The Crematorium While Chasing an Alpha Was Intercepted by a Flirtatious Omega Senior Sister [Rebirth] 36

Chapter 36

“Is this Summer’s Little Aunt, Xi Zhaowan?” Mu Sixue’s steps paused by the photo wall outside the research lab.

The exquisitely framed photos on the wall showed Xi Zhaowan, as beautiful as a goddess, her beauty surpassing that of top-tier female stars, stunning everyone who passed by, no matter how many times they looked.

Yan Qinghe, unfazed, glanced at the photo and then turned her gaze to Mu Sixue. “Is this the first time Senior has seen Aunt Wan?”

She had assumed Mu Sixue had already searched for her online, but on second thought, it was normal. Xi Zhaowan’s huge advertisements and high-rise video promotions had all been taken down at her request before she left.

Mu Sixue tilted her chin slightly. “I think so,” she said vaguely, noncommittally.

Yan Qinghe’s mind was on the meeting, so she didn’t pay it much mind.

After a moment, Mu Sixue lowered her crossed arms, discreetly glanced at the photo again, and said, “Let’s go to the meeting.”

A battle of wits between the young chairwoman, the newly appointed president, and the board of directors’ elders began today and ended today.

The shareholders’ meeting had not yet been held, but the shareholders were watching from the sidelines. Whether Yan Qinghe would consolidate her power as chairwoman or be sidelined by the board of directors, it all depended on today. It was still unknown who would emerge victorious.

The board of directors had been in recess for a long time while Yan Qinghe was abroad. This time, it was reconvened, and each elder had their own agenda.

Some were dissatisfied that Mu Sixue had been parachuted in, that Yan Qinghe had appointed her without the board’s approval.

Some were worried that the giant ship of the Yan Corporation couldn’t be steered by Yan Qinghe. They were even more afraid that it would sink before it even set sail.

In recent years, due to the departure of Yan Manxing and Xi Zhaowan, and Yan Qinghe’s neglect of management after going abroad, the Yan Corporation’s position as the number one family among the four great families was precarious. Wei Weizhi was in her prime, and under her leadership, the Wei Group had caught up from its position as the second family and had become a behemoth, eyeing the inhibitor field that the Yan Corporation had deeply cultivated.

The Yan Corporation held the patent for the R7 inhibitor developed by Xi Zhaowan, firmly occupying the inhibitor market in D Country. But Wei Weizhi had also invested heavily in research and development in recent years. Although the Z5 inhibitor she produced was not as effective as R7, it was cheaper and very popular among the lower and middle classes.

In addition to the Wei Group’s existing hotel and catering industries, Wei Weizhi had also made bold moves, investing in other fields such as film, television, and games… which were flourishing. This made the members of the Yan Corporation’s board of directors tremble with fear. Holding Yan Corporation’s shares, they were secretly preparing for a rainy day, considering whether to sell their Yan Corporation shares and invest in the Wei Group instead.

Most of them were in their forties and fifties, approaching the age of knowing their fate. They all wanted to pave the way for their children and grandchildren before retiring, to catch up with the booming industrial track and reap the benefits.

The inhibitor production field, in the hundreds of years since the AO differentiation, had become a traditional industry. They were worried that with the evolution of the population, it might become a sunset industry. On that day, the behemoth of the number one family, the Yan Corporation, would also collapse.

Time waits for no one.

If Yan Manxing were here, with her sharp methods, or if Xi Zhaowan were in charge, with her business acumen and scientific research talent, they wouldn’t be so terrified.

The twenty-two-year-old Yan Qinghe had inherited her mother’s business. Although she was upright, she was too young. They didn’t trust her, and so they were not optimistic about the future of the Yan Corporation.

And now, without the board’s vote of approval, Yan Qinghe had taken it upon herself to appoint Mu Sixue as president, which already showed her lax and willful nature.

Because of Yan Qinghe, they no longer had a good opinion of Mu Sixue.

Seeing the two of them, glamorous and like walking celebrities, enter together, someone’s pent-up anger finally burst. He was the first to speak, his voice sharp. “Young Chairwoman Yan has some nerve, appointing a newcomer as president without the board’s consent?”

The speaker was the executive director of the Yan Corporation, the most senior and a long-time employee who had followed Yan Manxing for many years. A beta in his sixties, with graying hair but still full of vigor. As soon as he spoke, the others nodded in agreement.

Yan Qinghe sat in the main seat, with Mu Sixue beside her. She said nonchalantly, “Mu Sixue is my senior and an elite I sincerely invited from the Wei Group. You’ve all seen the development of the Wei Group in recent years. President Mu is the person in charge of their game and film and television fields.”

The Wei Group’s game and film and television fields, in a fiercely competitive market, had carved out their own moat and become an industry benchmark. Mu Sixue had played a huge role in this.

Yan Qinghe laid her cards on the table. “I know you all have doubts about me, but why don’t you listen to President Mu and my plan for the Yan Corporation? Then, you can decide whether you want to leave or invest your shares. It’s all up to you.”

“But the directors who leave should note that they will definitely not be re-elected as directors at next year’s shareholders’ meeting!”

Everyone was silent. Yan Qinghe’s two sentences, one soft and one hard, had instantly grasped their thoughts.

They had heard that Mu Sixue had an excellent grasp of the market. They wanted to hear what brilliant solutions she had for the current stagnant situation of the Yan Corporation.

Yan Qinghe hadn’t communicated with Mu Sixue before coming, so she had no idea what Mu Sixue’s next decision would be.

Mu Sixue was neither servile nor overbearing, her voice as clear as a spring. But the more they listened, the more their ears perked up, and their eyes grew brighter.

She stood up gracefully. Her assistant quickly opened the optical computer. With a swoosh, a huge screen in the air, perpendicular to the center of the long conference table, displayed the Yan Corporation’s business map in a 360-degree rotating 3D PPT format.

“The expansion of the Yan Corporation’s map should not be limited to the inhibitor field,” she began. Everyone nodded frequently.

Mu Sixue had previously obtained the Yan Corporation’s financial statements from Qinghe. Combined with her judgment from market research, she had already decided on a five- to ten-year development plan.

“It’s easy to conquer a country, but hard to defend it.”

“It’s easy to defend a country, but hard to expand it.”

“The first field the Yan Corporation will expand into should be biotechnology.” She turned the watch on her wrist. With a ding, her personal optical computer was projected onto the screen. “The current optical computers and instant messaging devices are all dependent on physical objects.”

Unlike the people of the past who could go anywhere with a mobile phone, the optical computers of the ABO world also had mobile phone functions, but they could be installed on any object a person liked. Some had watches, some children chose dolls, and some even used teacups.

All of these could be installed with optical computers to make video calls, check information, shop online, and realize various network applications and social needs.

“What if one day a person forgets to bring their mobile phone, watch, or other decorative item with an optical computer?” Mu Sixue asked softly.

Everyone frowned. It was indeed inconvenient.

“What if the optical computer is installed on a person’s retina, or implanted under the skin of their arm or elbow, and hidden?” Mu Sixue asked in return, the answer self-evident.

The vice chairman was an old man. He stroked his beard and had to admit, “It would be much more convenient.”

The abundant funds accumulated by the Yan Corporation over the years, if invested in biotechnology and focused on the connection between optical computers and the human body, could very well open up a new track.

Yan Qinghe stood up for Mu Sixue and praised her. “This is a blue ocean that no one has touched. Once the research and development is successful, the future will be bright, and the Yan Corporation’s hundred-year foundation will be unshakable.”

The elders’ hearts were half at ease, but they also felt that the future was long, and they might not see the results in their lifetime. They were hesitant again.

Mu Sixue picked up the projection pen with her pale hand. The screen moved. “The second trial field—interstellar orbit.”

Currently, D Country’s interstellar orbit was still in its initial stage and was not favored. No prominent family was willing to join. But Mu Sixue said, “The Yan Corporation should have its own orbit, leading directly to the planet XR.”

Mu Sixue had minored in biology and geography at UE and had a double degree. Yan Qinghe knew this, but she couldn’t stop others from asking.

“Why choose the planet XR?”

“The temperature and humidity of this planet are most suitable for growing crops. Eight types of grains can survive well,” Mu Sixue replied.

A few small directors didn’t quite understand. They shook their heads and said bluntly, “What’s the necessity?”

Mu Sixue only said one sentence, but it made Yan Qinghe’s heart skip a beat.

“Because the future war will be a war of food.”

Yan Qinghe frowned. In her past life, when she was in her thirties, there had already been minor conflicts between countries over food. At that time, the countries didn’t pay much attention to it, and she hadn’t either. Later, food became more and more scarce. Only the Wei Group had stockpiled a dozen years’ worth of grain in advance, frozen with technology, and had become a super family in one leap.

The Wei Group had only used the method of stockpiling and saving. But Mu Sixue was directly opening up a new source, solving the food crisis from the source, by producing it on another planet and grafting an interstellar orbit exclusive to the Yan Corporation.

If one didn’t know the future situation, this move was nothing short of bold, with a one hundred percent venture capital risk.

She looked at Mu Sixue’s pale white fingers. The projection pen danced between them like a flying white butterfly. Her fingers were so beautiful.

She listened to Mu Sixue’s confident and composed tone, the sound of her high heels on the conference room floor, and the strings of her heart were constantly being played. Her voice was also very beautiful.

Mu Sixue’s aura was a little softer than the sharp and outward Yan Manxing, but it was convincing. Her voice was soft and pleasant, as graceful and calm as her Little Aunt’s.

She combined the strengths of Yan Manxing and Xi Zhaowan, yet she had her own imposing aura, as cool as a lotus on a snowy mountain, with a thousand years of heritage. Just one lotus petal could cure all the difficult and miscellaneous diseases in the world.

She was really more like the master of the Yan Corporation than she was. It was rare for a beta to reach such a high position. So what if Mu Sixue was a beta?

Yan Qinghe seemed to be captivated by Mu Sixue’s aura. Her gaze was focused, and she was a little dazed. What if Mu Sixue were the female master of the Yan Corporation? The thought had just appeared when her cheeks grew hot. What a ridiculous idea.

“Chairwoman Yan, Chairwoman Yan?”

Her third assistant called her in her ear. She came back to her senses and found that everyone was looking at her, their gazes fixed, as if waiting for her to make a decision.

She looked up at Mu Sixue, and their eyes met.

Mu Sixue was bright and clear, graceful and elegant. Her professional attire was prim yet charming. She glanced at her with a light, reproachful look. Yan Qinghe’s face suddenly flushed, as if she were in a dream. “Good!”

She was just short of clapping.

This posture was a bit like a foolish king who only knew how to clap after his prime minister had spoken, or a foolish emperor who was dazed by the whispers of his favorite concubine.

Everyone: ?

Her third assistant tactfully whispered in her ear, “Chairwoman Yan, everyone is asking if you have any other directions to add besides President Mu’s two proposed projects.”

After Mu Sixue sat down, she rested her chin on her pale hand and looked at her with a soft and focused gaze.

Yan Qinghe let out a “mm,” sat up straight, and, when she met Mu Sixue’s gaze, quickly looked away. She was a little nervous, and also excited, about her next speech.

While everyone was waiting, she stood up gracefully and said in a stern voice, “Besides biotechnology and interstellar orbit, there is another field the Yan Corporation will expand into.”

“Develop the Seine River basin and deepen seawater desalination technology.”

The Seine River wound through H City, connecting to the Pacific Ocean in the west and the Poseidon Ocean in the east. The river water was salty. In her past life, besides the food shortage, the war over water resources had become more and more intense.

The Ji Corporation, because it was involved in the catering industry and had knowledge of the water field, had connected to the Seine River in advance, had its own water resource channels, and sold water to various countries, which had given it huge financial support. Coupled with Ji Qianqian’s long-planned scheme, it had swallowed up the Yan Corporation in one fell swoop and became a powerful family that could compete with the Wei Group.

She didn’t explain the reason. The others couldn’t predict the future. They just felt that the young Chairwoman Yan’s move was no less bold than Mu Sixue’s, but for some reason, they felt it was very promising.

Yan Qinghe, however, gave a deep analysis of the current world situation and said a meaningful sentence, “The future business competition will not only be about food, but also about water.”

Hearing this, Mu Sixue’s eyes flickered. It was as if she were meeting Yan Qinghe for the first time, or as if she had long known that the other would come to this conclusion. It was both unexpected and expectedly complex.

Food and water were more important than anything else. Compared to inhibitors, their importance would only be greater, not less. As long as they monopolized these two fields, it didn’t matter if they did well in biotechnology.

Everyone unanimously agreed. The development of the Seine River and the calculation of the interstellar orbit were the first and second plans, and biotechnology was the third.

After the meeting, the elders’ hearts were at least half at ease, and they temporarily put aside their previous thoughts.

***

As the lights came on, on the top floor of a high-end Japanese restaurant, by the floor-to-ceiling window, was the bank of the Seine River. The statue of the Seine goddess, representing H City, stood tall and graceful.

Yan Qinghe rolled a sushi, dipped the salmon in the sauce, and placed it on the plate of Mu Sixue, who was sitting across from her.

“Thank you for your hard work today, Senior.”

Mu Sixue only smiled lightly at her personal service and took a graceful bite.

As they exchanged dishes, Yan Qinghe touched Mu Sixue’s fingertips. Her fingers paused. She picked up a piece and handed it to her.

Their fingers touched again. For less than a second, Yan Qinghe heard the sound of a boat swaying on the water outside the window. A few slivers of shimmering light shone on the white porcelain dishes.

The faint, soft touch of their fingers, along with the gentle waves of light, tickled her heart like a feather.

Yan Qinghe’s voice was also a little drunk. “After we finish eating, I’ll take you back, Senior.” Her eyes were shining as she looked at the elegantly eating Mu Sixue.

Mu Sixue gently refused. “No need. Someone is coming to pick me up.”

Yan Qinghe forced a smile and said that was good, lowering her eyes. She stared at the dish in front of her and took a symbolic bite. It was a fresh dish just made by her private chef. Strangely, it lacked some flavor.

This flavor had nothing to do with her mood; it should be related to the chef’s skills recently.

She calculated the time, thinking that her senior’s girlfriend should be coming to pick her up soon.

Their meal should have been leisurely and relaxed. She was half-distracted, sighing at the shining Mu Sixue at the meeting, her heart like a fluttering flower petal.

The other half of her heart, realizing that the beta girlfriend would be picking her up soon, this flower petal in her heart was covered in a layer of misty haze, pulling her down.

Up and down, even the fall wasn’t straight, but like a falling autumn leaf, circling back and forth, east and west, slowly crawling on the ground.

The more it was like this, the more she kept eating, and at the same time, she gave some to Mu Sixue.

After all, the night was still beautiful.

Mu Sixue looked at her with a smile on her lips and tilted her elegant neck. “Summer, I can’t eat this much.”

Yan Qinghe also smiled and replied, “I thought that since Senior is so knowledgeable, you could also eat a lot.”

Mu Sixue put down her utensils and gave her a reproachful look. “You’re so glib.”

The atmosphere between the two became more and more relaxed. As the meal was about to end, in the distant sky, the two of them walked on the garden path outside the high-end restaurant, strolling to digest their food.

“The night is so beautiful tonight.” The gentle wind blew. Standing next to Mu Sixue, without saying a word, Yan Qinghe felt very peaceful.

“The moonlight is also very beautiful,” Mu Sixue replied.

Hearing this, Yan Qinghe suddenly turned to look at Mu Sixue. This was a confession of love. In a certain literary context, “the moonlight is beautiful” means “I love you.”

The other’s eyes were shimmering, the moonlight condensed into a single point in her beautiful, deep eyes, no longer as cool as usual.

Was Mu Sixue confessing to her? Yan Qinghe thought, then shook her head with a self-mocking smile.

She took a deep breath, and her leaping tone and heartbeat both slowed down. “The stars are also very beautiful.”

“Mm.” Mu Sixue suddenly stopped. Yan Qinghe didn’t stop and was met by a warm, soft body. Step by step, she got closer. A pair of slender hands went through her arm, and she took the initiative to intertwine her fingers with hers, pointing to a star next to the moon. “Summer, don’t you think that star is the most beautiful?”

Yan Qinghe looked at the twinkling little star, feeling Mu Sixue’s fragrant breath by her ear. The other had had some snow-diffused wine in the evening and was asking her in a soft voice.

Under the blue sky, Mu Sixue half-wrapped her arms around her waist from behind. Their fingers were intertwined, their arms touching, pointing to the sky. She felt a little drunk and nodded. “It’s very bright and beautiful. What’s that star called?”

“The Star of Summer.” Mu Sixue lowered her intertwined hands and arms. A certificate for the naming rights of a small planet was gently handed to her. “From today on, it’s called this name. It’s exclusively yours.”

She had once said that she wanted her to pick a star for her, so she would give her a star as a gift.

“Summer, happy birthday.”