Zhao Pingchuan's exclusive interview was released online and in print at the same time, generating considerable buzz.
A photograph of the man in a suit appeared on the cover. His unadorned yet strikingly handsome face alone was enough to make the magazine a bestseller.
Hengtu's employees eagerly discussed the interview as they read it.
Lu Zhaozhao stared at the photograph and clicked her tongue in admiration. "With looks like our boss's, the company doesn't even need a spokesperson."
A female colleague she was close to chimed in, "Right? Honestly, the first time I saw President Zhao, I couldn't take my eyes off him. He even caught me staring. It was so embarrassing."
Lu Zhaozhao burst out laughing. "It's fine. At least President Zhao will remember you now."
After learning about President Zhao and Ji Ran's relationship that day, Lu Zhaozhao understood why Ji Ran had rejected her without hesitation despite not having a partner. He had been waiting for the right opportunity all along.
Lu Zhaozhao had long since made peace with it. Although she couldn't date Ji Ran, watching two handsome men fall in love was wonderful too! As long as she worked hard at Hengtu, she would have a front-row seat to the gossip.
Whenever Ji Ran came to the company, President Zhao was gentler than usual. The two seemed low-key, but whenever they had the chance, they were glued to each other. Sometimes, she even thought President Zhao was the clingier one.
In the president's office, Zhao Pingchuan was on the phone with Sheng Qingyun. After they finalized their next steps, Zhao Pingchuan said, "All right, I understand. We'll cooperate fully on our end."
A war against Gu Group quietly began.
Armed with its considerable capital advantage, Prosperous Age Venture Capital launched the first fierce attack. Working with several institutions, it had spent a long time accumulating Gu Group's publicly traded shares through hidden accounts. Once they had accumulated enough shares, they joined forces to short the stock, directly causing Gu's share price to hit its daily lower limit for three consecutive days. Billions were wiped off its market value, shareholders sold in a panic, and Gu's cash flow immediately came under pressure.
Immediately afterward, someone seized the opportunity to spread accurate negative news about declining profits in Gu's core business and abandoned overseas projects. The news triggered a market panic, and Gu's brand reputation plummeted.
Hengtu's task was to mount a concerted attack on Gu's related businesses. Drawing on his knowledge of Gu's operations, Zhao Pingchuan led his team in quickly launching an upgraded SaaS system tailored to Gu's core clients. With lower prices and more attentive service, they poached core clients from Gu's digital business in large numbers, cutting off its cash flow. It was a case of giving Gu a taste of its own medicine.
Meanwhile, Hengtu's core technical team identified security vulnerabilities and data compliance risks in Gu's systems. Together with several partners, they reported them to the regulators under their real names, forcing Gu to suspend its core business for rectification.
This war without gunfire had been planned for a long time. Its pace was swift, and every move was deadly.
Gu Xingye held the fort at Gu headquarters. He had to deal with the plunging share price and the cash-flow crisis while handling the regulatory investigation, reassuring panicked shareholders, and fending off Prosperous Age Venture Capital's financial assault. He was stretched thin and overwhelmed.
In the luxurious, cold villa, Jiang Jinyue sat by the window, gazing out at the exquisitely manicured courtyard. Only a bottomless desolation remained in his eyes.
Gu Xingye was deep in the business war and hadn't returned for several days. The watch over Jiang Jinyue had also grown much looser. The servant was only responsible for delivering his three meals on time and never said much.
Just as the sky began to darken, the servant brought dinner and knocked softly on the door, bringing Jiang Jinyue back to his senses.
He walked to the bed and opened a drawer. Inside was a pill bottle containing vitamins.
Jiang Jinyue unscrewed the bottle, poured out every pill, and swallowed them all in one go.
Late one sleepless night, he had looked at the pills the servant left by his bedside on schedule and secretly hidden them away.
After taking the pills, Jiang Jinyue lay quietly on the bed, a faint, expectant smile on his lips. At last, he wouldn't have to remain trapped here anymore.
Gu Xingye was meeting with several managers when the servant called to say that Young Master Jiang hadn't eaten dinner and hadn't responded to knocks on his door.
Gu Xingye frowned. What tantrum was Jiang Jinyue throwing now? A hunger strike?
He said impatiently, "If he won't eat, then let him be. Missing one meal isn't a big deal."
The servant meekly agreed and hung up, afraid of angering the fearsome man.
When the meeting ended, Gu Xingye recalled what the servant had said. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long breath, then picked up his keys and headed for the parking lot after all.
The secretary came in carrying coffee and asked in surprise, "Are you going out?"
Gu Xingye said, "I'm going home for a bit. Anything else can wait until tomorrow."
The secretary nodded respectfully, relieved. He could finally get some rest.
Gu Xingye returned to the villa, found the key, and unlocked the door. Silence greeted him.
He's asleep so early today? Gu Xingye thought.
He walked over and sat down by the bed. Jiang Jinyue wore a smile, but his face was still pale, and his breathing was so faint it was barely perceptible.
It had been a long time since Gu Xingye had seen Jiang Jinyue smile. A hint of tenderness rose in his heart. He gently stroked Jiang Jinyue's face and murmured, "Are you dreaming about something happy?"
Only the chirping of cicadas outside answered him.
Gu Xingye smiled. If only Jiang Jinyue could always be this well-behaved.
He was about to get up and take a shower when he caught sight of the pill bottle sitting alone on the bedside table. An inexplicable sense that something was wrong came over him.
He snatched up the bottle and examined it closely. It was the vitamin bottle, but what exactly was wrong?
He looked at the person sleeping on the bed, then at the bottle. In that instant, his mind went completely blank.
All his exhaustion, irritation, and scheming were instantly swallowed up by a towering wave of panic.
Like a cornered beast with its spine broken, he rushed over and shook Jiang Jinyue's body like a madman.
"Jiang Jinyue!" His voice was hoarse and broken, with a hysteria he had never shown before. His hands trembled violently, and he didn't even dare check whether Jiang Jinyue was breathing.
"Jiang Jinyue, wake up!"
"How dare you die?! Jiang Jinyue, I won't let you die!"
He fumbled for his phone, his fingers shaking so badly with fear that he couldn't even enter the passcode correctly. When he finally got through, he roared at the butler to call a doctor immediately.
Scalding tears fell onto Jiang Jinyue's cheek. President Gu, who had always stood above others and held everything in his grasp, was now like a completely helpless child. He whispered in Jiang Jinyue's ear over and over, his voice full of desperate pleading. "I was wrong... I was wrong. I'll never keep you under house arrest again... Please wake up, all right? A-Yue, don't leave me... Please, don't leave me..."
An ambulance siren rang shrilly through the villa district late at night, shattering the silence. Jiang Jinyue was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. Gu Xingye stayed outside the emergency room, never leaving his post as he paced back and forth in the corridor. The obsession in his eyes had long since been replaced by utter fear.
He clutched his head in his hands, looking like a madman, repeating Jiang Jinyue's name under his breath. Every breath brought him agonizing pain.
At Hengtu Technology, a few offices still had their lights on. Zhao Pingchuan stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking calmly at the news on his computer about Gu's plummeting share price and the emergency trading suspension.
Suddenly, someone pushed open the door, and Ji Ran's voice rang out. "Brother, how are things?"
Before Zhao Pingchuan could speak, the corners of his mouth lifted. "Everything is under control."
After this, Gu Group would surely suffer a severe blow, which would also give Hengtu room to grow.
He held out his arms to Ji Ran, who smiled and walked over. Ji Ran straddled his lap, facing him, and wrapped his arms around his neck.
Ji Ran leaned in and brushed his nose against the tip of Zhao Pingchuan's.
He was like a little animal. The nuzzle made Zhao Pingchuan's heart itch, and he promptly claimed Ji Ran's lips.
Zhao Pingchuan's kisses were always forceful yet gentle. Ji Ran's whole body grew hot from the kiss, and when they finally parted, his breathing was somewhat hurried.
Zhao Pingchuan looked at his flushed cheeks and chuckled. "How are you so cute?"
Ji Ran's face grew even redder. His brother was the one playing unfair!
The way they addressed each other hadn't changed after they got together. In Ji Ran's heart, Zhao Pingchuan was both the older brother he respected and the lover closest to him; the two didn't conflict. Besides, every time he called Zhao Pingchuan "brother," he felt a close bond that went beyond that of an ordinary couple. He liked calling him that.
Zhao Pingchuan glanced at the time. It was already the middle of the night. He asked Ji Ran, "Don't you have work tomorrow?"
Ji Ran shook his head. "I have the day off, so I can keep you company."
Zhao Pingchuan ruffled his hair. "Staying up late isn't good for you. Get some sleep in the rest room."
His current office had a fairly large rest room with a 1.5-meter-wide bed, enough for both of them.
Ji Ran nodded. He was indeed a little sleepy after staying up this late, and now that the situation was stable, there was no need to wait around.
The two lay down in the same bed and fell asleep in each other's arms.