Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Yubai, there are a few delivery orders for the Yu Corporation building a few blocks away. We're short on delivery drivers right now, so take the electric bike and handle them."

"On it, boss."

The bubble tea shop had a company e-bike, parked by the manager within the yellow lines at the entrance, specifically for times when delivery staff were short-handed and employees had to deliver orders themselves.

Gu Yubai put on his helmet, mounted the bike, and left.

The Yu Corporation building was located in the city's busiest district. Within six miles, there were two famous shopping streets and a large mall, along with Mingcheng’s most renowned public hospital. Additionally, there was a dedicated commercial office district, bustling with sharp-dressed, ambitious white-collar professionals who took great pride in their appearance.

Before even reaching the Yu Corporation building, Gu Yubai recognized the area. Years later, the mall and hospital would be demolished, replaced by new commercial buildings. The much-anticipated Yu Corporation building would change hands and be renamed as the Polaris Tower.

And Polaris Tower would become Gu Yubai’s asset.

Yet currently, it still belonged to the Yu Corporation—an entity Gu Yubai hadn’t paid much attention to in his past life.

Gu Yubai called the customer from downstairs, who instructed him to climb the stairs and deliver the order to the 12th floor.

He had zero interest in climbing stairs. Though the elevator required a keycard for upper floors, he waited at the front desk for a moment until an intern in a white shirt stepped into the elevator.

Gu Yubai followed him inside. The intern gave him a curious glance but said nothing.

Just as the doors were about to close, a voice called out, "Hold the door!" A young man in a silver-gray tailored suit rushed in, offering an apologetic smile as he pressed the door-hold button, waiting for someone else.

A familiar, strikingly handsome man approached slowly. Dressed in a black suit, carrying nothing, his posture was impeccable, exuding a commanding presence.

Unlike their midnight encounter in the apartment elevator, this time Mr. Yu wore gold wire-rimmed glasses and a sapphire cufflink on his wrist, appearing polished and calculating.

Spotting Gu Yubai inside the elevator, a hint of recognition crossed his face, and he instinctively glanced around.

Yu Li hesitated for those two seconds, during which the silver-gray-suited young man in the elevator turned to look at him curiously. Yu Li had no choice but to step in as if nothing were amiss.

The intern shrunk back nervously into the corner, murmuring, "Mr. Yu."

Yu Li gave a slight nod, his gaze inadvertently meeting Gu Yubai’s appraising and amused eyes. The latter’s sharp, beautiful almond-shaped eyes narrowed slightly, as if sizing up Yu Li’s true identity.

The silver-gray-suited man beside Yu Li picked up his phone and began a rapid-fire briefing.

"The meeting regarding Yu Corporation’s headquarters relocation back to China starts in ten minutes. Afterward, the head of the IT department will report on this month’s performance for both domestic and international branches. The business department head has scheduled a meeting with you at 2 PM today, so you won’t have any free time before 3 PM."

"Oh, and Su Linyuan, the general manager of the Su Group, called to invite you to the family recognition banquet. Many business figures in Mingcheng will be attending. For the sake of Yu Corporation’s smooth operations in China, we recommend you attend personally."

"There’s also..."

The assistant ran through the agenda, but Yu Li suddenly raised a hand to stop him, glancing back at Gu Yubai.

With a ping, the elevator doors opened, and the intern edged out nervously along the wall.

Yu Li turned to Gu Yubai, who seemed distracted, then gestured for his assistant to exit as well.

Once the doors closed again, Yu Li asked flatly,

"Which floor?"

-----

Gu Yubai was still pondering the relationship between the Yu Corporation and the Su family. After a long moment, he finally recalled the name "Yu Corporation" from his memories.

To his surprise, this was the overseas Yu Corporation!

In his past life, after inheriting the Su family’s assets, Gu Yubai had also taken over their connections, uncovering some of the Su Group’s founding secrets.

Unlike other wealthy families, the Su Group was essentially a new money clan that had only recently shaken off its humble origins. Though by this generation, they had integrated into Mingcheng’s top-tier elite circles, three generations prior, the Su family had been nothing more than small-scale distributors with modest earnings.

The Su Group’s true rise began with Gu Yubai’s great-great-grandfather during the 1950s, a turbulent time in China.

The second young master of the Yu family—a wealthy, scholarly dynasty dating back to the feudal era—had failed to flee abroad in time and was stranded in China.

Under the unique political climate of the time, this once-privileged scion endured over a decade of hardship.

One bitterly cold winter, after being harassed by others, the Yu family’s second young master nearly froze to death on the streets. Meanwhile, Gu Yubai’s great-great-grandfather, then still young and struggling to survive, had been peddling goods discreetly to make ends meet.

Their chance encounter led to the Su patriarch extending kindness—an act that would lay the foundation for generations of prosperity.

Years later, after reforms swept the nation, the Su family’s great-great-grandfather became one of China's first wave of entrepreneurs, opening small shops to earn a modest income. Then, a wealthy businessman from Hong Kong returned specifically to seek him out and mentor him in business.

That man was the Yu family’s second young master, who had left China by boat after receiving word from his overseas relatives once the country reopened.

Gu Yubai’s illiterate great-great-grandparents had relied on sheer guts to scrape together a small fortune, lacking any formal education or business acumen. Yet the Yu family’s second young master took him under his wing, patiently mentoring him.

Years later, armed with knowledge and financial backing from the Yu family, the Su patriarch returned to China and established his own textile mill.

The journey wasn’t smooth, but with the Yu family’s support, the Su family gradually climbed from rural shopkeepers to urban nouveaux riches.

Still, their lack of pedigree meant true old-money elites dismissed them.

Once again, it was the Yu family’s second young master who returned to China to forge alliances.

Over generations, each Su family head married into scholarly or established aristocratic families, spending nearly a century slowly shedding their provincial reputation.

By Gu Yubai’s generation, the Su family had finally entered China’s top-tier elite circles.

The overseas Yu Corporation had maintained ties with the Su family all along. But misfortune plagued the Yu family—their direct lineage dwindled over time. Over a decade ago, after the current Yu Corporation president’s parents died in a plane crash, he became the sole remaining direct descendant.

Since the Yu Corporation’s operations were primarily overseas, Gu Yubai had never met him in his past life before the man’s sudden passing.

Shortly after inheriting the Su family’s assets, Gu Yubai received an unexpected inheritance from overseas.

For reasons unknown, the Yu president had bequeathed half of the Yu Corporation’s assets to Gu Yubai, explicitly stating it was his personal property—unconnected to the Su family.

Upon inquiry, Gu Yubai learned that the last remaining heir had also passed away. The Yu Corporation was in chaos, but thanks to the president’s final arrangements, Gu Yubai suddenly found himself exceptionally wealthy.

Why him? The lawyers explained that the Yu president had lived with the Su family as a child. Though unrelated by blood, he was nominally Gu Yubai’s uncle. Disdainful of the Yu family’s branch lineages and having no spouse or children, he chose to leave his fortune to his nominal nephew.

As for the rest of the Yu Corporation’s assets, he let the branch families fight over them—after his death, it was no longer his concern.

Gu Yubai had been stunned. When he pressed for more details, the lawyers refused to elaborate, urging him to quickly secure the inheritance before the branch families came after him.

He wasn't about to refuse fortune's gift.

Overnight, Gu Yubai rose from Mingcheng’s young elite to a globally renowned billionaire.

His public image transformed from "jinx" to "blessed by fortune," earning him widespread envy in Mingcheng.

The very Yu Corporation building Gu Yubai was currently in had been part of that inheritance. But in this life, since he had no plans to rejoin the Su family, even if the Yu Corporation had more opportunities to present, they likely wouldn’t come his way.

---------

At this thought, Gu Yubai couldn't help but look up, just in time to see this 'Mr. Yu' studying him intently.

Startled, Gu Yubai widened his eyes and blurted out,

"What are you looking at me for?"

Yu Li gave him a look of mild exasperation.

After a few seconds of eye contact, Gu Yubai suddenly remembered how this man had dashed out of the elevator last time as if chased by a ghost, and couldn't suppress a chuckle.

Yu Li also allowed a small smile.

With great patience, he asked again,

"What floor are you going to? I’ll press it for you."

Gu Yubai’s eyes swept over Yu Li before he answered honestly, "12th floor, thanks."

Yu Li hummed in acknowledgment, took out a card from his pocket to swipe it, then remarked conversationally as if chatting with an acquaintance,

"Is your milk tea shop nearby? Why isn’t a delivery person handling this?"

Gu Yubai: "Our delivery staff is overwhelmed, and the shop isn’t too busy right now, so I decided to deliver it myself. Didn’t expect your building’s elevator requires card access for specific floors, though."

"Thanks for the help, Mr. Yu. By the way, mind if I ask—are you from the overseas Yu family? I heard their operations are primarily overseas, so what brings you to China?"

His tone was casual, purely out of curiosity.

He assumed this Yu Li—Mr. Yu—was a distant relative of the overseas Yu clan, likely not in a very important position. Probably offended someone and was sent away from headquarters to China.

Though the Chinese market was vast and full of potential, the Yu family’s core had always been overseas. Apart from a few commercial buildings and some small, conservative companies as assets, they had little presence domestically.

Mr. Yu didn’t seem like a fool—how did he end up banished here?

"You know about our Yu family?"

A brief flash of surprise crossed the handsome man’s eyes as he studied Gu Yubai thoughtfully, his eyes half-closed.

Gu Yubai nodded. "Anyone who follows business news would know, right? Your overseas Yu family is quite prominent."

Yu Li nodded. "That speaks to your exceptional nature. Most people your age wouldn’t pay attention to such things. But since you do—are you planning to go into business later?"

Gu Yubai glanced up at him and suddenly laughed.

"You still haven’t answered my earlier question. I answered yours—shouldn’t you reply to mine first before asking another?"

Gu Yubai was good-looking, with fair skin and delicate features. Though his expression was often cool and detached, he had still attracted plenty of admirers back in school.

After his rebirth, his demeanor grew even more composed, carrying a hint of lazy mystery, his gaze now proud and distant. Not only did he stand worlds apart from ordinary people, but even Su Linyuan—who had been pampered and meticulously educated by everyone back then—paled in comparison, let alone the pampered impostor heir Su Shengli.

When he wasn’t smiling, he seemed aloof, his cool gaze indifferent, as if nothing in the world could faze him.

But when he smiled, it was like a plain white gardenia bursting into bloom—quiet and gentle in its corner, radiating natural charm. At just eighteen, his youthful features were like morning dew, fresh-faced and charming.

Yu Li’s gaze wavered momentarily, hesitating for a beat before he finally replied,

"I am from the overseas Yu family. As for why I’m here—of course, it’s because the Yu family has new initiatives in China."

As he spoke, Yu Li himself chuckled.

Gu Yubai, however, didn’t understand what was so amusing and shot him a quizzical glance.

Just as he was about to speak, the elevator arrived at the 12th floor.

Gu Yubai quickly picked up the milk tea order and stepped out, offering a cheerful goodbye over his shoulder as they passed each other.

"Thanks again, neighbor. Oh, and heading down doesn’t need swiping again, right?"

As the elevator doors closed, Yu Li’s deep voice came from inside.

"No."