At first, no one could recognize President Hou.
The tense, standoffish atmosphere was abruptly broken by this sudden interjection. Everyone who hadn't left yet was momentarily stunned, then one by one, they shifted their gazes over and fixed them on his face.
President Hou looked radiant, as if something wonderful was about to happen.
But while he looked so well, the same couldn't be said for President Lin. The polite, artificial smile on his face quickly vanished, replaced by an expression mixing confusion and displeasure as he looked at this middle-aged man who had suddenly walked in.
What did this man mean? Was he still trying to snatch the deal from their group? Where did he get the confidence and the qualifications?
However, after a moment's thought, he quickly realized who this person was.
— He looked somewhat different from the news reports. Compared to his tired appearance during interviews after long hours at the company, now his complexion was ruddy, making him seem several years younger.
Who knows what good fortune he'd encountered to put on such an irritating demeanor.
But... well, if it was this man, he did indeed have the qualifications to challenge their group.
President Lin looked at him, his face turning slightly pale.
Jiguang Green Energy Group—as a fellow player in the industry, of course its name was renowned, ringing like thunder in his ears.
But after quickly collecting himself, President Lin shot a sidelong glance at Gu Zhaoping.
Given Gu Zhaoping's attitude, she might not be any more welcoming to this President Hou. Perhaps she was still hoping to play them off against each other to drive up the price and reap the benefits herself. So, President Lin also composed himself and looked at President Hou, saying amiably, "So it's President Hou. I've long heard of your esteemed name."
President Hou, seeing his manner, also politely shook his hand. But then he said, "Were you just discussing whether there are any good battery energy enterprises in China?"
President Lin knew that the remark itself wasn't necessarily problematic, but it was unfortunate for someone who perfectly fit the description to overhear it.
He merely gave an awkward laugh and said, "Not at all. I just didn't expect President Hou to have an interest in this field as well."
"I've always been very interested," President Hou replied. The other man was taken aback for a moment, and then his smile became somewhat peculiar, as if he was waiting to see a show.
Fine, another one coming for Gu Zhaoping's ideas. Let me see what that Gu Zhaoping can possibly say to you.
If even I couldn't dig anything out, what more can you uncover?
And according to Gu Zhaoping's own logic, you're even less sincere—showing up late to the celebration banquet, probably absent these past few days. You likely decided to come last minute after hearing what others said.
With your approach, if Gu Zhaoping agrees to work with you, it would be such a self-contradiction she couldn't justify to anyone else.
So, with a faint sneer, he released the handshake and watched President Hou walk past him, the smile on his own face flattening.
Many others also followed President Hou with their eyes.
He strode through the crowd.
He shook hands with Gu Zhaoping.
He used both hands.
President Hou seemed both eager and extremely excited. He shook Gu Zhaoping's hand up and down vigorously, as if thrilled to finally meet her: "Miss Gu, my apologies. Company matters delayed me. I received news of your speeches these past two days and have already watched the broadcasts. They were excellent, truly excellent!"
President Lin snorted, a sound that almost shot from his nostrils, audible only to him and his nearby assistant. He turned his head away, not intending to watch any further.
"Thank you for your attention, President Hou. I've been waiting for you for quite some time."
"All due to delays from business. Ah, this is your celebration banquet, Miss Gu. I'm late, I hope I haven't disturbed the festivities. I originally wanted to discuss the cooperation matter properly, but this setting isn't quite right. Let's talk in detail when Miss Gu has some free time."
President Lin, who had just been about to turn and leave, froze in his tracks upon hearing this, his expression instantly shifting.
What did this mean? Just moments ago, Gu Zhaoping had said that anyone truly sincere about cooperation would find a formal setting to discuss it, not insist on sealing a deal at a private celebration like this. He had even exchanged a few words with her about it. So how come this President Hou shows up and immediately suggests finding a more formal opportunity to talk cooperation?
President Lin's face could barely maintain its composure. If he weren't certain President Hou hadn't been present earlier, he'd suspect he was deliberately targeting him.
"I knew you were busy, so I didn't disturb you these past few days. I'm glad this time I didn't disappoint you."
Gu Zhaoping was even more courteous than he was.
After they exchanged a few more sentences, some people suddenly began to sense a hint of something.
Wait, this back-and-forth tone... it seems like the two of them are quite familiar? This doesn't sound like mere pleasantries. She wasn't like this with President Lin at all—her tone was completely unaccommodating.
"Not at all. Many entrepreneurs become complacent, clinging to old business. But you, Miss Gu, dare to break through, actively seek change, and lead the innovation in new energy battery technology. This spirit of innovation is far too rare in our industry," President Hou said with a hearty laugh, offering praise. Finally, he added, "Oh, by the way, what were you all discussing just now? I thought I heard someone say something about... there being no good battery energy enterprises in China?"
Gu Zhaoping cast a glance toward President Lin, who was preparing to leave. President Lin stiffened.
It circled back to him again. He seemed to wish she wouldn't look his way, feeling somewhat humiliated, yet he couldn't find the words to say anything. He just let out a frustrated huff.
Ni Tiansong had long since understood. He could clearly see that President Hou and Gu Zhaoping were closely connected, and he also knew that in the current setting, it wasn't appropriate for Gu Zhaoping to explain what had just happened herself.
So he spoke up at the right moment: "Just now, that gentleman expressed a desire to learn more about Miss Gu's ideas regarding new energy battery cooperation. However, Miss Gu hasn't shown clear signs of intending to cooperate yet. President Lin remarked that it might just be holding out for a higher price, an empty promise—that if even a leading enterprise in the battery field like theirs was reluctant to cooperate, then the so-called cooperation direction might just be drawing a big, empty pie."
President Hou looked at him, momentarily puzzled by how naturally this man explained things for Gu Zhaoping. Although he didn't know who he was, he figured a man standing by Gu Zhaoping's side probably wasn't a simple person either.
So he nodded amiably, then turned to look at President Lin, his expression turning somewhat serious.
"President Lin, were you trying to use reverse psychology?" His tone was still joking, but merely putting such words on the table was already a sign of disrespect.
"If you feel that Ms. Gu not providing specific details is just an empty promise, then isn't that a form of moral coercion in itself? Such collaborations cannot be discussed in detail publicly before a concrete agreement is reached. Ms. Gu keeping her secrets is precisely a reflection of her business ethics. I think it's commendable."
Are you two not done yet? So it's just the two of you who are in agreement, is it?
President Lin's face turned ashen. "I'm not that arrogant. I just believe it's a fact. The battery technology sector is currently at a bottleneck, the entire industry is like this. Only our company has made a breakthrough with new technology and filed for a patent. So, I thought Ms. Gu would be more inclined to partner with us from this perspective."
"It's just that Ms. Gu's attitude doesn't seem very positive, even somewhat negative, which made me a bit curious. I only meant that our group is more specialized in this aspect, not to imply anything about President Hou's meaning..."
When mentioning this technology patent, he couldn't help but show a faintly proud expression. It was indeed a breakthrough their group had recently patented, currently pioneering in the whole industry.
It also happened to align with the direction Gu Zhaoping had mentioned. Otherwise, the major shareholder behind him wouldn't have been so eager for him to communicate with Gu Zhaoping quickly to reach a collaboration, or at least probe her line of thought.
This President Lin had also made a pledge to achieve something at this celebration banquet. He wasn't just here to drink and eat; he had to bring something back.
Mentioning the technology patent, President Hou let out a soft chuckle, then his smile faded as he said flatly, "Please leave."
President Lin, who had managed to maintain a slight smile until now, found it impossible to keep up even that pretense. His expression cracked.
"What do you mean?"
Having lived a privileged life for so many years, how could he tolerate someone being so discourteous to him?
"It means that technology is not needed. We've truly wasted your time. Please leave." President Hou was not polite either, directly asking him to leave.
This made President Lin even angrier. He looked at President Hou in disbelief, almost laughing in fury. This person had just arrived himself; who was he to act like the host here? Although it seemed he knew this Ms. Gu, still...
Wait. President Lin paused, turned to look in disbelief, and saw that Gu Zhaoping showed no desire to refute this, even seemed to be going along with it.
Only then did he seem to understand.
Instantly, fury flared in his heart. So, you all had already colluded and reached a deal? Were all the entrepreneurs here today just being strung along for your amusement?
"If Ms. Gu had already chosen a partner, you should have said so earlier. Do you think all our time is so easily wasted?"
"Mr. Lin, if I recall correctly, this is a celebration banquet, not a business cooperation meeting, correct?" Theodore spoke up slowly and calmly. "We are all uninvited guests."
President Lin froze.
That was true. They had all come hoping to sound things out, to see if they could get closer to the Gu family and glean some information, which was why they had thick-skinnedly attended this family celebration.
Even if Gu Zhaoping had already decided to partner with someone else, it couldn't be blamed on her.
He just hadn't realized this was Theodore? From the Laroche family. Why was he standing here speaking up for Gu Zhaoping? Did his family also have an interest in this? So he was on Gu Zhaoping's side.
But if that were the case, he found it hard to believe. Recently, it had been plain for all to see that Gu Zhaoping and Valentin were very close. Rumor had it Theodore and Valentin didn't get along very well. How could the brothers both be...
And at this moment, Valentin didn't fall behind either. He added, "We are all here to celebrate Ms. Gu's successful keynote speech. Aren't you?"
Could he say he wasn't??
Are you two brothers crazy, ganging up on me like this?
Gu Zhaoping hadn't even said a word, yet these men were vying to jump in one after another. President Lin's face was at its absolute worst; he found these people utterly unreasonable.
"...Yes, of course I am!"
"Then since the celebration is over, you may leave." Theodore's tone was flat.
"......"
President Lin choked, glaring at them hatefully.
Staying any longer would be shameless.
"Fine. My apologies for intruding."
He turned and left, his face grim.
After walking out of the banquet hall, fuming, he got into his car and immediately contacted the major shareholder.
"The situation is like this. That Gu Zhaoping is rather difficult; she didn't give an inch at all. Moreover, it seems she has already found a partner in the battery energy sector and isn't planning to offer any other opportunities."
"Is that so? Did she decide that herself, or has the entire Gu family decided?" the major shareholder asked him.
Hearing this, President Lin, still angry, paused again, realizing something.
Right! The Gu family isn't Gu Zhaoping's personal dictatorship!
And the fact that she was pushed forward to promote this project must be the Gu family's intention. Even if Gu Zhaoping is more in the spotlight, ultimately, who they partner with would depend on the decision of the Gu family's head, wouldn't it?
However, given that Gu Zhaoping was chosen as the representative, President Lin still harbored some doubt. "It seemed to me that Gu Zhaoping is highly regarded by Grandpa Gu. Shouldn't what she says represent the Gu family's stance?"
"Not necessarily. After you left, I've been looking into their information," the major shareholder said. "The reason we want to partner with her is because we know the Gu family has that Yuanqi Technology. Our R&D strengths in technology could complement each other perfectly. Integrating production scale could reduce costs, and we could share market channels with the Gu Group. That's why we must secure this partnership. But guess what?"
"What?"
The major shareholder's voice gradually took on a note of disdain. After learning this, his urgency to win over Gu Zhaoping had relaxed. "Did you know? Gu Zhaoping doesn't have a single enterprise under her name. Even that Yuanqi Technology isn't registered under her; it's under her younger brother, Gu Zhaoye."
President Lin was stunned for a moment, lost in thought.
So that's how it is. He had heard of the Gu family's Yuanqi Technology before; any partnership would naturally be with Yuanqi Tech.
Seeing the Gu family put Gu Zhaoping forward at such an important occasion, he had assumed she must hold a significant, pivotal position within Yuanqi Technology. But now it turns out she has little to do with it?
President Lin was still somewhat uncertain. "I saw her younger brother today. Grandpa Gu didn't pay him any special attention either. In fact, for a speech on an occasion like this, they chose to have Gu Zhaoping deliver it. That's also..."
"I just feel something's off. I went to gather information, and many people say the heir the Gu family has always favored is Gu Zhaoye. They never mentioned Gu Zhaoping before, and in the past, everyone said she was unreliable. I suspect her giving the speech this time is due to some internal family struggle. But the equity of Yuanqi Tech hasn't shifted, and there's no news of any major internal conflict erupting, which means the controlling power is still in Gu Zhaoye's hands."
"This Gu Zhaoye seems quite easy to talk to, not as picky as you described Gu Zhaoping. Let's seize the opportunity first," the major shareholder said. "Even if we want to cooperate, it should be with a proper tech company. What could we possibly achieve by negotiating with Gu Zhaoping?"
President Lin also fell into thought, murmuring, "Could it be that the reason she couldn't provide any concrete details today is precisely because she has none? Is she just a temporary spokesperson pushed to the forefront?"
"Right, that's what I think too. I plan to send someone to Yuanqi Tech to sound out Gu Zhaoye while everyone else is busy trying to get close to Gu Zhaoping. They're probably in the midst of a sibling power struggle right now. Let's see if we can find an opportunity to profit from their conflict," the major shareholder stated.
He hadn't yet seen the scale of the impact currently hitting Yuanqi Tech, nor how Gu Zhaoye's reputation was on the verge of immediate ruin. Instead, he was brimming with confidence about this plan.
"Good, I feel reassured with you making the decision."
President Lin finally stopped agonizing over the matter. He turned his head to glance at the still resplendent banquet hall, gave a cold snort, and left.
You all keep circling around her. They've just decided to pull this move, cutting the ground from under her feet.
I'm not sticking around to play servant.
I just don't like doing business with women.
Better to go find that Gu Zhaoye and get a clearer picture of the situation.
Seeing that the celebration banquet was almost over, and staying any longer would require a thicker skin than they possessed, Theodore finally bid farewell to Gu Zhaoping.
Just as he opened his mouth, Theodore directly cut into his dialogue: "No hurry."
"Miss Gu, are your next steps still the same as what you mentioned before?"
Theodore frowned, looking at him with confusion, feeling increasingly strange, the sense of oddness growing stronger in his heart.
What exactly did they talk about last time? He opened his mouth to say something but hesitated, ultimately swallowing his words.
Theodore's question was posed with grand propriety. Gu Zhaoping's expression remained unchanged: "Exactly so."
"Good. Then I have another question I'd like to ask. Please feel free not to answer if you're unwilling," Theodore said. "How does Miss Gu plan to secure cooperation with that battery energy group?"
He turned his head, looking at the retreating back of President Hou, who had walked over to converse with Grandpa Gu. Theodore had investigated before and knew that Gu Zhaoping didn't own any enterprises under her name; even her so-called position was merely a nominal title.
This made him somewhat concerned. No, it couldn't be called concern. Gu Zhaoping's capabilities were evident for all to see, and he deeply admired them. However, he was curious if what came next would be as exciting as he imagined.
And since she had gone to such great lengths to propose these development ideas and chatted so animatedly with this President Hou, she surely intended to take the initiative in this cooperation and reap significant benefits. It was impossible that she was merely standing in a position with no actual authority, completing this collaboration for the sake of the family.
"The first step, of course, is to secure the initiative," Gu Zhaoping said, raising an eyebrow slightly as if questioning why such a simple matter needed asking. She stated plainly and matter-of-factly, "Since I don't have a company under me, naturally, I must seize one first."
Theodore was taken aback for a moment. Theodore's beautiful eyelashes also fluttered. He watched, wide-eyed, as Gu Zhaoping said, "Take care."
Theodore also stared fixedly at Gu Zhaoping's retreating figure for a long time, his gaze seemingly locked onto her path.
Theodore could completely sense it—this was a look of appreciation.
Unconcealed appreciation, a kind of appreciation that bordered on dangerous.
Theodore's voice leveled out a bit: "Let's go."
Theodore clenched his fist, glanced back at him twice, and still followed him out.
The two of them got into the car one after the other.
This was actually the first time he had sat in the same car with Theodore, his older brother. The space felt somewhat cramped for the two of them, filled with an awkwardness that gradually intensified from faint to strong.
The driver and bodyguard sat silently in the front, not uttering a word.
Theodore simply sat with a straight posture, making Theodore feel there was no room for interruption at all. After sitting for a long while, as the car slowly drove out of the estate, Theodore finally spoke up: "Brother."
"Are you aware that I'm pursuing her?"
How many more people were going to ask him this question? Theodore opened his mouth with flat interest: "I know."
These people, including his clear-headed but foolish younger brother, were all excessively naive, retaining the purest assumptions about relationships between the sexes. They even assumed that whoever establishes a connection first must maintain absolute fidelity to each other, and everyone else should make way for them.
But where in the world does such a principle exist?
Emotional morality not stipulated by law, Theodore believed, was merely a self-imposed shackles to suppress desire.
Only those who cannot escape the opinions of others care about things like who came first or matters of seniority.
Coincidentally, he can escape them.
Theodore gradually pressed his lips together tightly. He remained silent, but then his back slowly straightened more and more, and the gaze he lifted to look ahead grew increasingly resolute.
Theodore sat very relaxedly. However, upon noticing another car ahead also preparing to drive out, he leaned forward slightly.
His black shirt wrinkled with the movement. Then, he pointed a finger beside the driver to one side and said, "Cut through there."
The well-trained driver was taken aback. Although experienced, he knew that cutting through like that would inevitably cause a scrape with the car beside them.
While the danger wasn't too great, it would still be a collision. He couldn't understand what the boss was trying to do, but he could only obey. He pressed down on the accelerator slightly, speeding up to drive forward.
With a click, sure enough, the two cars collided slightly. The other car was clearly forced to a momentary stop, while their own car, having received no further instructions from Theodore, continued straight ahead, driving off into the distance.
Theodore watched in shock as Theodore directed the driver like this, then settled back against the seat again, comfortably crossing his hands.
He seemed to appreciate his own handiwork, yet also didn't seem to take it seriously at all.
He looked back at that car. Why did he have a feeling it was the one that guy named... Ni Tiansong had gotten into?
Ni Tiansong sat in the darkness, jolted slightly by the vibration of the car. He lifted his eyes, gazing in the direction they had departed.
The one from the Laroche family… those two.
There will be plenty of time.
After the celebration banquet ended, President Hou remained, walking out while conversing with Gu Zhaoping.
Only at this moment did she take out her phone for a look, discovering a flood of messages and comments from many people. She paused briefly, just now noticing that the events of these past few days had already spread back to the domestic scene, nearly causing an uproar.
Looking at the swarm of compliments and praise, and the curses directed at Gu Zhaoye, Gu Zhaoping remained unmoved. After just a few glances, she turned off her phone, slipped it back into her pocket, and resumed her earlier conversation with President Hou.
"So, what are Miss Gu's next plans?"
"Not long to wait. The timing has arrived." Gu Zhaoping's vision seemed to still hold the lingering shadow of those curses and accusations hurled at Gu Zhaoye. A faint smile touched her lips as she said, "Wait until I return to China and secure Yuanqi Technology."
The time has come.
