A sleek black car, a limited-edition Rolls-Royce Specter, gleamed by the VIP lane. The emblem shimmered like obsidian fire under the morning sky.
Zhao Qi stood beside it, his suit sharp, expression disciplined. As the vice director of Zongsheng Medical Centre, he had seen countless dignitaries, business moguls, and heirs, but none had prepared him for the young girl stepping out of the terminal and coming right towards him.
Su Ning walked towards them, her gait calm yet commanding. She intentionally released her ghost queen suppressing aura subtly, with every step, the quiet pressure around her intensified — an invisible weight that made the air subtly colder. Her eyes, clear as moonlit ice, seemed to pierce through everything and everyone.
Zhao Qi's breath hitched. This aura... impossible. He had felt such oppressive force only when standing before the most powerful figures in global politics. Yet the girl before him couldn't be more than seventeen.
He quickly composed himself and bowed deeply. "Welcome, Chairwoman Su."
The chauffeur followed suit, his tone reverent as he opened the car door for her. Su Ning inclined her head slightly, an unspoken acknowledgment, and entered the car. Zhao Qi followed after, still unsettled by her presence, it wasn't fear exactly, but awe threaded with unease.
The thirty-minute drive to Zongsheng Medical Centre passed in silence. Su Ning sat gracefully, legs crossed, eyes half-lidded as she scrolled through the documents on her tablet. Her voice broke the silence once.
"Has the board been assembled?"
"Yes, Chairwoman Su," Zhao Qi replied quickly. "All members are waiting in the boardroom on the top floor. The agenda includes performance review, upcoming research funding, and—"
She lifted a finger, silencing him. "Good." Her tone was soft, but Zhao Qi instantly understood, she didn't need every detail. She already knew enough.
When they arrived, the sight of Zongsheng Medical Centre commanded instant respect. The skyscraper stretched a hundred stories high, its exterior built from dark titanium alloy that shimmered faintly like liquid steel under the daylight. Its design was bold yet refined, with sharp geometric edges that gave it a futuristic grandeur.
Holographic banners displayed its name in sleek gold script across the upper floors, and the emblem of a phoenix, symbol of rebirth and healing gleamed at the entrance.
As Su Ning stepped out, the entire line of uniformed security personnel stood at attention, bowing deeply. Their synchronized greeting echoed through the driveway.
"Welcome, Chairwoman Su!"
Su Ning walked past them without breaking stride, her aura washing over the area like a cool storm. Zhao Qi followed, clutching his folder tightly as if for stability.
Inside, the atmosphere was polished perfection. The lobby's walls shimmered faintly like brushed platinum, and the air smelled faintly of sandalwood and antiseptic purity. They ascended directly to the ninety seventh floor, the executive boardroom.
The moment the doors slid open, every conversation stopped.
A dozen senior executives, all in dark suits, their faces showing varying degrees of skepticism and discomfort — rose to their feet. Two women in their forties bowed with practiced professionalism, while the older men exchanged brief, unreadable looks before bowing.
"Chairwoman Su," Zhao Qi announced clearly, stepping aside to let her take center stage.
Su Ning's gaze swept across the room — calm, assessing, unhurried. She crossed to the head seat and sat down, her movements fluid yet absolute.
"Please, sit." Her voice was smooth, but the faint authority beneath it made everyone obey instinctively.
As Zhao Qi began introductions, Su Ning merely nodded at intervals, mentally noting who avoided her gaze and who smiled too politely. Her intuition, sharpened by the system, picked up on every flicker of resistance.
Not that it mattered.
Halfway through the meeting, after presentations on performance reports and expansion strategies, one of the older board members, a portly man named Director Han cleared his throat and spoke with thinly veiled arrogance.
"Chairwoman Su," he began, adjusting his tie, "while we appreciate your presence, I must admit I find it rather inappropriate for a high school student to be in charge of a medical institution of this scale."
Murmurs rippled across the room. Some avoided looking at her; others watched eagerly, waiting for her reaction.
Su Ning didn't move. She tilted her head slightly, the faintest smile curving her lips.
"Oh?" she said softly. "And what do you suggest, Director Han?"
He smirked. "Well, perhaps a guardian or a proxy should handle executive decisions on your behalf. We deal with multi-billion yuan research grants and medical partnerships, this is not something a child can oversee. Don't you agree?"
The room was silent. Zhao Qi wanted to step in, but one glance from Su Ning froze him in place.
Her smile didn't fade — it grew colder.
She leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on the table. The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.
"I see," she said, her tone still calm. "Tell me, Director Han… in your thirty years of management, how many successful international partnerships have you secured?"
Han blinked. "I—I've contributed to several—"
"Specifically?" Her gaze pinned him like a blade. "How many resulted in sustainable profit margins without government bailouts?"
The man faltered. "Well, the economy—"
"Answer me." Her voice was sharp now — not loud, but slicing through the air like a whip.
Zhao Qi shivered. He could feel it — that invisible pressure, the same one that had shaken him earlier.
"I—three," Han stammered finally.
"Three," Su Ning repeated softly. "Out of two hundred and sixteen attempts."
The room went still.
She tapped her tablet, and the holographic screen behind her lit up — displaying a chart of Zongsheng's historical data, profit losses, and Han's department's inefficiencies.
"Three successes," she continued, "and yet you dare question my qualification."
Her eyes glinted, dark and fathomless. "Tell me, Director Han… if I am unqualified because of age, what does that make you — a man who's been failing for three decades?"
Gasps spread through the room. Han turned pale, his lips twitching soundlessly.
Su Ning leaned back in her seat, crossing one leg over the other. "Let me make one thing clear," she said, her tone now carrying the unmistakable chill of authority. "I did not take this position to play power games or babysit fragile egos. If anyone believes I'm too young to lead, you're free to submit your resignation right now."
Her gaze swept the room, cold, unyielding.
"Otherwise," she finished, "sit down, do your jobs, and remember who signs your paychecks."
No one moved. No one breathed.
Han, trembling, finally sat down, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. The others followed suit, heads slightly bowed, no longer daring to meet her eyes.
Zhao Qi was still trying to steady his breathing. He had seen powerful people command fear before, but what he witnessed today went beyond that, it was dominance. The kind born not of wealth, but of presence.
Su Ning's expression softened again as she reigned in her aura, the oppressive air fading as if it never existed. She smiled lightly, tapping the screen to bring up the next agenda.
"Now," she said casually, "let's continue. I believe we were discussing the new pharmaceutical wing's budget distribution."
The meeting proceeded in tense, awed silence.
By the time it ended, every board member left the room with newfound respect, and a faint sense of dread.
Zhao Qi lingered behind, glancing once more at the girl seated at the head of the table, serene and unbothered as she reviewed documents.