The Heiress's Game

In the spacious open-plan office of Brilliant International's marketing department, the morning meeting had just ended.

Several colleagues had already turned on their computers and started replying to emails, the sound of keyboards clicking incessantly, but the two girls at the workstations by the window were clearly still not recovered from the afterglow of the morning meeting.

Xiaomin put her laptop on the table, slid her chair to the next workstation, and lowered her voice, but couldn't hide the excitement in her tone.

Did you see how President Bai walked into the conference room this morning?

I bet that suit was custom-made. The cut, the waistline, the way the hem swayed gently as I walked—I almost thought I was filming a workplace romance drama.

Arlene was touching up her lipstick when she heard this. She closed the mirror, turned around, and her eyes shone with a light that only a fangirl could understand.

"How come I didn't see it? That aura, let me tell you, it's not acting, it's innate."

I've been with the company for three years, and every time he walks into the meeting room, my heart skips a beat.

"And did you notice how tense the atmosphere was in the company when the stock price fluctuated a few days ago?"

I couldn't sleep at night, scrolling through stock trading software until 2 a.m., watching the candlestick chart go up and down like a rollercoaster.

Xiaomin patted her chest, looking like she was still shaken.

"There are rumors circulating that someone is buying up a lot of our shares on the market and may be trying to take control."

Remember Lao Wang from our department? The one who does financial analysis? He's close to management.

The situation was extremely critical at the time; the other party's acquisition pace was fast and ruthless, and most companies would have collapsed long ago.

"Yes, yes, yes," Arlene nodded repeatedly, and dragged the chair closer to Xiaomin.

"I heard about it too. The legal and finance departments were brightly lit up those days, and several people worked overtime for several days in a row without going home."

A senior from my university who works in the finance department told me that Mr. Bai transferred all the cash from his personal account and raised a large sum of money from outside, all of which he poured into the buyback program.

Think about it, it's his own money! How many business owners can have that kind of courage?

"So when he walked into the meeting room this morning, I knew the crisis was over."

Xiao Min sighed, leaned back in her chair, cupped her face in her hands, and looked as dreamy as if she were watching the finale of a sweet romance drama she had just finished watching.

"Look at his demeanor today, full of confidence and composure, he even arranged a special interview with a financial magazine."

An exclusive interview! What does it mean that he dares to give an exclusive interview at this time? It means he's confident and the situation is completely under his control.

Arlene was so excited she almost crushed the cap of her lipstick: "When will the interview be released? I'm definitely going to share it on my WeChat Moments! I've even thought of a title—'My Boss is a Domineering CEO'."

"Don't interrupt," Xiaomin patted her.

"And think about it, what would have happened if an ordinary rich kid had handled this crisis?"

Let me tell you, 99% of the rich kids would just give up in this situation.

Anyway, my family has money. If the company is gone, so be it. I can just start over with a new shell.

But look at our CEO Bai, how quick his reaction is and how decisive his actions are.

From the moment the stock price started to fluctuate to the moment he mobilized funds to buy back shares, there was almost no hesitation.

What does this show? It shows that he's not just rich; he's truly capable, has sound judgment, and the ability to execute.

"I'd like to add something," Arlene said, holding up one finger.

"He's not only highly capable, but also incredibly handsome. Being both highly capable and handsome is a doubly rare resource."

Do you know what this is called? This is called a high-quality human male. No, this is called a top-tier human male.

Xiaomin was amused by her and laughed so hard she almost fell over. "Honestly, I think we've chosen the right boss."

Look at those wealthy young men in Yunjing City, how many of them are truly capable? They're either spoiled brats living off their family's wealth, or they're just people with connections who hold the title of vice president in a company but never actually work.

"Someone like our CEO Bai, with both a privileged family background and genuine talent, who can turn the tide in crucial moments, is hard to find even with a lantern."

"That's right. My boyfriend asked me yesterday if there was anything wrong with our company's stock price fluctuating so much the past few days. I told him, 'Don't worry, our boss's surname is Bai.'"

When Arlene said the words "surname Bai," her tone carried an undisguised pride, as if the surname itself was a guarantee of credibility.

"This is the standard setup for a male lead," Arlene said, her hands clasped together, her eyes sparkling.

"Aren't all the domineering CEOs in novels like this? The more crisis there is, the calmer they become; the more pressure they face, the more composed they are; when everyone thinks the sky is about to fall, they single-handedly shoulder the entire burden."

I think if this stock price defense battle were written as a business novel, it would definitely be a bestseller.

I've even thought of a title for him: "The Glorious Battle" or "President Bai's Counterattack."

"The story of 'President Bai's Counterattack' is so corny."

Xiaomin wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"It should be called 'Peak Game' or 'Battle for Supremacy'."

Forget it, let's not even think about it. With our naming skills, we'll never be editors in this lifetime.

"Who said I wanted to be an editor? I'm going to work hard at Brilliant International and help Boss Bai conquer the world."

Arlene picked up her lipstick again and touched up her makeup in front of her phone screen.

"Think about it, now that we've weathered this crisis, the next step will definitely be a surge in performance."

What do we fear most in marketing? We fear weak management, slow response, and being overwhelmed by competitors.

Now it's proven that our boss is not only not weak, but stronger than the competition; working for this kind of company is a promising career path.

"That's right." Xiaomin reached out and gave Alin a high five.

"So, how about we go to that newly opened Japanese restaurant downstairs for lunch today to celebrate? Let's celebrate the company's stable stock price and Mr. Bai's successful start."

"I'm going! I have to go!" Arlene had already started tidying up the table. "But we have to split the bill today. My credit card is almost maxed out this month."

"You can get it if you buy two fewer lipsticks."

"That won't do, lipstick is a necessity."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

When Bai Junze pulled Gu Yunjin out of the blankets, the sky outside was still a dark blue.

She mumbled "What time?" with her eyes closed, and Bai Junze's voice came from above her head, carrying the scent of minty toothpaste she had just used after washing her face.

"4:30, any later and we'll miss the sunrise."

She buried her face in the pillow and struggled for a few seconds, but was eventually coaxed awake by a glass of warm water he handed her.

She put on a hoodie and sweatpants, tied her hair into a ponytail, washed her face haphazardly, and was led out the door by him.

I leaned against the passenger seat, half-asleep, until the car stopped at the parking lot at the foot of the mountain. The cool morning breeze blew in my face, and I finally woke up completely.

This mountain is located in the eastern suburbs of Yunjing City. It is not very high, but it takes almost an hour to walk from the foot of the mountain to the viewing platform at the top.

The stone steps gleamed with a damp, bluish-gray hue in the pre-dawn light, the bamboo groves on either side rustled in the wind, and occasionally an early bird would flutter overhead, its wings breaking the silence with a sharp, swaying sound.

Gu Yunjin started panting halfway through the walk. Bai Junze walked a step ahead of her, carrying a bag of bread and two bottles of water in his left hand, and stretching his right hand behind him with his palm facing up and his fingers slightly spread, a habitual gesture that required no words.

She put her hand in, and he held it tightly. With his help, she climbed for another twenty minutes and finally stood on the mountaintop viewing platform as the sky began to lighten.

The sky transitioned from dark blue to indigo, then from indigo to pale white, as if someone had used a gold-dipped paintbrush to paint the clouds stroke by stroke, first a thin layer of light gold, then large swaths of orange-red, and finally the entire horizon was ablaze.

The sun peeked out from the brightest crack, arching upwards little by little, like a pearl just peeled from an oyster shell, warm and dazzling.

Gu Yunjin leaned against the railing, the morning breeze ruffling her hair. She squinted at the slowly rising sun and suddenly realized that getting up at 4:30 wasn't so hard to accept after all.

Bai Junze stood behind her and handed her the water bottle with the cap unscrewed.

She took the drink and was about to say something when his phone rang in his pocket.

He took out his phone, glanced at the screen, and then handed it to her: "It's Zhou Ji."

Gu Yunjin took the phone and pressed the answer button.

Zhou Ji's face appeared on the screen. He looked to be in a great mood, and the smile on his lips couldn't be hidden behind his glasses.

"Good morning, sister and brother-in-law." Zhou Ji leaned back in his office chair, twirling a pen in his hand.

"Up so early? I think it's only a little past six. Shouldn't young people sleep a little longer?"

"Watching the sunrise." Gu Yunjin leaned her phone against the railing, the camera pointed at her and Bai Junze, and the burning sunrise behind them.

"We are very romantic."

"Romantic is great, but as the sun is just rising, I have some equally delightful news to share with you."

He cleared his throat, placed the pen on the table, crossed his hands in front of him, and struck a serious pose.

"We sold all the shares of Brilliant International that we rented from the brokerage yesterday. The buyer was Mr. Pak Man-hung, and the average price was HK$120."

He paused deliberately and gave Gu Yunjin a knowing look.

"Yun Jin, we've made a fortune again, even with tears in our eyes."

"This one wave alone earned us this much, maybe a few hundred million."

He held up a finger to indicate a number, then leaned back in his chair and added in an extremely irritating tone.

"Thank you, Mr. Pak Man-hung, for giving us so much money."

Even if I don't work for the next year and just lie in bed every day, I can still count money while lying down.

Oh wait, counting money while lying down is too tiring, I'll hire someone to help me count it.

Gu Yunjin couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Bai Junze stood beside her, holding the bottle of water in his hand. After hearing Zhou Ji's words, the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

"So it turns out that investing and stock trading are indeed more profitable than making movies. Meng Wanqing should take this lesson to heart."

Upon hearing this, Gu Yunjin laughed even louder, and even Zhou Ji on the other side of the screen joined in the laughter.

The three of them burst into laughter across the screen. The morning breeze on the mountaintop swept their laughter up and tossed it into the distant sea of ​​clouds, where it echoed between heaven and earth with the rising sun.

As the laughter subsided, Zhou Ji's tone became less teasing.

"Alright, let's get down to business. I've prepared all the agreements. I've also found the right people and organizations, and the confidentiality is excellent. The big gift my brother-in-law prepared for Bai Wenxiong will arrive in Yunjing City today."

"Okay," Gu Yunjin said. She had complete confidence in Zhou Ji's abilities.

Bai Junze nodded slightly without saying anything.