"After some time has passed and I've finished settling things in Hong Kong, would Miss Gu be willing to accompany me on a trip?"
After thinking for a moment, Ling Yan realized that it was indeed strange that she had the title but hadn't taken any action. So, she followed Gu Zhong's words and made a small request.
“Great, I’d be happy to.”
Gu Zhong readily agreed, a sly smile playing on his lips.
Lingyan then realized that everything seemed to be going according to Gu Zhong's plan, and she had stepped into the fox's trap again.
"I just called the housekeeping service, they will come to tidy up later. Miss Gu can sleep in the guest room tonight, it's much more spacious."
With a hint of annoyance, Ling Yan announced to Gu Zhong ahead of time that she would be sleeping in separate beds.
"Well, it seems Miss Ling didn't sleep very well last night."
Shrugging, Gu Zhong said with a hint of regret. It was unclear whether he was regretting not being able to share a bed, or regretting that his little trick had been exposed.
——
In addition to handling the housing allocation issue, Ling Yan also carried out her work with the same decisive and efficient approach, and Gu Zhong was sent to work at the company by her in the second week.
The heiress, who had just suffered bankruptcy, hadn't even had a moment to catch her breath and prepare herself for the life of a corporate slave before being exploited by an inhuman capitalist.
Standing at the entrance of Yaozhong, looking at the increasingly dilapidated building and the unchanged signs, Gu Zhong was filled with emotion.
Gu Chao didn't put much effort into the tech company he founded, which was based on a trend, so he let Gu Zhong's mother name it.
With boundless wishes for Gu Zhong's future, this is a mother's love for her child.
Although Gu Chao didn't care much about the child, Gu Zhong was fortunate to have a good mother.
I still remember the last time she came was when she was in elementary school, right when the store opened.
Although Gu Zhong's memories of that period are not very vivid due to his young age, he cannot erase the emotions that remain in his heart.
This place holds her longing for her family and the past.
Composing herself, Gu Zhong straightened her expensive but out-of-season clothes and walked into the Yaozhong Building with her head held high, like a queen on an inspection tour.
"Miss, who are you looking for?"
The receptionist, who had never met Gu Zhong in person and had only seen a blurry image of him in recent gossip magazines, did not recognize the former young master and politely stopped him to ask.
"I'm looking for Li Lin."
Gu Zhong directly stated the name of the current president of Yaozhong Group, who can be considered a veteran of the Gu Group.
Since Lingyan took over Yaozhong, she also wanted Gu Zhong to be thoroughly trained, and she wanted him to build whatever kind of empire he wanted himself.
As a result, the company transitioned smoothly without experiencing many personnel changes, as if nothing like bankruptcy had ever happened.
Do you have an appointment with Mr. Li?
For some reason, the receptionist's expression instantly turned contemptuous and arrogant, and she even dropped the honorifics.
"Can't we see each other without an appointment?"
Raising an eyebrow, Gu Zhong, recalling the elder's less-than-stellar reputation, knew that the receptionist had probably misunderstood.
"Mr. Li is very busy; you can't see him without an appointment."
The receptionist offered an explanation, her face subtly showing impatience.
"Oh? Who's this?"
Just as Gu Zhong was about to say something more, an annoying exclamation came from behind him.
--------------------
Author's Note:
Gu Zhong, who struggles every day with whether or not she should be a kept man: Is it too much of a bargain for me to offer myself to him?
//Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2021-12-06 23:36:48 and 2021-12-07 23:46:22!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Konghan 3 bottles;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 103 The Newly Rich CEO and the Fallen Heiress (Part 9)
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Over the past month, Gu Zhong has heard plenty of sarcastic remarks like these, mostly from those who were once just little followers who were only fit to fawn over her and try to win her favor.
Now that the Gu family has fallen on hard times, they are gloating, as if they have gained some extraordinary psychological comfort. They seem to feel uncomfortable if they don't make a few sarcastic remarks about Gu Zhong.
It turns out that there's a reason why their family didn't do as well as Gu Jia; with this kind of upbringing, they probably have no future prospects.
"Zhang...Ru?"
Gu Zhong turned around and looked at the girl who was dressed in the most fashionable clothes and full of jewelry, exuding an air of cheap nouveau riche. Her plain and mean face was filled with gloating mockery.
After searching his mind for a long time, Gu Zhong hesitated before calling out her name, seemingly unsure if it was her real name.
"Oh? Miss Gu seems to have a bad memory."
Upon hearing her call out the name, the girl nearly flew into a rage, her words dripping with sarcasm and filled with resentment.
"My name is Li Ru!"
After saying that, he raised his head and corrected her with a disdainful look, as if the name deserved some special treatment.
"Hello, Miss Li."
The previously impatient receptionist put on a smile again and greeted her warmly.
"What? Our former young master has been stopped?"
Li Ru gave the receptionist an approving look, then continued to taunt Gu Zhong, seemingly trying to vent something.
"This... this young lady is looking for Mr. Li."
After Li Ru exposed his identity, the receptionist glanced at Gu Zhong in surprise, hesitated for a moment, but still told the truth.
Why are you looking for my dad?
Upon hearing this, a hint of wariness appeared in Li Ru's eyes, but then her eyes darted around, and her face revealed a mixture of elation and arrogance.
"If you beg me, maybe... I'll be happy and take you up there."
Seeing Li Ru talking so enthusiastically, Gu Zhong didn't want to interrupt her, but one must know one's place. It's not a happy thing to involve innocent people.
"Ms. Li, thank you for your kindness, but I think I'll have to decline."
Unwilling to escalate the conflict, and knowing he would still have to work under Li Lin in the future, Gu Zhong restrained his temper and politely declined.
"What? Miss Gu, are you looking down on me?"
Li Ru, however, exploded like a lit firecracker. It was as if Gu Zhong should not only not refuse her, but should instead gratefully beg her, as that would be the right thing to do.
"···"
Gu Zhong looked at her, puzzled and unable to understand her thought process. He then chose to ignore her and turned back to talk to the receptionist.
"Could you please help me find Li Lin now?"
"this···"
Knowing Gu Zhong's true identity, the receptionist believed that she probably really had something to discuss with Li Lin. Even if there was no appointment, she should at least inform him out of respect for the former young master.
However, with a furious young lady, the president's daughter, standing nearby, the usually smooth-talking receptionist was caught in a dilemma.
"What are you going to report? Let her stay here!"
Li Ru strode forward in a huff, her high heels clicking as she slammed her hand on the chest-high marble countertop, and gave the order in an imperious manner.
The heavy thud made Gu Zhong feel sorry for her hand, so he asked her with feigned concern.
"Miss Li, doesn't your hand hurt?"
"You! You!"
Li Ru ultimately failed to maintain her composure. Trembling, she pointed a finger at Gu Zhong, her lips opening and closing, but she couldn't utter a complete sentence.
"Oh my, I heard from the new boss that we had a distinguished guest coming today. I didn't expect it to be Miss Gu!"
At this moment, the VIP elevator located on the left side of the lobby slowly opened, and a bald man who wasn't particularly tall stepped out, greeting Gu Zhong with a smile.
Although the man was short, he was well-groomed and didn't have the potbelly problem that most middle-aged men have.
Wearing gold-rimmed glasses, he looked very shrewd and capable. Based on the data analysis, Gu Zhong believed that he was shrewd and calculating enough. He wondered how he had taught Li Ru to be such an impatient and foolish person who would show off whenever she got the chance.
"Dad! She's bullying me!"
Seeing her father, whom she relied on, being so polite to Gu Zhong, Li Ru couldn't help but act aggrieved and started complaining to his face.
"Hey—Ruru, how old are you? Stop fooling around."
Despite telling him to stop fooling around, Li Lin looked at him with doting eyes and casually pulled out his wallet, taking out a wad of bills.
"Are you out of money again? Here, Dad will give you some more pocket money. Go play with your friends. Dad has important business to discuss with Miss Gu, so don't cause any trouble."
After paying, he gave a slightly serious reminder.
Li Ru glanced at Gu Zhong with considerable resentment, still holding a grudge about losing face and dignity today.
But since her father had already spoken and she had gotten the money, she didn't bother to argue any further. She just rolled her eyes at him, walked past Gu Zhong with her head held high, and left without looking back.
"I apologize for making you laugh, Miss Gu. My daughter is still a child. If she has offended you in any way, I apologize on her behalf. Please don't take it to heart."
Li Lin apologized in a familiar tone, and it seemed that this wasn't the first time he had cleaned up the mess for his daughter.
Both in their early twenties, Gu Zhong had already experienced the loss of his family and the coldness of the world, while others were still living in a sweet dream, unaware of the ways of the world and still like children.
Although it is said that spoiling a child is like killing a child, this is someone else's way of educating their children, so Gu Zhong did not want to interfere. She did not take Li Ru's childish provocation to heart and laughed it off without a care.
So, the seasoned shrew who had been in the business world for a long time and the young fox who was new to the business world pretended to be very familiar with each other and left together, chatting and laughing.
Li Lin pondered the intentions of the new employer who parachuted in Gu Zhong and the relationship between the two, speaking with respect and courtesy while also probing the matter.
Gu Zhong, on the other hand, was testing Li Lin's attitude towards her sudden arrival and the measures and strategies he was about to take. After all, the Marketing Operations Department was a core department, and no one would be willing to hand it over to someone they didn't trust, as this would greatly hinder his planned development path—or rather, it might affect his own interests.
However, since Lingyan had already made her decision, Li Lin could not refuse under any circumstances. Even if he had any objections, he could only secretly sabotage her. This was the small setback that Gu Zhong needed to deal with.