After focusing intently on a news segment, Lin Su turned her attention to Chen Qing, who had just sat down on the adjacent sofa with two of the female bodyguards. The three women were quietly discussing something, and Chen Qing was occasionally jotting down notes in a small notebook. Listening in, Lin Su realized they were planning a shopping trip for the next day and were currently making a shopping list.
Noticing Lin Su's gaze, Chen Qing smiled and asked in English, "Lin, would you like to join us tomorrow?"
Lin Su shook her head.
She felt slightly irritated that Chen Qing was speaking to her in English, but after glancing at the two women sitting with her, Lin Su understood that Chen Qing probably didn't want to confuse them by switching languages.
It was a reasonable explanation.
The villa was fully stocked with all kinds of daily necessities, and they had even been provided with several sets of clothes in advance. Lin Su didn't see the need to buy anything extra. She came from a well-off family but wasn't someone who liked to spend money recklessly.
She recalled her earlier thought when she received the credit card at lunch.
However, she now realized it wasn't the right time.
They had just arrived in the USA, and if she suddenly sent a large amount of money back home, it might arouse suspicion or even worry her parents.
So, she decided to hold off.
After chatting for a while, the two bodyguards, Catherine Elgar and Pamela Winsor, got up and left. Chen Qing carefully reviewed the shopping list in her notebook, then casually pulled out a thick file from beside her, opened it on her lap, and began reading through the documents inside.
At first, Lin Su thought Chen Qing was reviewing the contracts they had signed earlier that morning. But after glancing over, she realized it wasn't the case. She asked in Chinese, "Chen Qing, what are you reading?"
Chen Qing smoothly switched to Chinese and replied, "These are some materials Miss Dunn left behind when she left. Simon wants us to read through them privately as soon as possible."
Lin Su raised an eyebrow. "Us?"
"Yes."
Lin Su's tone showed her displeasure. "Where's mine?"
Chen Qing, seemingly oblivious to Lin Su's annoyance, replied, "There's only one copy, but I remember there's a printer in the study next door. I can make you a copy after dinner if you want."
Lin Su couldn't help but ask, "If I hadn't noticed, were you planning not to show it to me?"
"Of course not. I was going to give it to you after I finished," Chen Qing said, glancing at Lin Su. "You've seemed out of it all day, so I figured you weren't interested in this stuff."
Suddenly, Lin Su stood up, walked over, and reached out her hand. "Give it to me."
Chen Qing pouted, rifled through the documents for a moment, and handed over a section. Lin Su took it but wasn't satisfied. "I want half."
"Why are you acting like a little girl?"
"Who are you calling a little girl?"
"Hear that? That kind of retort—I only heard it often back in kindergarten."
"I want half!"
"I won't give it to you. You'll have to take it by force."
Lin Su didn't try to grab it. Instead, for some reason, all the frustrations she had bottled up recently suddenly erupted. She stood there, and soon tears started streaming down her face.
Chen Qing was speechless and quickly handed over half of the documents. "Alright, alright, you win."
Lin Su took the documents, feeling a bit embarrassed, and quickly left the room, clutching the papers.
Chen Qing watched Lin Su leave, shrugged in a very Western manner, and went back to reading the document she had been reviewing earlier.
It was information about some investment projects the Westeros system was planning in China.
Chen Qing had already skimmed through it. The projects were mostly in the ordinary food and daily chemical sectors, and none were particularly large in scale. The Westeros system clearly avoided more core or sensitive industries in China, such as entertainment and steel. The man had obviously made some careful selections.
The man had given her two years.
The projects in her hands were clearly a test. She needed to achieve results within two years that would satisfy him in order to advance further.
With that in mind, Chen Qing quickly dismissed the small incident with Lin Su and focused on the information in front of her. One of the documents was about a meat processing company located inland, called Shuanghui.
The document was very detailed, though it wasn't clear how the information had been gathered.
At the end of the document was a series of questions: How would you evaluate this company? What would be the most appropriate way to invest in this company? How could this company be developed into a nationwide large-scale enterprise group?
So many questions.
Although Chen Qing's major in university had been English, she didn't feel flustered or at a loss when faced with these questions, even though she didn't have many ideas at the moment.
Few of the entrepreneurs who had emerged after China's reform and opening-up were "professionals" in their fields.
At least she had a master's degree.
Moreover, she was now on a platform provided by Simon Westeros.
If she didn't know something, she would learn it.
Even if she didn't have enough time, she thought about the services of people like Catherine Elgar, and the solution seemed simple—hire experts.
Also, when Simon Westeros had mentioned her pursuing an MBA, Chen Qing had taken it seriously and researched it in recent days. It would indeed be very helpful for her future. She wasn't sure how the man planned to arrange it, but she could certainly start by buying some relevant books tomorrow.
With that in mind, Chen Qing pulled out her notebook again and quickly jotted down this task.
After putting away the notebook, she continued reading the documents for a while until Lily Favell came over to inform her that dinner was ready. Chen Qing got up and left the living room for the dining room, where she found no sign of Lin Su.
Sitting alone at the table, she hesitated for a moment but then decided to wait patiently. Finally, Lin Su, with slightly red eyes, arrived at the dining room. The table in the dining room was a rectangular shape, more than two meters long. Chen Qing sat in the center on one side, and when Lin Su arrived, she deliberately sat far away on the other side, clearly wanting to avoid her.
Chen Qing didn't mind and dismissed Lily and Christina before picking up her utensils.
The dinner was exquisite.
Herb-crusted lamb chops, vegetable salad, salmon egg rolls, cream of mushroom soup, and black pepper beef pasta as the main course.
The portions were small—enough to satisfy hunger without worrying about gaining weight.
Lily Favell had carefully selected the dishes after discussing the dinner menu with Chen Qing and their two personal assistants. Lily and Christina had clearly been trained well. A while ago, a certain man had mentioned that Western cuisine and Chinese cuisine were not comparable, but Chen Qing found it quite enjoyable and had no trouble using a knife and fork.
Since Lin Su had said she didn't mind what was served for dinner, her meal was the same as Chen Qing's.
The two women ate in silence for a while before Chen Qing broke the silence. "Do you know what Mr. Westeros has planned for me?"
Lin Su didn't respond but subtly indicated that she was listening.
Chen Qing continued, "Mr. Westeros told me he's giving me two years. If I can't achieve results that satisfy him within two years, I'll be on my own."
Lin Su paused.
That detestable man hadn't said anything like that to her.
Chen Qing quickly added, "Mr. Westeros didn't mention anything about what he expects from you, did he?"
Lin Su didn't respond, but her expression gave away the answer.
Chen Qing smiled and said, "So, you're nothing."
Lin Su immediately glared at Chen Qing.
Chen Qing met Lin Su's gaze and, slightly intensifying her tone, slowly said, "Maybe you think highly of yourself—coming from a government family, having a PhD, starting your career with a middle-level official position. It's been smooth sailing for you, something a girl like me from a working-class family couldn't even dream of. When I started high school, my father chose early retirement to give his position to my brother. He was only 42, which was practically being laid off. My mother's factory also closed the year before I got into college, so she was laid off too."
Lin Su didn't understand why Chen Qing was suddenly talking about this, but her expression softened slightly.
However, Chen Qing didn't seem to appreciate the gesture, as she continued in the same measured tone, "I had planned to stop studying, but my parents and brother insisted, so I took the college entrance exam. But I didn't burden them. From my second year of undergrad to my master's degree, all my expenses came from student loans, scholarships, and part-time jobs. So, I look down on those so-called poor students who burden their parents to the point of selling blood to pay for college. They may seem pitiful and inspiring on the surface, but deep down, they're just a bunch of scoundrels. So, I say, compared to me, you, a 30-year-old woman who's supposedly accomplished but still cries at the drop of a hat, are nothing."
Lin Su remained silent.
Chen Qing continued, "And in front of Mr. Westeros, you're nothing. His expectations for me are clear—if I fail, I'm out. As for you, do you know what you are?"
Lin Su felt an
overwhelming urge to flee.
But Chen Qing didn't give her the chance to escape and quickly added, "It's like someone sees a stray cat on the side of the road, thinks it looks cute, picks it up, and brings it home. They might forget about it in no time."
"Shut up."
"I'm not done yet, so how can I shut up?" Chen Qing sneered and continued, "You're not as important as you think. Even if you suddenly ran back to China, Mr. Westeros might just laugh and not care at all."
Lin Su slammed her utensils down on the table and stood up abruptly.
Chen Qing looked up at her and said, "What? Are you going to run away and hide in your cat bed and cry?"
Lin Su glared at Chen Qing. "Do you think I'm afraid to fight you?"
"Oh, you wouldn't win. I was the 5,000-meter women's long-distance running champion for several years in school. You'd probably start gasping for breath after a thousand meters."
The two women stared at each other for a moment before Lin Su slumped back into her chair. She sniffled and tried to hold back her tears, but they still fell.
Chen Qing ignored her and calmly continued her meal. After a while, she said, "Those documents earlier are Mr. Westeros' test for me. I'm willing to let you share in it."
Lin Su hesitated, wanting to argue but ultimately gave up.
Chen Qing said, "I'll pick a few projects and focus on doing them well over the next two years. But I can't handle it all alone. Although I don't really want to work with you, since we're both Chinese in America, you're the most suitable partner."
"I don't want to work with you."
"Then what do you plan to do?"
"I'll do it on my own."
"And how will you do that? By crying all the time?"
Lin Su couldn't hold back any longer and threw her spoon at Chen Qing.
Chen Qing easily dodged it by slightly moving to the side, listening to the dull clatter as the spoon hit something behind her. She said, "Listen to that. It's solid silver. Silver itself isn't expensive, but silver utensils and jewelry are. I bet the silverware in this mansion is even more expensive."
"I'll pay for it."
"Pay for what? When a house cat breaks a cup or a plate, does the owner grab it by the neck and demand compensation?"
Lin Su seemed to feel emboldened by this and threw her fork next.
Chen Qing dodged it again and returned to the earlier topic. "You can't handle this alone. You'll have to work with me. This was likely Mr. Westeros' intention. Otherwise, Miss Dunn wouldn't have left only one copy of the documents but said it was for both of us."
Lin Su, noticing she was no longer being called a cat, stopped throwing things. Her tone softened slightly, but she still insisted, "I don't want to work with you."
"Afraid I'll take all the credit?"
Lin Su didn't respond.
"If we work together, I'll be the one leading. No matter what, I'll get more credit than you, so there's no need for me to steal it."
"Then you go ahead and lead on your own."
"That's certainly an option, but it will take more time. On the other hand, if you go it alone, even if Mr. Westeros agrees, with your personality, you'll likely mess it up. Then you'll just go back to being a crybaby house cat."
"Don't call me that."
"Fine. So, have we reached an agreement?"
"No."
"Whatever."
"Don't think I don't know why you want to work with me."
"Oh?"
"You could assemble your own team, but good luck building a network of political connections in China."
"That's just a matter of time."
"Too bad you don't have that much time. My parents may not be high-ranking officials, but we know a lot of people. China is a country where official rank matters. Whether you have government backing and connections will make all the difference."
"So, you're not as dumb as I thought."
"You're the dumb one."
"Stop saying things that make you sound like you're ten years old. It's childish."
"You're childish."
"Fine."
They fell into silence again.
Neither spoke another word to the other until dinner ended.
However, after dinner, the two women, as if by tacit agreement, began reviewing the documents together. Due to the time difference, they stayed up until well past 2 a.m. before finally feeling sleepy. Before resting, after some not-so-enthusiastic discussion, they decided on their first target: the inland meat processing company called Shuanghui.
After all, they had traveled a long way and didn't have the luxury of a private jet like Simon, so they had accumulated a lot of fatigue.
As a result, they didn't wake up the next day until almost noon.
When Lin Su found Chen Qing downstairs, it was clear she had just gotten up as well and was on the phone in the living room.
After listening for a bit, Lin Su realized the person on the other end of the call was Isabelle Dunn. When Chen Qing hung up, Lin Su asked, "Is Simon Westeros going to see us?"
"No," Chen Qing shook her head and explained, "I called her, but Isabelle said Mr. Westeros is very busy."
Lin Su wasn't sure if she felt disappointed or relieved, so she casually remarked, "Isn't today the weekend?"
"So what? The Westeros system is so big; there's always something to do," Chen Qing said, pointing to the TV, which was now tuned to CNN. The topic on the screen was still the midterm elections. "Besides, I think Mr. Westeros is probably focused on this right now."
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