In the CEO's office, Gao Zhensheng was trying to make amends with Zhao Yanan for the massive trouble his son had caused.
Actually, the father and son had arrived early in the morning with a lot of expensive gifts, but Zhao Yanan had kept them waiting. They had only just met her ten minutes ago. No wonder this icy beauty was cold towards them; she was swamped with work and had no time to spare.
Several merchants who had previously threatened to cancel their contracts came crawling back, begging for continued cooperation. Director Song, who had vowed to change his ways, came to Qingya Media with the show's chief planner and producer, offering all the artist slots initially allocated to another entertainment company to Qingya, with Zhao Yanan personally choosing the replacements. Additionally, several small companies came to seek cooperation, willing to work without profit just to be associated with Zhao Yanan.
Given that Chu Yuxuan's news had trended all night, everyone in the entertainment industry knew the president of Qingya Media was the young master of the Chu family. For some small companies, being associated with the Chu family was as good as making money.
Having been busy all morning and skipping lunch, Zhao Yanan had a severe acid reflux but chose to meet with Gao Zhensheng and his son first out of respect. After all, Gao Zhensheng was an elder approaching sixty, and she didn't want to leave a reputation for being merciless.
In reality, Gao Zhensheng was not pleading with her but was seeking a concession from Chu Zhiqing through Zhao Yanan.
"Ms. Zhao," Gao Zhensheng said with a forced smile, his eyes filled with humility, "My unworthy son has caused a huge mess. I apologize on his behalf and hope you can forgive us!"
Zhao Yanan smiled, "Mr. Gao, this matter has already passed. There's no need for further apologies. Your personal visit is too much of a burden for me."
Gao Zhensheng responded, "The fault lies with me for not teaching my son properly. I had to come."
He then scolded his son Gao Ning, who stood aside looking awkward, "Apologize quickly! Useless thing, I shouldn't have let you come back!"
Gao Ning trembled and hurriedly said, "Ms. Zhao, I... I'm sorry!"
Though Zhao Yanan was a woman, her presence was commanding. She replied calmly, "Qingya Media hasn't suffered any losses, so there's no need for an apology."
Gao Zhensheng scolded his son again and forced a smile, "Ms. Zhao, is Mr. Chu not here today? I feel it's only right to apologize to him in person."
Zhao Yanan shrugged, "He's not here."
As soon as she finished speaking, the door was pushed open without a knock. Chu Yuxuan walked in directly.
"Mr. Chu!" Gao Zhensheng quickly stood up to shake hands, "Nice to meet you!"
Gao Ning remained in place, not daring to lift his head.
Chu Yuxuan did not extend his hand. His narrow eyes glanced over Gao Zhensheng's face before he walked over to the sofa and said nonchalantly, "Nice to meet you? How nice is it?"
Gao Zhensheng's expression didn't change. He smiled and said, "Mr. Chu, my son did something foolish the other day. I came here specifically to apologize and hope that you could show mercy and spare our Gao family…"
Zhao Yanan was surprised by the elderly man's blatant humility and felt a tinge of pity. Chu Yuxuan crossed his legs, smiled faintly, and said, "I guess your family is already facing retribution?"
Gao Zhensheng awkwardly nodded, "It's well-deserved… Several projects we had agreed upon last night fell through. To be honest, my phone has been off all day; I'm afraid to turn it on… Mr. Chu, I sincerely apologize. I hope you can spare our Gao family."
Chu Yuxuan's lips curled, "Sincerely? Hmph, if my name wasn't Chu, would you have spared me? Would you be sincere? Mr. Gao, there are mountains beyond mountains and skies beyond skies. It's better to stay low-profile."
"Yes, yes, yes!" Gao Zhensheng quickly agreed, "I'll make sure to include Mr. Chu's words in our family's teachings."
"Stop with the flattery," Chu Yuxuan said, "Go back. I have no interest in dealing with your small Gao family. As for the retribution you're facing, I think you understand what's going on."
Gao Zhensheng, who had been in the business world for decades, understood perfectly. The projects fell through because the partners were afraid of being implicated by the Chu family. If Chu Zhiqing wanted revenge, it wouldn't be so simple. His ruthlessness was well-known.
Hearing Chu Yuxuan refer to the formidable figure who had kept his father up all night as "old stuff," Gao Ning swallowed hard, feeling embarrassed for his earlier arrogance.
After some flattering, Gao Zhensheng and his son were dismissed by Chu Yuxuan.
The large office fell into an awkward silence. The nominal couple exchanged glances, neither speaking, their estrangement more palpable than that of ordinary friends. Zhao Yanan wondered, "Why is this dog man being quiet today?"
Chu Yuxuan, disinterested, habitually reached for his cigarette case. He had just started opening it when he glanced at Zhao Yanan and decided to go outside to smoke.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in," Zhao Yanan said.
The door opened, and Xiao Wei walked in with a document. After greeting Chu Yuxuan, she handed the document to Zhao Yanan, "Ms. Zhao, this is from the artist management department. It says Director Wang Long has replaced Xia Zhu's role."
Zhao Yanan remained calm, "I know. Inform the artist management department to keep this confidential and notify Xia Zhu's agent after the New Year."
"Understood, Ms. Zhao!"
After Xiao Wei left, Chu Yuxuan returned to the sofa and looked at Zhao Yanan, "Why?"
Zhao Yanan replied seriously, "She still has commercial value. I don't want this issue to affect her reputation. You know, she was supported by Wang Long, and now that Wang Long has replaced her, it will be a big blow to her."
Chu Yuxuan smirked, "You're worried about the annual meeting."
"Hmm," Zhao Yanan did not deny it, "She's currently our most important artist. The annual meeting must center around her, and most of the guests are coming for her."
"So, you still plan to give up on her after the New Year?"
"At almost thirty, it's an awkward age for a female artist. No director will prioritize her. Moreover, her reputation is really poor now. I've tried my best, but she hasn't listened."
"You really are a... true-to-form... businessman," Chu Yuxuan said with a smile.
Zhao Yanan looked at him with a hint of sarcasm, "Feeling sorry?"
Chu Yuxuan raised an eyebrow, "Jealous?"
"Chu Yuxuan!"
"Insulting is for dogs."
Zhao Yanan: ...
She knew that with this sharp-tongued dog man, she'd never get an advantage!