Chapter 78 Slap in the Face
A few days later, Jun Xiangbei took Gu Yunqing to an internal meeting of the Jun Group regarding the development of an important piece of land in the west of the city.
This is clearly a signal, an initial probe to include Gu Yunqing in his inner circle.
The conference room was filled with Junshi's senior executives and elite consultants, and the atmosphere was serious.
Gu Yunqing sat quietly a little behind Jun Xiangbei, playing the role of a well-behaved "auditor," with her head bowed and eyes lowered, as if she had only come to broaden her horizons.
The project leader was presenting a seemingly perfect development plan, which won the approval of most of the attendees.
However, Gu Yunqing frowned slightly when she heard a detail about the relocation of underground pipelines and the protection of surrounding ancient buildings.
With his own insight and the experience he had accumulated in the pure white world, he keenly sensed a risk that had been deliberately ignored.
He quietly scribbled a few keywords in his notebook, and then, during a brief moment of silence in the meeting, he gently touched the back of Jun Xiangbei's chair in front of him and subtly pushed the notebook over.
Jun Xiangbei's gaze swept over those lines of text, his cold eyes showing no emotion, but he raised his hand, interrupting the person in charge who was about to proceed to the next agenda item.
"Regarding the handling plan for the overlapping parts of underground pipelines and ancient building protection areas," Jun Xiangbei's voice was calm, yet it instantly silenced the entire conference room.
"Mr. Gu has some questions, why don't you listen?"
In an instant, all eyes were focused on Gu Yunqing.
There was surprise, scrutiny, disdain, and curiosity.
Gu Yunqing took a deep breath, stood up under Jun Xiangbei's tacit approval, and explained in detail the hidden dangers he had discovered.
He pointed out the potential risks of damage to the underground pipe network that the plan might cause in order to reduce costs and construction time, as well as the potential public opinion and legal disputes that might arise if the core area of the ancient building protection zone is touched.
Gu Yunqing's perspective was ingenious, her reasons were sound, and her data citations, though seemingly casual, hit the nail on the head, making her completely unlike a naive "canary."
The conference room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Several executives who were initially confident in the plan changed their expressions slightly and began to whisper among themselves.
After Gu Yunqing finished speaking, she humbly lowered her head: "This is just my personal opinion, which may be incomplete. I would appreciate any corrections from my seniors."
Viewers in Gu Yunqing's live stream commented:
[Holy crap, aren't all the players supposed to be all babble? How come Gu Yunqing actually knows about company matters?]
[Was the player's previous identity before entering the game the company president?]
[So this instance is really a rip-off. A player next door randomly got the CEO role, but didn't understand anything, and was kicked out of the instance on the third day.]
[I heard that before entering the dungeon, that player was from a fairy realm, living a primitive life, and then they made him the CEO of a technological realm.]
[I'm laughing so hard, he's in such a sorry state, he's bound to be exposed.]
One viewer in the live stream guessed Gu Yunqing's identity in the real world, but since they didn't know the world coordinates, guessing it was useless.
Gu Yunqing's current OOC index has fluctuated to 34% due to her open display of business acumen and questioning of authority.
However, the system rules showed their flexibility at this moment: the behavior of "attaching to the strong and showing one's own value in order to consolidate one's position" can be regarded as an "advanced version" or "rational evolution" of the "vicious fake young master" persona.
After all, between a fool who only knows how to compete for favor and a "subsidiary" with brains who can bring real value, the latter is obviously more likely to stay by the side of the strong for a long time.
If a high-ranking CEO suddenly becomes completely incompetent, the out-of-character (OOC) aspect will naturally be very high.
After the meeting, everyone dispersed.
Jun Xiangbei walked ahead, with Gu Yunqing quietly following half a step behind.
Reaching a deserted corner, Jun Xiangbei stopped and turned to look at him. A hint of appreciation seemed to flash across his indifferent face, but his tone remained calm: "Looks like I've struck gold."
Gu Yunqing's face remained docile and dependent. She lowered her eyes slightly, concealing the glint in them, and said softly, "It was Young Master Jun who gave me the opportunity to say these words."
Jun Xiangbei gave him a deep look, said nothing more, and turned to continue walking.
But Gu Yunqing knew that some things had changed.
He began to cautiously showcase his abilities using the platform provided by Jun Xiangbei, accumulating crucial capital for completely reversing his "cannon fodder" status later.
The protagonist and the cannon fodder are inherently opposed; if the cannon fodder is weak, the protagonist is strong, and if the protagonist is strong, the cannon fodder is weak.
What Gu Yunqing needs to do is to leverage Jun Xiangbei's current power to become stronger.
However, the tree may wish to remain still, but the wind will not cease.
The news that Gu Yunqing frequently appeared around Jun Xiangbei and even began to get involved in Jun's affairs quickly reached the ears of some people with ulterior motives.
At a banquet hosted by the Chamber of Commerce, a businessman surnamed Zhao, who had a long-standing feud with the Jun family, deliberately approached with his wine glass. His gaze swept over Gu Yunqing, and with undisguised contempt, he said to Jun Xiangbei, "Young Master Jun is certainly in high spirits, even bringing along... a little pet?"
He paused deliberately, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for the people around him to hear, "But Young Master Jun, some things are best left unsaid, just for fun. After all, he's an ungrateful wretch. I heard the Gu family is in a real mess lately, hehe."
These words were extremely harsh, not only humiliating Gu Yunqing and implying that he had betrayed the Gu family, but also subtly sowing discord between him and Jun Xiangbei.
Gu Yunqing's eyes instantly reddened, her lips were pressed tightly together, and her body trembled slightly, as if she had suffered a great humiliation. She subconsciously moved closer to Jun Xiangbei, raised her wet eyes, and looked at Jun Xiangbei helplessly and dependently, as if he were her only lifeline.
He was waiting, waiting for Jun Xiangbei's reaction.
This is a crisis, but also a golden opportunity to further solidify the relationship between the two sides.
Jun Xiangbei's expression remained unchanged, still that unchanging icy face.
But his next move surprised everyone present.
He didn't look at Boss Zhao, but instead reached out and put his arm around Gu Yunqing's slightly trembling shoulder, pulling him closer to him.
This is a gesture that is both protective and possessive.
Then, he raised his eyes, his gaze piercing like an icicle towards Boss Zhao. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable, chilling pressure that clearly resonated throughout the small circle:
"My people are none of your business to criticize."
Mr. Zhao was speechless, his face turning pale and then red, and the onlookers around him made him feel uneasy.
Jun Xiangbei's next sentence completely shocked him and everyone who had been eavesdropping.
Jun Xiangbei's gaze swept across the surroundings, as if announcing something utterly ordinary, his tone calm yet resounding:
"In addition, the development project in the East City New District will be jointly led by Yun Qing and me. If you are interested, you can contact his assistant later."
Jointly in charge?!
A fake young master of the Gu family with an unknown background, someone who was just mocked as a "little pet," is actually going to co-lead an important project of the Jun family with the heir of the Jun family?!
This is no longer a simple act of protection; it is a blatant act of elevation and support, using actual power to vindicate Gu Yunqing and deliver a resounding slap in the face to all those who doubted and belittled him.
Gu Yunqing showed an expression of "shock" and "flattery", as if she had not expected Jun Xiangbei to make such an arrangement.
He leaned against Jun Xiangbei's side, and could clearly feel the steady strength and warmth from the other's arm, as well as the unmistakable seriousness in that guarding posture.
Jun Xiangbei had no memories of the clone, and he was seduced by Gu Yunqing once again.
He wasn't acting; he was genuinely working to support himself.
The OOC index, instead of rising, fell steadily back to 30%.
Gu Yunqing could probably understand why the system judged the OOC to be lowered, because Gu Yunqing had real power and his strength was higher than that of the real young master.
His main mission is to become the protagonist, and a protagonist's traits will certainly not always be the core of evil, cowardice, and other negative elements.
During his mission, he must gradually steer these elements toward a righteous and noble direction.
Boss Zhao slunk away, and the gazes of those around him shifted from initial contempt and curiosity to a complex mix of scrutiny, apprehension, and even a hint of flattery.
By leveraging Jun Xiangbei's influence, Gu Yunqing not only easily resolved the crisis concerning his background and loyalty, but also elevated her own status from an ambiguous "appendage" to a "collaborator" with real power.
His "alliance" with Jun Xiangbei thus became more solid and public.
After the banquet, no one dared to easily provoke Gu Yunqing anymore.
He stayed by Jun Xiangbei's side, dealing with the probing and flattery of all sorts of people. He behaved properly, maintaining his dependence on Jun Xiangbei while also exuding the composure that came with having just gained power.
Only after getting into the car and leaving the noisy banquet hall did Gu Yunqing finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Jun Xiangbei sat next to him, closing his eyes to rest, as if the scene that had just shocked the entire audience had not taken much of his energy.
The car was very quiet.
Gu Yunqing turned her head to look at the dazzling lights rushing past the window, and then looked at the cold and perfect profile of the man beside her through the reflection in the rearview mirror.
He knew that the path he was on was extremely dangerous, like walking a tightrope over a cliff.
But Jun Xiangbei's presence is like an incredibly strong safety rope, giving him the confidence to take risks and gamble.
He was not only using Jun Xiangbei, but to some extent, he also began to rely on this powerful and silent protection that the other party had offered voluntarily.
This feeling is unfamiliar, but it's not unpleasant.
“Brother Bei,” he suddenly spoke softly, his voice unusually clear in the quiet carriage, “thank you.”
Jun Xiangbei slowly opened his eyes and looked at him.
The neon lights outside the car window cast dappled shadows in his icy eyes, obscuring his emotions.
He didn't ask for thanks, just looked at him for a few seconds, then closed his eyes again and gave a faint "hmm".
As always, it was concise and to the point.
But Gu Yunqing felt that this simple "hmm" was more reassuring than any grand promise.
He slightly curled the corners of his lips and closed his eyes.
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