At 11:50, Cen Zhiyuan boarded the car leaving the airport, reviewing the agenda for the afternoon board meeting on the seat.

The assistant in the front seat turned around and informed him, “The proposal to appoint new directors will be discussed today. There shouldn’t be any issues. Mr. Zhang is sure to enter the board this time.”

Cen Zhiyuan’s gaze was on the tablet in his hand, “How did Cen Zhisen react?”

“No reaction. Between Mr. Zhang or someone else, Mr. Zhang’s qualifications are the most suitable. Even President Cen wouldn’t find any faults with him,” the assistant said.

Cen Zhiyuan raised his head, elbow on the armrest, and casually ran his clean and slender fingers across his chin. His tone carried a hint of ambiguity, “No reaction at all?”

The assistant affirmed, “Indeed, no noticeable reaction. At least, on the surface, it appeared so.”

Cen Zhiyuan wasn’t entirely convinced. With one more person entering the board from his side, decisions and executions for Cen Zhisen in the future would become more complicated. Could his elder brother be so easy to deal with?

“Maybe he’s holding back some big move,” the assistant joked.

Cen Zhiyuan looked over, “Just shut up.”

In the office, Cen Zhisen leaned back in his chair, hands folded in front of him, lightly tapping the desk as he listened to reports.

“This time in Hongcheng, President Xiao Cen not only completed the acquisition of Desheng Technology but also personally supervised it. He replaced all the board members of Desheng Technology except the CTO. Additionally, he signed a cooperation and development agreement for a smart port with Huizhan Shipping. This information was submitted on his way back this morning, which is against the rules…”

“He didn’t report to me, but he definitely informed the chairman, and the chairman approved it,” Cen Zhisen calmly interrupted the assistant.

This wasn’t the first time Cen Zhiyuan did such a thing; he would bypass him and report directly to their father. Nothing unusual.

“Anyway, it’s a good thing. Let it be,” Cen Zhisen said indifferently.

The assistant hesitated and asked, “What about the afternoon meeting? President Xiao Cen is definitely going to push Mr. Zhang into the board. Are we just going to let it happen?”

Cen Zhisen raised his eyelids, “Do you think there’s a better candidate than Zhang Chong?”

The assistant was somewhat at a loss. In terms of qualifications and abilities, there was no issue. If it were someone else, the shareholders might also have objections. However, President Xiao Cen formed factions within the company, always opposed to Cen Zhisen. If he were just a mediocre person, it would be fine, but Cen Zhiyuan had real abilities, making it a tricky situation.

At 12:40, Cen Zhiyuan walked into Cen An company building, directly heading to the cafeteria on the basement floor. The middle and high-level staff of the investment department were waiting for him in a private room.

The board meeting was scheduled to start at 1:30, and Cen Zhiyuan didn’t want to waste time. On the way, he had his assistant call everyone to the cafeteria for a short meeting while having lunch.

As the Executive Vice President of Cen An Group, in charge of the Strategic Investment Department, Cen Zhiyuan had delivered an impressive performance in just one year. Unfortunately, he was only the younger President Cen, and there was an equally capable elder brother above him. It was a pity that he was born at the wrong time.

Everyone had already finished eating, and they reported their work directly. Cen Zhiyuan didn’t like people beating around the bush. If they didn’t get to the point in three sentences, he moved on to the next person. These people under him were clear about his working style, summarizing things succinctly, only highlighting the essentials.

Cen Zhiyuan’s eating speed was not slow, but he didn’t appear rude. Perhaps because he looked good, despite his strong and decisive personality, he had a gentle and handsome appearance. His narrow, fan-shaped double eyelids, slightly upturned eyes, high nose, and naturally smiling lips gave people a friendly feeling.

Cen Zhiyuan rarely interrupted subordinates when they reported their work. Once they finished, he could immediately give instructions. He ate and thought quickly. He had been on a business trip to Hongcheng for half a month, and the matters here hadn’t been neglected at all, all thanks to his quick thinking.

The short meeting ended quickly. Everyone went back to work, and Cen Zhiyuan finished the last sip of coffee, putting down the cup.

Having worked until after midnight last night and taking an early morning flight back today, his eyes didn’t show any signs of fatigue. “Let’s go back to the office first. I’ll change my clothes.”

The assistant helped him pick up his coat, and as they walked out of the private room, the assistant manager of the cafeteria happened to pass by. She greeted them, smiling, and mentioned that the cafeteria had been undergoing reforms since the beginning of the month. She asked Cen Zhiyuan how the dishes were today.

The woman was a pretty young employee in the cafeteria. Cen Zhiyuan politely stopped, casually talking about the dishes—what was delicious, what was not, and how some dishes could be improved. He spoke coherently.

Surprisingly, after so many people had reported on their work, he still paid attention to whether the food was good.

The assistant, watching this scene with some surprise, saw that Cen Zhiyuan spoke at a moderate pace, maintaining a smile on his face. Even though it was a normal conversation, it sounded like he was joking and teasing the girl. The female manager seemed a bit overwhelmed and blushed.

No wonder people anonymously confessed to him on the internal forum. The assistant thought that it wasn’t surprising at all. Young, good-looking, capable, and affable—the chairman’s son, who wouldn’t like him?

When Cen Zhisen came out of the opposite private room, he also saw this scene. Cen Zhiyuan stood in the aisle, hands in his pockets, lazily standing there and talking lively with a girl in the cafeteria staff uniform.

Cen Zhiyuan seemed to sense something. He raised his head, and his gaze, beyond the girl’s head, fell on Cen Zhisen in the front.

When their eyes met, Cen Zhiyuan’s smile remained unchanged. He nodded leisurely, as if greeting him. He then told the girl, “We have a meeting and need to leave.” With his assistant, he turned around and left.

After the girl left, Cen Zhisen’s assistant sighed casually, “President Xiao Cen is indeed very charming. No wonder everyone loves him.”

Cen Zhisen suddenly asked, “Do you love him too?”

“If I were a woman, of course…” The assistant, halfway through the sentence, changed his tone in response to Cen Zhisen’s half-smiling gaze and said with a bold face, “But I still love you, boss.”

Cen Zhisen couldn’t be bothered to deal with him and walked away.

As Cen Zhiyuan went upstairs to return to the office, he bumped into the personnel from the logistics department who brought several potted plants, asking if he needed them.

Cen Zhiyuan wasn’t interested, but his assistant fancied a pot of delicately blooming light-colored succulent. He expressed his desire, but the logistics staff refused, saying, “This pot of Faihua Yu was requested by President Cen’s office. We are about to deliver it there.”

Cen Zhiyuan glanced at it, indeed a beautiful flower. “Did you buy only this pot?” he asked.

Logistics awkwardly explained, “This color is indeed the only one left.”

Cen Zhiyuan smiled, “What if I also want it?”

Without causing trouble, he walked to the desk, casually picked up the phone, dialed the internal line, and after two rings, someone answered. Without waiting for the other person to speak, he straightforwardly said, “Logistics are bringing flowers over. Can I have that pot of white Faihua Yu?”

On the other end, Cen Zhisen remained silent for a moment, then gave a “Hmm.”

Cen Zhiyuan tossed out a “Thank you” and hung up the phone.

The flower would now be taken to Cen Zhiyuan’s desk. The assistant, grinning, reached out to take it, but Cen Zhiyuan stopped him with a glance.

The assistant lamented, “President Xiao Cen, you never used to keep these things.”

“Now I want to,” Cen Zhiyuan replied.

Cen Zhisen had just returned to his office when unexpectedly, Cen Zhiyuan called, just to snatch a flower from him. A simple “Thank you” was said without any courtesy.

Holding the hung-up phone, Cen Zhisen laughed in exasperation.

The assistant looked at him questioningly, and Cen Zhisen shook his head without explaining.

The flower wasn’t something he specifically asked for. Probably some secretary outside helped choose it. As for why Cen Zhiyuan had some thoughts about grabbing it from him—well, it didn’t matter.

From childhood to adulthood, how many things had Cen Zhiyuan snatched from him?

At half past one, the board meeting began.

Chairman Cen Shengli had undergone major surgery six months ago and had been resting at home. He rarely intervened in company matters, and the CEO and president, Cen Zhisen, was presiding over the meeting.

By the time Cen Zhisen arrived, everyone else was already there. Cen Zhiyuan was talking to an independent director seated beside him. Seeing Cen Zhisen enter, he continued to lean back, listening to people talking and laughing while his gaze shifted towards Cen Zhisen.

Cen Zhisen’s expression was calm. He knew what his younger brother had done, whether it was discussing projects without approval or manipulating various factions to get his people into the board. 

Cen Zhiyuan was surprised his elder brother remained calm, showing no sign of concern. Just as his assistant had said, no reaction.

Even when he took the flower that wasn’t explicitly requested, he generously agreed.

The meeting lasted the entire afternoon, addressing each agenda item one by one. The last item was the review of the proposal to appoint additional directors.

Just before the vote, Cen Zhiyuan suddenly looked up. He met Cen Zhisen’s eyes. While others were busy reading the documents, their gaze connected across the long table, colliding in an instant.

In Cen Zhiyuan’s eyes, there was determination. Cen Zhisen, however, remained composed, withdrawing his gaze first and lowering his head to continue reviewing the proposal.

Unexpectedly to everyone, Cen Zhisen was the first to cast an approving vote. Those who had hesitated no longer opposed. Cen Zhiyuan raised his eyebrows, slightly surprised but pleased with the result. Even if Cen Zhisen had voted against it today, he was confident in getting the proposal approved. However, this outcome was even better.

With the board’s approval, the proposal would be submitted to the shareholders’ meeting, and the issue seemed to be well on track.

Cen Zhisen was somewhat absent-minded. When he unlocked his phone, a new WeChat message arrived.

“Mr. Cen, the paternity test samples you previously submitted have yielded results. I’m sending you the electronic version of the report. If you need a hard copy, please come to the center to collect it, or provide a mailing address, and we can arrange to send it to you.”

Cen Zhisen opened the electronic document and quickly scrolled to the bottom, capturing the crucial words in the conclusion.

— Exclusion of a biological parent relationship.