Chapter 145 - 145: Operate At A Loss
While Song Ling was in a state of extreme agitation and discomfort, Gu Dai was in high spirits, especially when she thought about Song Ling’s reaction to her digital “gift.” Her mood soared even higher.
Zhou Ci had a basic understanding of coding but couldn’t grasp what Gu Dai had accomplished. Seeing her genuine smile, his curiosity piqued. “What did you do just now? You look so pleased.”
Having already revealed her hacking skills to him, Gu Dai saw no need to hide the truth. She replied with a smile, “I sent Song Ling a little gift.”
“What!” Zhou Ci was stunned, disbelieving. “You’re sending gifts to Song Ling after the way he’s treated you? Don’t tell me you’re thinking of reconciling with him!”
Unable to contain himself, Zhou Ci stood up and paced back and forth, mumbling, “What kind of spell has Song Ling cast to make such an incredible woman hung up on him? And yet here 1 am—good family background, good looks, good character…”
Gu Dai’s lips twitched. She couldn’t bear to watch this any longer. “Stop! Sit down!”
Although still puzzled, Zhou Ci obeyed Gu Dai’s command instantly, halting his pacing to sit back on the sofa.
Seeing that he had calmed down, Gu Dai finally spoke, “Do you think I’m the kind of person to go back to an ex?”
Shaking his head, Zhou Ci earnestly responded, “No, but you said you sent him a—”
Before he could complete his sentence, realization dawned on him. The gift didn’t have to be a pleasant one. Feeling relieved, he said, “Well, that’s good. After all, with someone as exceptional as me around for comparison, if you still liked him and didn’t choose me, then how much of a failure would I be!”
Gu Dai fell silent for a moment before softly saying, “Aren’t you similar to Song Ling?”
Zhou Ci paused, registering what she meant—that he and Song Ling were alike. Hurriedly, he clarified, “No, I’m not like him. I’m actually better than he is!”
When it came to pursuing the woman he liked, Zhou Ci had no reservations about outshining his friend. He could only say that if Song Ling hadn’t acted as he did, there would be no basis for comparison.
Fearing that Gu Dai might continue to liken him to Song Ling, Zhou Ci quickly changed the subject. “The Gu family has recently ventured into the Suzhou embroidery business, haven’t they?”
Gu Dai lowered her gaze briefly before meeting Zhou Ci’s eyes. “Yes, I’ve been working on developing the Suzhou embroidery industry recently, planning to turn them into garments and various items. 1 was wondering if Young Master Zhou might be interested in a collaboration?”
Zhou Ci smiled, “Of course, I’ve been keeping an eye on it for some time now.”
Years ago, when Gu Dai’s mother was alive, she had a particular interest in Suzhou embroidery and had done extensive research on it. She and Gu Dai’s father had even started to develop the industry together. However, an unfortunate incident occurred just as the business was beginning to flourish.
Subsequently, the company was taken over by Gu Ming, who had neither the interest nor the management skills to continue the embroidery business, and so it languished.
Suzhou embroidery was a passion of Gu Dai’s mother. Therefore, as soon as Gu Dai regained control of the company, she wanted to revitalize this industry.
She had even put out offers to find interested companies for collaboration, but the industry was so specialized that few corporate leaders paid any attention to it.
What surprised her was that Zhou Ci, the scion of a wealthy family, had actually taken notice.
Perhaps Zhou Ci was more business-savvy than she had initially thought.
It made sense, considering he was friends with the workaholic Song Ling. They must have something in common.
Zhou Ci caught Gu Dai’s eye and blinked playfully. “You’re not falling for me just because I said I would collaborate with you, are you? After all, you’ve been staring at me for quite a while!”
Gu Dai rolled her eyes at him, unimpressed. “If we collaborate, there’s a high chance it won’t be profitable and might even operate at a loss.”
Zhou Ci looked at Gu Dai earnestly. “A loss is just a loss. Having caught the attention of a beautiful woman like you for even a few seconds is already worth it to me. It would bring me joy for a lifetime.. So even if it’s a loss, I will still provide the largest sales platform for you!”