PB - Chapter 62

Chapter 62

At the end of July, Guangming Group and Yuanhang Company officially signed a merger and acquisition agreement. Subsequently, Guangming Group announced a halt in the trading of its stock, which would resume after the two companies completed their structural reorganization. The following month was busier than Qi Sitian had ever been. Fortunately, her ability to handle pressure and her work capacity had both improved significantly during her years of tempering at Yuanhang. Even Qiao Qi had praised her for making great progress.

She had a new office at Guangming, but she still spent most of her time working at Yuanhang. During this period, whenever she encountered a problem she couldn't solve during the day, she would run to Qiao Qi's house at night. Sometimes, if Qiao Qi was too busy, she would have Gu Jianchu help instead.

Qi Sitian still felt a bit of aversion toward Gu Jianchu. First, she worried that Gu Jianchu was too much of a flirt and would fail her aunt. Second, Gu Jianchu's face was often expressionless when she spoke, making her seem cold, aloof, and condescending.

Coming out of the study, Qiao Qi caught a glimpse of the scene downstairs and couldn't help but smile. Qi Sitian was sitting ramrod straight, looking as if she were facing a formidable enemy, like a student facing a pop quiz from the head teacher. Gu Jianchu was leaning back on the sofa, replying to emails on her tablet while listening to Qi Sitian speak. She would occasionally offer some advice, but she was as sparing with her words as if they were gold.

The moment the study door opened, Gu Jianchu heard the sound. Once she finished approving the document she was reading, she looked up, her eyes smiling as she watched Qiao Qi walk over. "Finished with work?" she asked.

Qiao Qi nodded and turned to Qi Sitian. "How is it? Is everything resolved?"

Qi Sitian glanced at Gu Jianchu and replied in a low voice, "More or less."

Qiao Qi sat down next to Gu Jianchu, her voice soft and slow. "Compared to Guangming, Yuanhang has greater potential. After Guangming resumes trading, its stock will rise for a period, but since Guangming's previous stock price was sluggish, the overall price will still be moderate."

Gu Jianchu asked her, "You want to buy in?"

Qiao Qi said, "Yuanhang and Guangming are reorganizing for a public listing, so the previous fundraising will almost all be withdrawn. Sitian has a funding gap, but the Qi family doesn't have these problems."

"You don't want the Qi family to take advantage of her by making a huge profit?" Gu Jianchu glanced at Qi Sitian, who instantly felt a chill. Then she heard Gu Jianchu add, "President Qiao is really quite attentive to little President Qi."

Only then did Qi Sitian realize that the great Miss Gu was jealous. Qiao Qi was her aunt; it was natural for her to be good to her. What was there to be jealous about between an aunt and a niece? Gu Jianchu was truly bizarre beyond belief. But since she was benefiting, of course she had to play along. "Thank you, Aunt. I'll have to trouble you again."

Gu Jianchu said, "Qi San really doesn't have the ability, but Yuanhang does. Hearing you say that, I might as well continue to increase my holdings. Letting Qi San grow stronger isn't a good thing for Rongfang as a shareholder either."

Qiao Qi smiled. "Sitian, hurry up and say thank you."

Qi Sitian obeyed. "Thank you, President Gu."

Gu Jianchu's gaze shifted to Qi Sitian, filled with dissatisfaction. "This isn't the office. You don't have to call me President Gu."

In front of Gu Jianchu, Qi Sitian always felt like a student who could never get an 'A' no matter how hard she tried. She was at a loss and a bit embarrassed, so she could only cast a pleading look at Qiao Qi. Qiao Qi smiled faintly and said, "Call her Aunt." Gu Jianchu was satisfied, a smile floating in her eyes. It seemed Qi Sitian had forgotten she had jokingly called her 'Aunt' once before.

In truth, Qi Sitian knew very well. From the first time the ever-proud President Gu of Rongfang had guided her in revising a proposal in the office, to these past few nights when she had set aside time to give her incisive advice—all of it meant that because of her relationship with Qiao Qi, Gu Jianchu, by extension, had come to see her as much more important.

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out the first time. She straightened her back, took a deep breath, and finally managed to eke out in a small voice, "Aunt Jianchu." It sounded much better than the last time. Gu Jianchu's eyebrows rose slightly. Though she said nothing, her expression was pleased.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Qiao Qi went to open it directly. Gu Jianchu's questioning gaze followed her. She explained, "It's Yangpu, dropping something off."

Xu Yangpu had come to deliver the newly mounted piece of calligraphy, her grandfather's birthday gift to her this year. In truth, her grandfather was getting old; his wrist lacked strength, and the characters had lost their vigor. Even the brushstrokes were a bit crooked. Even Gu Jianchu, a layperson, could see that this piece was not as good as the one Qiao Qi previously had hanging in her study.

Xu Yangpu helped change the calligraphy scroll and then left. Seeing that it was getting late, Qi Sitian also took her leave. Qiao Qi leaned against the desk, her gaze fixed on the newly hung scroll. Gu Jianchu followed her example, quietly admiring it as well. This piece of calligraphy felt like a period at the end of the past seven years, and Qiao Qi was filled with emotion.

Gu Jianchu asked, "Why change it?"

Qiao Qi smiled faintly, like a water droplet falling onto a calm surface, creating beautiful ripples. "Because," she said, her voice trailing off as she turned to Gu Jianchu, "this is a new beginning."

Gu Jianchu understood the meaning behind her words, and a smile bloomed on her face. To her, these were President Qiao's sweet nothings. In a joking tone, Gu Jianchu asked, "So, is President Qiao going to open a bottle of wine to celebrate?"

Qiao Qi's eyes lit up. "Alright," she said. Red wine helped one sleep and also set the mood, and it would make the quiet night a little more vivid.

At the end of August, Guangming Group and Yuanhang Company completed their merger. Through her efforts over the past few years, Qi Sitian had acquired over 80% of Yuanhang's shares. Combined with the remaining Guangming shares she already held, she became the second-largest shareholder of the reorganized group in one leap. In the current Guangming Group, besides Qi San, there was only her: the returned Qi Sitian.

At the first board meeting after the reorganization, Qi Sitian was seated in a prominent position, and every word she spoke during the meeting carried weight. Regardless of whether the other Qi family members present were happy about it, she had already transformed, completely unafraid. Perhaps considering her isolation here, Qiao Qi had actually come to preside over the board meeting on behalf of the Jin family, which made Qi Sitian even more calm and composed.

After the meeting, Qi Sitian took the initiative to invite Qiao Qi to her office. It was a brand-new office, and she wanted Qiao Qi to see it. "Aunt, I took Mom to see Dad yesterday. I told him I'm back and that he can rest assured."

Seeing her reddened eyes, Qiao Qi felt a pang of sympathy. She comforted her, "Your father would be proud of you."

Qi Sitian broke into a smile. "He definitely would be. And I promised him I'll make Guangming develop even better under my leadership." A knock came at the office door. It was Qi Sitian's mother. Today was a special day, so Sitian had specifically asked her secretary to bring her mother over to tour the group again. For mother and daughter, all of this held a special significance.

Sitian's mother was older than Qiao Qi and had always affectionately called her "Xiao Qi." From the moment she stepped into the group, she couldn't contain her excitement. Her voice choked with emotion, she said, "I still have to thank you. Thank you for teaching her on behalf of her father all these years."

"It was Sitian's own hard work." Qiao Qi glanced at her watch and left the remaining time to the mother and daughter. "I have things to attend to at Ruifeng, so I'll head back now."

Qi Sitian saw her off downstairs. "Take care, Aunt," she said. After a pause, she awkwardly added, "When you have time, I'd like to treat you and Aunt Jianchu to a meal." Qiao Qi nodded in acceptance, got in the car, and left. Sitian returned to her office, where her mother was carefully observing the decor. She asked her mother, "Does it look like Dad's old office?"

Her mother smiled. "No wonder it looked so familiar. You've grown up. Your father would be so happy." She pulled her daughter over to straighten her collar and said, "Didn't you say you were going to show me around the group?"

As Qi Sitian walked her mother through Guangming, it was inevitable that she would run into people she didn't want to see. Qi Er had also returned to Guangming after he could no longer stay at Ruifeng. Seeing the mother and daughter from afar, he was about to go over and put on airs, but fortunately, Qi Sitian had brought subordinates with her from Yuanhang. Before he could even get close, he was blocked by several men.

The men spoke politely but firmly. "Excuse me, if you have business, please wait until working hours. Please make way." Without even sparing Qi Er a glance, Qi Sitian led her mother straight past him.

Qi Er, fuming, turned and snapped at Qi Simiao, who had come with him. His tone was harsh. "Look at their daughter. How can you be so useless?"

Although Qi Simiao was also fuming, she was even more contemptuous of her father. "You're losing your temper over such a small setback, and you have the nerve to criticize me?" After saying that, she ignored Qi Er and walked away.

Back in her office, the more Qi Simiao thought about it, the angrier she became, especially Qi Sitian's attitude during their encounter just now—her arrogance, as if they were beneath her notice. She had clearly seen the disdain in Qi Sitian's eyes. The same Qi Sitian she used to bully into silence was now walking all over her. How could she swallow this insult?

Thinking it over, it all came back to Qiao Qi. That woman had specifically come to the board meeting today just to back Qi Sitian up. She was the cause of the current situation. Because of her, Gu Jianchu had distanced herself and even suppressed Guangming. And because of her, Qi Sitian dared to look down on her. The more Qi Simiao thought, the more she hated her, hated her so much that her body trembled involuntarily.

Things were far from over. Qi Sitian planned to reform Guangming. The fresh blood she brought from Yuanhang, once injected into the sclerotic group, only accelerated the changes. Since she was going to make a move, she had to start with the redundant personnel. Qi Er was first on the list. Her attitude was firm this time, which naturally caused quite a stir on the board.

Out of consideration for personal feelings, the directors were initially unwilling to take a stance. After several back-and-forth discussions, Ruifeng and Rongfang simultaneously let it be known that they were inclined to support Qi Sitian's reforms. With that, the directors no longer hesitated. After all, Guangming's declining performance in recent years had a lot to do with Qi San's mismanagement. They were also hoping that Qi Sitian could bring them greater profits.

The personnel shake-up at Guangming continued until mid-October. Qi Sitian's position was also promoted from Marketing Director, when she first arrived, straight to Vice President of the group. Across the entire Qi family, aside from Qi Sitian who had long since moved out, no one could stand the changes at Guangming. Qi Sitian was like a piece of red-hot charcoal, roasting the Qi family members like ants on a hot pan.

Qi Simiao had been in a bad mood for days and was partying wildly at a bar when she happened to run into Gu Mingyi again. Gu Mingyi looked like he had just come from a business dinner; his tie was loose, and he was drinking heavily by himself. Although the younger generation of the Gu family didn't get along, they had all inherited good genes. Gu Mingyi was handsome, and his eyes, in particular, looked very much like Gu Jianchu's. Annoyed and just wanting to drink alone, Gu Mingyi had already brushed off several women who had tried to approach him.

"Is Young Master Gu in a bad mood?" She saw through the man's disheveled state at a glance.

Gu Mingyi glanced at her and sneered, "With Qi Sitian back at Guangming, how much better off can your Qi family be?" He had been looking for an opportunity to make a comeback recently. He had tried to meet with several of Rongfang's directors, but they had all refused him for various reasons. Today, he had tried to get in on a project and failed again, ending up with egg on his face. At this moment, his frustration was at its peak.

Qi Simiao said, in a tone that was part lament, part deliberate provocation, "The two of us are really in the same boat."

Gu Mingyi grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her in front of him. He stared at her with resentment but spat out only one word: "Scram."

Having successfully provoked him, Qi Simiao actually felt a thrill of revenge. "Doesn't Young Master Gu want to make a comeback?" she said.

Gu Mingyi studied her seriously for a long moment before asking, "You have a way?"

She reached out a finger and hooked it under Gu Mingyi's chin. Amidst the colorful lights and wine, her tone was flirtatious. "Not for now. But if the two of us think together, we can always come up with something, can't we?"

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