The others were somewhat puzzled to see him being so amiable, even bordering on obsequious, as he stepped out to take the call.
When he returned, someone asked thoughtfully, "Was it about your uncle?"
This Young Master Ni swept his gaze over the assembled second-generation heirs present and frowned imperceptibly. Originally, his family wasn't fully aware of him mingling with this crowd, and even if they knew, they didn't quite approve. While he had been getting along famously with this group, sharing similar tastes and having a grand time, things were different now. His uncle's side was sending his eldest cousin back to the country, and if he was going to be accompanying his cousin around Haishi recently, then this crowd seemed a bit... lacking in polish.
He knew his eldest cousin, Ni Tiansong, would definitely despise their clique's style and would never attend any of their gatherings. He also didn't want his cousin to find out he was hanging out with this lot. Clearing his throat, Young Master Ni coughed lightly. "Yes, it's something important regarding my eldest cousin."
A few of his closer friends among them looked pleased. "That means your cousin values you! Doesn't this give you more say within the family?"
Young Master Ni couldn't help but look a bit smug, though he didn't want to say too much about his cousin. "You all discuss the matter for now. Contact me when it's time to act. I need to go back and prepare for my cousin's arrival."
Knowing Ni Tiansong's affairs took precedence, no one dared delay him and quickly let him leave.
Only then did the discussion resume.
"Gu Zhaoping should be returning soon, right?"
"She made such a splash overseas. If the projects she handles upon returning can't match that scale, she'll become a laughingstock."
"But... oh right, I just heard Gu Zhaoping pulled off something major."
"What major thing?"
"Her engagement to Shen Yifeng... it's off."
"What? How could it end now?" Someone looked shocked. The only area where Gu Zhaoping could rival Gu Zhaoye was her outstanding fiancé. Now, even her fiancé had abandoned her? Wouldn't that put her at an even greater disadvantage?
"Logically, if she wants to compete with Gu Zhaoye, she should cling to that fiancé for dear life..."
"Well... I heard she called it off publicly," the person said, looking awkward. "Gu Zhaoping was the one who proposed it. Many people were there. Shen Yifeng's face turned ashen, and in the end, he was even asked to leave and couldn't attend her celebration banquet."
Instantly, someone spat out their drink. Then, the entire private room fell into a stunned silence, as if they'd just heard a ghost story.
This... this... Shen Yifeng lost face to that extent?
And Gu Zhaoping did this?
"By now, it's spread everywhere. Many people know that because Shen Yifeng failed to take responsibility for their engagement, Gu Zhaoping decided to 'return the goods.' She even said her previous lack of focus on her career was because Shen Yifeng hindered her..."
The group was dumbfounded. Once it sank in, a shiver ran down their spines.
Being called out as an irresponsible scoundrel to your face was one thing—which of them hadn't been accused of that? But to have Shen Yifeng's faults and irresponsibility pointed out in such a setting, by someone of that status and in that manner... the consequences were entirely different.
Shen Yifeng hadn't just failed Gu Zhaoping; he had failed the alliance between the Gu and Shen families.
Because of his attitude, he affected the alliance built over so many years. To others' ears, it meant this man utterly lacked the sense of responsibility to shoulder family duties.
On top of being someone Gu Zhaoping explicitly labeled as defective and 'returned,' who in their entire circle would dare enter into a marriage contract with him now? Anyone who did would be picking up something Gu Zhaoping clearly stated was subpar, taking her cast-offs.
Which young lady would be willing to lower herself like that? Which prominent family would be willing to lose face like that?
He might even have his cooperative integrity and business ethics questioned...
This was far more than just a matter of losing face!
They were genuinely astonished. Gu Zhaoping dared to be this bold?! Taking on her brother and her fiancé??? What was she trying to do?!
In the minds of these young masters, the proposition had always been them breaking off engagements with their intended matches, never the other way around—never being the one dumped.
This was the first time they realized how terrifying the consequences of having an engagement broken off from their position could be, and none of them were willing to accept it.
The idea of teaching Gu Zhaoping a lesson, which they had previously agreed upon, even momentarily receded in their minds.
But they had already promised Gu Zhaoye. They couldn't back out now.
Oh well... they'd just have to grit their teeth and go through with it, clinging to a sliver of hope.
The moment Gu Zhaoping landed, she received a call from Fang Yining.
On the other end, Fang Yining had just sobered up, still basking in the joy of the previous night. When she fully woke, she suddenly sensed something amiss and frantically grabbed her phone to check the call log.
Only then did she realize it wasn't a dream!
It had really happened. She had actually unleashed a torrent of abuse at Gu Zhaoye.
Fang Yining was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly called Gu Zhaoping.
"Zhaoping! How could you go give a speech at the summit without telling me? I had no idea!" Fang Yining exclaimed. "I was shocked when I saw the video spreading! How are you so amazing?!"
"Like I said last time, I learned a bit in university," Gu Zhaoping replied with such casual nonchalance, yet it seemed she was telling the truth.
"Come on, you call that 'a bit'? If what you did is 'a bit,' then what does that make everyone else?"
Fang Yining was floored.
Forget it, no point overthinking. Fang Yining decided her good friend had just been quietly leveling up all these years. Her first thought was that her sister had suffered in silence, and now she could finally unlock her full power and start slapping faces left and right.
"Alright, alright, as expected of you, absolutely brilliant. Oh, right, I need to tell you something. Your brother called me yesterday, and I hung up on him."
It wasn't a big deal. Gu Zhaoping didn't mind at all, merely uttering an "Mhm," though she also wondered why Gu Zhaoye had suddenly decided to call the fiancée he usually ignored.
She figured it was probably either to vent his temper or to ask for help.
"I don't know what he wanted to say because I cut him off before he could start, then cursed him out and hung up," Fang Yining said with an "uh," but that wasn't the important part. What mattered was she wanted to tell her sister.
"By the way, I also heard about you and Shen Yifeng calling off the engagement. It's already spread far and wide. Everyone knows you dumped Shen Yifeng, that you don't want him anymore!"
Gu Zhaoping raised an eyebrow, hearing the excited tone: "Were you looking forward to it?"
"Oh my god, I've been sick of him for ages, such a phony!" No matter how good a sister's man is, as a close sister, you always feel he's not good enough for her, especially when the man isn't that great to begin with.
It's just that the old Gu Zhaoping was too much of a love fool, too obsessed with him, so Fang Yining had always kept her mouth tightly shut and never brought it up in front of her.
Now, finally having the chance, she immediately went on a full-blown rant: "I've long been fed up with his constant posturing, acting as if he's the only elite, domineering CEO in the whole world, responsible for everyone, paying attention to everyone. Putting it nicely, he's paternalistic; putting it bluntly, he's just plain patronizing!"
"And besides, a man past 25 is basically 50. He's already 30, what good is he anymore? Zhaoping, sis isn't criticizing you, but your taste back then really had me confused. You usually liked the young, fit, sweet-talking types, so why were you so infatuated with that fiancé of yours who didn't match your taste at all?"
Gu Zhaoping was also taken aback for a moment.
That really didn't make sense.
However, she never really had the time or interest to dwell on it. Now, thinking back, when she first arrived here, she found herself in that male model club, surrounded entirely by young, sweet-talking 'little brothers'.
The one who later contacted her about his birthday was also that type. Gu Zhaoping even discovered that almost none of the male models in that document were over 25. Each one was bright-eyed, with youthful, lean muscles, calling her 'sister' with sparkling eyes.
How could a Miss Gu like that have been so madly infatuated with Shen Yifeng? This wasn't just a matter of incompatible styles. It was an issue of establishing psychological positioning in a relationship.
Judging by her consistent taste, Miss Gu seemed more inclined to be the leader. Her preferences were obvious. How could she have been willing to look up to Shen Yifeng?
Perhaps Miss Gu was also a pitiful person trapped by the plot's constraints.
Her breaking off the engagement was, in a way, helping Miss Gu achieve true clarity and completion in her life's purpose.
More importantly...
"Zhaoping, thanks to you giving me this inspiration. I've thought about it more and decided I'm going to break off my engagement with Gu Zhaoye too!"
This decision was a tough one for Fang Yining, involving years of cooperation and shared interests between the two families. She had struggled and hesitated over it for a long time.
But recently, as soon as she heard the news that Zhaoping had already called off her engagement with Shen Yifeng, she was instantly thrilled by the imagined scene!
Why should it always be these so-called domineering CEOs draining and tormenting their fiancées? Whether it's emotional neglect or outright cheating in search of 'true love', it's all behavior that disgusts her immensely.
Now there's finally a role model. Gu Zhaoping fired the first shot in breaking off engagements.
Just when she was anxious about how to break it off, Gu Zhaoye caused such a huge public scandal. Fang Yining immediately slapped her thigh and thought of calling off the engagement right then!
Gu Zhaoping paused slightly, appreciating her attitude.
Truly worthy of being the original Miss Gu's best friend, not beating around the bush at all. Once someone set an example, she quickly saw what could be done, what should be done, and what she had been deceived and misled about all along.
She pondered for a moment before saying, "What does the Fang family think about this?"
"I've already talked to my mom. She thinks breaking it off is good too; she really can't stand that scoundrel Gu Zhaoye anymore. But other members of the Fang family might need to deliberate more, perhaps depending on how Gu Zhaoye handles this situation..."
Fang Yining was still somewhat disappointed that her entire family didn't support her decision immediately, but she understood the need to consider the bigger picture.
Gu Zhaoping thought for a moment and said, "Alright, I have a way for you to break off the engagement effortlessly, to nail Gu Zhaoye to the pillar of shame forever, and the Fang family will absolutely not stop you."
Fang Yining's eyes widened, immediately all ears: "What? What?!"
The matter of convening the shareholders' meeting needed to be kept completely confidential for now. Gu Zhaoping didn't reveal it directly, only saying, "I'll tell you when I need your cooperation, though it might require you to face some major occasions."
Fang Yining nodded immediately: "I agree, I'll agree to anything, as long as I can break off the engagement!"
As soon as the old master landed, he urgently gathered everyone he could contact, had them establish the agenda, and contacted all major shareholders to convene the shareholders' meeting. Preparing all parties would take at least three or four days; rushing it was impossible.
The Gu Group's spokesperson could only issue a preliminary announcement, stating that the group was urgently handling the procedures and would definitely give everyone an explanation within the next few days, as well as give Miss Liang Zhiwei an explanation.
But the reaction remained fierce.
Finally, Gu Zhaoping stepped forward and reposted, saying: "We at the Gu Group will handle this wrongdoing with the utmost fairness and justice. Please believe that I will not let anyone evade their responsibility."
Seeing Gu Zhaoping finally reappear, the long-churning internet exploded again, comments flooding in.
【Sister Zhaoping, is Sister Zhaoping back in the country already? The speech is over, you've worked hard!】
【It's tough on Sister Zhaoping having to clean up after such an irresponsible younger brother! If it weren't for Sister Zhaoping, Gu Zhaoye would have really committed a life-threatening mistake this time. How does he have the nerve to keep living so brazenly?】
【He's so useless. Can't manage a business, can't even run a small restaurant properly, and he's supposed to be the big CEO of Yuanqi Tech? Plus, he's a sore loser and irresponsible. I must have been blind before to like such a coward!】
【He and Ruan Nian are practically endangering lives!】
【It's all Sister Zhaoping turning the tide and propping up the collapsing edifice!】
【I never realized how amazing Sister Zhaoping was before. Was Gu Zhaoye deliberately trying to hide having such an awesome sister? Otherwise, it makes no sense!】
In a short time, even the 'Gu-Nian' CP was completely dismantled. Almost no one continued to ship them; it was a collapse of epic proportions.
Gu Zhaoye's few friends could only grit their teeth seeing her gain so much favor online.
Listening to her tone of voice, so authoritative as if she were in charge, one would think she already had the Gu family firmly under her thumb. How the Gu family would deal with Gu Zhaoye—was that a decision she could possibly influence?
Given Gu Zhaoye's status and position within the Gu family, they would undoubtedly prioritize protecting him; they would never discard such a valuable piece. Gu Zhaoping shouldn't celebrate too soon.
Thus, even before the shareholders' meeting was convened, Gu Zhaoping received an invitation to a gathering at a shooting range.
The invitation came from the young master of another company, someone who had been an acquaintance of the Gu family in the past.
The invitation was quite formal, stating that he had long admired her and wished to meet. Furthermore, some important figures would be attending this gathering—many influential people from Haishi would be present. He hoped she would make an appearance, as they might have a potential collaboration to discuss with Gu Zhaoping.
Gu Zhaoping glanced at the names a few times.
She immediately turned and asked Gu Zhaosi, "Do you know these people?"
Gu Zhaosi had been worried about not being useful, so when he saw his sister's message, his spirits lifted instantly. After careful consideration, he replied, "I know them. I know these people are very close with Gu Zhaoye; they're part of his gang of troublemakers!"
Gu Zhaoping gave an "Mhm" and said thanks.
Gu Zhaosi was pleasantly surprised.
He felt a bit bashful: "Oh, Sis, really... between siblings, what's with the thanks? Being so polite makes me embarrassed..."
However, before he could even finish his sentence, Gu Zhaoping had already hung up the phone. Gu Zhaosi was stunned for a moment before realizing his sister had just ended the conversation out of habit, with no intention of continuing to engage with him.
Gu Zhaosi: "..."
Since it was Gu Zhaoye's troublemaking friends inviting her at this time, their intentions were clearly sinister.
However, it was also obvious this group couldn't come up with any particularly clever or formidable schemes. Gu Zhaoping was curious to see what kind of farce they would stage.
It was more likely they would come charging in aggressively, only to hand her even bigger leverage.
A shooting range, was it?
Gu Zhaoping contacted Mao Xinci: "Come with me for a visit tomorrow."
...
The person who spread the word and contacted Gu Zhaoping was named Yang Qi. Young Master Ni had been busy entertaining his elder cousin these past couple of days, so among their circle, Yang Qi was taking the lead this time.
He was also the closest to Gu Zhaoye usually. So this time, he was truly determined to get some revenge for Gu Zhaoye.
The place they were going to was a shooting range Gu Zhaoye frequented. Having spent so much time there, both they and Gu Zhaoye had excellent shooting skills.
The plan was this: first, intimidate Gu Zhaoping when she arrived, then collectively isolate her.
Finally, someone would step forward, pretending to discuss a collaboration with her. This person's identity and the influence of the family they represented would be impressive enough that Gu Zhaoping couldn't possibly resist. Then, at the crucial moment, they would abruptly withdraw the offer of cooperation, declaring that Gu Zhaoping had been presumptuous, letting her experience the fickleness of the business world.
Of course, the person they had arranged to play this trick on Gu Zhaoping was Young Master Ni, as he held the highest status among their group.
They even had an additional plan: since Young Master Ni was busy hosting his important elder cousin, they could employ a "borrowing arrows from straw boats" tactic, letting Young Master Ni borrow some of his cousin's prestige.
This would further intimidate Gu Zhaoping and prove the importance of this potential deal. Losing such an opportunity directly from his hands would be an even greater blow to her.
A few individuals rotten to the core didn't need to think too hard to settle on this plan to humiliate her, simply waiting for her to be lured to the venue.
Originally, they had considered a more direct approach, but who could have guessed Gu Zhaoping would so openly clash with even Shen Yifeng?
They felt they needed to play a more cunning game this time, one that would leave Gu Zhaoping with no recourse for complaint.
Young Master Ni was also invited to the shooting range that day. After meeting his cousin separately, he hurried over to brief his friends, glaring at them fiercely: "If you want to scheme, go ahead and scheme, but for heaven's sake, don't let any of this reach my cousin. If he finds out, you'll all be in deep trouble. He absolutely despises this kind of thing. Oh, and he mustn't know I'm involved in this either, or I'll be done for."
His gang of friends quickly agreed; they were all aware of Ni Tiansong's reputation.
Young Master Ni hurried back to welcome his cousin as he got out of the car, his face beaming with enthusiastic smiles: "Cousin, it's been so long since you returned to the country, and so long since you last visited this shooting range. The owner said he misses you. If he knew you didn't like a big fuss, he would have flown back from out of town just to catch up with you."
Ni Tiansong's impression of this younger cousin was actually rather mediocre. However, since he was a relative arranged by his father, he merely responded with mild warmth, "No need for such extravagance. I'm only back for a short while, and I have matters to attend to."
Truthfully, he hadn't been particularly keen on coming today. But his cousin said this shooting range hadn't changed much from their childhood memories and suggested visiting for nostalgia's sake. Since his cousin had already arranged it as part of the reception, he went along.
Ni Tiansong planned to tell him after today that no further activities needed to be arranged. His own affairs were more important; he didn't have time to fool around with his cousin. Having him handle the reception didn't mean he needed a tour guide.
Young Master Ni quickly laughed and said, "Yes, yes, I know you prefer to keep a low profile, cousin."
In other families, perhaps such a clear distinction in status wouldn't exist between cousins, but for the Ni family, it was completely different.
The main branch of their family controlled virtually all of the Ni family's business. The others lived off the main branch's generosity; even the slightest bit of power or opportunity granted from their hands was enough to keep them living comfortably as elites for a long time.
Young Master Ni and his father worked under his uncle in the same way, which was why they appeared more distinguished than other Ni family members and why Young Master Ni could act so arrogantly among these second-generation peers.
Watching Ni Tiansong walk inside, Young Master Ni finally let out a sigh of relief. He had managed to coax him here today. He muttered to himself, "Gu Zhaoye, look, just to help you out, I even dared to deceive my own cousin..."
If my cousin and uncle ever found out the truth, I'd be finished. This brotherly loyalty is truly moving.
Gu Zhaoping also got out of her car.
She wore simple, casual clothes, practical for movement. The only person accompanying her was a middle-aged woman in her forties or fifties, who appeared slightly plump, with an honest face and an ordinary air.
This did come as a bit of a surprise to the group of young masters waiting for her. Usually, those brought along in such situations were either assistants or bodyguards, at the very least young people or burly, imposing men.
Why had she brought this middle-aged woman?
Did she bring her nanny out for a casual outing?
They had just muttered a few words when that Yang Qi stepped forward with a thin, insincere smile to greet Gu Zhaoping. "Miss Gu, right? Long time no see. You've gotten even more beautiful."
Gu Zhaoping's steps halted. She turned her head and looked at this Yang Qi.
Yang Qi was taken aback, feeling somewhat bewildered. Under her gaze, he inexplicably began to doubt himself.
What kind of look was that? It was their first meeting, and he thought he had been quite polite. He hadn't even shown his true colors yet, so why did Gu Zhaoping look like she was about to call him to account?
Just as Yang Qi stood there awkwardly, he realized... Gu Zhaoping was actually very tall.
Thus, Yang Qi discovered that his own height of 172 cm, including his hairstyle, was completely overshadowed in front of her. Suddenly, he felt a little embarrassed.
And here he was thinking about presence and intimidation—this, this he hadn't anticipated at all—
This person knew him? And it had been a long time?
Gu Zhaoping finally spoke, her tone indifferent. "After all these years, you still haven't shaken the habit of using shallow compliments to fish for attention."
"If you're so fond of the topic, I'd like to say, perhaps you should flatten your hairstyle by a couple of centimeters."
Gu Zhaoping adjusted her glasses and walked past him into the room.
