In recent times, Jiang Muwan, the vice president of Huazhong Group, has frequently been in the news, making it difficult for them to ignore.
Those who came out of Mengxi Garden, the scions of the aristocratic families, had some understanding of Jiang Muwan, even after many years of not seeing her. Searching their minds, they still knew she was the granddaughter of Elder Jiang, the same Jiang Muwan who, deep into the night, lured her half-brother to the lakeside and attempted murder.
In their youth, when people mentioned Jiang Muwan, they felt that this girl was cruel and ruthless yet appealing.
As adults, they inevitably found it frightening; when they were at the age of playing in the mud and climbing over walls, this girl was already contemplating murder.
Such a person was indeed deeply memorable to them.
Seeing her again today, they felt intrigued, so they looked a couple times more.
Standing on the second floor, they blatantly sized her up.
From the outside in and from the inside out, they carefully scrutinized her.
Gu Jiangnian, holding a cigarette between his fingers and squinting his eyes, watched the two people in the courtyard, heard the words of Xiao Yanli beside him.
He did not respond.
Xiao Yanli continued, "Jiang Muwan has been extremely low-key in the Capital over the years. You seldom hear her name in any circle of the Capital. Some say she keeps to herself, others say she leads a secluded life—anyway, you can't get much out of her."
"But it's these kinds of people who are worth digging into. Dropping into C City might not bode well," Xiao Yanli briefly assessed Jiang Muwan.
He objectively outlined the whole situation, until at last, he added, "The C City business circle is stable now, she is unlikely to stir up any trouble again. It's the Jiang Family I'm afraid that might have a hard time."
While Xiao Yanli made well-reasoned analyses on the side, Gu Jiangnian said not a word.
His expression was calm and unruffled, revealing no emotion.
But the extinguished cigarette at his fingertips told everyone that he had thoughts on his mind; otherwise, how could he be unaware of his cigarette going out?
The courtyard was not large; it was only a hundred meters to walk under the eaves. Fu Jing spoke softly from the side, and Jiang Muwan listened attentively, sometimes nodding in agreement, sometimes responding with a word.
Halfway there, she suddenly felt a piercing gaze from the second floor. Jiang Muwan stopped and looked up.
Xiao Yanli and Gu Jiangnian, standing by the window, did not look away. Thus, one above and one below, four people gazed at each other from afar.
"Junhua's Gu Jiangnian, the Xiao family's Yanli," Fu Jing whispered by her side, introducing them.
The latter merely hummed in acknowledgment.
She withdrew her gaze and went inside the house.
Seeing her indifferent expression, Fu Jing asked, "Do you know them?"
"They are all young masters from Mengxi Garden. I've seen them as a child," she coldly replied.
Fu Jing knew that she rarely spoke about her childhood to others; she simply hummed in response and did not inquire further.
Who doesn't have a heartrending past?
Who isn't covering their old wounds, licking them to heal?
This dinner was enjoyable. Everyone thought that with the new official in charge, there would be strict changes, but before the heat of those changes could take effect, the new leader had already taken them out for a meal, and everyone quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
They had feared the new leader would be difficult to get along with, but now it seemed, she was quite acceptable.
The dinner was just an ordinary get-together; everyone ate, drank, and joked, and it all ended quickly.
When it was time to leave, they had planned to leave together, but Jiang Muwan suddenly received a call, and from the looks of it, it was not one that would end very quickly. So, she waved her hand, asking Fu Jing to send the others off first.
Fu Jing was very good at handling such matters.
"Deputy General Jiang's phone call probably won't end anytime soon, it might be a little late," was said.
If the crowd didn't know by now, they probably hadn't been mixing in these circles for long.
Groups of them left Lanting Restaurant in droves.
Because Jiang Muwan had warned in advance that there might be people from Jiang Lin here, Fu Jing escorted the guests all the way to the roadside, and only turned back after seeing everyone driving off.
At this moment, Jiang Muwan, who was taking calls in the lobby, was blocked by two people, who weren't exactly menacing, but certainly weren't there for anything pleasant.
Jiang Muwan finished the call, and looked at the two individuals before her with considerable confusion.
"Deputy General Jiang, hello. We're from the district investment promotion office, and we'd like to talk to you about the development of the Chengdong food street and the renovation of North City Street," the visitors introduced themselves.
As if completely unaware of these projects, Jiang Muwan said we could talk later and ended the call, turning to look at them with a puzzled expression, "Talk to me?"
"Yes," the other party reaffirmed.
"I'm not aware of these two projects. Could it be you've got the wrong person?"
"Both the Chengdong food street and the renovation of North City Street are taken over by Huazhong Group--------."
"Taken over by whom at Huazhong?" Jiang Muwan interrupted them before they could finish.
"The Executive Deputy General of Huazhong."
"What's the name?" Jiang Muwan asked again, without a moment's hesitation.
This question and answer made her appear somewhat aggressive.
"Yang Hu," the other party, clearly intimidated by her calm demeanor, hesitated for a few seconds before speaking.
Jiang Muwan wasn't in a hurry, and with a faint smirk, she pulled a business card from her Hermès handbag and handed it to the two men between her index and middle fingers.
Though she did not speak, her proud posture was enough to discourage any challenge.
The two reached out to take it, and before they could take a closer look, they saw the woman slowly insert her slender fingertips into the pocket of her suit pants, and she spoke coolly, "Jiang Muwan."
In other words, I am not the Yang Hu you're looking for.
The visitors had a sinking feeling that they had hit a snag, clutching the business card in their hands a little tighter, "We're looking for the Executive Deputy General of Huazhong. It doesn't matter whether it's Jiang Muwan or Yang Hu."
The contract was signed with Huazhong Group, and the executor is the Executive Deputy General of Huazhong. No matter who holds that position, they have to deal with it.
Jiang Muwan nodded slowly, as if she could fully understand, and politely said, "You have a point, but I am about to take office. The work that Vice General Yang was handling hasn't been handed over to me yet. Perhaps you could wait a bit longer?"
Her words were utterly plausible.
Everyone in C City knew that Jiang Muwan took office after Yang Hu was transferred.
It was understandable that the handover was not yet in place.
But how many in the business world are so innocent?
"Could Deputy General Jiang please give us a time?"
"By the end of June," Jiang Muwan looked at the two of them, speaking softly, her fingertips still playing lightly in her pocket, exuding a gentle sense of determination.
Seeing the two looking troubled, Jiang Muwan smiled lightly and added, "Although Yang Hu has been transferred from headquarters, he's still with one of Huazhong's subsidiary groups, and is also in C City. If you think it will take too long to deal with me, perhaps you could try Yang Hu. In any case, he owes you an explanation."
Jiang Muwan's tactful words swayed the two men.
As they considered, she looked down with a gentle smile, and when she raised her eyes again, the corner of her vision caught someone standing in the corridor with their back to the district investment promotion office, and her gaze slightly hardened.