Chapter 54: Huang Guodong's Death and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Relationship...

Huang Guodong's death and the collapse of the Shenzhen and Hong Kong stock markets were like dark clouds hanging over the city, so obscuring the sun that the atmosphere of family reunion was thrown into a lake, stirred up and washed away, with joy one moment and utter desolation the next.

A similar scene unfolded at Ms. Tong's home, as if the previous signs of easing were false, and the illusion was ultimately just a mirage.

"What?! You're going to pay Huang Guodong back two million?" Ms. Tong looked at Huang Shiyu, who was sitting on the sofa drinking tea, with disbelief.

A few drops of water spilled from the cup, and Huang Shiyu choked out, "Yes."

"When a person dies, the debt is cleared. Why do you still have to pay it back? Besides, he has children of his own, so it's not your turn." Ms. Tong couldn't understand Huang Shiyu's thought process.

Faced with Ms. Tong's questioning and accusations, Huang Shiyu seemed not to hear them. She lowered her eyes and stared at the teacup in her hand. She looked at the clear, rippling water inside. In a daze, she seemed to see the resentful face of her deceased father through the water, while Ms. Tong's tormenting voice followed her like a shadow.

She saw her father, who should have died, reflected in the white water. He grinned and called her a little ingrate. She abruptly slammed her teacup on the table, and water splashed from the rim onto her hand.

She knew it was all in her imagination, but when he grinned and called her name, it felt so real it was like a dream, and it terrified her.

"It's too dark, I can hardly see anymore. And I think I heard something." Huang Shiyu said without looking up, her eyes still unfocused and confused.

Ms. Tong did not notice Huang Shiyu's subtle abnormality, nor did she hear her muttering to herself. Instead, she was relentlessly attacking the sensitive nerve in Huang Shiyu's mind, saying, "Have you become stupid from reading too many books? I should never have let you go to university. It's ruined your brain."

Yang Hengyu sat in the middle of the sofa, and Huang Shiyu sat opposite him, just a few steps away. His gaze slid over her hair, face, and downcast eyes, and then lingered on her hands that were gradually gathering together. He had only lived with this half-sister, who was nominally his half-sister, for a few years, but he had never seen her like this before, and he was somewhat surprised by her distraught appearance.

Huang Guodong's death must have been a huge blow to her. Although Huang Guodong was an incompetent father, he was still her closest blood relative.

He turned to the incessantly chattering Ms. Tong and said, "Alright, stop asking. She must have her reasons for doing this. Don't add to her troubles."

"Me, adding to your troubles? Yang Hengyu, what are you saying?" Ms. Tong felt her good intentions were not appreciated. "Let's not even talk about 100,000 or 200,000, that's two million! Can an ordinary family earn two million in a lifetime?!"

She looked at these two people who seemed to have a "nothing to eat" mentality, and her anger flared up considerably.

Yang Hengyu did not choose to stop the conflict: "Didn't I make it clear that I didn't want to talk about it? You still have to ask. Aren't you just making things difficult for me?"

He glanced at Huang Shiyu, who was looking up at him, and said, "She will definitely say it if she wants to."

Ms. Tong frowned, pointed at the two of them, her face unusually grim, clearly extremely angry. "You two siblings are alike, unable to distinguish right from wrong. You'll easily suffer in society. Your mother is experienced; would I harm you? This Huang Guodong won't even let people rest in peace after his death." She pointed at Huang Shiyu, speaking in a condescending and commanding tone, "Shiyu, this money absolutely cannot be returned."

"Mom, I'm begging you." Huang Shiyu, who hadn't spoken for a long time, suddenly opened her mouth, trying her best to suppress her trembling voice, "Can't you just say something that agrees with me? Just anything, even if it's just to make me happy at a time like this, anything will do, okay?"

Her tone was full of pleading, but Yang Hengyu heard more wailing.

This was the first time Ms. Tong had seen Huang Shiyu so emotionally volatile, and she didn't know how to react for a moment. She opened her mouth and said, "Shiyu... um..."

Huang Shiyu closed his eyes for a moment as if making some kind of decision, then opened them again, stood up, barely managing to keep his head from exploding, and whispered, "I'm going back to Shanghai first, something's come up."

Yang Hengyu was stunned for a moment when he saw Huang Shiyu turn around and walk towards the door without taking anything with him.

Just as the door opened and Huang Shiyu's figure was about to disappear, he blurted out, "Sister, Happy New Year."

Hearing Yang Hengyu's blessing from behind, Huang Shiyu seemed to have not expected him to say such a thing. She paused for a moment, but only for a few seconds. She did not turn around, but nodded as a response to him.

Then he opened the door.

Undoubtedly, her feelings for her half-brother were complicated, especially during her student days when she watched him constantly cause trouble as an outsider, and Ms. Tong not only did not blame him but also had nothing but eyes for him. In her eyes, that moment of past happiness became a joke.

Thinking of this, Huang Shiyu's lips curled up slightly, but the smile disappeared quickly, as if it were only for a moment, just like the happiness that once existed had vanished in an instant.

However, Huang Shiyu didn't dislike her half-brother Yang Hengyu. This was because her brother had been too rebellious and unruly since childhood, often provoking Ms. Tong to anger. At that time, she was quite happy and even a little gloating, thinking that this was Ms. Tong's punishment for abandoning her. She even felt that at that moment, they were on the same side, but that was only at that moment.

However, her relationship with Yang Hengyu wasn't particularly close; at most, they were just familiar strangers.

Just as she finished changing her flight time and was about to hail a taxi, her phone rang.

Huang Shiyu initially thought it was about Huang Guodong's usury, but when she picked up her phone, she realized it wasn't. The screen displayed two messages sent to her by an anonymous user.

[Anonymous User: Image: jpg]

[Anonymous user: What do you think of my dessert?]

Looking at the message, Huang Shiyu was truly surprised that the casual joke he made to the anonymous user about sending her a photo beforehand would actually be remembered, and that he would actually send her the finished dessert for her to see.

He just doesn't have much talent for making desserts, just like he doesn't have much talent for making main dishes.

Huang Shiyu raised his eyebrows.

[It's a lucky cat: Excuse me, are you planning to poison me?]

It's highly likely that the other party had plenty of free time at the moment, so they replied very quickly, almost within seconds of her sending the message.

[Anonymous user: Hey, it can't be that bad.]

Normally, Huang Shiyu would have offered some words of comfort, but now, because of everything that had happened, she had no mood or interest in joking with the other person. Her heart was filled with pain, a pain that wasn't dramatic but rather a subtle, gradual erosion that was slowly seeping into her.

She's already exhausted just maintaining her physical and mental well-being, so she has no energy left to do anything else. Right now, she just wants to end this chat as quickly as possible.

[It's a lucky cat: You can call it whatever you want.]

After replying to the message, Huang Shiyu switched to a ride-hailing app and was about to hail a taxi to the airport when he was surprised to find that even hailing a taxi was fraught with difficulties.

Huang Shiyu paused as he looked at the information that popped up at the top of the screen.

The message was from Li Xingzhou, asking if she was free.

Remembering the fireworks display he had set off for her yesterday, Huang Shiyu politely asked, "What's wrong?"

"If you have time, chat with me for a while."

"I'm busy right now."

Huang Shiyu rejected the other party without saying a word, her attitude clearly showing that she was currently in a state of exhaustion dealing with everyone.

Li Xingzhou replied quickly: "So busy."

"Um."

Huang Shiyu leaned back against the wall, intending to rest for a while before taking a taxi to the airport. Anyway, there were still more than five hours before the plane took off, so there was no rush.

She looked at the sky over Yucheng, which was as blue as the sea. Apart from the sun hanging in the sky, it was boundless and empty. It felt as if if you looked at it for too long, you would be swallowed up by the huge emptiness.

Before she could look at it for long, her phone rang again, and she picked it up and glanced at it.

"Hmm what?"

"look up."

Winter days are long and nights are short, and the morning sunlight is only a thin layer. When she looked up, besides seeing the fine dust floating in the air, she also immediately saw a figure walking towards her.

She has astigmatism and can't see very clearly at great distances.

As the person drew closer, her gaze, as if unfocused, fell upon the approaching figure.

It was Li Xingzhou.

She couldn't see the expression on his face, only his tall back as he walked towards her step by step, and the bag he was carrying. Because of the distance, she couldn't see very clearly, but she knew that he wasn't driving this time. As they got closer, she saw that his black trench coat was still covered with morning dew, and that he was carrying a very exquisitely packaged box.

"What are you doing here?" Huang Shiyu glanced curiously at the things he was carrying, which were actually different flavors of tiramisu.

"Can't you tell? I brought you freshly baked tiramisu." Li Xingzhou said, quickly tearing open the outer packaging to reveal a tiramisu made up of four different fruit flavors. Under the dappled sunlight, the colors were even more vibrant and rich, making it look delicious.

She watched as Li Xingzhou picked up a spoon and slowly scooped out a small piece. It was a very simple action, but he did it with great elegance, which was quite pleasing to the eye. Huang Shiyu attributed this feeling to Li Xingzhou's hands, which looked slender but not weak, and instead looked full of mature masculine strength.

In short, Huang Shiyu has a bit of a hand fetish. At this moment, her eyes were wide open and she hadn't even come to her senses when a spoonful of blueberry tiramisu was stuffed into her mouth without warning. The sweet and sour taste made Huang Shiyu squint her eyes slightly.

"Why did you buy so much tiramisu?" She was forced to inhale the cold air carrying the scent of Li Xingzhou's perfume, as well as the melt-in-your-mouth, faint aroma of the dessert.

The texture was really good, smooth and silky, not dry at all. She didn't know if it was because she hadn't eaten sweets in a long time, but she really thought it was delicious. So delicious that she planned to ask Li Xingzhou which store he bought it from later.

"It wasn't bought, it was made," he answered decisively.

"You made this? You can actually make desserts? I didn't know that." Huang Shiyu said with some surprise.

"You're making me a little sad." Li Xingzhou said, a touch of sadness appearing on his face at just the right moment.

Huang Shiyu chuckled, clearly unimpressed by Li Xingzhou's clumsy performance. "How sad was he?"

Li Xingzhou stared at her and said, word by word, "The kind of discomfort you feel when eating eggs. I'm allergic to eggs, and I hate eating them the most."

"Oh, I see." Huang Shiyu's eyes darted around. "So it seems you're not bad after all."

Is it really that unbelievable?

Although his cooking skills were only so-so, he grasped the essence of what Yan Shi had told him: to win someone's heart, you must first win their stomach. So during this period, he studied the baking recipes Yan Shi had given him and kept trying and failing. Fortunately, his hard work paid off, and he finally developed a relative strength in making desserts.

It's no exaggeration to say that Huang Shiyu found it hard to believe. With his wealth, he could easily afford to eat whatever he wanted, yet he was willing to spend time on this. When Huang Shiyu first started working, he would cook simple dinners for himself, but later he felt that the cost-effectiveness was not high and that ordering takeout was more efficient.

"Why did you suddenly decide to make desserts?"

Li Xingzhou smiled and said, "Last time at Lu Xiao's house and in Toronto, you seemed to be enjoying your food quite a bit. And if I remember correctly, you do love sweets."

"Thank you for your thoughtfulness." She smelled the familiar perfume on Li Xingzhou, which made her feel relaxed, and the fatigue she had felt earlier seemed to disappear as well. "But to be honest, you are quite talented in desserts."

Her cooking skills are quite profound, truly proving the saying that when God closes a window, he always opens another.

Hearing Huang Shiyu's sincere praise, Li Xingzhou's eyes lit up with joy: "That's right, I have a special talent."

That was a rather arrogant statement, but surprisingly, she didn't find it offensive.

Upon hearing this, Huang Shiyu laughed and said, "That's a bit shameless, Xiao Zhou."

A long wind rustled, and the first rays of sunlight flickered in her eyes.

Yesterday's heavy rain washed the roads clean, and the morning sunlight brought a sense of spring everywhere.

The two stood facing each other, about four or five steps apart. She was wearing a simple gray sweatshirt, the wind blowing her hair into disarray and exposing her pale face to the sunlight, revealing the bloodshot veins under her eyes. Despite her exhaustion, she still exuded an extraordinary aura. The dark circles under her eyes were like a finishing touch, making her seem somewhat lively. It turned out that even the rumored decisive and efficient CEO Huang had a tired side.

Just like the cat we picked up back then, even in its current state of disgrace, it still exudes pride. Li Xingzhou chuckled, "What? What? I don't want to hear that." Then, without waiting for Huang Shiyu's reply, he reached out and gently smoothed her long hair, which had been ruffled by the wind. Huang Shiyu didn't flinch, letting his palm touch her hair.

She turned her head to look at him, gazing at Li Xingzhou's profile so close to hers. She took a deep breath and smelled his scent again. She wasn't sure if it was because of the closeness, but the previously faint fragrance of his perfume had become richer and clearer. She even felt a little dizzy and disoriented. Normally, she would never have allowed Li Xingzhou to make such an inappropriate move. In her mind, such intimate acts as touching hair were a right reserved for lovers.

Huang Shiyu moved aside slightly and then said, "Thank you."

Li Xingzhou's hand froze in mid-air. After a moment of stunned silence, he withdrew his hand and said nonchalantly, "Tiramisu tastes best when it's fresh."

Seeing Li Xingzhou's momentary lapse in concentration and slightly aggrieved expression, Huang Shiyu suddenly felt a little guilty. He had only meant well by brushing Li Xingzhou's hair back, so why the big reaction? Thinking this, she somehow brought up another topic, "I know someone whose cooking skills are just as good as yours... well, I won't say more."

She recalled for a moment, then smiled and continued, "However, my skills in desserts aren't as good as yours."

Upon hearing this, a faint ripple suddenly appeared in Li Xingzhou's originally indifferent eyes, but Huang Shiyu was not paying attention to it at the moment, so she did not notice it at all and continued to talk on and on.

"You have no idea how awful the desserts he made were that he sent me today." Huang Shiyu smiled, looked up, and was about to say something when she saw Li Xingzhou smile at her with his eyes crinkling. The sunlight streamed down and melted into his eyes, making his gaze even deeper, like a black hole in the universe that could suck a person in at a glance.

Even though they had made eye contact many times, for a moment she still felt her heart pounding. She had to admit that Li Xingzhou was indeed good-looking, perfectly fitting the aesthetic of a "face-value" person.

The cold spring wind whistled through the floor-to-ceiling windows behind them. This was the umpteenth time Yang Hengyu had seen this man with his sister, but this time their relationship seemed to have progressed to a higher level, which made him feel rather unhappy. However, it was as fleeting as flowing water; he had touched her, but all that remained was a dampness.

The Spring Festival is too short for migrant workers, so short-lived and scarce things always highlight their preciousness.

That preciousness is all contained in the journey home.

A bus traveling from Hongqiao Railway Station to Shenzhen-Hong Kong Hospital was driving on the highway. The dazzling sunlight shone on the bus's windows, forming streaks of white light that were so bright that it was hard to open one's eyes.

Inside the bus, a man casually pressed himself against a girl's back. As the bus swayed, his hands began to itch, but he seemed hesitant to be too blatant. As he probed more and more, seeing the girl trying to hold back her apprehension, he became increasingly bold.

“You said I’m on the bus right now.” Lu Xiao narrowed her eyes and sneered, “Or you can send it to my email.”

She was discussing the artificial intelligence competition to be held on April 25th with Wang Ping when she witnessed this shocking scene.

Lu Xiao used the act of making a phone call to secretly turn on the camera and record the man committing the crime.

Her expression remained unchanged, and her tone was perfectly calm as she said into the phone, "Okay, sure."

After hanging up the phone, she had almost finished recording the evidence and was about to step forward to confront the man when someone else was faster than her. She could only see the man's head being knocked to the side and the back of the woman who had come to his aid.

"Why are you hitting me? Are you sick in the head?!" the man shouted on the bus, covering his face.

The passengers in the car were all drawn to this, their eyes fixed on the two people.

"I saw you touch this girl's butt." She pointed at a pretty girl holding onto the handrail, then turned her finger to the man whose face she had punched. She had practiced Taekwondo, so her punches wouldn't be light. She stared intently at the man, "You're the kind of person who deserves to be hit! I'm going to hit you."

She spoke with a strong and resounding voice, and the passengers in the car all looked at the man with disdain. Before long, whispers and pointing began to circulate.

Seeing that the situation was getting out of hand, the man became agitated: "Don't make false accusations! Did any of the passengers on the bus see it?"

The passengers in the car looked at each other, their eyes questioning each other. The answer was naturally no, which made her look rather unhappy. Seeing the silent passengers, the man became unusually confident and arrogant, knowing that the woman couldn't do anything to him. He was about to start cursing.

Who knew what would happen next?

"I see it." A woman's voice suddenly rang out, and everyone's eyes made way for the woman, with Lu Xiao becoming the focus of attention.

Seeing Lu Xiao come out to testify, the man was clearly not expected. His expression changed, but he still stubbornly insisted, "Hey, you two are just slandering people. Do you have any evidence?"

Lu Xiao's gaze fell on the woman who had just made a remarkable move. The woman was also looking at her and scrutinizing her. Perhaps her anger had not subsided, which made her pretty face look very threatening.

Lu Xiao turned her gaze to the man and calmly held up her phone: "I just recorded a video."

The video was paused, and the scene captured on screen was very precise, showing the man placing his hand on the girl's buttocks.

The man's face turned ashen, and he snapped angrily, "Did I tell you to take pictures?!"

Despite his words, he still tried to grab the phone, but the woman reacted quickly and pushed him back to prevent him from doing anything to Lu Xiao.

"What are you yelling about?" the woman said dismissively.

It seemed like a gentle push, but it was actually quite powerful. The man staggered several steps and crashed into the chair behind him. The muffled groan he let out indicated that he was in a lot of pain.

"How could this man act like this? He's a pervert!" The people around him gathered together and began pointing and gossiping about the man, offering moral criticism.

The man seemed a little guilty, but seeing the person involved's submissive appearance gave him the confidence to argue, "Don't you see that this car is already overloaded? There will always be accidental physical contact. People with heart conditions see everything as dirty."

"He really put his hand on my butt and touched me." After saying this, the girl leaning against the exit door handrail lowered her head again. It must have taken her a long time to muster the courage to say those words.

The bus started from Hongqiao Station and ended at Shenzhen-Hong Kong Hospital, where all sorts of people gathered. No one expected to witness this dramatic scene on the way. Although everyone was heading to different destinations, they were united at this moment and criticized the man.

"I won't be afraid of your daughter being treated like this in the future."

"This kind of person might even lay a hand on his own daughter."

"That's insane."

Seeing that everyone had sided with the three women, the man realized the situation was very unfavorable. The twitching pain on his face reminded him that the woman in the middle, with her fierce expression, was no pushover. He planned to slip away with the crowd when the bus arrived at the next stop, but before he could even make a move, his scheme was discovered. The woman blocked his way, her gaze fixing him firmly in place, and pointed at him, saying, "Come with us to the police station, or we'll post the video online and let you get some free traffic."

He then turned to the girl leaning against the handrail and said succinctly, "Don't be afraid, girl. Shall we go to make a statement together, or should I call the police now?"

The girl hesitated, glancing at the woman, then turning to look at Lu Xiao and the other passengers.

Lu Xiao understood and immediately made the decision for her: "The police station is too far from here. I can tell from her carrying her schoolbag that she obviously has to go to school. Let's call the police."

The woman nodded, and without saying a word, she picked up her phone to call the police while holding the man's shoulder with her other hand to prevent him from sneaking away. She also used her eyes to intimidate the man while making the call.

In this tense atmosphere, the man dared not make a sound or take any action until the sound of police sirens broke the utter silence.

The man was eventually sentenced to nine days of criminal detention by the police.

The dramatic opening act ended there; the bus restarted and disappeared onto the highway.

The girl gripped the shoulder straps of her backpack with both hands and mustered her courage to say, "Thank you, I was so scared just now."

Lu Xiao smiled at her, her smile gentle and bright: "It's okay. Remember in the future, if you encounter such injustice, never suffer in silence. You can seek help from those around you. There are still more good people in the world than bad. Otherwise, your silence will only embolden them."

As the girl pondered how to answer, the woman behind her chuckled and said, "If you encounter indifferent people, your method won't work. To deal with this kind of pervert, I prefer to solve problems with force—it's simple, brutal, and direct."

Lu Xiao looked at her quietly, her voice gentle and slow: "This is a society governed by law. If you strike first, others have a reason to accuse you. Others may only see the scene of you beating the other party and are easily led to assume that you are in the wrong. Even if you were in the right, you will become in the wrong."

The woman raised her index finger and shook it, saying with a smile, "That's not how it works. It's better to rely on yourself than on others. Instead of pinning your hopes on someone else, it's better to teach them a lesson and make them not dare to utter a sound. That's what I mean." She then smiled at the girl who was standing properly like a good student, "Little girl, go to school now. I have an interview, so I'll be going now."

Joint Innovation Building.

Lu Xiao and two other managers sat in the meeting room, looking down at the job application materials in their hands.

Suddenly the meeting room door was pushed open, and a "Hello" was heard. Lu Xiao felt that the voice sounded familiar, and she and the other two looked up together. Coincidentally, the person who came to apply for the job was the woman who bravely caught the pervert on the bus this morning.

The other party was clearly taken aback as well.

Lu Xiao gestured with her chin: "Please sit down."

I found her resume and glanced at it: "Wang Yutong, right?"

She sat down in front of Lu Xiao and responded with an "Mm".

Lu Xiao looked up at her and said, "Give me a brief self-introduction."

The other two managers also put down their documents to look at her.

She smiled slightly and said calmly, "My name is Wang Yutong. I graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science with a bachelor's degree and from Northwestern University in the United States with a master's degree. I studied media and communication. My previous job was at the Cambon Educational Institution."

Confident and poised, Lu Xiao nodded and asked, "May I ask why you left Kangpeng Education Institution?"

“Because I hadn’t decided what industry to work in after graduating with my master’s degree, I came to this educational institution in Kangpeng for training on a friend’s recommendation. During this process, I still felt that teaching and educating people wasn’t my goal. I still want to do work related to my major.” As she said this, her gaze met Lu Xiao’s. She didn’t look away, but instead slightly raised her chin, smiled, took out a document from her bag, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Lu Xiao. Her voice was as firm and powerful as when she caught the man on the bus: “After learning that your company is recruiting marketing planners, I have prepared a proposal for you to review.”

Lu Xiao glanced through the document first, then whispered to the other two managers before glancing at Wang Yutong, who was sitting relaxed. After thinking for a moment, she said, "The plan is good."

She and the other two managers were not good at marketing. Huang Shiyu was delayed by traffic, so she came to take a look for her first. Who would have thought that the dramatic scene at the police station hadn't ended yet, and she ran into her again.

Lu Xiao asked, "Judging from your information, your education and project experience are excellent and meet our hiring standards. I'd like to ask you one last question: I see that you come from a well-off family. Why did you choose our company and the marketing planning position?"

Hey, wasn't it your General Manager Huang who specifically handed me his business card in the bar restroom and asked me to come here?

But can we say that at this point? Of course not.

Without even thinking, she replied directly, "Although you might think I'm being fake, I just want to see how long and how far I can go on this path without relying on my parents, so my family background isn't really related to me."

All three of them looked at her with suspicion.

Wang Yutong let them look her over without flinching: "I think this poem expresses my thoughts: 'I am determined to leave my hometown and not return until I have achieved fame.'"

Looking at her confident and assertive eyebrows, Lu Xiao raised an eyebrow, her gaze also shining brightly.

"The reason I chose your company and this position is because I admire Ms. Huang's reputation. I have been following her since she founded Speed ​​Technology. I admire such an outstanding woman and hope to have the honor of working under her. As for why I chose the marketing planning position, I believe the proposal I just presented has already expressed my meaning."

During the two days leading up to the interview, she repeatedly reviewed Huang Shiyu's achievements and even his social media accounts, taking notes as she went, just like highlighting key points for an exam. After several rounds of this, she roughly understood that Huang Shiyu was a detail-oriented person, especially when it came to minor details. Therefore, she specially prepared a proposal, because to demonstrate one's abilities in a marketing planning interview, one must present a portfolio.

Her calm and composed demeanor momentarily stunned Lu Xiao. The punch she threw on the bus seemed to be over, but it wasn't quite over yet.

Lu Xiao casually mentioned, "I admire President Huang; you can elaborate on that."

At that moment, the conference room door was pushed open again, and Huang Shiyu walked in.

"Sorry, I was stuck in traffic and I'm late."

Wang Yutong squinted at her.

When Lu Xiao saw Huang Shiyu finally arrive, she showed a relieved expression. But seeing that Huang Shiyu's complexion was obviously not good, she frowned and asked, "Have you not slept for days? Your dark circles are so heavy."

Huang Shiyu sat down in the empty seat next to Lu Xiao, flipped through the document, and said without looking up, "Two or three days."

It's no exaggeration to say that she really didn't sleep much for two or three days. As soon as she closed her eyes, Huang Guodong's dead face haunted her.

Lu Xiao knew about Huang Guodong's death and knew that Huang Shiyu was probably having trouble sleeping because of it. She could only tell her a few words: "Take it easy. Your health is the most important thing. Don't let your boss collapse before Xinyu Xinsheng is even listed."

Huang Shiyu closed the file. "Am I that useless?" She put her index finger to her lips and turned her gaze towards Wang Yutong. Lu Xiao was about to say something, but upon seeing Huang Shiyu's action, she immediately changed the subject smoothly, "President Huang, do you have any professional questions to ask?"

"After reviewing your resume and relevant project experience, it's undeniable that your educational background is excellent. However, you graduated in the first half of 2023 and joined Kangpeng Education in November. I'm curious about the gap in time. Would you mind telling me about it?"

Huang Shiyu looked at her with sharp eyes.

Wang Yutong was visibly taken aback, her gaze flickering slightly, but only for a moment. She calmly replied, "I just mentioned that I was quite lost after graduation, unsure of what industry to work in. Does Mr. Huang mean that periods of unemployment are not allowed?"

She saw Lu Xiao, who had been looking down at her documents, whisper something in Huang Shiyu's ear. Huang Shiyu nodded and turned his gaze back to her, but he was very indifferent, unlike the warm greeting he had shown her in the bar bathroom.

She wasn't sure if it was because of the work experience she had concealed.

At that moment, she heard Huang Shiyu say, "Hmm, I have no objection."

Then I heard her ask, "Have you been following Sunac's Singularity project? What are your thoughts on Singularity's success in the field of AI-powered mental healing? Or do you think Xinyu Xinsheng can replicate Singularity's success?"

"Heartfelt Words and Voices" is the project Huang Shiyu is working on.

"I will analyze the success of Singularity from four aspects. The first aspect is that Singularity's success is due to its excellent basic research and development environment and database, such as the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Group. Their subsidiary, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Hospital, generates a huge amount of medical data every day, which is very advanced in the field of mental health treatment in China."

As she spoke, she secretly observed Huang Shiyu's expression. Seeing that Huang Shiyu still had that cold and indifferent look, she wondered if her words could convince her.

She continued, "The second aspect is talent. Sunac is a subsidiary of Shenzhen-Hong Kong Group, and it can provide Sunac with a considerable number of outstanding computer and mathematics personnel every year."

The third aspect is the availability of substantial and sustainable funding, which will help Singularity develop rapidly on its AI-powered mental healing platform. With these combined factors, Singularity's success is only a matter of time.

Huang Shiyu nodded slightly, seemingly agreeing with her statement, "Frankly speaking, the success of Singularity is indeed inseparable from these factors."

The unease that had been shattering in my heart seemed to settle down at this moment, but it didn't stay there for long.

Huang Shiyu glanced at the documents on the table again: "I just looked at your proposal, and it's hard for me to convince you that you are competent for the marketing planning position."

Wang Yutong was somewhat surprised, because Lu Xiao and the other two managers had just expressed their approval of her document.

“Mr. Huang’s background and the story of how she built this business from scratch are the biggest marketing points,” she said. “I am confident that I can make the Heartfelt Words project flourish on the AI ​​mental healing platform and make Heartfelt Words a guiding star.”

Looking at the spirited and confident Wang Yutong, Huang Shiyu directly and mercilessly criticized her, "You want me to sell my sentimentality?"

Wang Yutong looked at her, wondering what sharp words Huang Shiyu was about to say.

"Sentimentality?" Huang Shiyu sneered. "What's sentimentality worth? I'm a businessman. What I need to see is money. Your plan is too empty and grandiose. There's no product that's impressive and memorable. It's just a bunch of empty promises without any real substance or substance. It's nothing but a bubble, worthless. Nobody will buy it."

The plan was belittled to the point of being worthless. Wang Yutong wanted to say something, but felt something stuck in her throat, and she didn't know what to say.

Huang Shiyu was somewhat disappointed with the proposal. She had been attracted to Wang Yutong in the bar restroom by her academic background and excellent project experience, and more so by the advantages Wang Yutong had demonstrated. Otherwise, she wouldn't have turned down so many excellent resumes that Li Xingzhou had given her, including some from top universities who were even more outstanding than Wang Yutong. But now she was being given a PPT that any college student could make, which, frankly, wasted her high expectations of Wang Yutong.

“A good product plus proper marketing is the icing on the cake. The position of the rising star is not easy to obtain.” Huang Shiyu looked at Wang Yutong. “You are still too young.”

Despite the blow, Wang Yutong still raised her chin slightly and said calmly, "I may not know as much about business as Mr. Huang, but after all, I studied media and I am quite knowledgeable about marketing and planning. I haven't finished talking about the fourth point yet, so we can use it to our advantage."

Huang Shiyu raised an eyebrow, his initial enthusiasm now rekindled by the phrase "we can draw upon its power," and said, "I would like to hear more details."

"We can advertise through national authoritative institutions. People may not believe in advertisements, but they will definitely trust national authoritative institutions and products that have been approved by them. In this way, Xinyu Xinsheng will also have a place in the market share."

Her voice was steady, and her eyes met Huang Shiyu's, who was sitting in the middle, intently, as if she wanted to get the answer she wanted and gain Huang Shiyu's approval.

After a moment, Huang Shiyu spoke: "Theory without practice is never enough; true knowledge comes from practice. If nothing unexpected happens, you should receive news in a week."

After speaking, Huang Shiyu smiled, a different smile than the one she had when she came in; it was a relaxed smile, and Lu Xiao knew that she was very satisfied with Wang Yutong.