The private room was completely silent.

Lin Yaozu and Su Qing stood frozen in place, incredulous.

The others were also dumbfounded, completely bewildered by the situation.

"Mr. Zhou, you...you're..."

Lin Yaozu stammered, his face full of confusion.

He couldn't understand why Zhou Mingyuan would suddenly be so respectful to Lin Fan.

It was understandable that Lin Fan was polite to him when he was in charge of the group.

But now, this guy has been expelled from the Lin family and has become a powerless and abandoned pawn.

Zhou Mingyuan's attitude was even more respectful than before, which was simply unbelievable!

"What, do I need your permission to invite anyone?"

Zhou Mingyuan's face darkened.

Lin Yaozu was so frightened that he trembled and quickly waved his hand.

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant... It's up to you who you want to invite."

Zhou Mingyuan ignored him and turned to look at Lin Fan, his tone instantly becoming gentler.

"Mr. Lin, please take a seat."

"Thank you, Mr. Zhou."

Lin Fan smiled faintly and, without any ceremony, led Secretary Wang to sit down in the empty seat next to the man.

"It was my negligence; I should have paid a visit long ago."

Mr. Lin has achieved so much at such a young age; he is truly a force to be reckoned with!

Zhou Mingyuan laughed loudly, his eyes full of admiration.

Lin Yaozu and Su Qing's expressions grew increasingly gloomy.

I originally thought I could take this opportunity to show off.

Unexpectedly, Lin Fan stole the spotlight, which infuriated them.

"Mr. Zhou, you probably don't know this yet."

Lin Fan has already been kicked out of the Lin Group.

He's a penniless good-for-nothing now, he's not qualified to do business with you at all!

Lin Yaozu said through gritted teeth.

"Oh? Is that so?"

Zhou Mingyuan gave him a half-smile.

"As far as I know, Mr. Lin is now the CEO of Qihang Group."

And with several major projects on the horizon, how did he become unemployed?

Lin Yaozu's face stiffened, and he was speechless for a moment. He had not expected Lin Fan to act so quickly.

"Mr. Zhou, ignore them, let's talk." Lin Fan said calmly.

Lin Yaozu sneered, "Let me tell you, our Lin family is determined to get the Ocean Group project! Don't even dream about it!"

At that moment, the door to the private room was gently pushed open.

A woman dressed in a professional haute couture suit, exuding elegance, walked in.

Her long, glossy black hair cascaded over her shoulders; her features were delicate and well-defined; her skin was fair and smooth. Her bright, large eyes sparkled, making her instantly captivating.

"Everyone, I'm sorry I'm late."

The woman walked slowly into the private room, her voice gentle.

Lin Yaozu's gaze fell on the woman, a hint of contempt flashing in his eyes.

He said it in a sarcastic tone.

"Oh, so this is the helper that President Lin invited."

"What, are you planning to use your femininity to secure the project?"

Su Qing covered her mouth and chuckled, echoing, "That's right, some people have no skills, but they're good at all sorts of crooked tricks."

Seeing this, Lin Fan and Zhou Mingyuan were about to speak up to stop them.

However, the woman gently raised her hand, signaling them to calm down.

There was no anger on her face, but rather a faint smile as she slowly walked up to Lin Yaozu.

"Sir, you just said that I am an assistant invited by President Lin, and that I plan to use my beauty to win the project, is that right?"

Lin Yaozu was taken aback by the sudden question, and then said dismissively.

"Isn't that right? What skills can a woman like you have besides her face and body?"

Su Qing chimed in, "That's right, they don't even know their own limitations. They think they can compete with the Lin family for projects? What a pipe dream!"

The woman burst out laughing.

"Oh? So, in the Lin family's eyes, women can only rise to power through their beauty, and not through their own abilities?"

"Otherwise what?"

Lin Yaozu crossed his arms, looking completely at ease. "You women are born to be appendages of men. What real skills could you possibly have?"

"Then may I ask you, sir," the woman's eyes suddenly sharpened, "how much do you know about the project that Oceanwide Group is bidding on this time?"

Do you know what their core needs are?

If you were to develop the proposal, from which aspects would you approach it to meet their needs?

Lin Yaozu was rendered speechless by this series of questions.

I thought this project was a sure thing, so I didn't even look at the tender documents carefully. I just wanted to rely on my relationship with Zhou Mingyuan to get through the motions.

When asked about the details, he naturally knew nothing.

"I...this..."

He stammered, his eyes darting around, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time.

"What, you can't answer? It seems you don't know, right?"

The woman's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Then what right do you have to say I'm incompetent?"

"You don't even understand the most basic project information, and you still think the Lin family can win the project?"

Lin Yaozu's face turned ashen. He was furious and embarrassed, and pointed at the woman's nose while cursing her, his voice filled with bravado but his heart was filled with fear.

"Who...who do you think you are! How dare you lecture me here?"

Let me tell you, the Lin family is determined to get this project!

"If you know what's good for you, get lost, or don't blame me for being impolite!"

"Oh? How exactly do you intend to be impolite?"

The woman raised an eyebrow and looked at him with interest.

Lin Yaozu was furious, but there was nothing he could do.

Although he was arrogant and domineering, he knew that this was Zhou Mingyuan's territory and dared not actually make a move.

The woman chuckled softly, turned to the crowd, and gave a slight bow.

"Everyone, let me introduce myself. My name is Ye Yuyan, and I am the executive director of Ocean Group."

These words immediately caused an uproar in the private room.

The crowd was abuzz with discussion, their eyes filled with awe as they looked at Ye Yuyan.

Lin Yaozu and Su Qing were even more dumbfounded.

I never expected that the woman in front of me would be the chairman of Ocean Group!

He had just humiliated Ye Yuyan in every way, but now that he thought about it, he was filled with remorse.

Zhou Mingyuan was also somewhat surprised, not expecting that Lin Fan could actually invite Chairman Ye to come in person.

Lin Fan remained calm and composed; everything was within his expectations.

He stood up and extended his hand to Ye Yuyan, "Chairwoman Ye, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Mr. Lin, I've long admired your name."

Ye Yuyan shook hands with Lin Fan, her demeanor poised and graceful.

Lin Yaozu's face turned even uglier, as if he had swallowed a fly.

It felt like my face was being slapped repeatedly, and it stung painfully.

"Chairman Ye, what happened just now was all a misunderstanding..."

Lin Yaozu tried to salvage the situation, but his efforts seemed utterly futile.

Ye Yuyan glanced at him indifferently. "Misunderstanding? Mr. Lin, you just said that women can only rise to the top through their looks, not through their own abilities, is that right?"

Lin Yaozu opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

"You also said that you are determined to win the Ocean Group project, is that right?"

Ye Yuyan continued to press for answers.

Lin Yaozu's face turned even uglier. He lowered his head and dared not look into Ye Yuyan's eyes again.

Su Qing didn't dare to speak.

Lin Fan looked at the two men's disheveled appearance and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

I knew long ago that Lin Yaozu was a good-for-nothing with no real skills.

"Chairman Ye, since he can't answer it, why don't I answer it for everyone?"

Lin Fan smiled slightly.