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The bonfire party that evening was especially lively.

In the open space in the center of the resort, a tall pile of firewood was stacked, and the fire was burning brightly, illuminating the surroundings.

More than a hundred people from the company formed a large circle, some sitting on benches and some sitting directly on the ground, chatting and laughing, creating a lively atmosphere.

The host was a young woman from the administration department who was very good at creating a lively atmosphere.

Holding the microphone, she began with a few opening remarks: "Dear colleagues, today is our team building day at Jin Chen Capital. Did everyone have a good time during the day?"

"Happy!" came a chorus of responses from the audience.

"Then we must relax even more tonight!" the little girl said with a smile. "According to tradition, there must be performances at the bonfire party. We won't force anyone; everyone can go on stage, sing, dance, tell jokes, anything is fine! Who wants to be the first performer?"

There was a few seconds of silence below.

Everyone looked at each other, a little embarrassed.

Just then, Li Shiyan stood up: "Let me go first."

She specially changed into a light blue dress, and her hair was loosely tied back, making her look gentle and elegant.

She walked to the center of the venue and took a guitar from a staff member.

"I'll sing an old song for you, 'The Story of Time'." She adjusted the microphone, sat on a high stool, and gently plucked the strings.

The prelude begins, gentle and soothing.

Li Shiyan's voice is very clear, and she sings with great emotion:

"Spring flowers bloom, autumn winds blow, and winter sunsets... In my melancholy youth, I naively thought so..."

The moment she opened her mouth, the entire room fell silent.

The firelight illuminated her face, her eyes were gentle, and her singing was captivating.

Many of Jin Chen Capital's male colleagues stared wide-eyed at the sight.

Everyone inquired which department Li Shiyan worked for, and when they heard that she was Li Shensi's daughter, they couldn't help but gasp.

Lan Qianyi sat next to Su Ning and whispered, "She sings really well."

"Yes, it's not bad." Su Ning nodded.

After the song ended, there was enthusiastic applause.

Li Shiyan stood up and bowed, her gaze intentionally or unintentionally drifting towards Su Ning's side.

"Thank you everyone. Who's next?" she asked with a smile.

"I'll do it!" Hao Shuai suddenly stood up, ran to the center, and said, "I'll sing 'Brothers' for everyone!"

He took the microphone and sang with all his might, his voice hoarse and his singing terribly off-key, but his passion made up for it.

As long as the despicable Manager Yin and President Su weren't around, Hao Shuai was in a good mood.

At this moment, laughter erupted from below, making the atmosphere even more lively.

Next, several more people went on stage. Some sang, some told jokes, and a guy from the technology group even did a street dance. Although he wasn't very skilled, his courage was commendable.

"Who's next?" the host asked. "This is the last program!"

Lan Qianyi glanced at Su Ning, took a deep breath, and stood up: "I'll do it."

She walked to the center, took the microphone, and said, "I can't play the guitar, so I'll just sing 'Courage' a cappella."

Without looking at anyone, he closed his eyes and began to sing:

"I've finally made this decision. I don't care what others say... As long as you feel the same way, I'm willing to go to the ends of the earth with you..."

Lan Qianyi's voice was different from Li Shiyan's; it was clearer and more powerful.

She sang with great passion and emotion, as if she were trying to express something.

When she sang the line "Love truly needs courage to face gossip," her gaze fell on Su Ning.

Su Ning looked at her with gentle eyes.

When the song ended, the applause was even more enthusiastic than before.

Lan Qianyi blushed slightly and quickly walked back to her seat.

"You sang very well," Su Ning said.

"Thank you." Lan Qianyi took a sip of water, trying to hide her nervousness.

The program segment has ended, and now it's free time.

Everyone gathered around the campfire to chat, play games, and eat barbecue.

Hao Shuai pulled Sun Yiqiu and Gao Sicong into playing "Truth or Dare".

Hao Shuai lost in the first round by choosing truth.

"Hao Shuai, how many girlfriends have you had?" someone asked.

“Three!” Hao Shuai answered readily. “They were all from university. I’ve been too busy with work since then to talk about them.”

When it was his turn to ask a question, he grabbed Gao Sicong and asked, "Sicong, what kind of girl do you like?"

Gao Sicong paused for a moment, glanced at Lan Qianyi, and said vaguely, "She's ambitious, isn't she?"

The answer was too official, and no one was satisfied, but no one asked any further questions.

On the other side, Li Shensi and Qu Zhonghui sat in a relatively quiet corner, seemingly chatting idly, but in reality, they were exchanging barbs.

"Mr. Li, I heard your daughter is here today too?" Qu Zhonghui asked.

"Here she is! It's Li Shiyan, the first one to come on stage, having some fun with the young people," Li Shensi said. "She's always loved being around people since she was little."

"Your daughter is truly outstanding; she's beautiful and talented," Qu Zhonghui praised. "By the way, I heard she knows Su Ning?"

“Our two families have been friends for generations, and our children have known each other since they were little,” Li Shensi said casually.

This was a skillful way of putting it; it acknowledged the relationship between the two families while simultaneously refusing to say anything further from Qu Zhonghui.

Qu Zhonghui sneered inwardly, but smiled outwardly: "Indeed, a perfect match."

At this moment, Li Shiyan came over with two drinks: "Dad, President Qu, have something to drink."

"Thank you, Shiyan." Qu Zhonghui took the cup. "You sang really well just now."

"Mr. Qu, you flatter me. I was just singing casually."

After chatting for a few minutes, Li Shiyan went to find Su Ning and the others.

Su Ning, Lan Qianyi, Hao Shuai, Sun Yiqiu, and Gao Sicong sat together, roasting marshmallows.

"Come, come, Shiyan, sit here," Hao Shuai greeted warmly. "Try my roasted marshmallows, I guarantee they'll be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside!"

Li Shiyan sat down next to Suning and took the cotton candy: "Thank you."

"Qianyi sang very well just now," Li Shiyan said to Lan Qianyi. "You have a really good voice, have you practiced?"

"No, I just like to sing," Lan Qianyi said.

“That’s even more amazing, you’re born with it.” Li Shiyan laughed. “Next time we can collaborate, I’ll play the instrument and you sing.”

"Okay!" Lan Qianyi readily agreed, but what she was really thinking was anyone's guess.

Suning handed Lan Qianyi a skewer of grilled chicken wings and Li Shiyan a skewer of corn.

"Thank you," they both said at the same time, then looked at each other, and the atmosphere became awkward again.

Hao Shuai was completely oblivious and continued chatting away: "What do you guys think is a good place for our company's next team building activity? If you ask me, the beach is a great place. We can surf, go diving..."

Sun Yiqiu whispered, "Will we ever have another chance like this?"

"Don't spoil the fun! A company as big as Jin Chen Capital definitely has plenty of team-building activities like this." Hao Shuai made the decision. "I'll suggest going to Sanya later!"

Gao Sicong didn't say anything, he just silently grilled the sausage in his hands.

He wasn't really in the right frame of mind all day. First, work interfered with his playtime, and then he saw Su Ning and Lan Qianyi showing affection, which made him feel inexplicably upset.

The party went on until after 10 p.m., and many people were quite drunk.

Some people started dancing, some sang loudly, and some played games.

Lan Qianyi drank two glasses of beer and felt a little dizzy.

She leaned on Suning's shoulder and whispered, "I'm so happy today."

"Mmm." Su Ning put his arm around her shoulder.

Li Shiyan saw this scene, her eyes darkened for a moment, but she quickly smiled again.

She stood up: "I'll go get some fruit."

After she left, Lan Qianyi looked up at Su Ning and asked, "What do you think of Li Shiyan?"

"How about what?"

"So... how is the person?"

"She's great," Su Ning said objectively. "Gentle, talented, and hardworking." "Do you like her?" Lan Qianyi asked directly.

Su Ning looked at her and said, "Xiao Lan, you've had too much to drink."

"I didn't drink too much," Lan Qianyi said stubbornly. "I just want to know."

"She's the younger sister of a family friend, nothing more," Su Ning said. "You're my girlfriend, and that won't change."

That's very clear.

Lan Qianyi felt relieved, but still insisted, "Who knows? Men are all fickle."

"Then you just wait and see," Su Ning laughed, "and see if I'm that kind of person."

As the two were talking, Li Shiyan returned with a plate of fruit.

She paused for a moment when she saw the two of them snuggling together, but quickly walked over naturally: "Have some fruit to help you sober up."

"Thank you." Lan Qianyi sat up straight and took a slice of watermelon.

The party lasted until midnight.

As the campfire gradually died down, everyone went back to their rooms to rest.

Su Ning escorted Lan Qianyi to her room.

"Good night," Lan Qianyi said.

"Goodnight." Su Ning leaned down and kissed her forehead.

This scene was witnessed by Li Shiyan, who had just walked up the stairs.

She stood there, watching Su Ning's departing figure for a long time.

Then, she turned around and went back to her room.

As night deepened, the resort returned to tranquility.

But many people are not at peace.

This team building activity was like a mirror, reflecting everyone's thoughts and position.

……

The bonfire party went on until midnight, and everyone was exhausted.

The next day is Sunday, so we can spend another day at the resort.

But nobody got up early; everyone was still fast asleep.

At 10 a.m., Su Ning sent a WeChat message to the four people in Group 4: "If it's convenient, come to my room now. I have something I'd like to talk to you about."

Not long after the message was sent out, Wu Kezhi, Lin Yuming, Lan Qianyi, and Sun Yiqiu arrived one after another.

Suning's room was a suite, and the living room was quite large; even with five people sitting down, it didn't feel cramped.

"So formal, what's the matter?" Lin Yuming asked, yawning.

He drank a bit too much last night and isn't fully sober yet.

Su Ning poured water for everyone, then sat down with a serious expression: "I called you all here today to talk about two things. First, my true identity."

All four of them looked at him.

“I am the son of Su Jianguo of Jianguo Group.” Su Ning said calmly, “I didn’t tell everyone before because I wanted to prove myself with my own abilities and didn’t want to be treated specially.”

The room was quiet for a few seconds.

Lin Yuming's yawn was halfway through when his mouth gaped open: "Jian...Jianguo Group? That Jianguo Group that does import and export?"

"Correct."

"My God..." Lin Yuming rubbed his face, "So, President Li brought you porridge and Chris personally met with you because of this?"

“Part of it is,” Su Ning nodded. “Li Shensi and my dad have been friends for many years, and Chris… is probably after my family’s resources. After all, Jianguo Group invests hundreds of millions in Jinchen Capital every year.”

Sun Yiqiu was also stunned. He looked at Su Ning, then at Lan Qianyi: "Xiao Lan, you knew all along?"

Lan Qianyi shook her head: "I only found out recently."

Wu Kezhi remained silent, simply looking at Su Ning, waiting for him to speak about the second matter.

“The second thing,” Su Ning continued, “I plan to resign after this team-building trip.”

Upon hearing this, even Wu Kezhi raised an eyebrow.

"Resign?" Lin Yuming exclaimed anxiously, "Why? You were doing so well in the energy group! You were even put in charge of the combustible ice project!"

“It’s precisely because I was doing a decent job that I’m resigning,” Su Ning said. “In the year or so I’ve been at Jin Chen, I’ve seen a lot of problems: office politics, factional struggles, and serious internal friction. President Qu’s domineering and manipulative tactics, President Ma’s outspokenness and rudeness, the sycophancy of the energy group, President Li’s sudden arrival, and the mess that President Wang and Lu Siqiu had… This is not the kind of environment I want to be in.”

He paused, then looked at everyone: "So I plan to start my own business."

"Start a business?" Sun Yiqiu repeated softly.

“Yes, investing,” Su Ning stated clearly, “but not a comprehensive fund like Jin Chen that invests in everything. I want to create a focused fund, mainly investing in two areas: one is the healthcare industry, especially medical AI and biotechnology; the other is the high-tech industry, including AI big data models, robotics, and new energy.”

He took a sip of water and continued, "This is actually an attempt at transformation for the Jianguo Group. My father is getting old, and the group is now facing the pressure of transformation. Traditional import and export trade is becoming increasingly difficult, and we must move towards high value-added and high-tech directions. My sister Su Qing's company, Qingkong Technology, is another attempt. I started this fund partly because I want to do something myself, and partly to help my family explore new avenues."

Wu Kezhi finally spoke up: "Where's the funding? Running a fund requires a lot of capital."

“Funding is not a problem,” Suning said frankly. “My family can provide the start-up capital, and I can also bring in other LPs (limited partners). The first fund is planned to be around 2 billion yuan, which is enough to invest in a number of good projects.”

Two billion! Lin Yuming gasped.

In all his years at Jinchen, the largest single project investment he's ever seen is only a few hundred million.

"Then you came to us..." Lan Qianyi vaguely guessed what was going on.

Suning's gaze swept over the four people. "I hope you can join my startup team. Together, we'll create a new fund and build a fair workplace where there's no power struggle, no factional oppression, and where ability and performance truly matter."

The room fell silent again, and this time the silence lasted for a long time.

Sun Yiqiu broke the silence first: "Brother Su... I... can I do it? I have so little experience..."

“Experience can be accumulated.” Su Ning looked at him. “What I value is your down-to-earth nature, willingness to learn, and resilience. Moreover, the project analysis you did in Group Four was logically clear and insightful, which shows that you have potential.”

Sun Yiqiu blushed, but a surge of warmth welled up inside him.

Lin Yuming rubbed his hands together: "Su Ning, your suggestion is too sudden. I've worked at Jin Chen for so many years, and although I'm somewhat dissatisfied with my current work environment, suddenly wanting to jump out and start my own business... I need to think about it."

"Of course, this is no small matter and requires careful consideration," Su Ning said. "I'm just letting everyone know first; we'll have time to think about it when we get back."

All eyes turned to Wu Kezhi.

Wu Kezhi remained calm until this moment when he asked, "Su Ning, why did you choose our group four?"

"Because you are the only group of people in Jin Chen who can still maintain their original aspirations and work diligently." Su Ning said sincerely, "President Wu, you stick to your principles and are not afraid of offending people; Manager Lin is experienced and can coordinate all parties; Qian Yi is capable and energetic; Yi Qiu is down-to-earth, willing to learn, and has potential. Such a team is hard to come by."

"Moreover, I know that you are not having a good time in the New Business Department. There is the deliberate suppression from General Manager Qu, the arrival of General Manager Li, and all the messy things in the department. In particular, others think that you, General Manager Wu, climbed to the top by stepping on General Manager Wang. Instead of continuing to waste your time there, you should really come out and do something truly meaningful."

Wu Kezhi fell silent. He leaned back on the sofa, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest, a habitual gesture when he was thinking.

After a long pause, he said, "Medical and high-tech investments are highly specialized fields. Among us, apart from you who has experience with new energy in the energy group, the rest of us are not familiar with these two areas."

“Professions can be learned through study or by finding experts.” Suning was well-prepared. “Initially, we can conduct industry research and build a knowledge system. At the same time, we can bring in partners with industry backgrounds to make up for our shortcomings. The key is that the team must have shared values ​​and a positive attitude towards work.”

Lan Qianyi suddenly asked, "Then... what about President Li? Your father and President Li have such a good relationship, will President Li object to you starting your own business?"

“I will talk to Mr. Li,” Su Ning said. “He should be able to understand. Besides, if he really is here to retire as he appears, he won’t care about these things.”

"What if he's not here to retire?" Wu Kezhi asked sharply.

“Then we need to get out of here even faster.” Su Ning laughed. “I don’t want to become a pawn on his chessboard. It’s highly likely that President Qu won’t be staying here for long either.”

Everyone laughed at these words, but there was a hint of heaviness in the laughter.

“I need time to think about it,” Wu Kezhi finally said. “After all, this is not a trivial matter; it concerns everyone’s future. Moreover, even if we agree, we must handle the resignation matters at Jin Chen properly and not leave any evidence against us.”

“Of course,” Su Ning said. “I plan to complete my resignation within a month and then start preparations. I’ll give you two weeks to think it over. Once you’ve made up your minds, we can discuss it in more detail.”

"No matter what you decide in the end, it won't affect our friendship. Even if you don't start a business with me, we'll still be friends."

The meeting ended, and the five people walked out of the room with different expressions.

Lin Yuming was still processing the information he had just received, muttering to himself, "Jianguo Group... 2 billion fund... My God..."

Sun Yiqiu was both excited and nervous, unsure of what to do with his hands.

Lan Qianyi walked beside Su Ning and asked softly, "You had this planned all along?"

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while now,” Su Ning said. “I know that once my identity is exposed, I won’t be able to stay in Jin Chen for long. Rather than passively waiting for things to change, I might as well take the initiative.”

"Then why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I wanted to wait until the plan was more finalized before discussing it," Su Ning said, holding her hand. "But haven't we already discussed it?"

Lan Qianyi looked at him with a complicated expression: "What if... what if President Wu and the others don't go with you?"

“Then I’ll do it by myself first,” Su Ning said. “But I think they will come. Because we’ve all had enough of Jin Chen’s ways.”

...(End of chapter)