Chen Pingjiang was caught by Wan Yuqian as soon as he arrived at Huijin Building in the morning, and she shoved several resumes into his hands.
Looking at Wan Yuqian suspiciously, Chen Pingjiang asked curiously,
"Are these for choosing a secretary for me?"
"More accurately, they should be called assistants. Our company's scale is quite significant now. Since the board of directors has been established, you, as the chairman, should also have an assistant,"
Wan Yuqian corrected.
Chen Pingjiang flipped through the resumes, grinning,
"Since you're looking for an assistant for me, why are they all women?"
"Are women not good? I think girls are more meticulous."
"Forget it."
Chen Pingjiang threw the resumes back to Wan Yuqian.
"Why don't you say that male assistants are more stable, have fewer concerns, and can handle all the dirty and tiring work?"
Chen Pingjiang had more to say but felt too embarrassed.
If he hired a female assistant, an average-looking one wouldn't be presentable, and a beautiful one would always cause problems.
Not sleeping with her carried risks, and sleeping with her still carried risks.
Male assistants, apart from not being able to warm the bed, had advantages over female assistants in other aspects.
They were easier to bribe and had much stronger stress resistance.
Wan Yuqian's gaze swept back and forth across Chen Pingjiang's face,
"You're putting on an act, aren't you? Is it because you're embarrassed in front of me? Don't all those overbearing CEOs in TV shows use female assistants?"
"Senior Sister, you also said that's TV drama,"
Chen Pingjiang said helplessly.
"Let's talk about the assistant later."
Wan Yuqian nodded,
"Alright then."
In the afternoon, when Chen Pingjiang arrived at the Finance University basketball stadium, the stage and main platform had already been set up, and the lighting was also adjusted.
Students from various schools and some users of Renrenwang began to enter continuously.
Chen Pingjiang transformed into a junior, following behind Ning Yongde and warmly receiving leaders from all parties.
The name of this Campus Image Ambassador Competition was cleverly chosen.
Everyone present knew what it was about, but as long as it wasn't explicitly called a "Campus Beauty Pageant," everyone was willing to give Ning Yongde face.
If it were a simple "Campus Beauty Pageant," the entertainment factor would be too strong, and the leaders wouldn't dare to attend.
Few students came from Dongjiang Media College and Wujiang College.
After all, both universities were in Jiangning University Town, making it inconvenient for students to come.
Hao Shaoping was also good at his job; he specifically arranged for some people to act as supporters for Ding Yuhan and Qin Peiwen, to prevent too great a disparity and an unappealing scene.
A group of rough men from the University of Technology held banners and lightsticks, shouting various bizarre supportive slogans.
"Manli, Manli, always beautiful!"
"You are the only goddess in my heart!"
"..."
Chen Pingjiang shook his head at the sight.
Leng Na, as a home contestant, had the most supporters present.
Several girls secretly looked towards the main platform from backstage.
"Leng Na, is that Chen Pingjiang, the boss of Renrenwang?"
Su Manli had a natural talent for being outgoing; she had become familiar with Leng Na when she came for rehearsal last time.
Leng Na nodded,
"Yes, that's him, the Prince Charming in the eyes of many girls at our Finance University."
"Wow, tall and handsome, and most importantly, young and rich. I really envy your Finance University,"
Su Manli's eyes lit up as she looked at Chen Pingjiang.
Sitting on the main platform at such a young age was a testament to his strength.
"What? You like him?"
Su Manli didn't shyly deny it as expected; instead, she nodded openly,
"Who wouldn't like him? Those who say they don't are either blind or have questionable aesthetics."
"Then later at the awards ceremony, as the organizer, he will definitely go on stage to present the awards. You can be a bit bolder and ask for his phone number,"
Leng Na said with a forced smile, a hint of mockery in her eyes.
After all, Chen Pingjiang was also from their Finance University, why should he be snatched away by someone from your University of Technology?
Little did she know, Su Manli actually seemed eager to try.
The final round proceeded quickly.
After each of the top four contestants performed a segment, several other acts were interspersed, followed by the scoring session.
Unsurprisingly, Su Manli successfully won first place with her beautiful face and graceful performance.
The boys from the University of Technology whistled and cheered excitedly.
They had fought for nearly a month, and finally, their efforts bore fruit; Su Manli lived up to expectations.
Fu Jun, the president of the fan club, was undoubtedly the most excited, his face flushed with excitement as he frantically waved the light board in his hand, shouting loudly.
However, although Su Manli heard the cheers from the University of Technology's formation, she never turned her head to look back.
Chen Pingjiang, Ning Yongde, and a leader from the Municipal Party Committee Propaganda Department, the three of them went on stage to present the awards, shaking hands and taking photos with the finalists one by one.
Su Manli proactively moved closer to Chen Pingjiang, smiling sweetly for the camera.
"Mr. Chen, can I add you on QQ?"
"?"
Chen Pingjiang was momentarily stunned, then gave Su Manli a meaningful glance.
"Okay."
Chen Pingjiang had once read a feature interview about Su Manli.
Besides her excellent personal qualities, her win was inseparable from the desperate support of the boys from the University of Technology.
It was said that many boys from the University of Technology saved a month's worth of food expenses to buy gifts for Su Manli.
This group of people practically carried Su Manli into the finals.
Otherwise, why didn't Zhang Xinyue, who was much prettier than Su Manli, even make it to the top 16?
Seeing Chen Pingjiang agree, Su Manli quickly pulled out her phone and started interacting with him with a smile.
Standing close to Chen Pingjiang, Su Manli realized what the standard for a high-quality man truly was.
Even if Chen Pingjiang had no money, his image alone would instantly outshine all the boys from the University of Technology.
Below the stage, Fu Jun watched Su Manli and Chen Pingjiang chatting and laughing, his face extremely grim.
It could be said that without Fu Jun, there would be no Su Manli as she was today.
It was Fu Jun who established the fan club, mobilized and united all the energy of the University of Technology, and even spent a lot on gifts to help Su Manli reach the finals.
The reason he put in so much effort was precisely because he was smitten with Su Manli, hoping to win her over indirectly.
The thought of his goddess, whom he had worked so hard to pursue, for whom he had done so much, yet whose bright smile he had never seen on her face like this, filled Fu Jun with uncontrollable rage.
But another voice in his mind advised,
"Perhaps it's just out of friendliness, just making a friend? Manli definitely isn't the kind of person who disdains the poor and fawns over the rich."
After adding on QQ, Chen Pingjiang didn't linger and left with Ning Yongde and the others.
"Manli, congratulations,"
Fu Jun found Su Manli backstage when the event dispersed and eagerly presented her with a bouquet of roses, which he had prepared beforehand.
"Thank you, please put them on the ground for now, I need to go change,"
Su Manli said without a trace of surprise on her face, hastily taking off her earrings and hurrying to the changing room.
Fu Jun, who was inherently sensitive, detected a change in his goddess's tone towards him, which made his heart sink.
When Su Manli returned, expressionless, in her regular clothes, Fu Jun, who had been waiting for a long time, suddenly knelt on one knee with the roses,
"Su Manli, I like you, I've liked you for a long time, please be my girlfriend."
Whoa!
Leng Na and the others who were changing clothes, along with the backstage staff, were all stunned.
What's going on?
To confess in this kind of setting, this guy is too bold.
Leng Na's gaze towards Su Manli's back was full of mockery and teasing.
In an instant, Su Manli, like a startled hedgehog, recoiled, putting some distance between herself and Fu Jun,
"What are you doing, Fu Jun? Don't you see what kind of occasion this is? Are you intentionally trying to embarrass me?"
Her cold words made her seem like a completely different person from the enthusiastic Su Manli in the QQ group.
Fu Jun himself had a somewhat obsessive personality; honestly, if not for such a personality, he would never have organized a fan club to cheer for Su Manli.
Moreover, having little dating experience, as soon as he noticed the difference in Su Manli's attitude before and after, he immediately confessed on the spot.
Others just used a basic attack, but he unleashed an ultimate move.
His loss was not undeserved.
Su Manli turned and left without another word, her face frighteningly grim.
If it had been Chen Pingjiang kneeling on one knee on the ground, Su Manli would probably have taken the roses without hesitation.
But for Fu Jun, forget it.
Not to mention the sheer social death of doing it in front of everyone.
Even in private, Su Manli wouldn't have agreed.
She had always considered their relationship a collaborative one, and Su Manli was quite touched by Fu Jun's efforts to garner votes for her.
However, she simply looked down on Fu Jun.
If not for this competition, their life paths would never have intersected.
Fu Jun, a science and engineering student, lacked humor and was too straightforward; he was simply not Su Manli's type.
Especially after meeting Chen Pingjiang, Su Manli briefly compared the two, only to find there was no comparison.
Whether in appearance, demeanor, or net worth, he was far inferior to Chen Pingjiang.
Fu Jun watched Su Manli's departing back in a daze, dejectedly tossed the roses aside, and left shortly after.
He couldn't quite understand why all of this was happening.
Why did Su Manli, who was so enthusiastic in the QQ group that morning, seem like a completely different person after the competition?
Was she merely using him?
Fu Jun let out a bitter laugh.
The onlookers, enjoying the gossip, pointed and gestured at the two who had left.
"Good thing I left a bit late, otherwise I would have missed such juicy gossip."
"If I were Su Manli, I wouldn't fancy this guy either."
"But seeing how that guy was rejected, it's quite heartbreaking."
"What do you know? The Image Ambassador Competition has been held for so long, don't you know that the students from the University of Technology are the most fanatical supporters of Su Manli? That guy is probably their leader."
"Then Su Manli is indeed a bit heartless."
"Sister, why would you think that? Supporting or not supporting her is his voluntary choice, and he shouldn't use such a thing to emotionally blackmail Su Manli. Is Su Manli supposed to accept every supporter's confession? Then she'd have a whole squad of boyfriends."
Both sides had their points, and the crowd gossiping backstage subtly divided into two factions.
One side seemed to be discussing the idiom "when the cunning rabbit is killed, the hunting dog is cooked" (i.e., discarding someone after they've served their purpose), while the other side implied taking advantage of someone's misfortune, making it hard to distinguish right from wrong.
Only Leng Na knew clearly; her woman's intuition told her that if Su Manli hadn't seen Chen Pingjiang sitting on the main platform before the competition, even if she wouldn't have accepted that guy on the spot, she wouldn't have made such an ugly scene.
(End of Chapter)
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