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Chapter 10
The next day, Zhou Jingyu finally figured out who his new neighbor was.
A huge advertisement had been hanging on the Fortune Plaza, covering an entire building. He just hadn’t paid attention to it before.
It was an ad for a high-end international brand, featuring her in a flowing light green gown, barefoot in the forest. She was running as if drawn by something, suddenly turning her head. Her face was undoubtedly the most beautiful gift from the creator, stunning and unforgettable, beautiful beyond imagination. A teardrop mole at the corner of her eye added to her liveliness, making her look like a sprite dancing in the mountains, with even her exposed toes appearing cute and rounded.
Anyone with a bit of common sense would know that placing such an ad on this large screen was not something an ordinary person could achieve.
No wonder she kept asking if he knew who she was.
Zhou Jingyu, sitting in the driver’s seat, looked up at the prominent signature in the lower right corner of the advertisement, written in elegant, swirling characters.
— Wen Tang.
Every Monday morning, the Shengling Group headquarters holds a routine meeting, which, barring any exceptions, is attended by the company’s senior executives.
Shengling Group mainly focuses on shopping malls, real estate, and five-star hotels, with a presence across the country and worldwide.
Zhou Donghai had not only one son, Zhou Jiayi, but also a second son, Zhou Jiarong, a third son, Zhou Jiaxin, and a daughter, Zhou Jialan. Among them, only the eldest was less capable, holding a nominal position with a small share in the company, receiving dividends every year without even qualifying for the board.
However, Zhou Jiayi, despite his lack of accomplishments, had a son, Zhou Jingyu, who was appointed as the chairman of Shengling Group.
Initially, the board members were shocked, but after two or three months, they had calmed down.
The morning meeting focused on a piece of land in a city suburb, acquired last year for hundreds of billions. The plan was to build residential properties, but due to strict national regulations, it was left vacant for further observation. Zhou Jiarong, who managed real estate, and Zhou Jiaxin, who managed shopping malls, were both interested in the land. During the last meeting, Zhou Jiaxin proposed converting the land into a large shopping mall, seeing it as the best option.
“Currently, the country is heavily regulating the real estate sector, making it extremely difficult to regain past glory! But shopping malls are different. With the increasing consumer spending, mall revenues have significantly risen. While other industries are experiencing a downturn, including our hotels, which have less than sixty percent occupancy, malls still maintain their performance, with steady growth. And that land is located in a central position, a transportation hub. It would be a pity not to turn it into a mall!”
The entire meeting was dominated by Zhou Jiaxin’s remarks. Zhou Jiaxin and Zhou Jiarong had always been at odds, with the eldest brother, Zhou Jiayi, being incompetent and thus excluded from the running of the company. Zhou Jialan, being a woman, was also deemed unsuitable to take over the massive group, leaving only Zhou Jiarong and Zhou Jiaxin in contention. This was the prevailing sentiment among the senior executives and the entire company.
When Zhou Donghai was still around, the two of them vied for power behind the scenes, their rivalry hidden. After Zhou Donghai fell ill and his health deteriorated, their competition became more overt, leading to a public clash. However, no one anticipated that Zhou Donghai would bypass both and directly appoint Zhou Jingyu, catching everyone off guard.
Zhou Donghai’s strategy of sending Zhou Jingyu to France for ten years and then making a surprise return was a masterstroke. It showed that Zhou Donghai’s methods were indeed shrewd!
The older generation, having worked in the company for decades, felt resentful at being reduced to serving a young upstart.
In response to this, Zhou Jiarong and Zhou Jiaxin quickly reached a consensus, uniting against the newcomer. With their years of experience in the company, they believed it wouldn’t be difficult to handle an outsider.
By opposing whatever Zhou Jingyu proposed, they aimed to make his job difficult, demonstrating to everyone who the real power holders were.
Even if they sidelined Zhou Jingyu, it didn’t matter if he held the title of chairman—he would just be a figurehead.
Yet, the pursuit of personal interests continued unabated, as Zhou Jiarong and Zhou Jiaxin still couldn’t agree on everything. Their ongoing conflicts were just the tip of the iceberg.
“You have your own plans, but you want to take the land I painstakingly acquired and turn it into a shopping mall. It’s a joke! Don’t even think about it!” Zhou Jiarong was infuriated by Zhou Jiaxin’s proposal.
Zhou Jiaxin remained calm and replied, “You want to continue building residential buildings, but can you actually do it now? The land is empty, so it’s better to use it for a shopping mall and start generating income.”
He then turned to Zhou Jingyu, who was sitting in the main position, and feigned seeking his opinion. “Jingyu, what do you think? Am I right?”
Zhou Jiarong sneered and said disdainfully, “He’s only been with the company for three months. How could he understand?”
Internally, Zhou Jingyu wasn’t as influential as external rumors suggested. His decision-making power was limited to trivial matters, with the real authority still in the hands of Zhou Jiarong, Zhou Jiaxin, and Zhou Jialan.
Despite being subtly and overtly belittled, Zhou Jingyu remained unfazed, maintaining his usual calm and respectful demeanor.
Zhou Jingyu addressed the issue diplomatically: “Both uncles make valid points. Whether to build residential buildings or a shopping mall is a tough decision.”
“Since we probably won’t reach a conclusion today, why not go back and carefully plan your proposals? We can reconvene and vote on them.”
Seeing Zhou Jingyu’s neutral stance, Zhou Jiarong scoffed.
He spread his hands and said, “That’s right. If necessary, we should listen to the chairman’s opinion.”
Zhou Jialan, who had been passively observing, grew impatient with the endless bickering. “Alright, enough. You both go back and work on your plans. We’ll vote on them later. I have other matters to attend to. The meeting is adjourned.”
With that, the meeting concluded.
Back in his office, Zhou Jingyu found Zhou Jingxi sitting at his desk, waiting with his feet propped up.
Zhou Jingxi had not seen Zhou Jingyu since he left the Zhou family residence. At twenty-three years old and having just returned from studying abroad, Zhou Jingxi had no great ambitions and had never worked in the company before Zhou Jingyu’s return. He spent his days in leisure until his mother, Yue Lin, insisted he take a position in the company.
Zhou Jingxi had come to report for duty, assigned to a high-ranking position as the Vice General Manager of the Marketing Department. After reporting in, he went to the executive office, where the secretary informed him that Zhou Jingyu was still in a meeting. Missing his brother, he decided to wait in the executive office.
“Bro!” Zhou Jingxi greeted eagerly when he saw Zhou Jingyu. He stood up to offer the highest level of courtesy he could.
“You’re here,” Zhou Jingyu said, walking over and placing the documents on his desk. He inquired, “How’s your first day at work?”
Zhou Jingxi was aware that Zhou Jingyu knew he was coming to work, as Yue Lin had gotten the position for him.
“It’s great.” Zhou Jingxi was intrigued by everything, though his main motivation was seeing Zhou Jingyu. He hadn’t wanted to come to work, preferring to enjoy his free time, but his mother’s insistence made him relent, at least for the chance to see his brother regularly.
After a brief chat, Zhou Jingxi knew Zhou Jingyu was busy and decided to leave. He had plans to visit a hot spring resort with friends later.
Before he left, Zhou Jingyu stopped him and asked quietly, “Jingxi, how long has it been since you visited the nursing home?”
Zhou Jingxi: “……”
Although Zhou Jingyu always appeared detached and never criticized anyone, Zhou Jingxi found his calm demeanor to be the most intimidating. It felt as though he was above everything, controlling everything with ease.
Zhou Jingxi couldn’t understand why his uncles thought his brother was just a figurehead. To him, Zhou Jingyu was incredibly impressive. He had admired his brother since he was young and knew just how capable Zhou Jingyu was—far beyond what others might perceive!
Hearing that his uncles were now openly opposing Zhou Jingyu and trying to undermine him, Zhou Jingxi felt a twinge of anxiety and frustration. He mentally prepared to confront them if needed.
Zhou Jingxi was a bit nervous about Zhou Jingyu’s question. He had always feared his grandfather and hadn’t visited the nursing home as often as he should. When asked how long it had been since he visited, Zhou Jingxi hesitated and admitted, “…about a month?”
Since the New Year, it had been a while.
Zhou Jingyu nodded and gently said, “You should visit more often. Grandpa hasn’t seen you in a long time and misses you a lot.”
Zhou Jingxi thought that aside from Zhou Jingyu, their grandfather likely wouldn’t miss any of the grandchildren, but he kept this thought to himself. He always followed his brother’s advice without question.
“Yes, I will,” Zhou Jingxi said obediently.
After work, Zhou Jingyu attended a class reunion, and Lu Yi gave him a ride.
Lu Yi, who was currently infatuated with Jiang Qianya, couldn’t stop talking about her, describing her beauty and grace, and praising her acting skills. As they passed Fortune Plaza and waited at a red light, Lu Yi pointed out a large advertisement for Wen Tang.
Zhou Jingyu, who had been disinterested in Jiang Qianya throughout the ride, finally turned his attention to Wen Tang’s advertisement. Sometimes, things you overlook daily become suddenly captivating when you finally notice them.
“Do you know her?” Zhou Jingyu asked.
Lu Yi was taken aback, as if he’d heard a joke. He replied, “What do you mean, ‘know her’? It’s impossible for anyone not to know her!”
But then he remembered that Zhou Jingyu had been in France for the past decade, so it was possible he might not be familiar with her.
As he drove, Lu Yi enthusiastically explained, “Wen Tang, the person in the ad, is one of the hottest stars in the entertainment industry right now! She’s stunning, even more so than Jiang Qianya. She’s the lead in TV dramas and her acting is top-notch.”
“I wanted to pursue her a long time ago, but I didn’t dare.”
“Do you know why?” Lu Yi turned to Zhou Jingyu with a mysterious wink, then answered himself, “Because she’s too amazing, even more so than I am! I’m afraid I wouldn’t stand a chance.”
*
Author’s Note: Confidence can sometimes lead to a swift reality check.
***
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Ayalee[Translator]
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