Before Ruan Chen uttered Ruan Yunhan's name, people were saying whoever it was.
Ruan Chen listened for a while, and it mostly revolved around the two families of the second and third sons of the Ruan family.
Those two families had always coveted Ruan Zhengde's position as the eldest son's son, but Ruan Zhengde had been wary of them all these years, and the people around him were all his trusted confidants, making arrangements that were watertight.
The second and third sons' families couldn't get their hands on anything within the group. The positions Ruan Zhengde assigned them were all marginal and had little real power.
These two families then set their sights on the Ye family, who were related by marriage, and went to knock on Ye Huanhuan's door.
Therefore, the Ye family and the second and third branches of the Ruan family have had a good relationship over the years. As soon as Ruan Zhengde got into trouble, the two families became restless and tried to find connections and helpers in the Ye family, hoping to take this opportunity to gain some real power in the Ruan family.
If Ruan Chen isn't mentioned, no one will remember that the Ruan family also has a Ruan Yunhan.
Ruan Chen raised her voice slightly, silencing the whispers below, "Promote Ruan Yunhan to the position."
There was a moment of deathly silence below, followed by a clamor that nearly shattered the roof.
Ruan Chen didn't rush to quiet them down, and Ye Tian frowned but didn't stop the discussion either.
The grandfather and grandson tacitly adopted the same posture, leaning back in their chairs, drinking water, and listening to the discussions below.
Someone scoffed, "Ruan Yunhan? That clueless eldest daughter of the Ruan family? It seems her mother doesn't even have a proper title in the Ruan family, right? Her background is so different from our young lady's..."
Ruan Chen didn't recognize the person who said this, but that person was sitting quite close to the front.
After saying the words "background and our young lady," the man smiled meaningfully, his eyes full of disdain. The people around him smiled knowingly and looked at Ruan Chen's position.
They knew very well that Ruan Chen and Ruan Yunhan came from similar backgrounds—both had mothers without official status, and Ruan Chen's situation seemed even more tragic. Ruan Yunhan's mother was at least a well-known artist in European circles, while Ruan Chen's mother seemed to be just a housewife with no skills who died young.
Their eyes, still tinged with mockery, met Ruan Chen's cold gaze.
Ruan Chen's gaze was chillingly cold, yet her exquisite and beautiful face wore a composed smile as she nodded to the group from afar.
Of course, some people were genuinely considering the Ye family's best interests. "Although Ruan Yunhan's rise to power would likely be supported by Ruan Zhengde's people, the second and third branches of the Ruan family are not to be underestimated. They will definitely unite to fight back, and it would be troublesome if it implicated our Ye Group."
"I think we're just worrying unnecessarily. Let the Ruan family fight amongst themselves until they can't handle it, then we can just sit back and reap the benefits."
“You’re wrong. We’re businessmen. We should seize any opportunity to make a profit. If we can take this opportunity to build a good relationship with the new head of the Ruan Group, it will also benefit our Ye Group.”
“Exactly. If the new head of the Ruan Group got his position with the support of our Ye Group, it will be easier for the two sides to cooperate in the future.”
Ruan Chen tilted her head and listened for a while, then looked at Ye Tian, who nodded to her.
Ruan Chen picked up the cup beside her and slammed the heavy bottom of the cup against the table.
The meeting room gradually quieted down.
Ruan Chen closed his laptop, still holding his homework under his hand. He was wearing a slightly oversized No. 1 Middle School uniform, but his sharp eyes made him look nothing like a student.
She waited until the meeting room was completely quiet before speaking slowly and deliberately.
His gaze first fell on the people who had just mocked his background.
"I just heard that you all seem to have a lot of insight into my proposal, so I'd like to stand up and say something."
The group exchanged glances, realizing that Ruan Chen was going to use them as an example to establish his authority.
These people are all veterans in the marketing department, working directly under Ye Huanhuan, and they have a lot of influence in the department.
After the initial panic subsided, the group realized that they had been intimidated by a young girl who was not even an adult yet, and their disgust and disdain for Ruan Chen intensified.
The leader decided to lay his cards on the table, adopting an indifferent attitude. He stood up, looked down at Ruan Chen from a distance, and said in a provocative tone, "I said Ruan Yunhan doesn't know anything and comes from a bad background. Miss, did I say something wrong?"
Ruan Chen spoke calmly, unconcerned by the barbs in the man's words, and said in a composed manner, "Please repeat your comments verbatim—not a single word missing."
Her gaze was fixed intently on that person, unblinking, pure and sincere.
The person suddenly felt inexplicably dizzy, and the words hidden in their heart involuntarily surfaced.
"That eldest daughter of the Ruan family who knows nothing? It seems her mother doesn't even have a formal title in the Ruan family, right? Her background is comparable to our young lady's. No wonder our young lady wants to support her to rise in rank."
He not only said it, but he also said what he hadn't said before.
After saying those words, he covered his mouth in panic, only then realizing what he had just done.
But... he clearly didn't mean to say it, so why did his mind seem to go out of control for a moment?
The atmosphere in the meeting room became even more tense.
The screech of a chair being dragged echoed, followed by Ye Zitao's curse and a sharp punch, "Our Ye Group has raised nothing but gossips like you for over a decade?! You think you can comment on the young lady's background?!"
Ye Tian watched coldly, without stopping them.
Ruan Chen didn't stop her.
If her uncle Ye Zitao doesn't take action, she'll only become more ruthless.
Ye Zitao was the most unconventional and unrestrained of the three Ye brothers. He played rock and roll and pursued art. He was straightforward and had a fiery temper, and he had been to the police station more than once or twice for fighting.
He couldn't help but feel annoyed when he heard his subordinates from the Ye Group talking about Ruan Chen like that.
The man was punched in the face by Ye Zitao and fell off the chair, but he didn't dare to utter a sound.
Ruan Chen also got up, walked behind the group, thanked Ye Zitao shyly, then squatted down and personally helped him up, making sure he was seated in his chair.
Then, Ruan Chen spoke in an extremely gentle voice, barely audible to a few people, "You still have mortgages to pay on the two houses, right? You still have two children to raise, right? Your eldest son's tuition abroad must be quite high, right? It's not easy for you and your wife to support four elderly people, is it? How much does a caregiver cost per month?"
With each word she spoke, the man's expression grew increasingly grim.
"Watch your mouth and remember whose rice bowl you're eating."
Ruan Chen's hands were slightly cool. She gently patted the man's hand, straightened his collar, and then went back to sit down.
The man felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
Having stayed at the Ye Group for so long, he began to believe he was a member of the Ye family.
But now he understands that what the Ye family gave him could also be easily taken back.
Ruan Chen could have just told the Ye family to kick him out and make him lose everything he has now, but Ruan Chen didn't do so, and the reason is obvious.
"Miss, I was wrong." The man apologized to Ruan Chen when he heard his voice was hoarse.
Ruan Chen chuckled softly, said nothing, and sat back down.
"Before we continue our discussion on the issue of succession to the Nguyen Group, I have something to announce."
After saying this, Ye Tian, Ye Huanhuan, and the others looked at Ruan Chen in surprise.
Ruan Chen did not tell them about this beforehand.
Ruan Chen glanced at the time: 7:59 PM, just the right time.
"Please take out your phones, log in to the trending topics list, and wait patiently for one minute."
Everyone took out their phones. Ye Tian lowered his voice and asked, "Chenchen, what are you going to do?"
Ruan Chen smiled and said, "Grandpa, you'll find out soon enough."
Eight o'clock sharp.
The trending topics server lagged for a moment, and then a new trending topic suddenly appeared on the homepage, with bold red and black text followed by a bright "Explosive" word.
The second daughter of former richest man Ruan Zhengde announced that she is severing ties with him.
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