Corn, pork ribs and yam soup, with golden corn and white yam complementing each other, and evenly cut pork ribs mixed in, simmered for a long time, so tender that the meat easily separates from the bone.
To master this cooking skill, one would need at least ten years of kitchen experience unless they had formally apprenticed under a master.
"I left home at a young age, and the food in this foreign land didn't suit my taste, and there weren't many good Chinese restaurants. So I just cooked for myself, but it's all home-style dishes—I don't know if it will suit Miss Ling's taste."
Gu Zhong's humility was tinged with self-satisfaction, truly like a big dog with its tail wagging, making one want to shower her with praise.
For these scions of wealthy families, being able to cook is indeed an extremely remarkable skill.
Lingyan never expected that Gu Zhong would one day cook for her; it was an unexpected joy she had never anticipated.
"How could Miss Gu's painstaking efforts not suit your taste?"
Rarely setting aside her serious demeanor, Lingyan responded with a sweet word, which made Gu Zhong overjoyed and prompt him to make a boast on the spot.
"If Miss Ling likes it, then I can make it for you often in the future."
"Miss Gu, are you planning to become a full-time housewife?"
Ling Yan paused as she scooped up a spoonful of soup, then looked up and asked.
"The situation is still chaotic, and I need to sort out the current situation."
You can't just rush out with enthusiasm; all you can do is shout and you won't accomplish anything.
I suppose I've been quite free lately, so cooking a few meals for Miss Ling is a good idea.
Besides, as Miss Ling's girlfriend, shouldn't I fulfill my responsibility to take good care of her?
Gu Zhong waved the newspaper in her hand, indicating that she didn't intend to be a kept woman. However, as she spoke, she leaned forward and her tone became ambiguous.
"What a pity. If Miss Gu is willing, living off a man is not out of the question."
Having figured out Gu Zhong's tactics last night, Ling Yan not only didn't back down this time, but instead used Gu Zhong's words to fight back.
This caught Gu Zhong off guard, leaving her stunned for a moment before she slowly replied.
"The newly signed IOU is lying in Miss Ling's desk. I really can't feel at ease. I still have to earn money to pay off the debt—it's embarrassing and unpleasant to say that I always owe my girlfriend money."
After a back-and-forth battle, the two barely managed to reach a draw.
They exchanged a smile, and the proper etiquette returned to the table. There was no further conversation, only the crisp clinking of bowls and chopsticks.
"Miss Gu's cooking skills are excellent."
After finishing the last bowl of soup, Lingyan gave a fair and honest evaluation.
"The empty plates on the table also told me the same thing."
Gu Zhong raised an eyebrow and said with an air of self-assured confidence.
"Miss Gu, I have something I'd like to discuss with you later."
Ling Yan glanced at the newspaper Gu Zhong had placed on the table. The huge headline was still about the Gu family's bankruptcy, and one could vaguely see media experts' predictions about the ownership of the various companies under the Gu family.
Is it a very formal matter?
Gu Zhong noticed her gaze and his eyes also shifted to the newspaper she had been flipping through for a long time.
"You could say that."
Lingyan nodded.
"Then I'll have to ask Miss Ling to wait a moment. I need to get ready first. After all, we can only discuss the formal matters properly after other trivial matters are settled."
As Gu Zhong continued tidying up the empty plates on the table, he laughed heartily again.
"Indeed, Miss Gu—I'll wait for you in the study."
Seeing her unhurried demeanor, whether she was truly calm or just putting on an act, Lingyan smiled and said.
Author's Note:
Ah Yan is determined to regain her domineering CEO status!
And thank you so much to the little angel Wu Jiang for all the flowers, I can't even keep up with them all (stunned).
Chapter 102 The Newly Rich CEO and the Fallen Heiress (Part 8)
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Sitting at the large walnut wood office desk, Ling Yan quickly flipped through the stack of documents on the table.
Computers in this era were still very bulky, with the case and monitor resembling bricks. Their functions were limited to inputting Office documents and creating simple spreadsheets. The only built-in games they could play were Minesweeper, Solitaire, and Pinball.
High-capacity hard drives and even USB flash drives have not yet become common in consumer use. Most companies use thin floppy disks for storage, which are only 3.5-inch squares with 1.44MB of data, not even enough to store a complete project document.
Therefore, apart from some extremely important core information, most documents still adopt the primitive and outdated paper-based office method.
Despite the low efficiency, there was no other way. This was an era that relied heavily on manpower and placed great emphasis on individual ability.
With enough intelligence and diligence, plus enough good luck, getting rich isn't that difficult.
Two soft knocks sounded on the half-closed study door.
"Please come in—"
Ling Yan, buried in a sea of documents, didn't look up at all and gave a very casual reply.
Gu Zhong then stepped into the study and saw the person at the desk busy. She didn't say a word, but walked a short distance away and waited quietly, even though it was clearly Ling Yan who had asked her to come.
She crossed her arms and looked around the spacious study.
The entire set of furnishings, from the desk, chair, sofa, coffee table to the bookcase, is uniformly walnut-colored, contrasting with the gray floor tiles and curtains. Even with the bright sunlight outside the window adding to the ambiance, the entire study still appears overly serious, formal, and cold, just like its owner.
After quickly glancing at a document and closing it on the table, the owner of the study realized that she was not in Beijing but in Hong Kong Island, and that a guest she had invited was already waiting.
"Miss Gu, I apologize—I was just a little busy—"
Ling Yan quickly stood up and apologized with a face full of remorse.
"It's alright, Miss Ling's business is more important."
Gu Zhong was very understanding. After all, just by looking at Ling Yan's wealth and way of handling things, he knew that she had a lot of things to manage. Perhaps just a few words would be enough to make her slow down a decision and miss out on orders worth millions.
"Miss Gu, please have a seat."
Lingyan picked up a booklet from the pile of documents on the table and held it in her hand. She invited Gu Zhong to sit down on the sofa in the study where guests were received, and poured a cup of tea for both of them.
"I wonder what Miss Ling has summoned me here for today?"
Curious, Gu Zhong glanced at the booklet wrapped in a pure white cover, instinctively feeling that what Ling Yan was going to say today was related to it.
"I wonder if Miss Gu would be interested in taking on a job?"
As she spoke, Lingyan unfolded the booklet and handed it to Gu Zhong.
"have a look."
Upon seeing the large, clear black and white characters on the inner page, Gu Zhong's pupils suddenly contracted, clearly indicating that she knew just how significant the matter was.
"I never expected that Yaozhong would end up in Miss Ling's hands."
She carefully and quickly flipped through the booklet, then looked up at him earnestly.
"There are too many blind people who are actually blind to the value of a company, which only makes the pearls of wisdom tarnished. Although Miss Gu has never officially taken over a company, she has had projects for a year and should be able to see the value of this proposal."
Lingyan picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said leisurely.
“Of course, but Miss Ling, are you really comfortable entrusting this project to me? After all, I believe I still have the courage and ability to lead a company.”
It was clearly a golden opportunity, and Lingyan directly handed Gu Zhong the chance to regain control of Yaoyang, giving her the foundation for a comeback. After hesitating for a moment, Gu Zhong frankly declined.
"I thought I wouldn't be wrong."
Having experienced Gu Zhong's stubbornness before, Ling Yan was once again at her wit's end. What method should she use this time to get Yao Zhong into Gu Zhong's hands?
"Thank you for your kindness, Miss Ling. Another reason is that I am unwilling to ruin the Gu family's last hope because of my rash decision as someone who has been parachuted in. If Miss Ling wanted to train and hone me, there was no need to give me such a high position in the first place."
Now that the agreement has been signed and he has the desire to restore the Gu family, he can directly step onto an excellent platform, saving the capital and time of starting from scratch. Gu Zhong will not pretend to be aloof and completely shut out this opportunity.
She did not completely refuse Lingyan's offer, but felt that she was not worthy of the position Lingyan had given her.
Having understood Gu Zhong's wishes, Ling Yan could only take a step back as she wished.
"In that case, Miss Gu will serve as the Director of Marketing Operations for now. As for the position of President, I will take it back from you; you'll have to take it yourself."
"After that, if you can successfully list Yaozhong and achieve a market value of one billion within five years, then you will receive 50% of Yaozhong's shares."
"Miss Ling, are you planning to give Yaozhong to me directly?"
She waved the proposal in her hand, raised an eyebrow and smiled, seemingly still having some concerns.
With the general plan personally provided by Lingyan, anyone who isn't too foolish should be able to successfully list Yaozhong on the stock market.
It's as if Lingyan has personally handed the walkthrough to Gu Zhong, and now she's just waiting to reap the rewards.
“Miss Gu, I have only established a proper starting point. I will not interfere with Yaozhong’s operations.”
Things aren't as simple as you think. If they were, a lot of people would have done it already.
If you can truly do what I say, it proves you are a business prodigy, and even if I only own the remaining shares, I will still receive a full return.
Besides, there's nothing wrong with giving your girlfriend a few small perks, right?
Lingyan's words were clear, logical, and well-founded. If Gu Zhong were to refuse again, it would be too distant and hurtful to her feelings.
"Miss Ling, I truly don't know how to thank you for your help. Perhaps, I should repay you with my body?"
With a sigh, Gu Zhong, fully aware of Ling Yan's good intentions, accepted the gift again with a sense of guilt and unease. While thanking her, he made a suggestion, half-seriously and half-jokingly.
Perhaps it was because Gu Zhong was too eager for success and the revival of the Gu family that he found it difficult to refuse Ling Yan's help from the very beginning, and could only eliminate his inner unease through agreements or compensation.
But no matter what, she still couldn't accept all of this with a clear conscience, and she had to say or do something to make herself feel better.
"Miss Gu, aren't you already my girlfriend?"
Noticing Gu Zhong's awkwardness and fearing she might actually do something daring, Ling Yan subtly changed the meaning of her words, adopting a nonchalant attitude to quietly ease the suddenly strange atmosphere between them.
"That's true, Miss Ling, but it seems we haven't been dating yet."
For some unknown reason, Gu Zhong suddenly steered the conversation to the topic of romance.