Chapter 12: The Selection Criteria for Excellent Entrepreneurs

Chapter 12

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."

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.]