Transmigrating Into the Beautiful CEO’s Doomed Substitute - Chapter 18

Lian Ao returned to his office. He had an important meeting to chair in the morning. His secretary brought in the relevant materials, and Lian Jie happened to come looking for him.

“Brother, do you have a moment? There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

Lian Ao handed back the two documents that needed his signature to the secretary before addressing Lian Jie.

“How many times have I told you not to call me that at the company?”

Lian Jie corrected himself, “I was in a hurry and forgot. I’ll definitely be careful next time, CEO Lian.”

Lian Ao opened his materials and quickly reviewed them. The pressure was immense since the Yongfeng project had fallen to him. Lian Jie sat there watching him, not speaking.

“Didn’t you say it was urgent?”

“Inside news. I just found out last night.” Lian Jie’s mysterious demeanor was still the same as before graduation, completely lacking the composure expected of a department head.

Lian Ao didn’t even lift his eyelids. His younger brother always made a fuss over nothing. Things that weren’t a big deal often seemed like the sky was falling to him.

Lian Jie didn’t mind being ignored by Lian Ao. He leaned forward and whispered, “Brother, I heard those people on the board are planning to use the Yongfeng matter to put pressure on you.”

Lian Ao paused, his hand stopping over the document. “How will they pressure me?”

“They’re certain you won’t beat the Shen Group this time. If you don’t secure the Yongfeng land, our real estate business won’t have a particularly outstanding core plan next year. Then they’ll say you lack ability and the big-picture view for developing Shiqun.”

Lian Ao scoffed. These old men, relying on having built the business with his grandfather, spent all their time pointing fingers and making random comments about the younger generation.

“It’s not certain who will win yet. Just let them jump around for a while; we don’t need to pay them any mind.”

Seeing how calm he was, Lian Jie figured he must have come up with a countermeasure.

“Have you really figured out how to compete with the Shen Group? I heard that the Shen Group headquarters also attaches great importance to this project. It seems Shen Zhibing herself is overseeing it.”

When Shen Zhibing was mentioned, Lian Jie was full of admiration. In his eyes, this woman was overwhelmingly strong. He worried his brother might not be her match in a head-to-head competition.

A hint of worry flashed in Lian Ao’s eyes, but he didn’t back down.

“Shiqun urgently needs a new project to break through its development bottleneck. Compared to the Shen Group, we need this plot of land more.”

Shiqun was massive, but for many years, it had engaged in asset-heavy businesses. The deterioration of the macro-environment in the past two years had put severe pressure on the company’s cash flow, and its current situation was not as glamorous as it appeared to outsiders.

First, the overseas division experienced business errors, and the headquarters was slow to find a new growth point, which was why Lian Ao was being pushed to run around everywhere.

“How about you negotiate with CEO Shen? Maybe we can cooperate and develop it together? Although it might not have much practical significance, a strong alliance between the two companies might genuinely open up new markets.”

Lian Ao truly didn’t know whether to call Lian Jie naive or completely ignorant of Shen Zhibing.

“Don’t even think about that. The Shen Group won’t agree to cooperate with Shiqun, and we both know why.”

Ten years ago, the two families did consider joining forces. However, someone breached the contract first, leading to a falling out. Since then, not only has collaboration been impossible, but the frequency of direct competition in the business world has also gradually increased.

Lian Jie sighed. In terms of company business, he was indeed inferior to Lian Ao. Since his elder brother was so certain, he didn’t say much more. He changed the topic to another matter that gave Lian Ao a headache.

“How are the preparations for your engagement going?”

Lian Ao’s eyes darkened. Being suddenly called back from the UK, the Yongfeng matter was not the most important thing; the top priority turned out to be for him to enter a marriage alliance.

The Shiqun conglomerate needed a powerful partner to reverse its gradual decline, and marriages between prominent families were commonplace. Lian Ao was thirty years old, and getting married first was a necessary step if he wanted to formally take over the business.

“It hasn’t been finalized yet.” Lian Ao was somewhat irritated and unwilling to discuss the topic further, but he had to remind Lian Jie, “Don’t spread this around. It hasn’t been officially announced yet.”

After listening to the report from the real estate company, Shen Zhibing still felt that the new proposal wasn’t secure enough.

“Your previous plan was based on the premise of having no strong opponents. If an opponent like Shiqun enters the game, and you’re still so gentle and slow, you’ll most likely lose this project.”

“Then what is your intention, CEO Shen?”

“I can allow you to be more aggressive, but you need to figure out the specifics yourselves. I’m just reminding you that since Shiqun has made a move, they won’t give up easily.”

Daring to openly try to snatch it meant Shiqun’s determination to acquire this piece of land was extraordinary.

Yet, Lian Ao hadn’t mentioned a word. On the contrary, when he was still on a business trip in the UK, they occasionally talked on the phone, and Shen Zhibing herself had brought up the Yongfeng matter a few times.

Could it be that Lian Ao was already preparing to make a move back then?

She felt a pang of heartache, and even more, a chill. This time Lian Ao returned to the country, and the distance between them seemed to have grown even further. Even though they were in the same city, she didn’t feel as eager to meet him.

With CEO Shen’s assurance, the people from the real estate company felt confident. They quickly revised the plan and significantly increased the budget.

“Just adding to the budget isn’t enough. You’d better spend more effort to clearly find out Yongfeng’s true intentions. Don’t spend so much effort only to end up boosting someone else’s bid or just joining the fun.”

There were some things Shen Zhibing couldn’t personally investigate or ask about; it would seem undignified.

However, regarding Yongfeng, she could accept the other party canceling the sale plan, but she couldn’t let Shiqun win.

After the meeting, Shen Zhibing had just returned to her office and hadn’t even had time to drink her coffee when Shen Qixing arrived.

“CEO Shen, I’ll only bother you for half an hour.”

Shen Zhibing motioned for Yun Fei to step out first to organize today’s meeting minutes and then send them to the relevant departments, asking them to fully support the real estate company’s business needs.

“Have a seat.”

Shen Qixing placed a black folder in front of her. “These are the results of this year’s campus recruitment. Take a look.”

The Shen Group headquarters recruited several recent master’s graduates this year, but none were officially finalized; they were in an observation phase, and they could be dismissed at any time if they were not up to standard. Although the conditions were harsh, applicants were eager to join because it meant entering the Shen Group headquarters.

“The candidates are excellent,” Shen Zhibing quickly scanned the report. The resumes of the selected individuals were all impressive.

“Our Human Resources department spent a lot of time and effort this time, carefully selecting them to ensure every one is a potential elite.”

Shen Zhibing, however, poured cold water on him. “A good-looking resume isn’t enough; whether they’re elite depends on their actual ability. Your HR recruitment shouldn’t just be focused on background screening; the key is the individual.”

Shen Qixing had intended to take the opportunity to take credit, but he didn’t expect his cousin to give him no face at all.

“I understand. I will remind them to be mindful of that.”

Shen Zhibing put the folder aside and asked, “Are there any suitable vacancies in the company recently?”

“What area are you referring to?”

Shen Zhibing thought for a moment. Qi Zheng seemed to have majored in financial economics.

“Positions related to finance and economics.”

Shen Qixing tentatively said, “Do you have someone to recommend?”

Shen Zhibing was not yet familiar with Qi Zheng’s capabilities and didn’t want her to join the company for the time being.

“No, I just wanted to understand the situation.”

Although Shen Zhibing said she didn’t, Shen Qixing understood her. She never wasted time on meaningless matters, so since she asked, she must be considering this.

“There’s not much turnover in the finance department this year, and the strategy development department doesn’t seem to have requested recruitment. If you’re looking for a position that’s 100% related, there aren’t any suitable ones temporarily.” Shen Qixing thought carefully again and finally found a vacancy. “The CEO’s office is missing a junior secretary with a finance background.”

Shen Zhibing recalled this matter. Yun Fei had mentioned it twice, saying she wanted an assistant. Have Qi Zheng be her secretary? Shen Zhibing felt this distance might be a bit too close.

Their relationship was limited to the suburban villa. She didn’t like Qi Zheng hovering in front of her while she worked.

Seeing her remain silent, Shen Qixing thought she was dissatisfied.

“I’ll go back and ask in more detail.”

“There’s no rush for this.”

Shen Zhibing planned to wait until Qi Zheng finished her training to assess her actual abilities before making a decision.

Manager Le’s side provided a response, saying they could meet on Friday evening. Shen Zhibing left work on time tonight. This time, Qi Zheng didn’t keep her waiting for too long.

“What do you want to eat tonight?”

Qi Zheng was surprised. “Isn’t CEO Shen making the arrangements?”

Shen Zhibing looked a little tired, clearly having been busy all day. But even the weariness and the dim environment inside the car couldn’t hide her beauty. Anyone looking at her this closely couldn’t help but be moved.

Qi Zheng looked away. She was speechless at the CEO’s behavior of inviting someone out to dinner without making arrangements. No matter how beautiful she was, it was useless now.

“Let’s go to that place on the mountaintop again.”

“Wait a minute.” Qi Zheng was afraid she would be triggered by the scene and get drunk again. “What’s the point of going to the same place every day? Let’s change the style today.”

Shen Zhibing turned her head to look at her, waiting for her new suggestion.

“How about we go eat at a street-side food stall?”

Shen Zhibing froze. This option was completely outside her vocabulary, causing her to react a little slowly.

“Street-side food stalls have lots of delicious food, and they have the atmosphere of life, it’s great.” (The term “接地氣” used in the chapter title means “down-to-earth” or “full of life’s atmosphere.”)

Fancy restaurants were nice, but they were eerily quiet, and more importantly, expensive.

Qi Zheng didn’t want Shen Zhibing to pay every time; it made her feel like she was constantly sponging off her. Going to a street-side food stall was different; she could afford it, and she’d enjoy the food more that way.

“CEO Shen?”

Shen Zhibing took a deep breath. She didn’t want to go to that kind of place; it was crowded, and she hated the feeling of being watched.

“Don’t worry, I guarantee you’ll have a happy and satisfying meal.”

For some reason, after hearing Qi Zheng’s assurance, the words of refusal that were on the tip of her tongue turned into agreement.

It had been a long time since Shen Zhibing had been to a place like this. She could still go to the night markets when she was abroad, especially when Lian Ao came to visit her.

Back then, no one knew who they were. Although they didn’t make any overly intimate gestures, the occasional brush of their hands was enough to make Shen Zhibing’s heart flutter.

The street-side food stall was indeed lively. The sound of stir-frying accompanied waves of heat. Cheers for toasts, calls for more wine, and requests for dishes were continuous. Shen Zhibing frowned as soon as she approached.

She stopped in her tracks, wanting to turn and leave, but someone bumped into her.

“Be careful, there are lots of people here.” Qi Zheng supported her from behind, then naturally took her hand and led her toward the more crowded area.

Shen Zhibing was momentarily stunned. Her fingers twitched, but she didn’t pull away.