The next morning, Ning Nanxue went to a cafe not far from the company as usual.
She ordered a cup of black coffee, opened the folder, and prepared to confirm the details of the press conference again.
"Isn't this Tingchen's girlfriend? What a coincidence!"
A strange male voice interrupted her thoughts.
Ning Nanxue looked up and saw a middle-aged man in a suit standing in front of her desk with a surprised and enthusiastic smile on his face.
"Sorry, who are you?" Ning Nanxue closed the document with a cold tone.
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Miller, and I used to do business with Jiang Tingchen in Europe." The man sat down across from her with a familiar look. "I didn't expect to meet you here. What a coincidence."
Ning Nanxue became alert, and the photos and doubts from last night came to her mind again.
"Mr. Miller, with all due respect, my relationship with Tingchen has not been made public. How did you find out?"
Miller waved his hand. "In the business world, news like this spreads quickly. Besides, how could the Jiang family's prince be in love without attracting attention?"
"Prince?" Ning Nanxue's tone was steady, but her heartbeat quickened.
"Oh? Didn't he tell you?" Miller feigned surprise. "Jiang Tingchen is the crown prince of the Jiang Group. He's definitely more than just an heir. He's a well-known figure in the European business community."
Ning Nanxue forced herself to remain calm, not feeling that the other person's words were somewhat suspicious. However, her past experience of being deceived made her alert: "I think you may have recognized the wrong person."
"No doubt. I'm deeply impressed by Prince Jiang's face." Miller pulled out a document from his briefcase. "Look, this is the project information from our last collaboration. It has his signature on it."
Ning Nanxue took the document and found Jiang Tingchen's signature on it. The familiar handwriting made her feel a pang of pain in her heart.
"The Jiang family has considerable influence in Europe, especially when it comes to acquisitions." Miller lowered his voice. "To be honest, I'm worried that he's coming back to approach you so suddenly that he's targeting the Fu Group."
Ning Nanxue put down her coffee cup and asked, "Mr. Miller, what is the purpose of your words?"
"I didn't have any particular purpose. I just saw an old friend's girlfriend and wanted to say hello." Miller shrugged. "But as someone who's been through this, I suggest you be cautious. The Jiang family never makes investments without returns. Jiang Tingchen must have other intentions in returning to China."
"Thank you for the reminder." Ning Nanxue responded coldly and pushed the document back to Miller.
His appearance was too abrupt, and there was no reason to even deliberately remind himself that Ning Nanxue was not a fool.
Miller stood up and said, "Leave me your contact information. If you need any help in the future, you can always contact me."
Ning Nanxue declined politely. After watching Miller leave, she took out her cell phone, found Jiang Tingchen's number, but ultimately did not dial it.
Ning Nanxue stared at Jiang Tingchen's name on the screen of her mobile phone. Finally, she put the phone back into her bag and decided to focus on the upcoming press conference.
Some answers may become clearer after a while.
Three days later, a report titled "About Jiang Tingchen" suddenly made the headlines of Business Weekly.
The report not only described in detail Jiang Tingchen's "prominent position" in the European business community, but also hinted that his intentions in returning to China were not pure, and that he was most likely coming for the core technology of the Fu Group.
The article even quoted "insiders" saying that Jiang Tingchen and Ning Nanxue's relationship might just be a carefully planned business ploy.
"Mr. Ning, the directors have requested an emergency meeting." Secretary Chen stood at the office door, his tone filled with obvious worry.
Ning Nanxue closed the document and nodded calmly: "It will be arranged at three o'clock in the afternoon."
The atmosphere in the boardroom was solemn. Several older directors sat at a long table, their expressions serious.
"Mr. Ning, I think everyone has seen that report," Financial Director Liu Wenqing spoke first. "It has had a significant impact on the company's reputation."
Ning Nanxue's expression remained calm: "It's just a report, why make such a fuss?"
"The problem isn't the report itself, but Mr. Jiang's identity is indeed suspicious," said Marketing Director Linda. "If he has any connection to a competitor, the risk is too great for us."
Ning Nanxue folded her hands on the table and said, "The directors seem to be particularly concerned about my personal life?"
"This isn't just a personal matter anymore," HR Director Zhang Ming frowned. "Fu's is about to go public, and any negative news will impact the stock price. Furthermore, Mr. Jiang's motives for approaching you are indeed questionable."
"Is there any evidence?" Ning Nanxue's voice became a little colder.
"There's no direct evidence, but there are rumors that Mr. Jiang represents the Huayun Group." Zhang Ming paused, "And Huayun is our main competitor in the European market."
Ning Nanxue chuckled: "So now we make decisions based on rumors?"
"Mr. Ning, we all respect your personal choice, but the interests of the company are paramount," Liu Wenqing said earnestly. "I suggest you keep your distance from Mr. Jiang for the time being, at least until the listing process is completed."
"What else?" Ning Nanxue raised her eyebrows.
Liu Wenqing exchanged glances with the other directors. "Otherwise, we'll be forced to vote at the next board meeting to temporarily restrict your access to certain confidential projects."
After the meeting, Ning Nanxue returned to the office, closed the door, leaned against the door panel, and took a deep breath.
The phone rang at the right time, and Jiang Tingchen's name appeared on the screen.
"Xue'er, have you seen that report?" Jiang Tingchen's voice was filled with obvious worry.
"I saw it." Ning Nanxue said in a flat tone.
"Those are all nonsense, completely slandered by someone." Jiang Tingchen explained, "I can explain it clearly—"
"Tingchen," Ning Nanxue interrupted him, "Do you know that the board of directors just threatened me that if I don't keep my distance from you, they will restrict my authority?"
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment. "I'm sorry to cause you trouble."
Ning Nanxue held the phone and was silent for a few seconds.
"Tingchen, I'm not blaming you." Her voice suddenly softened, her fingertips gently stroking the table. "Those directors are just paper tigers."
Jiang Tingchen on the other end of the phone was a little surprised: "Aren't you worried?"
"Why should I worry?" Ning Nanxue chuckled and pushed the documents aside. "As long as we have a clear conscience, we don't need to worry about how the outside world judges us. I believe in you, and that's enough."
"Xue'er..." Jiang Tingchen's voice was a little choked, "You have been wronged these days."
"I wouldn't say I feel wronged, I'm just tired of these boring suspicions and tests." Ning Nanxue stood up and walked to the window, drawing open the curtains to let in the sunlight. "I'll hold another board meeting before tomorrow's press conference to resolve this issue thoroughly."
"What are you going to do?"
"Let the facts speak for themselves." Ning Nanxue said firmly, gazing at the tall buildings outside the window. "I will never let anyone destroy our relationship, nor will I allow unfounded speculation to harm the company."
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