Maxing Out Charisma, Inheriting Game Assets Chapter 769: The White Moonlight is Crying

There were no direct flights from Yancheng to Paris.

Although the flight distance would be shorter departing from the Imperial Capital, Su Yu's team had arranged a route full of human touch for Qiuqiu.

First, fly to Chengdu Tianfu International Airport, then take a direct flight to Paris from there.

For Qiuqiu, who grew up in the Sichuan-Chongqing region, this was undoubtedly the arrangement that gave her the greatest sense of security.

It was worth mentioning that the assistant named Cheng Xiaoxi had also sent a PDF guide that could be called nanny-level detailed.

From "how to find the check-in counter" to "which picture to show if you have a language barrier when going through customs", and even "which dessert in the lounge is the best" were all clearly marked in a cute font.

Moreover, the highest-tier business class/first class was booked for the entire journey.

For Qiuqiu, who was traveling abroad for the first time, this care from her idol's team warmed her heart immensely.

11:30 AM.

Although it was just an in-terminal transfer, and she didn't need to exit the terminal building.

But when she stepped out of the jet bridge, the familiar moist air and the Sichuan-Chongqing dialects mixed into the conversations around her made her even more relaxed.

In the spacious, bright Air China lounge, she ordered a bowl of red oil wontons and a bowl of dan dan noodles.

She ate them with relish.

1:30 PM.

Air France flight AF888 to Paris, France, first class.

The spacious leather seat as large as a single bed, the independent wardrobe, the excellent noise-canceling space, and the vintage reading lamp by her hand emitting a warm yellow glow.

"Rumble—"

Accompanied by the deep, powerful roar of the engines, the massive Airbus A350 accelerated on the runway, piercing through the thick cloud layer.

A few minutes later.

The originally gloomy, overcast world instantly disappeared, replaced by the pure, golden sunlight at an altitude of ten thousand meters.

Beneath her feet was a sea of clouds stretching endlessly like a snowy plain.

The plane entered the stratosphere and leveled off.

Cheng Qiuqiu unbuckled her seatbelt, adjusted her seat to a semi-reclined mode, tilted her head, and gazed somewhat mesmerized at the magnificent scenery outside the window.

This was her first time going abroad.

And the destination was the romantic capital, Paris.

There, waiting for her were two people who had completely changed the trajectory of her fate.

One was the light she had been chasing since her youth, Su Yu.

The other was the love she wanted to be with after reaching adulthood, Tang Song.

Thinking about staying in Su Yu's private residence in Paris that evening, Cheng Qiuqiu's heart churned like the sea of clouds outside the window.

For her, Su Yu had always been the most important spiritual pillar. In fact, if not for Tang Song, Su Yu would have been her only faith.

Her biggest dream used to be just to meet her once, but now she could actually sleep under the same roof...

Nothing was more dreamlike than this.

And then there was Tang Song.

Thinking of that name, she couldn't help but recall that night in Rongcheng.

In the hotel room, she sat on his lap, her top slowly pushed up by his long, powerful hands...

Qiuqiu instinctively looked down at her own ample chest wrapped in a cashmere sweater, her cheeks instantly burning.

Thinking further about Su Yu, and the possible future scenario of the three of them living together.

A mixture of unprecedented shame and anticipation made her whole body feel hot and her thoughts fly in all directions.

Just as she was lost in wild thoughts.

"Madame, would you like something to drink?"

A French flight attendant in an elegant uniform walked over with a smile, interrupting her romantic reverie.

Qiuqiu snapped back to reality, nodded flusteredly, and asked for a glass of juice.

After taking a sip of the cool orange juice to calm her mind, she connected to the plane's satellite WiFi.

"Ding-dong—"

The WeChat notification sound rang several times in succession.

It was from Lingling, asking if she had boarded.

Qiuqiu reported that she was safe, casually took a photo of the sea of clouds outside and sent it over.

Then she reported her itinerary in Su Yu's team group chat.

Just as she was about to turn off her phone and rest for a while, she suddenly noticed that a group she had muted long ago was constantly refreshing with new messages.

[Inspiration Design - Foodie Squad (48)]

Cheng Qiuqiu was slightly taken aback.

This was a casual chat group from her former company, Inspiration Design.

There were no big bosses, just ordinary employees and mid-level managers from various departments.

Because of her cold personality, she was isolated in the company before, and after resigning, she basically stopped talking, just never left the group.

Normally, this group only became active during team-building events or group meals.

What was going on today? Was no one working?

Soon, she noticed that among the rapidly scrolling messages, a name that made her physically sick was frequently mentioned.

Li Jingzhong.

Out of curiosity, Qiuqiu opened the group chat.

The group wasn't just in an uproar; it was practically celebrating New Year.

Countless screenshots, short videos, and memes flooded the screen.

[Xiao Lin: "Holy crap! Confirmed! Although no names were mentioned, that mosaic photo, that trench coat... it's absolutely Li Zong!"]

[Administration - Sister Wang: "No need to guess, it's definitely him. I just passed by Director Chen's office and heard him smashing a cup and cursing inside! Our company's official Douyin account has already been flooded by netizens..."]

[Customer Service - Yuanyuan: "Oh my god, this is too explosive! Hooking up with an escort is one thing, but it's a... that? Eww—! I'll never dare to look at Li Zong's face again. I feel sick just thinking about the way he used to look at me!"]

["Stop calling him Li Zong. I heard the legal department is already drafting the termination notice, and they're going to sue him. This was caught red-handed, and it's blown up so big, it's already affected the company's reputation and clients. The company will definitely pursue and cut ties."]

["@everyone Stop discussing it in the group, be careful of screenshots."]

...

Qiuqiu herself wasn't someone who loved gossip.

But seeing the exaggerated exclamation marks and the crazily scrolling discussions on screen after screen, she couldn't help her curiosity.

She swiped her finger across the screen and began carefully scrolling up through the chat history.

Her impression of Li Jingzhong wasn't good.

Despite being married, there was always a strange, suggestive undertone in his work-related conversations that made her uncomfortable all over.

Her resignation back then was partly due to colleagues ostracizing her, and partly due to his harassment.

Soon, she found the "source of the melon" in the chat history.

The overwhelming keywords were only three: [Executive], [Escort], [Ladyboy (TS)].

The headlines from several self-media news articles were even more shocking.

[For a taste of that? Executive of a Yancheng design company gets drunk late at night, arrested for soliciting prostitution!]

["True love" is invincible? Famous transgender blogger COCO reveals intimate photos with a certain executive surnamed Li!]

Qiuqiu casually clicked on a video link.

It was a clip from a live stream by an outdoor streamer.

Although the key parts were pixelated, the man being held by two police officers, one on each arm, with a flushed face and disheveled clothes, was unmistakably Li Jingzhong.

Apparently, the streamer was live-streaming from a hotel, happened to hear too much noise from the next room, then heard the police knocking, and went live right then and there.

Immediately after, she saw a few screenshots from Twitter.

Qiuqiu opened them, and even on an international flight, she felt a chill of disgust.

This was a somewhat famous transgender (TS/Ladyboy) "benefits" blogger on the foreign internet, COCO_Baby.

The latest tweet was posted last night, with the location tagged as a five-star hotel in Yancheng.

[COCO_Baby: "Met a very generous Sugar Daddy. It's party time tonight~"]

The attached pictures were a thick stack of red banknotes and several photos at a bar and hotel.

One of them revealed Li Jingzhong's drunken face.

The reason Li Jingzhong's downfall was so complete.

It was said that COCO had originally arranged to meet a few fans, but because Li Jingzhong, the big spender, intercepted her, she stood up the fans.

The angry fans, following the clues, directly reported "prostitution" to the Yancheng police.

The police struck with lightning speed, catching them in the act.

As the Deputy General Manager of Inspiration Design, and with decent looks, Li Jingzhong, for business purposes, loved to build his personal brand on Douyin and Weibo.

He crafted an image of a "fashionable uncle" and "senior design expert."

Although not hugely famous, he had accumulated some fans and a reputation in the industry.

His persona was that of an elegant uncle and senior designer.

This incident first blew up in that niche, voyeuristic circle on the foreign internet.

Then it rapidly spread back to the domestic internet.

In this internet age, the spread of such a scandal with such a huge contrast is at a nuclear fission level.

Now, it wasn't just topping the local trending searches.

The comment section under Li Jingzhong's personal account had completely fallen, turning into an internet meme-making carnival:

"Charging head-on towards men, Li Zong is truly a role model for our generation!"

"Isn't this too... 'male'? Is this the source of design inspiration?"

"Knowing it's male and still advancing, male upon male, forcing the man!"

"Is this the legendary 'sacrificing the chrysanthemum for the sake of design'?"

Looking at those unsightly comments, thinking of the way Li Jingzhong used to look at her.

Then imagining him rolling around in bed with a ladyboy...

Cheng Qiuqiu felt a strong wave of nausea.

It was too disgusting.

And too absurd.

She hurriedly closed that group chat, as if trying to shake off something dirty.

Quickly opened her phone's photo album, went to her favorites.

Looking at the photos of Tang Song and Su Yu, she slowly calmed her emotions.

It was predictable that this incident was just the beginning.

It was undoubtedly devastating for Li Jingzhong personally, and also a PR disaster for Inspiration Design.

Originally, as a well-known design company in the industry, it valued brand image and style the most.

Now, with the company's deputy general manager involved in such a bizarre scandal, the consequences were extremely serious.

Termination was the basic step; there would likely be lawsuits later.

Thinking of this, Qiuqiu's mood suddenly improved a lot.

...

Shen City, Qingning Tech Tower, 48th floor.

Private meeting room.

Anne Kate stood by the window, phone in hand, posture lazy.

Xiao Jing's excited voice came through the receiver: "...Anne Mentor, does this count as passing your assessment?"

A faint smile curled at the corner of Anne's mouth, her voice cool and magnetic: "Congratulations, Jane."

"But this is just the beginning. Crushing an ant like him is just a little warm-up for you to get a feel for wielding power. It doesn't even count as a real battle."

She turned around, leaning against the windowsill.

"Next, we're going to enter the real curriculum."

Xiao Jing on the other end of the phone immediately held her breath: "Please instruct me!"

"Starting tomorrow, I will personally guide you to familiarize yourself with three parts—the operational mechanisms of [Dejurenhe], the investment logic of global top-tier properties, and the underlying architecture of the [Tangjin Family Office]."

"Ah... okay." Xiao Jing agreed, but her voice didn't contain much excitement.

Clearly, she wasn't very enthusiastic about this kind of dry, tedious, number-and-report-filled commercial work.

Anne chuckled lightly, "What? Bored? If you can successfully complete these courses, I can give you a special reward."

"What reward?"

"Song has a superyacht in Monaco that just completed sea trials, worth 650 million dollars. If you perform well, I'll take you along to accompany him for the acceptance. At that time... we can play some more interesting, more stimulating games in the middle of the ocean. And I'll take you abroad to see some special things."

"Ah! Okay, okay! Mentor! I'll work hard!" Xiao Jing's voice trembled slightly.

"Very good, keep it up, girl."

Hanging up the phone, Anne looked at the screen, a flash of amused interest in her eyes.

Indeed, for dealing with such little pets, desire was the best whip.

Then, the smile on her face faltered slightly.

It seemed... Tang Song had treated her the same way back then.

Only, the whip that man gave was harsher, more painful, and also more addictive.

"Beep-beep-beep—"

The sound of the door lock disengaging rang out.

Anne quickly reined in her emotions, the lazy aura around her instantly transforming into an imposing pressure.

The heavy glass door was pushed open, and Qin Yingxue walked in.

Still dressed in proper business attire, composed, holding a document in her hand.

"How is it? Has Miss Liu not arrived yet?"

"She'll be here soon." Qin Yingxue walked to the long table, placed the document down, her tone steady. "It's mainly that you came too suddenly, Miss Kate. According to procedure, even signing trust documents could be handled by Lawyer Luo Bin, or scheduled for another time. There was no need for you to come in person."

"No, no, no." Anne shook her finger, shrugged, looking utterly matter-of-fact. "Time is money, Qin. Since Su Yu's side is already settled, the progress on this side naturally needs to be accelerated as well. The most crucial thing is—"

She drew out the tone, the corners of her mouth lifting, her eyes flashing with ambitious light: "He has officially returned to the family office. You know what that means, right?"

"I understand." Qin Yingxue nodded, her gaze flickering.

She pondered for a moment, not rushing to open the document, but leaned forward slightly.

Staring into Anne's aggressive blue eyes, her tone became exceptionally serious and solemn:

"Miss Kate, before Qingning arrives, out of duty, I must remind you again."

"Her situation is very special. Completely different from Su Yu, Wen Ruan, and Tian Jing."

"Besides President Tang, Director Jin also has a very special protective instinct towards her."

"So, no matter what choice she makes today, or says anything that surprises you, you must maintain respect. Absolutely do not try to test her limits, or to... 'train' her, using the methods you use on others."

As Director Jin's former assistant, Qin Yingxue was well aware of the madness deep in Anne Kate's bones and those unknown secrets of hers.

She seemed to take great pleasure in destroying beautiful things.

And Liu Qingning fit her target aesthetic quite well.

Even more so than Tian Jing.

Hearing this serious warning, Anne not only didn't get angry, but instead raised an eyebrow, a meaningful smile curling at the corner of her mouth.

She walked up to Qin Yingxue, crossed her arms, leaned forward slightly, looked directly into the other's eyes, her voice lazy yet carrying a hint of chill:

"Relax, Qin. If I really wanted to do something to her, I've had plenty of opportunities over all these years, haven't I?"

Qin Yingxue looked at her, silent for a moment.

Nodded, and withdrew her gaze.

A brief silence fell between the two, a subtle tension filling the air.

"Knock, knock, knock—"

A series of regular, crisp knocks sounded, breaking the heaviness in the room.

"Come in." Qin Yingxue quickly adjusted her expression.

The door was pushed open.

A brief silence fell between the two, a subtle tension filling the air.

She wasn't wearing business attire, but a high-quality white shirt, the collar slightly open at the top button.

Paired with light-colored straight-leg jeans and clean white sneakers.

Her jet-black long hair casually draped over her shoulders.

She looked fresh and lovely.

Seeing that besides Qin Yingxue, there was also a tall, voluptuous Caucasian woman with a powerful aura in the room, Liu Qingning was clearly taken aback for a moment.

But she quickly recovered, politely looking at Qin Yingxue: "Director Qin, you asked for me?"

A smile appeared on Qin Yingxue's face as she introduced:

"Qingning, come, let me introduce you. This is Miss Anne Kate. She is a senior partner at the [Kate Trust] and also a co-founder of Jingwu Capital."

Hearing this string of titles, Liu Qingning's pupils trembled.

As an entrepreneur who had fought her way through the tech circle, she knew all too well what these names meant.

The special surname "Kate" clearly indicated she was from that family.

And [Jingwu Capital] was equally thunderous.

It was currently one of the top ten global private equity giants, the driving force behind countless unicorn companies, and also one of the earliest core investors in [Qingning Technology].

This foreign woman before her, who looked not much older than herself, stunningly beautiful and sexy, was actually a founder of this behemoth?

Soon, she thought of more, and suddenly realized that today's meeting was not simple.

"Very pleased to meet you, Miss Kate."

Liu Qingning maintained surface composure, neither subservient nor arrogant, extending her hand.

"Hello, Miss Liu."

Anne took the initiative to shake hands, her ice-blue eyes not carrying their usual aggression, but quietly appraising Liu Qingning up and down.

Seeing this, Qin Yingxue secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Let's not all stand, please sit and talk."

The three sat around the meeting area.

Liu Qingning turned her gaze to Qin Yingxue, inquiry in her eyes.

Qin Yingxue didn't beat around the bu