13: Pre-selected CEO

Until they reached a deserted corner.

Ling Xian spoke indifferently, "Hu Yourong?"

Hu Yourong finally grew wary. "Who... who are you? How do you know my name?"

"My name is Ling Xian."

The eldest young master of the Donghai Ling Family. Recently, he had risen to fame by purging the internal ranks of his corporation with thunderous efficiency.

As a top student in finance, even though she was at the bottom of society, Hu Yourong found the name to be legendary.

"Young Master... Young Master Ling?" Hu Yourong was even more confused and bewildered.

Why would such a great young master help her?

"Is there... something you want from me?"

"Come, I'll treat you to some milk tea." Ling Xian didn't answer directly.

"Huh?" Hu Yourong was a bit dazed.

After buying the milk tea, Ling Xian pulled Hu Yourong directly into the rolls-royce.

She was someone with a bit of an inferiority complex. When she saw the rolls-royce, let alone sitting in it, she felt she couldn't even afford to touch it.

Seeing Hu Yourong's restlessness, Ling Xian smiled. "Relax. You'll be driving a car like this often in the future."

"Now... can you tell me why you're helping me?" Hu Yourong asked cautiously.

At the same time, Hu Yourong observed Ling Xian, afraid this kind of rich second-generation heir would suddenly get upset.

Did he take a fancy to her beauty?

Hu Yourong didn't think so.

Rumor had it that Ling Xian's fiancée was the number one beauty in Donghai.

Even if some in the circle said the engagement had been broken off recently.

She didn't believe an ugly duckling like herself could catch the eye of such a young master.

Of course, part of this was due to Hu Yourong's inferiority complex.

In truth, if Hu Yourong were to dress up, she would be a rare beauty, even if she couldn't compare to Leng Yunyan.

Ling Xian said simply, "You're from the Finance Department of Donghai University, a winner of the national scholarship for three consecutive years."

"In your sophomore year, you pointed out the fatal flaw of 'heavy on traffic, light on supply chain' in several leading platforms at the time."

"Unfortunately, the supporting data was a bit thin. Your professor suppressed your grade, and it wasn't published."

Every word he said made Hu Yourong's eyes widen.

"It's a pity your parents passed away when you were young. Three years ago, your family suffered another misfortune, and your grandmother also passed away from a serious illness."

"Now, you are all alone."

Ling Xian's final sentence was like a needle, piercing the tough shell Hu Yourong worked so hard to maintain.

"You investigated me?" Her voice carried humiliation and anger.

"Just confirming whether I found the right person."

Ling Xian was unperturbed and continued, "Your talent shouldn't be buried here handing out flyers."

Hu Yourong's eyes turned red, and she bit her lower lip. "What exactly does Young Master Ling want to say?"

"If you just want to see me as a joke, then you've seen it."

"If you have other ideas..."

She glanced at Ling Xian's overly handsome face and quickly lowered her head, a blush appearing on her face, but she remained wary. "I'm sorry, I'm not that kind of person."

Hearing this, Ling Xian let out a rare light chuckle.

"You misunderstand. What I value isn't just your body, it's you as a person—everything about you."

Ling Xian pried open Hu Yourong's pearly teeth; the softness of his lips intoxicated her.

"Mmm..."

When Ling Xian cupped her face, her fingertips trembled due to her lack of experience. Even through her clothes, she could feel her heart beating out of control.

"Huff... huff..." Hu Yourong panted heavily.

This man was both gentle and domineering. He brought her hope, yet pierced her disguise with a single needle.

Facing this man, she couldn't see through him; even her own heartbeat seemed to follow his command.

Ling Xian reached out and gently wiped the milk tea from the corner of Hu Yourong's mouth with his finger.

The touch of his fingertip made Hu Yourong shudder. Her face grew redder, and she instinctively wanted to pull away, but her body felt as if it were frozen.

Ling Xian stopped looking at her and gazed out the window instead.

"The Investment Department of the Ling Group just happens to be short an intern."

"The monthly salary is 15,000, nine-to-five, weekends off, and you'll become a permanent employee in a week."

"After becoming permanent, the base salary starts at 30,000, with additional commissions and bonuses for participating in projects."

"I can advance you one month's salary right now."

Ling Xian took out a business card and a pre-prepared check from the car's storage compartment.

"This is my contact information, and the check is your advanced salary."

"When you've made up your mind, bring the business card to the HR department of the Ling Group headquarters at nine tomorrow morning to report for duty."

The car slowly pulled over to the side of the road. Not far away was the somewhat dilapidated back gate of Donghai University.

Hu Yourong looked at the simple yet weighty business card and the check beside it, her heart racing.

For her, struggling on the poverty line, this opportunity was nothing short of a godsend.

It wasn't just about the salary; it was more about the opportunity.

The Ling Group—a major corporation that countless people would fight tooth and nail to enter.

"Why... choose me?" Hu Yourong looked up and asked with courage.

Ling Xian turned his head. "Because I trust my own judgment."

"In investment, sometimes you're not investing in a project, but in a person."

He waved his hand. "Get out and think it over carefully."

Hu Yourong got out of the car and stood by the roadside, watching the black rolls-royce disappear.

"Ling Xian..." she whispered his name.

Inside the car, Ling Xian closed his eyes to rest.

In his mind, the system's notification sound rang out.

[Ding! host has intercepted Lin Feng's important opportunity: the future Business Queen Hu Yourong. villain points +1,000!]

"Young Master, aren't you paying too much attention to her?"

"If you like her, you could just keep her as arm candy. There's no need to let her enter the company."

Driving the car, Ling Wu had witnessed everything that just happened.

Over the past few days, this was the first time he had seen the Young Master care so much about a woman.

"Arm candy? She's anything but."

"I am grooming her to be the CEO."

"It's just that she hasn't been tempered by fire yet, so I have to let her start from the bottom."

Hearing this, Ling Wu felt a surge of shock in his heart.

"CEO?"

A predetermined CEO—how much trust must one have to do such a thing?

One had to realize that the Ling Group was no small company.

"Ling Wu, two things."

"First, find an opportunity to ensure that local thug at Yulong Plaza and his men never show their faces there again."

"Keep it clean; just make them leave Donghai."

"Second, when Hu Yourong reports to the group tomorrow, have a word with the new director of the Investment Department and arrange an independent workstation for her."

"Give her tasks that are as difficult as they come, as long as she can complete them."

"Yes, Young Master." Ling Wu's worries vanished instantly.

The Young Master indeed wasn't doing this just to win a beauty's smile.

He was truly grooming her to be the CEO.

As difficult as they come.

Given that the Ling Group was such a large corporation, even he would feel a bit overwhelmed just looking at those difficult tasks.

Next would be Lin Feng's counterattack.

He could be considered Lin Feng's first enemy in Donghai.

How could the other party possibly let it go?