Maxing Out Charisma, Inheriting Game Assets

Chapter 457: Caught You!

Wen Zhenhua had already sensed the subtle tension between his daughter, Wen Qiuyue, and Wen Ruan before coming over.

So when Wang Shunyu brought up Wen Ruan’s name, he had deliberately come to check it out himself.

"Dad…" Wen Qiuyue bit her lip, her face burning with humiliation.

She had been mocking Wen Ruan just moments ago, and now she was being forced to greet her first—wasn’t that the same as admitting defeat?

"Hmm?"

Wen Zhenhua’s expression hardened.

Wen Qiuyue’s body stiffened. She lowered her head and muttered in a barely audible voice, "Hello, President Wen. I’m Wen Qiuyue from Jiaxin Group."

The moment she finished speaking, her eyes turned red with frustration.

Never in her life had she been forced to bow her head to someone she despised.

But at an international fashion expo, in front of so many industry elites, she didn’t dare cause a scene.Wen Ruan simply acknowledged her with a light 'Hmm,' then turned her attention back to Yao Lingling, gently patting her on the back.

"Lingling, tell me exactly what happened."

With Wen Ruan backing her up, Yao Lingling finally felt a sense of security.

She took a deep breath and quietly recounted the entire sequence of events.

As she spoke, Wen Ruan’s brows gradually furrowed.

Xiao Liguo’s expression darkened, and he cut her off abruptly.

"Yao Lingling’s case is simply a normal internal adjustment within our company. If she has any concerns, she should discuss them with her department leadership."

Design Director Peng Xinlei immediately stepped forward.

"President Wen, I’m Lingling’s direct supervisor. I’ll have a conversation with her after the event."

Seeing Peng Xinlei step in, Xiao Liguo nodded approvingly.

Given Xingyun International’s market dominance in advertising and media, a fashion company like theirs would naturally benefit from maintaining a good relationship with them.

But now that things had come to this point, he wasn’t about to admit he had made a mistake.

He was a billionaire chairman—how could he publicly admit wrongdoing over something as trivial as a design position?

This was his company, and he had every right to manage his employees however he saw fit.

He had only spoken up just now because Wen Zhenhua and Wang Shunyu were present—he didn’t want to lose face.

"No need, Chairman Xiao, Director Peng," Yao Lingling said, her voice calm yet resolute.

**"I’ve been with Shangya since my senior year internship, and I’ve built great relationships with my colleagues.

Even though there were some difficult moments, I always saw myself as a part of Shangya, always striving to improve myself and contribute to the company.

But after today, I see the company in a different light. I no longer feel any attachment to it."**

Her words were genuine, spoken with emotion.

Peng Xinlei lowered her head slightly, while several familiar colleagues exchanged uneasy glances.

They had already pieced together what had happened through private discussions.

Yao Lingling’s Qimeng Brand design was swapped out at the last minute, replaced by Liang Jiani’s work, and her assistant Li Shumin was abruptly fired.

Even though they didn’t fully understand why Chairman Xiao had made this decision, they all felt uneasy about it.

Xiao Liguo’s gaze flickered briefly.

"A company is a collective entity. Not everything is as simple as you think. Since you’ve already decided to resign, there’s no need to dwell on this any further."

He then turned to Xiao Mingxuan, speaking in a casual tone.

"Mingxuan, since Yao Lingling is from your division, process her resignation under the 2N+1 severance package."

Xiao Mingxuan, who had remained silent until now, clenched his fists and suddenly spoke up.

"Chairman Xiao, if Lingling is part of our division, then as the director, why was I completely left out of this decision?"

Xiao Liguo stared at him for a moment before replying, "Your responsibility is to align with the company’s strategic plans and manage Qimeng properly."

Xiao Mingxuan let out a long sigh, turning to Yao Lingling.

"I’m sorry, Lingling."

Yao Lingling took a deep breath, her lips pressing into a tight line.

She couldn’t say she didn’t blame him—that would be a lie.

Especially since Li Shumin had been dragged into this mess because of her, making her feel even worse.

After a moment, she turned her gaze to Wen Qiuyue.

"Miss Wen, don’t you think you’ve gone too far?"

Wen Qiuyue’s eyebrow twitched.

She crossed her left arm over her right and spoke coldly, "Are you not done yet? This is the fashion expo opening ceremony. I have no interest in wasting time on such trivial matters."

"Aren’t you the one who won’t let this go?"

Wen Qiuyue let out a sharp breath, her frustration barely contained.

"Stop causing a scene!"

Hearing their exchange, Wen Zhenhua’s brow furrowed, his expression turning serious.

"Qiuyue, what exactly is going on?"

Xiao Mingxuan stepped in to explain.

"Director Wen, Wen Qiuyue previously suspected that I had an inappropriate relationship with my colleague.

Later, the misunderstanding was cleared up, and I thought that was the end of it.

But then, she went behind my back and spoke to Chairman Xiao—leading to everything that happened today."

Wen Zhenhua turned to his daughter.

"Is this true?"

Wen Qiuyue gritted her teeth. "I didn’t do anything wrong! Xiao Mingxuan was the one at fault first!"

"And what exactly did I do wrong?" Xiao Mingxuan’s voice was calm but tinged with exasperation.

"You know exactly what!"

"Enough, both of you, stop arguing!"

With his keen perception, Wen Zhenhua quickly saw through his daughter’s emotions.

He knew her personality inside out and could easily tell that Xiao Mingxuan was telling the truth.

Under normal circumstances, firing an ordinary designer wouldn’t be a big deal.

But now that Wen Ruan was involved, he had to handle this more delicately.

He turned to Wen Ruan with a polite smile.

**"Apologies for the commotion.

It seems this was just a misunderstanding between young people.

Lingling, today’s event is quite significant, but I will personally look into this later.

If you need assistance, I can arrange for you to work at another fashion company in Yan City. That shouldn’t be an issue."**

"No need, Director Wen." Yao Lingling rejected him outright.

Seeing the full picture now, Wen Ruan’s temper flared.

This situation felt eerily similar to what she had once experienced.

She understood exactly what Yao Lingling was feeling at this moment.

Taking a deep breath, she said firmly, **"Director Wen, finding a job for Lingling is the easy part. I can handle that.

But first, I think Miss Wen owes her an apology."**

Wen Qiuyue’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"What do you mean by that?! You just won’t let this go?!"

"Silence!"

Wen Zhenhua cut her off sharply, his gaze shifting to Wen Ruan.

**"President Wen, the event is about to begin. Government officials and the media are arriving soon.

I don’t think this is the right time to be discussing this matter."**

Wen Ruan shook her head.

**"For a woman, reputation is everything. An apology won’t take much time.

And one more thing—Miss Wen, you accused Xiao Mingxuan and Lingling of having an improper relationship.

Do you have any proof?"**

"You—!"

Wen Qiuyue’s chest heaved with fury, her entire face burning with rage.

Even Xiao Liguo and Wen Zhenhua’s expressions darkened—they had never expected Wen Ruan to be this relentless.

The atmosphere grew tense—

Until Wang Shunyu suddenly spoke up.

**"The event organizers are entering the hall.

President Wen, Director Wen—perhaps we should continue this conversation later?"**

He gestured toward the growing commotion in the distance.

Their location was right near the VIP exit of the conference center.

As the sound of lighthearted conversations drifted in from the side, Wen Zhenhua and Xiao Liguo both quickly regained their composure.

Unlike Wen Ruan, their purpose in attending the Yan Province International Fashion Expo was to secure a partnership with Meigou, aiming to integrate their products into its supply chain.

With the cross-border e-commerce market continuously expanding and strong government policy support, securing Meigou’s cooperation was of utmost importance.

Compared to this major business deal, the conflict between Wen Qiuyue and Yao Lingling was trivial.

Wen Ruan’s eyes flickered.

She gently grabbed Yao Lingling’s wrist and reassured her, "We’ll talk about this later. Don’t worry, I’m here."

"Thank you, Sister Wen Ruan."

Yao Lingling sniffled, her heart overwhelmed with gratitude.

She had never expected Wen Ruan to stand up for her like this.

To her, this elegant, commanding woman felt like a warm beam of light, illuminating the darkness she had been struggling through.

She had always been an optimistic and cheerful person, but now, looking at Wen Ruan, she already considered her like an older sister.

And Lin Muxue, who had helped her before, had also touched her deeply.

It seemed like everyone around Tang Song was incredibly kind.

She was certain—one day, she, Wen Ruan, and Lin Muxue would become the best of friends.

Across from them, Wen Qiuyue clenched her lower lip, her cold eyes locked onto Wen Ruan and Yao Lingling.

Internally, she was cursing them endlessly.

But she also knew—now was not the time for this discussion.

Just then, a group of over ten people began emerging from the VIP hall, exchanging pleasantries and handshakes with other guests.

Among them were government officials and high-ranking executives from Meigou Import & Export International Trade.

But one particular figure stood out.

Dressed in a sleek, tailored women's suit, her makeup was flawless, and she carried herself with grace and poise.

Standing amongst the government leaders, she was instantly eye-catching, drawing the attention of many.

Wen Qiuyue’s eyebrows shot up.

She called out loudly, "Isn’t that President Lin?"

"That should be her."

Wang Shunyu nodded with a smile.

"She wasn’t originally on the guest list—just like that Miss Shangguan. They both decided to attend at the last minute.

But that’s actually a good thing. She’s one of the few people who can directly influence Meigou’s supply chain."

Before, the group had been discussing the two unexpectedly arrived female guests—

Jin Meixiao’s assistant and Rongliu Capital’s Executive Assistant to the President.

Although Jiang Yanbin was a director at Meigou, he was merely a representative of Rongliu Capital’s shareholders.

While his influence was significant, major decisions were still overseen by Rongliu Capital’s post-investment management team.

And as Rongliu Capital’s Executive Assistant, President Lin undoubtedly held greater decision-making power.

Wen Ruan, who had just looked up, suddenly froze in surprise.

Why is she here?

She had a deep impression of Tang Song’s stunningly beautiful assistant.

Not to mention—her close friend Zhang Ziqi, who now worked at Lan Feng International Hotel’s marketing department, had spoken about this ‘Lin Assistant’ multiple times.

Xiao Liguo glanced at his son, who was staring in silence, and patted his arm as a reminder.

"Mingxuan, stop daydreaming. Remember why you're here today!"

Xiao Mingxuan snapped out of his daze, took a deep breath, and turned toward the approaching group.

Then, his expression froze, and he blurted out in shock—

"Lin Muxue?!"

Hearing that name—

Yao Lingling, who had been deep in thought, immediately looked up, eyes filled with surprise.

She had just been thinking about Lin Muxue, and now, in the blink of an eye, she had actually appeared at the venue.

It felt surreal.

Wen Qiuyue’s eyelids twitched, her eyes turning sharp and wary as she whipped around.

At the same time, Lin Muxue, who had been scanning the venue, happened to meet her gaze.

Their eyes locked—

Electricity crackled in the air.

The moment Lin Muxue saw her sworn enemy, a rush of adrenaline flooded her veins.

Her heart pounded wildly, and a flush of excitement spread across her face.

Caught you at last, you b*tch!

I told you—we’d meet again soon!

Lin Muxue murmured something softly to the person beside her, then turned and strode toward them.

Wen Qiuyue’s expression turned dark as night.

Seeing Lin Muxue approach, memories of their past confrontations flashed through her mind.

At the same time, Xiao Mingxuan’s shocked voice rang out once more.

"Mingxuan, do you know her?"

Wang Shunyu’s tone carried a hint of surprise.

Xiao Mingxuan hesitated briefly before nodding. "Yes."

Xiao Liguo’s face lit up with delight.

"How do you know President Lin?"

Hearing his father’s choice of words, Xiao Mingxuan’s expression turned to utter disbelief.

He had been circulating in the same elite circles as his father all morning.

He knew exactly who his father was referring to when he said ‘President Lin’.

But…

How is this even possible?

Xiao Mingxuan swallowed hard, his voice hoarse as he asked,

"Dad… which President Lin are you talking about?"

Xiao Liguo lowered his voice.

"Lin Muxue—the Executive Assistant to the President of Rongliu Capital, and the key representative of Meigou Import & Export Trade at this opening ceremony."

Boom.

It felt like his brain had short-circuited.

Meanwhile, Wen Qiuyue, who had been staring daggers at Lin Muxue, suddenly froze.

For a moment, her mind blanked.

And then—

Lin Muxue finally arrived in front of them.

Her gaze was calm and confident.

Wen Zhenhua’s face broke into a warm smile as he stepped forward slightly and nodded politely.

"President Lin, I’m Wen Zhenhua from Jiaxin Group. It’s an honor to meet you."

Following him, Wang Shunyu and Xiao Liguo also stepped up, introducing themselves in turn.

"President Lin, I’m Wang Shunyu from Langzi Corporation. I’ve long admired your reputation. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you."

"President Lin, I’m Xiao Liguo from Shangya Fashion Design."

Lin Muxue acknowledged them with a polite nod, exchanging formal pleasantries.

Then, her gaze shifted to the side, and her face instantly lit up with a radiant smile. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on NoveIꜰire.net

"Sister Wen Ruan, Lingling! What a coincidence to see you both here!"

Wen Ruan’s smile was gentle, her tone warm.

"It’s been a while, Xiaoxue. You’re as impressive as ever."

Hearing Wen Ruan’s compliment, Lin Muxue’s lips curled in satisfaction.

"So are you, Sister Wen Ruan."

Yao Lingling took a deep breath, feeling a little nervous.

"Muxue… sis."

The genuine warmth between the three made both Wen Zhenhua and Xiao Liguo feel a strange sense of unease.

Their relationship was closer than expected.

Meanwhile—

Lin Muxue stepped forward and took Yao Lingling’s hand.

"Lingling, are you okay? You don’t look too good."

Then, she turned her sharp gaze toward the stunned Wen Qiuyue.

A faint, amused smirk tugged at her lips.

The sheer pressure of her presence made Wen Qiuyue instinctively take a step back, her face flushing red.