Chapter 3: This CEO, I'll Be!

Yuetang Manor, Haimen Tang Family. In front of the ancient, sprawling mansion, a Rolls-Royce glided to a stop on the red carpet. Tang Xu, the second young master of the Tang family, personally greeted his sister, opening the car door for her. "Welcome back, Princess!" Under the glow of the bright lights, Tang Qiao'er's face, as delicate as a flower reflected in water, shone with exquisite radiance. She had already swapped her sneakers for sharp, sky-high heels in the car, her every movement exuding the noble arrogance of a queen. "Second Brother, how have you all been?" "Good, but not as good as having you back. Were the fireworks beautiful? My birthday gift got the whole city talking, it even trended online!" Tang Xu's handsome, refined face was beaming. "Yes, I saw. Everyone's saying some nouveau riche guy went all out to woo his wife, and they called you a 'diamond-studded bumpkin.' Congratulations, Second Brother, on unlocking a new life achievement~" Tang Qiao'er clapped her hands, her smile bright. Tang Xu ignored her teasing, sniffed, and excitedly pulled his sister into a hug. "Qiao Qiao, you're not leaving again this time, are you?" "No, I've been divorced, what else is there to leave for?" Tang Qiao'er patted her second brother's back with a sigh of relief. "Oh, I've let everyone down. To think I spent three years going all in, pouring my heart out, only to fail at even keeping a man. It's a complete and utter failure." Yet, heaven knew, her heart felt as bitter as a double-boiled herbal tonic, on the verge of tears, but she stubbornly held them back. She swore that once she walked out of the Shen family's door, she would never shed another tear for Shen Jingjue, because he wasn't worth it! "That dog Shen! How dare he betray my sister! I'll start a thorough investigation into Shen Group tomorrow, and then have Fourth Brother assassinate him when he has a moment!" Upon hearing this, Tang Yue lowered his gaze and murmured, "Amen." "Second Brother, stop it! You're a public prosecutor, a civil servant." Tang Qiao'er gave a wry smile. "Can't you learn from Big Brother and be a little more peace and love?" "Bullshit! Your Big Brother only found enlightenment after laying down his butcher's knife." Tang Xu tugged at his tie, fuming. "Anyway, I won't let this go! They can bully me, but if they bully my sister, then their Shen Group will forever be within my firing range!" Tang Qiao'er linked her left arm with Tang Yue and her right arm with Tang Xu. The three siblings chatted and laughed as they walked into their long-missed home. Meanwhile, KS Group Chairman Tang Wanting, hearing his daughter had returned, couldn't hide the joy on his usually stern and dignified face. He paced excitedly in his study. "Old Man, I'm back!" Tang Qiao'er and her two brothers entered the study. Gone was the gentle and virtuous demeanor she had maintained at the Shen family. She sprawled casually on the sofa, kicked off her high heels, and propped up her feet. Tang Yue also sat down, naturally placing his sister's slender, fair feet on his lap and massaging them. "No sitting posture, no standing posture! Where did you go, becoming a Doctors Without Borders? A bandit's den?!" Tang Wanting deliberately put on a stern face. This daughter was truly his nemesis; when she was gone, he missed her, but when she was here, he just wanted to make her climb the walls. "You're not showing early signs of Alzheimer's, are you? I've always been like this. Is this your first day being my dad?" Tang Qiao'er's eyes flicked to the wall, and her heart involuntarily skipped a beat. On the wall hung a couplet she had personally written more than ten years ago. This old man, for some inexplicable reason, had dug it out and even framed it. First line: Three wives and four concubines, thinking you're an emperor? The Qing Dynasty ended long ago. Second line: Seventy or eighty years old, not taking care of your body? Beware of dying from a heart attack. Horizontal inscription: Have some shame, I beg you. This was Tang Qiao'er's wedding gift to her father when Tang Wanting married for the third time. Now, the Tang family, because of this old man's four wives, frequently became the talk of the town. Tang Qiao'er, dissatisfied with this family environment, had left for a foreign country early on to become a Doctors Without Borders, helping people and saving lives. "You've been wild for three years and come back to curse your own father with a serious illness. How thoughtful, my dear daughter!" Tang Wanting was so angry he blew his nose and glared. "Thank you for the compliment, Daddy~" Tang Qiao'er's red lips and white teeth formed a charming smile. "Dad, now that Qiao Qiao is back, some matters should be put on the agenda." Tang Yue put on his sister's shoes, his expression serious. "I've decided to step down as CEO of KS Group and let Qiao Qiao take over." Tang Qiao'er's bright eyes widened, staring intently at her elder brother's resolute and handsome profile. "You!" Tang Wanting was so angry he was speechless for a moment. "I only agreed to manage it for you for three years. Now that the three-year term is up, I need to return to the church. You know, my heart isn't in this; being a pastor is my lifelong ambition." At this moment, Tang Yue exuded a sacred glow, and his attitude was beyond dispute. "If you don't do it, then the second one will!" Tang Wanting, cornered, could only settle for the next best thing. "No, no, no, no... I'm a civil servant, I absolutely cannot be involved with a large conglomerate. I'd be suspended for investigation!" Tang Xu recoiled, his face turning pale with fright. Tang Wanting was so frustrated he felt like spitting blood. What was the point of having so many sons? They all shone brightly outside, but when it came to him, they withered. As for himself, his health was declining year by year, and he had long intended to retire. But looking across the entire family, there was no one capable of inheriting his business empire. It wasn't that he didn't dote on his daughter; he was just an old-fashioned man who believed the heir should be a son. "With military power in her sleeves, who says women are inferior to men? This CEO, I'll be!" Tang Qiao'er's red lips curved into a proud smile, her chin slightly raised. "You say you'll be it, and you'll be it? Do you think KS Group is child's play? Can a little girl like you command respect? Do you understand business?" Tang Wanting's weathered face couldn't hide his anger and sorrow. "And you're so fickle, disappearing at the drop of a hat, running off to some remote country for three years without a word. Do you know how worried I was about you? How worried your mothers were about you?! I even thought you'd been blown to pieces by a bomb at the border!" Tang Qiao'er's heart ached dully, her eyes slightly red. Even if she felt her father owed her mother too much, even if she resented her father, the fact that she had secretly married Shen Jingjue and not shown her face for three years—on this matter, she owed her father. "Dad, Qiao Qiao knows no less than I do." Tang Yue picked up a teacup and elegantly took a sip. "Do you remember the financial tsunami our Tang family experienced four years ago? Several effective group control measures were proposed by Qiao Qiao. And the acquisition plan for Wu Group two years ago? Qiao Qiao stayed up several nights to create that." Tang Wanting listened, his face showing surprise. "Dad, actually, you don't understand our little sister. Little sister is precisely the most composed and resourceful person in our family. You've always had a reputation for being good at identifying and utilizing talent, for widely recruiting the capable. Now, the talent is right under your nose, why aren't you using her?" Tang Xu also tried his best to persuade him. Tang Wanting pondered for a long while before speaking in a dignified tone, "Alright, girl, you want to manage the family business. Then I'll test you. Consider it my birthday gift to you!" Tang Qiao'er couldn't help but straighten her posture, her apricot eyes shining like stars. "You'll rest for a few days, then next week, report to the KSWORLD Hotel in Shengjing. As long as you can give it a completely new look and turn a profit within six months, I'll consider making you the CEO of KS!" ... Coming out of the study, Big Brother and Second Brother's hands instinctively rested on Tang Qiao'er's shoulders. "Heaven is about to bestow a great responsibility upon this person," Tang Yue said. "And first, they'll give you a mess to clean up," Tang Xu sighed. "I know, the old man is trying every trick to make me back down, but unfortunately, that trick won't work on me. I'm naturally a spring; the more pressure, the stronger I become." Tang Qiao'er clenched her fingers, her ambition, dormant for three years, stirring restlessly. The two brothers exchanged a smile.