Who wants to be a male model after being reborn? I want to be a male god.

Chapter 417 News from Linjiang

After the video conference ended, Lan Qiusheng stared blankly at the blacked-out computer screen.

Xu Wen's announcement of the new strategy at the meeting confused her.

The originally steadily progressing five-year plan was suddenly compressed into a one-year completion, and this aggressive expansion approach was completely different from Xu Wen's consistent cautious style.

Although Xu Wen had achieved great success at a young age, she never sensed any arrogance in him.

No matter what he does, he is always calm and unhurried.

"What on earth happened?" she muttered to herself as she sat at her desk.

Unconsciously, his fingers stroked the ginkgo leaf brooch on the desk.

Since arriving in Nanjing, this brooch given to her by her mother has been with her.

I spent one lonely night after another.

The night outside the window in Nanjing was already deep, but the office buildings were still brightly lit.

Everyone is working overtime.

She was a little unaccustomed to it when she first arrived, but now she has completely adapted.

Without Xu Wen, she began to feel indifferent and carefree.

Sometimes she didn't know if she was imitating him or if she really had no emotions.

Just as Lan Qiusheng was about to continue working, his phone suddenly vibrated.

An unfamiliar number appeared on the screen.

Lan Qiusheng hesitated for a moment before answering the phone: "Hello, who is this?"

"It's me, Xia Ning. I'm in Nanjing doing fieldwork and just happen to be passing by. I wanted to see you." A familiar voice came from the other end of the phone.

Lan Qiusheng's hand trembled slightly involuntarily.

She never expected Xia Ning to come looking for her.

It has been a long time since their last conversation at that coffee shop in Linjiang, but the content of that conversation still lingers in her dreams.

Lan Qiusheng thought that after that incident, the two of them would never have any contact again.

After thinking it over, she said, "Okay, send me the address."

Lan Qiusheng didn't know why he agreed, but he just did.

She used to think she hated Xia Ning, but after calming down, she realized that wasn't the case.

Perhaps it was their shared experiences that gave her a sense of kinship.
After hanging up the phone, Lan Qiusheng went to the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror.

High ponytail, light makeup, business suit.

She is completely different from the simple and naive female college student she once was.

Lan Qiusheng never imagined that in just one year...

She took a deep breath, straightened her clothes, picked up her coat, and left the office.

As she walked into the office area, many people greeted her, calling her "Sister Lan".

She responded one by one.

These people were all older than her.

At first, Lan Qiusheng was a little uncomfortable, but he gradually got used to it.

After leaving Xu Wen, she discovered that she could handle many things on her own.

After leaving the company, Lan Qiusheng drove to the agreed location.

Xia Ning chose a hidden cafe, tucked away in a small alley in the old town.

When Lan Qiusheng pushed open the door, he saw Xia Ning sitting in the corner with two cups of coffee in front of her.

She was wearing a simple white shirt and jeans, and her hair was much longer than when we last met, casually draped over her shoulders.

Although it's a simple outfit, it gives off a unique vibe when worn by her.

She is like a fairy in the sky, or like the white moonlight in everyone's memory.

She doesn't need to dress up much to be beautiful.

Xia Ning was too quiet now, making it impossible for Lan Qiusheng to connect the girl in front of him with the image she had described before.

"Latte, standard sugar, if I remember correctly?" Xia Ning pushed a cup of coffee towards her, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Lan Qiusheng nodded and sat down, the warmth from the coffee cup slightly warming her icy fingers.

Autumn has quietly passed by halfway, and the weather is getting colder and colder.

After Lan Qiusheng sat down, the two fell into a brief silence.

Only the soft music playing in the coffee shop kept playing in my ears.

again and again.

"How's the Jinling branch?" Xia Ning broke the silence first, asking with a smile.

"Not bad, you've already made initial inroads into the university market. How about you? How's your new book coming along?" Lan Qiusheng answered cautiously.

She did not question where Xia Ning got the information.

Everyone has one kind of relationship or another.

It's normal to know.

"I'm still brainstorming ideas, so I'm here to gather inspiration." Xia Ning picked up her coffee cup and took a sip.

Lan Qiusheng glanced at the girl in front of him.

She knew, of course, that it was an excuse, but she didn't question it.

There was another moment of silence.

Lan Qiusheng noticed that the scars on Xia Ning's wrists had faded considerably, but were still clearly visible.

She recalled Xia Ning's calm narration that night, about the knife, about Xu Wen's abdominal wound.

“You’ve changed a lot, you’re more mature now,” Xia Ning suddenly said, her gaze sweeping over Lan Qiusheng.

Lan Qiusheng also picked up his coffee and took a sip: "People always change."

“Yes, for example, you left Linjiang, but I don’t think you left because of your career.” A sharp glint flashed in Xia Ning’s eyes.

She stopped hiding her true feelings and spoke very frankly.

Lan Qiusheng's fingers trembled slightly, and the coffee rippled in the cup.

"You're afraid of becoming a second me." Xia Ning's voice was soft, but it hit the nail on the head.

She looked up, her gaze fixed intently on the front.

It's as if this allows you to see through the opponent's weaknesses.

Lan Qiusheng felt the coffee shop lights suddenly become glaring, and she even felt dizzy.

She put down her coffee cup and forced herself to look Xia Ning in the eye: "Then why did you come back?"

Xia Ning did not answer immediately.

She turned to look out the window; in the night of Nanjing, streetlights flickered and pedestrians hurried by.

“Who knows? Maybe, like you, I’m afraid of becoming someone else, but…” she finally said, her voice fading.

She turned back, her eyes filled with emotions that Lan Qiusheng couldn't decipher, "I will come back again in the future."

"Speaking of coming back, Gu Xingruo has already left, did you know that?" The topic suddenly changed, and Xia Ning took an envelope out of her bag.

Lan Qiu looked up abruptly: "What?"

Since Xia Ning said so, then this "departure" is not a simple departure, but rather a major change has occurred.

Lan Qiusheng felt his heart clench involuntarily. "It happened two weeks ago. Xu Wen was injured and hospitalized, and she left Linjiang by plane that same day." Xia Ning pushed the envelope in front of Lan Qiusheng.

Lan Qiusheng's heart suddenly raced, and his fingers unconsciously gripped the edge of the table: "Xu Wen is injured? Is it serious?"

She could hardly believe her ears.

"A stab wound to the abdomen, similar to last time, but this time it was to protect Gu Xingruo." Xia Ning's tone was frighteningly calm.

After saying that, she murmured softly, "He's always protecting others."

The envelope contained several photos, which Lan Qiusheng took out with trembling fingers.

Inside were local newspapers from Linjiang.

Xia Ning specifically cut out the news articles about the attack from the newspaper.

Bizarre assault at amusement park! Three suspects arrested, motive remains shrouded in mystery.

This is a report from our newspaper.

At around 8 p.m. last night, a vicious assault occurred at an amusement park in the city. Three suspects fled the scene but were quickly apprehended by the police. A young male tourist suffered a stab wound to the abdomen during the altercation and was rushed to the hospital but is now out of danger.

According to witnesses, the dispute initially escalated from a verbal altercation over a trivial matter (some reports suggest it involved physical contact). The conflict quickly intensified, with three men suddenly launching a violent attack. The male victim was stabbed while protecting his female companion. After tourists at the scene called the police, officers and paramedics arrived quickly, and the injured man was taken to Linjiang Central Hospital for treatment.

Police disclosed that the three suspects confessed to the crime, but insisted that their motive was merely "anger after having their shoes stepped on," denying any premeditation or being instructed by someone else. This claim contradicts details such as the organized nature of the attack and the use of professional knives. A police spokesperson stated that the case is still under investigation and that a deeper motive cannot be ruled out, appealing to members of the public for information.
Xia Ning felt that Lan Qiusheng had seen enough, so she explained, "I don't know the specific reason either. I only know that Gu Xingruo left after this incident."

Lan Qiusheng's thoughts were in complete disarray.

Xu Wen's injury, Gu Xingruo's departure, and the suddenly accelerated expansion plan all suddenly became connected.

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked with difficulty.

Xia Ning picked up her coffee and took a sip: "Because I think you should know, after all, you're one of the people closest to him right now."

This statement is like a double-edged sword, both affirming Lan Qiusheng's position and cruelly reminding her of the ever-present distance between her and Xu Wen.

"How is he now?" Lan Qiusheng asked in a low voice.
"She's been discharged from the hospital and is now in full workaholic mode. I guess it's to distract herself. But..." Xia Ning chuckled.

Her expression suddenly turned serious: "This rate of expansion is too dangerous."

Lan Qiusheng recalled Xu Wen's unquestionable tone during the video conference and the worried looks in the team members' eyes: "Do you think there will be problems?"

“I don’t know, but I do know one thing: people are prone to making wrong decisions in this state.” Xia Ning leaned forward, lowering her voice even further.

"I will be careful, thank you for telling me this," Lan Qiusheng said softly.

Xia Ning leaned back in her chair, her expression relaxing: "No need to thank me, I'm just atoning for my sins."

As night deepened, the customers in the café gradually left.

The waiters began clearing away the nearby tables, politely reminding them that they were about to close.

"I should go now. I'll send you a copy after the new book is published." Xia Ning stood up and picked up her coat, which was placed to the side.

Lan Qiusheng nodded and stood up as well.

The two said goodbye at the entrance of the coffee shop, and Xia Ning turned and left.

"Lan Qiusheng, take good care of him, and take good care of yourself too." She suddenly turned around, her expression obscured by the darkness.

Before Lan Qiusheng could answer, Xia Ning's figure had already disappeared into the rain.

Back in his apartment, Lan Qiusheng stood by the window, gazing at the night sky over Nanjing.

My phone screen lit up; it was a message from the work group.

Xu Wen has just sent a new task, requiring all branches to provide feedback within 48 hours.

She opened the file, and the dense data and plans made her dizzy.

This speed and this scale are indeed, as Xia Ning said, too risky.

With his fingers hovering above the keyboard, Lan Qiusheng hesitated, unsure how to reply.

As the head of the branch, she should offer professional advice.

But as... as what?

As the one who was rejected but still cared about him?
Finally, she dialed Jiang Xiaqing's number.

"Sister Jiang, have you seen the new proposal that General Manager Xu sent out?" She tried to keep her voice calm.

Jiang Xiaqing sighed on the other end of the phone: "I just finished reading it. It's too aggressive. The cash flow simply can't support this kind of expansion."

Why do you think he suddenly acted this way?

After a moment of silence, Jiang Xiaqing lowered her voice: "I've heard some things about Miss Gu. Lan Qiusheng, there are some things we probably shouldn't ask too much about."

After hanging up the phone, Lan Qiusheng turned on his computer and began to analyze Xu Wen's plan point by point.

She marked the risk points, listed alternative solutions, and worked until the early hours of the morning.

The next morning, she sent the compiled feedback to Xu Wen.

In the email, she expressed her concerns professionally and with restraint, and proposed a more prudent implementation plan.

Less than ten minutes later, Xu Wen called.

“Lan Qiusheng, I have seen your opinion, but I have to do it this way, there is no room for discussion.” His voice sounded tired but firm.

"Squad leader, I'm just worried."

“I know what you’re worried about, but some things are more important than business risks,” Xu Wen interrupted her.

The sound of papers turning over came from the other end of the phone. Lan Qiusheng imagined Xu Wen sitting in his spacious office, surrounded by piles of documents.

"Is Ruoruo alright?" Lan Qiusheng asked, mustering his courage.

The other end of the phone suddenly fell silent; even the sound of breathing became faint.

After a long silence, Xu Wen finally spoke: "She's safe."

This brief answer made Lan Qiusheng understand a lot.

She recalled Xia Ning's words, the newspaper reports, and Xu Wen's sudden change in decision-making style.

"I will fully support the new plan, and the Jinling branch will not let you down," she concluded.

"Thank you. By the way, how have you been lately? Have you settled in?" Xu Wen's voice softened.

This sudden concern made Lan Qiusheng's heart skip a beat: "It's great, everyone calls me Sister Lan, even though I'm younger than most of them."

Xu Wen's soft laughter came from the other end of the phone: "Looks like you did a good job. Take care of yourself."

The same words of advice, from different people, all sent a shiver down her spine.

After hanging up the phone, Lan Qiusheng walked to the floor-to-ceiling window in his office.

The sun shines brightly outside the window, and the glass curtain walls of the tall buildings reflect dazzling light.

My phone vibrated again; it was a message from the work group.

Xu Wen has adjusted some of the plans based on feedback, but the core objective remains unchanged.

Complete nationwide expansion within one year.

The team responded in droves, some with concerns, some with support, but all ultimately expressed their commitment to giving their all.

Lan Qiusheng took a deep breath and replied in the group: "Jinling Branch received, to be executed immediately."

She put down her phone and looked at the photo of herself and Yu Fengling on her desk.

In the photo, Yu's mother has her arm around her shoulder, her eyes filled with pride.

Lan Qiusheng gently stroked the ginkgo leaf brooch on his chest, as if he could draw strength from it.

"I will do my best," she whispered, unsure whether she was speaking to Xu Wen, Feng Ling, or herself.

Everyone has their own path to walk, and her path is now extending into Nanjing.

(End of this chapter)