C15 Experience Sharing

Ding Yue let out a sigh and gestured dismissively, "Don't worry about it, Miss Meng. It seems that my Dream Lover and I just aren't meant to be."

Both women were in a reflective mood. With the banquet in full swing, they had no choice but to pick up their chopsticks and eat, each lost in their own thoughts.

Meng Shuran's mind wandered as she ate, her gaze drifting involuntarily to Lin Hao at the adjacent table.

She vividly recalled Lin Hao's promise to present her with the genuine 'Dream Lover' that evening. Could it be him? After all, he managed to secure four million, didn't he?

But then she reconsidered. The Dream Lover's worth was well beyond four million. Even with all the ways Lin Hao might have to borrow money, raising twenty-eight million would be a tall order. Not to mention, he'd need to find a channel to purchase the Dream Lover. How could he possibly manage that?

She was overthinking it, she concluded. Lin Hao certainly wasn't the one behind the gift of the Dream Lover.

Meanwhile, Lin Hao had nearly finished his meal. He set down his chopsticks and dabbed at his mouth with a napkin, his attention settling on Ding Yue, who was seated beside Meng Shuran.

He now remembered why she seemed familiar. The Ding family was among the companies eager to partner with Tianyue Media. Secretary Zhou's dossier on the Ding family had included a personal photo of Ding Yue.

Miss Ding was a fascinating woman.

From what Lin Hao knew of her, she was a young woman groomed by her father to be the company's vice president, a composed figure accustomed to high-profile events.

Her attire at functions might not scream luxury, but the unassuming ring on her finger could easily purchase a grand villa.

While it might escape the notice of others, Lin Hao recognized its significance at a glance. Ding Yue's ring was a venerable antique.

Having grown up in the Lin family, Lin Hao was exposed to experts from various fields through his grandfather. By his teens, he had spent nearly three years studying antique appraisal under Tang Hengzhi, an appraiser of international repute.

The ring on Ding Yue's finger was distinctively crafted, featuring gold filigree encircling a jade band, with a ruby of near-perfect hue set at its center. Likely from the Song Dynasty, Lin Hao estimated its value to be around thirty million.

As Lin Hao pondered whether to gift Meng Shuran a beautiful ring on another occasion, Old Madam Meng rose from the head table and made her way to the stage.

"Let's have a moment of silence, please. Shuran, come up and share with us how you secured the deal with Tianyue Media. Your success story could be a valuable lesson for everyone," she said.

Old Madam Meng's smile deepened the wrinkles on her face as she gestured for Meng Shuran to join her on stage, then took her seat again.

Under the watchful gaze of the crowd, Meng Shuran rose, her nerves apparent. She hesitated for a few seconds, then remained rooted to the spot, an awkward tension in her stance.

"Truthfully, there's not much to it. When I arrived that day, I never even met the president of Tianyue Media. His secretary simply handed me the contract to sign..."

"What? They just went ahead and signed the contract?"

"She didn't meet with Tianyue Media's new CEO either..."

"Here I thought she had some grand strategy. It looks like she might have just been lucky, catching the new CEO in a good mood, and that's how she secured the partnership."

Meng Junjie, seated next to Old Madam Meng, couldn't suppress a sneer at the murmurs around him. He glanced at his grandmother, a plan forming in his mind.

"Grandma, this doesn't seem fair. When I visited Tianyue Media, it might have been that the new CEO was simply in a bad mood, which is why I was turned away. But when Meng Shuran went, the CEO must have recognized the Meng family's genuine desire to collaborate, leading to the immediate signing of the contract."

Meng Junjie shot Meng Shuran a scornful look, his voice growing louder. "I believe if anyone else from the Meng family had been the one to go a second time, they would have easily secured the contract as well!"

Meng Shuran's hands balled into fists, her face tight with emotion as she faced Meng Junjie, unable to utter a single word.

Old Madam Meng, ever the doting grandmother to Junjie, nodded in agreement at his words. "Jie is spot on. Shuran, you may have landed the deal with Tianyue Media with ease, but it wasn't solely your doing. Jie has also made significant efforts and endured much humiliation. It's only right that he shares in the credit."

Despite her intense dissatisfaction with Old Madam Meng's words, Meng Shuran kept her objections to herself. What was this, if not a blatant move to hand Meng Junjie the credit he didn't deserve?

Meanwhile, Meng Junjie couldn't have been more pleased.