I Have 10 Trillion Dollars only Usable For Simping Chapter 2297 - 1458: Stay True to Your Original Aspiration

"Don’t feel pressured, and avoid pursuing big ambitions. The company trusts you, so you should trust yourself too."

Even though they claim it’s to gather opinions, do they truly value Princess Cao’s thoughts?

Plus.

"Promotion and a raise," who in their right mind would reject that?"

Hua Guomao delivered the decisive verdict, propelling a twenty-something youth to an entirely new height.

"Uncle Hua, is there any particular reason for this?"

Cao Jinse voiced her question, quietly shifting her way of addressing him.

"Reason? If there’s one, it’s simply because you’re Cao Jinse. Your steady performance has been evident to all, always putting the group, the nation, and the people first without scheming for personal benefit. I hope you’ll hold onto your initial aspirations and maintain these traits moving forward."

It sounded like a straightforward recap, the kind of endorsement a boss gives a team member, much like an elder’s encouragement to the young, yet Cao Jinse caught a deeper layer in those words.

She looked at Hua Guomao, noting his profound and suggestive stare, and held back from probing more.

"Thank you for the company’s trust."

"Good, the official appointment will arrive soon. Jinse, the era ahead is for talents like you; Uncle Hua has long held you in high regard. Don’t disappoint me."

"I understand, Uncle Hua."

"Head back to work. Oh, and remember to eat."

————

"Miss."

Jiuding Group executive canteen.

Hearing the summons, Youmao rushed down, finding the Miss had already picked out the dishes.

Wow.

Impressively lavish.

A total of six dishes sat there.

Her eyes sparkled; stuck in the office, she truly hadn’t eaten lunch yet.

"You must be starving, come sit and dig in."

Youmao settled in fast, thrilled but a tad confused.

The canteen was just below, yet the Miss had stayed buried in office tasks for a while; plus, the clock had passed one-thirty ages ago.

"Miss, it’s nearly two."

Youmao pointed out.

What did two o’clock mean?

It marked lunchtime’s close and the return to duties!

"No worries, take your time eating."

Cao Jinse’s reply baffled Youmao further.

What was going on?

A laid-back comment like that from a hardcore workaholic such as the Miss?

And right after her return from seeing Jiang Chen, her spirits had been low, so why the sudden hunger surge?

"Miss, what did Chairman Hua discuss with you?"

Youmao inquired carefully.

Cao Jinse behaved as if all was normal, focusing on her food while saying, "Hold fast to your original intentions, and success will follow."

"Huh?"

Youmao stared in confusion.

Cao Jinse savored each bite deliberately, utterly relaxed despite lunch break winding down.

Now this felt right.

As a top executive, why bind herself to strict rules?

Often, it’s self-imposed pressure that binds us.

Moreover.

"Hold fast to your original intentions, and success will follow? Why would Chairman Hua mention that?" Youmao wondered aloud, still puzzled.

Cao Jinse offered no clarification.

Truth be told, those weren’t his exact words; he’d only said the first part. She’d pieced together the rest herself.

"The group intends to elevate me to Executive Vice President."

Cao Jinse announced.

Youmao’s eyes popped wide open once more, leaving her at a loss for words.

Corporate ladders might not be her forte—though she’d always worked, she’d never navigated office politics—but she grasped the gap between Executive Vice President and the Miss’s present role.

Her Strategic Chief Engineer spot was elite, but mostly advisory, suggesting ideas awaiting sign-off. Executive Vice President, while not in Jiuding Group’s top tier, stepped into elevated decision circles.

"Whoa, that explains it! Miss, you totally deserve a celebration!"

Youmao exclaimed joyfully, snatching her chopsticks to devour the feast.

It wasn’t that she felt zero concern.

She did.

Just not a ton.

Had she dropped her vigilance?

Not questioning if the Miss’s swift ascent was truly justified?

Particularly now, at this pivotal moment.

Gossip swirled everywhere; normally, promotion would be off the table—in fact, a reprimand from leadership would fit better.

Cao Jinse stayed quiet, munching steadily.

"Hmm..."

Abruptly, Youmao looked up, sensing something amiss at last.

"Miss, why keep this from me earlier? Hoping to surprise me?"

"..."

Hmm.

A personnel shift of this scale normally wouldn’t come via last-second notice; such intelligence typically leaks out upon official endorsement.

The key figure affected would surely have advance word.

"Chairman Hua just let me know."

"Huh?"

Perplexed, Youmao set down her chopsticks, sensing something off once more. "That doesn't add up, unless it's meant as a surprise for you, Miss?"

Surprise?

More like a bombshell?

"Miss, you don't look too pleased?"

Youmao read the hints in her expression.

"I'm happy."

Cao Jinse eased into a smile. "Promotion, salary bump, fewer hours—how could I not be?"

Fake.

Way too fake.

Totally unconvincing.

Was it Jiang Chen who'd already scrambled Miss's whole outlook?

"Miss, private affairs stay private—they can't interfere with your job. Women need to stand on their own!"

Well put.

That sharp insight likely triggered Youmao's loose lips yet again, words tumbling out.

"There's that phrase: flop in romance, triumph at work, even if for Miss..."

Hold on.

Youmao caught herself abruptly, clamping her mouth, dodging the gaze, head bowed low, yearning to vanish beneath the table.

Cao Jinse stayed composed and unruffled, dining serenely—not deaf to Youmao's drivel, but replaying the Starbucks moment in her thoughts.

That man today truly hadn't shown up to stir trouble on purpose.

He'd come to resolve an actual issue.

That note appeared thoroughly trashed.

Bygone scenes flickered through her mind like a rapid reel.

Cao Jinse inexplicably felt like laughing.

The sensation felt odd, reminiscent of observing a youth spurt in stature, evolving from partial insight to total mastery, now outgrowing her, with tactics defying foresight.

Frankly though.

It surpassed her initial blueprint.

Against flashing that note, this resolution offered a neat "happy ending" to everyone involved.

Thoroughly handled...

"Miss, lost in thought? Why pause your meal?"

Noticing Miss quietly halt her chopsticks, Youmao ventured carefully.

"What if I turned down the new role?"

Cao Jinse dropped the bombshell question.

"Ah?!"

Youmao stared in shock, flabbergasted, rushing to reply, "Why?"

Silence from the other side.

"Miss, don't get muddled; rejecting it means no clue on the next shot—it could take years, and might ruffle feathers too."

No corporate savvy needed; even idiots grasp this basics.

The firm spots your worth, pushes for your rise; spurn it, and what signal does that send?

Declining the slot is trivial.

The road ahead?

Navigating the company post-refusal?

Handing you key duties again?

It's self-sabotage of your trajectory.

Firms and bosses don't fawn endlessly; tolerance has limits.

"Miss, what's on your mind?"

Youmao couldn't puzzle out Miss voicing such a notion.

Utterly beyond her.

By conservation principles, every advance costs elsewhere; one gain demands another's loss.

Is it real?

Love and career truly at odds?

No.

Rather, she'd misjudged the counterpart.

Having sparked Youmao's inner whirlwind, Cao Jinse let it brew, returned to eating, murmuring sotto voce just for herself.

"Bastard."

————

PS: Title and cover updates finalized; final iteration barring unforeseen events.

PS: Short drama adaptation possible for this tale—keep watching. Official alerts incoming soon.

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