25: The art of observing people and the art of deceiving people

Gao Ze stood at the entrance of Donghai City Music Academy, quietly waiting for Li Qingshu to arrive.

Actually, if he could have, he would have walked straight in, but the Music Academy was strictly managed with access control at every entrance, so he couldn't get in and could only wait for Li Qingshu to find him.

Fortunately, he had been to the Music Academy before and was already familiar with the place. Looking at the rows of luxury cars and pure, beautiful girls at the school gate, the waiting time wasn't boring.

"Are you Li Qingshu?"

After waiting a few more minutes, Gao Ze saw a stunningly beautiful girl in a white lace dress and a dome hat, with a cool temperament, emerge from the access control. He immediately had a guess.

He and Li Qingshu had become friends on an investment forum and arranged to meet at the Music Academy entrance. Although Li Qingshu hadn't sent him a photo, she said she would be wearing a white dome hat.

"Are you Gao Ze?"

Li Qingshu stopped, looking at the handsome young man in a thin black overcoat in front of her, a hint of surprise flashing across her face.

At noon, someone had responded to her post on the investment forum seeking an investment consultant.

Considering that very few people responded and she didn't have much time, she simply arranged to meet at the Music Academy entrance to discuss investment views in more detail.

The mysterious investment consultant told her his name was Gao Ze and that he would be wearing a black overcoat, making him easy to recognize.

Li Qingshu thought it would indeed be easy to recognize him, but she never expected that the investment consultant who responded to her post on the investment forum would turn out to be Gao Xiaohui's older brother, Gao Ze.

They weren't just namesakes; they were the same person!

Gao Ze had been to the Music Academy yesterday!

He even made the department head, Director Xu, apologize to Gao Xiaohui and release the national scholarship that had been withheld!

The memory of last night was still fresh; how could she not know?

"Yes, I am Gao Ze, the one who responded to your post on the International Trade Investment Forum at noon, here to apply to be your investment consultant!"

Gao Ze nodded, noticing the subtle change in Li Qingshu's expression, as if she already knew him.

He guessed that Li Qingshu was likely a classmate or friend of his sister, Gao Xiaohui, and had even seen photos of him hugging his sister yesterday.

But there was no need to mention such things; if Li Qingshu and his sister had an ordinary relationship, it would only cause awkwardness.

"Mr. Gao, this isn't the place to talk. Shall we find a restaurant or a coffee shop to chat?"

Li Qingshu was silent for a moment, then pointed to a white Bentley parked at the school gate, indicating they should talk elsewhere.

She felt that talking to Gao Ze here didn't feel like discussing business investments at all, but rather like an online meeting, which made her feel awkward and uncomfortable, while Gao Ze seemed unfazed.

"There should be coffee shops and restaurants inside the school. Why don't we walk around the Music Academy and chat as we go? I also want to resolve some things within the academy."

"Okay!" Li Qingshu guessed that Gao Ze probably wanted to see his sister, so she took him inside the Music Academy, swiping her access card.

It was the same path as yesterday, with lush plane trees on both sides. From time to time, boys on bicycles would pass by, carrying smiling female students on the back.

Only Li Qingshu remained completely silent.

"Miss Li, you're recruiting an investment consultant, don't you have anything to ask me?"

Facing a salary of hundreds of thousands, Gao Ze was thick-skinned and took the initiative to ask.

"Mr. Gao, what is your profession?"

Li Qingshu glanced at Gao Ze. She knew Gao Ze's profession was Traffic Police, but she deliberately asked this to see what his intentions or tricks were.

A Traffic Police officer coming to apply for her investment consultant position, didn't he have any self-awareness?

"I am a Traffic Police officer!"

Li Qingshu already knew his identity. Gao Ze couldn't hide it, nor did he intend to.

Daring to apply for an investment consultant position, he naturally had some confidence that he could earn Li Qingshu's respect and trust.

"Mr. Gao, you're a Traffic Police officer, yet you're applying to be my investment consultant. Do you frequently engage in investment and financial management in your spare time outside of work?"

"How many years of investment experience do you have?"

Gao Ze said, "No investment experience, and I haven't done any investment or financial management in my spare time!"

"Then why did you ask me out, Mr. Gao, and why do you want to be my investment consultant?"

Li Qingshu gave a cold laugh, "Are you perhaps thinking I'm young and easy to bully, and deliberately trying to amuse yourself?"

"Miss Li, I didn't mean that.

Asking you out was purely to apply for the position. As for your belief that one cannot be an investment consultant without investment experience, I cannot agree!"

Gao Ze shook his head and said, "Investment, in essence, is about choosing a sector or industry with potential.

It tests an investor's vision, information gathering ability, and professional understanding of various industries."

"And I happen to possess all these abilities!"

"Mr. Gao is truly confident. My father's investment consultants wouldn't dare boast that they possess these abilities."

Li Qingshu glanced at Gao Ze indifferently, without a hint of scorn or disdain. Her eyes held only coolness and detachment, exuding a noble temperament.

"It's perfectly normal for Miss Li not to believe me!"

Gao Ze chuckled, his gaze sweeping over Li Qingshu from head to toe, then he took a deep breath.

"What are you doing?" Li Qingshu's face flushed, and a hint of anger flashed across her ink-dark brows. Such an action was too frivolous and rude.

Gao Ze ignored her and calmly said, "If I'm not mistaken, Miss Li probably ate corn-filled dumplings this morning, and also went home to see your mother. Your home should be in Gubei No. 1, Changxing District. After returning to school, you had an argument with another girl."

As Gao Ze spoke, Li Qingshu was utterly shocked, a hint of fear even appearing on her face.

"How do you know that? Did you investigate me?"

"Of course not!"

Gao Ze shook his head and said, "I just saw and smelled the clues just now."

"There's a faint scent of corn and pork dumplings in your mouth. Although it's very subtle and covered by mint, it hasn't disappeared.

Also, besides your own rose fragrance, there are two other scents on you.

One of them is a rich and elegant woody scent, with lotus as the top note and bright lily mixed with a hint of agarwood as the base note. This unique style of fragrance is usually only used by older women."

"There are signs of tearing on the cuffs of your dress, which proves you had a conflict with someone just before meeting me."

"Then how do you know my home is in Gubei No. 1?"

"You have the scent of magnolias on you. I'm a Traffic Police officer, and I've patrolled the area outside Gubei No. 1 before. There's a plot of rare blue and white magnolias transplanted from abroad there, and I remember that scent very clearly."

To earn hundreds of thousands in remuneration, Gao Ze thought for a moment and decided to show off some of his information-gathering abilities.

Analyzing a young girl like Li Qingshu was naturally a piece of cake with his more than ten years of rich criminal investigation experience.

Li Qingshu: "......."

"Miss Li, how about it?"

Seeing Li Qingshu's crimson face, looking both embarrassed and annoyed, Gao Ze chuckled, realizing he might have gone a bit too far.

"What does this prove? It only proves your strong ability to extract information from people, not from an industry!"

Li Qingshu bit her lip tightly, her gaze wanting to kill Gao Ze. This guy actually said she had bad breath, and she felt as if she had no secrets in front of him.

"Observing people and observing an industry are based on the same principle."

Gao Ze was about to continue his persuasion when he suddenly saw several police officers in uniform appearing in front of him and Li Qingshu, escorting Director Xu out of the Music Academy building.

Director Xu had originally kept his head down, afraid of being seen, but his gaze caught sight of Gao Ze, and he suddenly lifted his head and roared:

"Gao Ze, you're the one who reported me, aren't you?"

"I already apologized to you, why did you send me to prison?"

"Gao Ze..."

In an instant, the teachers, students, and classmates outside the building, as well as Li Qingshu, all looked at Gao Ze in unison.