All eyes were fixed on Cha Meiling and the man beside her, their gazes filled with curiosity, inquiry, and a hint of schadenfreude.
Cha Mei-ling remains radiant and beautiful.
Most of the guests present were prominent figures in the Hong Kong government, and they had naturally heard about the changes in the Cha family. Some of them couldn't help but whisper among themselves.
"I remember that Cha Meiling inherited the Cha family business, but she disappeared not long after. Back then, the Cha family was so prestigious..."
The Cha family, once the richest family in Hong Kong, has now vanished, like a whale disintegrating in the deep sea, leaving only some remains and traces to this day.
Cha Meiling is like a relic of a century-old family that suddenly appears before everyone, making people sigh at the impermanence of life.
"Who's that man next to her? He looks impressive, he must be someone important."
"You don't recognize him? He's Chen Jingsong, the boss of the Jialing Group who rose to fame last year!"
Hearing the surrounding chatter, Chu Hongyu was also taken aback. She felt like she had heard the name Chen Jingsong somewhere before...
Ning Bingyu's voice suddenly sounded softly behind her—
"At the end of 1977, Singaporean Chen Jingsong replaced partner Zhong Wen as chairman of Jianing Group Limited, and the group's business expanded rapidly thereafter."
"In just three years, it has spread to multiple sectors in Hong Kong, including transportation, shipping, and tourism, and has extended to countries and regions in Asia, Australia, and the United States."
Chu Hongyu suddenly remembered that when she was taking classes in the finance department, the professor had used the rise of the Jianing Group as a classic case study.
She remembers it very clearly—
In December 1979, the Canning Group chose the listed company Chu Han as its target for a backdoor listing, acquiring 52.8% of Chu Han's shares at HK$6 per share, taking a crucial step towards a backdoor listing.
In late 1980, Canning Group successfully went public through a reverse takeover, with the share price soaring from HK$1.79 to HK$79 per share, and its performance impressed the Hong Kong government.
Chu Hongyu frowned instantly: "Young Master, I seem to remember seeing in the secretary's office that the chairman is cooperating with the Jianing Group..."
Ning Bingyu's voice rang out again, confirming her guess—
“That’s right. My uncle is currently negotiating a cooperation project with Jianing Group for Huangbai Garden. The person in charge of this project is my eldest sister, Ning Man’an.”
Chu Hongyu frowned. Ever since Cha Meiling betrayed Ning Bingyu, leading Ning Man'an to join forces with several directors to launch an impeachment, Ning Bingyu was almost forced to step down.
Ning Bingyu managed to secure the mainland connection thanks to Rong Zhaonan's intervention and, with the approval of Old Master Ning, narrowly retained his CEO position.
Subsequently, through the large-scale development project of the Tsim Sha Tsui Marine Building by OCT Group, he regained the support of many directors and has now secured his position as the successor of the Ning family.
Ning Yuan also obtained her shares here.
Although Miss Ning Man'an didn't say anything, she kept putting in effort.
The Huangbai Garden project is a large-scale project that she acquired with great expense and under the support of Chairman Ning Zhengkun. She personally managed the Huangbai dock site.
The entire project comprises more than 100 high-rise residential buildings, and also includes supporting facilities such as shopping malls, schools, and hospitals.
Lower construction costs reduce the overall investment in the project, laying the foundation for higher profits later on.
This is undoubtedly a lucrative opportunity, and currently appears to be more directly profitable than the Tsim Sha Tsui Marine Tower project.
If Ning Man'an is successfully taken over, he will have another chance to become the next head of the Ning family.
Chu Hongyu frowned, her delicate eyebrows furrowing. "The Ning family's waters are bottomless, their endless strife never-ending."
She paused, her sharp gaze sweeping across Ning Bingyu's indifferent face: "Is it only when Xiao Ning agrees to marry Ning Bing'an, or you marry the wife introduced by Chairman Ning Zhengkun, that this charade can come to an end?"
Ning Bingyu smiled faintly, then suddenly wrapped his arm around Chu Hongyu's waist and pulled her into his embrace.
The man's warm breath brushed gently against her ear: "My assistant, you're getting smarter and smarter."
Chu Hongyu froze at his sudden intimate gesture, and a faint scent of cool water filled her nostrils, making her feel somewhat uncomfortable.
She turned her head slightly, trying to avoid his close body, but he held her firmly in his arms.
"Don't move, someone's watching," Ning Bingyu said casually.
Chu Hongyu subconsciously looked up and saw Cha Meiling standing not far away, her eyes filled with amusement and inquiry.
She suddenly whispered something to Chen Jingsong beside her. Chen Jingsong followed her gaze and looked over, a cigar dangling from his lips, his eyes sharp and deep.
He slightly raised his chin as a gesture, then led Cha Meiling straight through the crowd towards Ning Bingyu.
As he approached them, Chen Jingsong's booming laughter rang out first, like a gust of wind carrying a sense of pressure: "Nephew Bingyu! It really is you, what a coincidence!"
He tossed a cigar to the waiter, clinked his wine glass with Ning Bingyu's, and asked with a smile, "Nephew Bingyu, when is your uncle coming back from America? He said he was busy there when we spoke on the phone last time."
Ning Bingyu remained expressionless and raised his glass in greeting: "Uncle Chen, my uncle will be back the day after tomorrow. I will convey Uncle Chen's greetings to him then."
Cha Meiling stepped forward gracefully, her voice gentle: "Big brother, how have you been?"
Ning Bingyu's gaze fell on Cha Meiling's face, his deep eyes as calm and still as an ancient well: "Yes, it's been a long time."
These five short words, distant and indifferent, seem to have completely severed the past between the two of them.
Cha Meiling seemed oblivious, simply looking at him and smiling: "Brother Yu, I always remember that I am the sixth young lady of the Ning family. You haven't forgotten me so quickly, have you?"
She pronounced the words "Sixth Miss Ning" with exceptional clarity.
Ning Bingyu looked at her, a half-smile playing on his lips—
"Sixth Miss? Now that Annie and Uncle Chen are so close, and Uncle Chen is a very important figure in Hong Kong, the title of merely the Sixth Miss of the Ning family is probably not worthy of your current status, Annie."
Cha Meiling lowered her eyes: "Big brother, are you making fun of me?"
Chu Hongyu stood aside, taking in the entire interaction between the two.
She keenly sensed the subtle atmosphere that momentarily froze in the air.
Young Master Ning is indeed so harsh on everyone. Is he implying that Cha Meiling and Chen Jingsong are having an affair?
No, he's using his harsh words to try and find out about the relationship between Cha Meiling and Chen Jingsong, isn't he?
Chen Jingsong laughed heartily, breaking the stalemate.
He patted Cha Meiling's shoulder affectionately, as if asserting his dominance or helping her out of a predicament.
"Nephew Bingyu, you're too kind. Annie, that child, has recognized me as her godfather; that affection is naturally deep. But..."
He paused, then smiled and said, "How can my status as a godfather compare to the status the Ning family gives to the Sixth Miss? It's just a matter of elder's care."
Chen Jingsong glanced at Chu Hongyu, who was standing to the side: "I heard that there was some misunderstanding between you and Annie. Young people are easily tempted by beauty. It would be a loss to give up family and loved ones for this."
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