After having the driver, Xiaoli, take Wu Yun back to his company, Qi Fei headed to the location her father had sent.

While she was out shopping that afternoon, Qi Guo had already called twice, urging her to get to the gathering early.

At a private clubhouse in Rongcheng, Qi Guo was laughing and conversing with a slightly heavyset middle-aged man in his fifties, who was dressed in understated, mature clothing. Two beautiful attendants stood by the coffee table, periodically refilling their cups. The tea leaves were swapped out for a fresh batch so often they were barely steeped.

On a nearby sofa, a young man in his early twenties was lounging, boredly playing a mobile game. He would occasionally exit the game to reply to messages, a rakish smile playing on his lips.

Qi Guo and the man were old friends who hadn’t seen each other in a long time, having only kept in touch by phone.

The slightly heavyset middle-aged man had been building his career abroad and had only recently moved his entire family back to the country.

The two of them had been sitting there drinking tea and chatting all afternoon, talking about everything under the sun, from their days in diapers to matters of state.

"Old Qi, why isn’t your girl here yet?" the slightly heavyset middle-aged man lamented. "I haven’t seen her in ages. I remember the last time I saw her was when she was in elementary school. In the blink of an eye, ten years have passed!"

Speaking of his daughter, a smile spread across Qi Guo’s face. "Old Wang, you’ll see when she gets here. It’s true that a girl changes so much as she grows up. She has a mind of her own now; I can barely manage her anymore."

"I wanted her to study business management, but she insisted on studying acting to become a star. It’s not like our family is short on money, yet she insists on going through that hardship!"

"It’s the same for all of us, isn’t it? My boy is just as rebellious—his mother spoiled him rotten. While he was abroad, he insisted on getting into that Bitcoin thing with his friends. Something with no physical form... isn’t that just a scam? It’s just like playing the stock market. The price of Bitcoin has dropped a bit recently, and I’m worried he’s going to lose the two million his mom gave him!" The heavyset, middle-aged man surnamed Wang was clearly exasperated talking about his son. He himself had made his fortune in real industries and now owned factories and construction companies. He desperately hoped his only son would inherit the family business and carry it to greater heights.

"Our children have to make their own way in life," Qi Guo said. "It’s not like he’s doing anything illegal. Taking a small loss might even be good for him. Surely you can afford to lose two million?" Qi Guo had a hands-off approach when it came to his daughter. As long as her safety or major life decisions weren’t on the line, he usually turned a blind eye.

Wang Xingyu, who was playing a game on the sofa, had been listening with one ear. When he heard his father talking about him, his ears perked up.

Hearing Qi Guo defend him, Wang Xingyu sat bolt upright on the sofa and exclaimed, "Uncle Qi is right! My dad is way too controlling. He even picked my college major for me. I’ve graduated now, and he still tries to run my life. I’m twenty-two years old, a full-grown adult."

When Wang Qiang heard this, he flew into a rage and snapped, "You disrespectful brat! If I hadn’t kept you in line, you’d have been doing drugs, murdering people, and setting fires while you were abroad!"

Just as Wang Qiang was about to continue his tirade against Wang Xingyu, an attendant opened the door to the private room. Qi Fei walked in, wearing a pink floral dress, and instantly captured the attention of everyone present.

With the exception of Qi Guo, the same thought popped into everyone’s mind: ’What a beautiful and classy girl!’

Wang Xingyu felt as if he could hear his own heart pounding. All the beautiful women from all over the world he had dated abroad, combined, couldn’t hold a candle to Qi Fei.

"Qi Fei! Come, come!" Qi Guo said, making the introductions. "Let me introduce you. This is Wang Qiang, Uncle Wang! He held you in his arms when you were just a little girl! And this is Wang Xingyu. He’s three years older than you; you should call him ’Big Brother’!"

Then, turning to Wang Qiang and his son, Qi Guo said, "This is my daughter, Qi Fei. See, Old Wang? I wasn’t lying, was I? A girl really does change so much as she grows up!"

"Hello, Uncle Wang! Hello, Brother Xingyu!" Qi Fei smiled politely, but her smile seemed to keep them at a distance.

Wang Qiang, a man who had seen it all, laughed. "Qi Fei, it’s been ten years. The shy little girl I remember has grown into such a beautiful young woman."

"Old Qi," Wang Qiang said suddenly, "I wonder if that old joke we made about becoming in-laws still counts?" Hearing this, Wang Xingyu’s eyes lit up, and he looked over in anticipation.

"Old Wang, that’s up to my daughter," Qi Guo said with a smile. He didn’t refuse, but instead deflected with another topic. "From what I understand, she’s been getting quite close with some young man recently."

"Oh? Qi Fei has a boyfriend? In that case, I wouldn’t want to stand in the way!" To Wang Qiang, the relationship between their families didn’t need to be cemented by marriage; that would have simply been the icing on the cake.

At the mention of Wu Yun, a slight blush crept onto Qi Fei’s face. "You’ve misunderstood, Uncle Wang," she said. "We aren’t a couple... yet."

They say that falling in love lowers one’s intelligence. Wang Xingyu completely missed the nuance in Qi Fei’s words, and the light that had just faded from his eyes instantly returned.

"Uncle Qi, I heard Qi Fei is still in college. Where does she go?" Wang Xingyu asked, trying to gather more information.

"Feifei is in the acting department at Modu Drama Academy. She’s about to be a sophomore," Qi Guo said with a smile.

"Ah, what a coincidence! I just got back and was planning on developing my career in Shanghai. I guess that means I’ll be able to visit Qi Fei at her school."

"Oh, alright. If you decide to visit, Brother Xingyu, I’ll definitely host you if I’m free," Qi Fei replied, her tone exceedingly polite.

Seeing the young people chatting, Qi Guo and Wang Qiang moved aside to resume their own conversation.

........

Wu Yun walked through the glass doors of the office. The reception desk was staffed and people were already working. An 8-out-of-10 beauty in a uniform spotted him and stood up. "Hello, welcome to Xingyun Media! Are you here for an interview?"

Wu Yun glanced at the wall behind the reception desk, where the name "Rongcheng Xingyun Media Co., Ltd" was displayed in large, gilded letters. He smiled. "I’m here to apply for the chairman position!"

"Don’t joke around, handsome," Peng Yujun said with a frown, thinking Wu Yun was flirting with her.

"I’m not kidding! I already got the job, and I’m here for my first day," Wu Yun said with a laugh. "By the way, the name’s Wu. Wu Yun!" He then turned and headed into the main office area.

Peng Yujun was about to stop him but froze mid-step. She suddenly recalled something from her own interview. The HR manager, Sister Zeng, had told her the company was managed by two beautiful female vice presidents, and that the chairman was a very young, rich heir with the surname Wu, who rarely ever showed up.

Putting two and two together, Peng Yujun quickly and cleverly said, "Chairman Wu, President Wu and President Jiang are still in the conference room with a few supervisors, conducting interviews. Would you like to head to the conference room, or go to your office? I can make you a cup of tea."

Wu Yun turned his head and smiled. "No need, I’m just looking around. You can get back to what you were doing."

Declining the receptionist’s kind offer, Wu Yun entered the large, open-plan office. He saw a number of men and women scattered on chairs, waiting for their interviews.

A few people noticed him enter, but seeing how young he was, they assumed he was just another candidate and paid him no mind.

Wu Yun glanced around before turning and heading down the corridor that led to the private offices.