Theodore quietly and intently gazed into the depths of Valentin’s eyes, the smile on his lips yet to fade.
In that fleeting moment, he savored the shock and innocent bewilderment on Valentin’s face, too slow to react.
This was right—this was how it should be, like a child overshadowed by his presence, a junior.
Nothing should ever surpass him.
Valentin’s eyes trembled for a moment, as if he couldn’t yet comprehend why Gu Zhaoping would be connected to Theodore, when before this, he had never appeared at this venue.
Gu Zhaoping had absolutely never interacted with anyone from their family.
In theory, he should be the first person from the Laroche family she knew, but—
In that brief instant of confusion, the competitive instinct honed by years of striving upward snapped him back, a thread or two of unease flashing through his mind.
But before he could act, the thousands behind him followed Theodore’s lead, erupting into applause, drowning out his voice and emotions in the thundering ovation.
Theodore had already turned back, focusing on the stage, awaiting Gu Zhaoping’s speech, without sparing him another glance.
“Why did you…”
The words barely began when Gu Zhaoping launched into her opening remarks, perfectly interrupting Valentin.
Theodore raised a hand, his fingers lightly signaling silence.
…Yes, he couldn’t interrupt her speech now, nor lose focus during Miss Gu’s important address.
He clenched his teeth.
Even as Valentin gradually recovered from his daze, the pounding of his heart began to overpower the roar of applause in his ears.
His hands gripped the armrests tightly, veins bulging, yet he said nothing more, simply staring at the stage, maintaining silence.
Though his mind had already churned through a hundred upheavals.
Valentin quickly realized—could it be that his brother, knowing he’d recently been in contact with Miss Gu, had already met her as a parental figure to evaluate her?
If that were the case, it was deeply troubling. Knowing Miss Gu’s personality, she would surely find such actions displeasing.
To recklessly probe into her background and experiences…
Valentin’s movements stiffened again as another, even more unbelievable possibility rose from the depths of his heart.
It made his chest tighten, sending him into a defensive state, his spine prickling with heat.
He now hoped it was merely a parental evaluation—please, let that be it.
But the shock that came with Gu Zhaoping’s appearance was far from Valentin’s alone.
In fact, his reaction was relatively mild.
At the entrance of the venue stood two men in their twenties, dressed in formal suits, polished and distinguished, carrying an air of status.
If not for the contorted, almost ferocious expressions on their faces, they might have been addressed as “Young Master” or “President” by passersby.
But now, their expressions twisted into something terrifying.
They looked as though they didn’t recognize the person on stage.
If not for the venue’s air-conditioned breeze chilling them to the bone, they might not have snapped out of their daze.
They had imagined a thousand, ten thousand scenarios, considering every opponent and possibility.
Gu Zhaoye and Gu Kaichang had even hurled insults at each other and at Gu Zhaosi, who had only appeared before them once.
But no matter how much they cursed, no one could have anticipated—not in a million years—
The person standing on stage now was her!!
Gu Zhaoye, as if struck by lightning, was the most incredulous of all!
The woman on stage bore a faint resemblance to him—no, perhaps more to Gu Zhaosi.
He was all too familiar with that face, having seen it countless times growing up.
But never in such a setting, with such an expression—so confident, calm, composed, commanding the room, effortlessly delivering lines that should have been his!
Just days ago, he’d met her on the snowy mountain, where she’d lectured him.
He’d gritted his teeth then, resolute to apologize to the old man.
He was determined to regain the old man’s trust and favor, to secure a position above Gu Zhaoping, not to be left with no recourse after being outdone by her!
But how?!
How could she be here?!
After countless fleeting moments of shock, a thunderbolt finally struck Gu Zhaoye’s mind, slowly connecting the dots.
Wait—she had mentioned taking leave last time, saying she wouldn’t attend this event.
Was it all to come to this meeting?!
Could it be?
Had the old man agreed to let Gu Zhaoping attend so early on?
How could this be?
The old man hadn’t considered him or anyone else, but chose Gu Zhaoping?!
For Gu Zhaoye, this was a devastating, earth-shattering blow.
In the world of CEO novels, those interacting with a domineering male CEO were typically other domineering male CEOs.
Those he clinked glasses with on yachts, at banquets, or during dinners were always powerful second-generation heirs.
If a wealthy heiress appeared, her role was usually limited to arranged marriages or scheming to snag a golden bachelor.
He had never associated Gu Zhaoping with power.
Even when she caused a stir, he thought she was merely vying for a higher status in the Gu family, a status that never posed a threat to him.
He thought all Gu Zhaoping aspired to be was the eldest sister.
As the arrogant, overbearing heiress, Gu Zhaoping had indeed played that role for a long time.
But not today.
She stepped out of those banquets, away from jewelry auctions and luxury malls—every place a wealthy heiress was supposed to be.
She took control of the scene.
She became the one who held the floor.
She gripped the microphone, making everyone below listen to her voice.
“Over the past decade, the renewable energy industry has grown from its tentative beginnings to a thriving force. Every technological breakthrough, every policy implementation, has propelled us toward a sustainable energy future…”
Gu Zhaoping paid no heed to their reactions—or rather, no one noticed them at all—as she launched into her speech.
Her tone was calm, composed.
There was none of the nervousness they expected to see.
This made his expression even uglier.
“In this context, our family enterprise has identified three core development directions, aspiring to be a leader in innovation in the renewable energy sector.”
Her voice echoed through the venue.
Gu Zhaoye’s eyes widened as he finally snapped out of it, shaking his head fiercely.
She was about to start her speech—what could she possibly say?!
A joke!
Gu Zhaoping had never touched these fields!
Even if it were him, he wouldn’t dare speak boldly about the energy sector, sticking instead to familiar topics in new technology…
No—if he were representing Yuanqi Technology, he might not even have the chance to speak on that stage.
Gu Zhaoye hadn’t realized this at all.
He just stared at Gu Zhaoping on stage, eyes bloodshot, watching as she opened her mouth again!
“First, we focus on the deep development of distributed energy systems. We see that distributed energy offers unique advantages in the flexibility and reliability of energy supply…”
Gu Zhaoping turned, gesturing toward the large screen behind her.
Detailed and meticulous data began scrolling across the screen in an orderly fashion, following her gesture.
The two men at the entrance froze, staring in shock as she actually began to speak!
At that moment, Ruan Nian, who had been lagging behind, finally caught up.
Lacking an invitation and unable to prove her identity, she had spent ages explaining that she was Gu Zhaoye’s companion and had her credentials verified through security footage before being allowed to enter.
Now, she saw the two men, who should have hurried into the venue, standing stiffly at the entrance, motionless, and she couldn’t help but pause, panting and curious.
“Zhaoye, why aren’t you going in?”
Ruan Nian still didn’t understand what was happening.
After catching her breath, she looked up and, without getting an answer, saw the figure standing under the spotlight on stage through the layers of the crowd—
Gu Zhaoping.
Ruan Nian’s pupils constricted.
How could she be here?!
This was the last place she ever expected to see Gu Zhaoping!
What was going on?
Why was Gu Zhaoping standing on that stage in such an event?!
In her panic, she glanced at the audience below—thousands of attendees packed tightly, along with media and people from all walks of life.
The security for such an event was stringent.
They had gone through layers of checks to enter, only made possible because of Gu Zhaoye’s Gu family status and their significant role in the summit.
Ruan Nian had only been allowed in as his companion.
But this was the back entrance, swarmed with layers of reporters, cameras, and equipment clogging the doorway, while the front entrance had already been sealed.
Without an invitation, no one could enter from the front.
Yet, there she was, at the center of everyone’s attention on the stage.
Ruan Nian’s pupils shrank further, her disbelief overwhelming!
She couldn’t even fully grasp what Gu Zhaoping had just said—the technical jargon was too much for her barely adequate college-level English to process.
But under her gaze, Gu Zhaoping didn’t stop!
“Second, we will heavily invest in the layout of the hydrogen energy industry chain. Hydrogen energy, as a zero-emission, high-energy-density clean energy source, is seen as the ideal carrier for future energy. We will start with the large-scale production of green hydrogen…”
“Third, we aim to build a smart energy ecosystem that deeply integrates renewable energy with big data and artificial intelligence…”
What was she saying?
How could she speak so fluently?!
Did she understand it all?
Had she mastered it?
Ruan Nian still couldn’t believe it, couldn’t fathom how Gu Zhaoping could stand in such a setting, so calmly, like a true entrepreneur, delivering such a lengthy, professional speech!
All her impressions of Gu Zhaoping from recent times swirled rapidly in her mind like a vortex.
She was in disbelief, yet amidst the collapse of her understanding, she was rapidly reconstructing her perception, nearly breaking down.
Gu Zhaoping had said she was skilled at those things…
Gu Zhaoping had defeated that dojo master with jujitsu.
Gu Zhaoping had run their shop on the show, securing victory and the highest profits.
Even during the bidding, she had outdone them by far, leaving them breathless.