The soft murmur of the restaurant blended with the faint clink of porcelain cups and silver spoons. A melody played quietly in the background — smooth, refined, the kind of music that wrapped itself around conversations without ever intruding.
Su Ning sat by the window, her gaze half-lidded, the golden hue of late afternoon reflecting off her coffee cup.
The city shimmered beneath her feet, lights beginning to flicker to life in the distance. She scrolled through her phone leisurely, skimming through the endless flood of comments that had overtaken her new account.
Her Stargram notifications were relentless — every few seconds, her phone buzzed again. Her follower count was now past twenty-eight thousand. The system's soft chime had already sounded once to remind her of her nearing success.
Su Ning smirked faintly.
Everything seemed steady until a loud voice tore through the calm atmosphere.
"—You? You think you deserve my investment?"
A man's voice — deep but laced with arrogance — echoed from a few tables away. Heads turned slightly, curiosity flickering across the room.
Su Ning's eyes shifted subtly toward the commotion.
At a corner table, a middle-aged man in a dark grey suit stood, towering over another much younger man seated opposite him. The older man's expression was twisted with disdain, his tone dripping with mockery.
"I told you already. What you're proposing is nothing but childish fantasy! Do you know how many people come to me with these ridiculous ideas? Skincare with anti-aging properties and zero side effects? Absurd!"
He leaned forward, his face inches from the younger man's. "You want money from me? Learn your place. The world doesn't revolve around dreams — it revolves around profit."
The young man clenched his fists under the table, his jaw tightening.
The older man sneered. "And you expect me to invest millions when you don't even have a stable lab, no official backing, no product line?" He gave a short, derisive laugh. "You're a waste of time."
With that, the man snatched his coat off the chair, straightened his tie with unnecessary force, and turned toward the exit.
His polished shoes clicked sharply against the marble floor — a deliberate sound of dominance. The restaurant went silent for a moment as he strode past, his arrogance lingering in the air like smoke.
The younger man sat still for a while, shoulders trembling slightly. His eyes were downcast, lips pressed into a thin line. Then, slowly, he rose from his seat, gathering his papers with shaky hands. He tucked them into a worn brown folder, the edges frayed from overuse.
As he turned to leave, the system's chime resounded softly in Su Ning's mind.
'Ding! '
'Side Mission Unlocked: Assist the man who has just been rejected.
Reward: Full ownership of Fuyuan Academy.
Limited-edition sport car, Zenon-Seraph X9.
100 million yuan.
Time Limit: 42 hours.
Penalty for failure: Loss of all recently acquired assets.'
Su Ning's grip on her cup paused midair. Her brows twitched.
"System," she murmured under her breath, "are you doing this on purpose?"
The system remained silent.
Her lips pressed together. The system's tendency to appear at the most inconvenient times was starting to feel deliberate and the mission was becoming increasingly difficult. The failure penalty was even more ruthless.
"Looks like I can't afford to fail. Plus I get to own Fuyuan Academy?" She smirked. "How lovely."
She exhaled quietly, then looked up just as the young man walked past her table. His head was slightly bowed, his expression tired, defeated.
Su Ning's gaze lingered on him for a moment, assessing. His suit was old but neatly pressed, his shoes well-kept despite the wear. His eyes held a kind of exhaustion that came from being turned away too many times — but there was also stubbornness beneath it, a glint that hadn't died out completely.
She tapped her finger lightly against her cup.
"Excuse me," she said softly.
The man paused, startled. He turned toward her, unsure if he had heard correctly.
Su Ning's tone was calm but carried a quiet authority that made people instinctively listen. "May I have a moment of your time?"
The man blinked, confused. "Ah… me?"
"Yes."
He hesitated before nodding. "O-Of course."
"Please sit," she said simply, gesturing toward the seat opposite her.
He obeyed, still uncertain.
Su Ning placed her phone face down on the table and met his gaze evenly. "I couldn't help overhearing your conversation earlier."
His face flushed with embarrassment. "You did…?"
She nodded. "And I want to understand. What's your project about?"
He hesitated, clearly torn between caution and desperation. Finally, he sighed and spoke, his voice low. "Mu name is Xia Lin. I… I developed a skincare formula. It's designed to rejuvenate skin and slow aging — safely, without side effects. It enhances cell repair naturally using bioactive extracts and stabilizers I've been refining for years."
Su Ning listened intently, her fingers resting lightly on her chin.
He continued, gaining momentum. "I graduated top of my class in biochemistry several years ago and after working under several cosmetic firms, I started developing this formula independently. I've tested it repeatedly — it works. But investors…" He exhaled shakily.
"They either laugh at me or demand control. This last one," his voice faltered, "wanted 99% of the shares and insisted I add harmful chemical agents to increase addiction rate. I refused."
Su Ning's gaze softened slightly. "So he walked out."
He nodded bitterly. "Everyone says the same thing — that beauty without damage doesn't exist but I believe I can develop it."
For a brief moment, silence lingered between them.
Then Su Ning smiled faintly — not the kind that conveyed amusement, but the kind that signaled decision. "Mr Xia, I'll invest in your project."
He froze. "…What?"
"I said," she repeated calmly, "I'll invest."
Xia Lin stared at her, utterly dumbfounded. The girl sitting across him, although looked confident, probably a rich heiress, was too young, probably still in high school. Then he laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Miss, please don't joke about that. I… I know I must look desperate, but—"
"I'm not joking," Su Ning interrupted, her tone still composed but firm. "I'm serious."
Before he could speak again, movement at the entrance caught her attention.
Zhao Qi had arrived.
His tall figure was immediately recognizable — crisp black suit, polished demeanor, a presence that carried quiet authority. The moment he spotted Su Ning, his posture straightened even more.
He walked quickly toward her, and as soon as he reached her table, he bowed deeply.
"Miss Su."
Xia Lin's mouth fell open. His brain stalled at the sight — Zhao Qi, the director of Zongsheng Medical Centre, a man often on financial and medical news broadcasts, bowing to the young woman in front of him with visible respect.
Su Ning nodded slightly. "Have a sit."
Zhao Qi took the seat beside her. The waiter hurried over immediately.
"Coffee," Zhao Qi said simply.
"And one for him as well," Su Ning added, motioning toward the still-stunned young man.
The waiter nodded quickly and left.
The young man's heart was hammering in disbelief. His gaze darted between Zhao Qi and Su Ning, realization slowly dawning.
"Zhao… Director Zhao Qi?" he asked hesitantly.
Zhao Qi looked at him briefly and nodded politely. "Yes."
The man swallowed. He had seen this man on television countless times — the genius director of the country's top-tier medical institution. Yet here he was, sitting across from him like a subordinate beside the poised young woman.
Su Ning smiled slightly. "I presume you already know this is Zhao Qi, Director of Zongsheng Medical Centre."
Xia Lin stammered, "Yes—yes I do."
Then, with the same unhurried composure, she added, "You must be wondering who I am, Well, Zongsheng Medical Centre belongs to me."
His eyes widened. He turned sharply toward Zhao Qi, seeking confirmation. Zhao Qi, without hesitation, inclined his head.
Xia Lin went pale, then flushed, then practically jumped to his feet again, bowing so deeply that his forehead nearly hit the table. "Miss Su! I— I didn't realize—"
Su Ning lifted a hand gently to stop him. "No, please sit, there's no need for that."
He sat again, stiffly this time, his entire body tense with disbelief and awe.
"I'll invest in your skincare project," Su Ning said, her tone final. "Meet me here tomorrow morning. We will discuss more and sign the contract tomorrow."
For a long moment, the man was speechless. Then, slowly, his lips trembled into a smile. "Thank you, Miss Su. Truly— thank you! I won't disappoint you!"
He stood again, bowed to both Su Ning and Zhao Qi, and hurried off, nearly tripping in his excitement.
As he disappeared through the restaurant doors, Su Ning leaned back slightly, her calm expression unchanging.
Zhao Qi turned to her. "Shall I prepare the contract immediately?"
"Yes. And include an additional clause," she said. "He gets 48% shares and 60% control. I want transparency in production and medical certification before launch."
Zhao Qi nodded in understanding. "Understood."
He then lowered his voice. "Regarding the internal issue at Zongsheng — the investigation is complete. We identified the individual siphoning company funds. Turns out to be one of our senior staff, heading our branch in City Y. Several staff members were also removed for misconduct. The system has been completely audited."
Su Ning sipped her coffee, her expression unreadable. "Good. And the one responsible?"
"Still in the city. We're tracking the funds."
"Have him arrested," Su Ning said quietly, her voice like smooth silk over steel. "Every dime must be recovered. And from now on, all vacant positions will require in-person interviews. Conduct them yourself. No backdoor entries, no recommendations."
"Yes, Miss Su."
Zhao Qi's eyes gleamed faintly — part respect, part admiration. He had long grown used to her decisiveness, but it never ceased to leave an impression.
"And give yourself a million yuan raise for a job welldone."
"Thank you Miss Su." he said with a big smile.
As their conversation continued, the restaurant's doors opened again. Two young women entered, chatting brightly. They were university students, dressed fashionably, their laughter light.
As they passed by Su Ning's table, one of them slowed slightly. Her eyes flickered toward Su Ning, a small frown of recognition forming.
"Hey…" she whispered to her friend, "doesn't she look familiar?"
Her friend turned briefly, then shrugged. "She's just really pretty. Maybe you've seen her in an ad or something."
The first girl pursed her lips, still uncertain as they say down and ordered their meals. She discreetly took out her phone and angled it slightly, capturing a photo of Su Ning and Zhao Qi together. The shutter sound was muted, but her heart raced.
The image appeared perfect — Su Ning's serene beauty and Zhao Qi's composed profile side by side.
She turned back quickly, hiding her phone, though her curiosity refused to fade. "I swear I've seen her somewhere before…"
Her friend laughed, waving off her suspicion. "You and your theories. Eat before your food gets cold."
The first girl smiled faintly but glanced one last time toward Su Ning's table.