment I can have?"
The boss, originally in high spirits, was somewhat baffled by her excessively humble attitude. Recently, there had been a lot of discussion about Liang Zhiwei, a sign of rising status. Why did she still act like she had just stumbled upon a stroke of incredible luck?
He truly didn't know that Liang Zhiwei was used to being unlucky and was genuinely afraid. She didn't dare believe any bit of good fortune could actually be hers.
In the past, Ruan Nian had used the system to exchange her luck who knows how many times.
“What are you embarrassed for? If it weren't for you this time, our company wouldn't have been able to recruit such a valuable new member. You are our company's lucky star!”
The boss said cheerfully. Later, he had inquired about Sister Li's situation and learned she had jumped ship from her original company because of a public opinion issue—that company wanted to fire her to give Ruan Nian's fans an explanation.
But he knew Sister Li. Organizing large-scale fan support activities without reporting it? That didn't seem like something she would do; she wasn't that foolish.
This matter was most likely her taking the blame.
Taking the blame for an artist, and then the artist not protecting her, letting the company punish her. It was only natural that Sister Li would feel utterly disheartened.
He just hadn't expected that after feeling so disheartened, Sister Li's choice would be to become Liang Zhiwei's agent.
Now she would truly stand completely opposite Ruan Nian, competing directly against her.
Liang Zhiwei was also stunned: "Huh? Recruited who?"
Liang Zhiwei fell silent for a moment.
Then she let out a high-pitched scream: "Sister Li?!"
The two people behind her once again turned their heads in unison to look at her.
A few minutes later.
They finally learned that the events of the past few days had long since spread back to the country!
And had already caused an uproar on the internet!
The news of Gu Zhaoping breaking the record had spread back.
The news that Gu Zhaoye caused Liang Zhiwei to be trapped on the mountain had spread back.
The news that Gu Zhaoping rescued her had also spread back.
Then the three of them were utterly shocked, their eyes wide.
"What? Gu Zhaoping gave a speech??"
So Gu Zhaoping left in such a hurry earlier to go speak at such a heavyweight summit?
She was representing the Gu Family?
Then what does that make Gu Zhaoye?
He doesn't count for anything anymore!!
Liang Zhiwei suddenly realized something.
Wait, does this mean that the so-called status as the heir of the Gu Family that Gu Zhaoye always assumed was not unshakable... He might now have to change seats?
Liang Zhiwei was quiet for a long moment.
Then she suddenly started dancing wildly and chaotically, pulling her elbow down and clenching her fist: "Yes!!"
The celebration banquet lasted for several hours and still showed no signs of ending.
Originally, not many people were invited, but after hearing the news, far too many people tried to worm their way in.
Grandpa wanted to speak but kept getting interrupted. He stared with utter exasperation at these uninvited old fellows fawning over him with ingratiating smiles.
Hmph, you all came because you heard about our Zhaoping, didn't you? Look at you, really...
Grandpa stood there holding his glass, not speaking anymore, just quietly watching Zhaoping converse with others.
What could be more satisfying in one's later years than watching an outstanding junior steal the show like this?
Finally, his gaze shifted again, landing on Ni Tiansong, who was off to the side.
Well, well, this is truly unexpected. Said he didn't want to meet before, but privately he's been so proactive. He's already acquainted with Zhaoping, and even Zhaoping invited him to watch her speech at the summit.
Looking at it this way, the potential for their relationship is very promising indeed.
He smiled, taking a sip of his drink. Then someone hurried over anxiously, leaned close to his ear, and said: "Grandpa, people from the Laroche family have also arrived."
Grandpa was momentarily stunned, wanting to say "please show him in," but then he paused again, suddenly realizing his hand was trembling slightly.
He thought to himself, had he made a small mistake, or perhaps caused a bit of trouble?
Oh dear! Blame my old age, I forgot when introducing Ni Tiansong earlier—young master Laroche is currently on very good terms with Zhaoping recently!
Wasn't it him who, right in front of him last time, invited Zhaoping to a gathering? And the trip to the snowy mountains also seemed to be an invitation from the Laroche family, probably from this young master, right?
Grandpa Gu held his teacup motionless, the flesh on his face quivered, and a trace of guilt appeared in his eyes.
Oh no, how could he have forgotten about this?
He looked at Zhaoping again. Oh, child, you are too filial! You really don't refuse anyone introduced to you! With that young man around, how come Ni Tiansong is here too?
Grandpa could already feel a wave of deep embarrassment in advance. Oh no, oh no. If only one of them were here, he would find it quite pleasing to the eye, watching these young fellows trying to win over his granddaughter. But it shouldn't be both of them at the same time!
But the guest had already arrived, the previous one had been let in, could he possibly send this one back? Grandpa's cup trembled in his hand for a long moment. Finally, he made up his mind and said with a tremble, "Please show him in."
Then he raised his drink and downed it in one gulp. Zhaoping, my good granddaughter, it's up to you now.
If one cannot manage the affairs of one's own household, how can one manage the affairs of the world?
As my granddaughter, capable of such great deeds, you should certainly be able to handle a little 'fire in the backyard.'
Grandpa turned and resolutely walked away.
It wasn't just Valentin de Laroche who arrived.
After the butler opened the main door, he noticed the young master's face looked somewhat gloomy, an expression not usually seen on his sunny disposition.
The butler was taken aback, noticing another man walking in behind him who bore some resemblance to him. This man was slightly taller and more solidly built, with somewhat darker hair. Compared to Valentin's dazzling platinum blond, his was more brownish, and his demeanor was more composed.
Although he walked in behind Valentin, judging by his bearing, it seemed as if he had long been clear that he was the one in charge.
The butler stared in surprise. Grandpa Gu, who was hiding to the side pretending to converse with someone in an attempt to escape the situation, suddenly found his tongue tied. He couldn't help but cast his gaze over. He was somewhat astonished, but more than that, curious, and rather foolishly fixed his eyes on the two men who entered afterward.
If one had to compare who was more handsome, different people would truly give different answers.
Valentin's looks were fashionably and sharply handsome, akin to the dashing, eye-catching charm of a movie star.
But could the man beside him be said to lose? No, absolutely not. Looking at him a few more times, one might feel drawn into his eyes and brows, sinking and captivated, more composed and superior than Valentin.
Grandpa even found himself admiringly watching for a moment, before suddenly realizing—this age, this appearance—he thought it must be that one from the Laroche family...
The other had already locked onto him in the crowd and walked straight over, bowing his head in greeting. "Mr. Gu, hello."
Grandpa was startled, nearly spilling his drink. He quickly handed the cup to someone nearby to hold, then reached out to shake his hand.
"I am Theodore." Theodore stood beside him. Although Grandpa was quite tall in his youth, age had taken its toll, and Theodore still stood a head taller.
He turned his gaze toward the direction of Gu Zhaoping, who was talking to someone in the crowd. A slight smile touched the corner of his mouth, as if he shared the same appreciation and pride: "I am a friend of Miss Gu. It's presumptuous of me to attend the celebration banquet today. You must be very proud of her, right?"
Grandpa had initially wondered if things between Zhaoping and that young master had already progressed to the point of meeting the family? Had the young master brought his older brother along?
But at this moment, he suddenly realized something else. He slowly took another look at Theodore's excellent jawline.
When he turned his gaze back, his eyes suddenly became unusually grave.
The hand shaking Theodore's trembled slightly.
...A third one.
Are you people playing games with this old man?
After surveying the room, Valentin was the first to quickly stride towards Gu Zhaoping.
He immediately greeted her, "Miss Gu, my apologies. I heard many people were coming to the celebration banquet, and I couldn't resist coming myself. I hope I'm not disturbing you."
Gu Zhaoping looked at him, slightly taken aback, but didn't mind. "Of course, you're welcome."
Seeing the people around them had moved away and no one could hear their conversation, he lowered his voice slightly and said quickly, "I apologize. I didn't know my brother had privately visited you. If he offended you, I apologize on his behalf first. If there's a chance, I'll have him apologize to you as well. I hope you weren't affected by it."
"Not at all." Gu Zhaoping's tone was very forgiving. Never mind that she ultimately got the terms she wanted from Theodore; even if an ordinary, overbearing parent wanted to confront her over their child's marriage issues, she wouldn't find it troublesome—all solvable problems. "Don't worry, the outcome was also what I wanted."
Valentin was stunned. The breath he had relaxed couldn't be fully released.
What kind of outcome was it that Miss Gu wanted?
He suddenly looked back to where he had been standing earlier. Theodore was no longer there.
He paused, searching for his figure, and finally spotted him in a corner.
Theodore was standing beside an elderly man, shaking his hand and speaking with a composed attitude.
Of course, he immediately recognized Grandpa Gu.
Valentin's heart sank.
Earlier, when they heard Ni Tiansong say the Gu Family was holding this celebration banquet, Theodore immediately decided to come along.
Valentin didn't have such thick skin, but he didn't give up immediately either. Seeing Theodore stride forward, he only hesitated for a moment before quickly following.
A strange sense of crisis filled his heart. He still didn't know what exactly Theodore had said to Miss Gu that day.
Valentin pursed his lips slightly, lowering those sea-blue eyes for a long moment.
Then he raised them, looking at Gu Zhaoping with a determined seriousness:
"Miss Gu, no matter what anyone else has promised you, I hope you can believe that I can offer the same, and even more."
More sincerity, and from the heart.
"Hearing you say that moves me deeply." Gu Zhaoping smiled and shook his hand. "If there's a need, I certainly won't stand on ceremony."
Perhaps because the two of them had been conversing for too long, a person watching from a distance finally sensed something amiss.
He was a family friend of the Gu Family. He had participated in the previous tea gathering and was the one who, after meeting Shen Yifeng, had told him, "Miss Gu is a phoenix among people."
He wasn't involved in the social circles of the younger generation and hadn't heard any recent rumors. So, seeing these two chatting and laughing, he felt somewhat puzzled.
As an elder who knew both the Gu and Shen families, and having learned of their former engagement, he couldn't help but feel a sense of responsibility as a connecting link.
He glanced around again. Shen Yifeng hadn't even arrived at such an important occasion. After a moment's thought and consideration, he found a quiet corner and called Shen Yifeng.
"...Yifeng, do you know which banquet hall it is? Why aren't you here yet?"
It never occurred to him that the Gu grandfather and granddaughter hadn't even considered inviting Shen Yifeng, so he asked Shen Yifeng in a perfectly natural tone.
Shen Yifeng was momentarily taken aback, wondering why he was being asked so casually.
He thought to himself, could it be that during his distracted moments at the conference or his trip to the snow-capped mountains, someone had arranged a follow-up event that he missed?
Shen Yifeng paused, suppressing all the chaotic emotions of recent days, and replied politely, "You've already arrived, I see? My apologies, I'm not sure of the location yet. Could you please tell me? I'll head over right away."
His tone was calm, as if he had regained his former composed and reliable image.
So he didn't know.
The man was stunned. How could Shen Yifeng be so inattentive to matters concerning Miss Gu? He felt a bit helpless and told him the location.
Shen Yifeng took a deep breath, got in a car, and rushed over.
He needed to focus on serious matters immediately, no more distractions.
After getting out of the car, seeing the various entrepreneurs from the summit coming and going only increased the irritation in his heart.
He had actually missed some notifications before. He hadn't received word of such a gathering, while instead, there was that so-called party among the young people where his engagement with Gu Zhaoping was publicly declared over, subjecting him to such great humiliation.
He was here for serious business.
Shen Yifeng took a deep breath and strode inside.
However, after a few steps, he suddenly realized something.
Since it was this kind of occasion, would Gu Zhaoping be here?
And if Gu Zhaoping was here, would that Valentine be here too?
In the very instant this thought crossed his mind, he looked up and suddenly saw them.
Sure enough, the two of them were standing right in the center of the banquet hall, conversing.
He stiffened slightly.
Hearing footsteps, people gradually turned around. The entrepreneur who had urged him to come quickly also stepped forward with a smile.
"Finally here, you rascal."
He thought to himself, this guy really isn't proactive. With Miss Gu being so sought-after and popular now, you should be hurrying along, not maintaining such a relaxed attitude at a time like this. If someone else snatches her away, you won't even know why.
Shen Yifeng was momentarily dazed. Before he could react, he was helplessly pulled forward, right in front of Gu Zhaoping and Valentine.
His pupils even contracted slightly as he heard the man introduce him with a chuckle, "Zhaoping, look at this guy, he only just found out he should come!"
"I heard you two were engaged for over ten years, your feelings must be quite good, right? Haha, but even with good feelings, one shouldn't be late at a time like this. Don't you think he's taking favor for granted?"
The elder laughed heartily, trying to smooth over the awkwardness with humor.
But in that very instant, the atmosphere around them froze as if ice-bound, rapidly chilling every expression on Shen Yifeng's face.
What was he doing?
And then Gu Zhaoping also looked up.
Her gaze fell upon him.
Shen Yifeng saw it clearly: puzzlement. A puzzlement laced with disdain, enough to instantly crush him into the frozen depths.
"My apologies, Uncle." Gu Zhaoping first politely expressed regret to the man beside her.
Yet her attitude remained haughty. A kind of frank haughtiness.
It was she who had made the selection, reached the judgment and conclusion of no longer holding him in regard, and was now publicly announcing Shen Yifeng's outcome to everyone.
Then, under Shen Yifeng's tense, trembling gaze, she said, "I have already decided to break off the engagement with him."
"Now, I formally inform everyone."
Gu Zhaoping raised her glass.
