Chapter 150

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Main Character:

Shen Yao

The room door opened and closed again; of the two brothers who had originally been conversing in the same space, only Gu Jingrun remained.

Leaning back to fall onto the soft bed beneath him, Gu Jingrun clasped his hands behind his head.

Closing his eyes and refusing to think about the increasingly open power struggles within his family, he decided to sleep first and worry about it later.

The room was luxurious and fully equipped, and the staff, knowing their identities, dared not come to disturb them at will.

Gu Jingrun rested well; after waking up from a nap, it was already dark outside.

After calling room service for dinner, Gu Jingrun ate it himself, then turned and went out to knock on Gu Mengyan's room door.

The person left behind told him Gu Mengyan was not there, so Gu Jingrun knew he had unfinished official business.

Forget it; he'd rather go back to his room and keep lying down.

Gu Jingrun turned and left, not wanting to hear the person left behind mention that someone had delivered an invitation to visit that afternoon.

Gu Jingrun:...

Taking the invitation, which was no bigger than a palm, Gu Jingrun saw the two names written on it.

Li Jiazhi, Zhou Hongda

Gu Jingrun was not familiar with these two men, but he was more familiar with their sons, Li Xing'an and Zhou Wenqi.

They had caused some minor trouble in Yingzhong involving the Gu Family, with the Su Family and Jin Family also entangled in it.

To quell the trouble, they had no choice but to be forced to transfer schools to Beijun, unable to even stay in Yingzhong.

Tsk tsk tsk

"Take it. Wait for Eldest Young Master to return and hand it to him; this matter need not trouble Father."

The Li Family is not close to Grandmother—they are merely cousins; the troublesome one is the Zhou Family, who can be considered his close maternal cousins.

Compared to Eldest Young Master, who has a good relationship with the Zhou Family, he naturally could not hand the invitation over to the Smiling Tiger, Second Young Master.

"Yes."

The invitation was reorganized and put away, and Gu Jingrun returned to his room to rest again.

"Third Young Master, if you have nothing to do, come out with me for a trip."

Gu Jingxing appeared in Gu Jingrun's room, and after speaking, he left directly.

Gu Jingrun:... Can he say he has something to do?

Gu Jingrun was speechless, thinking to himself that he didn't know what ailment these two elder brothers of his had contracted; neither their speech nor their actions were like normal people's.

If the Gu Group were truly handed over to either of these two, it would surely be doomed.

But what does that have to do with me? There are so many people eyeing the Gu Group covetously inside and out.

Changing into a set of simple, low-key, refreshing clothes, Gu Jingrun got into Gu Jingxing's car.

"Do you know where Gu Jingzhi went?"

The driver in front was driving, and Gu Jingxing, sitting in the back, spoke to ask.

Gu Jingrun shook his head. "Second Young Master didn't say; he should be going to see friends."

The personalities of Gu Jingxing and Gu Jingzhi could be described as diametrically opposed.

Gu Jingxing is low-key and reserved, with no friends around him; Gu Jingzhi is high-key and outgoing, with friends all around him (fair-weather friends).

Gu Jingrun stayed at the hotel for three days; aside from seeing Gu Jingzhi on the first day, he had no further news.

Obviously, Gu Jingxing also knew Gu Jingzhi's character; a playful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. "Father has already hinted that the business here will be handed to him," but this person was still restless and still liked to compete with him directly.

Looking down at his own clasped hands, Gu Jingxing then mentioned the places Gu Jingzhi would likely go recently.

Gu Jingrun's entire body stiffened, and in the end, he could only say one sentence: "Eldest Young Master, I understand."

Gu Jingxing looked out the window. "Third Young Master, you have always been the most well-behaved and sensible child in the family."

"Eldest Young Master hopes you understand that some things do not yield results just because they are done."

"Second Brother and Little Four are too much of a headache; when we return, Father will definitely speak about it."

Gu Jingrun was silent for a long while, then finally spoke: "Eldest Young Master, rest assured, I understand very well."

When one's strength is weak and unable to confront it head-on, one must absolutely not expose one's ambition.

In the Gu Family, aside from the rule that biological brothers cannot deal fatal blows to each other, which must be observed by direct-line members, all other acts of striving within reasonable bounds can be seen as opportunities to demonstrate one's capability.

The Gu Family encourages internal strife, and even the elders will actively provoke internal strife.

The reason is that only with internal drive can there be progress, and only then can the Gu Group rise to a higher level.

Though he was not without annoyance toward Gu Jingxing in his heart, Gu Jingrun knew well that he was currently no match for him.

Endure, lie low in silence, and wait for the opportunity.

A low-key black sedan drove past Shen Yao's eyes; Shen Yao gazed around with an indifferent look. "The younger generation of the Gu Family has appeared."

It flashed by before her eyes, but unfortunately, neither party knew the other.

The system didn't understand. "Host, you came out today just to wait for this?"

What's there to see? It's just an expensive car.

Moreover, the car windows were covered with anti-transparent film, so Shen Yao couldn't see who was sitting inside at all.

Shen Yao said nothing, strolled across the street, and casually found a shady corner to sit down.

"Not only that; look across the street at the person who just came out—don't you find them familiar?"

Shen Yao hid beneath the building, a tiny cluster hard for anyone to notice.

The System sighed, "It's Gu Jingzhi — the Gu family's direct-line Second Young Master, with a clear blood relation to the person in that black sedan just now."

The corner of Shen Yao's mouth curled, "The hotel across the street is the Su family's property; although it's not managed by the direct line, all personnel mobilizations are personally arranged by the Head of the Su family."

The System's eyes widened, "Host, you even know this?"

Shen Yao reached up to stroke her temples, "The basic data I bought earlier plus the news that broke online — it's easy to deduce."

"It's amazing — the Gu family's two Young Masters take a car to meet the two families who transferred in, and the one who comes out of the Su family hotel is indeed the other Young Master."

"Tsk, if I remember right, the reason those two transfer students came to Beijun was to quell anger — after all, they offended the Su family and the Jin family."

System:...

Watching Gu Jingzhi leave by car, Shen Yao rose from her spot with boredom.

"Time's almost up, should head home."

This trip out still had gains — wealthy families' bonds are far more fragile than imagined, even among blood relatives.

Ding-ling-ling—

The familiar end-of-class bell rang, and Shen Yao sat in her seat packing her schoolbag.

Xu Lingyue and Shi Shi crowded over, smiling as they told Shen Yao they had something on and couldn't go home together today.

"No problem."

Waving her hand lightly, Shen Yao stood and left the classroom.

Outside, more than just Xu Lingyue and Shi Shi were running — after all, the new rising superstar who came to Beijun this time, paired with the brainwashing plot buff on top, a single pretty face swept all of H Country.

Shen Yao boarded the bus at the school gate and went home; Fan Meijuan was cleaning, and the TV playing in the open was showing the superstar's drama.

"Back? Wash your hands, get ready to eat."

Fan Meijuan talked to Shen Yao about university exams again — three years have passed, and Shen Yao takes the college entrance exam this June.

"Really going to the capital? Universities there don't have Beijun's preferential policies."

Fan Meijuan wouldn't give up, mainly because Shen Yao's mind is made up; once out of her sight, she worries the other party will go uncontrolled.

Scrimping and saving to support three years of study, and the result — besides excellent grades, not a trace of progress in any other aspect.

Because of this, Fan Meijuan has privately complained to Shen Jiabao who knows how many times.

But things have come to this — what can the couple say? They can't exactly make her drop out halfway through school.

"Mom, going to the capital is fine; besides, Eldest Young Master and Second Sister's matters still need Mom to worry over more.

If I stay in Beijun, Mom will have even less time to rest."

Shen Yao put her schoolbag back in her room, turned her head and unknowingly stabbed a knife into Fan Meijuan's heart.

Shen Junhao and Shen Zhen have already graduated university and entered enterprises to work.

It's just that once these people enter society, they're completely different from their student days.

Shen Junhao's okay — his girlfriend's rather love-brained, plus Shen Junhao entered the other party's family enterprise; aside from daily being guarded against by future in-laws, there's temporarily no other issue.

Shen Zhen's side is more miserable — Shen Yao said before that the boyfriend the other party found had problems.

The problem surfaced when Shen Zhen started working and smoothly entered Wuyou Group.

The pillar industry under Wuyou Group is Wuyou Food, which monopolizes most of H Country.

Shen Zhen's boyfriend claimed connections to the Li family of Wuyou Food, then got slapped in the face.

Recently heard from the System the two sides are in a cold war, awkward; Fan Meijuan's having a headache over it.

Pulling out the living room chair, Shen Yao picked up bowl and chopsticks and ate leisurely.

Fan Meijuan looked at Shen Yao, now fully grown and more than enough to act in TV dramas, and the anger in her chest neither rose nor fell.

Wanting to say something but unable to open her mouth, Fan Meijuan flung down the mop in her hand and turned into the room.

Bang— the door slammed with a startling sound, but Shen Yao didn't react in the slightest, just kept eating her food.

"Host, you really can stay calm."

"Three years of fuss, same routine big and small — you'd be the same."

"That's why you'd rather make money privately than tell them?"

"Half and half; besides, I have connections — why would I need them?"

System:... They're your parents after all; maybe they'd drive a harder bargain during negotiations?

Eating slowly and methodically, Shen Yao cleaned up her own bowl and chopsticks.

Return to room

Taking out the laptop located in her space, Shen Yao logged in and very familiarly sent the already-finished script to an email.

In just a few minutes, the other side's email replied, contents including contract and corresponding profit-share agreement.

"20%? Wouldn't that be a bit too little? You just propped up a superstar for them!"

The TV drama's still hot over there, and they want to strike while the iron's hot — worthy of a financial consortium's thinking?

"What financial consortium — just riding the coattails of Yingzhong's Gu Group's limelight to gild their own face."

Shen Yao replied with an "ok," then signed the contract.

The System was even more puzzled, "Why?"

Shen Yao smiled, "Naturally for profit — Xingchen Film & Television is wholly controlled by the Li family.

The Head of the Gu family's birth mother — whatever else, she's worth some face.

Besides, the Gu Group's subsidiaries also have film companies; if I don't prepare this stepping stone, how to cooperate later?"

Just two scripts; besides, not much of a loss — after all, the one who bridged the connection for her is Li Jiazhi, who claims to be the Head of the Gu family's nephew.

The two transfer students who caused a sensation back then were surrounded by stars at Beijun High; though Shen Yao looked down on them, they are indeed the most suitable cooperation partners for her right now.

So she wrote the script to help the two of them save face in front of their elders, and in return they connected her with side gigs while also boosting her reputation as a screenwriter.

Although Shen Yao took a small loss during this period, compared to having no connections and not even being able to get a foot in the door, she was quite satisfied.

"One cannot have it both ways; both sides got what they wanted."

As for later, once Shen Yao reached Yingzhong, that would be another story.

The System was directly stunned by Shen Yao's words: "You plan to study screenwriting? And cooperate with Gu Group?"

Shen Yao:...

Shen Yao couldn't help rolling her eyes: "Study what screenwriting? Whose money is easiest to make right now? Don't you know?"

System:...

The System indeed wasn't too clear on it, but Shen Yao was in a good mood after making money and had the patience to say a few more words: "Children, women, the elderly.

If you add modifiers: young children, beauty-loving women, death-fearing elderly."

These three types of people's money is the easiest to make, and also the most easily made.

"Of course I'm going to study medicine; since ancient times, medicine and pharmacy have been inseparable.

While studying medicine I'll also master pharmaceuticals; as for the film and TV screenwriting you mentioned," Shen Yao just smiled without speaking.

System:...

Listening to Shen Yao's theory after theory, the System tacitly swallowed the questions it still wanted to ask.

Continuing to ask would make it look stupid; better to wait and see.

Anyway, the Host has her own purpose in everything she does; she'll definitely know.

The person-and-System chat ended there, and Shen Yao threw herself back into tense studying.

A high school senior's free time isn't much; after handling her money-making side hustle, Shen Yao just needed to stay at home peacefully and wait for the money to arrive.

Phew

Such a large sum of money is enough to buy a house in a wealthy area of Yingzhong.

Looks like the film and TV circle really makes money; no wonder so many people rush into it.

"Shen Yao, what are you spacing out for? Come over quickly; the exam rooms have already been assigned."

Xu Lingyue turned her head and called out to Shen Yao, then squeezed into the crowd first to check the list.

No matter what, private high school students still take the college entrance exam seriously.

Of course, after the exam streaming, some go to university, some go abroad for further study; what heights they'll reach later depends entirely on the individual and their family.

Xu Lingyue and Shi Shi both chose to study domestically, but neither was willing to leave Beijun.

Shen Yao understood their choice, but wouldn't make the same decision.

The path upward she wanted has always been there, never changing.

The college entrance exam was scheduled for the hottest time; Shen Yao tested for three straight days, and by the time she came out she was already about wasted.

Xu Lingyue and Shi Shi pulled Shen Yao along, muttering that they'd be separated after the exam.

"Sigh, the class monitor even prepared a class reunion; I have no mood to attend."

"Me too; we've gotten along for three years, no matter how bad things were normally, now that we're parting it doesn't seem so unforgivable."

The two young ladies were lamenting spring and grieving autumn; Shen Yao had none of that sentiment — she only had ambition for the future.

"Don't think so much; I'll go to university and come back to see you during holidays.

Besides, even if classmates aren't together, aren't there other means for daily contact?"

So, the current parting sorrow is merely the result of piled-up emotions.

Once time passes and everyone gradually gets used to and integrates into new environments, everything will get better."

Shen Yao's comfort ultimately took effect; the various class reunions that followed also diluted the reality of their impending separation.

Until late August approached, admission letters were distributed one after another into everyone's hands, and only then did they realize with a start — they were truly going their separate ways.