Chapter 103: The Hundred and Third Melon
"The Sun family is in the jewelry business." Lin Qianshi introduced to Gu Xicao while driving, "The previous Datong Gold Shop was also one of their businesses. In recent years, Aunt Sun has been interested in investing in other industries. You can try to talk to her later, maybe you can get something out of it."
Gu Xicao was invited by Lin Qianshi to come and socialize today.
She is only in charge of the general direction of Xirang, while Zhang Liang and others are responsible for the details. The business has grown a lot in the past few months, but there is still a lack of major projects.
Lin Qianshi just happened to mention that he knew some connections and could introduce them to her, so Gu Xicao came over with the mentality of giving it a try.
Sun's enterprise has a separate building.
Lin Qianshi followed Gu Xicao upstairs and told her about the appointment. However, the secretary looked hesitant and embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Mr. Lin, Ms. Gu, our CEO Sun is not here right now."
"Not here?" Lin Qianshi and Gu Xicao exchanged a glance, then turned back and frowned slightly, "I have contacted Director Sun before. Didn't Director Sun explain this matter?"
Lan Yun said embarrassedly, "I'm really sorry. Director Sun has explained this matter. She just left. Just before you arrived, she suddenly had something to do and left. I'm afraid your appointment will have to be rescheduled."
If that's the case, there's nothing we can do about it.
Lin Qianshi looked at Gu Xicao, "Xicao, what do you think?"
Gu Xicao didn't think much about it and said, "It's fine to change the date. There's no rush. How about changing it to tomorrow or the day after tomorrow?"
"Well..." Lan Yun looked at her work schedule and shook her head. "I'm afraid tomorrow or the day after tomorrow won't work. How about next week?"
"Next week, Lan Yun, are you confused?"
The secretary general came up from downstairs in high heels. When she heard Lan Yun's words, she raised her eyelids and scolded Lan Yun, "Boss Sun will have a lot of things to do at home next week. I don't know when he will be free to come over. If you make random arrangements now and Boss Sun doesn't have time to meet people later, who will be responsible for this?"
Lan Yun's face turned red after being scolded by the Secretary-General, and her ears were so red that they were bleeding.
She clenched the notebook in her hand, but still tried to suppress her emotions, and said to the Secretary-General: "Secretary-General, Mr. Sun also said when he left..."
"What? Mr. Sun said he would meet someone next week?" The secretary general interrupted Lan Yun. She glanced at Lin Qianshi and Gu Xicao, her eyes lingering on Gu Xicao for a moment before looking at Lin Qianshi. "Mr. Lin, we are not targeting you. We just don't dare to act on our own. You are so familiar with Mr. Sun. If you want to meet him, there are plenty of opportunities. The Sun family is getting engaged next week. Can't you say anything at that time?"
Lin Qianshi was a little surprised. He put one hand in his pocket and nodded to the secretary general: "I can understand Secretary Lan's dilemma. So, I will contact Aunt Sun later to arrange a meeting time. I heard that Secretary Lan's daughter is going to marry Chairman Sun's son. I haven't congratulated you yet."
Secretary Lan smiled faintly, "It's nothing. We are really marrying above our station. In my opinion, my relatives would just hold a small engagement party, but Director Sun and President Zhao insisted on having a grand one."
Lin Qianshi became more and more confused. Isn't the marriage of his children a happy event? Although Mr. Sun's son Sun Shimao is not good at studying and is a careless person, the Sun family is wealthy and powerful, and Sun Shimao can be considered a rich son-in-law.
Why does Secretary Lan sound so dissatisfied?
But he didn't ask any more questions. He nodded to Secretary Lan and Lan Yun, then left with Gu Xicao.
When the two of them went downstairs, they could still hear Secretary Lan scolding Lan Yun behind them.
Gu Xicao glanced back and asked Lin Qianshi in a low voice, "Is Lan Yun the daughter of the secretary-general?"
"Yes, how did you know?" Lin Qianshi realized that he was confused just after he finished speaking. With Gu Xicao's ability, how could she not see this? He got in the car and introduced: "The secretary-general's mother is Mr. Sun's nanny. Aunt Sun treats their family very well. She sent them to college one after another. After graduation, they all chose to help out in the Sun family's enterprises."
"What about the secretary-general's husband?" Gu Xicao suddenly asked.
Lin Qianshi glanced at Gu Xicao in the rearview mirror and said, "I really don't know about this. People in the circle say that she got pregnant accidentally by a man before, and that man ran away. After that, she didn't get married for so many years. In fact, everyone was quite surprised by the marriage between their two families."
Hong Kong is a very feudal place with huge class gaps.
Although the Sun family is not as wealthy as the Lin and Wang families, their assets are beyond the reach of ordinary people. It is no wonder that many people are surprised that a girl with an unknown father and a mother who is the daughter of a nanny could marry into the Sun family.
Gu Xicao had a thoughtful look on his face, his hands folded across his chest, and no one knew what was going on in his mind.
Lin Qianshi said to her, "It doesn't matter if you can't meet Aunt Sun today. They will get engaged next week. I'll introduce you to them then."
"No need." Gu Xicao shook her head, the corners of her lips curled up, "Aunt Sun and I are destined to meet, there will be other opportunities to meet."
Lan Hexin scolded Lan Yun and then returned to his office.
She looked down from the window and saw Lin Qianshi's sports car gradually going away. She felt relieved and sat down on the chair. She spread out her palms and saw that they were almost covered with cold sweat.
“Ring, ring, ring—”
The phone rang at this time.
Lan Hexin hurried over and picked up the phone, "Hello?"
"It's me. Has that person left?" There was an anxious male voice on the other end of the phone.
Lan Hexin had just been outside, mocking and hitting Lan Yun, speaking harshly. But now when she heard the man's voice, his tone suddenly became gentle, "A-Mao, she's gone, you don't have to be afraid."
"I'm afraid. What am I afraid of? I hate that woman who stirs up trouble everywhere. What if she talks too much and says something? What should I do then?"
Sun Shimao's voice was not as calm as he imagined. At least at this moment, Lan Hexin couldn't help but feel sorry for him: "Amao, don't worry, your father and I won't let anyone ruin your good fortune. After the engagement party, you should quickly get Lan Yun pregnant, and then you don't have to worry about it anymore."
"I know, Lan Yun, Lan Yun, she is so ugly. If you didn't insist on me marrying her, I wouldn't do it!" Sun Shimao said with disgust.
And Lan Hexin actually agreed: "It doesn't matter if she is ugly. Anyway, you will get married after she has a child. You can have any woman you want."
Wang Shirley returned to Hong Kong on Monday.
Rushing to hold a shareholders' meeting at the beginning of the year, she boasted at the meeting about how hard she had worked in the Philippines and Malaysia, and how much effort and connections she had spent to buy the best land in the best locations in the capitals of these two countries and build hotels.
"Shirley has really grown up. She has such ability now. It is true that a good father will have a good daughter."
Several directors gave him some compliments out of respect.
Of course, it's not just about giving face. After all, if you want to do business in other countries, you have to build up countless connections and put in a lot of effort.
Yan Qin smiled and said, "Don't praise her, or she will be too proud. When she came back yesterday, I was still telling her that such a good girl had been running around outside for almost two months and was so tired. She said that Uncle Gu had trained her for so many years and that grandma also valued her, so she couldn't let grandpa and grandma down."
There was a hint of tenderness in Gu Zhizhang's eyes.
Zhang Yan said to Wang Xueli, "You are right to have this intention. Our children cannot rely on their old capital, they must work hard to earn money. For example, Xicao has performed well in the past two months, and Xirang Company has gained a lot of business."
Gu Xicao pulled the corner of his lips as a response.
Wang Xueli glanced at Gu Xicao and said, "Grandma, the two hotels I want to build must be landmarks. The one in the Philippines must be 60 stories high, and the one in Malaysia must be at least 70 stories high. Once these two hotels are built, they will be the signature of our Xuanyuan Group. It will also be more convenient to build other hotels in the Philippines and Malaysia in the future."
Gu Zhizhang nodded slightly, but frowned slightly: "It would be great if it could be built into a landmark, but to build such a tall building, a hotel would probably require a lot of investment."
Although Gu Zhizhang did not do much real estate business, he knew a thing or two about this. The construction cost of a house is not the same for each floor. The taller the building, the higher the cost. The cost of the foundation alone is vastly different between a building of more than ten floors and one of dozens of floors.
In addition, the construction of such a high-rise building requires the design of a well-known designer, and the entire building requires an investment of at least 50 million.
Wang Xueli said coquettishly: "Grandpa Gu, you said before that wealth and honor are sought in danger. If you want to make a lot of money, you have to invest more money. If we just build a hotel with more than 30 floors, it will be just an ordinary hotel. What's so special about it? How can we build a good reputation in other countries? How can we attract consumers to stay?"
Although Wang Xueli is a bit spoiled, what she said makes sense.
The shareholders started discussing.
"This 60-70-story hotel is indeed a great gimmick. As long as it is done well, I believe it will be profitable!"
"There are many wealthy people in Malaysia and the Philippines. Once we make our brand famous, we can open a chain and create a mid- to low-end hotel brand."
Fifty million is a huge number for most people.
But for the shareholders here, each of them has a net worth of over 100 million. Although they certainly cannot come up with 50 million, it is still relatively easy to invest several million.
Wang Xueli listened to other shareholders' discussions and support, and the smile on her face became brighter and brighter.
It was worth the two months she spent socializing outside. Now it was time for her to reap the rewards.
"Xicao, what do you think of Shirley's idea?"
Yan Qin was also very pleased with herself and looked at Gu Xicao with a smile.
Gu Xicao had been scribbling on paper with a pen since a while ago. When she was suddenly called, she was stunned for a moment and raised her head, "Boss Yan, are you asking me?"
Yan Qin smiled and said, "If I don't ask you, who should I ask? Aren't you a fortune teller? Do you think Shirley's plan is good?"
Yan Qin has reason to be proud.
She and Shirley spent a lot of effort to hire someone to make this plan, and even her mother-in-law said there was nothing wrong with it.
She asked for Gu Xicao's opinion simply because she wanted to step on Gu Xicao and show off her reputation.
Gu Xicao said: "Building a landmark hotel is a good idea, but..."
"But what?" Wang Xueli had a smile on her face when she heard the previous words, but after hearing "but", the smile became a little forced.
Gu Xicao dropped his pen, crossed his arms, and said, "I don't agree with investing overseas, especially in the Philippines and Malaysia."
After hearing this, Wang Xueli sneered, "Do you disagree with me, or do you disagree with this project?"
Yan Qin also looked at Gu Xicao disapprovingly: "Xicao, you must distinguish between public and private affairs, and you cannot bring personal emotions into work."
Gu Xicao shrugged his shoulders and said, "Anyway, I said I don't support it. You can invest if you want, but I'm not willing to invest, so don't count it in my share."
Wang Xueli's face darkened immediately, "It's better if you don't invest. I don't want to help you get rich! When our project makes money, don't be jealous."
"Then I'll wait."
Gu Xicao didn't intend to save face for Wang Xueli. She looked at the other shareholders and said, "Please be cautious if you want to invest. Foreign countries are not like Hong Kong. The political situation is turbulent and the situation changes quickly. Investing in Hong Kong and the mainland can be said to be a sure win, but in other countries, it's hard to say. I do have a project to invest in the mainland recently, but I haven't decided what to do yet. If you are interested, why not come to me."
Wang Xueli never thought that Gu Xicao would sabotage so mercilessly. She was so angry that she trembled for a moment. She looked at the other shareholders and said, "Uncles and aunts, you don't believe her words, right? Investing in the mainland is a waste of money. You are all aware of the customs in the mainland before. If we go there, we might be beaten as capitalists!"
"Well, let's discuss this matter again. Let's discuss it again."
Other shareholders spoke equivocally.
Apart from Wang's relatives, many people were hesitant and wavering.
They may not support Gu Xicao, but Gu Xicao is famous for his accurate predictions and he never lies. If he is also accurate this time, then wouldn't they be idiots for investing even though they know they will lose money?
The meeting was adjourned.
Seeing people leaving in twos and threes, and politely declining the invitation from Yan Qin and her daughter, Wang Xueli was almost furious.
She walked towards Gu Xicao and stared at her, "Are you satisfied? You are the one who messed things up today, right?"
Wang Liyuan was standing behind Gu Xicao. Seeing Wang Xueli's angry face, she couldn't help but feel nervous. Her heart was in her throat. She clenched the briefcase in her hand and thought, if Miss Wang really fought with Miss Gu, this briefcase of hers would be able to protect Miss Gu.
"Don't flatter yourself."
Gu Xicao yawned, rubbed his eyes, and said to Wang Xueli, "I didn't mean to say anything about today's matter. It was your mother who asked me. I always say what I think. I also advise you that this project will definitely lose money. I mean well, so forget it if you don't want to accept it."
Wang Xueli sneered: "Then let's wait and see."
There was no way she would give up such a big project just because of a few words from Gu Xicao. It was obvious that Gu Xicao was trying to destroy her business.
Gu Xicao was too lazy to pay attention to her and was about to leave.
Wang Xueli suddenly called her over and took out an invitation from her bag. "I heard that you wanted to meet Aunt Sun before? Are you trying to get investment?"
Gu Xicao turned around and looked at Wang Xueli, raising his eyebrows in confusion.
Wang Xueli waved the invitation in her hand proudly: "I tell you, your wishful thinking is wrong. Sun Shimao and I have a good relationship. He has said that he only recognizes me as a friend and not you. He is going to get engaged tomorrow, so he won't send you the invitation. You still want to get his family's investment, it's just wishful thinking!"
If it were before, Yan Qin would definitely advise her daughter to be more restrained, or at least not to speak out her true feelings, but Gu Xicao had gone too far just now, and Yan Qin had no intention of persuading her daughter at this moment.
"Oh, why not make a bet?"
Gu Xicao's eyes turned, "How about we make a bet on whether I can get the Sun family's investment? If I succeed, you will donate 100,000 to our company as a bonus. If I fail, I will give your project team 100,000?"
Wang Xueli sneered in her heart and agreed without thinking.
Yan Qin couldn't stop her, and after Gu Xicao left, she said to Wang Xueli, "You, why did you agree just now!"
"Mom, why are you hesitating?" Wang Xueli was angry at the moment. She said confidently: "Aunt Sun has only one son, Sun Shimao, and Sun Shimao is on our side. Why would Aunt Sun go against her own son? Just wait and see her make a fool of herself!"
Yan Qin still felt that it was inappropriate.
No matter how much she disliked Gu Xicao, she had to admit that the girl was much more stable and capable than her daughter.
Since he took the initiative to propose this bet, he must have a chance of winning.
But how could Gu Xicao win? She didn't even have an invitation to the engagement party? !
The only son of the Sun family is getting engaged, and they have invited dignitaries from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan to attend.
Li Yali and others also came with their families. Li Yali, as always, served as Wang Xueli's follower. When they met Sun Shimao, a group of people toasted Sun Shimao with a glass of wine.
"Brother Sun is so loyal!"
Wang Xueli was also rarely friendly to Sun Shimao: "I owe you a favor this time!"
Sun Shimao was stunned for a moment, then came to his senses, "You said you didn't invite Gu Xicao."
"That's exactly the matter, Brother Sun. You are really courageous." Li Yali said to Sun Shimao. She really wanted to say this, but she was not the one who had the final say in the Li family. Li's father felt that Gu Xicao was a person who should not be underestimated and was unwilling to offend him. Therefore, she could only dislike Gu Xicao, but she could do nothing about it.
Sun Shimao didn't want to mention this matter, and said vaguely: "It's nothing, I'm getting engaged today, don't mention these bad things."
Several young masters said with a smile: "Young Master Sun, are you excited about your engagement today? Where is your sister-in-law?"
When mentioning his fiancée, Sun Shimao's eyes flashed with disgust and dissatisfaction. He put one hand in his pocket and said arrogantly, "How should I know? My mother suddenly called me this morning and asked her to pick her up at the airport. I guess she will be back by now."
The young ladies and gentlemen present were all shrewd people. Everyone could see that Sun Shimao was dissatisfied with his fiancée Lan Yun, and even had some resistance to her.
Li Lixin held the champagne and asked in confusion: "Brother Sun, judging from your tone, did you have a quarrel with your fiancée?"
"What are you arguing about? We have nothing to talk about."
Sun Shimao curled his lips and said disapprovingly.
Li Lixin felt more and more strange, "So you don't like your fiancée, why are you still engaged to her?"
"Yes, although your fiancée grew up with us, she is not a great beauty, nor is she anything special. We are all wondering why you are attracted to her."
Li Yali also asked curiously.
The Hong Kong circle is too small, everyone knows Lan Yun’s background, and they know Sun Shimao’s temper even better.
Sun Shimao is a typical playboy. He has had many girlfriends since elementary school, and each of his girlfriends is prettier than the other and has a better figure.
Everyone originally thought that Sun Shimao would definitely marry a Miss Hong Kong or a female celebrity in the future, or his family would arrange for him to find someone of similar social status and conditions. But after hearing that he actually married Lan Yun, everyone's eyes dropped to the ground.
Lan Yun and Sun Shimao, what do these things have to do with each other?
Sun Shimao showed an embarrassed look on his face. "Don't ask me about this. Anyway, my parents like her. I will give an explanation to my family!"
Everyone exchanged glances, thinking to themselves that someone might have died.
"Brother, did Sun Shimao really not invite Miss Gu?"
Lin Hexu followed Lin Qianshi like a shadow, and did not forget to look at Sun Shimao and the others while talking.
Lin Qianshi took a piece of cake and said calmly, "Why are you asking this?"
Lin Hexu said indignantly, "Isn't this just to defend Miss Gu? Who is Sun Shimao? What's his relationship with him? Why does he need to shout slogans and take sides? If you ask me, Aunt Sun definitely doesn't know about this. Aunt Sun is an understanding person. Otherwise, how about we find a way to tell Aunt Sun?"
Lin Qianshi raised his head and was about to say something when he caught a glimpse of someone walking in from the door. Suddenly, the corners of his mouth curled up into a smile.
Lin Hexu saw this scene and looked back in confusion following Lin Qianshi's gaze.
When he saw Gu Xicao coming in with Sun Yunyin and Lan Yun, he was stunned.
Sun Shimao's surprise and panic were much more intense than Lin Hexu's. When he saw Gu Xicao appear, he almost knocked over the cup in his hand. He took two steps at a time and wanted to ask someone to ask Gu Xicao to leave.
His father Zhao Pingyang reacted faster than Sun Shimao. When he came over, he pulled Sun Shimao and pulled him behind him. He smiled at Sun Yunyin and said, "Wife, didn't your daughter-in-law come to pick you up? Why is there another person here? He looks familiar."
"You forgot, the granddaughter that Director Gu recognized last time."
Sun Yunyin grumbled and introduced, "This is Xiao Gu. Our car broke down on the road and Xiao Gu helped us. I heard that she didn't receive an invitation, so I invited her to come. You are such a fool. Why do you let your son act up?"
Met on the road?
Zhao Pingyang's heart was beating fast, but he still had a calm smile on his face: "So that's how it is. I didn't know about the invitation. Shimao, didn't you ask someone to send an invitation to Miss Gu?"
Sun Shimao was flustered and made up an excuse: "I, I don't know Miss Gu's address, how can I send the invitation?"
"It doesn't matter, as long as Mr. Sun doesn't want to chase me away."
Gu Xicao looked at Sun Shimao and his son meaningfully and said with a chuckle.
"How could that be? Shimao is just careless. Since Miss Gu is here, please don't be shy. Eat, drink and have fun." Zhao Pingyang's attitude was particularly cordial, and he even put himself in a low position.
When Lin Hexu came over and heard this, he couldn't help but look at Zhao Pingyang in confusion.
Uncle Zhao has always been arrogant and has the habit of judging people through cracks in the door. Why is he so respectful to Gu Xicao?
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