Living in a county town, starting as a stock market maker...

The phone went dead, and Gu Ming froze on the spot.

The office was quiet.

Shen Guodong.

The name shattered the confidence he had gained from defeating Li Li and winning over Chen Mo.

he came.

It was faster and more direct than expected.

He said he'd invite me for tea, but it was all a trap.

He also said he wanted to talk about my future with his daughter.

He just wanted to give me a warning and tell me to stay away from Shen An'an.

You speak so politely; you're no wonder you're involved in the capital market.

Gu Ming let out a long breath.

The fatigue of the night disappeared, and he felt excited instead.

He doesn't like trouble.

But he is not afraid of challenges.

Of course I have to go.

He had no right to refuse.

But he couldn't act like a schoolboy being lectured, nor could he act like a trembling subject.

neither.

Gu Ming walked to the coat rack in the office.

He took off his casual jacket and threw it aside.

He glanced at the dress shirt and shook his head.

Being too formal will make you seem like you have a lower social status.

He glanced at the trendy hoodie again and shook his head once more.

Being too casual can make you seem unreliable.

Finally, his fingers stopped on a black cashmere sweater and a dark gray suit jacket.

This is it.

This shows that you value it, but you're not too nervous.

The message conveyed is: I respect you, but I am not afraid of you.

He changed his clothes and tidied himself up in front of the mirror.

The young man in the mirror had sharp eyes and a calm expression.

The night's exertion left no trace of fatigue on his face.

well.

Gu Ming picked up his phone and car keys and walked out of the office.

He drove to the Hegang International Hotel.

The hotel was still brightly lit late at night.

……

The top floor, the presidential suite.

The elevator doors slid open.

A man in his thirties, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, was waiting at the door with a smile on his face.

"Good evening, Mr. Gu Ming. Chairman Shen has been waiting for you for a long time."

Thank you for your trouble.

Gu Ming nodded and followed his assistant into the suite.

He smelled a woody aroma mixed with the scent of tea.

The suite is decorated in a traditional Chinese style, with mahogany furniture, porcelain on display shelves, and calligraphy and paintings on the walls.

The entire space was quiet, yet also very stressful.

He thought to himself, "This is quite a grand affair."

This incense is made of sinking agarwood, and this tea is also excellent.

Judging from this arrangement, Shen Guodong is a man with a strong desire for control and a lot of confidence.

He believed that no one could break the scheme he had set up.

As Gu Ming passed through the entrance hall, he saw Shen Guodong sitting in the main seat.

He was around fifty years old, dressed in a silk Tang suit, and was slowly arranging a set of purple clay teaware.

The movements are rhythmic: washing the cups, rinsing the teacups, and then placing the teapot in to brew.

He didn't look up at Gu Ming.

Gu Ming was not nervous.

He took the initiative to step forward, stopped three steps away from the tea table, smiled, and looked at the tea set.

"Chairman Shen has a refined taste."

He spoke.

"Judging from the aroma of this rock, it must be Da Hong Pao tea, right? It's very precious."

Shen Guodong paused for a moment while brewing the tea.

A few seconds later, he laughed.

"Hehe, young people these days are quite knowledgeable."

He gestured with his chin towards a mahogany round stool across the way.

"sit."

Gu Ming calmly took his seat.

Shen Guodong poured the first brew of tea onto the tea pet, then refilled the pot with water. After a moment, he lifted the teapot and pushed a cup of bright red tea toward Gu Ming.

"Try it."

He started chatting casually, his tone like that of a friendly older man showing concern for a younger person.

"An'an told me you're a local from Hegang? What do your parents do?"

He knew this was a test of his background and weaknesses.

Gu Ming picked up his teacup, but didn't drink it immediately. He just smelled the aroma of the tea and calmly replied, "My parents are both retired teachers who have worked diligently all their lives."

Shen Guodong nodded and then asked, "It must be tough running such a large operation all by yourself in Hegang, right? Starting a business is very hard work."

"Fortunately, young people aren't afraid of hardship."

In the several rounds of questioning, Gu Ming's answers were all very appropriate, without revealing any unnecessary information.

Shen Guodong looked at him and began to apply pressure.

"Xiao Gu, it's good that young people are energetic, but you also need to watch where you're going. Sometimes, if you walk too fast, you're likely to stumble."

The subtext of this statement is quite obvious.

He thought Shen Guodong meant: I know what you've done, don't try anything funny in front of me, everything about you is under my control.

Gu Ming smiled.

He picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"Thank you for your concern, Chairman Shen."

He looked directly at Shen Guodong without backing down.

"However, I believe that for someone like me, risk is never about missing a step."

He paused, then said, word by word:

Instead, they stopped.

"Once you stop, you can never get up again."

These words were a direct response.

What he wanted to express was:

I have no choice, and I am not afraid. Your threats are useless.

Shen Guodong's smile faded. He glanced at Gu Ming, seemingly surprised by his sharpness.

After several unsuccessful attempts to probe, he lost patience and spoke directly.

"An'an has been spoiled by us since she was little. She is simple-minded and easily trusts people."

He steered the conversation directly to the core issue.

"She admires you, Gu Ming. As her father, I'm both happy for her and worried about her."

Worry?

That word is used very well.

He understood what Shen Guodong meant: Kid, stay away from my daughter, think things through, and don't think about things you shouldn't.

Gu Ming seemed not to understand the meaning behind the words.

His face even showed sincerity and surprise.

"Chairman Shen, you flatter me."

"In my opinion, Miss Shen is very precious, but also easily hurt."

Gu Ming leaned forward slightly, and the aura between the two reached a balance.

"My relationship with Ms. Shen is purely a business partnership."

"My job is to use my professional skills to help her achieve her business goals and maximize the value of her company."

"As for her future personal development, or collaborations with others..."

Gu Ming leaned back in his chair, a smile on his face, and spoke his final words:

Ultimately, it depends on the other party's willingness and strength.

These words clearly defined his relationship with Shen An'an, dispelling any possibility of emotional entanglement.

At the same time, he threw the question back at him.

Who is the one with both the ability and the will?

Is she a potential marriage partner?

Are they other partners?

Or is it you, Shen Guodong, yourself?

Whoever it is, it has nothing to do with him.

He is only responsible for increasing value, not for the final ownership.

This was a good defense and a counterattack.

After saying this, Gu Ming did not wait for Shen Guodong's response.

He bowed slightly.

"The tea is very fragrant. Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Shen."

"I have other matters to attend to at the company, so I won't bother you any longer. I'll take my leave now."

He turned and walked towards the door.

Without waiting for Shen Guodong to ask them to leave, they took the initiative to end the meeting.

He demonstrated through his actions that his time was also valuable.

Shen Guodong, standing behind him, didn't utter a single word from beginning to end.

He just sat there, watching Gu Ming's departing figure, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

Only after the door was gently closed did he turn his gaze back to the cup of tea that Gu Ming had only taken a sip of.

The tea was still warm.

But the person who drank the tea had already left.

After a long while, he picked up the cup of tea, smelled it, and then sneered...