lcionline Chapter 2070 One Gate, Two Supremes
Chapter 2070 One Gate, Two Supremes
Li Xiangnan stood beneath the screen wall, his gaze passing over the clenching figure and landing clearly on Ye Ruyan.
In that instant, all the information about the Ye family flashed through his mind.
The Ye family was the top family in the imperial examinations.
My grandfather, Ye Chongshan, was a major industrialist who ran a machinery factory in Northeast China before the founding of the People's Republic of China. In the 1950s, he donated all his assets to the country, which earned him an unshakable position in the heavy industry system.
Although Ye Zhenbang, the father, has now retired from his frontline position, he remains a core member of the advisory committee of the Ministry of Machinery Industry, and the third generation of the Ye family...
Its core member is this woman in front of you, Ye Ruyan!
Rumor has it that when she was thirty, she swiftly resolved the internal strife within the family, "inviting" several disobedient uncles to retire in the south. As the only daughter of the Ye family, she effectively controlled the scheduling, import, and key personnel appointments and removals of more than 30% of the Ye family's heavy machinery factories nationwide.
Of course, these are the kinds of information that can be found publicly.
Some say she rose to power through her beauty, but those who truly know the inside story understand that those opponents who underestimated her because she was a woman at the negotiating table all paid a heavy price in the end!
At that moment, Ye Ruyan was standing there.
The dark blue suit skirt is well-tailored, outlining the perfect curves of a mature woman.
She was also quite tall, about 1.72 meters, with a straight posture like a pine tree, a long neck, and a slightly raised chin, naturally exuding a sense of aloofness that looked down on all living beings.
Her shoulder-length hair was neatly combed behind her ears, revealing a well-maintained face with fair skin, delicate eyebrows and eyes, a straight nose, and a natural light red lip.
Time has left fine lines at the corners of her eyes, but instead it has added a touch of charm that comes with experience.
She looked to be no more than thirty-five or thirty-six years old, exuding the aura of a mature woman.
What's most impossible to ignore are those eyes!
Those were extremely calm eyes, with dark pupils that gleamed with an amber luster in the midday sun. They were calmly meeting Li Xiangnan's gaze without flinching or showing the awkwardness that a typical woman would have when first arriving in an unfamiliar environment.
There was no smile or hostility in her eyes, only a scrutinizing focus, as if she were assessing the performance and weaknesses of a precision instrument.
Behind her stood the Chen family representative, a man in his fifties with a thin face, his hair parted in the middle, and carrying a black briefcase.
The representative of the Wang family was slightly overweight and had a slick, businessman-like smile.
The Lu family members, on the other hand, had serious expressions and their hands behind their backs.
Surprisingly, the person from the Han family was a young man in his thirties with sharp eyes, who kept observing his surroundings discreetly.
The four of them tacitly followed Ye Ruyan by half a step, their postures respectful and natural.
This subtle positioning silently proclaims who is in charge of today's top five competitions.
"The Ye family... actually handed over power to her!" Li Xiangnan's mind raced. "To make established families like the Chen and Wang families so subservient, this woman is no ordinary person! The fact that all five families are here today is probably her doing! She's going to use the most forceful approach to crush the Li family's psychological defenses in one fell swoop!"
With this in mind, Li Xiangnan took a deep breath, and the smile befitting a host reappeared on his face as he stepped forward to greet him.
"Comrade Ye, welcome, welcome!" He stopped three steps in front of Ye Ruyan, extended his hand, and spoke politely and appropriately, "I never expected that my daughter's full moon celebration would be graced by the presence of the Ye, Chen, Wang, Lu, and Han families. It is truly an honor to have you all here!"
He was very careful with his words. He didn't call him "Master Ye" like he did with Zong Wangshan and Liu Wenyuan, nor did he use the slightly intimate title "Madam." Instead, he chose "Comrade," which is more modern and formal.
Ye Ruyan's gaze lingered on Li Xiangnan's face for two seconds before she slowly extended her hand.
Her hands were cool, her fingers were long and slender, her nails were neatly trimmed, and her grip on her hand was just right, touching briefly before letting go.
"Dr. Li, you're too kind!" Her voice was unexpectedly pleasant, with a cool quality, and she spoke at a measured pace. "I've long heard that Dr. Li is a promising young man with superb medical skills. Today, on the occasion of your daughter's full moon celebration, I've come to offer my congratulations. I hope I haven't been a bother!"
These words were spoken flawlessly, and the attitude was very humble; it didn't seem like someone who came to cause trouble at all!
But alarm bells were ringing in Li Xiangnan's mind.
The more this is the case, the more dangerous it is. The real killer move is often hidden in the most gentle appearance.
"Comrade Ye, you flatter us. It is an honor for the Li family that you all could come!"
Li Xiangnan stepped aside and gestured for them to come in, saying calmly, "Please come in, gentlemen. My ancestor is entertaining guests in the central courtyard!"
Ye Ruyan nodded slightly, but did not move immediately. Instead, she waved her hand and said in a calm yet polite manner, "Uncle, thank you for your trouble!"
"No trouble at all!" The fat man from the Wang family behind her immediately took out five red envelopes from his pocket, walked up the steps of the courtyard, came to the accounting table, and said with a smile, "Could you please give me a gift, young man?"
This scene surprised everyone, even Li Xiangnan.
The five middle-ranking officials acted completely differently from the five lower-ranking officials. They didn't bring any eye-catching brocade boxes or any particularly generous gifts; instead, they directly presented red envelopes.
Li Xiangnan's mind was filled with even more doubts.
Based on the information obtained from Qian Houjin and the clues eavesdropped in the west wing, the arrival of the top five scholars will inevitably bring a great gift to intimidate the Li family!
Qian Houjin's explanation is even more interesting; he called it a bizarre gift!
But judging from the current situation, five red envelopes? What kind of generous gift is that? And how can they coerce the Li family through red envelopes?
Could it be that Ye Ruyan has changed her strategy?
Are we not going to launch an attack today?
Or is it that... the grand prize for the top five is really not a physical object, just as I thought?
Or perhaps they already knew from the arrival of the fifth day of the fifth lunar month that they would be blocked from receiving their gifts, and thus decided to use other methods instead?
Li Xiangnan was somewhat puzzled.
But at that moment, Zhang Jingyang's shouts, filled with doubt and shock, broke the silence of the room.
"The Ye family's congratulatory gift is two hundred yuan!"
"The Chen family's gift is two hundred yuan!"
"The Wang family's gift is two hundred yuan!"
"The Lu family's gift is two hundred yuan!"
"The Han family's gift is two hundred yuan!"
boom!
The shouts and cheers silenced the area around the courtyard house, leaving the relatives and friends deeply moved, excited, and filled with envy.
Two hundred yuan per household! Five households would easily make a thousand yuan!
This is the highest amount of money given by any of the guests present, completely exceeding Lin Chuqiao's 958 yuan!
More importantly, the surrounding guests could hear it clearly; this was the first time that the five members of the Zhong family had met Li Xiangnan.
Such a big gift right off the bat?
Are people who finish in the top five really this arrogant?
Even Li Xiangnan was somewhat surprised. He nodded slightly to Zhang Jingyang, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Ye Ruyan, and said frankly, "Comrade Ye and all the uncles and comrades have gone to great lengths!"
Ye Ruyan's lips curled into a very faint smile: "I have long heard about Old Master Li's medical achievements in Yanjing... The Li family has two supreme figures, so this gift is just a token gesture and not much of a waste. I have always wanted to find an opportunity to visit the Li family, and today I have finally fulfilled my wish!"
As she spoke, her eyes naturally revealed a unique charm characteristic of mature women. It wasn't a deliberate coquettishness, but rather a composed elegance that had settled after experiencing the world and understanding human nature.
Under the sunlight, the pearl earrings on her earlobes gleamed with a warm luster, creating a subtle contrast with her cool temperament, resulting in a breathtaking beauty.
But Li Xiangnan had no heart to appreciate this kind of beauty.
He only discerned the subtext in her words.
She wanted to see more than just her grandfather, Li Dequan.
The phrase "two supreme beings in one family" clearly doesn't refer to himself!
"My ancestor is inside, Comrade Ye, please!"
However, Li Xiangnan was already prepared and was not afraid at all. He nodded, extended his hand, and invited the five people in.