At 2:20, three black cars drove into the building's entrance hall in succession.
The Cadillac led the way and stopped in front of the Roman column on the right, while the Bentley in the middle was very domineering and stopped directly in the middle.
A young man wearing glasses got out of the passenger seat of the Bentley. He buttoned his suit jacket as he walked to the back, bowed slightly, and respectfully opened the rear door.
Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the car door, a sense of tension rising from their feet for no apparent reason.
The afternoon sun was exceptionally intense, the road was scorching hot, and the leaves were so green they seemed to glow. Amidst the summer's heat and hustle and bustle, there was also a sense of distant tranquility, like a telephoto lens slowly zooming in.
Cen Sen got out of the car and slowly stood up straight.
He had striking features—sharp eyebrows and bright eyes—and a clean, refined appearance. Combined with his tall, slender figure, he exuded a natural aloofness. From afar, he appeared young and noble.
Before everyone could react, the doors of both cars opened simultaneously, and six assistants—three men and three women—stepped out. They were all dressed in business suits, carrying briefcases, and followed Cen Sen very respectfully, maintaining a distance of about half a meter.
Many high-ranking officials came to greet Cen Sen today, but there were also a few old fogies who deliberately did not show up, wanting to show the younger generation the full spectrum of human nature.
The group walked in expressionlessly, and as they entered the elevator, someone suddenly pressed the floor button for them.
"Mr. Cen, I am Mr. Huang's secretary. My surname is Yu. You can just call me Xiao Yu. Mr. Huang has not been feeling well recently and has been resting at home, so he was unable to pick you up today."
Secretary Yu wore a smile, seemingly attentive and solicitous, yet she stood ramrod straight. Her tone was soft, but it also carried a palpable air of superiority.
"General Manager Huang specifically instructed me to make sure you are treated well. If there is anything you would like to see or want, just let me know."
The air fell silent for a moment.
Zhou Jiaheng stood to the side of the elevator, his body slightly lowered, and extended his right hand to clear the way for Cen Sen.
After Cen Sen entered the elevator, Zhou Jiaheng turned around and said to his secretary, "It's normal for President Huang to be unwell at his age. Secretary Yu, please tell President Huang to rest assured and focus on his health. He can stay home and tend to his flowers and plants. He doesn't need to worry about the company's affairs anymore."
"When President Cen returns this time, he will take full control of Junyi. For meritorious employees like President Huang who have made great contributions to the group, President Cen will do his best to provide them with the best retirement life."
Retirement life?
Secretary Yu didn't react for a moment.
But after Zhou Jiaheng finished speaking, he didn't wait for Cen Sen to reply. He walked straight into the elevator, stood behind Cen Sen, and changed the floor to the sixty-eighth floor.
The elevator doors slowly closed, and Cen Sen stood in the center, his expression gentle yet indifferent, never giving Secretary Yu, who was leading the way, even a glance.
The group arrived at the chairman's office on the 68th floor, which had been vacant for a long time.
One of the assistants deftly affixed a temporary nameplate to the door;
Two other assistants worked together to measure and record various data in the office in order to arrange the desks, chairs and furniture that Cen Sen liked.
Assistant General Manager Zhou Jiaheng opened his laptop and, through the company intranet, issued a pre-prepared notice to all employees—
"After deliberation by the group's leadership, it has been decided that, effective today, Mr. Cen Sen will be transferred from his position as Director of the Overseas Development Department and President of Junyi Australia Group to President of Junyi Group. All departments are requested to actively cooperate with Mr. Cen Sen's work in this new role. We hope that under Mr. Cen Sen's leadership, Junyi Group will reach a new level."
The signature at the end is Cen Yuanchao.
At the same time, the computers in the office area kept beeping with notifications of new emails.
Upon receiving this notification, the entire company was in an uproar.
"Is Chairman Cen's health really failing? That woman is only twenty-seven, or twenty-eight? She's too young."
After get off work in the evening, a group from Junyi's marketing department organized a departmental gathering.
Normally, everyone tacitly hopes to return to their private lives every weekend, and it's best to pretend to be a stranger when colleagues meet on the street and not even greet each other.
But today, because of Cen Sen's appearance, Junyi was particularly restless. After get off work, many people got together to have a few drinks and gossip.
"So what if he's young? He graduated from Harvard and was in charge of the acquisition of Sikang when he was only 22. At the time, the acquisition case really gave Vice Chairman Liu a lot of trouble, but he resolved it in no time. He was incredibly efficient."
"I know he's capable. He's the one who built Shuiyunjian. It's just that... he's a bit too young to take over the whole group directly."
Another female colleague chimed in, "I don't think it's a problem of him being too young, it's a problem of him being too handsome. He looks like a celebrity, and I always feel like he's unreliable."
"Is being handsome not a good thing? Do you want to see President Yu's face every day?"
Mr. Yu is their marketing manager, and his appearance is notoriously eccentric.
The room erupted in laughter, and the atmosphere suddenly lightened.
"Does he have a girlfriend? It's a shame someone as handsome as him doesn't have an office romance," a female colleague teased.
The male colleague scoffed, mercilessly bursting the budding romance, "Girlfriend? She's already married."
"get married?"
"No way, I've never heard of that before."
Who is his wife?
"Married young."
Everyone started talking at once.
A gossip expert shared some inside information: "His wife is from the Ji family."
Which Ji family?
"Which other Ji family is it? Of course, it's the Ji family from Huadian University."
"...Do you know what? He actually made me kneel and kowtow three times and nine times to the Potala Palace! Can you believe a man would say that? I've lived for over twenty years and never seen a man like that before. And you're praising him? You have absolutely no idea how mean he is! What sins did I commit in my past life...cough! cough cough..."
Inside the private ginseng hot spring at Shuiyun Pavilion, Ji Mingshu, who was being discussed by Junyi employees, was wrapped in a bath towel and ranting wildly. She spoke so fast that she choked and subconsciously pressed down on the stone by the pool to cough incessantly.
Gu Kaiyang listened to her insults for a full quarter of an hour, his stomach aching from laughing. As he handed her a tissue, he tore one off himself to wipe away his tears.
The hot spring water was just 40 degrees Celsius, not too hot, but Ji Mingshu was so excited that he couldn't breathe after soaking for a short while. "I can't take it anymore, I'm not soaking anymore."
She got up, changed into a dry towel to wrap herself, and walked towards the pool while tying her long hair up.
This private ginseng hot spring, exclusively for Jiming Shu, is located at the deepest part of the Shuiyunjian Hot Spring Garden. A small pavilion has been built along the pool, with carved palace lanterns hanging from the eaves, and antique screens surrounding it. During the day, one can see green trees and flowers, while at night, the misty water and warm yellow lights intertwine, creating two different scenes, each with its own charm.
Upon hearing the commotion, the staff waiting outside the screen immediately fetched bathrobes and served tea.
Not long after, Gu Kaiyang also came out. The two took a shower together, and then chatted as they strolled towards the spa.
As Gu Kaiyang passed by the VIP lounge, he suddenly stopped, nudged Ji Mingshu with his elbow, and gestured with his chin, "Jiang Chun."
Ji Mingshu paused for a moment, then followed Gu Kaiyang's gaze.
The waiter was serving Jiang Chun a fruit salad, his slightly bent body blocking most of her view.
Even so, Jiang Chun spotted them through the gap and, fearlessly, called out their names, "Ji Mingshu, Gu Kaiyang!"
Ji Mingshu smiled, exchanged a knowing glance with Gu Kaiyang, and strode leisurely inside.
"Miss Jiang, what a rare guest."
Ji Mingshu sat down next to Jiang Chun with his legs crossed to the side, and without any hesitation, picked up a small silver fork and picked out a small piece of cucumber from the fruit salad.
Jiang Chun looked Ji Mingshu and Gu Kaiyang up and down, and suddenly remembered something. No wonder she couldn't move freely in the garden with her VIP private hot spring annual card and Junyi Black Gold Card. It turned out that the hot spring pool belonged to Ji Mingshu.
She also picked up a piece of fruit with her fork and said with a forced smile, "Long time no see. I heard your husband is back in the country. Last night, he accompanied Su Cheng to the Zero Degree Banquet and even bought a necklace? That necklace must have been worth at most 1.2 million. Your husband asked for more than four times that amount. He's really generous."
Ji Mingshu said casually, "There's nothing I can do. My son, Asen, has always been quite enthusiastic about public welfare."
Our Ah Sen...
Gu Kaiyang and Jiang Chun both got goosebumps.
Ji Mingshu gave Jiang Chun a regretful, fake smile again, "It's such a pity you didn't go last night. Oh, by the way, why didn't you go last night?"
Jiang Chun's goosebumps disappeared, and his expression froze instantly.
Not long ago, Jiang Chun placed an order worth over four million yuan without batting an eye just to sit in the front row at a certain brand's debut show in Beijing. She also flaunted her friendly relationship with the brand, trying to make a name for herself among the socialites who looked down on her.
Before the show even started, the brand was boycotted by several fashion industry titans due to serious plagiarism issues.
The brand's arrogant attitude indirectly stirred up a whole mess of gossip, causing the matter to spread and escalate, becoming a widely known scandal. In the end, their reputation was ruined, and the show was ruined.
In fact, the fashion industry rarely accuses people of plagiarism. They usually explain it as trendy, classic, or similar in concept. It is quite remarkable that this brand has managed to keep itself so closely associated with the word "plagiarism".
Jiang Chun was furious and called the brand's PR department for three consecutive days, hurling insults at them, but she couldn't get the orders she had already placed refunded.
Because of this incident, she became a laughing stock in the industry and has had to keep a low profile lately, rarely appearing in public.
Caught off guard by a sudden revelation, Jiang Chun completely forgot the etiquette she had just learned. She crunched on her fruit loudly and blurted out, "No time," without any expression.
Fortunately, at that moment, her fiancé Yan sent her a message asking where she was and saying he would come pick her up for dinner.
Her expression brightened, and she waved her phone at Ji Mingshu, her voice tinged with a childish arrogance, "Yan is coming to pick me up for dinner, so I won't be joining him. By the way, why isn't President Cen with you today?"
Ji Mingshu has seen all kinds of women showing off their love.
She casually tossed her long hair, revealing a red mark on the side of her neck, and sweetly said while resting her chin on her hand, "He's busy with work, so he usually spends his evenings with me." She then gave Jiang Chun a flirtatious wink.
Jiang Chun: "..."
She's a complete and blatant bitch.
Chapter 5
"Why do you keep teasing her? She's much more interesting than your group of fake besties."
After Jiang Chun left, Gu Kaiyang fiddled with the straw, glancing sideways at Ji Mingshu.
Ji Ming said casually, "It's because she's interesting. Don't you think she looks a lot like a penguin? So cute."
Gu Kaiyang paused, not knowing where to begin rolling his eyes.
After teasing Jiang Chun and getting a full-body spa treatment, Ji Mingshu was in a much better mood than when she was soaking in the hot springs.
Unlike his boastful attitude towards Jiang Chun, Ji Mingshu and Cen Sen actually have very little contact. Whether in China or abroad, they rarely take the initiative to contact each other, let alone spend time together at night. They usually only meet at home by chance.
Cen Sen's offense early in the morning made Ji Mingshu not want to get involved in even this small connection.
She didn't go back to Mingshui all weekend, but stayed in her downtown apartment, enjoying herself and taking the time to revise the design drawings.
She had to admit that Cen Sen's sarcastic remarks had hurt her pride. She looked back at the drawings and photos of the Zero Degree Dinner repeatedly and suddenly felt fortunate that interior designers were usually ignored in such situations.
Cen Sen didn't return to Mingshui Mansion either. He had just returned to the country, and social engagements were piling up. Besides, the drama at the company had just begun, and the main character couldn't leave prematurely.
On Monday, following Cen Sen's notice of transfer to take over the group, Junyi employees received another bombshell.
Without warning, the internal network published personnel change notices for dozens of senior executives, including Huang Peng, the current general manager who, on the day Cen Sen returned to the company, did not appear in person but sent his secretary to give him a hard time.
These so-called personnel changes, to put it simply, are dismissals.