Yang Qi was taken aback. By the time he processed what she had said, his face instantly turned a shade of green.
"Gu Zhaoping, you—"
But the other party had already strode inside, leaving him no chance to stop her and say more.
Yang Qi's face alternated between pale and flushed, his chest heaving with anger.
His height had always been his biggest sore point. However, due to his privileged background, people had always orbited around him. The beautiful women he dated never mentioned his height; even those nearly as tall as him would wear flats when going out with him to spare his pride.
The moment he saw Gu Zhaoping, it suddenly hit him—it had been too long since he'd seen her, and he hadn't noticed before just how tall she was.
He should have worn thicker-soled shoes.
He initially wanted to lose his temper, but then he remembered the two slaps Gu Zhaoping had given Gu Zhaoye on the show, and how she had publicly humiliated even Shen Yifeng, reducing him to that state. He forced himself to suppress his emotions.
Forget it, forget it. Business comes first.
With Gu Zhaoping's emotional intelligence, she wouldn't get far anyway.
He shot a look at the person who had followed him out, and the two of them walked back in.
After a few steps, however, he noticed his assistant seemed to be stifling a laugh. He shot a fierce glare his way, and the assistant quickly tried to suppress his smile, putting on a serious face as he hurried to catch up.
Gu Zhaoping strode ahead, completely ignoring Yang Qi.
After she walked a few steps inside, the group of young masters noticed her arrival.
They had been sitting on chairs nearby, chatting and laughing, but when they saw Gu Zhaoping approaching, they immediately fell silent.
The surroundings plunged into quiet. They all looked up, gazing at Gu Zhaoping with thoughtful, somewhat mocking smiles.
Their stares were intense and clearly scrutinizing, devoid of any goodwill. Anyone with a slightly less firm mindset would have been stared down, feeling creeped out and breaking into a cold sweat.
However, the moment they saw Gu Zhaoping stride in, many among them were still momentarily stunned.
On TV was one thing, in photos another, but seeing such a person walk towards them in reality, the aura surrounding her was hard to ignore.
Or rather, hard to deny.
This made them feel somewhat uncomfortable. Gu Zhaoping had barely arrived, yet her presence seemed capable of overpowering theirs.
And so, the group simply stared at her in silence, locked in a contest of wills, waiting for a confrontation.
Gu Zhaoping paid them no mind at all, walking straight past them.
She had already reached the front of the shooting range. Looking left and right, she asked the middle-aged woman beside her, "So this is the shooting range they invited me to? This is their idea of hospitality? Not a single person waiting here. What exactly am I supposed to be looking at?"
The group watching from the sidelines saw Gu Zhaoping so naturally start critiquing the range's environment and widened their eyes slightly.
Seriously? How could she be so natural, acting like the hostess, questioning things the moment she arrived?
Yang Qi finally caught up. Still seething inside, he walked in expecting to find Gu Zhaoping already intercepted by the young masters. Who could have guessed she'd be standing alone in front of the shooting range, picking faults, without so much as a glance at the others?
Yang Qi's eyes bulged. He immediately looked at his pack of friends and saw their faces were even more bewildered than his, as if they were also asking him what was up with Gu Zhaoping.
It made them look like they were just sitting there posing.
Yang Qi finally looked away, cleared his throat, and went up to Gu Zhaoping. "Haha, does Miss Gu have some dissatisfaction with our shooting range? You can voice it. I'm all ears. What brilliant insights do you have?"
"You said there were many people waiting for me here," Gu Zhaoping glanced at him. "Leaving me to wait alone, without even a receptionist. Is this how you planned to entertain me?"
Yang Qi was stunned, his eyes nearly popping out. How dare she act like the host?
Gu Zhaoping's gaze seemed to finally notice the group behind her. She turned her head slightly, saw them, and said, "Oh, so these are the people you found to entertain me?"
She looked them over carefully, pushing up her glasses as if to get a clearer view.
Then she remarked blandly, "The quality is somewhat lacking."
The young masters, seated in a deliberately staggered arrangement, were suddenly confused, not quite grasping her meaning.
Gu Zhaoping had already turned back to Yang Qi, her tone flat as she instructed, "If you need people to entertain me, you should at least find ones over 10 centimeters taller than you. Their looks also don't meet my standards. Having to stay here for long would be quite unpleasant for me."
What? What is she saying?
Yang Qi was dumbfounded for a good while before it suddenly hit him.
His expression changed dramatically.
Was she treating them all like male models she was being picky about!?
Had Gu Zhaoping lost her mind? How dare she look at them like that?
Wait... does that mean in Gu Zhaoping's aesthetic standards, they aren't even qualified to be male models?
Yang Qi trembled with rage. Humiliation, this was utter humiliation!
Yang Qi hadn't even begun to spar with Gu Zhaoping yet. This was their first meeting, and she had already broken his composure twice, almost driving him to start a fight right then and there!
The group behind him only understood this time. Their faces instantly turned livid!
What young master from a wealthy family would be happy to be compared to a male model? Gu Zhaoping's gaze, appraising them like merchandise, was utterly grating, raising goosebumps all over and stirring up a nameless fury.
Their intention had been to stare her down, but the fact that Gu Zhaoping hadn't even noticed them was what made them seethe with anger, almost vomiting blood.
One of them immediately spoke up, "Who's here to entertain you! Gu Zhaoping, you must order male models too often, seeing them everywhere you look..."
Gu Zhaoping seemed momentarily surprised, as if only now realizing their status. She instantly became slightly more tolerant of their subpar appearance and said politely, "My apologies. I did say you didn't quite look the part. But if you didn't dress like this, who would possibly misunderstand?"
Her tone was composed.
"In the future, don't wear these kinds of clothes. You should know your own place."
The young masters had their composure shattered once again. What were they wearing? They were just properly dressed in shirts and formal attire—
Looking down, it was indeed a black shirt, paired with suit pants and polished leather shoes. That's how the male hosts at those clubs dressed too.
—But what other formal wear is there for men besides suits?
Just because male models dress like that, it doesn't mean they can strip others of the right to wear the same, right?!
Just as they were about to get angry but hadn't fully erupted, Gu Zhaoping turned her head and said coolly to Yang Qi, "So, today you invited me here to be your 'friend'? How terribly impolite. Guests have arrived, yet you're all just sitting there neatly in a row. In our Gu Family, such poor etiquette would have already earned someone a slap."
Yang Qi looked at her with an expression of disbelief once more. What was Gu Zhaoping saying? Had she gone mad?
But just as he opened his mouth, it occurred to him that Gu Zhaoye had indeed been slapped hard by her several times before. The words on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back down once again.
The Gu Family Discipline.
Damn, it seemed they had really miscalculated this time.
A strange premonition suddenly arose in Yang Qi's heart. Why did he feel like the method they had arranged to make things difficult for Gu Zhaoping this time would be completely useless?
Looking at Gu Zhaoping's demeanor, where did she look like someone who would fear social isolation?
It was more likely she'd be the one making others fear her!
Yang Qi was so angry his chest ached. He took several deep, forceful breaths before he could barely manage to say, "Heh, Miss Gu, you've misunderstood. We've been waiting here for you for a long time, so we went over there to rest. You're late."
"No need to lie through your teeth just because you're eager to see me. The agreed-upon time hasn't arrived yet. I always leave 15 minutes early. Next time you say something like that, you might want to check the time first," Gu Zhaoping said indifferently. "If you're tired, go home and rest. Putting on such an act to receive guests would be absolutely unacceptable in our Gu Family. Anyone who did something so disgraceful to the entire Gu Family would inevitably face punishment."
With her repeatedly mentioning how "our Gu Family" would punish such behavior, Yang Qi's fists were already clenched tight. It took immense effort to barely maintain a calm expression on his face, while inwardly he was practically grinding his teeth to dust.
Gu Zhaoping, you're really taking a chicken feather as a token of authority, aren't you?
Fine, let's see how you maintain your footing in the Gu Family after messing up such a major business deal this time. I don't believe the old master will be so partial to you this time!
For the sake of the bigger plan later, Yang Qi ultimately swallowed his anger once more. He put on a smile again and said to Gu Zhaoping, "Heh, what you say makes sense too. Forget it, let's not dwell on that. The reason I invited you today is that there's a major collaboration I genuinely want to discuss with you."
"What major collaboration?" Gu Zhaoping immediately turned her eyes to look at him, appearing as if she had suddenly become very interested in this so-called big deal.
Yang Qi snorted inwardly. See? As expected, she's desperate to secure her position in the Gu Family now. The moment she hears about a major collaboration, she can't look away.
Mao Xinci turned her head away, not watching this scene, because the smile at the corner of her mouth was about to break through.
She had never seen the boss act like this before, but facing these young masters with this demeanor today, she really wanted to laugh.
"This major collaboration is..." Yang Qi spun her a grand tale without blinking, painting a magnificent picture. Finally, he said with a faint smile, "However, finalizing this matter still depends on the opinion of another person."
"Although my intention to collaborate is strong, this isn't something I can decide alone. Miss Gu, please consider it carefully yourself."
After speaking, he looked at her with a somewhat smug smile, as if waiting for Gu Zhaoping to come to her senses and start currying favor with him.
Serves you right for targeting me from the start. Now that you know there's a major deal waiting here, aren't you going to change your attitude immediately?
Who would have thought Gu Zhaoping would simply nod and say, "So when do we sign? Bring the person out."
Yang Qi almost stumbled. "..."
No way, Gu Zhaoping, you're really not holding back, are you!
He looked at her incredulously. Upon hearing such favorable terms, most people, while tempted, should also realize there's no such thing as a free lunch, right? Surely some price must be paid to get the final result. And Gu Zhaoping just wants to take it like that???
Yang Qi struggled to suppress this surge of irritation and said, "Miss Gu, don't be impatient. The person with the final say on this matter is standing over there on the shooting range. You know Young Master Ni, right? That's his cousin, a figure of great importance. We managed to invite him, but he's not an easy person to approach or talk to. So, Miss Gu, I suggest you first discuss the details of this collaboration with me clearly before going to him to push it forward. That would be more efficient and save you from wasting your energy for nothing."
Gu Zhaoping didn't take the bait at all and directly strode towards that direction. "I don't have that much time to waste with you all. If we're really going to talk, then have him come and talk to me himself. If we're truly collaborating, we can sign on the spot. I have the authority to make the decision; there's no need to notify the Gu Family."
Yang Qi's eyes widened. He hurriedly took two steps forward and grabbed her arm!
The other young masters waiting nearby were also startled. Good heavens, what's wrong with this Gu Zhaoping? Why is she so eager to sign a contract, completely ignoring the usual script???
If she really ran over to Ni Tiansong and they compared notes, wouldn't the whole scheme be exposed?
Cold sweat broke out on Yang Qi's forehead. He quickly said, "Miss Gu, don't rush! He just returned to the country. We should give him some time to rest and settle in, right? Let's first discuss the details of the contract, and then I'll take you to him. That makes sense, doesn't it?"
Yang Qi looked up at the shooting range ahead and suddenly had a brainwave. "Miss Gu, you know how to shoot, right? Come on, let's play with this for a while to relax. We can wait until he's finished his conversation before going over to talk to him, okay?"
His mind was filled with the thought of dragging this out for now, and then later having someone inform Young Master Ni to quickly take Ni Tiansong away.
Having him make an appearance was enough; they absolutely couldn't let him actually have a conversation with Gu Zhaoping.
Gu Zhaoping glanced at the shooting range beside her and refused without a second thought. "No."
Yang Qi was stunned again. Seeing Gu Zhaoping about to stride over, he quickly grabbed her once more. "Hey, hey, hey!!"
He wiped the sweat from his brow. Why was this person so difficult to deal with? A hundred times more difficult than he had imagined.
He gritted his teeth. No wonder Gu Zhaoye didn't fight back after being beaten like that, and even Shen Yifeng didn't talk about seeking revenge after being publicly jilted.
This woman simply didn't follow the script. Even standing opposite her, Yang Qi felt a sense of creeping dread. No one knew what incomprehensible thing she might do next.
The most terrifying people are those who don't play by the rules.
After being stopped by him, Gu Zhaoping just glanced sideways at the shooting range beside her and said, "I don't play with guns."
Seeing her be so stubbornly uncooperative, the young master who had earlier been told by her that he wasn't qualified to be a male model finally caught on.
He quickly seized the chance for revenge, shouting, "Gu Zhaoping, didn't you say on the show that you're good at shooting?"
Gu Zhaoping seemed to pause for a moment, turned to look at him, and then, seemingly rolling her eyes again, turned her gaze away. "I don't play with guns."
"You couldn't possibly have made that up, could you?" The young master in the black shirt held a grudge.
His shooting skills were among the best in this group. If there was a chance to show off, of course he would take it.
He wanted to show Gu Zhaoping right then and there—what did she mean by saying he wasn't even qualified to be a male model?
Were the things he knew how to do something ordinary male models could manage?
What kind of elite, heaven-favored prodigy was he, cultivated by his family's conditions? How could she compare them to him?
Gu Zhaoping seemed to be frowning now, repeating once more, "I'm not playing. Are you trying to force me?"
Yang Qi, who had been stunned by the sudden tension, snapped out of it and hurriedly tried to smooth things over:
"Miss Gu, don't be angry. The whole point of inviting you here was to have fun with us. Besides, you never really socialized with us back in Haishi. Now that you're about to make your debut and rise to prominence, you need occasions to be seen more often, right?"
"Look, our crowd loves coming to this shooting range to play. If you mingle with us, it'll be easier for you to socialize with others later, easier to fit in. Isn't that right?"
Yang Qi turned his head, introducing them one by one: "That's Young Master Zhou from the Zhou Group. They're in the energy industry too. Think about it—this is also a perfect social occasion! Well... your brother also needs to connect with these people. A lot of business deals come out of casual interactions like this. Are you sure you don't want to join?"
Gu Zhaoping's expression darkened, as if she was genuinely considering the issue.
A smile played on Yang Qi's lips, looking as if she had been persuaded by him.
Finally, Young Master Zhou spoke up again: "Gu Zhaoping, are you in or not? Don't tell me you're even less capable than your brother?"
Gu Zhaoping seemed to have lost all patience with him. She took a deep breath and looked over. "You insist on going this route, is that it?"
Young Master Zhou snorted. "It's not about forcing you. I just want to see what this Miss Gu, who's been making such a big splash lately, is all about. Isn't everyone calling you some kind of business prodigy? They even say you've outshone your brother, Gu Zhaoye. I'd like to witness for myself how amazing you are. Give us a chance, won't you?"
Gu Zhaoping let out that deep breath again.
She said, "Fine."
The safety officer, who had been sitting quietly to the side, heard their back-and-forth and watched as they seemingly decided on a match just from being provoked. He was taken aback for a moment, then hastily rushed over to help them put on protective goggles and ear muffs.
The shooting coach was also startled. Good heavens, judging by this young lady's demeanor, was she a complete beginner, a total novice who had never done this before?
The shooting coach quickly spoke up: "If you need instruction, I..."
Gu Zhaoping was already standing in front of the firing line, holding the pistol with both hands in a ready stance, her posture looking quite professional.
Yang Qi and Young Master Zhou were caught off guard. Looking up and seeing her like this, their hearts skipped a beat. Could it be that she actually knew what she was doing?
It was then that she nodded, lifted her chin slightly, and said something no one present expected: "Coach, explain how to shoot."
Everyone nearly stumbled: "..."
The shooting coach also felt a chill, his heart almost leaping out of his chest. With a pained expression, he hurriedly began explaining the rules and techniques to the young lady.
Young Master Zhou really wanted to roll his eyes.
He watched speechlessly as Gu Zhaoping listened to the shooting coach with apparent seriousness, nodding along as the coach demonstrated, and couldn't help but feel utterly exasperated.
He must have been crazy, with nothing better to do, to challenge Gu Zhaoping to a shooting match.
Well, it was to vent some frustration for Gu Zhaoye's sake.
But if he competed against Gu Zhaoping and won, it would be an unfair victory.
He glanced at Yang Qi and said in a lowered voice, "Forget it, you go first. We can't have people saying a few grown men ganged up on her."
"But don't go easy on her either."
Yang Qi also nodded awkwardly.
The original intention was to take Gu Zhaoping down a peg, but given the current situation, what was there to be proud of even if they won?
Well, the most important thing now was to stall for time, to let Ni Tiansong be escorted away by Young Master Ni first.
Yang Qi also put on his goggles and ear muffs. Seeing that the shooting coach seemed to have finished explaining to Gu Zhaoping, he asked, "Shall we start now?"
Gu Zhaoping turned her head and said, "You go first."
Yang Qi scoffed inwardly. This looked like the hesitation of a beginner afraid to pull the trigger.
Although he wasn't as good as Young Master Zhou, his shooting skills were considered decent among average enthusiasts.
"The scoring for this round is 10 shots per person, total points. Each shot has a 30-second time limit. Standing position, no support from the non-firing hand allowed for the firing hand."
The shooting coach still glanced worriedly at Gu Zhaoping. Something about this just didn't seem reliable.
After just those few explanations, could she really have learned? It wouldn't be good if an accident happened.
She didn't look very strong either. If it was her first time shooting, even the recoil from this small pistol might be uncomfortable for her.
Yang Qi was already fully focused, firing his first shot.
7.8 points.
It wasn't a great shot, but it was around his average. Yang Qi stared intently at the bullseye and nodded to Young Master Zhou beside him.
Young Master Zhou gave him a thumbs-up.
7.9 points, 7.9 points, 8.1 points!
Several shots in a row, Yang Qi actually stayed stable within this range, even steadier than usual. It seemed he was performing above average.
For the last two shots, he even managed to hit a 9-pointer!
Yang Qi let out a laugh, took off his ear muffs, and upon closer inspection, his total score was actually 80 points. Not bad.
For an average person, especially a beginner, even hitting the target might be difficult. His accuracy was already quite high.
He turned to Gu Zhaoping and said, "Your turn."
Seizing the opportunity, he glanced over at the shooting range opposite and saw that Young Master Ni seemed to be preparing to leave with Ni Tiansong.
He breathed a sigh of relief and turned back. As long as he could muddle through this part, things would go more smoothly afterwards.
Gu Zhaoping raised the pistol with both hands, aiming at the target 25 meters away.
It was only then that Yang Qi paused, remembering to say, "Oh, right, Miss Gu, beginners usually find 10 meters quite far enough. Should we change your target to a 10-meter one? Otherwise, it would be too unfair to you..."
He said this in a teasing tone.
However, Gu Zhaoping's actions were faster than his words. With a "bang," the first bullet was already fired, instantly silencing him.
Yang Qi was taken aback for a moment, muttering to himself about how impatient this person was.
He turned to look at the score displayed on the screen and suddenly froze.
Huh?
7.9 points?
She actually hit the target???
Not only did she hit it, but she even scored 7.9 points?
Yang Qi's mind went blank!
He thought to himself, even if it was luck, what were the odds of that?! Gu Zhaoping should go buy a lottery ticket today?!
Huh??
Young Master Zhou and the others were also stunned for a moment, but before they could react, Gu Zhaoping had already fired her second shot.
Young Master Zhou's pupils contracted, and Yang Qi also looked over. After the "crack" sound—
Gu Zhaoping's shot missed the target this time!
Yang Qi let out a huge sigh of relief!
Whew, that gave him a fright, making him think all sorts of nonsense! It really was just luck. He must have been crazy just now, actually suspecting Gu Zhaoping had that kind of talent.
At this moment, Gu Zhaoping picked up her pistol again, seemed to examine it, and once more aimed at the bullseye ahead.
Meanwhile, Ni Tiansong over there also heard the commotion and turned to look.
It was just a glance out of the corner of his eye at first, not intending to pay much attention. But with that one look, he seemed to confirm something.
Instantly, he froze slightly, then, as if seeing something unbelievable, he turned and strode directly over.
The young Ni master was stunned, reaching out to grab him but failing to catch hold. "Hey, cousin, cousin!"
Ni Tiansong's steps quickened. He walked over, parted the people in front—who hadn't even noticed his arrival.
Gu Zhaoping fired her third shot.
Yang Qi and Young Master Zhou were already prepared to laugh out loud, ready to offer insincere, ill-intentioned comfort, saying it was already not easy for her to hit the target once, that it was just luck, suggesting she should buy a lottery ticket today...
In the next instant, the target paper swayed, and the screen beside them instantly displayed a number.
8... 8 points?
"Miss Gu?"
At the same time, a clear, gentle, and incredulous voice sounded from beside them, startling everyone present.
