Jiang Chiyu didn’t know if the situation was truly urgent, but she knew Chen Mo was definitely in a rush, looking as if he wanted to push her out the door.
Considering she had only rinsed her mouth and hadn’t had time to brush her teeth, Jiang Chiyu looked at the various fruits on the dining table with her mouth watering, yet she stubbornly didn’t take a single piece.
She was relying entirely on what little willpower she had left.
Because the person who died was her husband, she had a medium-sized mourning badge pinned to her chest, which she didn’t take off even when she left the house.
It wasn’t until she sat in the car that she asked Chen Mo, slightly breathless, “Can you tell me now? What urgent matter do I need to handle?”
Chen Mo was in the driver’s seat while Jiang Chiyu sat in the back. Through the window, her stray hairs were visible, looking a bit messy from her short run earlier, but she didn’t care at all. She only wanted the answer to her question.
Exactly how important was this matter that she had to resolve it without even eating?
Chen Mo listened to his master’s voice through his earpiece and, after a long moment, spoke. “Because the young master transferred all of his inheritance to you upon his death, the position of chairman of one of his listed companies has also fallen to you. Now, the board members are all making a scene, and you need to go resolve it.”
The explanation wasn’t long, but the information was dense.
Jiang Chiyu’s previous guess was right—that listed company owned by the Pei family had indeed fallen into her lap, but the situation seemed a bit dire.
Why did she need to be the one to stabilize the situation? Where was Pei Jinnian’s usual authority? Did so many people really question the things he decided?
The answer was yes. Even if it was something Pei Jinnian decided, the skepticism would not be any less. For instance, right now, the board of Hengchuang Group was in a total uproar.
If the person sitting in that seat were Pei Jinnian, they wouldn’t dare jump out to question him even if they were given ten times the courage. But the key to the problem lay here: the person sitting in the chairman’s seat was not Pei Jinnian. The current head of Hengchuang was just a seemingly wet-behind-the-ears little girl.
Why should they be afraid of a little girl whose feathers hadn’t even grown in yet?
If it were Pei Jinnian sitting there, they would be afraid if they were afraid, and cowards if they were cowards. But if it was just an immature little girl… well, they couldn’t be blamed for bullying the weak.
Jiang Chiyu arrived at Hengchuang just after one o’clock, right as work was about to start. When she got out of the car, she encountered many people entering the company. They were of various ages, but at first glance, employees around thirty made up the largest portion.
Those around her age almost all wore intern badges.
It was clear that this was a very large company.
She still wasn’t clear on what the main business of the head office was, but it didn’t matter; she would find out soon.
The first thing she did upon arriving at Hengchuang wasn’t to go to the conference room where the board members were gathered, but rather to have Chen Mo take her to see Pei Jinnian’s office.
When Chen Mo received this instruction, his first reaction was to refuse. But before his refusal could be spoken, his master spoke first: “Let her go.”
As a miserable worker, Chen Mo had no choice but to take Jiang Chiyu to Pei Jinnian’s workplace.
It was a simply and modestly decorated office, dominated by black, gray, and white tones. Everything was organized meticulously, from which one could infer the owner’s personality.
“Does your young master have OCD?”
Jiang Chiyu placed the iced Americano she had bought at a coffee shop near the company on Pei Jinnian’s desk and began slowly pacing around the spacious office.
“Are those board members in a hurry?” she suddenly asked.
Chen Mo felt she was asking a redundant question. If they weren’t in a hurry, would he have rushed her over without letting her eat?
“Yes, they are very anxious right now, practically on the verge of tearing the company down.”
He thought Jiang Chiyu would get serious after hearing his words—if not rushing to the conference room, then at least stopping the delay here.
But he was wrong.
Upon hearing his words, Jiang Chiyu raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile on her face. “That’s even better. Go buy me a toothbrush and toothpaste first. I haven’t brushed my teeth yet. It wouldn’t be very good to go see them without brushing, right? Don’t you think?”
He probably understood what kind of game Jiang Chiyu was trying to play.
They say a new official’s first three fires are the strongest. Was Jiang Chiyu, this CEO who had essentially picked up her position like a pie falling from the sky, also going to pull a stunt like this?
Chen Mo stood in place, unsure whether to go or stay. He could only tap the back of his phone, signaling that he couldn’t make the decision.
Hearing the tapping, Pei Jinnian lowered his eyes and said coldly, “Do as she says.”
His tolerance was frighteningly high.
Chen Mo’s molars were nearly crushed from grinding them, but since Pei Jinnian had given the word, he had no choice but to resign himself to it.
“I’ll go now. Please wait a moment, Miss Jiang.”
“Sure thing,” Jiang Chiyu immediately beamed. After Chen Mo’s figure disappeared from the office, she let out a long sigh of relief.
Oh my god, this is terrifying.
It was one thing to bicker with her mother-in-law at home, but why did she have to deal with a corporate war? And an internal one at that?
Was she supposed to fight using her decade of experience reading novels?
Would she die a tragic death?
The answer to that question seemed obvious.
Without needing anyone else to tell her, Jiang Chiyu knew her likely fate—dead without a place to be buried.
Was it too late to regret? She didn’t want this listed company; she just wanted the cold balance in her bank account and her dozens of properties.
Though that was what she thought, it was clearly impossible. The arrow was already on the string and had to be fired. She would have to withstand whatever tests those dozens of old men and women threw at her.
Just as Jiang Chiyu made this resolution, Chen Mo returned with the toothpaste and toothbrush. It had taken less than five minutes in total.
“Your… your efficiency is really high.”
After taking the items from Chen Mo, a forced smile appeared on Jiang Chiyu’s face.
“It’s only because there’s a convenience store on the first floor,” Chen Mo shook his head, looking at Jiang Chiyu intently.
Under his gaze, Jiang Chiyu slowly walked into the office restroom and hastily brushed her teeth.
“Let’s go, take me there.”
Let’s go; it’s time to head into battle.
Hengchuang Group, 28th-floor conference room.
The massive conference room was incredibly noisy. Over twenty people filled the seats, leaving only the head chair empty, waiting for its owner.
The door to the conference room wasn’t tightly closed but left slightly ajar. Faint sounds from inside drifted through the crack.
“How dare a little girl make us wait this long! She hasn’t even settled into her seat yet and she’s already putting on airs!”
“If Pei Jinnian were still here, it would be fine… but everyone knows Pei Jinnian is dead. To still act like this—she has quite the nerve.”
Jiang Chiyu raised an eyebrow and turned to the person beside her. “Wow, really? Do board members actually gossip behind people’s backs like this? They won’t even let President Pei off the hook?”
Almost the instant she spoke, she slammed the door open. Her voice reached the ears of the people inside without missing a word. The room suddenly fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.