Tycoon: From Rags to Riches

The sound of hurried footsteps drew the attention of Yan Peng, Jiang Ruan, and the others, who instinctively turned toward the source.

A group of people appeared, led by a middle-aged man in a black suit. Seven men and women followed close behind, striding rapidly toward them.

In the blink of an eye, the group was standing before them.

"Chairman Gu!"

"Welcome to Sushi Yun Omakase!"

All eight of them bowed in unison before Gu Heng, greeting him in loud, clear voices.

As their voices faded, only Gu Heng remained as calm and unconcerned as ever. But Yan Peng, Huang Yufan, and Jiang Ruan, standing beside him, were all wide-eyed and utterly dumbfounded.

"Are you the general manager, Wu Tao?"

Gu Heng asked, looking at the man in the front with a gentle voice.

"Chairman Gu, I’m not Wu Tao."

The middle-aged man replied respectfully, "I am the deputy general manager, Xu Liang."

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Gu Heng’s brow arched almost imperceptibly.

Having just taken over Zhen Cui Group half a day ago, Gu Heng had only had time to memorize the names of its senior executives.

A mid-level manager like Xu Liang hadn’t made it onto his radar yet.

"I’m not here for an inspection tonight."

"I just decided on a whim to come by for a casual meal."

"Please make the arrangements."

Gu Heng tilted his head slightly, gesturing to Xu Liang.

"Of course, of course."

"This way, Chairman Gu."

Xu Liang immediately made an inviting gesture. The people behind him were exceedingly reverent; the few staff members at the very back hadn’t even straightened up from their bows since arriving.

"Let’s go."

Gu Heng turned his head, glancing at the slightly dazed Jiang Ruan, and said with a smile.

"Oh, oh..."

"Right, right."

Jiang Ruan snapped back to reality. She looked at the restaurant staff around her, all gazing at her with utmost respect, and her breathing grew a little ragged.

"Chairman Gu, and these two...?"

Xu Liang asked tentatively, his gaze flicking toward Yan Peng and Huang Yufan.

"I don’t really know them."

Gu Heng replied coolly.

"Understood, understood."

Seeing his attitude, Xu Liang immediately understood.

He immediately led the large contingent of restaurant staff, escorting Gu Heng and Jiang Ruan inside.

As they walked, every staff member who saw Gu Heng bowed nearly ninety degrees in greeting, causing many of the diners in the restaurant to turn and stare.

Yan Peng and Huang Yufan watched the group disappear into the distance, and it was a long while before they recovered their senses.

"Just who is this President Gu...?"

Huang Yufan’s eyes were glazed over as she murmured, as if talking in her sleep.

Yan Peng’s face, however, paled and flushed in turns. The memory of Gu Heng’s "arrogant" attitude—not even bothering to spare him a glance before leaving—shattered the self-important PhD’s composure.

Just then, a restaurant staff member happened to walk by.

Yan Peng stopped him and demanded, fuming, "What kind of business are you people running here?"

"I made a reservation half a month in advance! I’ve been waiting here for half an hour and still can’t get in, but those two just now, who didn’t even have a reservation, were personally escorted inside! Don’t you think your restaurant owes us consumers an explanation!"

The staff member, who had been abruptly stopped, gave the red-faced Yan Peng an odd look. Then, in a matter-of-fact tone, he replied, "The gentleman who just went in is the chairman of our Zhen Cui Group. All of Sushi Yun Omakase belongs to him. Of course he doesn’t need a reservation to eat here."

Zhen Cui Group...

The chairman!

The staff member’s words struck Yan Peng like a bolt from the blue.

Recalling their earlier conversation, he felt like a monkey in a suit in the other man’s eyes—a complete joke.

’Damn you!’

’The entire Zhen Cui Group is yours, and you call this ’just a little side project’?!’

’MOTHERFUCKER!’

Yan Peng screamed internally.

Meanwhile, Huang Yufan, standing beside Yan Peng, bit her lip tightly, her gaze lost in the direction Gu Heng and Jiang Ruan had disappeared.

’Why is she always so damn lucky!’

She had never felt jealous when Yan Peng was chasing Jiang Ruan.

A man like Yan Peng—decent on paper but with low emotional intelligence and a simple relationship history—was nothing special. She knew plenty of men like him.

And look, with just a few little tricks, she had him hooked. It was only a matter of time before she could have him wrapped around her little finger, playing him like a fiddle.

But a man like Gu Heng...

He wasn’t just young, rich, and devastatingly handsome; he also had a respected status and an exceptional air about him.

A man like that was the definition of a top-tier, diamond bachelor.

As a woman, Huang Yufan could clearly tell that Gu Heng was interested in Jiang Ruan.

The thought of Jiang Ruan marrying up, of becoming the girlfriend of the chairman of Zhen Cui Group...

Living in a huge villa, driving a million-dollar luxury car, frequenting all sorts of high-end establishments...

Just imagining the scene made her vision darken with envy.

It’s that classic feeling: you worry when your best friend is struggling, but you burn with envy when she’s driving a Range Rover.

Now, she was truly and utterly jealous.

...

Gu Heng gave no further thought to the two people back in the rock garden.

Escorted by the restaurant’s senior and mid-level management, he and Jiang Ruan entered the most private room at the far end of the floor.

As the sliding door opened, a vast private room came into view.

In the center of the room was a semi-circular counter large enough to seat a dozen people. Behind it stood three chefs in crisp, white uniforms.

"Welcome, Chairman Gu..."

The moment they saw Gu Heng, they too bowed in unison.

"Chairman Gu, this is the head chef of Sushi Yun Omakase, Bai Zeming. He went to Japan to study kaiseki cuisine at the age of sixteen and has thirty-seven years of experience."

"Normally, he is only in charge of selecting ingredients, setting the daily menu, and developing new dishes. It is extremely rare for him to cook for guests personally."

Xu Liang, standing beside Gu Heng, provided the introduction at the perfect moment.

"Master Bai, we’ll be in your hands tonight."

Gu Heng smiled at him, his attitude relaxed and friendly.

"It is my honor to be able to prepare dinner for you, Chairman Gu."

A slight smile appeared on Bai Zeming’s otherwise stern and serious face.

Gu Heng nodded at the chef, then turned to Jiang Ruan beside him. "Have a seat. Just relax."

"Okay..."

Jiang Ruan pursed her lips and sat down beside Gu Heng, feeling a little self-conscious.

Even though she didn’t know the specifics of Gu Heng’s identity, seeing how everyone had fawned over him with such reverence, and hearing what they called him, she was beginning to form a few guesses.

"Chairman Gu, these are the ingredients we’ve prepared for you and Ms. Jiang today."

"Please take a look..."

After Gu Heng and Jiang Ruan were seated, Bai Zeming presented them with a box filled with an assortment of top-tier seafood.

"Would you like to take a picture?"

Gu Heng asked Jiang Ruan, ever the gentleman.

"Um..."

"I’d kind of like to."

Jiang Ruan was tempted, but she also felt a little embarrassed, afraid she would seem unsophisticated.

"If you want to, then go ahead."

Gu Heng said to Jiang Ruan. Then he turned to Manager Xu, who was standing beside him, the smile on his face slowly fading. "Manager Xu, where is General Manager Wu Tao?"

Seeing the gradual shift in Gu Heng’s expression, Xu Liang’s heart skipped a beat.

"Manager Wu... he..."

Xu Liang stammered, looking troubled. "He’s... not at the restaurant."

"Manager Xu, if I recall the company bylaws correctly, the general manager for Sushi Yun, Zhenhai, and Banquet Fusion is required to be on duty at all times on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays. Leave is not permitted except under special circumstances."

"In the event of extremely special circumstances requiring leave, it must be personally approved by the Group’s general manager, Qi Min, and the Chairman must be notified."

At this, Gu Heng’s face became completely expressionless. "Wu Tao is not here today. Did he request leave from Qi Min? I don’t recall her mentioning anything to me."

"Well..."

Looking at Gu Heng’s blank expression, Xu Liang broke out in a cold sweat.

The three chefs behind the counter and the servers waiting nearby all lowered their heads slightly. Some didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly.

Jiang Ruan, who was sitting next to Gu Heng, had just finished snapping a couple of pictures of the ingredients box with her phone when she heard his words.

She tilted her head slightly to look at Gu Heng’s handsome profile. In that moment, he seemed to radiate an endless authority. The contradictory yet fatally attractive quality of his aura made her heart pound, and she found it impossible to look away.

"Call Wu Tao. Tell him to get in front of me immediately."

Gu Heng watched a bead of sweat trickle down Xu Liang’s cheek. Just as it was about to drip from his jaw, Gu Heng looked away.

When he turned back to Jiang Ruan, the authority vanished in an instant, replaced by a refreshing smile as warm as a spring breeze.

"Let’s eat..."