Chapter 278: What If I Find You a Little Charming?

November in the countryside.

Golden wheat fields stretched along both sides of the national highway.

Linked together, they were unexpectedly beautiful.

Especially when the wind blew.

They rippled like waves of gold.

Thinking about the future, in the name of development—

Selling land to build factories.

Selling land to build housing.

The economy did improve.

But the environment was never the same again.

With that thought in mind,

Miss Jiang gazed out the car window at the clear blue sky,

Her mind searching through old memories.

She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination,

But the sky now seemed much cleaner than the one she remembered.

At that moment,

The car began to slow down, preparing to exit the highway.

However,

Just as Jiang Ning braced herself for a bumpy ride,

The road ahead caught her completely off guard.

“Cousin, are you sure we’re on the right road?”

Hearing this,

Tian Wenhao replied with a touch of irritation.

“Don’t you know the first thing our cousin did after making money was to repave all the village roads?”

Huh…

Big Cousin really had that kind of civic-mindedness?

Thinking of her, then thinking of herself…

Maybe…

Should I pitch in and fix the cement road in front of our apartment complex?

The idea had barely formed in her mind

Before she shot it down herself.

After all, the city and the countryside were still different worlds.

If she really wanted to fund a road repair, she’d need approval from the municipal authorities first.

Then there’d be all kinds of red tape to deal with.

Even the strongest enthusiasm would probably be worn down by all that bureaucracy.

If she really wanted to give back to the community,

It might be more practical to keep housing prices in check when selling homes in the future.

A while later,

When the siblings arrived at the entrance of the Sunflower Poultry Farm Company,

Their eldest cousin was sitting on a stone by the gate,

Chatting cheerfully with the old gatekeeper while snacking on sunflower seeds.

As Miss Jiang approached,

The first thing she noticed was the visible caking of powder on her cousin’s face.

“Ting-jie!”

“Hey! You’re here?”

Her cousin greeted her warmly and handed over a large bag she was holding.

“Want some?”

Seeing this,

Tian Wenhao shook his head, but Miss Jiang didn’t hesitate at all.

She reached into the bag and grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds,

And started cracking them open right then and there.

“Cousin, where’s the stuff?”

“No rush. First, tell me—what’s your next move?”

Hearing that,

Miss Jiang glanced at the old man nearby who had stood up to sweep the ground.

“That’s Uncle Hu.”

“A relative of your aunt’s.”

“Oh.” Since her cousin didn’t seem to mind speaking openly, Miss Jiang went ahead and laid out her plan.

However,

After listening, her cousin simply shook her head.

“Ning Ning, your approach is very direct.”

“It’ll probably be effective.”

“But aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Hm?”

At that, not only did Miss Jiang look puzzled,

Even Tian Wenhao, who had been helping dispose of the seed shells,

Turned to look at them, equally confused.

Seeing this,

Her cousin pointed up at the sky.

“You’ve torn a major corporation to shreds like this.”

“Have you considered what the local authorities might think?”

As soon as those words landed,

Miss Jiang’s brows furrowed.

Because she knew—

Her cousin was right.

There was no way the local government would just sit back and let her take down a major taxpayer like that.

If she didn’t handle it carefully,

The authorities might even step in to help Hongsheng Group retaliate.

Unless she could prove—

That she was more valuable than Hongsheng Group…

The next second,

Miss Jiang seemed to realize something. She turned to her cousin.

“Ting-jie, you mean…”

——————

Li Mingyu had been feeling a bit annoyed lately.

Everywhere she went, someone was trying to subtly introduce her to someone.

Even casual tea time with her girlfriends

Couldn’t escape the topic.

“Hey, Sister Mingyu, your Empress Dowager mom was just talking to my mom about you yesterday.”

“So? Any plans to become my sister-in-law?”

The one speaking was Wei Xuan, a close friend of Li Mingyu’s.

Two years younger,

Fresh out of college,

From a family in the financial system of the compound,

And one of the few who were close to her family.

In a place like the compound,

Friendships weren’t just about personality. Background mattered too.

After all,

Kids from rival families were never going to be real friends.

“What, you want to call me sister-in-law?” Li Mingyu fanned herself with a beauty salon flyer, smiling playfully.

“Wouldn’t be the worst thing.” Wei Xuan grinned, lifting her teacup and taking a delicate sip.

“What do you think, sister-in-law?”

Seeing this girl getting cheeky,

Li Mingyu rolled her eyes.

“You should worry about sorting out those two junior boys trailing after you before playing matchmaker for your brother.”

Hearing the clear rejection in her tone,

Wei Xuan just giggled, took another sip of her floral tea, and didn’t press the topic any further.

She quickly changed the subject.

“Sister Mingyu.”

“Have you been to that new resort in the eastern suburbs?”

The resort in the eastern suburbs?

Li Mingyu wasn’t someone out of the loop.

Of course she’d heard about the newly opened resort out east.

Rumor had it the place was lavishly decorated.

Horseback riding, fishing, golf courses—

They even dug up two natural hot springs.

To be honest,

Li Mingyu was quite tempted to go.

But given her special background,

She wasn’t exactly the ideal candidate to be among the first wave of guests.

Not to mention, the place was seriously expensive.

With her modest little company pulling in just tens of thousands a month,

Most of her income was already spoken for—eating out, shopping, daily expenses.

Going out for a luxury getaway?

She might want to, but she didn’t have the means.

“Haven’t been. Why?”

Hearing that,

Wei Xuan suddenly put on a mysterious expression, then pulled a deep blue card out of her bag.

She waved it between her fingers.

“A membership card.”

Seeing this,

Li Mingyu frowned slightly.

“If I remember correctly,”

“The lowest membership tier for that place starts at a hundred thousand, right?”

“This card of yours…”

“Oh, relax! I used my New Year’s money to get it.” Wei Xuan knew exactly what Li Mingyu was worried about.

Grinning, she said,

“I may not be earning money yet, but I’ve been saving all my New Year’s money every year.”

“Yeah right, New Year’s money.” Li Mingyu reached out and took the card from Wei Xuan’s hand.

As she examined it closely, she teased,

“That little stash of yours is clearly meant to be your dowry someday.”

“What are you gonna do if you blow it all now and have nothing left when it’s time to get married?”

“Oh please, then I just won’t have one.” Wei Xuan looked completely unconcerned, even a little smug.

“I’ve got a man to take care of me.”

“And you, Sister Mingyu…”

Looking at the smug little brat in front of her,

Li Mingyu rolled her eyes.

But for some reason,

Another mischievous, clever girl popped into her mind.

Just then,

Li Mingyu’s phone, which was sitting on the table, suddenly rang.

She instinctively picked it up and glanced at the screen.

Her expression turned a little odd.

Was this…

Thinking of someone and they call you right after?

After a moment of thought,

She answered the call.

“Hello, Little Jiang Ning.”

“Yeah, I’m out having tea.”

As she spoke, Li Mingyu reached out and pushed back the head that was leaning over from across the table.

“Looking for Mr. Li?”

“‘Hehe,’ trying to send gifts through me won’t work.”

However,

After hearing the next few sentences from the other end of the line,

The smile on Li Mingyu’s face faded slightly.

She leaned back in her chair, settling into a relaxed and graceful posture.

“You’re playing it this big?”

“You really think my dad will agree to this?”

…

“In that case…”

“Alright, I’ll wait for you at the compound gate.”

With that,

She snapped the flip phone shut with a crisp “pop.”

Gently set it on the table.

Then,

Before the woman across from her could speak,

Li Mingyu beat her to it.

“I’m heading out in a bit.”

“Huh? What about the beauty appointment we booked?”

“You go ahead and do it for me. Didn’t you just say your skin’s been acting up lately?”

As she spoke,

She began gathering her things.

Seeing that Li Mingyu was clearly set on leaving,

Wei Xuan didn’t try to stop her, but curiosity got the better of her, and she couldn’t help but ask,

“Sister Mingyu, is something going on?”

At that,

Li Mingyu thought of the bold plan that girl had just laid out on the phone.

Thought of what might happen once it was carried out.

She couldn’t help but smile.

“Nothing much.”

“Just suddenly felt like experiencing the thrill of a robbery.”

——————

When Li Zhengsheng got the call from his daughter, he had just stepped down from giving a speech at a briefing session.

He had only just walked out of the conference hall

when his secretary hurried over to him.

“Mayor Li, your daughter is on the phone.”

Li Zhengsheng took the phone from the secretary and walked over to the window.

“Mingyu, sorry, I was just in a meeting.”

“What’s going on?”

…

Ten minutes later,

Sitting in his office, Li Zhengsheng saw his daughter walk in, along with someone he held in very high regard.

A warm smile appeared on his face almost instinctively.

He personally went to the cabinet nearby, took out two teacups, and placed them in front of the two girls.

The first one he went to pour tea for was Miss Jiang.

The gesture startled her so much she quickly reached out to stop him.

“Uncle, no need to be so formal. I can do it myself.”

“No way,” Li Zhengsheng’s expression turned serious.

“It’s not every day you come by. I have to be a proper host!”

Proper host, my ass.

Miss Jiang shot a glare at the mature woman beside her who was grinning mischievously.

She was full of complaints on the inside, but her face still wore a look of flattered surprise.

After all, when the second-in-command of Jiangzhou personally pours you tea,

That’s a gesture you have to respect.

Once the tea was poured,

Li Zhengsheng sat down on the side sofa and asked warmly,

“Mingyu, Jiang Ning, what brings you two here today?”

Here it comes.

Time to get to the point.

Li Mingyu turned her gaze to Miss Jiang.

The latter suddenly pulled a stack of documents from her backpack.

Then divided them into three sets, laying them neatly in front of Li Zhengsheng.

The whole sequence of actions

left the Jiangzhou second-in-command a bit puzzled.

He pointed at the documents on the table.

“What are these?”

“Company information.”

“What kind of company information?”

“Details on ‘Shi Ning Ji,’ ‘Mingsheng Technology,’ and shares in several Jiangzhou livestock farms.”

Hearing that,

Years of experience kicked in, and Li Zhengsheng’s instincts told him something was off.

He couldn’t help but frown,

Turning his gaze to his daughter.

He trusted

that she would give him a reasonable explanation.

Sure enough,

Li Mingyu pointed at the documents on the table, then gestured toward the pretty, bashful girl beside her.

With a sweet smile, she said,

“Dad.”

“What if I told you all these companies belong to her alone?”

“Would you believe me?”

As soon as those words left her mouth,

Li Zhengsheng was stunned.

He blurted out in disbelief,

“How is that possible?!”

But when he caught sight of Jiang Ning’s expression, and then saw the look on Li Mingyu’s face, a thought began to form.

Given how well he knew his own daughter…

Could it be…

But just as that idea surfaced, Li Zhengsheng immediately felt how absurd it was.

Others might not know, but as the second-in-command of Jiangzhou City, how could he not be aware of the weight these two companies carried in Jiangzhou?

There was no need to even mention Shi Ning Ji.

A chain restaurant with branches spread across all thirteen cities in the province. While the company wasn’t massive, its business model was solid. Barring any surprises, it was only a matter of time before it expanded nationwide.

In Li Zhengsheng’s mind, Shi Ning Ji’s status was on par with global giants like KFC and the Golden Arches.

As for the other one, Mingsheng Technology Company, it was even more remarkable.

Their electric vehicles were sold throughout Linjiang Province, and even in neighboring provinces and cities, their products could be seen on the streets.

In terms of brand influence, it was no less than Shi Ning Ji.

Moreover, the company held numerous patented brands under its name, making it a true tech enterprise.

Such companies were rare in any city.

Most importantly, they provided hundreds of jobs.

And now, his daughter was telling him that both of these companies belonged to Jiang Ning?

Li Zhengsheng suddenly rubbed his temples.

“Mingyu, are you trying to cheer me up because you know the city’s investment situation hasn’t been going well lately?”

“I appreciate your good intentions, but…”

Before he could finish, Li Mingyu opened the first document on the table.

The name “Jiang Ning” was clearly written at the top, immediately catching Li Zhengsheng’s attention.

Almost instinctively, he picked up the document and began flipping through it, page by page.

Once he finished, he looked up at the beautiful young woman in front of him, then silently picked up the second file.

This time, he read more slowly.

Some of the technical terms seemed to give him pause, making the reading a bit more difficult.

It took several minutes before he finished.

Then he picked up the third document.

This one he read quickly, finishing it in about a minute.

When he was done, Li Zhengsheng gently set the papers down and looked up.

“The recent poultry market incident… was that your doing?”

“I provided a batch of poultry to help stabilize prices.”

“I know. I’m asking if it was your doing.”

Li Mingyu was the first to notice the sudden edge in her father’s voice.

For a moment, she was caught off guard.

Weren’t they just having a calm, pleasant conversation?

How did reading a few documents change everything?

Miss Jiang also sensed the shift in the second-in-command’s tone.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, shedding their usual innocence.

Though her smile remained, it now carried a different flavor—something alluring and dangerous.

“Doesn’t Mayor Li already know the answer?”

Her smile bloomed like a flower, beautiful and sharp, like a rose with thorns.

Even Li Zhengsheng felt a prickling discomfort.

He frowned and asked, “Do you understand that manipulating market prices is wrong?”

“I do. But there’s no law against it.”

…

“You’re not afraid of getting burned?”

“That’s why I came to you.”

…

“Why?”

“Because… Jiangzhou is too small.”

Their back-and-forth had taken on a confrontational tone.

Without realizing it, Li Zhengsheng had begun to treat this girl as his equal.

He shook his head lightly.

“Not enough.”

Miss Jiang naturally understood what the second-in-command meant by “not enough.”

She smiled.

“After the new year, I’ll expand Shi Ning Ji beyond Linjiang, and double Mingsheng Technology’s production capacity.”

“Most importantly, I’ll participate in Jiangzhou’s public-private partnership initiatives.”

“I’ll do my part, however small, to help build Jiangzhou.”

With that, it was time for her final statement.

Watching the silent exchange between the two, Li Mingyu, as the bystander, felt unusually tense.

In the quiet, she could almost hear her own heartbeat pounding in her chest.

“Hongsheng Group is a well-known enterprise in Jiangzhou. It has made outstanding contributions to our economic development.”

“Therefore, I hope your two companies can grow peacefully, work together, and carve out your own unique path forward…”

…

Miss Jiang wasn’t naive.

She had spent years navigating the complexities of society in her past life.

It only took a moment of thought to understand the subtext behind those official-sounding words.

The first part—praising Hongsheng Group’s contributions to Jiangzhou—was a reminder to Jiang Ning that the company was still important. Don’t get any ideas about replacing it.

The second part—peaceful development, working together—was a subtle warning to Miss Jiang: now that you’ve made your move, let that be the end of it.

He was willing to see Shi Ning Ji grow, but not by trampling over those who came before.

It was, in essence, a warning.

But to Miss Jiang, it simply meant one thing—her leverage wasn’t strong enough yet.

If ‘Shi Ning Ji’ were now one of the nation’s top 500 companies,

let alone swallowing up Hongsheng Group’s market share,

even if she demanded an immediate replacement on the spot, no one would dare say much.

Still,

the current situation was acceptable.

At the very least,

no one was opposing her move against Hongsheng Group.

In fact, just before leaving,

they even helped make a few calls on her behalf.

That alone made Miss Jiang a little unexpectedly happy.

………

Ten minutes later.

In the parking lot inside the compound.

Miss Jiang had just gotten into the front passenger seat of the red BMW.

She turned her delicate face toward the driver, smiling brightly.

“Sister Mingyu,”

“thank you so much for today.”

At that,

Li Mingyu shot her an exasperated look.

“You little rascal,”

“you nearly scared me to death today.”

Miss Jiang knew Li Mingyu was referring to her unyielding stance during the verbal sparring with Li Zhengsheng.

She giggled and said,

“Oh come on, Sister Mingyu.”

“That’s just how negotiations work…”

“Otherwise, how would your old man ever agree to let me stir things up?”

“So you admit you’re stirring things up,” Li Mingyu said with a hint of mock annoyance, reaching out.

She gave Miss Jiang’s collagen-filled cheeks a few playful pinches.

“A sophomore in high school, and instead of studying properly,”

“you’re out here causing trouble all day long.”

“And now you’re even learning to fight business wars!”

……

Listening to the ever-nagging Mature Woman Li,

Miss Jiang knew she was a little annoyed.

So she let her pinch her cheeks without resistance.

Even though it hurt a bit.

However—

At that moment,

Mature Woman Li suddenly stopped pinching.

Her hand shifted from pinching to gently stroking.

She brushed Miss Jiang’s cheek softly.

“Jiang Ning,”

“you were really impressive today.”

“To be able to go head-to-head with Old Master Li,”

“even among my peers, no one could pull that off…”

As she spoke,

she tucked a strand of Miss Jiang’s hair behind her ear.

Then she suddenly leaned in, her moist eyes locking onto Miss Jiang’s at close range.

“Little Jiang Ning,”

“I just realized… you’re kind of charming.”

“What should I do about that?”

Charming?

Miss Jiang wasn’t sure if Mature Woman Li meant she looked cool in a flattering way…

Or if there was something else behind those words.

If it was just the former,

Miss Jiang could simply smile and accept the compliment.

But if it was the latter—

Jiang Ning narrowed her eyes slightly.

She looked into Li Mingyu’s spring-like gaze,

then slowly let her eyes drift downward.

Long, delicate lashes.

Fair, glowing skin.

A faint blush on her cheeks.

And if you looked closely, there was even a tiny red mole on her cheek.

But then—

Mature Woman Li suddenly leaned to the side.

With a mischievous grin, she reached behind Miss Jiang and pulled out the seatbelt.

With a soft click,

she buckled it in place.

The next second,

seeing the stiff expression on the pretty girl’s face,

Mature Woman Li returned to the driver’s seat, laughing in delight.

“Let’s go.”

“Big sis is taking you to school!”

School, my ass!

I don’t wanna go to school!

I wanna sleep!!!

(End of Chapter)