The wealthy CEO, like a rose with thorns

With a beauty before him, Su Bai was naturally in a good mood. He lazily shrugged, leaned back slightly, smiled, and said softly, "How about you and I work together to develop new energy vehicles?"

Zhang Yanran was clearly on her way to some sort of banquet, so Su Bai did not intend to exchange pleasantries. He got straight to the point.

His visit today was for the partnership he had mentioned before.

But as soon as he said that, an unintentional smirk crossed Zhang Yanran's face. Her dark, lustrous eyes lifted slightly as she looked Su Bai up and down.

Su Bai, Jiangnan's famously frivolous young master who knew nothing but eating, drinking, and having fun, was now here to talk to her about a joint venture?

What a joke!

Had Su Bai not understood that her refusal to agree last time had already been a polite rejection?

"Young Master Su, if you're here for amusement, you should go fool my useless little brother instead. Cooperation isn't something you can decide on your own."

Suppressing the sneer in her heart, Zhang Yanran lowered her gaze. Her icy eyes swept over him, and her words carried a trace of disdain...

Developing new energy vehicles would require at least five billion in investment, with ten billion not even being the upper limit. Where did Su Bai get the confidence to boast like this?

Did he think he could get carried away just because he had once trampled Xiao Fan underfoot?

In Zhang Yanran's eyes, Su Bai was nothing more than an incapable rich second-generation heir. He simply could not represent the Su Household...

Especially seeing Su Bai's assured expression, Zhang Yanran could not help feeling that he had merely found an excuse to flirt with her. And she had actually come to meet him. What a waste of time.

With that in mind, Zhang Yanran immediately prepared to rise and leave. Better to let her foolish little brother keep Su Bai company.

"Miss Zhang, who said this was my decision alone?" Su Bai narrowed his eyes at Zhang Yanran and spoke leisurely, without the slightest hurry.

He then reached into his pocket, took out his phone, unlocked it, and placed it on the crystal glass table before them. Smiling mysteriously, he spread his hands and continued, "One billion. Just a small gesture. I've used it all to buy Xiao Group stock."

One billion?

He had used it all to purchase Xiao Group shares! That was no small amount!

In an instant, Zhang Yanran, who had been about to leave, froze in place. Her pupils contracted sharply as she turned sideways, bent down slightly, and looked at the screen. Everything was exactly as Su Bai had said, and her heart began pounding uncontrollably...

"Whoosh!"

In the next instant, she abruptly raised her head. Her eyes, sharp enough to see through a person's heart, fixed tightly on Su Bai. Countless doubts filled her mind. She simply could not understand how Su Bai could mobilize so much money. Was he not afraid of squandering it all in the blink of an eye?

Had Old Master Su gone senile?

Surprised though she was, Zhang Yanran now saw that Su Bai could represent the Su Household, and a trace of respect rose in her heart. She slowly smoothed her long black dress behind her and sat down again. Yet the contempt in her eyes had faded, replaced by gravity and curiosity...

Now she wanted to see what Su Bai could possibly say to convince her.

Seeing Zhang Yanran settle back into her seat, Su Bai's lips curled into a faint smile. He leisurely crossed one leg over the other and spoke in a low, tempting voice, "Now that new energy is on the rise, traditional automobiles will inevitably come under pressure!"

"Don't you want to follow the tides of the times and move forward, Miss Zhang? The first person to eat crab always faces danger, but if you're too slow, the Xiao Household will eat all the crab. Then the Zhang Household's situation will be... tsk, tsk, tsk!"

As he spoke, Su Bai shook his head unconsciously in regret, as though he deeply cared about the entire Zhang Household. This immediately earned him a sharp glare from Zhang Yanran.

Su Bai was completely unafraid and met her gaze with a brilliant smile. Instead, Zhang Yanran found herself growing uncertain...

How could she not understand Su Bai's words? If the Xiao Household rode this wild wave of new energy straight to the top, the Zhang Household's future situation would surely become extremely difficult.

But if they poured a huge amount of money into new energy vehicles now and fought for the leading position, even if she had prepared long ago, could she really surpass the years of effort Xiao Fan had invested?

If they failed, tens of billions would vanish into nothing. Such an enormous sunk cost left even Zhang Yanran, a decisive heiress CEO, unable to make a decision...

Ambitious, yet hesitant!

But then, as she looked at Su Bai, who could represent the Su Household, her eyes suddenly lit up. A flower-like smile bloomed on her lips as her alluring eyes fixed on him. Her slender, fair fingers turned lightly, and she said in a composed voice, "Young Master Su certainly has a silver tongue. You've nearly persuaded me."

"But why should the Zhang Household cooperate with you? To be honest, Young Master Su, I have a new energy research team under my command. But what do you have?"

For cooperation to be mutually beneficial, they needed either talent or capital, didn't they?

After speaking, Zhang Yanran crossed her legs again, adding a touch of life to the silent living room as she looked at Su Bai with great interest.

Only now did she realize that Su Bai was not the wastrel everyone believed him to be. He actually had some ability. Still, he was far too green. Her years of experience as a CEO had allowed her to seize the initiative at once.

"Huh?"

This woman is interesting!

How could Su Bai fail to understand such obvious words? He immediately grasped her meaning. His brows rose slightly as he looked Zhang Yanran up and down once more.

As expected of a heroine blessed by fate. She truly was like a black rose covered in thorns!

Though she wanted to cooperate, she feared the risks and wanted the Su Household to be the fool who bore them all. They would provide the people, while she provided no money. Tsk, tsk, tsk...

Having seen through her at a glance, Su Bai could not help shaking his head. Yet he did not care in the slightest, because money was what he lacked least now.

As for talent?

Once they joined this young master's company, under an endless barrage of money, how many of them would remain loyal elsewhere? Would they not all become his eventually?

It seemed the Zhang Household's eldest daughter was too confident and had not taken him seriously. Still, that was fine. It would make it easier for him to act in secret.

"Money! I have plenty of money!" With that thought, Su Bai gave a dazzling smile and spread his hands, speaking with the extravagant confidence of a typical rich second-generation heir.

The instant those words fell, Zhang Yanran smiled as well. Her eyes curved slightly as she looked at the easily fooled Su Bai before her, feeling that all was peaceful and well.

The great weight in her heart finally settled.

"Someone, bring two glasses of red wine!" Looking at the beauty smiling before him, Su Bai stretched out his hand, snapped his fingers, and called out loudly.

In the blink of an eye, the butler brought over two glasses of red wine as vivid as blood and respectfully placed them before Su Bai...

"Beautiful, happy cooperation."

Su Bai picked up a wineglass from the table and gently swirled it. Through the blood-red wine, he looked at the gorgeous beauty before him with a bewitching smile. He slowly rose, leaned toward her, and held the glass out to Zhang Yanran.

Zhang Yanran accepted it casually. Looking at the Su Household's eldest young master, as innocent as a blank sheet of paper, she immediately raised her glass and said in a soft, seductive voice, "Young Master Su, happy cooperation!"

With the Su Household testing the waters while she sat back and reaped the benefits, what was there not to like?

"Clink!"

Their wineglasses touched lightly, producing a crisp chime. Su Bai drained his glass in one gulp, and the smile on his lips deepened...

My clever and charming heiress CEO, have you ever heard of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it?