CM | Chapter 11

The awards ceremony organized by the Investors Association was about to begin.

Xu Shuo had originally planned to use the electronic invitation Xiao Chuan made to get in, but when he reached about a dozen steps from the entrance, he saw some guests being stopped at the door. It turned out that besides the electronic invitation, they also had to show a magnetic-chip invitation card.

At the entrance stood a man dressed like a supervisor. When he ran into familiar-looking guests, he would even smile and greet them directly, sparing them the magnetic-chip invitation card.

Seeing that, Xu Shuo paused mid-step and walked down the stairs with a blank expression.

From his Bluetooth earpiece came Xiao Chuan’s voice: “Ge, why did you suddenly turn around?”

Xu Shuo didn’t explain the magnetic card. He only said, “I’m going to find some unlucky soul first.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Shuo found his target.

He went to the foot of the stairs and deliberately brushed against two women coming toward him, using his height and broad shoulders to do it.

The two women were chatting. One was talking about how, in a moment, she was going to create an opening to get close to the boss of some company. For today, she’d finally managed to get an invitation card after a lot of effort.

Who knew that while they were laughing so hard they were shaking, someone would brush their elbow? The woman in the red dress lost her footing, her heel twisted, and not only did her evening clutch slip from her hand, she nearly fell too.

At the critical moment, the woman’s elbow was caught by a strong hand, and the evening clutch landed neatly in the other hand of the newcomer.

The woman, her nerves just settling, was about to thank him while patting her chest, but the moment she looked up, she froze.

A faint smile curved Xu Shuo’s lips as he said in a low voice, “Sorry, Miss, I wasn’t paying attention. Are you hurt?”

Those eyes were black and deep, like a pool of water so deep it could draw someone in.

The two women both went blank. It wasn’t until Xu Shuo returned the evening clutch to the woman in red that she took it back a little shyly, without the slightest trace of anger. Instead, she even smiled and thanked Xu Shuo.

Xu Shuo answered, then politely gestured for the two women to go on ahead.

The two women whispered all the way, glancing back every few steps.

The woman in red said, “Wow, he’s so handsome. I wonder which family’s young master he is, and he’s so polite…”

The woman in black said, “Don’t let your guard down too much. Don’t forget our target tonight. Besides, someone that handsome is very likely one of our own crowd.”

Xu Shuo followed them a few steps behind.

The three of them arrived at the door one after another, and the gate supervisor motioned for them to show their magnetic cards.

The woman in red opened her clutch. The moment she did, her smile stiffened. The magnetic card was gone without a trace!

“Oh no, where’s my card?!”

The woman in black was startled too. “Oh my god, did you forget to bring it out?”

“No way, I clearly remember putting it in…”

Just by glancing at the two women’s outfits, the gate supervisor could roughly guess their line of work. He figured they had been planning to slip in amid the confusion from the start, and was just about to ask someone to leave.

At that moment, a hand suddenly reached out between the two panicked women. The hand had long, slender fingers, distinct knuckles, nails trimmed neat and clean, and from the shirt cuff to the web of his thumb, the strap of a luxury watch was faintly visible.

“Sorry, I was a step late. They’re with me.”

The two women both jumped and turned back, meeting Xu Shuo’s gaze.

The gate supervisor was worldly enough that the moment he saw Xu Shuo, his attitude changed. He sized him up from head to toe. Broad-shouldered, tall and upright, with sharp, well-defined features, and every piece of his suit was custom-made.

The gate supervisor dared not neglect him. He took the card, swiped it, and handed it back to Xu Shuo, all while asking, “Sir, you look unfamiliar. I don’t think I’ve seen you before. May I ask how to address you?”

“Xu.”

Xu Shuo casually slipped the card into his pocket, stepped up the stairs, and came to stand between the two women. His arms, with both hands in his pockets, left just enough room on either side, as if waiting for someone to hook onto him.

The two women, who had been stunned a moment ago, came to themselves and hooked their arms through Xu Shuo’s without a word.

The gate supervisor said, “So you’re Mr. Xu. Are these two ladies your companions?”

The gate supervisor couldn’t see through Xu Shuo’s background, and he didn’t dare take lightly the idea of letting these two women with shady methods in.

Xu Shuo, however, shook his head. “No.”

As soon as he said that, everyone there froze.

Xu Shuo paused, then said, “I just arrived in Jiangcheng and don’t know the place. I urgently need two guides, so I specially invited them to accompany me.”

As he finished, Xu Shuo smiled, but the smile held no pleasure. It was as if he disliked being questioned like that by the gate supervisor.

The gate supervisor’s heart tightened. He decided this man’s background was certainly deeper than he could see, and he absolutely could not offend him recklessly. He immediately stepped aside from the entrance respectfully.

“I see. I hope Mr. Xu has a pleasant night. This way, please.”

Xu Shuo calmly led the two women who had come to fish for rich men into the venue. By then, most of the banquet hall seats were already taken, with only a few left empty at the top table.

None of the guests at the other tables dared sit directly in an empty seat if they wanted to go up and greet the people at the head table. Every seat had a name card. Even if the guest of honor wasn’t here, the name card still represented the owner’s status and background. Who would dare overstep?

In the corner, Xu Shuo had already withdrawn the arm he’d lent out. With his arms folded, he leaned against the wall, looking like a stranger to be kept away.

The woman in black had gone off early to look for her target, but the woman in red was still reluctant to leave. Her big eyes fluttered as she looked at Xu Shuo, but he seemed uninterested in her, keeping his eyes fixed on the tables ahead.

The woman in red bit her lip and quietly moved closer. Her voice was soft and sweet as she breathed, “I say, Mr. Xu, since you’re new to Jiangcheng, do you want me to help you open up some connections? There’s a boss at the front table who’s a friend of mine.”

Xu Shuo looked back at her, calm and unhurried, and let his gaze fall on her face. There was a hint of teasing in his words. “What kind of friend?”

The woman in red understood instantly and slapped him lightly. “You know exactly what I mean, and you’re still pretending.”

A second later, she said, “If you’re willing, you and I could become that kind of friend too.”

Xu Shuo raised a brow ever so slightly.

The woman in red kept pushing. “Tonight… I can waive the fee… how about it?”

Xu Shuo only smiled and said, “I’m the one who charges.”

The woman in red was startled. “You… you’re really in the same trade as me?”

Xu Shuo didn’t answer. He only shifted his gaze away lightly.

The woman in red gritted her teeth, immediately embarrassed and annoyed. It wasn’t until the woman in black came back, pulled her away, and said there were several big fish sitting over there, telling her to hurry up, that the woman in red was finally dragged away reluctantly.

After the women left, Xu Shuo tucked his hands into his pockets and, at an unhurried pace, crossed past the rows behind him and headed straight for the head table.

On the Bluetooth, Xiao Chuan teased, “Hey, Ge, you’re pretty lucky in love!”

“Cut the crap. Check the empty seats at the head table, now.”

As he spoke, Xu Shuo had already reached the table. He swept his gaze over the name cards and told Xiao Chuan.

Xiao Chuan had already hacked into the venue’s intranet and said, “Found it. President Cheng from Jiangcheng Bank had a schedule change. He can’t come.”

Xu Shuo sat down directly in the seat with the “Cheng Yaohui” name card.

The other people at the head table all turned to look, but no one knew Xu Shuo.

The venue supervisor saw the scene from far away and quickly came over. Not daring to make a big fuss, he bent down behind Xu Shuo and whispered, “Sorry, sir, this seat is reserved for Jiangcheng Bank…”

Before he could finish, Xu Shuo lifted a hand to stop him. “President Cheng’s schedule changed today. He asked me to come in his place. Don’t make this public for now.”

The venue supervisor froze, then agreed, though he was still half skeptical. As he left, he hurriedly used his earpiece to contact the organizers. Only after learning that Cheng Yaohui really had changed his schedule did his doubts finally ease.

The man seated on Xu Shuo’s left saw the commotion and took the initiative to strike up a conversation.

“Sir, may I ask how to address you?”

“Xu. President Cheng’s assistant.”

“So you’re Special Assistant Xu. I’ve long heard of you. I’m here on behalf of Boss Zhu from ‘Jiangcheng Gene’ to attend the event. I’m Chen Feng.”

“Oh, so you’re from Boss Zhu’s side. Forgive me. These days, ‘Jiangcheng Gene’ is really riding high.”

Xu Shuo’s tone held a faint tease, but his eyes were incomparably sincere, even carrying a hint of concern.

Chen Feng was momentarily taken aback and said awkwardly, “Thank you for your concern. Sigh, we’ve been swamped lately. Luckily we’ve always had President Cheng looking after us. If we get a chance, we should keep in touch more?”

“Definitely.”

After a round of small talk, the emcee went onstage and began the program. He reviewed the achievements of Jiangcheng’s financial circle over the past year, then looked ahead to a bright future. Once the pleasant boilerplate was over, it was time for the chairman of the Investors Association to give a speech.

The lights dimmed, leaving only a spotlight on the chairman and the slideshow behind him.

Fortunately, the chairman knew he wasn’t the star of today and didn’t drag things out too long. In less than ten minutes, he handed things back to the emcee, who came onstage to announce the award process.

By then, the seat marked “Gu Chengwen” at the table below was still empty.

Only when the emcee stepped onstage did he smile and announce, “Ladies and gentlemen, as everyone knows, every year the Jiangcheng Investors Association gives out a special award to recognize the peer with the sharpest investment vision, the most decisiveness, and the most creativity from the previous year. Tonight’s winner is very special. In the past few years, he has been the frontrunner in the vote, and he has also won this award three times in total. Now, let’s welcome him with warm applause, Mr. Gu Chengwen!”

Thunderous applause broke out, and everyone looked on eagerly.

No one knew when Gu Chengwen had already appeared below the stage. When the spotlight hit him, he was walking up the steps from the side, calm and unhurried, and came to the award podium.

The applause below grew louder and louder, and the financial reporters who had been waiting for ages seemed suddenly energized, turning their cameras toward the stage.

No one had expected Gu Chengwen to appear at the very last moment. He had never even touched the head table, and no one even knew when he had arrived at the venue.

All eyes were on the stage, and every face was full of smiles.

Down below, the crowd was packed so tightly that naturally no one noticed the dark, icy face of Xu Shuo at the head table, fixed on Gu Chengwen.

It was precisely when Gu Chengwen took the microphone and began the back-and-forth with the emcee that a woman in an evening gown suddenly appeared in the aisle below.

The woman’s gown was nude-colored and cut to fit her perfectly. As she walked, the hem swayed gracefully.

She went straight to the head table, lifted the hem of her dress slightly with one hand to reveal a stretch of bare calf, and then sat down in the seat marked “Gu Chengwen.”

That seat happened to face the award podium. Once she sat down, she just happened to block half of Xu Shuo, who was staring at the podium from her left.

Xu Shuo only felt his vision flash, a large wash of nude color appearing before him, while at the same time a faint fragrance slipped into his nose.

Xu Shuo’s eyelids lifted slightly, and a small patch of fair skin was right in front of him.

The woman applauded with everyone else. The slight motion made the pearl earrings at her ears sway back and forth, until Chen Feng on Xu Shuo’s other side suddenly spoke up.

“Excuse me, are you Miss Gu?”

The woman paused and turned around. The smiling curve of her eyes swept across half the head table and finally landed on Chen Feng. Then she lifted a brow.

Chen Feng immediately said, “Miss Gu, hello. I don’t know if you remember me, I’m Chen Feng from ‘Jiangcheng Gene.'”

At that moment, the two bosses at the other end of the head table were talking softly.

One asked, “Which Miss Gu?”

The other answered, “Gu Chengwen’s daughter.”

“The psychological expert?”

“Mm.”

Over here, Gu Yao took the business card Chen Feng handed her and casually put it into her bag. She only smiled and nodded, with no intention of saying more.

That smile was polite and distant, but because the lights below the stage were rather dim and the shadows overlapped, it instead brought out a different kind of meaning. And since Chen Feng was far too excited, desperate to get close to the person nearest to Gu Chengwen, he didn’t have the heart to care about anything else and simply struck up a conversation from afar.

“Miss Gu, I have a relative’s child who once attended one of your classes at school. After coming back, he kept praising you. He said you’re incredibly professional, that you’re his idol, and that he wants to be like you in the future…”

Gu Yao had already turned back to listen to Gu Chengwen speak. Hearing this, she had no choice but to turn back again and deal with him.

Gu Yao: “Really? Then please tell him to work hard.”

“Of course, of course. Oh, right, our Boss Zhu often mentions you too…”

Chen Feng’s intention was to make Gu Yao remember his name. Whether it was in front of Gu Chengwen or Zhu Shengxi, saying a few words on his behalf would help him.

But when that reached the ears of the others at the head table, they all looked toward Gu Yao in unison.

Gu Yao immediately felt that Chen Feng was talking far too much. She lifted a hand and made a “shh” gesture beside her lips.

Chen Feng understood and immediately fell silent.

Because of that, Gu Yao’s gaze unintentionally drifted over the man who had been sitting between her and Chen Feng all along.

This man was simply too quiet. He hadn’t even shifted his posture once. Just now she’d only caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye, like a plaster statue, with his arms folded and one leg crossed.

This time, their eyes met head-on.

Seeing Gu Yao look over, Xu Shuo moved first.

He raised a brow at her, carrying a trace of frivolity and mockery. That half-smiling, half-not expression made it seem as if he’d been watching her for a long time. He had the air of a spoiled rich kid through and through, utterly incorrigible.

Gu Yao’s eyelid twitched. She turned her head away immediately and put her back to Xu Shuo, her face stiff, finally understanding what it meant to feel like sitting on pins and needles.

By then, Gu Chengwen onstage had already taken the trophy and was speaking into the microphone:

“Jiangcheng, as one of the cities with the fastest economic growth in the country over the past ten years, has always been recognized by society. That has directly influenced the young people of Jiangcheng. Their attention to finance, economics, investment, and other industries often makes us older generations feel a sense of pressure, and as their role models, we do not dare neglect ourselves even slightly. Last year, Jiangcheng’s economy once again set a new record. This is the pride of us investors in Jiangcheng, and it is also the glory of Jiangcheng.”

As he said that, Gu Chengwen paused and smiled down at the audience.

Gu Yao quietly gave her father a thumbs-up, and a scattering of light applause sounded around her.

Only when Gu Chengwen continued, “Our generation has struggled on this land for more than thirty years. We have witnessed the tremendous changes in Jiangcheng after the reform and opening up, and we’ve been fortunate enough to take part in them, contributing our sweat and tears, giving everything to this land. You could say every moment has been unforgettable. But what has left the deepest impression on me is seeing the younger generation of entrepreneurs grow up and take the baton from our hands, such as the founder of ‘Jiangcheng Gene,’ Mr. Zhu Shengxi.”

Gu Chengwen paused again.

Camera flashes burst on and off below the stage. Everyone pricked up their ears, unable to imagine that Gu Chengwen, who had always kept a low profile, would choose a gathering full of business figures to publicly mention ‘Jiangcheng Gene’ and Zhu Shengxi.

“Over the past few years, I’ve personally witnessed the rise of ‘Jiangcheng Gene,’ and I’ve also seen with my own eyes how a group of young people who grew up alongside it have worked diligently. They have put in their effort for society, for the public, and for the future of medical technology. A company with a conscience like that should be encouraged. Of course, there will also be a few individuals in it who are driven by profit and fame, trying to tear down the foundation of a company with a conscience. For this kind of ‘violence,’ what we need to do is isolate it, fight it, and keep our own capacity to think, without being influenced by any public opinion with ulterior motives. So I also want to take this opportunity to announce to everyone that I, Gu Chengwen, along with the other investors in ‘Jiangcheng Gene,’ will continue to hold fast to our beliefs and defend Jiangcheng.”

As soon as Gu Chengwen finished speaking, thunderous applause broke out below the stage.

Gu Yao smiled as she stood up, clapping while looking at the stage.

Then, as if sensing movement behind her, she looked back too. Nearly everyone had stood up. Every face was excited, and some people were even applauding and cheering.

Gu Yao’s heart immediately settled. She firmly believed that all the negative|news about ‘Jiangcheng Gene’ would ultimately collapse under its own weight, and that rumors stop with the wise.

But just as Gu Yao thought that, a tall black shadow blocked her view.

This person wasn’t just tall, he was upright and straight-backed too, dark as a mountain. He stood a full half-head taller than Gu Yao, planted squarely in her line of sight, blocking out a stretch of people behind him.

Gu Yao’s smile faded slightly. She instinctively looked at this man, who from beginning to end had not applauded once, only risen with his hands in his pockets, his expression dripping with sarcasm.

He had already put away that unserious attitude of his. His gaze was cold as he fixed it on Gu Chengwen onstage, as if he were watching a great play.

After a long moment, he lowered his eyelids and looked at Gu Yao.

Their eyes met. He curved his lips, gave her a slight nod, and then turned and walked out of the crowd.

Gu Yao gave no reaction at all. She only stared at his back.

She had not been mistaken. That look just now had been full of gloating.

Author’s note:

Another fat chapter, I can’t bear to part with it, can’t bear to part with it…

Because this story was launched with zero saved drafts and no buffer, a lot of the details were only thought up on the fly. I only had one outline in my head. I never wrote the new outline down, and only I know the solution and how the incident unfolded.

Honestly, this was really ridiculous. I had the first version of the outline and saved chapters back in 2014, and from 2019 onward I kept overturning it. It wasn’t until the day before I started posting that I changed the male lead’s profession to lawyer and threw away all the previous saved chapters, which turned into the current zero-draft start = =. But it’s also the version I like best.

I looked back through my old works and was surprised too. I studied media communication and social psychology, but I somehow never wrote a story about the subjects I studied. This time I finally made it happen~