Chapter 1453: 1453: Surprise

Chapter 1453: Chapter 1453: Surprise

Upon hearing that Luo Ziling wanted to visit Northern Group to find Ling Ruonan, Luo Yuqing also wanted to go but eventually gave up the idea.

“I’d better keep my composure to avoid being misunderstood by your mom,” Luo Yuqing jested self-deprecatingly before parting ways with Luo Ziling. “After the New Year, I haven’t treated myself properly. I’ll go get my hair treated first, and then buy myself a new outfit.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Seeing how serious Luo Yuqing looked, Luo Ziling became a little wary.

“Isn’t it obvious? I want you to sponsor me a bit.” Luo Yuqing rolled her eyes at Luo Ziling. “With a rich little brother by my side, of course I have to think of ways to extort you. Otherwise, life would be too dull!”

Luo Ziling didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but when Luo Yuqing extended her hand, he ended up not refusing. He handed her a bank card, saying, “There should be around fifty thousand yuan in here. It’s pocket money my mom gave me, but I haven’t really spent much of it. You can use it. The password is 693587.”

Luo Yuqing didn’t immediately take the card; instead, she looked at him playfully and said, “So, does this mean all the pocket money your mom puts into this card from now on will be mine to use?”

“If you’re willing to spend it, then yes, as you said.”

“I naturally have no problem with that. I just hope you’re not stingy or have objections.” Luo Yuqing said this while snatching the card with one swift move.

“I don’t have any objections!”

“Really?” Luo Yuqing shook the bank card in her hand. “Are you really this generous?”

“We’re family, let’s not act like strangers!” Luo Ziling said while playfully brushing Luo Yuqing’s nose with his finger. “Go on, dress yourself up. If I have time in the afternoon, I’ll buy groceries. Come over for dinner, how about that?”

Luo Yuqing was visibly touched. She looked at Luo Ziling in a daze but ultimately didn’t say much. She just smiled sweetly and nodded lightly, saying, “Okay, got it!”

Luo Ziling knew that Luo Yuqing wasn’t someone greedy for money. Her asking for sponsorship earlier was merely a joke.

Similarly, he wasn’t giving her the bank card out of charity; he simply wanted to use this gesture to strengthen their bond.

Although they had already clarified their sibling relationship, becoming true siblings in every sense would take time. Luo Yuqing’s joke just now likely carried the same intent—to bring them closer together. Giving the card was Luo Ziling’s own way of expressing the same sentiment.

“I want sea cucumber soup,” Luo Yuqing said as she left, naming her favorite dish before sprinting away.

Watching Luo Yuqing’s receding figure, Luo Ziling stood there, lost in thought for a moment.

To be honest, he genuinely didn’t wish for Luo Yuqing to find a boyfriend and get married. Just the thought of such an outstanding and beautiful girl spending her life with another man made him feel a little uncomfortable. Why did he feel this way? It had to do with both a man’s possessiveness and familial attachment.

For a man, whether as a father or a brother, he is often reluctant to see his daughter or sister get married. The thought of a family member becoming part of another household is, to him, one of life’s most significant losses.

After parting ways with Luo Yuqing, Luo Ziling proceeded to Northern Group’s headquarters.

To his surprise, just as he was about to leave for Northern Group’s headquarters, Ling Ruonan called to say that there would be a high-level company meeting at 10:30 AM that day. As the newly appointed department head at Northern Group, Luo Ziling needed to make an appearance and present a report on his responsibilities. Ling Ruonan informed him that Ouyang Feifei had already prepared the necessary materials for his report, so all he had to do was make a public presentation before Northern Group’s executives.

Such a sudden decision from Ling Ruonan caught Luo Ziling off guard.

He quickly surmised that this must be her way of testing him, so he didn’t decline and readily agreed.

Ling Ruonan wanted to evaluate his competence—this was the conclusion Luo Ziling ultimately arrived at.

Otherwise, his strong-willed mother wouldn’t have made such an arrangement.

When Luo Ziling arrived at Northern Group’s headquarters, it was precisely 10:00 AM. He went straight to Ling Ruonan’s office.

Ling Ruonan didn’t say much, only instructing him to prepare and not let the other executives underestimate him.

Using Ling Ruonan’s computer, Luo Ziling familiarized himself with the PPT that Ouyang Feifei had prepared. Thanks to his excellent memory, it only took him ten minutes to memorize most of the content in the presentation.

Wuyue, concerned that Luo Ziling might struggle during the meeting, quietly gave him a few pointers on what to watch out for.

Luo Ziling expressed his gratitude but reassured Wuyue not to worry, promising that he would help Ling Ruonan save face.

At exactly 10:30 AM, Ling Ruonan brought Luo Ziling to the company’s conference room.

A large number of attendees were present for the year’s first high-level meeting—nearly 200 people. Apart from headquarters’ executives, most of the management teams from subsidiaries and branch offices were also in attendance.

As the head of Northern Group, Ling Ruonan exuded a commanding presence. Even Luo Ziling, trailing behind her, could feel the queenly aura radiating from his mother.

Northern Group’s executives, familiar with Ling Ruonan’s uncompromising leadership style as a “queen” who had headed the corporation for over a decade, dared not show any disrespect. As she entered the room, everyone stood to greet her.

No one dared show up late. By the time Ling Ruonan arrived promptly at the conference room, all attendees were already waiting there.

Ling Ruonan gestured for everyone to take their seats but didn’t instruct Luo Ziling or Wuyue to sit. Instead, she had them stand behind her.

The attendees all knew Wuyue’s identity—someone who often acted as an extension of Ling Ruonan’s authority and held high esteem.

Luo Ziling’s identity as Ling Ruonan’s son was also known to the executives, though few of them were personally acquainted with him.

Ling Ruonan had always adhered to the principle of appointing people based on merit, which made it hard for many executives to understand why she had brought her son into the company’s management team so openly. Seeing Luo Ziling attending the meeting alongside Ling Ruonan, many speculated with curiosity about how she intended to introduce him.

It was already a common assumption that Ling Ruonan wanted her son to eventually take the reins of Northern Group.

After delivering her opening remarks, Ling Ruonan immediately explained the meeting’s agenda to the senior executives: “In the new year, Northern Group plans a major expansion into the pharmaceutical industry. Last year, we worked extensively with Lingyun Group. Now, I’ll have Luo Ziling, who is in charge of our medical investment division, give a report on last year’s investments and this year’s plans.”

Realizing that Ling Ruonan had, at the very beginning, thrust him onto center stage, Luo Ziling became more certain that today’s unexpected arrangement wasn’t just for show. Its significance ran much deeper.