Inside the main venue, a giant LED screen cycled through promotional videos for the summit. The visuals shifted from assembly lines in traditional manufacturing to streams of code in AI laboratories, finally settling on the golden slogan: “Reconstruct the Business Ecosystem, Embrace the Future Together.”
Jiang Zhiwu stood up to greet Jiang Yanzhou. Her gaze swept over the insulated lunch box he was clutching tightly, and the corners of her lips curved almost imperceptibly. “You’re here?”
“Mm,” Jiang Yanzhou pushed the box forward, his tone awkward. “Don’t forget to eat again.”
Jiang Zhiwu smiled and led them through the corridor to the lounge area.
Businessmen in tailored suits walked past with composed strides. Their low conversations were filled with professional terms like “industrial chain,” “digitalization,” and “new growth drivers.” Many of them were familiar faces frequently seen on financial magazines and news channels.
Wow, it’s rare for us common folks to get a glimpse of such a high-end industry summit.
Just being able to enter this venue and chat casually with President Zhang says a lot!
How can I get a sister who is beautiful, smart, and rich? I’m so jealous of Jiang Yanzhou.
Don’t praise her so quickly. Maybe President Zhang is only talking to her because she’s the rich heiress? Talking doesn’t mean anything.
Stop hating for no reason. If she didn’t have the ability, do you think someone like President Zhang would even bother acknowledging her?
…
Meanwhile, inside the private room of the Japanese restaurant, the table was filled with exquisite dishes, but the atmosphere was far from as peaceful as it seemed.
Huang Zhihe’s phone screen lit up, displaying several messages from her manager, Sister Lin, whose tone was clearly anxious.
[Sister Lin]: What are you doing? Taking forever just to eat! Your viewership is way lower than Jiang Yanzhou’s. Even Li Bo and his sister splashing water at the beach is more interesting than you! Can’t you get your brother to say a few words? The atmosphere is so stiff!
[Sister Lin]: Stop just peeling shrimps for your brother! Say something explosive! Family stories, future plans, even complaints work! The Jiang siblings’ popularity is five times higher than yours! Do something quickly!
After reading the messages, the smile faded from Huang Zhihe’s face, and a flicker of frustration and pressure passed through her eyes.
She looked up at Jiang Ting, who was eating quietly across from her, trying to find a topic. “Xiaoting…”
Her phone vibrated again:
[Sister Lin]: The next segment is real-time interaction between the groups. Seize this opportunity.
[Sister Lin]: Jiang Zhiwu and her brother are popular right now, but they have a lot of haters too. I already got the team preparing the press releases. We’ll buy some marketing accounts and post comparisons between you and them — they put on airs pretending to be elites, while you are hardworking and down-to-earth; they are arrogant, while you are modest. With this contrast, your public image will definitely improve!
Huang Zhihe frowned slightly. “Won’t that be too obvious?”
[Sister Lin]: What do you mean obviously? This is how the entertainment industry works. No comparison, no harm.
Huang Zhihe glanced at the dismal data on her screen, then switched over to see the lively scene in Jiang Zhiwu and Jiang Yanzhou’s stream. Her heart tightened involuntarily.
She lost her appetite, her mind repeatedly replaying her manager’s words.
Huang Zhihe was merely an illegitimate daughter and knew very little about the Jiang Group. The little information she had was mostly from the trending topics caused by Shen Yu last time.
The news clearly stated that her father, Jiang Mingqi, had taken over the core operations and became the CEO, stabilizing the turbulent situation.
As for Jiang Zhiwu? Apart from occasionally appearing at some insignificant charity galas, there was absolutely no trace of her in serious business news.
Thinking carefully, she had never actually seen Jiang Zhiwu appear at any business events, nor had she heard of her holding any important position in the group.
How could a powerless young lady like her attend such a high-end summit?
The answer seemed obvious to her —
She was just relying on her father, Jiang Mingqi’s, reputation.
Those big shots chatting and laughing with Jiang Zhiwu were simply giving face to her father.
After all, people who had been in the business world for years were all socially adept. Even if they knew Jiang Zhiwu was just there to “gild her resume,” they wouldn’t expose her on the spot. Everyone would just play along with this social charade.
Thinking this way, Huang Zhihe simply agreed to her manager’s plan to buy the press releases.
Since Jiang Zhiwu could pretend to be an elite at the summit relying on her father’s光环, why shouldn’t everyone see the truth?
Soon, numerous anonymous IDs with similar formats (such as “User34567”, “GossipHunter”, etc.) flooded into the Jiang siblings’ live stream, posting provocative comments:
What right does Jiang Zhiwu have to attend this summit? I can’t find any information about her position in the Jiang Group.
Probably just there to make an appearance. Real professionals are busy talking business behind the scenes! The big shots are just too polite to call her out!
I feel bad for those executives, having to act along with the rich girl’s playacting. So tiring!
These doubts weren’t just a few comments; they surged like an organized tide, instantly covering most of the screen.
Quickly, Jiang Yanzhou’s fans noticed and launched a counterattack —
Heh, saying they are just being polite? At their level, there’s no need to pretend if they don’t want to.
Regardless, the fact that Jiang Zhiwu can sit here is proof of her capability.
The comments section erupted into a chaotic war of words.
Haters questioning Jiang Zhiwu and viewers defending her argued fiercely, their messages almost completely obscuring the video feed.
Suddenly, a notification popped up at the top of the screen: “Live Connection Started”. The screen was split into three sections — the summit lounge with the Jiang siblings, the Japanese restaurant with Huang Zhihe and Jiang Ting, and the beach with the Li siblings.
As soon as the connection stabilized, the siblings by the sea were already in high spirits.
What started as playful splashing with water guns somehow turned into an argument. Li Lele picked up a plastic basin, scooped up seawater, and splashed it right onto Li Bo’s back, soaking the camera lens. “That’s for stealing my seashell!”
Not to be outdone, Li Bo grabbed an empty bucket from the sand and dumped it over his sister. “You started it!”
The two chased each other on the beach, splashing water wildly, creating a scene of total chaos.
On the other side, in the restaurant, Huang Zhihe immediately seized the opportunity. She looked towards the Jiang siblings with a gentle smile. “Sister Jiang, Yanzhou, it looks very formal over there. Are you attending an industry summit?”
Jiang Yanzhou didn’t respond. Jiang Zhiwu was looking down at her meeting schedule on her phone, but she looked up and answered briefly, “Yes.”
Huang Zhihe continued on her own, “I usually like watching financial news too. I know these summits discuss things like industrial chain restructuring and digital transformation.”
She deliberately slowed down her speech, trying her best to sound professional. “Especially with policies promoting the digital economy… the… um… optimization of the capital leverage ratio of core enterprises is particularly crucial.”
Her fans immediately rushed to praise her:
Zhihe is so amazing! She even understands business terminology!
Hahaha, hearing Zhihe talk about this in front of some people who only know the surface… It’s like playing the lute to a cow!
Seeing the comments, Huang Zhihe’s smile deepened. She added with just the right amount of modesty, “Actually I don’t understand much, but my father often talks about these things. He’s involved in many business areas, so I just picked up a few phrases by listening.”
When some viewers asked what her father did, fans quickly explained in the comments that he was a low-key but powerful business tycoon.
Feeling more confident, Huang Zhihe continued, “I heard that many companies are now adopting ‘asset-light operations’. It’s said to reduce costs and improve efficiency…”
Jiang Zhiwu had been replying to a work message, but upon hearing this, her fingers paused. She looked directly at Huang Zhihe through the screen. “The core of asset-light operations is stripping away non-core businesses and maximizing efficiency through resource integration. However, it is not suitable for every company. Blindly following the trend can actually lead to the loss of core competitiveness.”
Her tone was as flat as correcting a typo in a report, devoid of any emotion.
Huang Zhihe’s face flushed red, exposed as an amateur on the spot. Her voice weakened. “I-Is that so? Maybe my understanding is too shallow…”
Hahaha! The moment Sister Jiang spoke, the professional gap was obvious.
“Asset-light operation” is actually an older concept. Nowadays the focus is on risk control and profit cycles within that model. Huang Zhihe’s knowledge seems quite superficial.
So what? Zhihe isn’t a professional, it’s normal she doesn’t know.
Exactly! If Jiang Zhiwu didn’t even know this basic finance knowledge, then she wouldn’t deserve to be there.
Embarrassed, Huang Zhihe quickly changed the subject. Her eyes landed on the summit backdrop behind Jiang Zhiwu, and she asked with feigned curiosity, “Sister Jiang, since you’re at such a high-end summit, you must be here accompanying the CEO of Jiang Group, right?”
Jiang Yanzhou, who had been sitting lazily aside, seemingly uninterested in the entire connection, finally raised his eyebrows slightly and deigned to look directly at Huang Zhihe.
“Accompanying? The… CEO of Jiang Group?” He repeated the words, his tone carrying an indescribable strangeness.
Huang Zhihe remembered that Jiang Yanzhou had previously downplayed the CEO’s donation for the flood relief, so she assumed he wasn’t on good terms with her father, Jiang Mingqi.
She deliberately brought it up, “During the heavy rains and floods a while ago, President Jiang donated a lot of money and supplies. It was all over the news. It’s really admirable to take on social responsibility at such a time.”
Jiang Yanzhou: “…”
Huang Zhihe paused, then couldn’t help but reveal, “Actually, I have some connection with this CEO.”
Her fans were still praising her in the comments:
Birds of a feather flock together. Since Zhihe is so kind, the elders she knows must be kind too~
Of course those big shots know her because Zhihe is talented and excellent!
Jiang Yanzhou’s expression looked increasingly disgusted, as if he had swallowed a fly.
Huang Zhihe enjoyed seeing his strange reaction, thinking she had hit a sore spot. She was about to say more to elevate her father Jiang Mingqi, when the announcement system in the summit lounge suddenly sounded clearly:
“Ladies and gentlemen, we will now proceed to the highlight of today’s summit — the Keynote Speech. Let us welcome with warm applause our special guest speaker, the Chief Executive Officer of Jiang Group!”
“CEO of Jiang Group?” Huang Zhihe’s eyes lit up. She instinctively sat up straight, her eyes quickly scanning the crowd in the video feed.
She stared intently at every middle-aged man in a suit, trying to find her father’s figure.
However, she didn’t see her father. Instead, she saw Jiang Zhiwu standing up from the lounge area.
The smile on Huang Zhihe’s face froze instantly, her mind going blank —
Why was Jiang Zhiwu standing up?
Huang Zhihe seemed paralyzed, her mouth hanging open as she stared fixedly at the screen.
In the video, Jiang Zhiwu was walking towards the entrance of the main venue. Businessmen on both sides stepped aside to make way for her. Some even smiled and whispered, “Good luck with the speech.” She nodded slightly in response, her posture calm and composed.
“I… Impossible…” Huang Zhihe muttered subconsciously, her fingernails digging into the edge of her phone case until her knuckles turned white.
The comments section also went wild:
???? Why is Jiang Zhiwu walking that way?
What is she doing? Going up to bring water or speech notes to the CEO?
Wait! She’s the only one walking towards the stage entrance!
No way no way, could it be that Jiang Zhiwu is…?
Jiang Yanzhou leaned back lazily on the sofa, looking at Huang Zhihe’s pale face on the screen. He finally spoke slowly, his voice filled with undisguised amusement. “What are you looking for?”
Huang Zhihe didn’t hear him. All her attention was glued to the screen —
Jiang Zhiwu had reached the side of the main stage. Staff adjusted the microphone height for her. The spotlight slowly focused on her, outlining her tall and confident figure.
“Good afternoon, everyone.” Her voice spread through the microphone across the venue and clearly into all three live streams. “Today I would like to talk about digital transformation for traditional enterprises —”
Fluent professional terms flowed smoothly from her lips. From industrial chain collaboration to data platform construction, from risk control models to new consumer scenarios, every case accurately reflected the Jiang Group’s recent strategic moves.
Huang Zhihe sat frozen in the private room, watching Jiang Zhiwu speak with such ease. Her ears were ringing.
The scattered terms she had memorized from Jiang Mingqi’s conversations, the jargon she had forced herself to learn to sound professional, were woven into a complete logical system by Jiang Zhiwu.
It turned out that Jiang Zhiwu’s occasional appearances at charity galas were merely the most insignificant of her many roles. The assumptions that she was a “powerless heiress” or just “gilding her resume” were nothing but malicious speculations.
Jiang Zhiwu was not some rich lady living off dividends. She was the “President Jiang” everyone spoke of, the one truly in charge of the empire.
“Therefore, the key to asset-light operations is never blindly stripping away assets.” Jiang Zhiwu happened to mention the earlier topic during her speech. Her gaze swept across the camera with a faint sharpness. “It is about achieving dynamic allocation of resources through digital means, ensuring every asset creates maximum value.”
Huang Zhihe felt as if she had been slapped hard across the face.
The Li siblings by the sea had long stopped their water fight, staring at the stage with their mouths wide open. The comments sections of all three streams exploded:
I feel embarrassed for Huang Zhihe. She was showing off those terms just now, and now she looks like a fool playing tricks before an expert.
Wondering if her face hurts haha! She was just saying she has a connection with the CEO, and the CEO was sitting right in front of her.
Jiang Yanzhou’s expression earlier was hilarious, looking at her like an idiot.
I’m speechless! So Jiang Zhiwu is the real business queen!
Huang Zhihe’s face alternated between red and white. Looking at Jiang Zhiwu’s confident demeanor on screen and hearing the applause from the audience, she finally realized how ridiculous the plan her and her manager had devised was.
True strength never needs comparison. It shines on its own, just like Jiang Zhiwu standing on that stage, impossible to hide.
“Thanks for complimenting my sister just now.” Jiang Yanzhou’s lazy voice came through the screen. He tilted his chin towards Huang Zhihe. “Oh right, forgot to tell you. The money donated for the flood relief was all transferred from my sister’s personal account.”
Hahaha who is happy now? Me!! The top star really doesn’t hold back when he roasts people.
Suddenly understand why those big shots were so polite to her… This isn’t giving face to a rich daughter, this is respect for the person in charge!
From today on I’m a fan of Jiang Zhiwu! She’s so cool! Capable, kind, and low-key. Perfect!
…
Huang Zhihe’s nails dug almost into her flesh. Burning with shame and anger, she turned towards Jiang Ting beside her.
As Jiang Mingqi’s legitimate son, he should know the truth best. Yet he had watched coldly the entire time, never revealing a single word about Jiang Zhiwu’s identity, letting her make a fool of herself.
Huang Zhihe bit her lip, about to question him, but Jiang Ting seemed oblivious to her gaze. He calmly picked up a piece of sashimi, dipped it in wasabi, and chewed slowly, looking as if none of this concerned him.
All her questions got stuck in her throat, eventually turning into a suppressed huff.
Back at the summit, the speech was coming to an end. Jiang Zhiwu bowed slightly amidst the thunderous applause and stepped off the stage.
Jiang Yanzhou, who was waiting by the side, immediately walked up. He took a bottle of water from the staff and handed it to her, saying something in a low voice. Jiang Zhiwu listened, and a rare soft smile appeared on her face. She reached out and patted his arm gently. Their interaction was natural and affectionate.
Watching this, Huang Zhihe took a deep breath and put on a polite smile for the camera. “Sister Jiang, your speech was wonderful. As expected of the leader of Jiang Group. Your professionalism is truly admirable.”
Jiang Zhiwu’s expression remained unchanged, not relaxing in the slightest at the compliment. She simply nodded very flatly and replied briefly, “Thank you.”
Her tone was cold, merely going through the motions of social etiquette.
Huang Zhihe continued smiling, “I really admire how someone as important as you is willing to join our variety show to experience life. You are so down-to-earth, no airs at all.”
Jiang Yanzhou rolled his eyes in exasperation, clearly annoyed by such exaggerated flattery.
Jiang Zhiwu corrected her, “Not really down-to-earth or anything. After all, I am part of the ‘people’ myself.”
Huang Zhihe laughed dryly and then turned to Jiang Yanzhou. “Sister Jiang is so busy yet still accompanies you to film the show, she must be very tired. But with such a powerful sister to rely on, your career in the entertainment industry must be smooth sailing, right? You don’t have to worry about anything.”
Jiang Yanzhou: “…”
Jiang Zhiwu looked calmly towards the camera, her voice clear and firm. “Miss Huang, I must correct you. Everything Jiang Yanzhou has achieved today, from independent creation to winning the Golden Melody Award, is the result of his own hard work. When he stayed up all night rewriting songs in the studio, when he traveled for hours on old trains for promotions, when he was attacked by haters and hid in the practice room crying, I never interfered once.”
She paused and added seriously, “His achievements have nothing to do with me. They are entirely due to his own strength.”