Valentine breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Her attitude seemed normal, suggesting she wasn’t upset by his brother’s sudden investigation.
“Thank you both for coming,”
Gu Zhaoping said casually, causing Theodore’s smile to fade another fraction.
He only said,
“I’ll keep my promise to you. We can discuss the details with Miss Gu another time.”
“I’d be happy to…”
Gu Zhaoping began to reply, but a voice called from behind: “Miss Gu.”
Ni Tiansong had wanted to approach earlier, but the crowd had blocked his way.
He patiently waited for them to disperse before slipping through.
He glanced worriedly in the direction Gu Zhaoye had left.
But he didn’t mention the unpleasant matter, instead congratulating her first.
“Thank you for the invitation. It gave me the chance to hear this wonderful speech.”
Having been stuck in the crowd, he hadn’t heard their earlier conversation, so he didn’t know why his words caused a sudden silence around Gu Zhaoping.
System: Gu Zhaoping.
The silence lingered for a moment before some realized that, for such an important event, it was normal for Gu Zhaoping to have invited many familiar faces to watch her speech.
The distinguished identities of these people further highlighted how strong Gu Zhaoping’s social connections were.
Very normal, very normal.
Ni Tiansong earnestly shook hands with Gu Zhaoping, noticing that the others around her seemed to have finished speaking with her, so he felt his timing was perfect.
But at that moment, someone else joined the conversation.
Theodore took Ni Tiansong’s hand from Gu Zhaoping and shook it: “Hello, pleased to meet you.”
Ni Tiansong paused, noticing this man who had caught his attention multiple times today.
He held back his words and returned a greeting: “Pleased to meet you.”
Turning to Gu Zhaoping, Ni Tiansong said,
“Did you just see Grandpa Gu? He said there’s a celebration banquet tonight and was surprised to see me, inviting me to join.”
“Good, there should be many familiar faces tonight,”
Gu Zhaoping replied, adding,
“Sorry for any lack of hospitality.”
Ni Tiansong smiled: “No worries, it’s already an honor to be invited by Miss Gu.”
As it was getting late, Gu Zhaoping prepared to leave.
She bid farewell to those around her, and when it came to Theodore, he didn’t say much.
As they walked side by side, Ni Tiansong frequently brought up topics to chat with Gu Zhaoping, who occasionally turned to respond.
Theodore glanced back at Valentine.
He looked again, then withdrew his gaze, his smile flattening.
“So, you haven’t ruled out the other competitors yet, have you?”
His voice was low, barely audible, almost ground out through his lips.
Valentine froze, though he was still on guard.
Hearing this, he paused slightly, nodding with a youthful seriousness.
“What?”
“Of course, there’s no need to rule them out. Others pursuing Miss Gu is their freedom, and I don’t have a suitable or legitimate position to interfere.”
Theodore’s gaze turned back, quietly fixed on the retreating figures ahead.
His gaze followed them as they left.
He let out a soft breath.
Not fighting, not competing.
What a naive, foolish younger brother.
Gu Kaichang finally dragged Gu Zhaoye out.
Only when they were outside the conference hall did Gu Zhaoye break free from his grip, raising his voice in fury: “Why did you drag me out?! I need to confront Gu Zhaoping and find out what she’s done!”
Gu Kaichang rolled his eyes.
You didn’t fight back in the hall, but now you break free out here?
Just looking for an excuse to back down, huh?
Now you’re putting on a show for me!
Already furious, Gu Kaichang didn’t hold back: “You’re yelling at me? If I hadn’t dragged you out, you’d be humiliating yourself in front of the whole world right now, you know that? Don’t think I don’t see through your act—taking the easy way out and now playing the innocent? Gu Zhaoye, can you have some shame?”
Normally, they wouldn’t curse each other face-to-face like this, but Gu Kaichang was so enraged his mouth was practically blistering!
Gu Zhaoye was stunned by the scolding.
When had he ever been humiliated like this to his face?
His anger flared: “Gu Kaichang, are you insane? Are you trying to start a fight here so Gu Zhaoping can reap the benefits? Is that what you want?”
He thought this idea made sense.
Lately, he and Gu Kaichang had been too confrontational, possibly even sabotaging each other, but this only led to both of them losing.
The old man didn’t want to see either of them, so he chose Gu Zhaoping.
How foolish they’d been!
It was an internal struggle, but their overzealous fighting let an outsider take advantage!
Was Gu Kaichang that kind of person?
Would he ever align with Gu Zhaoye?
Hearing this, he immediately rolled his eyes: “Pfft, you think you can rope me in now? Be a stepping stone for your sibling rivalry? In your dreams!”
He turned and walked away, not even sparing Gu Zhaoye a glance.
Once outside, he hurriedly typed a message to Grandpa Gu to explain: [Grandpa, please, listen to me! I didn’t mean to come. You told me to get lost, and I was about to leave, wasn’t I? But then I saw that punk Gu Zhaoye acting out! He barged into the venue, making a scene, so I rushed to pull him out!]
[Sigh, yes, yes, Grandpa, I was only thinking of our family’s reputation!]
Gu Kaichang sent the message while grinding his teeth.
He’d racked his brain and put in so much effort for this summit, only for it to come to nothing.
And at this moment, he suddenly recalled the last time he called Grandpa Gu.
The old man said he wasn’t planning to let Gu Zhaoye come.
Overjoyed, Gu Kaichang had showered him with flattery, saying they’d follow whoever Grandpa chose, that his decision was naturally the best.
Now, his face burned with regret.
It hurt, it really hurt!
Could it be that Grandpa had already chosen Gu Zhaoping back then, and hearing his words, thought he was endorsing the decision, making him even more resolute?
Gu Kaichang wanted to slap himself.
You and your big mouth!
Fuming, he stomped off, fists swinging, leaving Gu Zhaoye and Ruan Nian alone outside the venue.
Gu Zhaoye’s face was ashen.
Gu Kaichang even dared to challenge him!
Only then did he force himself to calm down, racking his brain for ways to turn the situation around.
Yes, he was raised as the heir.
He still had many cards to play.
This was just one appearance.
Even if Grandpa favored Gu Zhaoping more now, at most she was just on the same competitive stage as him.
He hadn’t lost yet.
He’d controlled Yuanqi Technology for years—advantage one.
His friends held real power and could help—advantage two.
Even the Gu family parents likely supported him—advantage three.
Gu Zhaoping, aside from being slightly favored by Grandpa now, was completely isolated.
There was still a chance, plenty of ways…
“Zhaoye, are you okay…”
Ruan Nian started, but seeing Gu Zhaoye’s expression, she fell silent, knowing he wouldn’t listen.
Biting her lip, she urgently called the system again.
[System, are you there? Where did this female supporting character come from?! Didn’t you say she perfectly matched the original Gu Zhaoping, that as long as she came, I’d smoothly complete the mission and marry into the Gu family?]
[Explain what’s going on! Why is Gu Zhaoping on that stage, even stepping over Gu Zhaoye?!]
[She’s not trying to compete with Zhaoye for the family fortune, is she?!]
The system went silent, its database glitching from excessive scanning.
Its precise processing couldn’t fathom why this female supporting character was acting this way.
She was supposed to be nearly 100% compatible with the original Gu Zhaoping.
The original Gu Zhaoping was a spoiled playgirl, so this one should’ve been even more so.
Now it realized it might have messed up.
It had set her punishment as absence, but no one expected that missing a recording would lead her to a bigger stage.
This was the biggest failure in its system career.
It was frantically searching for solutions.
Ruan Nian was desperate: [Can’t you send this female supporting character back and bring the original Gu Zhaoping? Or find someone else?]
[No, Nian Nian, I can’t just swap roles. My authority isn’t that high. Even last time was a special case.]
[Then charm points! How many do I have left? Didn’t they go up recently?]
The system was about to say there were a few usable points for drawing items.
But at that moment, it nearly spat out a string of gibberish in panic.
[They’re dropping! Nian Nian, your charm points are plummeting! Why is the drop so massive?!]
This was an unprecedented, dramatic plunge in Ruan Nian’s charm points.
Seeing the numbers crash like a stock market collapse, she was stunned.
What’s going on?!
Ruan Nian nearly collapsed on the spot!
Had the world gone mad?
What had changed now?!
At the same time, in an office on the other side of the globe.
The screen’s light reflected on Sister Li’s glasses.
A smile curled her lips as she sent out a meticulously prepared batch of content.
Liang Zhiwei’s disappearance, the recent smear campaigns against her, the exaggerated claims and blame pinned on Gu Zhaoping for hurting her.
Ruan Nian, you want to settle scores?
Plenty of people are waiting to settle with you.
When news of Gu Zhaoping breaking records came out, Sister Li was momentarily stunned but quickly made up her mind.
Then she saw the broadcast—
Gu Zhaoping’s face prominently featured at an energy industry leaders’ summit in another country!
No one had heard of her before, but she’d made her entrance.
Few were paying attention yet.
Strike while the iron’s hot, add fuel to the fire.
Sister Li laughed heartily.
Miss Gu, you want to keep a low profile?
I, Sister Li, won’t allow it.