The Gu Zhaoping who had been so calm, composed, and self-assured in front of them lately was completely different from before.
All this time, Ruan Nian had thought Gu Zhaoping was vying for control over Gu Zhaoye to secure a higher position in the Gu family, perhaps even to arrange for Gu Zhaoye’s fiancée to be her.
She had never considered any other possibility.
But now, it felt like the world around her had a barrier that was shattering layer by layer.
This new female supporting character was unlike any she had ever encountered, completely beyond her expectations!
She was actually trying to seize power from Gu Zhaoye!!
No—she wanted to kick Gu Zhaoye out and take the stage herself!
Realizing this, Ruan Nian’s expression turned utterly terrified.
No one in the room knew better than her how this Gu Zhaoping had come to be!
Could it be—could the absence penalty from the system before have been…?
The thought sent chills through Ruan Nian’s body.
She didn’t dare look at Gu Zhaoye, didn’t dare imagine how furious he would be if he learned the truth, or how he would blame her!
She had no idea what kind of world this Gu Zhaoping came from or what experiences she had!
Why was she so restless?
Why wouldn’t she settle for being a supporting character, completing simple tasks to enhance her image before obediently following the system to exit back to her original world?
Why, after coming to this world, was she rooting herself here, seizing control with an almost unstoppable, invasive presence?!
Ruan Nian was terrified, chilled to the bone!
She had caused a catastrophe!!
If this all came true, the consequences would be unthinkable!!
At that moment, Gu Zhaoping gently adjusted her glasses, the camera lens catching a glint of light reflecting off them.
She wore a black shirt and crisp white trousers—common colors.
Nearly every entrepreneur in the audience was dressed similarly, yet she stood out so strikingly on stage.
I’ve always believed that fossil fuels are not nature’s inheritance but a high-interest loan we’ve mortgaged to the future.
Starting today, we will end that loan contract.
“Back in the Song Dynasty, our ancestors used water-powered armillary spheres to observe the stars. They could never have imagined that one day we would harness the power of the universe’s stars.”
“The essence of the energy revolution is to transform humanity from nature’s beggars into the universe’s partners.”
She extended her hand slightly, pressing a button to turn off the screen behind her, concluding her speech.
Theodore in the audience listened intently.
Clearly, those around him were even more captivated, some with almost obsessive expressions of contemplation.
Theodore didn’t need to look closely to know how many were swayed by the power of her speech.
After finishing, Gu Zhaoping even turned her gaze toward him in the crowd, nodding slightly.
Theodore said nothing, only leading the applause, knowing she would understand this as his response and a symbol of the contract they were about to embark on.
Gu Zhaoping closed her eyes briefly, smiling and nodding back at him.
But then Theodore noticed that he wasn’t the only one leading the applause.
Slightly startled, he glanced back and saw, two rows behind, another man earnestly looking up at the stage, clapping.
Theodore hadn’t paid much attention to him before, though he vaguely recalled seeing him in the parking lot earlier.
His gaze fell on Ni Tiansong’s serious, focused expression, but he didn’t dwell on it.
After all, nearly everyone who heard Gu Zhaoping’s speech was in a similar state.
This man was just one of many.
Only then did the audience slowly react, waves of murmurs rippling outward.
The gasps of awe and applause grew, thundering amid the flashing lights!
Some finally turned to their neighbors, asking who the person on stage was, where she came from, what her name was.
When she first took the stage, she had introduced herself, but few had paid much attention to her voice then.
Only now, as her words landed, did people eagerly want to know more about her.
Her background, her plans—they wanted to know it all!
“Gu Zhaoping?”
“Gu, Zhao, Ping.”
She hadn’t given an English name, and the Chinese name wasn’t easy for most to pronounce.
Yet many, after asking for clarification, repeated the unfamiliar syllables once, twice, trying to make it familiar.
Ni Tiansong’s neighbor asked him too, likely because he seemed to share her nationality.
Ni Tiansong turned, earnestly repeating the pronunciation for him.
Over and over, breaking down the three syllables, letting them linger between his lips, so serious, just to help the other remember.
Hearing that many influential figures planned to approach Gu Zhaoping privately after the event, Theodore couldn’t help but smile.
He began to think this wasn’t about Gu Zhaoping needing his help, but about him discovering a supernova-level talent in this transaction.
He was delighted for himself.
And just like that, in their stunned daze, the speech ended!
Only then did Gu Zhaoye’s rigid eyes twitch, glaring with bloodshot intensity as Gu Zhaoping stepped off the stage, immediately swarmed by a crowd.
He even glanced down at his watch, still in disbelief that this seemed to be the prime slot, that they had really let Gu Zhaoping take the stage.
No one had known, no one had anticipated.
Gu Zhaoye snapped his head up.
Despite standing there for so long, his breathing was as heavy as if he’d just sprinted, unable to calm down.
He didn’t even have time to process what he’d heard, how Gu Zhaoping could speak so effortlessly.
He didn’t think, didn’t dare to.
Numbly, he scanned the crowd, searching for the old man, desperate to confront him and demand answers—how could he make such a decision?!
But the crowd was too dense, people kept pushing past, knocking him back and forth in the corridor.
No one noticed his status or presence.
He still couldn’t find the old man, searching anxiously for a long time, but the only one who stood out was Gu Zhaoping at the front of the stage!
In Gu Kaichang’s stunned daze, he saw Gu Zhaoye suddenly charge forward with large strides.
“Zhaoye—”
Ruan Nian’s eyes widened, pupils shrinking, but before she could grab him, Gu Zhaoye had already pushed through the crowd.
He shoved aside everyone in front, racing down the steps toward Gu Zhaoping at the stage.
It’s over!
He wouldn’t confront Gu Zhaoping right here, would he?!
This was in front of the world’s elites!
With so many cameras!
But Gu Zhaoye, consumed by disbelief and rage, couldn’t think of any calm way to handle this.
He only wanted to rush up to Gu Zhaoping, find the old man, and demand answers: What are you all doing?
Are you trying to kick me out of the Gu family’s core circle?
He hadn’t even finished the thought in his mind when he was already standing close to Gu Zhaoping.
She was surrounded by a group of people, politely greeting her and discussing related matters.
Some of them Gu Zhaoye even recognized—people who had never shown him such warmth or eagerness to engage.
All this time, he had to politely greet them, trailing behind the old man as a respectful junior.
But now, Gu Zhaoping didn’t have to.
She spoke with them confidently, as if they were the ones approaching her, and she was merely responding.
“Gu Zhaoping,” he gasped, calling out heavily, but no one paid him any attention.
Furious, Gu Zhaoye shouted again,
“Gu Zhaoping!”
This time, the group paused, turning to look at the man with such an impolite tone.
Some even frowned at his rudeness, wondering how someone of such low manners could have entered the venue.
Gu Zhaoping finally heard him.
She paused, turning to see Gu Zhaoye standing there.
She was somewhat surprised.
After being so thoroughly humiliated on the snowy mountain, she thought Gu Zhaoye and Ruan Nian had gone into seclusion.
To show up here, in front of everyone, was progress—almost worth celebrating.
But this progress was too late.
An entrepreneur nearby frowned and said,
“Who is this? If you want to discuss something with Miss Gu, could you please line up at the back?”
So rude—there were so many people ahead of him, and he just charged forward.
Gu Zhaoye’s eyes widened in disbelief, staring at her.
Did he come to talk about those things with Gu Zhaoping?
He was clearly—
Gu Zhaoping nodded to the entrepreneur beside her, saying,
“I’m terribly sorry.”
She looked up at Gu Zhaoye, her chin tilting slightly toward him.
“This is my younger brother.”
“My foolish brother lacks manners and has made a fool of himself in front of everyone.”
She raised her head again, looking at Gu Zhaoye, her tone and expression as cold as ever, switching back to Chinese.
“Gu Zhaoye, get lost.”
“This is not the place for you.”