"Miss Qin, Du Kaifeng won't let me off the hook. If he discovers I'm working for your company, he'll undoubtedly try to undermine you," Hong Yuan said, clenching his fists as he spoke with great difficulty. "You should find someone else instead."
Despite the opportunity for a comeback being handed to him, Hong Yuan still chose to push it away, fearing that Qin Sheng might suffer because of him. He couldn't allow himself to drag others down with him.
Qin Sheng, however, was unfazed. "Do you really think Du Kaifeng can wield such power that he controls everything under the heavens? Don't worry; I have my own ways to handle him."
Hong Yuan's eyes reddened with emotion. This was the first time since his downfall that someone didn't look down on him. He was moved, overwhelmed with gratitude. "Miss Qin, I promise to manage the company well and to grow it strong and prosperous," he vowed earnestly.
"Good." A smile played on Qin Sheng's lips. "Since I am not yet eighteen, we'll need to register the company under your name for the time being. You have a decent network of contacts, so I'll leave the registration and the hiring of basic staff to you. I will recruit some technical personnel later. I'll transfer the funds to your account in a week." She pushed a cooperation agreement toward him.
Hong Yuan glanced at the document briefly before signing his name without hesitation.
Qin Sheng rose and extended her hand. "Mr. Hong, I look forward to our successful partnership."
"Boss, to a fruitful partnership," Hong Yuan replied, shaking her hand firmly.
As Qin Sheng left, Hong Yuan sat back in his chair, still in disbelief at what had just transpired. One moment he was in hell, the next in heaven. He was lucky to have encountered a benefactor like her. Without her intervention, he truly wouldn't have known what to do.
Clutching the document tightly, Hong Yuan suppressed the tears that threatened to fall and instead smiled. Even though she was a girl not yet eighteen and the odds of failure were high, he had decided to take this gamble, regardless of the outcome.
——
In the following days, Qin Sheng busied herself with strengthening and setting up security systems. Her clients were impressed with her work and recommended her services to others.
In just three days, she had received inquiries from over a dozen people and took on seven orders. Every day was filled with busyness for Qin Sheng; when she wasn't attending classes, she was working on her computer.
Qin Hai had always harbored a certain frustration towards Qin Sheng, and seeing her seemingly wasting her days away infuriated him even more. Yet, whenever he tried to lecture her, Qin Sheng remained indifferent, as if nothing he said mattered.
Eventually, Qin Hai grew tired of trying, deciding it wasn't worth his effort anymore. He was only trying to help, and if Qin Sheng didn't appreciate it, anyone would lose patience over time.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere at home with Qin Hai, Lin Shuyas, and Qin Churou was one of laughter and cheer, while Qin Sheng seemed like a transparent figure, hardly noticed by anyone. Even the servants, who outwardly treated her with respect, mocked her behind her back.
To them, she was nothing more than a country bumpkin, unfit to be a young lady of the Qin family. In their eyes, Miss Churou was far more fitting of an upper-class family's grace and demeanor.
Qin Sheng, however, paid no mind to the opinions of these insignificant people. She was too busy, too focused on making money to care about their petty judgments.
Under her relentless efforts, she had managed to accumulate over ten million yuan in just a few days, combining the profits from securing and maintaining various protection systems with what she had previously earned in the Black Empire.
The day the volatile stock was set to go public, Qin Sheng found herself at the stock exchange, quietly waiting for the right moment to buy in.
The shareholders were beside themselves with regret. After all their efforts to acquire the stock, hoping to make a substantial profit, the company faced a catastrophic incident right after going public.
Determined to cut their losses, they had been camping at the exchange since early morning. Yet, as soon as the market opened, the stock began a steep plunge, and no one was willing to take over. All they could do was sit helplessly, watching as the stock's value dropped step by step.
By the time they realized the severity of the situation, it was too late. The stock had already fallen off a cliff, and all hopes of selling off were dashed. They could only watch in despair as their investments continued to sink.
(End of Chapter)