Lu Zhengzhi was startled. So he really was a bodyguard, just as Fu Quan had guessed. His observational skills were really something else.
“Do you think she’s prettier, or are the local girls prettier?” Lu Zhengzhi asked, curious.
“I haven’t seen her in person for two or three years now, but based on how she was before, I’d say each has her own unique charm.”
“Without that crazy woman Ye Shishi around, life is as bland as unseasoned porridge.” Lu Zhengzhi thought back to the fun times before and actually kind of missed her. That woman was even bolder than he was. Too bad her family had “exiled” her overseas for some “re-education.”
Fu Quan adjusted his glasses and chuckled softly. “But compared to Master Bai, they’re still lacking something.”
“Master Bai? What do you mean? Master Bai is a woman?!” Lu Zhengzhi gasped. In their circles, only the legends of Master Bai were told, but very few had ever seen Master Bai’s true face. Their identity was extremely well hidden.
“No proof, but I’m about ninety percent sure.”
“Don’t leave me hanging. Tell me, did you see something?” Lu Zhengzhi was incredibly curious. The name of Master Bai was truly formidable – someone who could make a whole company vanish with a snap of their fingers, launch a trade war with a single command, and make foreigners come to apologize in person. A true legendary figure.
“Half a year ago, a special guest came to my house. This woman had an unmatched, elegant beauty. Time hadn’t left a mark on her; instead, it had settled into a unique, deep charm within her. That kind of aura wasn’t something the eldest Miss Gu or Ye Shishi could compare to. Maybe when they reach the peak, they might acquire a similar charm.”
Lu Zhengzhi looked at his good friend incredulously. This was the first time he’d ever heard him praise a woman like that. Looking at him now, he seemed like a little fanboy.
“Just because she’s good-looking, you think she’s Master Bai?” Lu Zhengzhi asked.
“That’s only one aspect. My father treated her exceptionally well. You know my dad’s personality – he hardly smiles all year long. But that day, he was constantly smiling along with her. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was bowing and scraping. And the very next day, my dad landed a huge project.”
“For someone to make my dad act like that, in the entire city of Longhai, only Master Bai could do it. Even someone from the Gu Group wouldn’t make my dad behave like that.”
Listening to Fu Quan, Lu Zhengzhi had to admit it made sense. In his memory, he’d never seen Fu Quan’s father smile.
“But that can’t be right. We’ve heard stories about Master Bai since we were kids. That’s practically our grandfathers’ generation. How could it be a woman of unparalleled elegance?”
Fu Quan picked up his water glass again, finishing it in one go this time: “Exactly. So I think ‘Master Bai’ is just a title, not a specific person. That woman might be a descendant of the original Master Bai, just inheriting the title.”
Lu Zhengzhi frowned deeply. Fu Quan was so smart; he probably wasn’t wrong. But if he was right, then the great Master Bai was actually a woman with a heavenly, fairy-like appearance. It really made you want to see their true face for yourself.
“I’m just guessing. Don’t go spreading this around. This kind of thing is no joke.” Fu Quan still gave a word of caution. He hadn’t really wanted to say anything, afraid of rumors spreading. Master Bai wasn’t someone who played nice.
Lu Zhengzhi nodded. “Don’t worry, I understand that much.”
With that, he looked over at Gu Wan’er. Fu Yangxue was busy introducing her to some wealthy second-generation heirs.
“That Fu Yangxue is such a kiss-up. I bet he’ll end up with nothing in the end.”
Fu Quan took off his glasses and pulled out a special cloth to clean them. “As much as he sucks up, Fu Yangxue is actually licking the right boots this time. The eldest Miss Gu needs to build connections now. She’s new to Longhai City, with problems both inside and outside her family.”
“Yeah, that’s true. The Gu family branch here doesn’t listen to her at all. It’s all Gu Xiao and those two guys. They’ve made a fortune over the years.” Lu Zhengzhi sounded annoyed. Those two had cut into his profits, costing him a lot of money, and he was definitely not happy about it.
“From what I know, ever since the eldest Miss Gu took over, those two haven’t even set foot in the company. They completely ignore her. Someone’s probably backing them up to act like that. It’s all scheming and backstabbing inside the Gu family.”
Lu Zhengzhi curled his lip. “In such a huge conglomerate, how could things ever be peaceful? Even my own younger cousins were almost at each other’s throats, fighting over a single position.”
“Ah… If you don’t fight or snatch, life is easy and stress-free.”
“Hey, Fu Quan, aren’t you going to fight for your family’s business assets? We’re talking tens of billions, brother. Just hand them over to some outsiders?”
Fu Quan picked up a plate, took a egg tart, and smiled. “Sometimes, I wish my dad would go bankrupt.”
Lu Zhengzhi paused and didn’t press further. Back when Fu Quan’s mother was critically ill, his father was out negotiating business deals. He didn’t come back until the third day after she died. Since then, Fu Quan had been very cold towards his father.
Meanwhile, under Fu Yangxue’s guidance, Yu Xiaoduo was meeting the rich second-generation heirs in the circle. Don’t underestimate these people – they held positions in their family companies too; they weren’t just there to eat, drink, and have fun.
Rather than saying he was getting to know them, it was more like he was doing it for Gu Wan’er behind him. Even though she hadn’t said much, she was definitely memorizing these people’s names. That was one of the goals for coming today – better to have more friends than more enemies.
Gu Wan’er’s thoughts were exactly as Yu Xiaoduo had imagined. It seemed she understood his intentions. At least the guy had some conscience.
Soon, the two of them arrived in front of Lu Zhengzhi and Fu Quan. When Fu Yangxue announced their names, Gu Wan’er had some recollection. These two men held significant status in the circle, especially this Lu Zhengzhi.
“Miss Gu, I’ve long admired your reputation. Now that I finally meet you, you’re absolutely radiant. I’m completely smitten,” Lu Zhengzhi said, extending his hand with a smile.
Gu Wan’er didn’t like such frivolous greetings. But Yu Xiaoduo was different – he seemed much more comfortable to her than Fu Yangxue.
Fu Yangxue, however, was very unhappy. How dare he flirt with my woman? Does he think I have no backbone?
What Fu Yangxue didn’t expect was that Gu Wan’er didn’t get angry. She even smiled! She hadn’t smiled at him once.
When Yu Xiaoduo entered, he’d noticed these two standing off by themselves. Either they were isolated because they had no influence, or they were just too powerful. Judging by the fact that even Fu Yangxue didn’t dare get angry at them, it was safe to conclude they were the latter – the powerful ones.
Yu Xiaoduo extended his fair, slender hand, lightly touched Lu Zhengzhi’s, and smiled. “Mr. Lu, you’re really quite handsome. I bet a lot of girls like you, don’t they?”
Lu Zhengzhi was instantly stunned. He never expected the eldest Miss Gu to be so easy to talk to. And she complimented his looks! He immediately felt a bit full of himself.
Gu Wan’er frowned slightly. Yu Xiaoduo had been acting fairly normal just a moment ago. Why was he starting to veer off into strange territory now that they were talking to these guys?
Fu Quan, standing nearby, was also a bit curious. He’d heard that the eldest Miss Gu had a cold, aloof personality. But judging by her behavior today, she didn’t seem like someone aloof at all.
