The jet-black limousine, emblazoned with the gold crest of the CK Group, glided effortlessly along the main arteries of the Pudong district. Outside, a concrete jungle of skyscrapers reflected the afternoon sun, transforming the skyline into a shimmering city of mirrors. Inside the hushed cabin, Gawin looked every bit the high-stakes investor in a light brown suit that radiated executive charisma. Beside him sat Tum, exuding a quiet, profound intellect in his off-white tailored suit—the perfect silhouette of a trusted confidant.
As the convoy banked into the headquarters' perimeter, the soaring spire of the CK Group building loomed over them. Both men gazed out the window, their eyes steady and deep. Beneath that surface of absolute calm, they were meticulously burying every spark of excitement and nerve. In the theater of global business, one's countenance is the most critical card in the deck; it must never be read.
The limousine slowed to a halt, and a phalanx of staff in dark uniforms marched out in a disciplined line, flanking the path from the driveway to the main entrance. The rhythmic sound of their synchronized bows created an atmosphere of formidable prestige.
Su Jie, the strategic executive, stepped forward to pull the door open with swift, practiced humility.
"Please, Mr. Gawin. Welcome to the CK Group. The board and the Chairman are awaiting your arrival in the Grand Chamber," Su Jie said, offering a perfectly measured smile and lowering his gaze in a display of utmost respect.
Gawin stepped out of the vehicle with a regal elegance. Dozens of eyes fixed upon him, dissecting his every move with clinical scrutiny. He offered only a subtle, authoritative nod—friendly yet commanding—as he strode across the deep, velvet carpets of the grand foyer. Each step felt reminiscent of the day he ascended to the helm of Wonder Package, yet he knew that today, the stakes were calculated in a different magnitude entirely.
The pair entered a glass-walled elevator that surged toward the 30th floor. As they ascended, the sprawling expanse of Shanghai began to shrink beneath them, a silent testament to the heights of power they were about to scale.
Ding!
The chime signaled their arrival. The doors slid open to an opulent vestibule. Gawin and Tum stepped out, their posture impeccable, as they walked toward the gargantuan carved wooden doors that stood between them and the most influential board in Asia. The security detail pulled the doors open slowly, like the rising of a curtain on a world-class performance.
The warm-white glow of the boardroom lights bathed the scene in a brilliant luster. A long, monolithic table was surrounded by the elite of the corporate world. At the far end, Dr. Li Ming and Lu Rong rose in unison, their movements stiff with the weight of official ceremony.