Lin Wanwan, while not entirely trusting Xie Sui, felt a pang of unease. However, the company's affairs were paramount, and she had no time to dwell on the fleeting thoughts of some women.
The group of CEOs had retreated for now, but they wouldn't give up, posing a persistent problem.
With the help of Anan and Secretary Jin, Lin Wanwan began to familiarize herself with the group's operations.
She had finished high school and wasn't unintelligent. The only hurdle was the English documents, which required Secretary Jin's translation.
However, she learned quickly. Having previously worked in a factory in mainland China, she grasped things rapidly. In less than half a day, she had a clear understanding of the group's situation.
"Mrs. Xie, please have lunch. I'm not sure about your preferences, so I've had a variety prepared. Please try some," Secretary Jin said.
Secretary Jin had urgently called a young girl from the front desk to serve as Lin Wanwan's personal assistant, needing to maintain propriety.
The young girl, surnamed Fang and named Fang Ning, was a recent university graduate. She had a round face and dimples when she smiled, a very likable appearance.
Lin Wanwan stretched and said, "I'm not picky. Anything is fine. Thank you."
"You're welcome. Please call me Anning. Let me know if you need anything."
Lin Wanwan nodded and began eating without much ceremony.
Anning poured her a glass of water. Seeing that Lin Wanwan had no intention of speaking further, she turned to leave.
As she closed the door, the smile vanished from her face, replaced by a hint of disdain. "A bumpkin from the mainland, yet so haughty. Holding onto the title of Mrs. Xie in vain. She doesn't know how to dress despite all that money. It's truly unfair that someone like her can be a wealthy wife."
Guan Zhizhi arrived. Seeing Anning standing at the door, lost in thought, she asked, "Is Mrs. Xie in?"
"Oh, yes, she is. Hello, Miss Guan. Please come in."
Anning opened the door and invited her in. Lin Wanwan frowned, then her face lit up upon seeing Guan Zhizhi. "Miss Guan, it's you! That's great. I was completely bewildered. Have you eaten? Let's have something together."
Anning subtly suggested, "Mrs. Xie, perhaps I should order a fresh portion. What kind of cuisine does Miss Guan prefer?"
Guan Zhizhi replied, "No need. Don't waste food. I'll eat with Mrs. Xie. You can leave."
"Alright. Please call me if you need anything." Anning was very deferential, even a little obsequious, towards Guan Zhizhi.
After Anning left, Lin Wanwan lost her appetite. She gave a wry smile. "See? Even a secretary looks down on me. What am I supposed to do?"
Guan Zhizhi felt a pang of sympathy. "If she dares to look down on you, just fire her. Why endure her rudeness! Remember, you are the chairman's wife, the highest-ranking person in the entire group. Everyone's livelihood is in your hands. You need to project an air of authority. I'll take you shopping this afternoon. Clothes make the person. Let's start by boosting your presence."
"Alright, thank you. Let's eat first." Guan Zhizhi had eaten with her multiple times in mainland China and had already considered Lin Wanwan a friend.
They chatted and laughed, unknowingly eating too much. Guan Zhizhi put on a pained expression. "I'm trying to lose weight. Eating this much is making my stomach bulge. We'll have to shop for longer this afternoon to burn it off."
Lin Wanwan replied, "No need. Come back to my hometown with me, and I'll have you doing farm work. Within a month, I guarantee you'll be as thin as a stick."
"Oh my, you can even think of that. You want a beauty like me to dig in the dirt?"
"I'm not a man, am I? Do you expect me to be tender and considerate?"
Throughout the afternoon, Guan Zhizhi took her for a haircut, shopping for clothes and jewelry, and applied makeup. They also had afternoon tea, and Guan Zhizhi taught her many things.
By evening, Lin Wanwan had undergone a dramatic transformation, looking no different from the socialites and ladies of Hong Kong.
With money in hand, she lacked for nothing. Her stress had transformed into a desire for shopping, a spree of retaliatory buying, and the results were remarkable.
Ah Hua and two bodyguards, laden with shopping bags, struggled to carry them. They marveled inwardly, wondering if their Mrs. was planning to buy the entire shopping mall with her spending spree.
"How much would a shopping mall like this cost to buy?" Lin Wanwan genuinely had the thought, asking Guan Zhizhi over afternoon tea.
"This is a high-end shopping venue. Prime location, and no one would readily sell it. Conservatively, it would be around ten billion yuan," said Su Dan Novel Network.
Lin Wanwan mused, "Ten billion yuan? That's not expensive. I really want to buy it. We have so many family members. If everyone buys so many things, aren't we just giving money away? If it were our own property, we could save a lot."
Guan Zhizhi explained, "But they wouldn't sell. Who would sell a hen that lays golden eggs?"
Lin Wanwan looked disappointed. "Is that so? Then let's forget it."
The mall belonged to the Qian family. They were locals who owned several large shopping centers. While they were considered wealthy, they were far from being in the same league as the Du family and others. Mrs. Qian, who had married into the family as a mistress, was only twenty-eight years old and a former Miss Hong Kong runner-up. She enjoyed inspecting the mall and listening to the flattery of her subordinates.
Today, the mall staff were all cheerful. Lin Wanwan alone had spent millions of Hong Kong dollars, all large transactions. Their salaries had doubled, so how could they not be happy? However, some were envious, thinking how fortunate she was to have married well and live such a comfortable life as a wealthy wife.
These comments reached Mrs. Qian, making her uncomfortable. How could a country bumpkin be worthy of being a wealthy wife? A nouveau riche's wife, perhaps. Hearing that they were at a tea restaurant, she decided to go over and greet them, and also to see just how unfashionable and ugly this nouveau riche's wife was.
However, upon seeing Lin Wanwan sitting and laughing with Guan Zhizhi, she could hardly believe her eyes. Was this person from the mainland? At this time, the impression of mainland China was still one of being unsophisticated, ugly, backward, and struggling to find food, let alone fashion.
She approached with a perfunctory smile and said, "Miss Guan, you're shopping at my mall. We have new haute couture dresses. Shall I show you?"
Guan Zhizhi didn't think highly of her. She was career-oriented and wouldn't give up her work for marriage, preferring not to be a mere kept woman. Even top tycoons like Liu Zixiong and Liu Kai couldn't change her mind. She disdained Mrs. Qian, who had married into the family as a mistress.
"I don't have any events coming up recently, so I don't need anything for now. Thank you for your kind offer, Mrs. Qian. I have a guest here. Let's talk another day."
Mrs. Qian had already taken a seat, her face quite thick-skinned. She asked Lin Wanwan, "And who might this be? You look unfamiliar."
"This is Mrs. Xie. She's just arrived in Hong Kong, so naturally, you wouldn't know her. Wanwan, this is the owner's wife of this mall. Her surname is Qian."
Lin Wanwan, unaware of Mrs. Qian's background, exclaimed, "You're so young! I thought someone who could open such a large mall would be middle-aged. Hong Kong truly has many talented people. Mr. and Mrs. Qian are truly admirable for being able to open such a large mall!"
Guan Zhizhi, noticing her misunderstanding, clarified, "She married him later. Mr. Qian is fifty-three this year, oh no, after the New Year, he'll be fifty-four, right?"