PB - Chapter 10
Chapter 10
In Changfa’s conference room, Xu Yangpu was giving an oral presentation of the proposal, accompanied by a PowerPoint slideshow. How could a joint effort from Ruifeng and Rongfang be anything but impressive? As the presentation went on, President Shen’s expression shifted from contemplative to increasingly bright. When Xu Yangpu finished, President Shen smiled heartily and applauded, a clear sign that the collaboration was off to a promising start.
“To produce such an excellent proposal in just one day is remarkable. Not only does it effectively integrate the resources of all three companies, but it also manages to allocate them as evenly as possible. Very impressive. The idea of a new company jointly controlled by the three of us is also excellent. Ruifeng and Rongfang both have worthy successors.”
“Rongfang is only here today because we heeded President Qiao’s advice.”
President Shen was somewhat surprised. No wonder Old Master Jin was full of praise whenever he mentioned this granddaughter; she truly had the ability to live up to it. “President Qiao, how did you come up with this idea?”
“Ruifeng has always been sluggish in innovative industries, so I wanted to use this collaboration as an opportunity to make some minor adjustments to the company’s structure.”
“I don’t think President Qiao’s goal is as simple as making a few adjustments. The real aim is to have Ruifeng advance on two fronts, in both traditional and emerging industries. Young people are full of ideas and drive. Shoucheng, you need to learn more from President Qiao in the future.”
“I will definitely seek more guidance from President Qiao in the future.”
“Shoucheng is just young and lacks some experience, but she is already very outstanding,” Qiao Qi praised.
At Qiao Qi’s compliment, Shen Shoucheng almost failed to control the smile on her face, but she didn’t need to deliberately suppress the joy in her heart. She resolved to do even better on this project so as not to disappoint Qiao Qi.
The idle chatter in the conference room ended, and the discussion returned to the framework of the new company. Changfa was unequivocal in fighting for its own best interests. Seniority and status meant nothing; on the negotiating table, the only word that mattered was profit.
Qiao Qi and Gu Jianchu hadn’t coordinated beforehand, but both had anticipated this hurdle. Their management styles were vastly different. Qiao Qi had guessed the few points Changfa would push back on, so she had set a bottom line, allowing for relative concessions up to that point. Gu Jianchu, however, was different. She had also accurately predicted where Changfa would try to gain an advantage and had prepared countermeasures to defuse each point one by one.
The discussion continued into the afternoon. Secretaries came and went, refilling tea and water for everyone present. Overall, the meeting concluded successfully. After a war of words, President Shen was still in high spirits and insisted on treating them to dinner personally. They couldn’t very well refuse and graciously accepted.
President Shen’s style at the dinner table was vastly different from Shen Shoucheng’s. He brought his two daughters and two vice presidents who were always by his side. Fortunately, since both companies had brought a man, they naturally became the main targets for toasts. Qiao Qi and Gu Jianchu, given their positions, were not pressed further if they declined a drink. The situation for Yao Qiu and Liu Yanyan, however, was a bit more precarious.
After three rounds of drinks, President Shen was in even better spirits than before. As an elder, the direction of the conversation inevitably took a different turn. “I see that both Qiao and Gu are very dedicated to their work. You’re probably not dating, are you? We elders hope you’ll be successful, able to stand on your own two feet when we’re gone, but we also want you to build happy families. It would be even better if you had a few children.”
“Dad,” Shen Shoucheng interrupted in a timely manner, “you’ve had too much to drink.”
In private, President Shen was a straightforward man. These were his heartfelt words, and he didn’t realize he had said too much. Seeing Shen Shoucheng interrupt, he forgot what he was about to say and turned to her instead. “And you, study hard, you hear? The worst thing for a young person is to be impetuous. You need to follow this collaboration from start to finish, learn every detail, and learn more from Qiao and Gu.”
“I know, Dad.” Shen Shoucheng shot a look at Shen Shouxin, who immediately understood and raised her glass. “Dad, I’ll toast to you.”
President Shen’s attention was diverted again. “Good, Dad will drink to that.”
As President Shen started drinking again, Shen Shoucheng breathed a sigh of relief. She asked Qiao Qi, “Are you free tomorrow?”
“I have to visit the branch office tomorrow and assign the initial project follow-up work.”
Shen Shoucheng was a little disappointed but only said, “Did you bring an evening gown? If not, I can help you pick one out.”
“I couldn’t trouble you again. Yao Qiu is already taking care of these things.” Qiao Qi assumed Shen Shoucheng hadn’t yet shifted out of her assistant mentality and didn’t think much of it.
Gu Jianchu keenly noticed the change in Shen Shoucheng and immediately guessed the reason. She hid a smile in her eyes. “Miss Shen, why don’t you ask if I’m free tomorrow?”
Shen Shoucheng was taken aback for a moment, then quickly asked, “Well, President Gu, are you free tomorrow?”
Gu Jianchu pretended to think seriously. “I think I also have to go to my branch office tomorrow to delegate some project work. But tomorrow evening, I’d like to treat President Qiao to dinner to thank her for inviting me to this collaboration. I wonder if Miss Shen would have time to join us?”
Shen Shoucheng wasn’t stupid. The purpose of Gu Jianchu’s long preamble was hidden in the last sentence. “Since it’s a private thank-you from President Gu to President Qiao, it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to go. It’s alright, we can make plans another time.”
Gu Jianchu raised an eyebrow slightly, then turned to Qiao Qi. “Are you free tomorrow night?”
Qiao Qi was a little surprised. “Are you really thanking me?”
“What else? So, will President Qiao do me the honor of having dinner together?”
“Have Liu Yanyan send the time and place to Yao Qiu tomorrow. She’ll bring me there directly.”
Gu Jianchu chuckled. Only Qiao Qi could make a friendly dinner invitation sound like a business meeting. She probably wouldn’t meet another person like her. Still, she replied obediently, “Alright.”
In the end, the thank-you dinner never happened. Qiao Qi had an urgent matter come up and went across the water to Lincheng that afternoon, not returning until the next morning. She only had an hour to rest at noon before working late into the night at the branch office. After two days of high-intensity work, the headache she had been suppressing with painkillers began to spread like wildfire.
That evening, Gu Jianchu ran into Qiao Qi, whom she hadn’t seen in two days, in the elevator. Seeing her brow tightly furrowed and her eyes slightly bloodshot, a rare sight, she asked with concern, “Are you not feeling well?”
“Probably lack of sleep,” Qiao Qi answered nonchalantly.
Gu Jianchu didn’t believe her but didn’t press further. “Then you should get more rest.” The elevator arrived at their floor. Gu Jianchu said goodnight and opened the door to her room.
The distance from the elevator to her room was only a few short steps, but Qiao Qi had to tense every nerve in her body just to maintain a normal pace. Once inside, however, she lost control and collapsed onto the bed, curling up into a ball and not moving.
Yao Qiu quickly pulled the covers over her. Qiao Qi had been relying on painkillers for the past two days to get through work; taking any more would be an overdose. Anxious, Yao Qiu called Su Jiayin, who became furious on the phone after hearing the situation, wishing she could grab Qiao Qi and beat some sense into her to vent her anger.
“Take her to the hospital. There’s no better option.”
Xu Yangpu hadn’t returned yet. Yao Qiu hung up the phone and, without hesitation, knocked on Gu Jianchu’s door. Liu Yanyan opened it with an inquisitive look.
“President Qiao is sick. Could I trouble you to help me take her to the hospital?”
Hearing that Qiao Qi was sick, Gu Jianchu also came to the door. Seeing Yao Qiu’s worried expression, she bypassed them both and went straight into Qiao Qi’s room. Qiao Qi was the type to endure pain without a single sound. Curled up motionless on the bed, she looked more like she was sound asleep, but a closer look revealed she was trembling slightly from how tightly her body was tensed.
Gu Jianchu was alarmed and rushed over, gathering the woman into her arms to check on her. Qiao Qi’s forehead was beaded with cold sweat, dampening the strands of hair that fell across it. She was completely unconscious. Gu Jianchu touched her forehead; it was cold, no fever. Just then, Yao Qiu ran back in. Gu Jianchu asked urgently, “What happened?”
“President Qiao was out in the wind yesterday, and her headache flared up. She’s been taking painkillers to avoid affecting her work.”
Gu Jianchu’s expression darkened. “Did you call Doctor Su?”
“I did. She said to take her to the hospital.”
“Yanyan, go get Zhao Bo. You, go downstairs and bring the car to the entrance. Yao Qiu, help me change her clothes.”
Qiao Qi’s shirt was soaked through. As Gu Jianchu’s hands undid the buttons, a semi-conscious Qiao Qi weakly grasped them. Gu Jianchu looked up. Qiao Qi’s half-open eyes held a hint of confusion. She smiled gently and soothed, “We’re taking you to the hospital.” Qiao Qi didn’t move, as if considering, but finally lowered her hand and stopped resisting.
Liu Yanyan drove. Zhao Bo carried Qiao Qi into the back seat, and Gu Jianchu got in after, settling Qiao Qi securely in her arms. Yao Qiu hesitated for a moment before getting in as well. In the light filtering in from outside the car, Gu Jianchu saw that the knot between Qiao Qi’s brows never loosened. This woman certainly knew how to endure.
At the hospital, while Yao Qiu and Zhao Bo bustled about, Gu Jianchu stayed by Qiao Qi’s side to hear the doctor’s diagnosis. Gu Jianchu’s attentive listening caused the doctor across from her to become distracted several times. When she noticed, an expression of annoyance inevitably crossed her face. The doctor, hoping to get a few more glances at Gu Jianchu, talked several times more than necessary. Liu Yanyan, seeing her boss’s displeasure, escorted him out.
Once the paperwork was done, Zhao Bo and Yao Qiu returned together. Yao Qiu said, “President Gu, thank you so much for your trouble today. President Qiao needs to be on an IV drip here. It’s getting late, you should go back and rest.”
Gu Jianchu nodded and stood to leave, but her wrist was once again weakly grasped. She leaned down to look. Qiao Qi’s slightly curled hand had emerged from under the covers. Her voice was soft and weak, but clear enough to be heard. She said, “Thank you.”
For the second time, Gu Jianchu offered a gentle smile. “You rest well. I’ll have Zhao Bo pick you up when the drip is finished.” She felt a measure of admiration for the woman in the hospital bed, who still remembered to express her thanks even at a time like this.
After Gu Jianchu left, as Qiao Qi’s headache gradually subsided, memories began to flash through her mind. She was annoyed. Her disheveled state, falling asleep with a stranger nearby for the first time, and the unusually severe headache—all of it had been witnessed by Gu Jianchu.
This was not how she usually was, and it certainly wasn’t something a person she had known for only a few days should have seen. The regret grew more intense, even making Qiao Qi feel an impulse to never see Gu Jianchu again. Gu Jianchu was like a needle, piercing the balloon of her composure and pride. She could hear the hissing sound of air leaking out.
On the way back, for some reason, the image that surfaced in Gu Jianchu’s mind was of Qiao Qi’s figure when she had helped her change. A smile touched the corners of her lips. Qiao Qi had a very nice body—a flat stomach, slender arms, and collarbones as exquisite as a work of art. Beautiful things always left a particularly deep impression on her.
The next day, Shen Shoucheng, having heard the news, rushed over. Qiao Qi was resting in her room. She waited for a while, but Qiao Qi showed no signs of waking. Under her assistant’s repeated urging, she finally left, reluctant.
It wasn’t until Gu Jianchu came by to check on her in the afternoon that Qiao Qi finally woke from her sleep. The first thing she did upon seeing Gu Jianchu was to thank her again.
“Are you feeling better now? Does your head still hurt?”
“Much better, thank you.”
Gu Jianchu sensed a faint distance in Qiao Qi’s usual demeanor. Although her expression was still pleasant, her words seemed cool—or perhaps it was just her imagination.
“If you need anything, just have Yao Qiu find Zhao Bo directly.”
“There’s no need to trouble you. Yangpu is already back.”
Qiao Qi’s attitude bothered Gu Jianchu somewhat, so after sitting for a short while, she stood up to leave. “Then I won’t disturb your rest.”
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