Hearing the man casually mention the black card and how he knew so much about Zhou Yi's identity... Zhou Yi's status as the heir was kept very secret by Grandma Zhou.
Few people in the company know the successor's name; those who do are high-ranking executives who possess highly confidential information.
Su Qingjiao believed him to a large extent, and said, "Alright then, what do you want to talk about?"
The two walked to the small park behind the inpatient department, a place where family members accompany patients to sunbathe, so there was no need to worry about being seen by acquaintances.
The man casually placed the flowers and fruit basket on the edge of the flower bed, took out a tissue from his pocket and wiped the tiles on the flower bed before sitting down.
Su Qingjiao sat cautiously to the side, her expression somewhat wary, wondering what this shareholder of the Zhou Group wanted from her.
To avoid appearing weak and being looked down upon, Su Qingjiao waited for the man to speak first.
The man's gaze, hidden behind his glasses, suddenly turned sinister, completely unlike his previous amiable demeanor: "Miss Su, do you think someone from your family background is capable of marrying into a wealthy family like the Zhou family?"
One sentence left Su Qingjiao completely bewildered.
The man's aggressive nature as someone in a high position was on full display at this moment. Every word he said struck at Su Qingjiao's sore spots, exposing her vulnerability to the light of day.
“I’ve investigated you. You were born in the countryside, with a mother who works as a nanny and a father who is a gambling addict.”
"These days, everyone values marriage between equals. To wealthy people, your looks are at best above average, not some stunning beauty. Why do you think the Zhou family is qualified to marry you?"
"What can your family do to help the Zhou family? To put it bluntly, you'll only hold Zhou Yi back."
“I know Zhou Yi is pursuing you now, but there’s no way he’ll marry you. If he did, the Zhou Group’s stock would plummet, and we shareholders would absolutely not agree to that.”
"I've seen plenty of people like you. Those women who are foolish enough to believe that true love is invincible have all been taken advantage of by rich second-generation heirs."
“Some smarter women will try to get jewelry, designer brands, money, cars and other material possessions from rich second-generation heirs.”
Su Qingjiao turned pale instantly after being belittled so badly by the shareholders.
Her background and her parents have always been her biggest sources of insecurity.
Because of her inferiority complex, she pretended to be a rich and beautiful young lady at school, hoping to escape her impoverished family background.
Therefore, Su Qingjiao angrily retorted, "I never intended to curry favor with you rich people; it was Zhou Yi who relentlessly pursued me."
“I have always refused. I don’t care about your rich people’s money! Why do you have to say it so harshly, making it sound like I’m vain!”
The shareholder chuckled and raised his hand to interrupt Su Qingjiao's self-justification. He didn't want to hear Su Qingjiao's declaration of self-reliance and self-improvement as a poor person.
His previous words did indeed severely damage Su Qingjiao's self-esteem.
So then, the shareholder changed the subject, saying, "I know you're a good student and smart, and you won't be blinded by the wealth in front of you."
"Actually, it's better to rely on yourself than on others. Waiting for Zhou Yi to give you money is not as reliable as earning money with your own hands."
"I think you're smart enough to understand what I mean."
"If you've thought it through, I can give you this opportunity, as long as you're at my service from now on."
Upon hearing this, Su Qingjiao clearly understood the shareholder's meaning: he wanted to use her to seize power in the company.
She lowered her eyes, her gaze revealing a look of disdain.
Hmph! Do you think she's a three-year-old trying to scare me?
Why should she choose this unfamiliar shareholder instead of the future heir of the Zhou family?
Even if she helps the shareholders, she will only be a pawn and won't get much money. If she tries her best to help Zhou Yi, then she might become the young mistress of the Zhou family.
Besides, she and Zhou Yi still have a chance to reconcile!
Su Qingjiao intellectually rejected the shareholders' promises, but she didn't voice her true thoughts, preferring to leave herself room for maneuver: "I'm still in school, it seems a bit too early to talk about the future."
"Thank you for valuing me so much, but I feel that Zhou Yi is very good to me. I don't know what the future holds."
"I just felt that if I betrayed Zhou Yi, he would be very sad."
"This is an internal matter of the Zhou Group. I feel that I am just an outsider and should not get involved in these matters."
The shareholder revealed a meaningful smile. Su Qingjiao's ambiguous attitude meant that there was a fifty percent chance of success.
The woman's words implied that Zhou Yi treated her very well, and she just wanted to raise the price.
The reason they're not agreeing now is simply because they haven't negotiated a good price.
The negotiation between the two parties is a psychological battle; the more eager the shareholders are, the more Su Qingjiao will raise the price on the spot.
Therefore, the shareholder stood up, bent down and took the flowers and fruit basket: "It's still early, you really need to focus on your studies right now."
"We'll have plenty of time to meet in the future. You attend the Zhou family celebration every year, so I think I'll see you at the Zhou family celebration this year too, right?"
"Alright, I should go visit the old lady now."
After saying that, the shareholder took out his business card and handed it to Su Qingjiao as if it were a very casual gesture.
Su Qingjiao hesitated for a moment but still accepted it. Before she could think about it, the shareholder walked away steadily, leaving Su Qingjiao sitting there, holding the business card the shareholder had given her in both hands.
At this moment, Su Qingjiao's heart was still tipped in favor of Zhou Yi. Although Zhou Yi had treated her very badly recently, even hitting and humiliating her, but...
Su Qingjiao casually put the shareholder's business card into her pocket, keeping it only as a backup option.
If Zhou Yi treats her sincerely from now on, she will tell him about the shareholders' attempt to seize power. If Zhou Yi continues to treat her this way, then she will have no choice but to help the shareholders.
Su Qingjiao stood up as the sun set, her face full of calculation, and walked resolutely toward the hospital gate.
Under her calculating mind.
Little did they know, someone had overheard their entire conversation.
As she walked away with firm steps, on the other side of the flower bed, a person slowly stood up from the other side, staring at Su Qingjiao with a cold and deep gaze.
Shen Bingyan never expected that she would run into Su Qingjiao while sitting in the hospital's small garden.
What Shen Bingyan didn't expect was that Su Qingjiao neither refused nor made a clear statement when faced with the shareholders' provocation. This attitude made Shen Bingyan feel sorry for Zhou Yi.
Zhou Yi did so much for Su Qingjiao, yet she was easily swayed by a few words of instigation from a shareholder.
What is it about this woman that Zhou Yi could deeply love?
She even rejected herself multiple times because of this!
Shen Bingyan's emotions fluctuated. On one hand, she felt sorry for Zhou Yi's efforts being wasted, and on the other hand, she hated him for being so unambitious and for falling for such a hypocritical woman.
It wasn't until her bodyguard came to the garden that she calmed down instantly.
"Miss, why did you suddenly get off the bus?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
