Chapter 12

Sheng Quan reflexively felt a twinge of jealousy.

It wasn’t until she suddenly remembered that her own hair was also quite thick that she felt slightly balanced. However, even after sitting down, her gaze couldn’t help but move upward without a sound.

Mr. Wang didn’t notice at all and happily introduced, “Sheng Quan, this is Mr. Gu Zhao I mentioned to you. Mr. Gu, this is Sheng Quan, the head of Starlight Entertainment.”

Because Gu Zhao currently didn’t have a position, he used the title ‘Mr.’ very cautiously.

Both parties were already aware of each other’s situations through this intermediary, so Mr. Wang didn’t say much more. After a brief introduction and seeing the two politely shake hands and get acquainted, he promptly left, very self-awarely saying, “I’ll go outside for a tea, you two take your time.”

Normally, the first meeting would be somewhat unfamiliar, but Sheng Quan and Gu Zhao were obviously not that type of people. Sheng Quan’s gaze fell on Gu Zhao, and she cut to the chase, saying, “I wonder if Mr. Gu brought his resume?”

“Of course.” Gu Zhao’s tone was also very indifferent, but according to Sheng Quan’s observation, this should just be his way of speaking, just like his demeanor looked cold and aloof, without any deliberate pretense.

But with that sharp and handsome face, paired with such a tone, inexplicably gave the impression of being unreal.

No wonder Mr. Wang joked that he was like a robot.

Gu Zhao, who was joked about as a robot, sat very straight. Sheng Quan noticed that he must have received some etiquette training, as every movement he made was very smooth and elegant.

Gu Zhao handed over a stack of documents, which must have contained at least dozens of pages. His financial situation should be quite good, as he wore an expensive watch on his fair and slender wrist.

“This is my resume. Sheng Quan, you can take a look and decide whether to hire me.”

Sheng Quan took it and opened the first page, and indeed, he was mixed-race.

She thought, with Gu Zhao’s fair skin, sharp features, deep eyes, and light gray eye color, it would be unscientific if he were a pure-blooded Han Chinese.

The first page only contained very common personal information such as height, weight, and age. Starting from the second page, Sheng Quan seemed to see the life of a top student.

This gorgeous resume can be summarized simply as:

Skipping grades all the way, graduated from a world-renowned school at the age of eighteen, immediately entered an internationally renowned company after graduation, and rapidly rose through the ranks in two years. Suddenly resigned and returned to China when his future looked bright, then successively entered several of the best companies in the country, all with the same rapid rise but sudden resignations. He reached the position of Chief Operating Officer three times, but resigned each time. Finally, he entered Wansheng and gradually expanded it from a small company to its current huge state.

What was even more absurd was that he had a bunch of certificates.

Legal professional qualification certificate, human resources management certification, certified public accountant, actuary, Chartered Financial Analyst, these she could understand. Even the psychological counselor made sense. But what were the Mandarin proficiency certificate and health management certificate?

Not only domestically, he also had a bunch of foreign certificates. What was even more absurd was that she even saw ACAMS (Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist).

Sheng Quan: …No wonder his resume is so thick.

She looked up at Gu Zhao, who was quietly waiting. “Did you get every certificate you could? Can I ask why you did this?”

Leaving aside the fact that many of these certificates are highly prestigious and difficult to obtain, where did this person find so much time and energy? Isn’t he only in his early thirties this year??

Gu Zhao calmly replied, “I believe that human nature contains a large amount of the desire for strength. These certificates can make me appear as a socially significant strong individual in the eyes of others.”

“Most people, upon learning about my resume, tend to unconsciously accommodate me, step back, or even actively show goodwill. These certificates save me a lot of trouble in my career.”

Sheng Quan felt it was absurd, just to make others be polite to him, he obtained so many certificates. And the key point was that he actually succeeded, but when this was said from Gu Zhao’s cold and indifferent mouth, it somehow seemed reasonable.

“Alright, let’s move past this question. Next question, why did you resign every time after reaching the management level in your previous experiences before Wansheng? Can you explain the reasons for resigning?” Gu Zhao’s cold, light gray eyes remained calm. “The reason is, I entered these companies for the purpose of learning. When I couldn’t absorb new knowledge and experiences, I would resign.”

Sheng Quan twitched the corner of her mouth, suddenly wanting to ask a question. “Did those companies you were learning from know your purpose?”

Gu Zhao’s expression remained unchanged. “They didn’t know. If they did, they wouldn’t have let me into the company, so I concealed my purpose.”

Sheng Quan: …

Although she had guessed it, how did Gu Zhao manage to answer so confidently and naturally?

She continued with the next question. “Mr. Wang said that Wansheng’s success owes much to you. Do you agree with this statement?”

“Specifically, I take 87.57% of the credit.” Even when mentioning his former employer whom he kicked out, Gu Zhao’s cold and handsome face remained calm, neither resentful nor colder. “Chen Xuanzheng and He Qi’s funds contribute to 34.5% of it.”

Chen Xuanzheng and He Qi were the two major shareholders of Wansheng.

Sheng Quan: “? Adding 87.57 to 34.5 exceeds one hundred, doesn’t it?”

Gu Zhao succinctly explained, “Chen Xuanzheng and He Qi’s contributions are negative.”

Sheng Quan: Wow, what a sharp tongue.

“I’m a little curious.”

Sheng Quan had figured it out. She leaned back in her chair. “Since you’re so capable, why did you ultimately leave Wansheng?”

Gu Zhao smiled slightly, the first smile he showed since they met. Unfortunately, with such a handsome face, his smile didn’t just feel cold, but also gave an inexplicable chill.

He replied in a calm tone, “Wansheng’s shareholding was chaotic, burdened with external debt, shareholders engaged in favoritism, and the management was corrupt and decayed. It seemed prosperous, but in reality, it would collapse within three years.”

“Rather than saying I left, it’s more like abandoning a sinking ship that appears grand but is already riddled with holes. I abandoned it.”

Sheng Quan finally understood why Gu Zhao was so outstanding but still nobody dared to use him.

This guy was incredibly calm. Even when talking about how the company he built was about to collapse, he used the same cold and indifferent tone.

People usually have various emotional fluctuations due to various things, even the strongest person can be affected by emotions, but some people can suppress emotions and act rationally. However, Gu Zhao showed no emotion at all. It seemed like nothing in the world could affect his emotional state. Even the smile he showed just now seemed more like “a sarcastic smile of someone who had already seen through everything” rather than “I’m so happy that the company that fired me is about to die haha”.

When Sheng Quan successfully made her previous boss, who had tried to exploit and strip her, embarrassed, she felt incredibly satisfied.

Most people indeed have a desire for strength, but Gu Zhao’s behavior only made people doubt him. At least those board members and shareholders wouldn’t dare. Who knows if Gu Zhao would suddenly turn hostile, just like what he did to Wansheng.

He still had shares in Wansheng. Even if he was ousted from the management, those shares were still firmly in his hands. He would definitely still get dividends. But he mercilessly struck Wansheng without any hesitation. This kind of ruthlessness, where he didn’t even care about his own interests, truly made people uneasy.

Merchants are profit-driven. They interact with each other for benefits. Gu Zhao was too calm and indifferent, not caring about profits. That’s what made them suspicious.

Sheng Quan understood it clearly, but she didn’t back away from Gu Zhao.

Every action a person takes has a purpose, just like when Gu Zhao said his purpose in joining those previous companies was to learn. What was his purpose in learning?

If Gu Zhao really didn’t want anything and didn’t care about anything, then he wouldn’t be here now.

She quickly figured it out and took a sip of tea. “You should know that telling me all this will only reduce the possibility of me choosing you.”

“I don’t think so,” Gu Zhao remained calm. “Wang Zhengzheng has always been prudent in his actions. He must have detailed my situation when introducing me to you. Under such circumstances, I have no need to disguise myself.”

“Moreover, I reflected on Wansheng’s failure and realized that the main reason was that I didn’t show my true self to Chen Xuanzheng and He Qi, causing them to underestimate my threat and thus make some foolish decisions.”

“I was wrong. Human nature won’t change because of disguise. Presenting oneself differently from reality will lead to conflicts in how others treat me and their thoughts. If Ms. Sheng is willing to hire me, I will correct such similar mistakes.”

Sheng Quan also admired Gu Zhao. He kept saying he was wrong, but every word and sentence was contemptuous of the intelligence of his former employer. That was quite impressive.

His implication was that he knew his true self would make people wary, so he pretended at first. As a result, he pretended too well, and the two former employers thought he was easy to deal with, so they felt at ease causing trouble, which almost led to the collapse of the company.

This time he learned his lesson. From the beginning, he showed what kind of person he was, scaring away those companies that conflicted with his beliefs, actions, and thoughts.

It was indeed an extremely rational judgment and decision.

“One last question.”

Sheng Quan looked directly into Gu Zhao’s eyes. “What is your purpose this time?”

“I do all this for one purpose, which is also my life goal.” Even when talking about what he pursued in his life, Gu Zhao’s tone remained indifferent. “I want to make the company I’m in the top in the world, not just in the country, but globally unrivaled.”

“No matter what industry it is, no matter where it starts, as long as the goal is not achieved for a day, I will strive for it throughout my life.”

Sheng Quan’s heart slowly began to beat excitedly.

She looked at Gu Zhao, realizing she was falling madly in love. Don’t get it wrong, this infatuation wasn’t for Gu Zhao, but for the life goal he described.

Did she have ambition? Of course she did. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have climbed so high in her previous life.

But besides ambition, she also had other things. She loved good food, loved to look at handsome guys and beautiful girls, liked to watch dramas and read novels, loved gossip and chatting. As a workaholic, Sheng Quan’s entertainment interests were several times more than her colleagues’.

She indeed aspired to stand at the top, who wouldn’t want that? But dedicating her entire life to her career would be too boring for Sheng Quan herself.

Life has many things, and Sheng Quan wants to try them all. She wouldn’t stick stubbornly to one thing. Before meeting Gu Zhao, she always thought that you couldn’t have both fish and bear’s paw.

But now, the bear’s paw had jumped into her bowl automatically.

She suppressed her emotions. “Why don’t you do it yourself?”

Gu Zhao: “According to calculations, achieving this goal requires long-term and substantial funding. I don’t have a stable source of substantial funds, so I need to find a wealthy partner.”

[One] He emphasized these two words heavily, obviously rejecting having two or more shareholders based on the failed experience at Wansheng.

“If Ms. Sheng chooses to hire me, my only condition is that I hope you will always be the largest shareholder of Xingmang, so that I can have the greatest authority.”

“Of course, to show sincerity, we can sign an agreement. No matter how much the company develops, I am willing to hold no more than one-third of your shares for life.”

Sheng Quan’s mood soared even higher.

Gu Zhao didn’t want money or benefits. He just wanted to personally make the company big and strong, reaching the pinnacle. Rather than saying he was striving for his life goal, it was more like he was enjoying the process of achieving it.

What a perfect match, what a heaven-sent tool, and he even brought his own experience and skills, with full energy.

Sheng Quan didn’t conceal her delight. She stood up and extended her hand with a smile.

“Your interview is successful. Welcome to join Xingmang. I hope your life goal can be realized here.”

After talking for so long, Gu Zhao showed a hint of emotion on his face for the first time. He seemed somewhat surprised, as if he was judging whether Sheng Quan was telling the truth. In the end, he stood up and shook hands with Sheng Quan.

“Thank you for believing in me. I promise to devote all my energy to the development of Xingmang.”

After shaking hands, they both sat down again, this time just drinking tea for real.

Sheng Quan endured and endured, but couldn’t resist her curiosity:

“By the way, did you tell those two people about your life goal?”

“I did.”

“What was their reaction?”

“They laughed out loud.”

“Wow, they missed out on you.”

“That’s right.”

“Were you angry at that time?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“I took them to pitch projects to other companies. They talked for three days until they were hoarse and couldn’t laugh anymore.”

After this conversation, Sheng Quan affirmed Mr. Wang’s view: Gu Zhao really held grudges.

Having successfully secured an excellent CEO for her company, Sheng Quan couldn’t wait to show her talents.

With some anticipation, she asked Gu Zhao, “What’s your first step?”

Gu Zhao thought for a moment and answered seriously, “I’m going to change my hairstyle, customize some clothes that show off my physique, and get a membership card for men’s grooming.”

Sheng Quan: …

Bro, did you really have to say something like that with such a cold expression??

“Are you doing these things because… you want to make a grand entrance?”

She always felt that it wasn’t the reason.

Sure enough, Gu Zhao replied, “By observing the appearance of the people around you, I believe that taking care of my appearance can make you feel happy. As a subordinate, as long as it doesn’t affect work, I believe I have an obligation to satisfy your aesthetic preferences.”

“Because I haven’t done this before, I put it at the top of my list to facilitate coordination and correction.”

Sheng Quan: …Actually, I don’t mind what you look like. You’re not an actor. As a CEO, as long as you’re capable, it’s fine. Even if you were a bald uncle, I wouldn’t mind.

Gu Zhao still maintained his calm and almost indifferent tone. While speaking, he adjusted his angle facing Sheng Quan. Clearly, he didn’t rely on his looks to make a living, but he knew which angle of his face looked the best.

He looked at Sheng Quan with those pretty light-colored eyes and said with a casual tone:

“But my appearance conforms to public aesthetics. You also like my appearance, don’t you? You just haven’t expressed it.”

Sheng Quan, shocked by the directness: …Can’t argue with that.

Gu Zhao summed up in the end: “Since it’s possible to have both ability and appearance, why not?”

Sheng Quan felt that this statement was very familiar. Upon careful recollection, she remembered that in junior high school, the math committee member in her class said, “Since we can buy the latest math and physics test papers, why not do it?”

Her mood at that time and her current mood coincided in an instant.

Nerds, they’re really something.