Chapter 46 The entire internet demands remarriage
The controversy subsided in the following days. However, in today's era where traffic is king, related terms such as "blind entrepreneur," "Chen Jiashu," and "Qiaoshu Group" consistently dominate the trending searches. Of course, there are conspiracy theories involved, but Chairman Chen now has a loyal following, and his fans naturally defend him and speak up for him.
In several live-streaming rooms related to the Qiaoshu Group, products frequently sold out, especially in the official live-streaming room, where hosts could only repeatedly urge "rational consumption." Just yesterday, the Qiaoshu Group's third batch of supplies was delivered to the disaster area; moreover, on the government's published list of donors, the Qiaoshu Group donated 15 million yuan, ranking among the top three. This news added another layer of glory to the Qiaoshu Group.
Qin Qiao put down the tablet computer; a mountain that had been weighing on her heart for days had finally been lifted.
Outside the car window, a family of three was crossing the zebra crossing. The tall father was carrying his four- or five-year-old daughter. The little girl wore a red dress and a matching bunny ear headband, looking just like a Disney princess.
She thought of Xixi, who had been snuggling in her arms last night asking for an Elsa princess dress. The little girl was only five years old and had her own sense of style; her classmates looked good in theirs, and she wanted one too.
Qin Qiao agreed to take them to the mall on Sunday, where each of them could buy two things as Christmas presents from their mothers.
The car behind her honked, and before Qin Qiao could react, the car in front of her had already reached the other side. She immediately stepped on the gas and followed.
The recording of the Spring Festival Gala is nearing its end today. By the time the recording was finished, it was already dark outside the window.
When Qin Qiao arrived on the tenth floor, she wanted to talk to Huang Tai about the fraudulent donation incident. Just as she stepped out of the elevator, Huang Tai called her.
She met Song Yiyi at a coffee shop that morning.
On Tuesday, Song Yiyi interviewed a family that claimed to be "overwhelmed by the enormous medical expenses for their seriously ill child." However, due to a lack of careful verification, the report contained errors.
Yesterday, Thursday, observant netizens discovered that the father of this family is actually a senior executive of a company, and that the family owns a house and a car, so there is no financial difficulty at all.
Netizens, feeling they had been made a fool of, were outraged and even questioned whether the station had 'colluded' with the family. Since she had been 'resting' for the past few days, Song Yiyi was suspended from her duties as soon as the incident occurred. The provincial station issued a detailed explanation overnight, but netizens did not accept it, and a massive amount of abuse, insults, and doubts flooded the comment section of the provincial station's official Weibo account.
Netizens raised three main questions: How could such a serious media outlet like the provincial TV station broadcast this news without verifying it? Could an intern's article be published without any review? Are the review departments incompetent?
Although the incident is still under investigation, the provincial TV station cannot deny its dereliction of duty, whether it admits it or not, which means it will greatly lose public trust.
"Director Qin, what do you think?" Lu Tai brought over a freshly brewed cup of coffee and bent down to place it in front of her.
The stem of the ear was directly opposite her finger, golden-brown foam floated on the coffee liquid, and the rich, hot aroma slowly rose, instantly filling her nostrils.
As the ripples subsided, Qin Qiao raised her gaze to Lu Tai, who had just sat down, and said, "I share the same thoughts as Director Yu." Her fingertips brushed across the solid wood coffee table, and she added, "However, I have a somewhat immature idea."
Huang Tai: "Oh? It's alright, tell me about it."
Qin Qiao: "What the public cares about now is no longer the individual intern's mistake, but the reliability of our entire system. What we need to do most now is to face up to and acknowledge the systemic loopholes in the review mechanism. This is the only prerequisite for rebuilding public trust. I strongly agree with Director Yu's suggestion to launch a self-examination. We need to put what the public wants to see in front of them, perhaps... to be transparent. Let the public see a provincial TV station that is deeply committed to self-correction, rather than a perfunctory 'I was wrong.'"
The coffee went cold after just one sip, so Huang Tai went to get her another cup. When he came back, he continued to talk to her about "how to effectively admit mistakes." When they got into a good mood, Huang Tai even chatted with her about everyday things and mentioned Chen Jiashu.
"Chen Jiashu is an outstanding entrepreneur in our province, and now he has ventured beyond the province. I heard that the CCTV Lantern Festival Gala is planning to invite him to participate."
He slapped his thigh absently with his right hand: "I really didn't expect this. Back when you got married, not a word of it was leaked. I had absolutely no idea."
"Back then, I had just entered this industry and didn't understand much. I just buried myself in my work. I thought my personal matters were insignificant and was afraid that they would cause you gossip."
Huang Tai nodded in deep agreement. A complete newcomer to the workplace, and working in finance, he chose to hide his marital status to avoid gossip... In fact, this kind of situation is common in their industry. As long as it doesn't go too far, the higher-ups usually turn a blind eye.
The situation is very different now. A mature company, after multiple rounds of financing and listing, has relatively transparent finances and operations that can withstand scrutiny.
Huang Tai was about to jokingly ask, like some netizens, when the two would remarry, when he suddenly remembered that five years ago, Qin Qiao had married that British photographer, and he had even reported it to the station. It's a pity, though; Leo battled his illness for three years but still passed away.
The fact that Chen Jiashu stood up for Qin Qiao without hesitation when she was questioned, providing transfer records and his handwritten signature from the time of their divorce, suggests that the netizens' speculations are correct and that they still have a deep affection for each other. Remarriage is inevitable, it's only a matter of time.
After chatting for a few more minutes, Huang Tai mentioned that she should come back to work tomorrow to cooperate with Director Yu's self-inspection.
Qin Qiao thanked Huang Tai for giving her the opportunity, but Huang Tai said that because Old Gu was worried about her, he made a special trip to the provincial TV station yesterday. They chatted for an afternoon, and he was really concerned about her.
The "Old Gu" mentioned by Huang Tai is the former director of the provincial TV station. During Qin Qiao's university years, Old Gu was her mentor, and because of this deep teacher-student relationship, he has taken good care of her for many years.
After leaving Huangtai, Qin Qiao went back to her office to get her bag and went straight home.
Before going to bed, Qin Qiao sent a message to Chen Jiashu.
[Sunday is Christmas, I want to take Akino to the mall to buy Christmas presents]
She waited for an hour, her eyelids so heavy she could barely keep them open, and just as she was about to collapse, Chen Jiashu called.
"Qiao Qiao, sorry, we are currently negotiating the pricing of motors with Company X in the United States for two years. We are taking a break."
She ran her fingers through her hair, brushing aside the stray strands that had fallen across her forehead, and realized with a sigh that she understood.
Chen Jiashu added, "You don't need to run around. I'll have Auntie take Zhaoye over there."
A refreshing aroma of tea filled the air. The waitress stepped forward with a glass teapot in her hand and bent down to pour emerald green tea into two teacups on the coffee table.
Zhang Zhu took Chen Jiashu's phone and put it into his briefcase, then quietly stepped aside.
Chen Jiashu turned to Zhu Ao and said, "When we go in, I'll play the good cop and you play the bad cop. We won't back down an inch, so they'll know that we have the confidence that there's more than one way to go."
The two quickly rehearsed their lines to ensure seamless coordination. After a short break, the group returned to the conference room.
Joseph pulled out a chair, sat down in the main seat, flipped to the sixth page of the document in his hand, lightly tapped the price column with his fingertip, then looked up at Chen Jiashu, who was sitting in the first seat on his left.
“Chairman Chen, it’s not a matter of price, it’s about the core technology. The yield rate you want, your country doesn’t have that technology except for us.” He put down his pen and said, “Therefore, our company still firmly believes that the figures on the quotation cannot be changed.”
Chen Jiashu nodded slightly without speaking. Zhu Ao, who was next to him, pushed up his glasses and said, "Joseph, we highly value your company's quality control. Last year, our group sold 8.7 million high-end refrigerators, 80% of which used your compressors. Such a procurement scale should be enough to prove our sincerity."
Joseph pursed his lips as if considering something, while Tom, the vice president opposite Zhu Ao, couldn't sit still any longer and leaned forward slightly: "President Zhu, market share and core technology are two completely different things. It is precisely because your demand is so large that you cannot do without us."
The words "no other choice" struck Chen Jiashu and his team of five like a heavy hammer.
The CTO gripped the agreement template with his thumb, gritting his teeth as he endured the pain.
His tone was almost gentle, yet it carried an overwhelming air of authority, causing Joseph and Tom's expressions to darken simultaneously, while the other vice presidents of X Group covered their mouths and whispered amongst themselves.
Zhu Ao picked up the tablet on the table and swiped his finger across the screen as he spoke: "In fact, we just received a cooperation invitation from Bosch Asia last week. They said they wanted to talk to us about becoming the exclusive agent in Asia, and they were willing to accept our sending a technical team to be stationed on-site to supervise the project."
He found the email, but instead of opening it for details, he subtly turned the tablet towards them, drawing everyone's attention to the screen.
"Everyone, we are not only limited to 'choosing,' but also have the option of 'nurturing.'"
Chen Jiashu smiled slightly, his piercing gaze sweeping over everyone before finally landing on the white CEO, Joseph: "That's why we're sitting here today. To be honest, after our meeting, my next stop is Frankfurt."
With orders worth tens of billions over two years, Chen Jiashu was certain they wouldn't give up easily. In the end, he would say, "If they don't want you here, there are plenty of other places that will."
Joseph and Tom exchanged a glance, and each of them tactically took a sip of water and wiped their glasses.
This person is very trustworthy, decisive, and not reckless, but willing to take risks. Five years ago, when they first collaborated, Chen Jiashu's bold statement based on t data still rings in his ears.
In the following years, Chen Jiashu visited him every year and invited him to China, receiving him with the highest level of hospitality.
Last year, Chen Jiashu suffered an eye ailment, and they thought the chairman might be unable to make decisions. Unexpectedly, Qiao Shu, under his leadership, became even stronger.
It is said that Chairman Chen is now a celebrity in China. Under his leadership, Qiaoshu Group's electrical appliances have sold out, with sales approaching those of the three giants in China's electrical appliance industry.
If we lose this high-quality customer with an annual purchase volume of 5 billion, the stock price will drop by at least 5% when the quarterly financial report is released... not to mention that there may be several more customers with a purchase volume of 5 billion in the future.
He thought highly of this young man.
After thinking for a moment, Joseph picked up his phone from the table, dialed a number, and the other party answered quickly.
Joseph gave a few instructions, then put the paper down and said, "I'd like our technical team to assemble in the lab on the sixth floor now. If it's convenient for you all..."
Chen Jiashu understood and stood up with a smile: "President Yang."
"Chairman Chen," the technical director, stood up and agreed.
Chen Jiashu stepped aside: "Take the expert group upstairs for an exchange and learning session."
The two groups then left and split into two groups, heading to the next negotiation location.
*
On Sunday, Qin Qiao drove to Professor Gu's house, a somewhat old villa in the city.
It has been more than two months since my last visit, and the yard has changed completely. The once lush ivy on the trellis has turned into gnarled and withered vines. The winter sun lacks warmth, shining obliquely and penetrating the gaps in the vines without any obstruction, the shadows resembling a continuous sketch.
Professor Gu is already ninety years old, but he is still very energetic. Qin Qiao chatted with him. The old man not only cares about the current situation, but also understands some funny jokes on the Internet. Laughter often broke out between the two.
It was noon soon, and Professor Gu invited her to stay for lunch. Qin Qiao didn't stand on ceremony and stayed. The nanny brought out the last dish and placed it in the center of the table. The nanny went out briefly and returned with two empty bowls.
The nanny scooped up the old duck soup with a large ladle and then divided the full bowls of soup between Professor Hu and Qin Qiao.
Professor Gu stirred the chicken soup with a spoon: "I don't read the news anymore. Gu Xu told me about this."
As they were talking, a crisp, sweet voice rang out: "Great-Grandpa!"
An eight- or nine-year-old girl ran in. A stylish silver baseball cap covered her long, flowing hair, and a beige down jacket accentuated her youthful energy. Her features were obscured by the backlight, but once she took Professor Gu's arm, her fair skin and delicate features became clear.
This little face looks six or seven parts like Gu Xu, and those peach blossom eyes are almost identical.
Ten years ago, Gu Xu's relationship with a popular actress was widely publicized, and it even made entertainment headlines because the woman was pregnant out of wedlock.
Not long after, Gu Xu posted their marriage certificate online, publicly announcing their marital relationship. Six months later, the actress gave birth to a lovely daughter. Because of this, Gu Xu was transferred to Beijing the following month after the child's birth. Some people said it was an arrangement by the TV station, while others said it was Gu Xu's own decision.
That was three years ago. Qin Qiao had seen this girl when she came back to China to visit Professor Gu. At that time, she had short hair and a cool look. But children of this age can change a lot in a year, let alone after three or four years.
"Yan Yan, this is Aunt Qin."
Professor Gu pulled Gu Yan to her side, facing her. The girl's peach blossom eyes were half-curled, showing no timidity: "Aunt Qin, hello."
Qin Qiao smiled and said, "Hello, Gu Yan. You've grown so much and become more and more beautiful. I didn't know you would be coming today, so I didn't prepare a gift for you. I'll definitely make it up to you next time."
Gu Yan waved her hand, her tone like that of a little adult: "No need, no need. I appreciate Aunt Qin's kindness, so please don't bother with the gift."
Professor Gu laughed when he heard this: "This little girl has learned all of our tricks."
Gu Yan blushed at this moment, leaned shyly against her great-grandfather, and said coquettishly, "Great-grandfather, please stop talking."
*
After leaving Professor Gu's place, Qin Qiao went home, picked up Danie and Xi Xi, and took them to the newly opened shopping mall in Xinghui District.
The two nannies were already waiting there with Zhao Ye. As soon as Zhao Ye saw them, he ran over and threw himself into the arms of Qin Qiao, who was half-squatting down.
As evening fell, it began to snow again, perfectly fitting for Christmas. People looked through the glass and, seeing the snow falling, opened their doors and ran towards the rooftop garden.
The sky was a deep blue, and the plastic carpet easily collected snow; in just a few moments, the ground beneath our feet was covered in a pale white blanket. The lights on the exterior walls of the surrounding high-rise buildings twinkled and changed, and goose-feather-like snowflakes filled the air, while cheerful and beautiful Christmas carols echoed in our ears.
In the center of the garden stands a Christmas tree, two or three meters tall, adorned with colorful beads that twinkle. Adults and children take turns posing for photos.
During festivals, children are the happiest, chasing and playing, their laughter filling the air.
The light grew dimmer, and the snow fell even heavier. Everyone's hair, eyelashes, and coats were covered in snow, making them look like Christmas mascots.
Qin Qiao handed the children over to Sister Jing and Sister Bai, brushed the snowflakes off her clothes, and turned to go into the mall to answer a phone call.
Gu Xu's reply.
"Sorry, I've been in the boss's office all afternoon. What's wrong?"
The man's tone was gentle, and it was clear he genuinely cared about her. Qin Qiao gripped her phone tightly, swallowing her question along with her saliva: "Thank you, Teacher Gu."
“Your thanks aren’t sincere enough,” Gu Xu chuckled softly. “Let me be honest with you. Your mother called me on Thursday morning. She was worried about your job, and since I mentored you years ago, she asked if I could put in a good word for you.”
Qin Qiao was stunned. If Gu Xu hadn't 'confessed,' she would never have imagined that this matter was related to Yang Shuhua.
"Qin Qiao, I know you don't need anyone's help. With your talent, you can shine wherever you go. This time, I really did 'meddle.' First, it was at your mother's request. I really couldn't refuse a mother's concerns. Second, I'm going back to Lanchuan next month, and this will be the last time I help you... But don't blame your mother. No parent doesn't love their child."
Qin Qiao felt ashamed. She really blamed Gu Xu for being 'meddlesome'. This man knew her possible reaction, but still decided to help her one last time.
"Teacher Gu... thank you so much," she said sincerely.
"No need to be so polite," Gu Xu smiled. "I'll talk to you later, I'm going to drive."
Qin Qiao nodded and hung up the phone. Gu Xu turned to look out the car window.
Cars come and go on the road, and people throng the sidewalks. Colorful neon lights illuminate half the sky.
Gu Xu's pupils dilated slightly, as if he saw Qin Qiao and Chen Jiashu walking together under a dark umbrella in the flowing light and shadow.
Her slender, pale fingers gripped the man's arm as they walked side by side, a perfectly matched pair that anyone could see at a glance.
*
Qin Qiao put her phone in her coat pocket, her mind a bit confused. She was really surprised that Yang Shuhua would have Gu Xu's phone number.
She searched her memory but could only find images of Yang Shuhua meeting Gu Xu twice.
The first time was fourteen years ago in the summer when Yang Shuhua came to Lanchuan to see her. She specially waited for her at the entrance of the provincial TV station. Summer weather is always unpredictable. When they were leaving work, a heavy rain started, and they took shelter under the rain shelter in the guardhouse.
Just then, Gu Xu's car drove past, then suddenly reversed after a meter or two. He rolled down the window and called her to get in. The rain was so heavy, accompanied by a southeast wind blowing into the car, and Gu Xu's handsome face was soaked with rainwater.
Yang Shuhua saw through Gu Xu's good intentions and guessed that he was a leader and not someone to be offended. She grabbed Gu Xu's arm, pulled and tugged at him to the other side, opened the car door, and shoved him into the car.
Chen Jiashu actually came to pick her up in Zhang Shuang's car that day, but he was a step too late.
The second time they met was at the wedding. Gu Xu entered the house and first presented Yang Shuhua with a thick red envelope, which she accepted. She was required to write her name on the back of the envelope so that she could repay the favor in the future.
Suddenly, a biting gust of wind blew across her face, and Qin Qiao shivered. Following the path of the wind, she saw the glass door quietly closing again, and the two people who had just come in from outside still had unmelted snowflakes on their hair.
“Qiaoqiao…”
A hoarse, familiar male voice came from the left, and Qin Qiao felt a jolt in her heart. She quickly turned her head.
Despite the many shadowy figures around her, she spotted Chen Jiashu at a glance.
He was dressed in a formal black suit, giving off an air of travel-worn travel.
Zhang Zhu stood respectfully to his side, his expression impassive, a dark brown long coat draped over his arm.
As Chen Jiashu walked towards her, passersby would glance at him because he was using a white cane, and would also give him space.
Qin Qiao quickly went to meet him, and they met halfway. As if they had agreed, they stopped at the same time.
Just one step away.
My heart was pounding like a drum, as if a lively little rabbit was jumping around inside: "Aren't you in New York?"
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