Chapter 460 - China’s Elite Ranking
"Oh, right! Big Sister Shui came looking for you earlier." Kim Jung-yeon decided to tell Su Tao about it after a brief pondering.
Nodding his head, Su Tao started to play with his phone by the balcony, which Kim Jung-yeon bit on her lips upon seeing this before she unhappily returned to her room.
Kim Jung-yeon knew that she was jealous.
"You came to look for me earlier?" Su Tao smiled as he continued, "The matter has been smoothly resolved."
"I know!" Shui Junzhuo sighed as she smiled. "You've not disappointed me!"
Scratching his head, Su Tao asked, "Did you come to praise me?"
After a brief hesitation, Shui Junzhui replied, "I wanted to tell you about something, but we'll talk about it when we meet."
Shui Junzhuo wanted to tell Su Tao about her departure for Russia, but after thinking about it again, she had no relationship with Su Tao. So why did she have to tell him about it?
Perhaps the two of them were friends, and she shouldn't leave without saying anything.
Shui Junzhuo did not live in the mansion located on General Street, but rented a small apartment that's only about sixty to seventy square meters. Although it wasn't luxurious, the decoration was exquisite. The decorations reflected Shui Junzhuo's mild and reserved character.
All of a sudden, the doorbell rang, and Shui Junzhuo locked her brows together since she was curious about who had visited her.
When she opened the door, a robust man stood outside, carrying take-out and waved it before Shui Junzhuo with a smile. "Have you eaten? Do you mind if I eat together with you?"
"Big Brother Qin!" Shui Junzhuo smiled when she saw the visitor.
Qin Jingyu, he's the most outstanding descendant of his generation from the Qin Family. Eight years ago, he left the military and gave up an opportunity for him to transfer to desk work and chose to go into business instead. But in just a span of a few years, he had accumulated enormous wealth, and the Jingyu Corporation ranks at the top in the military-civilian industry.
The military-civilian industry was a popular sunrise industry that consisted of two directions. One converting advanced military technology for the public, and the other was taking national defense projects and conducting research, production, and manufacturing. The Jingyu Corporation focused on the former, which Qin Jingyu relied on his connections to recruit elites and held tons of leading technology.
Right now, the Jingyu Corporation has successfully converted many technologies and has triumphant success in the stock market.
China had an influential ranking that's determined by the central government and was known as China's Elite Ranking. It only consists of elites from various industries beneath the age of thirty-five.
The first ranker was a top scorer who walked the path of an official. He was now powerful and also the youngest provincial-level ministry official. Although Qin Jingyu did not walk the path of an official, his development didn't fall behind too much, since he was the second rank.
But the reason why Qin Jingyu could be ranked so high was partly due to his family.
The Qin Family had a sturdy foundation in Beijing for years, and it was equivalent to the Shui Family in terms of status. But in terms of seniority, Sire Qin was even one generation above Sire Shui, but he had passed away three years ago.
Despite the departure of the Qin Family's ancestor, the Qin Family managed to smoothly retain control of their authority, with Qin Jingyu's uncle being the Seventh Head. Aside from that, the Qin Family also had a deep foundation in Beijing's politics.
Because the Qin and Shui Families were friends, Sire Shui received help from them back then, which was why he could enter politics. Thus, the relationship between the descendants of the two families has always been harmonious.
Take Shui Junzhuo's cousin, for example; he married Qin Jingyu's younger sister. Thus, Shui Junzhuo considered Qin Jingyu to be her elder brother.
"Your house is pretty clean!" Qin Jingyu entered the kitchen and found plates to pour out the food.
"What an aroma!" Shui Junzhuo fanned her nose as she smiled. "They're all my favorite foods, too! Rock sugar pork shoulder, roasted duck, and vermicelli… I can't take it anymore, I'm going to drool!"
"Silly girl!" Qin Jingyu jabbed her forehead as he continued, "Go wash your hands. We can eat in five minutes."
"Alright! Do you want any wine?" Shui Junzhuo winked.
"Just a little!" Qin Jingyu recalled that he drove here, and he probably had to get a substitute driver later.
Retrieving a bottle of wine, Shui Junzhuo smiled. "This is a wine produced by Lafite! A colleague of mine, who was returning from the embassy in Paris, brought two bottles for me, but one of them was snatched away by Lil' Sis. So I'll use the remaining bottle to receive you."
"That girl!" Qin Jingyu shook his head with a wry smile as he continued, "She's getting more and more willful. Has she come to stay with you often?"
While proficiently uncorking the bottle, Shui Junzhuo sighed, "There's nothing I can do about that. She's said that I'm the only one in the world who can understand her."
"Girls are usually in their rebellious phase when they're twelve or thirteen. But she's reaching twenty soon, and she's still acting like a child!" Qin Jingyu was helpless with that younger sister of his.
The whole purpose of the aeration process is to introduce wine to the air for a reaction. In this process, the fragrance in the wine will be slowly released along with a distinctive flavor. Furthermore, aerating can help reduce the bitterness in the wine and give it a smoother texture as well as removing the dregs in the bottle.
The aeration process was to bring out more taste of the red wine, and generally speaking, the better quality the wine, the less time it needs during the process.
As Qin Jingyu tasted the wine and watched Shui Junzhuo eat, he smiled. "Junzhuo, it's not just Lil' Sis who feels comfortable being together with you; I feel the same way as well. Every time I see you, I would feel that time has stopped, and I can toss all the vexing matters behind."
Putting down the chopsticks in her hand, Shui Junzhuo solemnly said, "Big Brother Qin, it's a pity that you won't have many opportunities since I will be leaving the country soon."
Nodding his head, Qin Jingyu said in a pity, "I know about that, which is why I came here. Did you know? Actually, I'm…"
However, Shui Junzhuo had a premonition to what Qin Jingyu was about to say and immediately interrupted, "Oh, right. Big Brother Qin, have you paid attention to the news lately? With regards to the divine physician called Su Tao?"
Hearing her words, Qin Jingyu sighed. Shui Junzhuo would always try to change the topic whenever he mentioned this topic. But this time, he couldn't allow her to do that since he wouldn't have another opportunity once Shui Junzhuo leaves.
"Junzhuo, don't change the topic. I want to tell you that I've been in love with you all this time, and if you're willing, I can accompany you to Russia." Qin Jingyu confessed in a solemn voice.
His words left Shui Junzhuo dumbfounded before she sighed, "Big Brother Jingyu, I think it's best for us to maintain our relationship to be that of siblings. I respect and love you, but my feelings for you are that of a younger sister towards her older brother."
As Qin Jingyu gulped down the wine, he smiled. "Alright, I no longer have any regrets now that I've spoken my heart."
Letting out a sigh, Shui Junzhuo looked at Qin Jingyu with a complicated gaze since she knew that the other party was definitely not feeling good in his heart.
Thus, she tried her best to comfort him. "Big Brother Jingyu, you're an outstanding man, and you should find a partner who's even more outstanding than me."
"I have a question!" Qin Jingyu briefly hesitated, then continued, "Are you rejecting me because you already have someone in your heart?"
When Su Tao's figure appeared in Shui Junzhuo's mind, she shook his head and lied, "No."
Upon hearing that, Qin Jingyu sighed out in relief before he smiled. "Then, I'm reassured. That means that I still have a chance. But if you find someone you love and make your decision, I will give you my blessing. But there isn't any man qualified to be with you, so I will continue to do my best."
Seeing that Qin Jingyu was still so persistent, Shui Junzhuo sighed before she revealed, "Big Brother Jingyu, since you've already said that, then I'll tell you the truth. I actually have someone in my heart, so there's no need for you to keep trying."
"Who is he?" Qin Jingyu asked with his brows furrowed.
"I can't tell you that because, as of right now, it's just one-sided feelings for me." Shui Junzhuo awkwardly replied.
So it is just one-sided feelings… Qin Jingyu sighed in relief before he replied, "You're so gorgeous, so who can possibly reject you?"
Shaking her head, Shui Junzhuo bitterly smiled. "That's love. It's something that can even turn someone confident into someone not."
Truth be told, Qin Jingyu was engulfed in pain right now since the Shui Junzhuo he loves has fallen for another man. He was met with rejection despite mustering his courage to confess. However, he did not show it as he ate the meal with Shui Junzhuo normally.
While they were eating, Qin Jingyu managed to find a thing or two from Shui Junzhuo with his keen senses. There's a high possibility that Su Tao, the divine physician, was the man that Shui Junzhuo has fallen for!
He had actually investigated Su Tao, since he was suspicious when Shui Junzhuo went to survey an apartment for him.
When he left, he did not call for a substitute driver but drove by himself. With his status, even if police stopped him, it's something that could be resolved with just a call.
He wound down the window and the wind sent a shiver down his spine, which alleviated the intoxication from the wine. He suddenly realised that he shouldn't be in a daze, and he had to respond swiftly.
Regardless of business or relationships, he could never be a failure.
Since Shui Junzhuo still hasn't determined her relationship with Su Tao, then he must meet with Su Tao to discuss it with him. If the latter was willing to step down, then he could treat him as a brother. Otherwise, Su Tao would be an enemy.
Su Tao was currently having a meal in Gu Rushan's apartment and still had no idea that he had been targeted.
Although Gu Rushan claimed that she was cooking, all she did was heat the dumplings and microwave the already prepared dishes.
The dumplings permeated with a unique fragrance when they were dipped in chili powder.
The two women somehow started to battle with four bottles of red wine and South Korea's soju even though Gu Rushan's liquor capacity wasn't good, and Kim Jung-yeon couldn't control her liquor well. But it's a pleasing sight to see the two ladies' faces blushed.
Grabbing onto Su Tao's arm, Gu Rushan smiled. Her breath reeked of alcohol. "You're pretty good, so do you want me to introduce a girlfriend to you?"
Looking at Gu Rushan at such a close distance, he felt the urge for some reason to embrace and kiss her.