Nian Suian found Gu Zhijing's words both amusing and touching. "Oh, come on now. You're the golden grandson of the Gu family. What does that make me? Your father can't control you, and your grandparents would hunt me down." After saying this, Nian Suian inwardly mocked Gu Junxing again, thinking, "What a failure as a father~"
Gu Zhijing didn't care about all that. "Don't worry! My grandparents are busy traveling the world now. They don't have time to manage their eldest grandson anymore. Otherwise, I wouldn't be constantly threatened with having my allowance taken away by old man Gu. But when I'm with you, remember to ask my dad for more child support. We'll live well together, you and I."
"Haha, you've got it all planned out. Your dad would cough up blood if he heard this." Nian Suian hadn't expected this boy to have so little affection for his father!
"He wouldn't. I bet he can't wait to have another child! He's always saying I've been spoiled by my grandparents. Having another one would be perfect for him to raise from scratch."
Nian Suian felt she had stumbled upon the truth. It wasn't that he disliked his father at all. It was just a child throwing a tantrum, wanting his father to pay more attention and praise him more.
Nian Suian comforted him, "Don't say that. Your father surely loves you very much. Look, he hasn't found you a stepmother all these years. Well... although I'm your stepmother now, I probably won't be for long. And I heard from Butler Su that your father always attended your parent-teacher meetings unless he absolutely couldn't make it back. How many fathers in all of Jinjiang City can do that?"
Nian Suian felt she was truly a kind-hearted stepmother, even helping to improve the father-son relationship. Although in her heart she thought Gu Junxing was a miser who deserved to grow old alone, she felt sorry for Gu Zhijing. So even if it was just a simple word of comfort, she had to say it.
Nian Suian could tell from Gu Zhijing's expression that he wasn't completely without feeling for his father, and that he had taken her words to heart. But at fifteen or sixteen, when stubbornness is at its peak, Gu Zhijing still insisted, "Every time he comes to a parent-teacher meeting, it's just an excuse to scold me and then cut my allowance. Hmph! Whose side are you on now? Why are you speaking up for him?"
Nian Suian laughed and coaxed him, "Alright, alright, I won't speak for him anymore. When the time comes, I'll fight him for your custody, demand child support, and take half of his assets. How's that?"
"That's more like it."
At this moment, Gu Junxing was unaware that he had been backstabbed by his dear son, and couldn't imagine that if he were to divorce Nian Suian in the future, he might be left with nothing in this family.
Gu Junxing didn't have time to pay attention to the lively pair at home. He was busy with this year's annual selection of exemplary entrepreneurs. This top ten entrepreneur selection was a project run by the Jinjiang City government. At first, businessmen like him didn't take it seriously. They thought, "We're just doing business, what's the use of this selection? We even have to write applications and prepare materials, just like competing for the title of top student when we were young."
But when they saw the government's support for the selected enterprises, everyone became restless. There were only three spots available each year for this award. Last year, he had narrowly missed it, coming in fourth place by just three points! This year, he was determined to win. The development rights for that piece of land in the north of the city were within his grasp!
After failing to win last year, he had specifically asked his friends in the government to find out why. He had always paid his taxes diligently, was passionate about public welfare, and his company's charity projects had made the news headlines several times. If he wasn't exemplary, who was?
After extensive inquiries, his friend gave him an unexpected answer: because you don't have a wife!
This was an answer Gu Junxing could never have anticipated. What did being an exemplary entrepreneur have to do with having a wife? It wasn't like they were evaluating the most beautiful husband or the best family.
His friend explained it this way: "This 'three goods' enterprise award, although it says 'three goods,' good business development is only one of the requirements. It also requires good character, good family, and so on – good in all aspects! Look at Boss Wang from Jinxiu Real Estate. Why did he win first place? It's not just because his business is doing well. His parents are both alive, he has harmonious relationships with his siblings, and he has both a son and a daughter. And why didn't Yan Group win? They're the biggest taxpayer in Jinjiang City. No other company in Jinjiang can compare to them, so why didn't they win? It's said that it's because when the current President Yan of the Yan family took his girlfriend to the hospital, his attitude wasn't good. It was just a small cold and fever, but he made a big fuss, waking up the head of the respiratory department at two in the morning, shouting and yelling in the hospital in the middle of the night. The hospital complained, so they didn't even get a chance to submit an application – it was rejected outright. Think about it carefully. Sometimes it's just that little bit that makes the difference."
Thinking of this, Gu Junxing's hand trembled slightly as he wrote the application, penning the words: "Family is very harmonious."
Gu Junxing felt he wasn't really lying. If he wasn't in the house, it was indeed quite harmonious.
He had thought that since he got married this year and had written the application, everything would be fine. But his friend said it wasn't enough, it lacked the final touch.
"You've gotten married, but you haven't had a wedding ceremony. Who knows you're married? You say your family is harmonious, but people need to see it! Especially since you have a blended family, people might not believe you when you say it's harmonious."
Gu Junxing was at a loss for words. After a moment, he asked, "How can I prove this? I can't invite the judges to come and see my home, can I?"
"You're a businessman. Do I need to teach you about marketing? You attend so many banquets, participating every few days. Choose a few times to bring your wife and son along. Spend some money to buy a trending topic on social media. That should do it."
Is there really such an operation?
Gu Junxing began to consider the feasibility of this idea.
In the past, whenever there was a banquet, he would attend alone. He was single then, so he had no partner to bring, and as for his son, he didn't want to bring him. In his heart, he still felt that children shouldn't be exposed to such social occasions too early, and if he did bring him, it would be difficult to look after him.
Gu Junxing opened his schedule and looked. Next Friday, there was an industry summit, and the evening banquet would be perfect to bring Nian Suian and Gu Zhijing along.
Thinking of this, Gu Junxing called his secretary and instructed, "Find me a restaurant and book a table for three. Make it for 9:30 tonight. I want to take my family out for a late-night meal."
"Certainly, sir," the secretary replied, though inwardly puzzled. Why have a late-night snack instead of dinner? For working-class folks like him, late-night snacks meant street food - fried skewers, lobster, cold noodles, beer, and peanuts at roadside stalls... What did rich people eat for late-night meals? Wouldn't steak and red wine cause indigestion?
Meanwhile, Nian Suian, who was enjoying afternoon tea in the garden, received a WeChat message from Gu Junxing.
Gu Junxing: [Let's go out for a late-night meal tonight. I'll be home to pick you up at 9 o'clock.]