Maxing Out Charisma, Inheriting Game Assets

Chapter 458: Cheerful, Pretty, and Small-Chested

A corner of the massive conference center.

As Lin Muxue's attitude suddenly shifted, the atmosphere became incredibly tense.

Yao Lingling's colleagues stared blankly at the scene before them, feeling like they were dreaming.

A colleague they saw every day, Yao Lingling, a regular university graduate who had only been working for a little over a year, had been targeted by the leadership for offending a shareholder’s daughter.

That seemed logical enough. But no one had expected that first, a tall and curvy female director from Xingyun International would step in to defend her and restore her dignity.

And now, another one—President Lin of Meigou International—was also standing up for her.

This was beyond ridiculous.

Even more unbelievable than when they first heard that Xiao Mingxuan was the chairman’s only son.

Looking at Yao Lingling, who was now caught between two women of such high status, Liang Jiani felt like someone had just dropped a torpedo into her brain—buzzing nonstop.

She was probably the one in the company who interacted with Yao Lingling the most, having once been her assistant.She pinched herself hard. The sharp pain reminded her that this was all real.

Yao Lingling, oh Yao Lingling! If you had told me you had such powerful connections earlier, none of this would have happened!

Wen Qiuyue gritted her teeth as she looked at Lin Muxue, who carried herself with an air of superiority.

She trembled slightly at the thought of how she had instinctively backed down just moments ago.

She had no idea how Lin Muxue, from Lanfeng International Hotel, had suddenly become the top assistant of Confluent Capital. But right now, she had no time to dwell on that.

Noticing the exchanged glances between his daughter and Lin Muxue, Wen Zhenhua felt a sharp twitch in his forehead.

The very thing I feared has come true!

"President Lin," Wen Zhenhua quickly adjusted his mindset, putting on a warm smile with a hint of caution in his tone. "Do you and Qiuyue know each other?"

The tension in the air had reached its peak. If it wasn’t defused now, it would certainly affect their upcoming collaboration.

As the chairman of Jiaxin Group, he couldn’t let his daughter’s personal issues interfere with the company’s interests.

Lin Muxue’s lips curled slightly. "I’ve met Miss Wen a few times, but none of them were pleasant."

"You—you're talking nonsense!" Wen Qiuyue clenched her teeth. "We've only met once! And it was you who started the trouble!"

She was so furious that she nearly blurted out what she was really thinking.

She was sure of it—this b***h had come for her!

Lin Muxue said lightly, "Heh. Miss Wen is just as arrogant and unreasonable as ever. No change at all."

Yao Lingling lifted her head and looked at Lin Muxue, her eyes glistening.

At this moment, Lin Muxue’s presence felt incredibly powerful. Every movement carried an undeniable authority.

Yao Lingling was just a fresh graduate, cheerful by nature, passionate about work and friendships.

Being inexplicably bullied at the company, watching her close friend Li Shumin get laid off because of her—how could she not feel anything?

Realizing how poorly Lin Muxue regarded his daughter, Wen Zhenhua's voice turned cold and stern. "Shut up!"

Wen Qiuyue trembled. "Dad!"

Wen Zhenhua turned sideways and shot her a sharp glare. "Have you forgotten how I raised you? You’re already a company executive, yet you’re still acting so childish!"

He was truly disappointed in his daughter.

To cultivate her, he had used Jiaxin Group’s name, providing resources and funds.

After much effort, he had built up the "Yue Shang" brand for her in Hangzhou, yet the operation was a complete mess—not a single success to show for it.

He constantly received complaints about her from the group’s executives.

If she was just messing with regular employees before, he could still protect her as a father.

But now? She was going after someone who could affect Meigou International’s supply chain!

Her lack of awareness made him furious.

What worried him even more was that one day, if Wen Qiuyue offended someone even more powerful, she might bring disaster upon Jiaxin Group.

So he decided to use this moment to teach his daughter a lesson.

Wen Qiuyue’s eyes turned red. "Dad, how could you say that to me?"

Clearly, she didn’t understand his intentions.

From her perspective, she was completely cornered—everyone was laughing at her, and now even her father was siding with Lin Muxue to scold her.

Her dignity had been crushed into the ground.

Especially when she caught Lin Muxue’s gaze—it sent her into full rage mode.

Seeing this, Xiao Liguo quickly nudged his son. Noticing that Xiao Mingxuan remained still, he stepped forward himself and said, "Qiuyue, your father is just looking out for you." ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novel✦fire.net

After all, Wen Qiuyue was his future daughter-in-law, and he had been friends with Wen Zhenhua for years. He couldn’t just stand by and watch their family drama unfold in public.

Wen Qiuyue took a deep breath and lowered her head, emotions surging violently in her eyes.

She knew that in today’s setting, she absolutely couldn’t make a scene.

Seeing Wen Qiuyue’s submissive posture and feeling the respectful gazes around her, Lin Muxue felt like she was floating.

This is the feeling!

Wen Zhenhua ignored his daughter and returned to his polite expression, his tone carrying a touch of apology. "President Lin, I sincerely apologize. Qiuyue can be blunt, and sometimes she’s not as thoughtful as she should be. I hope you won’t take offense."

"You're too kind, Chairman Wen." Lin Muxue’s gaze swept over Wen Qiuyue as she calmly said, "Lingling, are you here for the exhibition today? If I remember correctly, you're a designer at Shangya. Do you have any pieces on display?"

She had a sharp instinct for these things.

She had already noticed the subtle tension between Yao Lingling, Wen Ruan, and Wen Qiuyue.

Thinking back to their past confrontation at Yuhua Business Tower, she quickly pieced things together.

Now that she was a woman of status, she wouldn’t stoop to screaming at Wen Qiuyue like some market woman.

Yao Lingling was the perfect excuse.

This is my dear friend! My future teammate!

If she’s been wronged, I have to set things right!

Yao Lingling took a deep breath and said, "Thank you for your concern, Muxue. I was supposed to have an exhibit, but it was withdrawn at the last minute. And I’ll be leaving Shangya soon."

"Oh?" Lin Muxue’s eyes lit up, her tone turning serious. "What happened?"

Hearing their conversation, Xiao Liguo’s expression changed instantly. "Lingling, we can renegotiate your situation. As a successful lead designer, we acknowledge that the company has overlooked your contributions. Qimeng is a new brand with an independent division. Mingxuan will personally handle your case moving forward."

As he spoke, he reached out and tugged at his son’s arm.

But Xiao Mingxuan remained silent.

"No need, Chairman Xiao." Yao Lingling shook her head firmly. "We already discussed this thoroughly before. As you said, there’s no need to dwell on it."

"This..." Sweat started forming on Xiao Liguo’s forehead.

It was only now that he truly regretted everything—and deeply so.

Shangya’s business had always been domestic, but with the increasing competition in the market, its sales and business lines had been steadily shrinking.

If not for Jiaxin Group’s strong supply chain and factory resources, it might already be operating at a loss.

That was why Wen Qiuyue was so important to him.

For Shangya, the best path forward was undoubtedly to expand overseas and enter cross-border markets.

The government was promoting this international fashion exhibition to leverage Meigou International’s global resources and platform advantages, aiming to boost the cross-border business development of Yan Province’s fashion industry and integrate local brands more deeply into international markets.

For Shangya, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Had Yao Lingling stayed at Shangya and participated in the exhibition as planned, given Lin Muxue’s goodwill toward her, winning an award would have been a sure thing.

In fact, just through this connection, Shangya could have secured a spot in Meigou International’s supply chain.

But now, it was all too late.

Lin Muxue turned her gaze back to Wen Qiuyue, her presence radiating hostility. “Miss Wen, I assume Lingling’s situation has something to do with you as well, doesn’t it?”

Wen Zhenhua immediately interjected, “President Lin, there must be some misunderstanding here.”

“Heh.” Lin Muxue released Yao Lingling’s hand, took a step forward, and looked down at Wen Qiuyue from above. “Miss Wen, you were quite bold at Yuhua Business Tower last time, weren’t you? Not only did you insult Lingling, but you also threatened me.

Now that you can’t get back at me, you’re taking it out on Lingling instead?

As far as I know, Miss Wen, you’re the director of Yue Shang Fashion and a participant in this exhibition.

As one of the event organizers, I seriously doubt whether you have the professionalism and ethical standards required for an international event like this.”

Wen Qiuyue’s face instantly turned pale. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails nearly dug into her palms.

She had never felt so humiliated in her life. Never felt so stifled.

But she also knew that to her father and family, Jiaxin Group was everything.

She had always been arrogant and domineering because she had the backing to do so.

But now, standing before Lin Muxue—a representative of Meigou International—she had no leverage at all.

Watching the scene unfold, Wen Zhenhua’s expression darkened.

But as a seasoned businessman, he quickly adjusted his emotions and said sincerely, “President Lin, Qiuyue is still young and impulsive. If she has offended you in any way, I hope you can give her a chance to make amends.”

“You’re absolutely right, Chairman Wen.” Lin Muxue smiled and nodded, then looked at Wen Qiuyue. “Miss Wen, shouldn’t you apologize?”

Wen Qiuyue kept her head down, gritting her teeth so hard they almost shattered, unable to say a single word.

Wen Ruan watched quietly from the side, a faint smile on her face.

Unlike Yao Lingling, she wasn’t so naive.

Despite how polite Xiao Liguo and Wen Zhenhua had sounded earlier, they never truly took Yao Lingling seriously.

Wen Zhenhua’s offer to help find her a job, mentioning that most fashion companies in Yan City would be open to hiring her, wasn’t just an olive branch.

It was also a veiled warning.

In other words, if you want to stay in Yan City’s fashion industry, you’d better not push your luck.

But clearly, Yao Lingling—just barely in her twenties—was still in the fearless stage of youth.

She lacked a clear understanding of capital and social networks.

If Yao Lingling were really just an ordinary employee, offending Jiaxin Group and Wen Qiuyue would have been a disaster.

Sensing the escalating tension, Wen Ruan glanced at her watch and casually remarked, “The opening ceremony is in thirty minutes. More guests and media will be arriving soon.”

Wen Zhenhua took another look at his daughter and, with a grim expression, commanded, “Qiuyue, apologize.”

Wen Qiuyue’s body trembled violently. She lifted her head, her eyes filled with humiliation and resentment.

She stared at Lin Muxue for a long time before finally forcing out, in a trembling voice, “I’m sorry.”

The moment she finished speaking, she spun around and ran toward the exit, head down.

Watching her flee in disgrace, Lin Muxue let out a deep breath, feeling an immense sense of satisfaction—as if she had finally made peace with a long-standing regret.

Absolute clarity. An unrivaled sense of relief.

She recalled how Wen Qiuyue had once pointed at her nose and publicly humiliated her, accusing her of wearing counterfeit brands and insulting her for being cheap.

Back then, she had been forced to endure it all for the sake of a meager 1,000 yuan part-time fee.

Now, she had repaid her eye for eye, tooth for tooth, making Wen Qiuyue feel the exact same humiliation she had once suffered.

And this was only the beginning.

As her empire continued to rise, Wen Qiuyue would become so traumatized that just thinking of her would give her nightmares!

Hahaha!

Wen Zhenhua retracted his gaze, his face calm as he said, “President Lin, President Wen, Qiuyue has apologized. Let’s put this matter to rest—the opening ceremony is about to begin.”

No matter how much frustration he felt inside, he still maintained politeness and restraint.

One way or another, this situation had to be wrapped up.

“Of course, Chairman Wen.” Lin Muxue nodded slightly, regaining her composed demeanor.

Wen Ruan smiled and took Yao Lingling’s hand. “Lingling, do you have any thoughts about your next job? You can talk to me about it.”

Yao Lingling hesitated before shaking her head. “Today was too overwhelming—I need some time to process it first.”

Xiao Mingxuan pursed his lips, as if wanting to say something, but in the end, he remained silent.

At this point, saying anything would just be humiliating himself.

He knew that Yao Lingling would never return to Shangya or Qimeng.

For some reason, an inexplicable sense of loss and helplessness filled his heart.

Wen Ruan gently patted Yao Lingling’s hair. “Take your time to think about it. Plan your future carefully. Don’t worry—I’ve got your back.”

Yao Lingling nodded gratefully, her eyes slightly reddened. “Thank you, Wen Ruan. Really, thank you so much.”

She wasn’t too worried about herself—but Li Shumin was another story.

With the current economic downturn and widespread layoffs, many of their former classmates were still struggling with unemployment, just like Zhang Jiahong had been.

Li Shumin was only an assistant and didn’t have any notable work to show for herself, making it especially difficult for her to find another job.

Yao Lingling didn’t want her to suffer because of her own problems.

“You don’t need to thank me. Do you want to join us for the opening ceremony?”

Yao Lingling shook her head. “No, I don’t have any work on display anymore, and I have a lot to take care of—I need to head back to the exhibition booth.”

She could imagine how panicked Li Shumin must be right now and needed to reassure her.

Just then, Lin Muxue suddenly turned around, an enigmatic smile on her face.

“Lingling, if I remember correctly, you have a roommate working at Huashang Fushi, right? Would you consider working with her?”

“This…” Yao Lingling’s heart skipped a beat, a flicker of hope appearing in her eyes.

She knew that Lin Muxue was also the executive assistant of Huashang Fushi.

If she could work at the same company as Jiahong and Minmin, fighting alongside them and supporting each other, it would be the best possible outcome.

Seeing the expression on her face, Lin Muxue chuckled. “No rush. Focus on handling your resignation from Shangya first. We’ll talk later—just keep in touch on WeChat and reach out whenever you need anything.”

She had fully evolved.

Now, she was ready to start gathering loyal followers.

And Lingling was a good candidate.

After all, she hated Wen Qiuyue just as much as she did.

Plus, she had so many great qualities—Tang Song’s junior, cheerful, pretty, and small-chested.