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Chapter 9: The Zheng family will inevitably undergo a change of leadership.
Zheng Maoxun stared at him and sat down in his leather chair, but he couldn’t help but yawn.
His lack of energy was apparent.
It wasn’t that he intentionally appeared so dispirited. Yesterday was an exceptional situation; after racing with his friends, he stayed up all night drinking. The playful atmosphere was still thick among his friends, but he had to leave midway, explaining that he had to go to work at the family company the next day, fearing ridicule for the next half month.
Just as Chen Wengang was about to speak, he immediately propped up his legs, humming a tune with a whimsical and offbeat melody.
Chen Wengang paused, gesturing for him to sit properly: “Sit properly.”
Zheng Maoxun retorted, “If you want to control me, first see if you have the qualifications.”
The second young master of the Zheng family seemed to possess a skill: just sitting there made him look like he was asking for a beating.
Chen Wengang didn’t flare up; he simply said, “Don’t you know how your father used to go to work? He was in good health, and whenever he came to the company, he arrived at least an hour before the start of working hours. Even the janitors didn’t come in as early as him.”
“Okay… and?”
“At that time, almost no one used the elevators in this building,” Chen Wengang continued. “Because he liked climbing stairs, regardless of which floor he needed to go to. The chairman didn’t take the elevator, so no one dared to use it, afraid of appearing to be greedy for comfort.”
Zheng Maoxun once again didn’t know how to respond. His knowledge of Zheng Bingyi didn’t extend to this level of detail.
One could say that he hadn’t delved into the details to the extent known by Chen Wengang.
He even genuinely recalled his childhood. Occasionally, when he visited his father’s office, no one stopped him from taking the elevator.
However, when Zheng Maoxun joined the company last year, Zheng Bingyi had already returned home to focus on self-cultivation and wasn’t coming to the office regularly.
These reflections might hold some significance or could be just a way to intimidate him. Either way, he couldn’t immediately change his mindset.
Chen Wengang leaned on the table with his elbows and looked at him, “Don’t you understand? This indicates how much influence your father has in the company and how firm the management style is. You may find these things absurd or irrelevant, but the fact is, nobody dares to take him lightly.
But everyone knows he’s getting old, and the Zheng family will inevitably undergo a change of leadership.
Now all eyes are on you and your brother. Who cares about my reputation? I won’t inherit anything from your family in the future. It’s you. If you show even a bit of laziness, people will think, ‘Oh, Zheng Bingyi’s son is not like him.’ Some will feel relieved, thinking they won’t have to deal with a boss who dictates everything. Others will wonder, ‘What now? Where is the future of the conglomerate headed?'”
“In the future, you will at least reach the executive level. What kind of image do you want to have in the eyes of others? You may think Zheng Yucheng is not competent, but with your current attitude, can you command people better than him? In what aspect are you stronger than him?”
Zheng Maoxun finally stopped humming; his face darkened, and a sense of defiance welled up in his heart, yet he found himself unable to retort.
When Chen Wengang asked for the work records again, Zheng Maoxun hesitated for a moment before reluctantly handing them over.
Immediately after passing them, he regretted it because Chen Wengang, sitting there, looked like he was checking a child’s homework as he flipped through the pages.
Zheng Maoxun began to feel uneasy, not understanding why he was following Chen Wengang’s lead. He realized it was because of his weak demeanor; he had been led around by others due to his lack of assertiveness. He couldn’t help but feel annoyed with himself. After all, Chen Wengang was only two years older, so why was he acting like an elder?
However, what was infuriating was that Chen Wengang did indeed resemble an elder.
Zheng Maoxun felt an inexplicable worry, fearing that Chen Wengang, after reviewing his “homework,” would display a disdainful expression. He was ready to retort at any moment, bristling with defensiveness like a pufferfish.
However, Chen Wengang simply expressed gratitude.
Zheng Maoxun was stunned, “Is that all?”
Chen Wengang asked, “Do you have anything else to say?”
“You… I…” Zheng Maoxun stumbled over his words, “I have nothing to say to you. It’s time for me to get off work.”
However, Chen Wengang took the initiative to ask him, “How did you come here? Did you drive yourself? Would it be convenient to give me a ride?”
This was an impulsive decision by Zheng Maoxun today. Although he wasn’t very pleased, he reluctantly agreed.
In the underground parking lot, Zheng Maoxun unlocked the car door, turned to glance at Chen Wengang, and suddenly, as if playing a prank, changed his mind.
With a triumphant expression, he casually tossed the car keys, saying, “I almost forgot; this sports car of mine is still new. What if I don’t want you to ride in it?”
“If you don’t want to give me a ride, I can just call a taxi on the ground. There’s no need to force yourself.” Chen Wengang looked at him with confusion, finding it difficult to understand if this was some sort of threat. “Because you’re also heading home, that’s why I asked.”
“…Tch.” Zheng Maoxun opened the car door, feeling it was uninteresting, and said, “Get in.”
Suddenly, a silver BMW rushed out from a nearby designated parking space, taking the lead in exiting the passageway. The speed was too dangerous for the underground parking lot, but fortunately, Zheng Maoxun hadn’t started the engine yet. He muttered a curse but noticed the license plate, finding it quite familiar.
Recognizing whose car it was, he suddenly lost his anger, and a mischievous impulse stirred in his heart.
Changing his demeanor, Zheng Maoxun turned to Chen Wengang and said, “Actually, if you think about it, our relationship, even if it wasn’t good before, doesn’t need to be so tense, right? In the future, when it’s convenient for me to commute, I can give you a ride.”
Chen Wengang fastened his seatbelt calmly and said, “Well, thank you in advance then.”
***
Time passed quickly when there was something to do. Almost two weeks had passed in the blink of an eye.
In his past life, Chen Wengang didn’t interact much with Zheng Maoxun, and they were somewhat unfamiliar with each other. Now, the relationship between the three seemed to have turned into a subtle struggle:
Zheng Maoxun, in order to compete with his brother, reluctantly spent time with Chen Wengang every day.
Zheng Yucheng, on the other hand, observed coldly and seemed to be intending to carry the Cold War to the end.
To be fair, Chen Wengang didn’t particularly care about how well or poorly they got along.
However, according to Zheng Baoqiu, Hua Niansheng had temporarily returned to Zhang City; this was the only information Chen Wengang managed to obtain. Currently, Chen Wengang doesn’t know anyone around Hua Niansheng and has no way of knowing his specific whereabouts. On the other hand, there were plenty of gossip articles about Hua Niansheng, and paparazzi might know more about which hotel he was staying in than Chen Wengang did. Unfortunately, entertainment tabloids were not GPS; they couldn’t provide the public with real-time location updates.
Chen Wengang had no choice but to focus on his work, tasked with ensuring that Zheng Maoxun was diligently doing his job as the two spent their days together.
Over these past few days, colleagues couldn’t help but watch the commotion. Even with Chen Wengang’s temperament, there were times when he found it challenging to endure Zheng Maoxun’s behavior:
“Zheng Maoxun, let me remind you again, I am not your nanny. I won’t handle everything for you.”
“I don’t care; it’s my dad who asked you to come and teach me. That’s your responsibility,” Zheng Maoxun said triumphantly.
In fact, this showed a kind of persistent resilience in the face of repeated failures. Despite being irritated by Chen Wengang, who was a seasoned and experienced figure in society, Zheng Maoxun would always find a way to make him feel uncomfortable. Zheng Maoxun won some battles but lost more, often being left speechless.
But it was also the first time he discovered that this person could be so sharp-tongued.
He was not the silent and docile shadow standing behind his father, devoid of his own thoughts and emotions.
On the fifth floor, Zheng Yucheng went to the tea room and overheard people discussing animatedly inside:
“Oh, thank goodness the big boss finally saw the light and sent someone to rein in the Second Young Master. I always said that, following the chairman’s style, sooner or later, someone would be sent to discipline him. Last time I passed by, I secretly saw his face turn red and his neck bulging—truly a sight to behold!”
“Is there a video? Is there a video? I want to see.”
“Who dares to record? Without proper precautions, we’d be caught, and if he finds out, it will be chaos. I’ll let you know if there’s such excitement next time.”
“That useless mouth of his. He didn’t piss me off last time. Someone should have dealt with him a long time ago. I’ll call Chen and ask him to chant ‘Amitabha.'”
“Don’t say that; I’m optimistic about this pair of enemies. Maybe as they quarrel more, they’ll develop some feelings in the future?”
Zheng Yucheng knew that these were nicknames the employees gave them, and behind the scenes, he referred to:
“The Second Young Master” was Zheng Maoxun, and when talking about him, he was naturally referred to as the “Eldest Young Master.”
At this point, someone finally remembered him: “No way… What about the eldest young master? Wasn’t Xiao Chen with him before?”
The tea room fell silent for a moment.
A voice spoke up: “Lately, it seems like they’re not getting along. I don’t know when they fell out with each other.”
“Or could it be Chairman Zheng’s intention to keep both sons in check, setting the stage for future competition?”
Not far from the tea room, an employee walked by and saw Zheng Yucheng holding an empty cup, his face solemn as he passed by.
The company distributed afternoon tea. Just as Chen Wengang picked up two pieces of cucumber sandwiches, he felt a tap on his back.
Turning around, it was Zheng Yucheng. Seizing the opportunity before others noticed, he gestured to go to a different place to talk.
The two went upstairs and opened the glass door, revealing an open space on the rooftop terrace.
A circle of flowers and plants was arranged along the wall, their leaves shining bright green in the sunlight.
Chen Wengang’s gaze was gentle, and there was no trace of resentment on his face. In fact, it seemed like no one had ever seen him angry. Even when arguing with Zheng Maoxun, no one heard him say anything offensive.
Facing that kind of gaze, Zheng Yucheng hesitated, and a sudden palpitation stuck in his throat.
“I… I’ve thought about it for a long time, and I’ve made up my mind,” he said earnestly, gathering his thoughts. “I understand your concerns about my dad’s thoughts. I won’t make things difficult for you, but as long as we can get past his scrutiny, can’t we continue to be together?”
Chen Wengang neither nodded nor shook his head for a moment, leaning against the heated cement railing, his eyes distant.
He looked through Zheng Yucheng’s masculine and handsome appearance, seeing his own past.
“I don’t want to turn things into what they are now, so let’s put it aside for now.” Zheng Yucheng spoke with a hint of hope in his attitude. “I know that whatever I say now is useless; it will only sound good but won’t really get past my old man’s scrutiny. The only thing I can do is achieve something first and then talk. I’m willing to prove to him in the future that we don’t necessarily need to sell our marriage for a strategic alliance.”
“As for He Wanxin, I really have nothing with her. I absolutely won’t discuss marriage with her or any other woman.”
Chen Wengang listened to the preceding words but was suddenly given a reminder by the last sentence:
If Zheng Yucheng ultimately doesn’t marry He Wanxin and doesn’t marry any other woman in the future, it could be considered a good thing in terms of outcomes.
After all, having a same-sex spouse, regardless of the nature of the marriage, was always a tragedy.
If someone else sincerely wanted to discuss marriage, there was no way he could stop it.
At this moment, Zheng Yucheng was making solemn vows, but how far could he really go in his lifetime? Where did this path lead?
Human hearts are complex. This was not something Chen Wengang could predict or decide for the future. He pondered for a moment and, ultimately, did not pour cold water on these vows. In Zheng Yucheng’s heart, there was another set of thoughts, prompted by an impulse to kiss Chen Wengang, regardless of the consequences.
But just as he raised his hand, he touched the nearby potted plant. A large buzzing insect flew out, flapping its wings heavily, circled once, and then collided with Zheng Yucheng’s chest before finding its way and flying away.
A faint smile appeared on Chen Wengang’s lips: “You still have the mind for these things? Wait until you can prove yourself before talking.”
Saying this, he turned around and headed downstairs.
Zheng Yucheng closed the door to the rooftop and hurriedly followed, catching up with him.
On their way, they encountered a few familiar secretaries, and the two groups exchanged greetings.
As the secretaries walked past, they discreetly turned their heads to sneak a peek. The new topic of discussion in the tea room might be whether the two have reconciled.
This left Zheng Yucheng with a mix of feelings—awkwardness, frustration, relief, and hope—a medley of emotions.
When they reached the entrance of his office, Zheng Yucheng thought of an excuse to keep Chen Wengang a little longer: “The projects I’m currently handling—even though you were suddenly transferred—after all, we burned the midnight oil together to get them done. Could you take another look to see if there are any oversights?”
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