CHAPTER 349: 143 A NO-RISK INVESTMENT WITH GUARANTEED PROFIT

Lan Man finished signing the papers, closed the file, and handed it to the secretary in front of her.

The secretary accepted it with both hands.

Lan Man noticed his hesitation to speak. "Say what you want to say."

"It’s about the young master."

Lan Man’s brows arched sharply. "What trouble has he caused me this time?"

The secretary quickly explained, "Oh, no trouble at all. Ever since the incident with Lii Yinyin, the young master has learned his lesson and has been much more well-behaved lately. It’s about Lanya High School’s election for ’Most Charming Student,’ and the young master has been chosen as the new ’School Heartthrob.’

Lan Man let out a mocking laugh. "Did the brat pull some strings behind the scenes?"

The secretary shook his head. "Rumor has it he hired a hacker to rig the vote."

"Oh? He’s really got a knack for it, doesn’t he?"

The secretary chuckled discreetly. "You see, according to tradition, the ’School Beauty’ and ’School Heartthrob’ shoot a campus photo together. I suspect the young master’s motives are not entirely innocent."

"If he put this kind of effort into studying, he wouldn’t still be stuck outside Class A."

Lan Man shook her head with resignation.

"No matter how much he tries to impress, Shen You’an wouldn’t take a second look at him. Intelligence-wise, they’re not even in the same league."

The secretary glanced at Lan Man cautiously and said carefully, "That may not be entirely true. The young master, whether in terms of looks, family background, or personality, is exceptional in every sense. It’s just that he hasn’t applied himself to academics. If he did, he’d certainly have no trouble making it into Class A. Besides, feelings among teens are pure and simple. If nurtured over time, there might be a chance."

Lan Man gave him a side-eye.

The secretary smiled. "I was just speaking casually, President Lan, don’t take it to heart."

Shen You’an was a talent that the corporation was heavily grooming, destined for the core of research and development in the future. Someone like her had to be kept firmly in grasp. Even before the young master showed interest, President Lan had already thought it through.

And now, fate seemed to align with her plans.

Shen You’an was extraordinary in every aspect, her only shortcoming perhaps being her family background. But for President Lan, this was actually an advantage.

Moreover, President Lan secretly invested heavily in genetic engineering. Shen You’an was an ideal candidate to refine the family’s gene pool—President Lan was a savvy businesswoman and naturally knew how to make the most advantageous choices.

The path was paved for the young master. It was up to him how to walk it.

Having her intentions seen through by the secretary didn’t bother Lan Man in the slightest. "These things are a matter of fate. Let’s see if the boy has the fortune for it."

"You’re overthinking it, President Lan."

Lan Man was far from overthinking. "The Murphy’s Law, you see. Exceptional people are inherently drawn to each other. Have you seen a single mediocre boy around Shen?"

For a moment, the secretary fell silent. Leng Yunyang, Liu Runxi, Gu Bichen—one was more distinguished than the other. When it came to family background, their young master truly couldn’t compete.

Still, he defended, "The young master’s sunny, cheerful disposition is an entirely different kind of charm. Maybe it’s just what would catch her eye."

Lan Man sighed. "I hope so."

Then came a commotion at the door, followed by the office door being pushed open. The assistant appeared, looking flustered and anxious. "President Lan... the young master wants to see you."

A moment later, a tall teenager strode in behind the assistant.

"Oh, Secretary Zhou is here too," the teenager greeted with a cheerful smile.

The secretary returned his smile, nodding. "Young Master."

He glanced at Lan Man. "President Lan, I’ll let you and the young master speak. I’ll excuse myself for now."

Taking the files with him, the secretary stepped to Jiang Shengyao’s side and asked gently, "Young Master, would you like something to drink?"

"American coffee, no sugar, please."

"Understood." The secretary walked out, carefully closing the door behind him.

Jiang Shengyao casually plopped down on the couch in the lounge area, his long legs propped up on the coffee table.

Lan Man grew irritated seeing his carefree, lazy demeanor, but since this was one of the rare occasions her son took the initiative to approach her, she chose to hold back her annoyance.

"You wouldn’t be here unless you had something to say. Speak up, what do you want?"

"President Lan, I have something to ask you."

Lan Man adopted an attentive expression. She noticed Jiang Shengyao’s fingers interlocked over his stomach, absentmindedly rubbing his fingertips—something he only did when he was nervous.

After much hesitation, Jiang Shengyao finally spoke up.

"When I was in first grade, did I hurt a girl by accident in a fight?"

Lan Man was momentarily stunned, caught off guard by such a topic.

Soon, she let out a laugh and cast him a teasing look.

"You’ve been in so many fights over the years, how could I possibly keep track of the specifics?"

Jiang Shengyao scratched his nose awkwardly, annoyed. "If you don’t want to tell me, then forget it."

He stood as though preparing to leave.

"That girl had a severely injured arm. She bled quite a lot and was hospitalized for a week. She was already thin and pale to begin with; she suffered greatly."

Jiang Shengyao froze mid-step, his hands at his sides clenched tightly.

"W-What’s her name?"

He still clung to some faint hope.

"What’s this? You’re concerned now? Back then, that girl stayed in the hospital room next to yours, yet you didn’t spare her a single glance. You lounged in your bed comfortably playing video games the whole time."

Jiang Shengyao listened to his mother’s mockery, his face shifting between shades of green and white.

His younger self truly had been despicable.

Lan Man gazed at the teenager’s back and spoke softly. "You surely aren’t unfamiliar with her name. She’s Shen You’an."

Lan Man vividly recalled the stunning scene when she had rushed to the hospital back then.

The little girl was alarmingly skinny, her arm covered in blood that flowed unceasingly. Yet her face remained expressionless. Her eyes were calm and steady. While the other little girls around her burst into tears, she never frowned, not even once.

Lan Man was deeply impressed by her, and since the accident was her son’s fault, she had personally taken the girl to the hospital. In the ambulance, blood had poured continuously—it was a dire moment, where failure to stop the bleeding would have led to hypovolemic shock. The situation was incredibly grave.

Lan Man had witnessed the emergency doctor treat her wound with care. The injury was so deep that the bone was visible. She couldn’t fathom how such a small child had managed to endure until then.

Even the doctor was moved, patiently soothing her: "Sweetheart, it’s okay to cry if it hurts. It’s alright."

The little girl’s eyes were sharp and determined, her lips tightly pursed, not making a single sound.

"We’re going to administer anesthesia now. Once we stitch up the wound, it won’t hurt anymore—it’ll be over quickly."

The girl nodded obediently. "Thank you, doctor."

The doctor’s heart melted on the spot.

Lan Man, too, was profoundly affected, especially thinking of her own son—he’d throw a fit over a mere mosquito bite. The contrast couldn’t be more embarrassing.

Looking at this little girl, who suffered because of him, Lan Man felt ashamed, and she grew increasingly fond of her.

"From the test results, this child shows signs of severe chronic low-protein malnutrition. The lack of energy has caused difficulty in blood clotting and delayed wound healing. What’s your relation to this child?"

The doctor’s gaze was filled with suspicion, as if he suspected her to be some abusive guardian.

Lan Man hurriedly explained, "I’m her school teacher. The child faced misfortune at school—it’s my failure as a teacher."

The doctor relaxed slightly. "Can her family be contacted?"

Lan Man shook her head. "We called her home several times, but no one answered. But rest assured, doctor. Since the accident happened at school, we will fully cover the child’s medical and dietary expenses. Please use the best medications and give her a comprehensive health check. We’ll make sure her body recovers properly."

The doctor nodded in approval. "Your school seems responsible enough. Go handle the hospitalization paperwork first."

Later, Lan Man learned that the girl’s name was Shen You’an. She was an orphan, her father a firefighter who had heroically died in Qingzhou’s major fire earlier that year. She was technically considered the child of a martyr. Living with her uncle and aunt, Shen You’an’s circumstances were exceedingly difficult. Normally, she wouldn’t have qualified for admission to Lanya Primary School, but her father’s superior had petitioned for a favor, securing her an entrance exam opportunity.

The child excelled in the exam, displaying remarkable intelligence despite her age, and smoothly entered Lanya Primary School.

The incident occurred just one month after the school year began.

Her uncle was a straightforward man, but her aunt was utterly shameless. Upon hearing about the injury, her immediate reaction was not concern for the child’s health but planning how to milk the school for compensation.

Lan Man, though well-acquainted with the darker sides of human nature, was still appalled by Zhou Qin’s brazen lack of decency—a living example of boundless wickedness. She had her own methods to deal with tricky parents.

When the girl awoke, she politely expressed her gratitude to Lan Man and dedicated herself to studying. Despite her injuries and hospitalization, she never fell behind on her coursework.

A month later, during the mid-term exams, she shocked everyone by surpassing the elite children raised with privileged resources, taking the top spot.

From then on, she would never lose her first-place ranking.

Lan Man had watched Shen You’an grow from a child to today, witnessing firsthand the extraordinary path she had walked.

She liked this girl so much that she even felt her own son wasn’t good enough for her.

Yet, regardless of everything, she had a principle: "Don’t let the fertile water flow to outsiders."

Lan Man was, after all, a businesswoman. Businesswomen value profit. And this was an investment she had made ten years ago, the moment she first met Shen You’an.

Now, it seemed this investment had yielded guaranteed returns.