Chapter 144: President Gao

An hour later, Lin Yuxin drove onto the highway, entering Nan City. After another twenty minutes, she arrived at the Shen family estate.

The Shen family residence was not located within Nan City proper, but rather in a sprawling suburban area where they had purchased land to build their own compound. The estate was several times larger than a typical city villa; in terms of family standing, it occupied a position somewhere between second-tier and quasi-first-tier status in Nan City.

Dropping Lin Yufei off at the main gate, Lin Yuxin made a U-turn and drove away.

"Hurry up and come out, I've arrived," Lin Yufei said. Watching the Mercedes disappear into the distance, she didn't bother knocking on the gate but instead made a phone call. Moments later, a man and a woman emerged from within. They were the children of Lin Yufei’s second uncle: Shen Mo and Shen Qing.

"Yufei, I heard from Auntie that your family has struck it rich!" Shen Qing, dressed in trendy attire with heavy makeup, exclaimed shrilly. She was half a year younger than Lin Yufei but had already been working for several years, running her own clothing store with decent success.

Knowing this was about that exorbitant restaurant bill, Lin Yufei laughed awkwardly. "Not at all, don't listen to Auntie's nonsense."

"Don't be so modest. Auntie said your sister commutes in a Bentley now, eats meals costing over a million, and pays with a diamond card," Shen Mo said with a cool expression. With his hair slicked back and a polished, oily appearance, he was a typical playboy.

Lin Yufei’s face flushed. Shen Qing smacked Shen Mo on the arm. "Enough, I'm starving, let's go eat." She then hooked her arm through Lin Yufei’s, acting as intimate as sisters. "Yufei, tonight I’ll take you out to see the real world..."

***

Elsewhere, the Mercedes had been driving for nearly half an hour before pulling up outside a restaurant called Ya Yuan.

"The people joining us tonight are from the group, along with a few important clients. I’ll be drinking, so you should hold back; you’ll need to drive later."

After stepping out of the car, Lin Yuxin finally mentioned the dinner guests. Hong Chen rolled his eyes. "So you brought me along just to be your designated driver."

Lin Yuxin shot him a cold look, not bothering to waste words, and started walking toward the entrance. Hong Chen hurried to catch up, scratching his head with a grin. "So, what’s my role tonight?"

"Whatever."

"Whatever"—the most headache-inducing word in the world.

Hong Chen hesitated for a moment before reaching out to wrap his arm around Lin Yuxin’s waist. She stiffened slightly; until now, their physical contact had been limited to holding hands, and this was an obvious step forward...

Lin Yuxin did not pull away. The two entered the restaurant in this intimate manner and, led by a waiter, arrived at Private Room Number Seven.

The room was decorated in a traditional, antique style. A round table sat in the center with four people already seated—three men and one woman. When Lin Yuxin arrived, everyone stood up to greet her with great enthusiasm.

After acquiring half of the Luo family’s assets, Gao Tianxiong had registered a new company and sent over a vice president to take charge, while other staff were transferred from the Hongcheng Group. Of these four people, one was a project director, and the other three were project managers.

Lin Feng Trading was a subsidiary of the group. With the philosophy of keeping resources within the family, they naturally prioritized projects they could handle internally; this was the directive from the vice president!

After greeting the four, Lin Yuxin introduced Hong Chen. Upon hearing he was Lin Yuxin’s husband and a driver for the group, the four exchanged glances, all wearing expressions of bewilderment.

Hong Chen, thinking his cover as a driver had been blown, gave a forced smile. "That was just during my internship; I don't work there anymore."

Rather than being exposed by someone else, he preferred to confess it himself. Since the founding of the Hongcheng Group, he had visited several times but had never worked a single day.

Lin Yuxin’s expression stiffened. She glanced at him sideways, and Hong Chen smiled at her. "Wife, I’ll explain later. I’ve found a new job."

These were merely pleasantries, and usually, no one would continue the topic. Lin Yuxin said nothing more, but a man wearing silver-rimmed glasses, who looked under forty, chimed in, "May I ask where you are employed now, Mr. Hong?"

Seeing the man’s smirk—he clearly wanted to see him make a fool of himself—Hong Chen replied coldly, "The Jiang Group."

The man was stunned for a second, then pressed further. "The Jiang Group is the largest listed company in our Qing City. What is your position there, Mr. Hong?"

Hong Chen frowned and answered, "Driver."

The man wore a look of sudden realization, saying "Oh," as a flicker of disdain crossed his eyes. The other three said nothing, nor did they engage in any further conversation with Hong Chen.

After a few brief pleasantries, the man in charge of project planning said, "Director Lin, the important partner we are expecting later will be here soon. We are each investing half to secure a 'village-in-the-city' project worth about one billion. According to the division of responsibilities, we handle construction, while they handle procurement and supplier recruitment. Therefore, if Lin Feng Trading wants to win this cooperation, it depends entirely on their intentions."

The implication was clear: the guest of honor tonight was the partner.

Lin Yuxin nodded. "Manager Wang, don't worry. I have done my homework and analyzed several potential competitors. Aside from not being a local enterprise, Lin Feng Trading’s advantages are quite clear."

Zhou Xiaoxia, the only woman among the four and the manager of the public relations department, added, "Director Lin, you’ll need to toast them a few more times later. The rules of the business world in Nan City are a bit different from Qing City. If the drinking isn't sufficient, they will think we lack sincerity."

She was dropping a hint, and Lin Yuxin understood perfectly. She smiled and gestured toward Hong Chen. "I’ve prepared for that. I brought my husband specifically so I could get drunk, knowing he’ll be here to drive us back. That puts my mind at ease."

It was a semi-joking remark, but the four, all seasoned professionals, understood the subtext.

As Lin Yuxin chatted with them, Hong Chen felt bored. Hearing that the guest wouldn't arrive for another fifteen minutes, he excused himself to go to the restroom for a breath of fresh air. To be honest, he had very little patience for such business-heavy dinners.

Once Hong Chen stepped out, Zhou Xiaoxia suddenly changed the subject. "Director Lin, I heard a rumor—is your marriage to your husband a contractual one?"

Lin Yuxin’s brows knit together. Before she could answer, Zhou Xiaoxia smiled and continued, "It’s being talked about everywhere in the group. They say your husband has been using your name to do quite a few things behind your back. I felt it necessary to give you a heads-up. You really should be careful; it’s not good for your personal reputation, and if something goes wrong, it could drag you down with him."

Lin Yuxin was stunned, her brows furrowing even deeper. She had only been the president of Lin Feng Trading for half a month. Internal personnel adjustments had just concluded, business operations hadn't fully kicked off, and her communication with the group was limited. Aside from a few mid-to-high-level executives in corresponding departments, she didn't know anyone else.

In such a situation, what could Hong Chen possibly be doing in her name?

Zhou Xiaoxia pondered for a moment before adding, "I don't know the specifics, and I don't want to spread gossip without facts. However, this matter has already caught the attention of Mr. Gao. It’s said that he is very dissatisfied. Before, your husband said he was a driver for the group and quit before his internship ended. I can tell you with certainty that he is lying. The group never hired him as a driver. The entire group only has three full-time drivers, all of whom are veteran employees."

Lin Yuxin’s pupils contracted slightly. There was only one "Mr. Gao" in the entire Hongcheng Group: the president, Gao Tianxiong. Unlike salaried presidents at other companies, Gao Tianxiong held absolute power within the group. Until now, Lin Yuxin hadn't even met him. If Gao Tianxiong was dissatisfied with someone, their future was effectively over.

Furthermore, she believed Zhou Xiaoxia’s revelation that the group had never hired him as a driver, as she herself had inquired and knew there were only three designated drivers.

"Director Lin, if I’ve overstepped, please don't mind me—just pretend I never said anything." Zhou Xiaoxia observed the heavy look on Lin Yuxin’s face, narrowed her eyes, and whispered, "If your marriage is indeed just a contract, I think it might be better to end it sooner rather than later, so it doesn't hinder your future."

Manager Wang seized the opportunity to jump in. "Exactly. Mr. Gao just returned from studying abroad—he’s an MBA graduate from a top-ten US university and the crown prince of our group. He is the actual decision-maker here in Nan City. He thinks very highly of your ability and talent, Director Lin. The fact that you could succeed as president of Lin Feng Trading and possess such a high degree of autonomy is all thanks to Mr. Gao’s support behind the scenes. Director Lin, you must not let him down."