Tycoon: From Rags to Riches

「Three days later.」

Junyao Mansion, the boardroom.

Wang Junjin, the chairman of Junyao Group, sat at the head of the table. On his left and right sat dozens of men and women in sharp business attire, each with a commanding presence.

They were men and women, ranging from middle-aged to elderly.

Scanning the room, only one person seemed out of place: the young man seated to Wang Junjin’s left.

Compared to everyone else at the table, he was strikingly young.

In addition to the Group’s directors at the long central table, staff from the Board Office and the directors’ various secretaries and assistants were also present, seated in chairs along the walls of the boardroom.

Every few minutes, their gazes would inevitably drift to the young man on Wang Junjin’s left, their expressions a mixture of bewilderment and awe.

"Distinguished members of the board!"

"In accordance with the relevant provisions of the Company Law, the Junyao Group Articles of Association, and the Junyao Group Board of Directors’ Rules of Procedure, and following a successful qualification review by the Nomination Committee, we hereby nominate Mr. Gu Heng as a candidate for non-independent director of the 12th Board of Directors of Junyao Group. This nomination is submitted to this meeting for consideration. The details are as follows:

One: Shareholding Structure and Governance Needs. Mr. Gu Heng currently holds 13.67% of the shares of Ruyi Airlines, a key asset of Junyao Group, making him the second-largest shareholder of Ruyi Airlines. This appointment is intended to optimize the board’s governance structure, enhance the synergy between shareholder interests and corporate strategy, and complies with corporate governance standards for publicly listed companies.

Two: Value to Corporate Development. His appointment will further enhance the board’s strategic foresight and efficiency in resource integration, injecting new momentum into key areas such as industrial upgrading and capital operations..."

At the head of the table, Wang Junjin’s expression was one of profound solemnity.

He read from a prepared speech, his expression grave. His pace was measured, his voice firm and resonant.

The entire boardroom was silent.

As the "crown prince" of Junyao Group, Wang Yan wasn’t even qualified to sit at the main table. He could only take a seat along the wall with the staff from the Board Office.

A few meters away from him sat Jiang Ruan, attending the meeting as Gu Heng’s assistant. Her eyes had been fixed on Gu Heng ever since the meeting started.

It had been exactly ten days since they left Beichun.

But to Jiang Ruan, those ten short days felt like an eternity.

As much as she hated to admit it, as loath as she was to accept it, she had to face the truth: she had fallen hopelessly in love with Gu Heng.

Gu Heng’s charm was like a poison that gnawed at her very bones. Every day she spent by his side, its potency grew, threatening to consume her completely.

’The way he got me was so despicable...’

’How can I forgive him...?’

’How can I be falling in love with him...?’

A painful struggle flashed in Jiang Ruan’s eyes. Her head and her heart were at war. She tried to suppress her feelings with logic, but she had forgotten one crucial thing: the heart doesn’t lie.

Every time the thought of leaving Gu Heng crossed her mind, her heart ached as if it were being torn apart, and her head would fill with countless memories of their time together, both sweet and passionate.

"Sigh..."

Jiang Ruan took a deep breath, forcing herself to push those thoughts away.

She gazed at Gu Heng, who sat poised to Chairman Wang’s left, looking effortlessly elegant. On a sudden impulse, she pulled out her phone and took a picture, capturing him in that moment.

"The nomination process has followed all regulations, and the candidate’s qualifications have been approved by the compliance review. We will now proceed to a vote on the motion to appoint Mr. Gu Heng to the 12th Board of Directors of Junyao Group. All in favor, please raise your hands."

As Wang Junjin finished speaking, he was the first to raise his right hand. One by one, the directors and independent directors at the table followed his lead. The directors and independent directors attending via video conference, unable to be there in person, also raised their hands on screen.

The Director of the Board Office stood up, his eyes quickly scanning the room.

"21 in favor, 0 opposed, 0 abstentions!"

"The motion passes unanimously!"

The Director of the Board Office announced, his voice ringing out.

"Chairman Gu!"

"From now on, we’re family!"

"Welcome to Junyao Group!"

The room erupted in thunderous applause. Wang Junjin slowly rose from the head of the table. Beaming, he extended a hand to Gu Heng, his tone remarkably familiar and cordial.

"Chairman Wang, the honor is all mine!"

Gu Heng rose to his feet as well, clasping Chairman Wang’s hand firmly with both of his own.

Seeing both Wang Junjin and Gu Heng on their feet, everyone else in the room rose as well, and the already fervent applause grew even more intense.

Everyone looked at Gu Heng’s youthful face, their hearts filled with a myriad of emotions.

Only eighteen years old, and already a director with real power in a publicly listed group!

If they hadn’t witnessed it with their own eyes, they would have dismissed it as pure fantasy.

"Chairman Wang, in two days, I’ll be returning to Ji Province."

"I am very grateful for your hospitality and care during this time, Chairman Wang. Therefore, before coming to the board meeting today, I took the liberty of booking a private room at the Linjiang Banquet."

Gu Heng smiled at Wang Junjin and said, "I hope you’ll give me the opportunity, Chairman Wang, to have the honor of treating all of you."

"Chairman Gu, you really shouldn’t have..."

Wang Junjin looked slightly troubled. "How can we let you go to such expense!"

"Chairman Wang, didn’t you just say it yourself?"

"From now on, we’re family."