Chapter 176: Mr. Shang Waves His Hand, 200 Million

At that moment, everyone at the venue had their own agenda, but the livestream was exploding!

The netizens were going absolutely wild!

"Wait... When did Gu Shengsheng get so badass?! She said everything I’ve been wanting to say!"

"I knew it! We shouldn’t just be issuing condemnations. Just curse them right back, openly and confidently! How could we possibly let them bully us?"

"Putting everything else aside, whenever I see Gu Shengsheng now, she feels like a hero from one of those satisfying power-fantasy novels! All she does is focus on her career. Damn, she’s so awesome! I love her!"

"Yeah, I was actually scared for a second when she started cursing them out. I thought she was going to get locked away somewhere!"

"It looks like we’re all in this together. From now on, if I see someone like that, I’ll curse them out too! I’m just not having it!"

"I’m so glad I’m a fan of hers. I feel so excited right now, like I was the one up on that stage."

"I think Gu Shengsheng is the most amazing person ever, but it’s a shame she’s married! I really don’t know what kind of lucky bastard has that kind of fortune."

"Yeah, I can’t imagine what kind of man could possibly be worthy of her."

"..."

There were also some Huaxia people at the exhibition talking amongst themselves near Lu Shijing.

He, too, began to wonder. ’Maybe I’m really not good enough for her.’

Still, hearing them talk like this made him feel a little sweet inside.

’Shengsheng is so wonderful. Too bad for them her husband is me.’

’No one else should even think about it. I’ll definitely keep her tied firmly to me.’

As Gu Shengsheng was looking at the exhibition, she made a round and saw Mr. Ryan standing there, looking happy one moment and sighing the next.

Although his expression didn’t change much, she was familiar enough with him to know that a relaxed brow meant he was happy, and a furrowed one meant he was upset.

Gu Shengsheng stood beside him, looking at the abstract painting of an apple in front of him. As someone who didn’t understand art, she didn’t feel much of anything looking at it.

She asked, "Are you a big fan of this apple?"

Lu Shijing was pulled from his thoughts and realized he had been staring blankly at the painting. He smiled. "No. I recently met someone, and I don’t know how I should treat her."

’Oh boy,’ Gu Shengsheng thought. ’He sounds completely lovesick!’

’Even though I’ve never been in a relationship, a strategist doesn’t need to go to the front lines!’

Besides, she was quite curious about what kind of girl Mr. Ryan liked.

Seeing the expectant look in Gu Shengsheng’s eyes, he reached out and tousled her hair. It made it a little messy, but it was very cute.

He said, "She’s a very special person."

"Miss Gu, if you liked someone, what would you do?"

Gu Shengsheng was stumped for a moment. "I don’t think I like anyone. But if I did, I think I’d just tell him directly."

"There’s no need to hide your feelings."

Lu Shijing asked, "What if you knew he didn’t like you back?"

Gu Shengsheng paused. "I guess it depends on the situation. If she doesn’t like you, then you work hard to make her like you! Of course, you have to be yourself while you like someone else. Don’t lose yourself just to chase after a person."

"Okay, I’ll listen to you,"

he said.

Gu Shengsheng felt a bit lost in the fog, then she suddenly remembered something. She said, "The reason I came to find you is, when I got back today, my grandma told me to invite you over for dinner."

"She said you’ve been very good to her and my little sister, taking care of them recently. And I remember we talked about cooking a meal together. The thing is, my grandma and I aren’t great cooks... so, would you come over and cook at our place tonight?"

Gu Shengsheng didn’t know what had gotten into her grandmother. As soon as she got back, her grandma couldn’t stop talking about how great their neighbor, Mr. Ryan, was, and insisted on inviting him over to cook.

At first, Gu Shengsheng felt it was inappropriate. What kind of logic was it to invite someone for a meal, only to ask them to do the cooking?

But then her grandmother raised a huge fuss, threatening to cook the meal herself, as long as Gu Shengsheng and Mr. Ryan dared to eat it.

After thinking it over, Gu Shengsheng decided she had better go get Mr. Ryan.

Lu Shijing smiled and nodded. "Okay."

’Looks like I’ll need Grandma’s help to build a good relationship with Gu Shengsheng after all.’

’Once we’ve built a good relationship, she probably won’t want a divorce when she finds out I’m her husband.’

Thinking about it, Lu Shijing felt his plan was excellent. Everything was progressing step by step.

After making the arrangement with Mr. Ryan, Gu Shengsheng felt a sense of delight and found herself looking forward to dinner that evening.

After that, Gu Shengsheng went to collect her payment. Shang Jinhao, who was still on a high from her speech, said she had voiced what was in everyone’s hearts today.

With a wave of his hand, he directly transferred two hundred million to Gu Shengsheng.

Gu Shengsheng: "This is too much..."

Shang Jinhao laughed heartily. "Don’t worry about it, that’s nothing! It’s my honor to be able to call you a friend!"

"Shengsheng, even at my age, I still don’t have your kind of courage."

"Most importantly, I truly admire you as a person. You deserve this. Your speech today gave me a real thrill."

Since money was being offered, it would be more polite to accept than to refuse. Besides, Gu Shengsheng wasn’t the type to turn her nose up at money.

Shang Jinhao was also a man of his word. "You’ve done me a huge favor this time. If you ever need anything in the future, just call me!"

"Okay!" Gu Shengsheng nodded.

Then, Zhang Zhengyi came over to say his goodbyes. "I have a class at Qing University today, and my break is over, so I have to head back. Shengsheng, listen to me, you must come and pursue a master’s degree with me. I’ll always have a spot reserved for you."

"Okay, I’ll definitely work hard and take the entrance exam." Gu Shengsheng’s voice was gentle, yet it carried a self-assuredness, as if she could handle anything with ease. It seemed she had always been this way.

Finally, Gu Shengsheng ran over to find Zhao Dehai and asked, "Am I not getting punished?"

’I wonder if I’m going to get chewed out for saying all that inappropriate stuff!’ she thought.

Zhao Dehai said, "Why would I say anything to you? Were you wrong?"

"Right. I don’t think I was wrong either," Gu Shengsheng said.

"So what is there to punish you for?" Zhao Dehai had originally wanted to act cold to scare her a little, but he couldn’t hold back his laughter any longer.

"It’s not just me; the higher-ups are very satisfied. Though what you said today was unconventional, everyone felt you should have said it."

"We should be fighting for our interests. They’re even making the diplomatic debate teams watch your livestream on a loop. Shengsheng, everyone approves of you."

"If you were interested, young lady, I feel like the Bureau of Cultural Heritage would have found its successor!"

Gu Shengsheng was taken aback by his words.

She quickly said a bunch of things to brush him off, making it clear she had no such intention.

She didn’t have any grand ambitions. She just wanted to earn enough money to retire, do whatever she wanted, and live without any constraints.

After they finished exchanging pleasantries, Zhao Dehai couldn’t help but ask, "Shengsheng, about that Mr. Ryan I mentioned the other day... do you like him?"

Gu Shengsheng: "..." ’How did Zhao Dehai start gossiping too?’

"That kid probably likes you. I feel like you two are quite a good match," Zhao Dehai continued.

He wasn’t just making small talk. Earlier today, when Zhao Dehai saw Lu Shijing sitting there in a black overcoat, he’d been scared out of his wits. Wasn’t Lu Shijing supposed to be dead?