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Perhaps it was because they knew about the division of the share rights, that morning all the shareholders arrived.

What did that forty percent of the stock represent?

It signified that in the past, the company had been singlehandedly built by Gu Xiaoxi’s mother.

After Jiang Li’s death, Gu Hua got sixty-two percent of the company’s shares. So even after he had given away forty percent to Gu Xiaoxi, he still held twenty percent.

Why did the Gu Family live in such a nice house? Why was the clan so large? This company had supported many people... A glance was all it took to know!

The arrival of Gu Xiaoxi made many feel uneasy.

Almost everyone didn’t want this young lady to cause trouble at the company.

The Gu Family’s businesses were flourishing day by day, with huge sums of money pouring into their pockets daily. What if this young lady meddled with it? How were the shareholders to get by without their profits in the future?...

The major shareholders, Gu Xiaoxi, Gu Hua, some minor shareholders, and the company’s executives gathered together.

It was evident that Gu Hua was adept at amassing wealth; over the years, he had reclaimed many shares that had been lost.

The shares were also very centralized. It was quite something that he didn’t spit blood from the vexation of having to give some to Gu Xiaoxi.

Everyone in the conference room didn’t look too happy.

Most of them had heard of Gu Xiaoxi but had never met her in person.

When the office door was pushed open and they saw a woman in black attire, with chestnut curls, appearing at the door wearing seven-inch heels, everyone involuntarily widened their eyes.

Gu Hua’s face was stern, and he looked a bit haggard, clearly not having slept well.

When he saw Gu Xiaoxi, he couldn’t help but seem somewhat moved.

His daughter had grown up by his side, yet he had never seen her present herself with such grace and poise.

"Dad!" Gu Xiaoxi walked forward and politely called out.

Gu Hua came back to his senses and introduced Gu Xiaoxi to everyone.

Gu Hua reported some of the company’s situations to Gu Xiaoxi, then looked at her and asked, "What position would you like to take up in the company?"

Actually, it was just a formality to ask.

If Gu Xiaoxi wanted to be the chairman, he could only say, she didn’t know any better.

Being the chairman wasn’t an easy job. He had struggled in that role for more than a decade, and the continuous success of the business had come at a price.

He didn’t believe that a girl, who had barely been educated and had been naive for twenty years, had the ability to manage such a large enterprise.

"Dad, I’m not very capable. I can’t be the chairman, nor would I foolishly dispute that with you.

Of course, it won’t do to continue idling around either.

I’ve heard that Gu’s has several entertainment companies, as well as some real estate and tourism development projects. I’m quite interested in those..."

Gu Xiaoxi paused there, and Gu Hua naturally understood her meaning, "Xiao Xi, you’re new here and Dad is worried you’ll get tired.

So, how about this: you take over Starlight Entertainment and the Shanhe City project.

If you can manage them well, Dad will gradually hand over power.

I’m getting old too, and it’s time for me to train you as I’m nearing retirement age. "

Gu Xiaoxi didn’t expect Gu Hua to come around to these ideas and naturally wouldn’t refuse, "I’ll follow whatever arrangements Dad makes."

Since Gu Hua had spoken, the meeting went on without conflict and everything proceeded very smoothly.

At the end, Gu Xiaoxi was about to announce her most significant decision.

"Dad, after much consideration, I’ve decided to gift ten percent of the shares under my name to my brother Mi Xi. I’ve already had my lawyer take care of this, and I hope you can also arrange a suitable position for him. I believe in Mi Xi’s abilities."

"What did you say?" Gu Hua was so shocked he didn’t know what to do.

After counting everything, he only had twenty percent of the shares in his hands.

Now that Mi Xi had ten percent, he had more than many of the shareholders here.

He had just fired him, and now Mi Xi was becoming the company’s third largest shareholder; wasn’t this a slap in the face?

This Gu Xiaoxi, gifting shares to someone as casually as if they were nothing, and a whole ten percent at that?

"Dad! Since the shares were left to me by Mom, they are mine. I have the right to dispose of them. Mi Xi has taken great care of me, and I trust that he can help me take over the company better in the future, so you won’t have to work too hard."

Gu Xiaoxi’s smile was radiant.

The happier she smiled, the more discomfort Gu Hua felt in his heart.

He was Gu Xiaoxi’s biological father, yet she hadn’t thought to gift him even a little of her shares and instead had given them to an outsider...

After that, Gu Xiaoxi settled the company’s accounts with Gu Hua, including her share profits and all other financial affairs.

What Gu Hua did not expect was that Gu Xiaoxi had access to the company’s primary records and had calculated the accounts even clearer than the finance manager.

He even suspected that the finance director had betrayed him, and the fake accounts he had planned to use to deceive Gu Xiaoxi were never even presented.

Amidst his confusion, he grew even more wary of Gu Xiaoxi.

When Gu Xiaoxi left the chairman’s office, she came out very pleased with herself.

Share rights and all of her pure profits—not a cent less were given to her by Gu Hua.

"Xiao Xi, I heard you gave me ten percent of the shares? Why would you do that?" Mi Xi was also shocked upon learning this. He didn’t need anything from the Gu family; the fact that they raised him was a favor enough.

"Brother, do you really want to see me all alone in the company? If you hold shares, you can stay in the company to help me out in the open." Gu Xiaoxi playfully blinked her eyes, speaking in an incontrovertible tone, "That settles it. Do I look like someone who cares a lot about money?"

"You little girl, what am I supposed to do with you..." Mi Xi sighed, finding her more and more incomprehensible.

If money wasn’t important to her, why take on the shares, especially when it’s such a dangerous thing for her?

Yet she did it anyway!

Perhaps it was because he had spent too little time with Gu Xiaoxi, he still didn’t quite understand her character.

*

The reason Gu Xiaoxi took on the shares was, of course, because she didn’t want them to fall into the hands of those with wolfish, cold hearts.

If Gu Hua and her stepmother really cared for her, why would she need the shares? She was someone who cherished her freedom, why would she let money tie her down?

It was only because her stepmother and those siblings did not treat her well.

That was why she had to safeguard what was hers, not letting those vicious people benefit.

If Gu Hua truly cared for her, she wouldn’t let her biological father feel sad, and she would have given him even more support...

Unfortunately, in the entire family, aside from Mi Xi, not a single person was good to her.

Even her biological father, her stepmother, and her siblings wanted her dead!

Tian Mei’s eldest son was older than she was, and her daughter was the same age as her. By that calculation, when Jiang Li married Gu Hua, he was already a man who had cheated.

Whether her mother was actually angered to death by them was debatable... of course, she would investigate this matter thoroughly!

If that was indeed the case, her style of doing things was definitely not going to be so simple!

After leaving the company, Gu Xiaoxi found a hotel to change into the evening gown she had prepared in advance, then she picked up the invitation and went with Mi Xi to attend the luxurious soiree of ’Blue Sea No. 1’.

Gu Xiaoxi and Mi Xi just happened to catch the two o’clock timing; any later, and the boat would have left.

Just as she boarded, Gu Xiaoxi’s phone rang.

The number belonged to Bai Yaxuan!

Gu Xiaoxi realized that this man was getting increasingly involved in her affairs, and that was not a good sign.

Answering the phone, a gentle male voice came through, "Xiao Xi, are you onboard?"

"I am. Anything else, Your Excellency?"

There was silence for three seconds on the phone, then Bai Yaxuan spoke up with a hint of helplessness, "Can you please not call me Your Excellency in the future?"

"Then what should I call you?" Gu Xiaoxi sniffled. The sea breeze was blowing, and it seemed like her nose was starting to run again. She blamed the chilly wind.

Mi Xi had gone to put away the luggage by now, and Gu Xiaoxi was standing by the railing, waiting for Mi Xi’s return so he wouldn’t be unable to find her.

"Call me Ya, or Yaxuan, either is fine!" Bai Yaxuan had naturally heard Gu Xiaoxi’s nasal voice and frowned, "Aren’t you wearing a coat?"

Gu Xiaoxi was in a tangle over the couple of uninterested words from Bai Yaxuan.

Calling him Ya or Yaxuan, wouldn’t that seem too intimate?

Their relationship hadn’t reached that level yet!

As for wearing a coat, did she rush out in such a hurry that she forgot to bring it?

"Your Excellency, which question should I answer?" Gu Xiaoxi, phone in hand, looked around. The deck was crowded with people, men and women standing together, smiling and laughing.

By now, the ship had begun to slowly drift away from the bay.

Bai Yaxuan’s face darkened slightly, "I’ve told you, I forbid you from calling me Your Excellency! I have a name..."

The voice on the phone raised a decibel, obviously angry.

"Ya... Ya!" Gu Xiaoxi parted her lips for quite some time but couldn’t bring herself to say the second syllable.

Only then did Bai Yaxuan seriously instruct Gu Xiaoxi, with satisfaction, "The number three suitcase you took contains a windbreaker I’ve prepared for you; don’t wear too little when it’s cold.

The temperature is going to drop again in two days!

The number four suitcase has thermal underwear, which you can wear as a base layer under your evening gown.

Don’t get cold. If you come back with a cold, I’ll hold you to sleep at night and keep you warm. "

Hold her to sleep and keep her warm?

Gu Xiaoxi’s breath hitched, finding it peculiar that such an elegant and distinguished man as Bai Yaxuan suddenly said something that seemed off-character.

"Got it, I understand," Gu Xiaoxi nodded hastily, and Bai Yaxuan gave her a few more instructions before hanging up.

Thinking about Bai Yaxuan’s words, Gu Xiaoxi’s heart inexplicably skipped a beat or two. Last time he threatened her, saying if she didn’t behave, he would sleep with her.

Little did she know that on the night she had a fever and slept in a daze, he actually held a quilt at her bedside and made a makeshift bed on the floor, sleeping beside her for three nights...

Gu Xiaoxi wiped her nose, deciding she needed to go back and put on the windbreaker. She definitely did not want to be held by him at night and then warmed up!

Otherwise, her title as First Lady would be set in stone.