Zhao Dong had never found Zhuo Chen so pleasing to the eye.
One could not blame Zhao Dong for being foolish.
His reasoning was that Wen Ying held a grudge against him and would not hold back when he was down. Furthermore, Wen Ying was Xie Qian’s girlfriend, so her reposting the beauty blogger’s content might have been at Xie Qian’s instigation. “Wen Ying seeking revenge” combined with “Xie Qian’s instigation” formed the motives Zhao Dong had analysed. He had never once considered a conflict of interest!
Over the past days, Zhao Dong had failed to find any way to utterly overwhelm Wen Ying in public opinion. The counterattacks from her side had come wave after wave, each more ferocious than the last.
Until this moment, until right now!
Zhuo Chen’s discovery could completely reverse the situation.
In his delight, Zhao Dong still remembered to verify with Zhuo Chen. “How did you think to investigate this? Is the information reliable?”
If this were a smokescreen planted by Xie Qian’s side and Zhao Dong charged blindly into it, he would have fallen straight into Xie Qian’s trap!
Zhuo Chen nodded. “I have my own sources. You can rest assured. This information is genuine.”
Zhao Dong probed further. “…From President Xie?”
Zhao Dong knew Zhuo Chen had travelled to the capital a few days earlier and guessed Xie Jinghu was assisting him.
Zhuo Chen neither confirmed nor denied it. Zhao Dong felt immensely reassured. “Excellent. I thought President Xie would truly stand by and let us perish. It seems that in President Xie’s heart, Young Master Zhuo, your position has never wavered!”
Had it never wavered?
Zhuo Chen knew that before the paternity test last year, Xie Jinghu had at one point intended him to inherit Jinhu in the future.
Back then, Zhuo Chen had no desire whatsoever to compete with Xie Qian for anything.
At that time, Zhuo Chen truly needed to do nothing. Xie Jinghu would find every possible way to secretly build assets for him!
Everything changed after the paternity test. Although the result confirmed Zhuo Chen was Xie Jinghu’s son, it could not prevent Xie Jinghu from breaking completely with Sara Zhuo. From then on, Xie Jinghu had entirely abandoned any notion of letting Zhuo Chen inherit Jinhu.
This was something Zhuo Chen had personally tested. At least for now, that was the case.
Let alone becoming Jinhu’s heir. When Zhuo Chen offered to serve as a “whetstone” for Xie Qian, Xie Jinghu had refused!
Of course, Zhuo Chen would not reveal the results of his probing to Zhao Dong. As long as Zhuo Chen did not deny it, Zhao Dong would fill in the blanks himself.
Zhao Dong was already gleefully planning the counterattack.
Zhao Qian stared in astonishment. “That Wen woman is a shareholder?”
He Zhen’s company was developing rapidly, and Wen Ying was actually a shareholder.
Wen Ying came from an ordinary family background. She had earned money through writing novels, and her royalty income was publicly listed on the “Writers’ Rich List”. Zhao Qian could not pretend to be blind to it.
Zhao Qian knew Wen Ying could make money from writing.
But earning money from writing was one thing. Earning as a company shareholder was quite another. The latter meant Wen Ying now owned actual business assets.
The muscles on Zhao Qian’s face twitched. The spot on her forehead seemed ready to burst from rage.
“Why should she get to be a shareholder? Just because she is Xie Qian’s girlfriend? She isn’t a shareholder in either of the two companies under Xie Qian’s name, is she?”
Zhuo Chen disliked Zhao Qian’s superficiality and suppressed his impatience. “She is not a shareholder in the two companies under Xie Qian’s name.”
What would it matter if she were?
Zhuo Chen almost wished Wen Ying were a shareholder in Xie Qian’s companies. That would mean Xie Qian was lovesick, and Zhuo Chen’s pressure would be far less!
Yet neither of Xie Qian’s two companies included Wen Ying as a shareholder. Xie Qian’s rationality frightened Zhuo Chen.
Seeing joy appear on Zhao Qian’s face, Zhuo Chen could not resist pricking her. “But she is a shareholder in Tianjiao.”
Why had Wen Ying remained unscathed amid waves of public attacks?
Her status as a “Tianjiao shareholder” had played a major role.
Yuan Fenghui, who now managed Tianjiao, was simply too formidable. With someone like her shielding Wen Ying, Wen Ying could remain unharmed!
A shareholder in He Zhen’s company.
A shareholder in Tianjiao.
Most of Zhao Qian’s strength drained away. She murmured, “How can this be? She is just a poor girl…”
In a mere three or four years, the poor girl had gained fame, wealth, and influence!
Wen Ying’s assets were still less than the Zhao family’s, but in terms of personal assets, Zhao Qian could not compare at all. After all, Zhao Qian had hardly any assets in her own name.
The Zhao family’s rise had begun only with Zhao Qian’s aunt. Her aunt had made her fortune through marriage, then used connections after marriage to introduce a wealthy woman to Zhao Qian’s father. Zhao’s father had accompanied the wealthy woman for years, receiving a large sum in return, which he used to start his business… Zhao’s father had indeed made money, but “blood-and-sweat money” earned by selling his masculine charm and dignity, how could he willingly let others spend it freely?
Let alone Zhao Qian having few assets in her name, even Zhao Dong was merely a flashy empty shell. The Zhao family’s money was almost entirely controlled by Zhao’s father.
When would the family fortune be divided?
While Zhao’s father lived, it was unthinkable. Absolutely impossible!
Even if Zhao’s father died, Zhao Qian as a daughter might not inherit much. As a Chinese family that had emigrated before liberation, influenced by both Eastern and Western cultures, the Zhao family held some progressive views and some very traditional ones.
Progressive in accepting marrying older men or keeping wealthy patrons.
Traditional in that family assets ultimately passed to sons. Daughters were never considered for inheritance. The Zhao family’s plan for Zhao Qian’s future was “marrying up”. Whether she could continue living affluently depended not on her natal family, but on her own ability to find a capable husband!
Zhao Qian thought her taste was excellent. Upon returning to China, she had immediately chosen Xie Qian.
Looks one in a million, and extraordinarily wealthy family.
Add to that Xie Qian’s intelligence and ability to earn money himself. Simply perfect!
Such a flawless prospect had been snatched by Wen Ying. In Zhao Qian’s eyes, this was a grudge heavier than patricide!
Zhao Dong had no time to comfort Zhao Qian’s shattered glass heart. His focus was nowhere near Zhao Qian. His mind was entirely on planning the counterattack.
With a few words he dismissed the foolish Zhao Qian, leaving only himself and Zhuo Chen in the office.
The two tacitly did not inform Dai Chenglan to join the discussion of the counterattack plan.
Neither trusted Dai Chenglan anymore.
Wen Ying was a shareholder in He Zhen’s company, yet Dai Chenglan had never mentioned it. This clearly showed her stance had long shifted!
…
Dai Chenglan was truly wronged.
She genuinely did not know Wen Ying was a shareholder in He Zhen’s company!
After Zhao Qian blurted it out, Dai Chenglan was even more shocked than Zhao Qian. “How is that possible?”
Zhao Qian curled her lip. “We all want to know how it happened!”
Keep pretending!
Even Zhao Qian did not believe Dai Chenglan, let alone Zhao Dong and the others.
Sara Zhuo wanted to tear Dai Chenglan limb from limb. Zhao Dong restrained the raging Sara Zhuo and gently suggested Dai Chenglan go home and rest for a while.
Zhao Dong no longer trusted Dai Chenglan and did not want her meddling in Si Lan affairs anymore.
Zhao Dong and Zhuo Chen together held 60% of the shares. United, they sidelined Dai Chenglan.
Dai Chenglan’s feelings were complicated. For the first time, she visited He Zhen’s company.
“Why is Wen Ying a shareholder in your company? Do you realise she is…”
“Is what? Xie Qian’s girlfriend?”
He Zhen smiled. “Does it matter whose girlfriend she is? I needed capital to start the business, and she happened to have money to invest. Naturally, we hit it off at once!”
He Zhen did not think Wen Ying investing in his startup was a calculated move, looking three steps ahead simply to support him in attacking Si Lan.
If Xie Qian wanted to strike Si Lan, he would not use such a roundabout method.
Even if he did, Xie Qian would approach He Zhen personally, not send Wen Ying in his place.
Though He Zhen had little contact with Xie Qian, he could sense how proud Xie Qian was!
Last summer, on that night in Prague, He Zhen, Rebecca, and Pang Jinglong had been drinking on the hotel terrace when Wen Ying discovered and joined them.
Rebecca had proactively mentioned He Zhen and Pang Jinglong’s entrepreneurial dreams. Tipsy, Wen Ying had offered to invest in their companies. Such a beautiful beginning to their friendship had, in Dai Chenglan’s mouth, become a sinister arrangement. He Zhen could not accept it.
Dai Chenglan nearly choked on her own son’s words.
He Zhen had not taken money from the family to start his business. Dai Chenglan had no way to control him.
Even if He Zhen had long ago connected with Xie Qian, Dai Chenglan thought for ages and could not find grounds to criticise his actions.
She could not criticise him.
From the current perspective, He Zhen’s choice had been better.
Dai Chenglan changed tack. “I came to tell you that Zhao Dong and Zhuo Chen already know this information. They will certainly make an issue of it!”
