PB - Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Gu Jianchu was waiting for an important call in the shadows of the terrace. Before the call came, she heard the sound of footsteps, followed by a soft, pleasant female voice that drifted into her ears on the night breeze, sending a tingling sensation through her.
“Mom, I'll take care of myself. I have a business trip next week, so I can stop by and see you. You and Dad need to take care of yourselves too. Don't worry about me.”
Hearing her mother chat about family matters, Qiao Qi couldn't help but smile when her maternal grandfather was mentioned. He was the one who had given her the name Qi (栖), taken from the line “Scouring the cold branches, refusing to perch.” From a young age, she had been steeped in his oft-repeated words: “The character ‘Qi’ is used exquisitely here, giving this line of unyielding integrity a unique air of its own. Grandpa hopes you, too, will have a unique air of your own.”
“I just wanted to ask, are there any suitable young men you can bring home for your father and me to meet? Logically, you should be surrounded by talented young men. Hurry up and find a good son-in-law for me, so I can rest easy even when I'm not by your side.”
Thinking of the “talented young men” out there, Qiao Qi whispered, “They're… very annoying.”
“You're just too busy and don't know how to get along with boys. Oh, oh, your father wants to say a few words to you too.”
Qiao Qi waited quietly for her father to take the phone. After a moment of silence, his voice came through the receiver. “What are your plans for the future?”
Qiao Qi's voice held a hint of playful laughter. “I'll take it one step at a time.”
Her father laughed along with her. “No matter what you do, Dad will support you. And I trust you can handle things on your own.”
“Thanks, Dad.” She hung up the personal call, but her good mood had no time to blossom before Yao Qiu's voice sounded again. “President Qiao, it's a call from the Chairman.”
The smile on Qiao Qi's face vanished instantly. She took the phone and a cold “What is it?” went through the line. Even Gu Jianchu, hidden in the darkness, could feel the chill in those toneless words.
The only conglomerate in this city that could match Ruifeng's strength was the Gu family's Rongfang Group. It was rare for a single city to be dominated by two families of such equal standing. For instance, the Su family had spent decades becoming the largest in the financial city, and the Shen family had always been the leader in Shenzhen. In their respective territories, they were unrivaled.
Gu Jianchu was also a third-generation member of the Gu family, but the president of Rongfang was still her uncle. From the details of Qiao Qi's conversation, she had shrewdly guessed the other woman's identity: a vice president of Ruifeng. Just like her, still only a vice president.
Bathed in the scattered light from the main hall, Qiao Qi's silhouette was slender and straight, yet possessed a unique charm. Gu Jianchu had only seen her once before. She wasn't a conventionally beautiful woman, but her eyes were exceptionally lovely, curving into a beautiful arc when she smiled.
Gu Jianchu didn't have a habit of eavesdropping. She had simply been caught in the shadows, and her hesitation had cost her the chance to leave. She had planned to slip away after the first call ended, but now she found herself forced to listen to a second. But wasn't this woman—rumored to have slept her way to the top—being a little too hostile toward her supposed sugar daddy? Perhaps, she thought, there was more to the rumors about Qiao Qi than met the eye.
Her phone vibrated, making her palm tingle slightly. She had no choice but to step out of the shadows. She felt no sheepish apology for having overheard someone's call; she had been here first, and whether she stayed or left was her own decision. Yao Qiu started slightly upon seeing her. Qiao Qi followed Yao Qiu's gaze and looked up, her expression cold—but not directed at Gu Jianchu. Qiao Qi didn't seem to care about the situation at all.
Their eyes met briefly. They gave each other a slight nod by way of greeting before turning back to their respective calls. Gu Jianchu left, ceding the quiet corner to the ill-tempered Qiao Qi.
“I'm busy this week. I don't think there's any need for me to go back.” It was unclear what the person on the other end said, but after a long silence, Qiao Qi spoke again. “Fine, I'll go back and stay for one night.” Even as she finally conceded to the person on the phone, her attitude was hardly pleasant.
After hanging up, Qiao Qi said to Yao Qiu, “Have Yangpu postpone the meeting with President Shen. Pick me up over there at five tomorrow afternoon.”
In a foul mood, Qiao Qi reached for the wine glass she had set aside earlier, but the touch of her fingertips felt different. She looked down and saw that the stemmed glass had been replaced with a tumbler, and the red wine with milk. She couldn't help but let out a laugh, her voice feigning grievance. “This reception even serves milk? Where's my wine?”
Yao Qiu didn't answer her question. She had brought the milk herself. President Qiao was in poor health, and her stomach was even worse. While it wouldn't have been out of line to call ahead and ask the reception to prepare milk and juice, she didn't want to give people more reason to speculate about Qiao Qi. With a businesslike expression, she said, “President Qiao, you barely ate any dinner. Drink some milk. It's good for your stomach.”
“It's cold, I don't have much of an appetite. Besides, drinking too much milk can cause internal heat.” Qiao Qi looked at Yao Qiu, her eyes continuing to demand the whereabouts of her wine.
“President Qiao.” The tension in Yao Qiu's expression began to soften. “You've already had three glasses tonight. Any more would be too much. It's not just bad for your stomach; you'll have to endure a headache tomorrow.”
Qiao Qi argued, a rare occurrence for her, “My tolerance isn't that bad. Red wine helps with sleep. Maybe I'll get a good night's rest tonight.”
“No. Miss Su also instructed that you can't drink too much.” Yao Qiu relented, trying to persuade her gently. “Three glasses is the limit for tonight.” Then, as if remembering something, she added, “Besides, don't you have to go back to the Chairman's place tonight?”
This sentence seemed to remind Qiao Qi of her earlier foul mood. She waved a hand dismissively and took a small sip of milk, her eyes cold. “Tell Yangpu not to leave too early tonight. Find a place for me to rest. We'll go after the reception is over.”
On the other end, Old Master Jin put down the phone, an undisguised smile playing on his lips. Qiao Qi was truly a treasure he had stumbled upon. It was just a pity she was too soft-hearted. At this thought, the smile on the old master's face faded slightly. On the phone just now, he had exploited that very weakness, repeatedly bringing up his old ailments to get Qiao Qi to agree to stay for a night. But this soft-heartedness also made the old master pensive. It wouldn't be good if she were to change completely, either.
In truth, Qiao Qi was Old Master Jin's biological granddaughter. But her existence was not a glorious one. She was the result of a few stolen trysts with a neighbor, born of loneliness in the living quarters after he had joined the army. He had thought the matter would be forgotten once their two families were assigned to different places. Who could have known that he would gain not only a son but also a granddaughter?
After a thorough investigation, his first move was to bury the secret. However, he still used certain means to bring this granddaughter to his side, planning to reveal her at the right moment to whip the unmotivated Jin family descendants into shape—like putting a catfish in a tank of sardines. It would also inject some new vitality into the stagnant Ruifeng. He didn't have much affection for Qiao Qi.
What surprised him was Qiao Qi's performance at that branch company meeting. When news of it reached him, he formed a new plan: to personally groom this granddaughter and see what returns he could get. The results surprised him yet again. And so, Qiao Qi, who was originally a tool to break Ruifeng's stalemate, became his ideal successor.
He had always found Qiao Qi's personality too weak and quiet. Though he taught her diligently for half a year, he was still somewhat disappointed. The second turning point occurred during an important negotiation. Due to his advanced age, he rarely handled business talks personally anymore, but he had made a comeback for a year just to teach Qiao Qi. Unexpectedly, this only provided fertile ground for rumors.
During that negotiation, the bid details were unexpectedly leaked, and he was so enraged that he had a heart attack on the spot. His entourage panicked, scrambling in disarray. Only Qiao Qi remained calm and composed, stabilizing the chaotic situation. Whether it was communicating with the doctors or requesting a two-day postponement of the bid from the other party, she handled everything in an orderly and reasonable manner.
It was merely a case of his old age and a surge of anger affecting his circulation; his body was fine. For those two days, Qiao Qi moved her office into his room to make it easier to care for him. She listened carefully to the doctor's every instruction and followed them to the letter. Having navigated the world for so many years, Old Master Jin had always been an excellent judge of character. Qiao Qi did not disappoint him, and she won even more of his favor.
Two days later, when the negotiations resumed, he placed Qiao Qi in the lead seat. He sat beside her, hands clasped, waiting to see what she would do. Qiao Qi's proposal managed to cut the advertising budget in half. This approach made everyone's eyes light up, and he was especially surprised and pleased.
It was precisely this rational use of funds that brought Ruifeng's new bid to its lowest point. Coupled with the novel creativity of the overall proposal, the deal naturally fell into Ruifeng's hands. In his delight, Old Master Jin discovered that for the past six months, for every deal Qiao Qi had observed him handle, she had used the same information to create her own alternative proposal. That was how she had been able to produce a plan that reversed their fortunes in just two days. And so, after another six months, he placed her directly in the position of vice president at a branch company to continue honing her skills.
Few people knew of the relationship between Old Master Jin and Qiao Qi. So when the old master kept her by his side and taught her personally, the Jin family members took the gossip as truth. They believed that no matter how fond the old master was of a woman, she was still an outsider. When it came to crucial interests, he would surely cast her aside without a second thought.
It wasn't until Qiao Qi entered the group's core management on the strength of her outstanding abilities that the others finally woke up as if from a dream. The old master's little lover, the subject of rampant rumors, had transformed into one of Ruifeng Group's heirs. Moreover, the old master had happily welcomed her into the family home and gifted her an enviable amount of shares. Those whose interests were at stake couldn't describe the complex feelings in their hearts—a mixture of vexation, regret, and anger.
Qiao Qi did not seem particularly happy about any of this. From the moment this biological grandfather of hers had suddenly appeared, she had been forced to leave her old life behind and enter this world of illusion and reality. And to cover up his past scandal, this grandfather of hers had never once considered acknowledging her father. Because compared to her, her father was the most powerful and direct evidence of his past.
For this very reason, Old Master Jin would not allow her to be formally recognized by the family with any fanfare, even letting the rumors run rampant. Compared to her reputation, his own was, of course, far more important. The members of the Jin family also had a mutual understanding: the worse her reputation, the harder it would be for her in the business world. Increasing the resistance she faced was a result the other Jins were happy to see.
As for the matter of Qiao Qi's surname, Old Master Jin planned to leave instructions in his will after his death, permitting her to change her name back. By then, he would be gone and wouldn't much care if his past scandals were unearthed. No matter how cleverly Old Master Jin played his hand, Qiao Qi could guess most of his intentions. She hated the Jin family because she detested her grandfather's coercion and enticements. As for her own plans, perhaps it was just as she had told her father: she would take it one step at a time.
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