After their discharge from the hospital, Assistant Jiang spent a hefty sum to “bribe” the nurse who had witnessed the entire handcuffs play from start to finish, nearly making her sign a non-disclosure agreement.
The moment he stepped out of the hospital, he felt as though his life expectancy had been shortened by ten years. Combining everything that had transpired over the last two days, Jiang Mingze no longer dared to blindly speculate on the true nature of the relationship between Young Master Yi and President Gu.
The news of Gu Jia falling ill was kept strictly confidential, as he still had to attend the afternoon meeting at the company.
The black Rolls-Royce idled near the side clinic entrance of the hospital, waiting for its master to arrive.
When Zhao Yisen finally stepped out of the VIP ward, half of his body still felt entirely numb. The battle-damaged version of the Big Boss had practically been stomping all over his specific preferences. Meeting Gu Jia’s utterly arrogant gaze, Zhao Yisen felt his knees turn to jelly, and several phrases slipped out of his mouth completely unprompted by his brain.
Including that line: “I’ll give them to you as a gift.”
Pulling open the Rolls-Royce door, Zhao Yisen covered his face in utter despair. “Driver, take me to Shanhe Real Estate.”
Better to just work. Work makes a person logical.
He waited for a moment, but the car showed no signs of starting. Zhao Yisen looked up, only to find the driver looking back through the rearview mirror, clearly hesitating. “Director Yi, well… about that…”
Before the driver could finish his sentence, the passenger door beside him was suddenly pulled open.
The August morning carried a touch of sweltering heat. The humid post-rain breeze swept across his face, bringing with it a familiar, refreshing fragrance. Looking up, the master of the Rolls-Royce and Zhao Yisen exchanged a silent, wordless gaze.
Since their marriage, this was the very first time Zhao Yisen and Gu Jia were heading to work together.
The backseat space was massive, yet Zhao Yisen couldn’t sit comfortably. After pretending to admire the outdoor scenery for a short while, he couldn’t resist sneaking a sidelong glance at the person beside him.
Unlike Zhao Yisen, the moment Gu Jia entered the vehicle, he completely blocked out the presence of anyone else. He held a thick stack of materials covered in dense numbers marked with a red pen. The man lowered his eyes, skimming through the text at lightning speed, sharply circling several indicators before casually tossing the papers into the folder beside him.
A phrase suddenly popped into Zhao Yisen’s mind:
Deciding tens of millions of dollars every single minute
Unfortunately, before the mental movie could fully unfold, he was caught red-handed.
“What are you looking at?” Gu Jia didn’t even raise his head, yet he precisely detected Zhao Yisen’s prying gaze.
“…” Embarrassed, Zhao Yisen instantly turned his head back to the window.
Half an hour later, the Rolls-Royce pulled into the underground garage. Stepping out of the vehicle, Jiang Mingze accepted the finalized documents from Gu Jia and checked his watch. “President Gu, the meeting begins in twenty minutes.”
“Mm.”
Gu Jia’s stride was incredibly fast and decisive a world away from the fragile man who had fainted from pain the night before. Even Jiang Mingze was left trailing a short distance behind.
Seeing this, Zhao Yisen jogged a few paces to catch up with Assistant Jiang, finally finding the opportunity to voice the question he had been brewing all morning.
“Assistant Jiang, the office over at Shanhe Real Estate has been cleared out. Does that mean I should—”
Jiang Mingze paused in his tracks. “You intend to move out?”
Zhao Yisen offered a clever, cat-like smile. “Staying here indefinitely isn’t exactly a permanent solution.”
After a moment of deliberation, Jiang Mingze adjusted his thick black frames. “In that case, I will arrange for someone to help you move your belongings later.”
Zhao Yisen offered a grateful smile.
The office building where Shanhe Real Estate was located sat right next to the Gu Group. Not long after, Lu Ming called, mentioning that Zhao Yisen’s office was currently being readied and inviting him to sit in his office in the meantime. Zhao Yisen gladly accepted.
Taking the elevator up from the parking garage, he noticed that along the way, the old Lu Real Estate logos had already been fully replaced by Shanhe Real Estate. The interior decor of the company was premium and minimalist. Realizing he was actually the largest shareholder of this entire company, Zhao Yisen still felt a wave of unreality.
Lu Ming’s office was situated right next to Zhao Yisen’s new space. As Zhao Yisen approached the door, he detected that besides Lu Ming, there seemed to be another person inside.
He stepped forward and knocked.
“Xiao Sen?”
Lu Ming looked up from his desk. The usually refined and gentle man didn’t look well at the moment, offering a forced smile as he rose. Standing before Lu Ming was another man whose moderate, stocky build left his suit looking completely stuffed and rounded.
The moment Zhao Yisen pushed open the door and stepped inside, the man turned around and offered a muffled greeting.
“Yung Mah-ter Yi—”
The man’s voice was incredibly indistinct. Zhao Yisen was thoroughly puzzled, but the moment he caught sight of the man’s full face, his pupils dilated in pure shock.
Standing before the desk, the right side of Qian Zheng’s face was swollen to an extreme degree. His protruding jaw left half his face completely rounded, and his right eye was squeezed into a tight slit from the pressure, making him look exactly like a hamster hoarding winter food.
Out of sheer humanitarian concern, Zhao Yisen stepped forward, frowning with worry. “Did Mr. Qian get stung by a hornet?”
Qian Zheng opened his mouth, unleashing a string of muffled, incoherent explanations. Unfortunately, Zhao Yisen couldn’t understand a single word.
Seeing this, Lu Ming stepped in to translate: “Mr. Qian’s wisdom tooth is swollen.”
He could actually decipher that?
Amidst his shock, Zhao Yisen nodded with deep empathy and patted Qian Zheng on his rounded shoulder. “Drink more hot water.”
Qian Zheng: “…”
Having finished his concerns regarding Qian Zheng’s face, Zhao Yisen sharply detected that the underlying tension in the office was still off. Sure enough, before he could speak, Lu Ming stared at him and let out a deep sigh.
“Xiao Sen. We’re in trouble…”
Soon enough, Qian Zheng disclosed the entire situation though it mostly relied on Lu Ming’s translations.
In short, after the raw materials resumed, Qian Zheng suddenly realized that the previous prices and financial reports didn’t align. Investigating further, he discovered that the subordinate previously in charge of the accounts had lined his own pockets and vanished entirely.
The company couldn’t produce the extra cash required for ongoing operations, and the supplier refused to lower the prices. If they delayed any further, the delivery of the villa complex project would face a massive postponement, and Shanhe Real Estate would be dragged right back into the mud.
Listening to Lu Ming’s translation, Qian Zheng cradled the right side of his face, his expression stiff. Of course, this wasn’t the full truth. He wasn’t foolish enough to admit that his subordinate had actually made off with all the final payments as well.
Unlike the Zhou and Bai families who belonged to the same established Yi family circle, Qian Zheng was entirely self-made. The massive supermarkets he owned acted as the definitive local powerhouses, capturing practically the entire retail industry in the city. Yet even after achieving his initial capital accumulation, due to his humble origins, he was still viewed by many elite socialites as a mere vulgar nouveau riche. Within the Yi family circle, his status was lowest.
Awake in the dead of night, Qian Zheng could even hear the whispers of those Old Money families pointing fingers at his background. He didn’t lack wealth; he lacked validation and respect, which was why he had thrown all his chips onto Lu Real Estate’s ship.
Looking up at the young Zhao Yisen sitting before the desk, Qian Zheng didn’t believe this novice rich kid could actually resolve a problem of this magnitude. And once the situation descended into total chaos, the matter of the final payments would naturally fade from everyone’s focus.
In the afternoon, the sunlight outside grew less piercing. Qian Zheng cradled his swelling jaw, silently observing Zhao Yisen.
Upon hearing such explosive news, any normal person would either be consumed by frantic rage or entirely crushed beneath the immense pressure. Yet he waited for a moment, only to find this young nobleman displaying neither.
Zhao Yisen propped his chin in his hand. As if sensing the scrutiny, his gaze sharply shifted, looking precisely at him. Qian Zheng’s heart jumped, and he quickly lowered his head.
Could it be…
Meanwhile, Zhao Yisen was simply staring at the heavily swollen right side of Qian Zheng’s face. He thought to himself: If I punch him on the left right now, his face would probably be perfectly symmetrical.
Unfortunately, violence wasn’t going to solve the problem.
Standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows, Lu Ming noticed Zhao Yisen had remained silent for a long time. He poured a glass of water for him, offering a deep, comforting reassurance.
“Don’t worry, Xiao Sen. We will definitely find a way.”
Following his words, Lu Ming’s eyelashes lowered slightly. If one spoke of a solution, it certainly wasn’t non-existent. The moment he caught the news, a specific idea had instantly crossed his mind: to have the subsidiary company under the Gu Group the one providing the raw materials voluntarily lower their prices. He believed that as long as Gu Jia spoke the word, none of this would remain an issue.
And to persuade Gu Jia… they could only rely on Yi Sen.
On the other side, Qian Zheng’s thoughts aligned with Lu Ming’s. However, in his view, the marriage between Gu Jia and Zhao Yisen was merely an emotionless business arrangement; Zhao Yisen going to plead for mercy would only result in him asking for humiliation.
“Mm…”
Lately, Zhao Yisen had been frequently wearing earth-toned suits. Ever since he became the largest shareholder of Shanhe Real Estate, his style had undergone a slight evolution—shifting from a casual college exchange student to a casual, youthfully styled CEO.
Operating cash flow, raw materials, construction timelines…
Under the half-expectant, half-testing gazes of Lu Ming and Qian Zheng, Zhao Yisen spent a brief moment in thought before a sudden flash of inspiration hit his brain. “I’ve thought of a way—”
Gu Group Headquarters. Top-floor conference room.
“…The representatives of the Shanhe Real Estate villa complex project have applied for an extension on their payments, hoping our side can continue providing the relevant raw materials. Following a strict risk assessment, our department believes the probability of Shanhe Real Estate failing to repay on time is as high as 80%. We recommend an immediate termination of the contract.”
As the final subsidiary finished its presentation, the massive screen at the front of the room instantly went dark. Across the long square table, Gu Jia sat at the far end, his head down as he reviewed the report in his hands.
Standing behind him, Assistant Jiang’s expression shifted slightly upon hearing the conclusion. How could a massive issue crop up with the project the moment Young Master Yi took office?
Before he could process the thought, Gu Jia’s voice echoed through the space. “Is this the final presentation?”
None of the executives downstream dared to answer. A short while ago, Gu Jia had dismissed a massive wave of high-level managers without a single hint of warning. Regardless of how long they had served the Group or how many shares they held, their fierce resistance was treated with total indifference. This left a blanket of self-preservation over the entire company; the executives looked at Gu Jia with extreme caution.
Jiang Mingze quickly verified the presentation sequence and nodded in confirmation.
“Then let’s end it here for today,” Gu Jia said tonelessly, setting down his files and rising to leave.
“President Gu, then what about our contract with Shanhe Real Estate—?” The newly appointed manager of the subsidiary stood up in a hurry. Everyone knew that Shanhe Real Estate was technically managed by President Gu’s newlywed partner, Young Master Yi Sen. Without the President making the definitive call, he naturally didn’t dare to finalize a decision.
“…” Gu Jia’s gaze crossed half the room, landing heavily on his new subordinate. “Do I need to repeat myself?”
The room went dead silent. He turned on his heel. “Proceed strictly according to the risk assessment results.”
By the time he returned to the suburban mansion, it was already deep into the night. A faint, amber glow diffused through the windows, lending the building a warm appearance.
Upon leaving the company, Gu Jia had first returned to his villa in the city center. However, the moment he stepped into the living room and spent a brief moment staring at the green plants twisted by the typhoon outside the windows and the slightly dusty carpets, he turned and left once more. By the time his mind snapped back to reality, the driver had already delivered him to the mansion.
Standing before the entrance, the memory of today’s corporate presentation crossed his mind. Gu Jia narrowed his eyes; conveniently, Yi Sen likely had plenty of words to say to him as well.
He pushed the door open, only to find the entire first floor completely deserted. Looking up, the second floor was cast in total darkness, bearing no sign of human presence.
Wang Baobao was standing behind the sofa in the main hall, half-asleep. Catching sight of the arriving figure, he jolted violently and took two steps forward.
“President Gu—”
The man carried a wave of cold air with him, cutting straight to the point: “…Where is your young master?”
Wang Baobao froze, offering an exceptionally cautious reply.
“The Young Master isn’t coming home tonight.”
He swallowed hard before adding, “Did he… did he not mention it to you?”