Suzhou, China.
At the bustling construction site of the Qin Palace on the western side of Taiyang Mountain, Chen Qing exited her car, followed closely by her assistants. She made her way toward two other women who had arrived at nearly the same time.
At the forefront was Mo Yiling, who had been appointed to her new role just a week ago. She was the mother of Zhu Momo.
Even though it wasn't Chen Qing's first time meeting her, she couldn't help but marvel again at the woman. Mo Yiling was not only blessed with a perfect oval-shaped face and an impressive height close to 1.8 meters, but her natural charisma could easily make others feel inadequate in comparison.
As Chen Qing got to know her more privately, she couldn't help but think that, had Mo Yiling been given the right opportunities, she could have risen far beyond the position of a deputy county governor in a remote area.
Yet, it was clear why that hadn't happened. For a woman in the system, being too beautiful and too striking often wasn't a blessing. The Mo family had been stuck in that small county for years, partly because of an old vendetta born from unreciprocated romantic advances. Back then, Mo Yiling's strong-willed personality had prevented what could have been an important reconciliation for the family.
But now, she had fallen into Chen Qing's hands.
Reflecting on this, Chen Qing approached with a bright and friendly smile, exuding warmth. "Aunt Mo, I must apologize for not congratulating you in person last week. I was in Dongguan for work."
"There's no need for that," Mo Yiling replied curtly. She clearly wasn't accustomed to Chen Qing's overly familiar gesture of extending her arms for a hug and instead stepped back, offering only a handshake. Her hand was fair and slender. "Also, I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me Aunt Mo."
Chen Qing grinned, her tone light and playful. "But Momo and I are such good friends. If I don't call you Aunt Mo, I can't very well call you Sister Mo, right? That would mess up the generational hierarchy."
Mo Yiling, clearly wanting to maintain a certain distance, replied formally, "You can call me Deputy District Chief Mo."
Chen Qing didn't seem to mind her cold demeanor in the least. Her smile didn't falter as she quipped, "Deputy District Chief Mo is such a mouthful! How about I just call you Leader Mo?"
Mo Yiling remained noncommittal, giving a slight nod of acknowledgment.
With that settled, Chen Qing gestured toward the site. "Aunt—uh, Leader Mo, shall we head over? The project manager is already waiting for us."
"… "
Mo Yiling's brief silence indicated her continued disapproval of the "Aunt Mo" moniker, but she refrained from correcting Chen Qing again. Together, they walked toward the construction site, where a fleet of machines and laborers worked tirelessly.
As one of the provincial government's high-profile projects, the Qin Palace construction was progressing rapidly. The site had avoided the typical delays caused by demolition disputes, as the chosen land was uninhabited. After just over two weeks of work, most of the 1,000-acre plot nestled in the hilly terrain had already been leveled.
This wasn't the ancient world, where palaces took decades to build. With the help of modern machinery, even with the high standards set by both Jinshu Studios and Director Chen Kaige, the entire palace complex was expected to be completed within two years.
In fact, Chen Kaige's film The Emperor and the Assassin would begin using parts of the site as early as next year, followed by Zhang Yimou's Hero.
Unfinished sections of the palace could be constructed alongside filming, and Jinshu Studios had no intention of cutting corners, as the complex was also planned as a long-term tourist attraction.
The two women toured the site, accompanied by the project manager. Despite the dusty air, the noisy machinery, and the occasional curious glances from construction workers, neither woman showed the slightest discomfort. They eventually climbed to the top of a hill, where trees and weeds had been cleared, leaving only bare earth. From this vantage point, they surveyed the sprawling construction below.
Finally, Mo Yiling turned to Chen Qing and got straight to the point. "I've reviewed the materials related to this project. According to the agreement, the city government's state-owned shell company, Tiger Hill Cultural Tourism Holdings, is contributing land in exchange for a 10% stake in Jinshu Film and Tourism Development Group. Don't you think that's far too low?"
Chen Qing blinked, feigning innocence as she responded, "Leader Mo, the city government initially planned to sell this land to us at just 600 yuan per mu. Take the Qin Palace, for example. At that rate, purchasing the land would only cost us 60,000 yuan. Now, with our estimated 200-million-yuan investment in the palace, the city government's 10% stake values their contribution at 20 million yuan. I don't see why you think it's too little."
"If we were only talking about the Qin Palace, I'd agree," Mo Yiling said, shaking her head. "But according to Jinshu Studios' plans and your agreements with the city government, future developments will follow the same ratio. The area further west includes farmland and villages, and the agreements place the responsibility for demolition and relocation entirely on the city government. Considering these factors, 10% is insufficient. At the very least, you need to provide additional resettlement funds. And regarding the employment promises for displaced farmers, your commitments so far are too vague. I need to see a detailed plan."
"Leader Mo, those are issues for the future. Right now, the focus is on the Qin Palace. Although we have ambitious plans, if this first project doesn't succeed, much of what we're discussing will be moot."
"That's not true," Mo Yiling replied, turning to Chen Qing. "I've seen the meeting minutes. Your team has stated that the Qin Palace alone cannot sustain a complete film and tourism industry chain. That's why I believe we should begin planning subsequent projects now, perhaps even launching them alongside the Qin Palace's construction."
Chen Qing blinked again, this time looking genuinely aggrieved. "Leader Mo, your appetite is a bit too large."
She had invited Mo Yiling, with her boss's approval, to ensure the smooth progression of the Jinshu Studios project. But this woman didn't seem interested in a gradual rollout; she wanted everything, and she wanted it now.
"You yourself mentioned a total investment of 2 billion yuan, which is less than $300 million. And didn't you also tell Director Wang that Danelis Entertainment spent $1 billion on the Rome Universal Studios project in Italy? Those were your exact words," Mo Yiling countered. "So, $300 million should be nothing for a system as wealthy as Westeros."
Chen Qing froze for a moment. She hadn't expected Mo Yiling to uncover even casual conversations without written records. Dropping her feigned innocence, she replied with a softer but firm tone, "Leader Mo, I don't have the authority to make such decisions. Besides, even though the Qin Palace project is progressing smoothly, it took Director Chen Kaige's team four years to collect materials and complete the design in order to recreate the Qin Dynasty's Xianyang Palace as accurately as possible. Rushing things could lead to subpar results, and we both know the consequences of that."
"Director Chen is not a professional architect. He worked on this in his spare time and had limited resources, which is why it took him four years. Now, we can easily assemble a team of university experts who have spent their lives researching ancient Chinese architecture. And if I recall correctly, your team has already established the Jinshu Institute of Ancient Architectural Design. Isn't that precisely its purpose?"
Instead of pressing further, Mo Yiling shifted gears. "I know you lack decision-making power. That's why I hope you can contact Simon Westeros and have him weigh in personally."
Chen Qing, now resigned, nodded meekly. "Alright, Leader Mo."
After several hours of discussions and touring the site, Chen Qing finally returned to her car. As the vehicle pulled away, her demeanor shifted completely, her earlier submissiveness vanishing like mist under the sun.
Reflecting on the day's interactions, she felt a mix of satisfaction and disappointment.
She was pleased with Mo Yiling's decisiveness and how quickly she had gained control of her new role. This would undoubtedly facilitate the Jinshu Studios project.
However, Mo Yiling's apparent determination to maintain her independence from the Westeros system was a letdown. Her cautious and deliberately distanced stance signaled that she was no easy prey.
"She's got razor-sharp instincts," Chen Qing mused with a smirk. "But once you step into the game, Leader Mo, there's no stepping out. Some things are just inevitable."
She then instructed the driver to head to a hotel in the western part of the city for a dinner meeting with representatives from Carlyle, a private equity firm owned by the Westeros system. Her boss had casually mentioned that she should meet with them, so she intended to keep it informal.
Arriving ahead of schedule, Chen Qing still had time for another matter.
In a private dining room, Chen Qing greeted a young woman who entered nervously, escorted by Jiang Shanwu.
The woman looked to be in her twenties, wearing a pink jacket and white pants. She had
a fresh, innocent face that evoked the image of a high school classmate. However, her darting eyes betrayed an alert and calculating nature.
Chen Qing dismissed the others, keeping only Jiang Shanwu. Taking a good look at the young woman, she frowned and said, "Your outfit is too plain."
The girl instinctively shrank back, casting an envious glance at Chen Qing's Chanel ensemble.
"Shanwu, make sure to help her update her wardrobe," Chen Qing instructed, then turned to the girl. "Your name is Shen Yue, right?"
The girl nodded timidly, then asked hesitantly, "And you are…?"
Chen Qing smiled. Ignoring the question, she continued, "Shen Yue is a bit of a dull name. Also, your recent scandal—seducing your department head and getting caught—might not reach here, but you should change your identity just to be safe. Let's call you Shen Lige. Lige as in 'departure' and 'song.' It's literary and elegant. Yes, that's perfect. I think I'm even better at naming people than my boss."
Jiang Shanwu rolled her eyes discreetly at this self-praise.
The young woman, meanwhile, was startled that Chen Qing knew her secrets. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stammered, "I didn't seduce him. He's the section chief. I had no choice."
"Not my problem," Chen Qing replied with a shrug. "I'm giving you a job. You'll work as a teacher at a local middle school and seduce the principal. Are you interested?"
"I… no," the girl said, turning toward the door. "I think I should leave."
"Feel free."
Tears streaming down her face, Shen Yue—or rather, Shen Lige—hesitated at the door before asking softly, "If I do this… can I stay a teacher? With a proper position?"
"Of course," Chen Qing replied smoothly. "You might even marry him and become the principal's wife. But to pull that off, you'll need acting skills like the ones you're showing now." She handed the girl a photograph. "Take a look. He's quite dashing. Sure, he's older than you, but it's not a bad deal."
After some hesitation, the girl accepted the photo. The man depicted was indeed handsome and refined.
"Pleased?" Chen Qing asked. Without waiting for an answer, she added, "Then it's settled. Your new identity will be prepared soon, and you'll start within a month. I look forward to hearing good news from you."
The girl placed the photo down hesitantly. "But… I still don't know who you are."
Chen Qing waved dismissively. "Just remember this: I'm the one who makes things happen."
Jiang Shanwu handed the girl a thick envelope of cash, explaining, "This is 20,000 yuan. If you succeed, you'll get another 20,000. If not… well, just know that the same strings I pulled to get you into that school can be used to send you back where you came from."
As the girl left with Jiang Shanwu, Chen Qing picked up the photograph again. Tilting her head, she studied it thoughtfully.
"No wonder Momo's face is a bit angular. She definitely takes after her father," she murmured. Tossing the photo aside, she leaned back and smiled. "Boss really is lucky to have such a thoughtful little helper like me."
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