Rona Muir made her move without a moment's hesitation.
"Are you sure? Really not going to regret it?" Sophie Mo looked up at Rona Muir, her smile full of meaning.
"Of course I'm sure," Rona Muir replied, refusing to back down.
"Don't regret it!" Sophie Mo dropped her chess piece, instantly blocking one of Rona's escape routes.
Rona Muir glared, muttering, "Damn, damn, I've fallen for your trick! Fine, I'll go this way!"
"Really?" Sophie Mo kept playing, "Don't regret it!"
Cecilia Gu smiled gently, got up, and let Rona Muir and Sophie Mo battle it out. She turned to the bar and asked the bartender for a glass of ice water.
But before Cecilia could take a sip, a hand snatched the glass away.
"It's already chilly out, and you're still drinking ice water?" Max Mo's voice sounded from behind Cecilia. "Get her a glass of warm water instead."
Cecilia watched Max Mo's gesture and smiled, saying, "It's fine, I'm not that delicate."
"You're carrying the fourth-generation heir of Yin Enterprises—it's only natural to be a little delicate." Max Mo said with a smile in his eyes. "Thanks for inviting us on this outing today."
"It's nothing, I just think it's more fun with a crowd." Cecilia Gu replied with a smile. "We're always so tense—it gets exhausting. Plus, I wanted to check out Yuanshan County. You know, the other counties have gone smoothly, but the progress here is slow. You can't really know what's happening on the ground just sitting in an office. I wouldn't dare come alone! So I figured I'd mix business with pleasure and bring everyone along! With you guys here, there's no way I'll get the short end of the stick, right?"
Cecilia's words were half-joking, half-serious, with a smile.
Max Mo looked at Cecilia's face for a long moment, then chuckled softly. "Of course. As long as I'm here, nothing will happen to you."
Cecilia smiled, took the warm water from the bartender, and sipped it before continuing, "What do you think of Yuanshan County? You're a local, so you must know more than I do."
Max Mo nodded with a smile. "Yuanshan County really is a special place. It's less a county and more like a melting pot of different ethnic groups. There are about a dozen minorities living here alongside the Han, so managing things can get complicated. The minorities are very united—when it comes to their interests, they won't give an inch. The project pipeline has to go through Yuanshan County, and the biggest village is Yuanshan Village. Really, it's more like a town. When we get there, you'll see just how big it is."
Cecilia nodded.
"Yuanshan Village is home to the Miao, Yi, Zhuang, Han, some Gaoshan, and Tibetan peoples—six ethnic groups in total." Max Mo continued, "They're all very close-knit, and because of their different lifestyles, the village is divided into six main sections. They do interact, but when it comes to internal affairs, outsiders aren't allowed to get involved."
Cecilia frowned. "So our project pipeline goes right through Yuanshan Village?"
"That's right." Max Mo sighed. "A lot of people's interests are at stake, so it's not something that can be solved quickly."
Cecilia nodded, showing she understood.
If the village had just one person in charge, things would be much easier.
But everyone has their own territory and interests.
If things aren't divided fairly, the other clans will push back.
No wonder this project can't move forward. Looks like the problem is with the negotiations with the clan chiefs.
"So among these six ethnic groups, which one is the strongest?" Cecilia couldn't help but ask.
"They're all about equal—no one really dominates. The Tibetans are big and tough, though, great fighters." Max Mo joked, "If it comes to a brawl, the Tibetan brothers are unbeatable."
Cecilia laughed along.
"We're here to visit all six clan chiefs, so I brought tons of gifts. I don't mind spending money—I'm just worried they'll take offense anyway!" Max Mo sighed, sounding a bit wistful. "If Nora were still alive, things would be so much easier. She was the smartest—she always figured something out."
It was the first time Cecilia heard Max Mo mention Nora Yun this way, and she suddenly didn't know how to respond.
"Look at me, bringing this up with you again." Max Mo gave a wry smile. "I'm really sorry. You and Nora... you're getting more and more alike..."
"It's my fault." Cecilia reached up and touched her face, forcing a smile. "People have been saying that more and more lately. Especially the Yun family—I've been called Nora several times now. I don't know why, but ever since I moved in, instead of telling us apart, they've been mixing us up even more."
Cecilia probably didn't realize it, but the reason she was starting to look more and more like Nora Yun was because she'd finally escaped the Gu family's nightmare and could finally breathe again.
Freed from her shackles, Cecilia felt reborn.
All the suffering the Gu family had piled onto Cecilia—the root of her insecurity—vanished in an instant, and her whole aura changed.
Now that she's pregnant, she naturally radiates elegance and maternal warmth.
So, little by little, she started resembling Nora Yun.
If Nora Yun were still alive, it really would be hard to tell them apart.
"That's a good thing!" Max Mo looked seriously at Cecilia. "You have such a bond with the Yun family, and now they're your real family. Maybe you're the one Nora sent from heaven to finish the journey she couldn't."
Maybe it was just Max Mo's intense, passionate gaze, but Cecilia couldn't shake the feeling he was a little... too enthusiastic about her.
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Cecilia smiled. "Maybe. Lately, I've been reading through some of the things and books Nora Yun left behind. Weirdly, I keep feeling like I've seen them before. I must be so tired from being pregnant that I'm hallucinating. Let's not talk about this—let's get back to Yuanshan County. We're here for a day out, but I also want to use this chance to really solve the problems in Yuanshan."
Max Mo looked a little disappointed.
Cecilia wasn't taking the bait at all.
Max Mo could only continue talking about Yuanshan County. "Does Mr. Yin have a specific plan? We're splitting up—each of us visits three families. I'm in charge of the Tibetans, Miao, and Yi, while Mr. Yin handles the other three ethnic groups."
Cecilia suddenly understood.
No wonder they all brought RVs and a whole convoy.
Turns out, they'd planned everything in advance.
Of course, if she could think of it, so could they.
Hearing they had everything set up, Cecilia finally felt relieved.
In this position, you have to do the work.
Since she had taken on this role, it was only natural for her to worry about the company's affairs.
Max Mo wasn't worried about Cecilia picking up tricks from him—in fact, he kept teaching her management skills, intentionally or not.
One was willing to teach, the other eager to learn.
Just like that, two hours flew by as they chatted at the bar.
As soon as the convoy entered Yuanshan County, Cecilia could feel how different it was.
Max Mo was right—Yuanshan County really is a special place.
Even on the map, you could see the clear divisions between territories.
It's laid out almost like a bagua, except instead of eight sections, Yuanshan Village only has six.
Yuanshan County's town isn't big, and the county committee's grounds aren't large either.
As the convoy passed through the town, Cecilia saw people on the street walking in clear groups, each divided by their ethnicity.
The Han are the most assimilated group—you see Han people everywhere doing business, and they get along well with the other five ethnic groups.
Just then, Charles Yin walked over, saying, "You really have to see things for yourself to understand what's going on here. Looks like it's even trickier than we thought!"
Max Mo nodded. "Yeah. But that's what makes it a challenge, right?"
Charles Yin smirked.
Cecilia glanced at Charles Yin, then at Max Mo. She couldn't shake the feeling sparks were flying between them.
Were they competing about something?
Cecilia pointed to a roadside stall. "Look, Yuanshan County's economy isn't as developed as K City's, but it's got its own charm! Tons of tourists come here. If we really develop the tourism industry, Yuanshan could be prosperous."
Max Mo shook his head. "It's a nice idea, but it's also the least realistic."
Cecilia asked curiously, "Why's that?"
"You probably don't know this, but the ethnic groups living in Yuanshan County are fiercely loyal to their clans. They're really not keen on outsiders coming into their territory. Yuanshan Village is actually where they worship their ancestors. Think about it—would you let strangers wander around the place where your family pays respects to your ancestors?"
Cecilia and Charles Yin both raised their eyebrows.
So that's how it is.
No wonder Yuanshan County has such great resources but hasn't developed them. It's all because of this!
"Yuanshan Village is so big because it has six groups of villagers guarding their ancestors' resting place, generation after generation. Back when the Qing Dynasty entered the area, the locals formed a resistance but were defeated. The five ethnic groups nearly faced extermination. It was the Yun family who stepped in and pleaded for mercy, saving their descendants. But the Qing Dynasty didn't trust them, so they forced them to live in Yuanshan County, never to leave." Max Mo explained the history in detail.