23. The Talk

The following few days RuQian was not able to attend school. She stayed home and tried to regain her strength. After a week RuQian felt a lot better but her leg still hurt a little. The bruises had turned to a yellowish colour and were fading away slowly.

One day her grandfather called her into the study to discuss something with her. RuQian figured it was important seeing as he called her to the study and not the living room. When RuQian entered the study, she saw her grandfather behind an oak table covered in papers. He looked up at her and gestured for her to sit on the couch, on the side of the room. RuQian sat down on the couch and her grandfather took a seat on the chair opposite her.

"Xiao Qian, how are you feeling now?"

"I am feeling much better now grandfather. What did you want to discuss?"

"I wanted to speak to you about when you were abducted. *Sigh* Xiao Qian, your body is too weak. If an incident like that was to happen again what will you do? I can assign bodyguards to you but I want you to be strong as a person, not just mentally but also physically. You not only need exercise but you also need to learn some self defence techniques, of course if you could learn more than self defence I would be much more relieved or else I would just be worried about you every time you leave the house."

So this was what her grandfather wanted to speak to her about? It was a good idea if she could learn some self defence techniques. RuQian thought more about it and she had an idea. If she could learn martial arts it would help her later on if she chose to film any martial arts related movies. And she could also protect herself. She liked this idea the more she thought about it.

RuQian immediately agreed and told her grandfather she would like to learn martial arts. Her grandfather sent Ren Wei a message to find her a trainer. RuQian then remembered she needed to talk to him about her career so she turned her business mode on.

"Grandfather, I have a business proposal for you." Her grandfather was stunned for a moment not just by what she said but how she said. Her voice and her face were all business like, he felt like he was seated in front of a businesswoman and not a high school girl. Seeing her so serious he humoured her and gestured for her to continue.

"I have seen the growth of Zhang Tech. You have had a consequential growth and when you sell the products, customers buy them at the value of the company's name. But I have also seen that recently you started selling merchandise of your company products but they have not been received so well. I feel like relying only on your companies name for merchandise is irrational. So I have a proposal, I want to become your company's official model!"

When grandfather Zhang heard her words he felt very impressed seeing as she, still a small girl, was able to be so professional. She accurately spoke about the company. She was able to see where the company gained profits and where they suffered losses without any internal knowledge. This was not an easy feat. But when he heard her last sentence his eyes widened and he smirked.

"You have not even debuted and you want me to accept you as my company's model? What made you think I would do so?"

"Because I am your granddaughter!" RuQian deadpanned. Grandfather Zhang gave out a hearty laughter. She was using her status as his beloved granddaughter to score this deal.

"You can bend my arm with this trick but not the rest of the company employees. The company executives have to accept you too."

"I can take care of that grandfather. You just have to stay on my side that's all."

"You still have to convince me too. I am just allowing you to be the model temporarily, if I don't find your work satisfactory, you will be removed immediately."

"I am confident in myself, but if you want assurance you can add that clause to the contract."

"Hahaha, Ok then Xiao Qian, I will call a meeting next week for them to speak to you. Your bruises would have gone by then. You would have to convince them yourself."

"No grandfather, I need another week. You can have the meeting two weeks later." She had to get her portfolio done. She couldn't just go empty handed, could she?

"Ok as you wish then. By the way, Xiao Qian, your birthday is coming, you should prepare yourself, I will be holding a huge party for you. You will be seventeen soon."

"Grandfather you cannot say that I am seventeen. My birth certificate would then be considered fake. Hehehe." RuQian started giggling. When she was young, her mother had changed her year of birth, she did not know the reason why, so in everyone's eyes she was only fifteen now even though she was sixteen. The date and month were still the same so she never complained.

"Xiao Qian, maybe we should declare your correct age." Then you would have to say I am a 27 year old woman grandfather, I am not a kid anyways.

"It's not necessary grandfather and this was something momma did, I don't want to change anything. Let's just leave it as it is."

Her grandfather sighed, every time the topic came to his daughter, he saw so much sadness and loneliness in Xiao Qian's eyes. He wished he could do something about it but, a child only has one mother and nothing and no one could ever change that.

"If you do well with the modelling, I will announce you as the official model of Zhang Tech at your birthday party. We can call the media and this could be your introduction."

"Thank you grandfather."

RuQian gave a soft smile, her grandfather thought so dearly of her and moreover she definitely needed the media's help for her plan.