Long Hui left everyone and marched off in anger to his own residence.
Iris, Jin Liwei and ii glared at his back. Yang Jiahui watched him leaving, a sad expression on her face, while Long Tengfei looked conflicted. Long Hui was still his eldest son after all.
"Jerk!!!" ii spat when Long Hui was gone.
"Xiao i, you should stop," Yang Jiahui said in an exhausted tone, massaging her temples.
"I’m only telling the truth, Auntie. Uncle Tengfei, your son is a big jerk!!!"
Yang Jiahui sighed, not bothering to scold her niece anymore.
Long Tengfei didn’t respond to ii, turning to Iris instead. "Xiulan, you shouldn’t have provoked your brother. He...he’s very stressed. It’s hectic at the company now, not to ntion that he also has to deal with the custody battle."
Iris frowned. "And I’m not stressed? Ying Yue is not stressed? Father, my schedule is also very hectic. I’m not only juggling my showbiz career but also my studies and my businesses. But do you see acting out, making a ss of things and hurting others? And also please rember that he’s not the only one dealing with the custody battle. Liwei and I are also very involved in it. If we leave your son to do what he wants, Ying Yue and your grandson will suffer. Liwei and I can’t do that, Father. We won’t leave Ying Yue on her own. She would be powerless to fight the custody battle without our help.
"And don’t forget that it’s your son who filed for this custody battle in the first place and made a ss of everyone’s lives! Yes, Ying Yue left him before when she was pregnant but they got back together. It was your son who left Ying Yue this ti and started distancing himself. So excuse , Father, but don’t tell that I shouldn’t have provoked your son. He’s the one who provoked us first. What you’re asking is to be understanding of him, but does he deserve it? Do you want and Ying Yue to martyr ourselves over a man like him? No way!"
Silence.
Nobody dared speak after Iris’ impassioned speech. The tension in the air beca too thick. After a few monts of heavy silence, Iris finally managed to calm herself down. Her angry expression smoothed out. It was as if she expelled most of the negativity inside of her with her earlier words.
"Father, I have a request," she said.
Long Tengfei looked at her now calm expression. "What is it?"
"I want to beco more involved in Long Industries," she said.
Jin Liwei glanced at her, not surprised that she changed the topic all of a sudden.
In contrast, the others looked taken aback and confused. They knew that Iris never showed any interest in becoming involved in working at the family company before, aside from partnering with Long Industries for her company, Orchidia Beauty.
Despite this, Long Tengfei was still a full-fledged businessman and at the sa ti, a father. He smoothed out his own expression as well before speaking to his daughter in a serious tone.
"I know that Sir Lu Jianhong is your business ntor and that you’re a Cross Academy student. But even so, I can’t give you an important position in my company just like that. And I’m sure that you’re not asking for an insignificant position, especially since you’re already the President and CEO of your own company. Your two brothers started from the bottom and worked their way up. Your sister Jingjing would have also done the sa if you didn’t poach her from after she graduated from business school. Even if you’re a genius, I can’t just give you a high position and hand it to you on a silver platter."
The others took on the role of spectators as they watched the father and daughter’s discussion. It felt weird because the conversation went into a completely different turn after the earlier heated argunt between Iris and Long Hui. The change in topic was unexpected...and confusing.
"I understand, Father," Iris replied with a brief nod. "I won’t ask for much. Just this. Please make the face of Long Industries. I’m a musician, a celebrity. That’s my calling in life, despite my other skills in business and languages. My fa has been experiencing quite a significant increase, especially after I won a number of awards earlier this year and at the Somt International Film Festival in France. I’m now one of the most well-known faces in the country. The film festival has also made a little more known in Europe."
She said all of these in a straightforward manner. There was no arrogance or hubris in her tone. She was simply stating facts.
"I’ll be an effective brand ambassador for Long Industries. With my current status as a celebrity, I know that I can greatly contribute in increasing and improving the company’s impression, reputation and presence among the Chinese people."
The corner of Jin Liwei’s mouth hooked upward into an almost unnoticeable smile. His smile might be small but it was filled with trendous pride for his baby girl. He also nodded his head, approving of her "sales talk" about herself. Without a doubt, she was Grandpa Lu’s student.
Long Tengfei looked at his daughter for a long ti, studying her. There was a quick flash of pride in his eyes before he hid it behind a stern expression.
"You know what you’re asking of ?" he asked.
"Of course, Father."
"You’ll have to work hard in fully understanding Long Industries. Brand ambassadors are different from normal endorsers that way. You won’t just endorse our company but also represent its entirety, including its values," he told her.
"Yes, I’m ready. I want this position, Father. Please give it to ."
Iris looked at Long Tengfei straight in the eyes, conveying to him that she was serious in her request. She needed a way to gain more influence within Long Industries besides being a shareholder, especially since Qiao Yu was having difficulty in purchasing shares in the company under her na. Sellers were biased against her. The first ti was mostly a fluke because Qiao Yu was friends with the person who sold the shares.
She didn’t want to start at the bottom of the company like what Long Hui and Long Jian did. That would take too long—years. There was no way she would waste that much ti. If she couldn’t take the traditional route, then she would need to find an unconventional way to enter Long Industries. And this was what she decided to do.
Becoming a brand ambassador, an effective one, would be the fastest and most convenient way for her to gain influence in Long Industries without having to start from the very bottom. If she used her cards right, she could forge herself into becoming an indispensable marketing and PR force for the company.
Once she succeeded in doing this, then she could take over the entire company along with the Long clan, wash it completely clean of filth, and safeguard it until her godson expressed desire in inheriting it. If Little Jun didn’t want it, then maybe one of her future children would. Only ti would tell.
This was her ultimate goal in making this request from Long Tengfei. She already discussed this with Jin Liwei beforehand. She had a motive but didn’t share it with Long Tengfei. He didn’t need to know it.
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