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After the holiday, Jin Chen Capital resumed its usual busy schedule.

The employees of the three departments returned to their usual routines, because only work can make happiness last.

At 9:30 a.m., Su Ning knocked on the door of Li Shensi's office.

"Mr. Li, is this a convenient time? I'd like to have a chat with you for a few minutes."

Li Shensi was brewing a health-preserving tea when he saw him. He smiled and waved, "Su Ning is here? Come in, come in, have a seat. The tea will be ready soon. Try my newly bought Pu'er tea, which is said to be 20-year-old aged tea."

Suning sat down opposite him.

The office was filled with a faint aroma of tea and the smell of Chinese medicine. Goji berries and red dates were simmering in Li Shensi's health-preserving kettle.

“Uncle Li, you’re getting more and more professional at maintaining your health,” Su Ning said.

"You're getting old, you need to take care of your health." Li Shensi poured him a cup of tea and pushed it towards him. "Try it."

Su Ning took the tea, sipped it, and said, "Good tea."

"Right? I knew you'd like that." Li Shensi picked up his own glass. "So, what did you want to see me about?"

Su Ning put down his teacup and got straight to the point: "Uncle Li, I'm planning to resign."

Li Shensi paused for a moment, but there was no surprise on his face.

Instead, he slowly took a sip of tea before asking, "Have you thought it through?"

"Think about it."

“Very well.” Li Shensi nodded. “You never belonged to Jin Chen. This temple is too small to accommodate a Buddha like you.”

These words were quite meaningful, but Suning didn't respond.

"Where are you planning to go? Back to Jianguo Group to help your dad?" Li Shensi asked.

“I’m not going back for now,” Su Ning said. “I want to start my own business, a fund, focusing on investments in healthcare and high technology.”

Li Shensi raised an eyebrow: "Start a business? I have an idea. What about funding? Do you need any help?"

"No need, my family can support me, and I also know a few friends," Suning said. "The first phase is around 2 billion, which should be enough."

"Two billion..." Li Shensi laughed, "That's quite an impressive boast. But with the Su family's strength, it's really nothing."

He put down his teacup and looked at Su Ning: "Since you've made up your mind, I won't try to persuade you any further. If you need any resources or connections, just ask. Your father and I have been friends for so many years, I'll definitely help if I can."

"Thank you, Uncle Li."

“However…” Li Shensi changed the subject, “Starting a business is one thing, but you also need to take care of your personal life.”

Su Ning's heart tightened; he knew they were about to get down to business.

After all, it was obvious that Li Shiyan's appearance at the resort this time was specially arranged by Li Shensi.

"How are things going between you and Lan Qianyi?" Li Shensi asked directly.

"It's good," Su Ning said.

“It’s fine for young people to date and have fun,” Li Shensi said gently, but there was a hidden meaning in his words. “But when it comes to marriage, you have to be careful. Marriages in wealthy families are never just a matter between two people, but between two families. There are many things to consider: background, resources, interests, and everything else has to be compatible.”

He paused, then poured Su Ning another cup of tea: "Shiyan, you saw it yourself. She has a good personality, is sensible, and likes you. She specifically went to find you at the resort that day."

Su Ning finally understood that this was Li Shensi's open admission that Li Shiyan's appearance at the resort was not accidental, but deliberately arranged by him.

“Uncle Li, Shiyan and I have a very good relationship, and I don’t want to put her in a difficult position. After all, she’s so outstanding, she must have her own feelings too,” Su Ning said sincerely.

Li Shensi laughed, "Su Ning! You're overthinking it! I know my own daughter, do I not know if she has a boyfriend? Our two families know each other well, and your father and I are old friends. If you get together with Shiyan, it will be a double blessing, which will benefit your career and the transformation of the Su family."

“I know what you’re thinking, that you’re capable enough not to need a marriage alliance. But you need to understand that in this industry, strong alliances are always the key. The Su family needs resources for its transformation, and the Li family’s investment banking and cultural tourism sectors can complement each other perfectly. And you need a partner who can help you in your career and make your family life easier. Shiyan is the most suitable candidate.”

The message was clear enough: Li Shensi was trying to sell his daughter and arrange the marriage.

Su Ning was silent for a while before speaking: "Uncle Li, I respect your thoughts. But matters of the heart cannot be forced. I really don't have those feelings for Shi Yan for the time being."

“I feel she can be cultivated,” Li Shensi said realistically. “You’ll naturally develop a feeling for her after spending more time with her. As for Lan Qianyi… she’s a good girl, capable and driven. But her family background and the resources she can bring you can’t compare to Shiyan’s. If you really want to start a business and achieve something, isn’t it clear who you should choose?”

That's a blunt statement, but it's also very realistic.

Suning knew that Li Shensi was telling the truth.

In the world of arranged marriages, a girl like Lan Qianyi is certainly not the "best choice".

But Suning didn't want to choose the "best option"; he wanted to choose what he wanted.

“Uncle Li, thank you for your kindness.” Su Ning stood up. “I will hand in my resignation letter today, and I will do my best in starting my own business. As for relationships… I hope to let things take their natural course. Maybe one day Lan Qianyi will lose interest in me.”

Li Shensi looked at him with a complicated expression.

After a long silence, he sighed and said, "Fine, you have your own ideas, I won't force you. But Su Ning, as an elder, I still have to remind you that this industry is very realistic. You're young now and think relationships are the most important thing. But in a few years, when you encounter difficulties, you'll realize how important background and resources are."

“I understand.” Su Ning nodded. “But I still want to try and see what I can do on my own.”

"You have guts." Li Shensi smiled. "Alright, go ahead! I'll talk to HR about your resignation and get the paperwork done for you as soon as possible. Come to me anytime if you need any help."

"Thank you, Uncle Li."

Suning walked out of the office and breathed a long sigh of relief.

The conversation was more direct and realistic than he had expected.

Li Shensi's meaning was clear: he had high hopes for Su Ning and wanted to recruit him as his son-in-law, paving the way for a marriage alliance between the two families.

They even went so far as to have Li Shiyan actively approach Su Ning.

But Suning still refused, albeit with an ambiguous and subtle attitude.

Li Shensi couldn't help but curse the young man in his heart, feeling that he was really slippery.

Immediately afterwards, anticipation arose, with the thought that perhaps Jianguo Group would indeed fall into the hands of Suning.

……

On Tuesday morning at 10:00 AM, Suning delivered his resignation letter to the human resources department.

Gao Yue was looking at documents when she saw him come in. She was taken aback for a moment: "Su Ning? Is something the matter?"

"Ms. Gao, I'm here to hand in my resignation." Su Ning placed the envelope on her desk.

Gao Yue opened the envelope, took out the letter, and quickly scanned it.

The content was very standard, just the usual platitudes about leaving for personal reasons and thanking the company for its training.

She put down the letter and looked at Su Ning: "Have you thought it through?"

"Think about it."

"Does Mr. Li know?"

"I know, I told him yesterday."

Gao Yue nodded. She wasn't surprised at all. From the day Lao Jun arranged for Su Ning to come, she had guessed that Su Ning wouldn't stay at Jin Chen for long.

These privileged young men are either here to gain experience or to experience life; very few of them genuinely intend to stay long-term. "I'll process your paperwork as soon as possible," Gao Yue said. "However, according to company policy, you need to give a month's notice before leaving, and you must complete your handover before you can go."

“I understand,” Su Ning said. “I will make a clear handover of the work on the energy team with President Ma and Zhao Boqian. All the data for the combustible ice project has been compiled and is ready for handover at any time.”

“Okay, then go and talk to General Manager Ma first.” Gao Yue paused. “Su Ning, although you haven’t been with the company for long, you’ve performed exceptionally well. If you need any help in the future, just let me know.”

"Thank you, Mr. Gao."

Back in the energy group, Su Ning knocked on Ma Jianguo's office door, and a voice inside said, "Come in."

Pushing open the door, I saw Ma Jianguo on the phone.

Upon seeing Su Ning, he paused for a moment, said to the person on the other end of the phone, "I'll call you back later," and then hung up.

"Suning! Please have a seat." Ma Jianguo's attitude was much warmer than usual. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Mr. Ma, I'm here to resign." Su Ning got straight to the point. "The paperwork has already been completed in the HR department. I just came to let you know and hand over my work."

Ma Jianguo had obviously heard rumors long ago and wasn't surprised at all.

"Xiao Su! I'm really going to miss you. Everyone has seen your performance during your time in the team. You did a particularly good job on the combustible ice project, which brought a lot of honor to the team."

This statement was half true and half false. He was genuinely reluctant to part with Su Ning, whose abilities were indeed strong; but he was also genuinely relieved, as he had such a powerful subordinate, he was very cautious as a leader.

He hasn't dared to swear much in the energy group lately, for fear that Suning might overthink it if he heard it.

"Thank you for your care during this time, Mr. Ma," Su Ning said politely. "Regarding work, I have compiled all the materials for the combustible ice project. The electronic version has been sent to your email, and the paper version is on the third shelf of the filing cabinet. Zhao Boqian is most familiar with the technical aspects, and Manager Xu has been following up on the business aspects. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me."

"Okay, okay." Ma Jianguo nodded. "So what are your plans next? Go back to the company?"

"I'm starting my own business," Su Ning said.

“Starting a business is great! Young people have drive.” Ma Jianguo laughed. “If you come across any good projects in the future, remember to think of me. We can still collaborate.”

"must."

After leaving Ma Jianguo's office, Su Ning went to find Zhao Boqian.

Zhao Boqian was reading technical documents when he saw him. "Are you leaving?"

"You know it all?"

"I've heard about it." Zhao Boqian was unusually talkative. "You've compiled the technical data for the combustible ice project in great detail. I've looked at it, and it's fine. If you need any help in the future, remember to give me a call."

"Thank you, Manager Zhao," Su Ning said sincerely.

In the energy group, Zhao Boqian is one of the few people who truly get things done.

Then he spoke briefly with Zhou Ming and Xu Taiping.

Zhou Ming still wore a fawning expression, while Xu Taiping visibly breathed a sigh of relief...

This "princeling" is finally leaving; he no longer needs to live in fear.

Ever since they learned about Suning's background, the members of the energy team have lost their freedom, and they have to be careful even when they speak.

At noon, Suning treated several colleagues from Group Four to lunch at the same Cantonese restaurant near the company.

"Are you really leaving?" Lin Yuming was still a little incredulous. "You're just leaving like that? It's so sudden."

“Actually, it’s not sudden,” Su Ning said. “I’ve had this plan for a while.”

Wu Kezhi hadn't spoken until now, then he asked, "How are the preparations for starting a business going?"

"Preparations are underway," Su Ning said. "The office is overseeing it, and the team is being assembled. The first phase of funding, two billion, has already been secured."

“Two billion…” Sun Yiqiu repeated softly, still feeling shocked.

"So, what's your decision?" Su Ning looked at everyone. "Are you willing to work with me?"

Lin Yuming scratched his head: "Su Ning, to be honest, I didn't sleep a wink last night, I was thinking about this. I've worked at Jin Chen for ten years, from the bottom up, it's a lie to say I don't have feelings for it. But the problems you mentioned, office politics, internal strife, suppression—I've had enough of them too. It's just... starting a business is too risky, so I have to be careful."

“I understand,” Su Ning said. “No need to rush into a decision. Think it through before you speak.”

Lan Qianyi suddenly said, "I'll go with you."

Everyone looked at her.

“I’ve only been at Jinchen for a few months, so I don’t have any baggage,” Lan Qianyi said frankly. “Besides, I believe in your abilities and what you said about creating a fair workplace. I’m willing to give it a try with you.”

Su Ning looked at her and felt a warmth in her heart.

Sun Yiqiu hesitated for a moment, "Brother Su, I want to stay at Jin Chen Capital. After all, it wasn't easy to get a permanent position this time. Besides, I have little experience, and I want to learn from Jin Chen Capital."

"Okay! Just think it over." Su Ning nodded.

Now only Wu Kezhi and Lin Yuming remain.

Wu Kezhi remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "Give me a week to think it over. Whether I go or not, I will give you an answer."

"Thank you, Mr. Wu."

After dinner, everyone went back to the company, and Suning went to pack her things.

In the office area, many colleagues were looking at him.

Their gazes varied; some were envious, others curious.

Xu Taiping came over feigning concern: "Brother Su, you're leaving already? Let's keep in touch!"

"Definitely." Su Ning smiled.

Zhao Boqian walked over and handed him a USB drive: "This is a report on technology trends in the energy industry that I have compiled. It may be useful to you."

"Thank you, Manager Zhao."

Finally, Suning walked out of the energy group carrying the cardboard box.

He paused after passing through four groups.

Lan Qianyi stood at the door, looking at him.

"Wait for my call tonight," Su Ning said.

"it is good."

The elevator arrived, and Suning stepped inside and pressed the button for -2 floor.

The elevator doors slowly closed, and the logo of Jin Chen Capital disappeared from view.

Upon arriving at the building's underground parking garage, Suning put the cardboard box in the car, got into the driver's seat, started the car, and drove away from the garage.

The story of Jin Chen Capital has come to an end; now it's the Su family's turn.

Although he disdained the Su family's wealth, he was now in this situation, and it was impossible for him not to fight for it.

...(End of chapter)