In the car.
Gao Meng, sitting in the passenger seat, asked Zheng Ci curiously, "Who is this person we're meeting? You seem so serious."
Zheng Ci, while driving and watching the road ahead, replied, "Oh, you know the Xiao Group, right? I'm taking you to meet their young master, Xiao Ye. This Young Master Xiao is a pretty decent guy, very loyal and influential. That's why I'd introduce him to you. I've had some dealings with him through family and company matters, and I happened to hear he was coming from the capital, so I thought I'd make an introduction for you."
Hearing this, a look of gratitude flashed in Gao Meng's eyes. "Thank you, you've gone to so much trouble for me!"
Gao Meng was genuinely touched by her cousin's efforts.
"To have one true friend is enough in life; adversity reveals true affection."
"Heh, it's nothing. You've always been good to me too, helping me so much since I was a child... Besides, your family has always been so kind to me. I've always wanted to repay you, but I never had the chance..."
As she spoke of these things, a hint of sadness flickered in Zheng Ci's eyes.
"Never mind, let's not dwell on that. Let's talk about Young Master Xiao. I heard he's mainly developing in Modu these days, and he has a good relationship with Shanmen. You know Du Qin from Shanmen, right?"
After receiving Gao Meng's affirmative answer, she continued, "If Young Master Xiao is willing to speak for you, you should be able to establish yourself in Modu. Even with all the open attacks and hidden daggers, it won't be easy to harm you."
Gao Meng smiled faintly at this, not saying much. Her own affairs, the grievances with the Gao family, were not something that one Xiao could resolve.
After all, this was a matter of life and death, of cutting off someone's livelihood, of snatching food from another's bowl.
However, she couldn't explain these things in detail to Zheng Ci, or she would surely worry.
And meeting this Young Master Xiao now was also a way to get to know him in advance.
If he was a good person, they could be friends, or even work on something together in the future.
If he was unreliable, she could see it clearly early on and also give her cousin a heads-up, preventing her from being deceived.
Especially now that her cousin seemed to have become the other party's fangirl.
In the back seat, Song Qiao smiled faintly. Xiao Ye?
That name sounded familiar.
Where had he heard it before?
He thought about it carefully. Indeed, this Young Master Xiao was Xia Siqing's teacher, wasn't he?
Heh, this world was truly small.
Thinking of this, he glanced at Gao Meng.
She showed no particular reaction upon hearing Xiao Ye's name, indicating she was unaware.
For some reason, even though there was nothing negative about Xiao Ye's matter, he still felt it was best for Gao Meng not to know about it.
Time flew by quickly amidst their conversations, and they soon reached their destination.
It was a high-end restaurant located by the Bund.
Zheng Ci had surprisingly chosen this place for their meeting.
Her salary couldn't possibly afford the expenses here.
And she wouldn't usually bring people here for a meal.
It seemed Zheng Ci was really going to great lengths for Gao Meng.
Touched, the three entered a private room.
From here, they had a clear view of the Bund.
Looking out from a high vantage point, the entire Bund was visible.
Not long after they sat down, the door to the private room was pushed open again.
A waiter led someone in.
Zheng Ci, her face beaming with joy, went to greet him.
It was indeed Young Master Xiao.
This Young Master Xiao was over 1.8 meters tall, with a gentle face and a touch of handsomeness.
Crucially, his demeanor was good, his eyes were clean, possessing a clear and pure quality.
Song Qiao saw him and couldn't help but nod, feeling the other party had half his own handsomeness.
Of course, Gao Meng didn't seem to see it that way. She glanced at Song Qiao and then gestured towards Young Master Xiao.
Her meaning was that Xiao Shao was not as good as him, especially in terms of martial strength.
Initially, Song Qiao was quite pleased to see Gao Meng's admiration for him, feeling he hadn't taken on this disciple in vain.
However, after understanding her true intention, he felt a surge of annoyance.
"Alright, little girl, in your eyes, am I just some brute with developed limbs?"
"Heh, given the chance, I'll definitely let you see what a real master is like."
After some pleasantries, they all got acquainted.
Zheng Ci introduced Young Master Xiao, "Manager of the Modu branch of the Xiao Group and Huajiang Group, fully responsible for all matters of Huajiang Group."
Gao Meng stood up and shook his hand.
The first time Young Master Xiao saw Gao Meng, his eyes lit up, and he felt a sense of stunning beauty.
It had to be said that a high-quality beauty like Gao Meng would naturally attract most people's attention.
The first glance from Young Master Xiao told him she had a great figure and temperament.
But that was all. After all, he had seen too many beautiful women.
Now, facing Gao Meng's outstretched hand, he reached out to hold it.
Young Master Xiao gently held Gao Meng's fingertips and softly complimented her beauty.
Then, he quickly released Gao Meng's hand.
This demonstrated his excellent upbringing, unlike some slippery individuals who wouldn't let go of a beautiful woman's hand once they held it.
While not overtly rude, holding a handshake for a bit too long could lead to dissatisfaction from the lady and also reflected the man's character.
After chatting with Gao Meng for a few moments, his eyes shone even brighter.
Indeed, after a brief conversation with Gao Meng, he found her even more impressive.
Her voice was pleasant to hear, clear and melodious, like singing, yet not affected, but very pure.
Upon hearing about Xiao Ye's family business, Song Qiao immediately realized what it was, but his expression remained unchanged.
Wasn't this the company that Ye Zhiwei had acquired?
He hadn't had time to visit it during his few days in Modu.
Perhaps he would go see it someday when he had free time.
Meanwhile, Zheng Ci watched Gao Meng and Young Master Xiao interact with a smile.
She was very satisfied with the current progress.
Although Xiao Ye had good character, destiny between people was peculiar; some could chat and connect, while others were naturally incompatible.
Who knew if Gao Meng and Xiao Ye would clash?
Fortunately, everything seemed to be going well.
At this moment, Xiao Ye spoke quickly, saying he would help if he could.
He said to Zheng Ci, "For a request made so earnestly by you, I will naturally consider it carefully. And although I haven't spoken much with Miss Gao, I believe that being friends with you, I'd naturally be willing to lend a hand when a friend is in need. After all, I have some connections in the capital, and I hope they can exert some influence here as well."
Hearing Xiao Ye say this, Zheng Ci smiled even more happily.
Although Gao Meng didn't believe he could actually help her, she was still happy.
So, she offered him a grateful smile.
Only Song Qiao sat quietly, his expression unreadable, focusing solely on eating.
This appeared somewhat enigmatic, attracting Young Master Xiao's attention several times.
Seeing this, Song Qiao thought that this Young Master Xiao indeed had some skill, at least in judging people and in emotional intelligence.
Suddenly, the door to the private room was pushed open, and Young Master Xiao's assistant entered.
His gaze swept over Gao Meng, then he quickly approached Young Master Xiao and whispered something in his ear.
Upon hearing this, Young Master Xiao's expression changed drastically.
The assistant retreated.
He raised his wine glass and fell silent.
A wry smile appeared on his face.
He looked at Gao Meng, then at Zheng Ci.
"I'm sorry, Miss Zheng, I may have to break my word."
Hearing Young Master Xiao's words, Zheng Ci's face stiffened. "Ah, what... what do you mean?"
Young Master Xiao directly took out his phone, searched for a moment, and numerous links immediately appeared.
—The information about Gao Meng being targeted by a full-scale online smear campaign.