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nShe saw the employees disdainful stares as they wondered who in the world would dare stroll into Zhao Corporation donning street clothes.

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nIt didn't help that her low heels were particularly loud this morning, garnering a lot of attention with each step she took. Nevertheless, she kept her chin up, pushed her shoulders back, and strutted like she owned this place. She technically did, since she had a major share of the company.

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nWith 10% worth of shares, she had twice the amount of shares compared to any other Zhao family members. But no one knew that except for her grandfather, Wu Yuntai, and a handful of people he trusts to handle his paperwork.

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nWhen she turned the corner and walked down the corridor leading to her grandfather's office, the door was already opened and waiting for her.

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nLi Xuan already prepared a large stack of papers and Wu Yuntai stood up the second she walked into the room.

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"Good morning, gentlemen.

" She smiled, giving each of them a nod.

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nShe placed her purse onto the coffee table and sat down onto the couch, crossing her legs and leaning back. She looked confident sitting there with her elegant posture and calculative expression.

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nZhao Moyao proudly smiled. She was nothing like the woman that she was two years ago and that thought made him very happy.

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nThe aura of these people in the room was hard to miss and when placed together, the room was suffocating. If a normal person walked into the office at this very moment, they would be intimidated. Three fierce men, each with their own fearsome expression, and a powerful woman whose sweet smile could kill, this room was brimming with the proper qualities of prosperity and power.

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"How many contracts or proposals do we have today?

" She asked, watching Li Xuan place the stack of paper in front of her.

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"Actually, you won't be looking at proposals. We need you to check the latest report from some of our projects.

" He said.

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"That's all?

" She asked, taking the file while checking the small stack.

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nLi Xuan nodded.

"That's all.

"

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nShe flipped through the reports, pulling out a pen as she began to thoroughly scan the pages. She marked the paper whenever she noticed any errors and wrote tiny notes all over the reports.

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nAfter what felt like a long time, she placed her pen down and let out a tired sigh. Today's reports were boring as usual. Even though there wasn't a lot of glaring errors, she was still diligently focused on them. She pried through every number and sentence to make sure nothing was amiss.

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nShe was about to pick up her purse and leave when she suddenly remembered what he said this morning. She turned to him with a hopeful expression.

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nZhao Moyao raised a brow at her face.

"It's not a reward or a bonus.

" He chuckled, knowing what she was hoping for.

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"Then what is it?

"

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"You accepted a proposal a while back with Ling Conglomerate that allowed for the expansion of Imperial Star Mall. It was very successful.

"

n

nZhao Lifei remembered seeing that on the news but she didn't see why her grandfather was telling her about this.

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"They're very pleased by our collaboration.

" He pulled out an elegantly designed envelope.

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"We have successfully helped them climb back to power. When their stocks plummeted, we were one of the few companies who decided to work with them. In order to celebrate, they're hosting a banquet to formally introduce the new CEO of Ling Conglamorate. I'm sure you've heard of him before. He used to attend the same high school as you.

"

n

nThe high school that Zhao Lifei attended was precisely for the children of the wealthy and the powerful. The school housed hundreds of future politicians, heirs, heiresses, and even royalty from different countries. There were only a handful of people that were awarded the scholarship to enter the school in order to boost their

"moral

" status and Lu Minhong was one of them.

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"Ling Fulei.

" The infamous name immediately left her mouth.

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nOf course, she remembered him. He was a troublemaker notorious for angering the teachers and bullying the students with poorer backgrounds. Because his father was one of the major donors of the school, the administration turned a blind eye to him.

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nShe was the class president and her duty was to keep her classmates in control when the teacher wasn't around, but his troublesome ways made her duties hard. He was high on her hit-list.

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nHe also placed a target on Lu Minhong's back, thus, she had nothing but horrible memories of Ling Fulei.

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nZhao Lifei didn't even have to wait for her grandfather to finish speaking to know what he was asking her to do. She opened her mouth and immediately rejected him.

"Absolutely not.

"

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nShe picked up her handbag but two very sturdy and persistent men stood in her way. Wu Yuntai and Li Xuan stood in front of the door, each with polite smiles.

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"Out of my way.

" She glowered at them. She knew she should've been cautious when these two men didn't leave the room the entire time!

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nZhao Moyao sat behind his desk, his hands folded over each other like the esteemed man he was. The glaring sun behind him made it hard to look him in the eye.

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nHe opened his mouth to speak. His tone sounded more like a frightening CEO than an adoring grandfather.

"Sit down.

" He commanded her.

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"I'm not going to the banquet, grandfather.

" She seethed, not relenting. She didn't care if he could drag her there screaming and kicking to the banquet. She refused to go.

n

nAttending that damn banquet was a slap to Lu Minhong's face! She wasn't going to risk their friendship for a simple banquet that's not beneficial to her. She may have loved banquets in the past, but now it was just a gathering spot for all the hateful people she never wants to socialize with again.

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"I never said you have a choice.

" His voice was solemn and deep. The warm tinge he had for her was gone.

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nHe saw her temper had started to flare up. Her eyes became defensive and cold. He knew it was unwise to fight fire with fire so he decided to approach her differently.

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"You don't own me, grandfather. And I still haven't forgiven you for the dinner you put me through last night.

" She warned him.

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nHe walked to her and raised his hand.

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nZhao Lifei flinched as if expecting him to hit her, but he surprised her by gently patting the top of her head. He used to pat her head when she was still a child clinging onto his leg.

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nHis expression became gentle and the glacier within his eyes melted. His cool facade was dropped to reveal a doting grandfather.

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"Xiao Fei.

" His voice was ripe with old age, reminding her that he wasn't as powerful as she thought he was. He knew she hated it, but he needed to expose her back to these banquets. She can't stay as his consultant forever. She would need to network and build connections within the business world.

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"Be a good girl and attend the banquet.

" He affectionately patted her head.

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nThe feeling brought back a sense of nostalgia. It also reminded her of the things he had done for her. When everyone decided to abandon her, he was the first one to come to her aid.

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nZhao Lifei felt her anger wash away when she looked at him. For once, she was able to clearly see his age. His stern face was speckled with wrinkles and his white beard had become more prominent. It told her that he was indeed, an old man — one that wasn't suitable for energetic banquets. She let out a tired sigh.

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"I know what you're doing.

" She told him, referring to the fact that he just manipulated her into agreeing.

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nHe chuckled.

"I didn't expect any less than that.

" He told her and handed over the invitation to her.

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nShe pressed her lips together in annoyance and reluctantly accepted the envelope, the royal blue color mocking her.

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