As Xuyu employees, Lu Linshen and his team naturally had an advantage and could directly attend the IPO celebration ceremony.

When Lao Zhou saw them, he enthusiastically led them to the area where their company was situated. Lu Linshen and the others arrived relatively late, so their seats were towards the back. However, as soon as they sat down, Lu Linshen subconsciously frowned and then looked at Lao Zhou.

“Are there any seats closer to the front?”

“Ah!” Lao Zhou scratched his head. “You guys came a bit late, so I can’t guarantee that there are any seats further up, but I can ask around.”

“We’re fine.” Qin Yu quickly waved his hand. “Just find a seat closer for Lao Lu. He’s a workaholic, still thinking about learning professional knowledge even at a time like this. We’re just here to relax!”

Lao Zhou laughed heartily. In the end, with Lao Zhou’s help, Lu Linshen moved to a seat closer to the front, which happened to be next to Jiang Chengxuan. Their gazes briefly met in the air.

Seeing Jiang Chengxuan reminded Lu Linshen of the stupid things he had done previously. As he looked at the empty seat next to Jiang Chengxuan, a flicker of hesitation flashed in his deep, dark eyes. Before he could make a decision, Lao Zhou, who had brought him here, spoke up first.

“Lao Lu, this seat is the closest we have to the front. Do you think it’s alright? If you’re fine with it, I can ask about another seat behind it.”

He pointed to another seat and added, “But for the best view, this one is better.”

After a brief pause, Lu Linshen made up his mind.

“This one is fine. Thanks for your help.”

Lao Zhou smiled brightly. “No trouble, we’re all brothers!”

After speaking, Lao Zhou returned to his own seat, and Lu Linshen sat down as well. Although this seat was next to Jiang Chengxuan, it was closer to the stage, as Lao Zhou had said. So he didn’t hesitate in making his choice. He wanted to be closer to her. Even closer.

While his mind wandered, he suddenly heard a cheerful voice behind him.

“I thought you weren’t coming.”

Lu Linshen turned around and met Jiang Chengxuan’s gaze. He shrugged and casually said, “I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just that I hadn’t seen you in the office for a while, and I thought… Anyway, if it’s because of the celebration banquet, I apologize. It was my mistake not handling things well, and it had nothing to do with the others…”

“Hmm.” Lu Linshen nodded in agreement. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You just did what you were supposed to do in your position.”

Jiang Chengxuan froze for a moment, slightly at a loss for words. He then looked at Lu Linshen with a suspicious gaze. Did he notice my intentions, and say that on purpose? If that’s the case…

As he was lost in thought, Lu Linshen sincerely and seriously apologized to him.

“My emotions got the better of me at that time. If I offended you, I ask for your forgiveness.”

Not only did he apologize, but he also thanked him!

“Thank you for your reminder. I will come to the company more often in the future.”

The words echoed in Jiang Chengxuan’s mind, and the more he thought about them, the more frustrated he became. After all, what he had said earlier was clearly meant to boast and gloat. And yet, Lu Linshen didn’t get angry. Instead, he climbed right up the ladder.

It was intentional. It had to be intentional! He must have seen through my little scheme, and that’s why he used this tactic. Retreating to advance.

With that thought, Jiang Chengxuan’s eyes toward Lu Linshen grew more cautious.

Time passed by slowly, and the celebration for the company’s IPO officially began. Lu Linshen’s gaze remained fixed on the stage. When he heard the names of other companies and their leaders, he felt no particular emotion. He only paid more attention when something novel was mentioned. It wasn’t until Meng Suihuan’s name was announced across the venue that he stopped pretending to be nonchalant and focused intently on a specific spot.

Soon, a tall figure appeared, walking onto the stage. She was dressed in a form-fitting gown that highlighted her figure, her hair styled high, and her face was adorned with delicate makeup. From her appearance, she looked like a wealthy young lady, not at all resembling the founder of Xuyu Corporation, a rising powerhouse in the real estate industry.

This was the first time Lu Linshen had seen Meng Suihuan like this—both novel and somewhat regretful, as he had missed her first time on stage. Even though he had collected relevant video footage afterward and watched it repeatedly, it still didn’t make up for that missed moment.

As he was lost in thought, Meng Suihuan slowly picked up the microphone.

“Hello everyone, I am Meng Suihuan, the head of Xuyu Corporation.”

According to the usual procedure, she should have discussed the company’s development and its achievements. But she didn’t. Instead of talking about her accomplishments, she addressed the recent gossip surrounding her company’s listing.

“I know there are many questions about Xuyu’s IPO, and I would like to take this opportunity to respond to them.”

Although everyone knew that there would be a response about this matter, no one expected it to happen at such an important occasion. The room fell silent for a moment, but it was quickly filled with loud applause.

Lao Zhou and the others were jolted awake by the applause and cheered her on.

“Meng Jie, go for it!”
“Meng Jie, you’re awesome!”

As the applause filled the air, the screen behind Meng Suihuan lit up, showing pictures in perfect timing. She told the story in a compelling way, with ups and downs. When she spoke about almost missing the opportunity due to a cash shortage, everyone’s hearts tightened. After all, raising over 20 million in half a month seemed like a joke. But for the CEOs of other listed companies, this was no small challenge.

Upon hearing this, the initially relaxed expressions on their faces turned serious, and their gazes toward her became more focused and respectful.

Meng Suihuan, however, was unaware of these changes. Even if she knew, she would probably just smile faintly.

At the same time, the screen behind her displayed more images: Xuyu’s financial changes, relevant audit materials, and the planning documents made by Xuyu at the time.

Looking at these photos, Meng Suihuan’s eyes filled with memories.

“In order to secure this valuable opportunity for the IPO, all employees of Xuyu worked together with great effort… That’s all for Xuyu’s response. I hope everyone can distinguish right from wrong and not be swayed by people with ulterior motives.”

“Good!”
“Well said!!”

Lao Zhou supported her enthusiastically, clapping loudly and even standing up. The rest of Xuyu’s team wore excited and energized expressions. After all, this matter had been an unexpected disaster for them. Though they had clarified it once before, the results were poor. Today, this served as a final release of their pent-up frustration. It was as if they had finally let out a breath of relief.

At that moment, a voice of doubt rang out.

“With just these few photos, I can only believe that your company has the capability to participate in the competition. But, as the public says, there are so many old and established companies in Ning City—why should your new company be able to list? Also, regarding the photos that were leaked, Miss Meng seems to have been in contact with relevant staff members… These are some of the public’s doubts. Since Miss Meng is willing to address this, could you please present stronger evidence instead of relying on these ambiguous photos and stories to fool us?”

“After all, Miss Meng’s methods, I’ve personally experienced them. If you want to repeat those tricks and cover this matter with these unconvincing methods, I’m afraid you’ve miscalculated.”

Immediately, everyone’s attention turned toward the person speaking, and even Meng Suihuan’s gaze fell upon him. It was unexpected—it was Zhao Shenglun, the one she had once dealt with.

The moment she saw him, Meng Suihuan understood why this issue had escalated so quickly. Apparently, someone had been fanning the flames behind the scenes.

At this realization, she couldn’t help but narrow her eyes, a faint smile tugging at her lips as she responded, “Of course.”

“These are just some of the evidence.”

“I was originally going to spare everyone’s time and release the rest of the evidence later, but now it seems I will have to take a few more minutes of everyone’s time.”

Hearing this, Zhao Shenglun’s pupils contracted. Especially when he met Meng Suihuan’s smile, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of panic. But soon, he regained his composure.

If there were so many pieces of evidence, why didn’t she present them all at once? Clearly, she was bluffing!

“Hmph!”

He was eager to see what kind of trick she was trying to pull!

Meng Suihuan maintained a calm demeanor. “This piece of evidence is somewhat special, so I cannot display it here. However, since everyone still has doubts, I will let the professionals handle it and present the information.”

Everyone’s curiosity was piqued, and they all focused intently on the stage. Even Xuyu’s team was completely unaware of what was happening and was watching with interest.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, a middle-aged figure slowly appeared before everyone.

“Hello everyone, I am the auditor for this IPO event, Li He.”

“Since there are still many doubts about the competition, after much discussion, we have decided to release the data and materials of all participating companies.”

Upon hearing this, everyone gasped in surprise. Of course, the CEOs of the participating companies sat calmly, as they had received this notice two hours earlier, and the government had already communicated with them. They were prepared for it.

However, their eyes were still drawn to the screen, filled with intense interest. After all, this was a rare opportunity.

Meng Suihuan’s thoughts were similar to those of the CEOs. She saw this as a chance to gain a deeper understanding of these established companies.

The data was quickly made available. Compared to the data Meng Suihuan had previously shared, this one was more direct and comprehensive. It covered almost every company that participated, including its internal information.

Of course, the information released was only a portion; after all, they couldn’t completely expose all the companies’ secrets. But it was enough to leave a strong impact.

Meng Suihuan carefully and seriously examined the data, as such an opportunity was hard to come by.

Zhao Shenglun’s face turned pale with anger. He never expected the government to publicly release the companies’ data! This was completely unexpected.

However, he didn’t get discouraged. The sense of unease in his heart began to dissipate, replaced by a strange sense of joy.

Before the presentation even ended, he couldn’t wait to jump up and accuse them loudly. “You keep talking about fairness and justice, yet you privately leaked the participating companies’ data. This is illegal behavior!”