I Have 10 Trillion Dollars only Usable For Simping Chapter 2846 - 1765: Connections_2

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Previously on I Have 10 Trillion Dollars only Usable For Simping...

Hong Xiaoyu and his girlfriend Duan Xueying wait at the airport to pick up a special guest, whom Hong Xiaoyu has only seen in a video. He reflects on his cousin's rapid success and his relationship with his "sister-in-law." Duan Xueying reveals that the "sister-in-law" informed her of the visit, and that Hong Xiaoyu's brother and Sect Leader Qianqian are likely partners, advising Hong Xiaoyu to avoid getting involved in such powerful dynamics. As they talk, Hong Xiaoyu is surprised by a greeting from behind.

Li Shuru, who was clearly supposed to walk up from the front, smiled with elegant, friendly warmth, greeted them with a glance, and handed over the coffee bag in her hand. "Here."

Not to mention Hong Xiaoyu, even Duan Xueying was probably caught off guard. It was a few seconds before she reached out to take it. Inside the bag were two cups of coffee, bought fresh at the airport.

"...Thank you, Sister Shurui."

This was actually the first time she and Li Shuru were meeting in the proper sense.

"You’re welcome."

A single-shoulder, drapey satin long dress in emerald green flared with luxurious flair; over it she’d thrown on an oversized structured cape coat that nicely toned down the surging aura. A mini-sized gilt-edged black clutch hung casually off her shoulder. No exaggeration—though she’d come alone with no entourage, the pressure Hong Xiaoyu felt from her was no less than what he’d felt facing the billionaire socialite "Sister Qianqian" back then.

As expected.

Someone who can get chummy with his boss’s boss’s boss’s boss’s...boss.

How could she be simple.

They’re all, big immortals.

"I almost didn’t recognize you."

After greeting the daughter of Jinhai Jiang City’s top leader, Li Shuru’s gaze quickly settled back on Hong Xiaoyu.

After all.

This cousin was obviously more important to her, identity-wise.

"You’ve changed a lot from when I saw you on video back then."

Li Shuru looked him up and down.

Blindsided by her clothes, looks, posture, and presence on all fronts, Hong Xiaoyu still hadn’t come back to himself. The sharp blade of the company’s audit department had turned into a dumb goose here.

Duan Xueying, holding the coffee, secretly tugged at the hem of his jacket.

"You... you’ve changed a lot too, sis-in-law."

Wearing a suit and leather shoes, Hong Xiaoyu finally snapped out of it, squeezed out a smile, and hurried to respond.

"Really?"

Li Shuru smiled. "Well, it’s been several years. Back then I was still in college."

"Right, time really flies..."

Li Shuru glanced at the coffee in Duan Xueying’s hand. "Have some coffee. You’ve had a long day."

"We only just got here too."

Duan Xueying took out the coffees, handing one to her boyfriend. The couple’s eyes exchanged in a split second—questions in Hong Xiaoyu’s, and she was just as surprised.

"Sister Shurui, wasn’t your flight at 4:53?"

She asked tentatively.

"I changed the ticket last minute. Since I didn’t have much on my schedule, I moved it up a bit. Didn’t I scare you two, did I?"

Duan Xueying signaled with her eyes to the side. "He was probably scared."

Li Shuru chuckled and looked at the young man in the sharp suit. "A grown man, how could his courage be that small."

If Boss Jiang were here, he’d have a thousand lines of script to handle this. But the younger brother is not the older brother; all Hong Xiaoyu could do was smile awkwardly yet politely.

"Sis-in-law... didn’t you bring any luggage?"

Holding the coffee in one hand, he seemed to be grasping for a way out of the awkward air.

"I had it sent to the hotel."

He didn’t even get the chance to help carry her bags.

"Sister Shurui, let’s head out first."

Duan Xueying cut in.

"Mm." Li Shuru gathered her cape-like coat and nodded with a smile.

Walking out of the airport and seeing that the "pickup car" was a BMW 3 Series, Li Shuru showed no change of expression at all. She even noticed how Hong Xiaoyu settled calmly into the front passenger seat, and as she took over the back alone she reminded them, "Xiao Yu doesn’t have a driver’s license?"

Exactly.

How can you let the lady drive?

When the couple is alone, fine, no need to fuss over these formalities. But with a third person present, it really would be better to show some gentlemanly manners.

Boss Jiang is the classic example.

Every woman by his side has driven for him at some point.

But as soon as there’s a third person around, he starts constructing his persona. If you think back carefully, you’ll see.

Why is it that, even though he’s always flirting around, his image has never really collapsed?

It’s precisely because these subtle, silent details quietly lay the groundwork!

Of course, Hong Xiaoyu heard the instructive undertone in sis-in-law’s words. His face flushed slightly red, and he immediately started unbuckling his seat belt to switch to the driver’s seat, but Duan Xueying stopped him.

"Given how he is right now, I’m worried it’s not very safe for him to drive."

Li Shuru smiled without saying anything.

So Hong Xiaoyu didn’t unbuckle after all.

It was still Duan Xueying driving as the BMW 3 Series pulled away from the airport.

"Sis-in-law, which hotel are you staying at?"

Hong Xiaoyu turned around to ask. Don’t be fooled by how smoothly the word "sis-in-law" came out—only he knew how hard he was working on it inside.

"Let’s find a place to eat first. You pick the spot, I’ll treat."

Li Shuru withdrew her gaze from outside the window.

Duan Xueying went quiet, seemingly to focus on driving.

"Has sis-in-law been to River City before?"

Whether he was brave or not, Hong Xiaoyu had to act brave now.

"No. This is my first time. But I really like your River City hot dry noodles, even though they definitely aren’t as authentic as the local ones."

Li Shuru said with a smile, "But your brother told me you guys have way too many good foods here; hot dry noodles don’t even make the list."

"My brother’s right. If sis-in-law wants to try the food here, you definitely won’t be disappointed."

"Oh, right, why didn’t sis-in-law have my brother come along?"

"Him? He’s busy, couldn’t make it."

"Oh."

Hong Xiaoyu nodded. The leadership in their company is all like dragons that show their heads but not their tails, flying around every day—let alone someone at his brother’s level.

"Sis-in-law, you came to Sha City for a business trip?"

Hong Xiaoyu didn’t keep probing. He knew his place—after all, even the deputy manager of the procurement department at his level didn’t have the clearance to investigate these things.

"Yep, to talk projects with your Jinhai."

"Huh?"

Hong Xiaoyu was stunned and half-disbelieving as he confirmed, "With us?"

"Yep, Jinhai Jiang City."

On hearing this, Hong Xiaoyu instinctively looked toward his girlfriend in the driver’s seat—but she wasn’t omnipotent either.

That’s a separate issue.

Duan Xueying might indeed be the daughter of Jinhai Jiang City’s top leader, but Jinhai Jiang City doesn’t have the surname Duan; it’s Shi. So she had no idea.

"Jinhai Jiang City’s chip manufacturing tech has been leaping forward, and because of you guys, Jinhai was able to secure its footing so quickly in the new energy vehicle field. So this time, Tianci Capital is leading the charge, joining forces with your Jinhai Jiang City, Xinghuo Medical Center, and Tianqi Research Institute, pooling everyone’s strengths to drive AI and bioscience forward..."

Very general.

Also very official.

But with people at their level, how could she possibly spell it out too clearly.

Tianci Capital, Xinghuo Medical, Jinhai, and Tianqi Research Institute which they’d never heard of but was clearly no small fry.

Pick any one name out, and it’s enough to make your heart skip.

Let alone lining all those names up together.

"No wonder Sister Shurui is coming to River City in person."

Even Duan Xueying couldn’t resist chiming in. The "sis-in-law and little brother" were chatting; originally she hadn’t wanted to steal the spotlight.

"Having dinner with you two is very important too, you know."

Li Shuru laughed, with absolutely no airs.

Hong Xiaoyu laughed along, though his smile was a bit stiff. Things the leadership might not even know yet were now in the hands of a small employee like him. Forget everything else—if he were to immediately go all in on biotechs and AI sector stocks, he’d be guaranteed a huge windfall.

Yeah.

After all this grinding and having gone through several departments, how could he still not have at least some business savvy.

"You’re working at Jinhai now?"

Li Shuru asked.

"Uh, yeah..."

Half-distracted, Hong Xiaoyu answered on reflex.

"Which department?"

"Audit."

"Discipline inspection?"

Hong Xiaoyu forced a smile. "...Yeah."

"That kind of job is not easy to do. Enemies everywhere. Once you enter that department, you basically can’t climb to a very high position."

President Li was still President Li—her perspective was high-level, and her comments hit dead on.

"On the way to pick up Sister Shurui I was even telling him that he should switch departments, but he wouldn’t listen. I think he really enjoys the feeling of people hating him but not being able to get rid of him."

Duan Xueying said while driving.

Li Shuru was amused; this time she was genuinely laughing, and she couldn’t help glancing at the interior rear-view mirror.

This daughter of Jinhai Jiang City’s top leader had a personality far, far better than Shi Qianxi’s back in the day.

No, actually.

They weren’t even in the same category.

No wonder a certain someone agreed.

Her emotional intelligence was off the charts.

"Are you interested in this project?"

Li Shuru suddenly asked.

Meeting sis-in-law’s gaze, Hong Xiaoyu felt like he’d been struck by lightning and blanked out again.

Coffee was clearly not the welcome gift.

Back then, Miss Shi opened her little mouth and offered people sports cars right off the bat.