Chapter 9: The Zheng family will inevitably undergo a change of leadership.
Zheng Maoxun glared at him and sat down in his leather chair, but couldn’t hold back a yawn.
Instantly, his imposing aura deflated.
It wasn’t that he was intentionally trying to be so listless. Yesterday was a special circumstance: after street racing with his cronies, he went out drinking all night. While his friends were still in high spirits, he was the only one to bail halfway, citing that he had to go to work at his family’s company the next day, lest he be mocked for half a month.
Just as Chen Wengang was about to speak, he immediately crossed his legs and started humming some tune, completely out of key and off-rhythm.
Chen Wengang paused and ordered him to sit properly: “Sit like you’re supposed to sit.”
Zheng Maoxun said, “You want to manage me? You should look at whether you have the qualifications first.”
The second young master of the Zheng family probably had one special skill: just sitting there made him look like he needed a beating.
Chen Wengang didn’t get angry with him, merely saying, “Do you know how your father used to go to work? When he was healthy and came to the company every day, he would arrive at least an hour before working hours. No one in the entire company, not even the cleaners, arrived earlier than he did.”
“So… what about it?”
“At that time, almost no one in this building used the elevator,” Chen Wengang said. “Because he liked climbing the stairs. No matter what floor he was going to, he took the stairs. The chairman didn’t take the elevator, so everyone else was too afraid to use it, fearing it would make them look like they were seeking comfort.”
Once again, Zheng Maoxun didn’t know how to respond. His understanding of Zheng Bingyi wasn’t detailed to this degree.
Or rather, surprisingly, it wasn’t as detailed as Chen Wengang’s knowledge.
He even genuinely thought back to his childhood. When he occasionally visited his father’s office, naturally no one stopped him if he wanted to take the elevator.
And when Zheng Maoxun joined the company last year, Zheng Bingyi was already recuperating at home and rarely came in.
Perhaps there was some meaning behind these stories, or perhaps they were just meant to bluff him; he couldn’t quite wrap his head around it immediately.
Chen Wengang rested both elbows on the desk and looked at him: “Don’t you understand? This shows how much influence your father has over the conglomerate, and how tough his management style is. You can think this is all nonsense and unimportant, but the fact is, no one dares not to take him seriously.
“But everyone knows he’s getting old, and there will eventually be a change of regime at the Zheng Group.
“Right now, all eyes are on you and your brother. Who cares if my reputation is good or bad? I’m not the one inheriting your family’s estate in the future. You, on the other hand—the moment you show a bit of laziness, people will think, ‘Oh, Zheng Bingyi’s son isn’t like him.’ Some people will thank their lucky stars that they finally won’t have to face a boss whose word is absolute law. Others will wonder, ‘What do we do now? Where is the conglomerate’s future heading?’
“You’ll reach at least the executive level in the future. What kind of image do you want to have in other people’s eyes? You think Zheng Yucheng is a disappointment, but look at yourself—can you command more respect than he can? In what aspect are you better than him?”
Zheng Maoxun finally stopped humming. His face dropped, feeling unresigned yet unable to offer a single word of rebuttal.
When Chen Wengang asked him for the work ledger again, Zheng Maoxun hesitated before handing it over.
Actually, the moment he handed it over, he regretted it, because Chen Wengang sat there flipping through it page by page, looking exactly like a teacher checking an elementary student’s homework.
Zheng Maoxun began to feel it was bizarre. He didn’t understand why he was listening to him. He realized that it was because his own aura was too weak that he kept getting led by the nose. He couldn’t help but feel secretly annoyed: Chen Wengang was only two years older than him, what right did he have to put on the airs of an elder?
Yet, the infuriating part was that he truly resembled an elder.
Zheng Maoxun even inexplicably worried that the other party would show a disdainful expression after checking his “homework.”
He puffed up like a pufferfish, covered in spikes, ready to retort sarcastically at any moment.
But Chen Wengang simply said, “Thank you.”
Zheng Maoxun was taken aback: “That’s it?”
Chen Wengang inquired: “Is there anything else you wanted to say?”
“You… I…” Zheng Maoxun was tongue-tied. “I have nothing to say to you. Time’s up, I’m getting off work.”
But Chen Wengang took the initiative to ask him: “How did you get here? Did you drive yourself? Would it be convenient to give me a lift?”
This was yet another inexplicable decision Zheng Maoxun made today. He wasn’t very willing, but he agreed anyway.
In the underground parking garage, Zheng Maoxun unlocked his car doors, turned his head to glare at Chen Wengang, and suddenly, as if playing a prank, changed his mind.
He smugly tossed his car keys: “Almost forgot, my sports car is brand new. What if I don’t want to let you ride in it?”
“If you don’t want to give me a lift, I can just go up to the street and hail a taxi. It’s not like you have to force yourself.” Chen Wengang looked at him, utterly bewildered, finding it hard to understand how this constituted a threat. “I only asked because you’re heading home too.”
“…Tch.” Zheng Maoxun opened the car door, finding it boring. “Get in.”
In a reserved parking space nearby, a silver BMW suddenly darted out, preemptively speeding out of the aisle. This speed was far too dangerous for an underground garage. Fortunately, Zheng Maoxun hadn’t started his engine yet. He cursed, but then noticed the license plate looked very familiar.
Recognizing whose car it was, his anger suddenly vanished, and the little devil in his heart began to stir.
Zheng Maoxun abruptly changed his expression and said to Chen Wengang: “Actually, thinking about it carefully, even if our relationship wasn’t good in the past, there’s no need for it to be so stiff, right? In the future, when it’s convenient for me going to and from work, I can give you a ride along the way.”
Chen Wengang, unfazed by favor or disgrace, fastened his seatbelt: “Then I’ll thank you in advance.”
Time flies when you have things to do, and nearly two weeks passed in a flash.
In his past life, out of consideration for Zheng Yucheng’s feelings, Chen Wengang hadn’t interacted much with Zheng Maoxun, and the two were practically strangers.
Now, the relationship between the three of them had almost turned into a kind of rivalry:
Zheng Maoxun, out of spite for his brother, would rather pinch his nose and spend every day with Chen Wengang.
Meanwhile, Zheng Yucheng watched coldly from the sidelines, seemingly intent on carrying the cold war to the bitter end.
In all fairness, Chen Wengang didn’t particularly care why the two of them were as incompatible as fire and water.
However, he heard from Zheng Baoqiu that Huo Niansheng had temporarily returned to Zhang City—this was the only bit of news regarding his whereabouts Chen Wengang could obtain. He currently knew no one in Huo Niansheng’s circle, making it even more impossible to learn his specific itinerary. On the other hand, Huo Niansheng had plenty of tabloid gossip; perhaps the paparazzi knew better than Chen Wengang which hotel he was staying at. Unfortunately, entertainment tabloids aren’t GPS trackers and couldn’t provide the public with real-time locations.
Chen Wengang had no choice but to focus on his work, following orders to keep an eye on Zheng Maoxun and ensure he worked properly, spending day and night with him.
Over these few days, their colleagues had also been watching the spectacle daily. Even with Chen Wengang’s temper, there were times when it was hard to tolerate him:
“Zheng Maoxun, let me remind you again, I am not your nanny. I won’t do everything for you.”
“I don’t care, my dad told you to come teach me, so this is your responsibility.” Zheng Maoxun was gleefully triumphant.
Actually, this could be considered a kind of resilience—fighting despite repeated defeats. Because he wanted to anger Chen Wengang, but Chen Wengang was an experienced professional and always found a way to make him uncomfortable. Zheng Maoxun lost more often than he won, frequently left speechless.
But for the first time, he also discovered that this person had such a sharp-tongued side.
He wasn’t that silent, docile shadow standing behind his father, forever devoid of his own thoughts or emotions.
On the fifth floor, when Zheng Yucheng went to the pantry, he heard people inside gossiping animatedly:
“Oh my, thank goodness the big boss finally saw the light and sent someone to rein in the second young master. I knew it, with the chairman’s style, he’d send someone to deal with him sooner or later. Last time I walked by, I secretly saw him red in the face and neck thick with anger, truly a rare spectacle!”
“Is there a video? Is there a video? I want to see.”
“Who would dare film? Being so exposed, I was afraid of being caught. If he really saw it, he’d explode. Next time there’s a show like this, I’ll call you.”
“That useless mouth of his almost infuriated me to death last time. Someone should have disciplined him long ago. I’ll start by calling Xiao Chen a Bodhisattva.”
“You know, I actually have high hopes for these two adversaries. Who knows, maybe after arguing and arguing, they might even argue out some feelings in the future?”
Zheng Yucheng knew these were the nicknames the employees used behind their backs:
The “Second Young Master” was Zheng Maoxun. When he was mentioned, it naturally implied the “Eldest Young Master” existed.
At this point, someone finally remembered him: “No way… then what about the Eldest Young Master? Wasn’t Xiao Chen his person before?”
The pantry went silent for a moment.
A voice spoke up: “Lately it seems they’ve been ignoring each other. I wonder when they fell out.”
“Or could this be Chairman Zheng’s intention? Keeping the bowl level between both sons so they can compete on equal footing in the future?”
A short distance from the pantry, passing employees saw Zheng Yucheng, holding an empty cup, walk past them with a dark expression.
When the company distributed afternoon tea, Chen Wengang picked up two cucumber sandwiches and felt a tap on his back.
He turned around to see Zheng Yucheng, who, before others could look their way, signaled for them to talk elsewhere.
The two went upstairs, pushed open the glass doors, and stepped out onto the open space of the rooftop terrace.
A ring of plants lined the base of the wall, their leaves baked shiny green by the sun.
Chen Wengang’s gaze was very gentle, his face showing not a trace of anger. In fact, it seemed no one had ever seen him angry. Even when bickering loudly with Zheng Maoxun, no one had ever heard him say a single nasty word.
Meeting that gaze, Zheng Yucheng hesitated, a sudden throb of emotion catching in his throat.
“I… I went back and thought about it for a long time. I’ve figured it out.” He composed himself and spoke earnestly, “I understand that you’re taking Dad’s thoughts into consideration right now. I won’t make things difficult for you, but as long as we can get past him, can we still continue to be together?”
Chen Wengang momentarily neither nodded nor shook his head. He leaned against the sun-baked concrete railing, his gaze distant.
Looking past Zheng Yucheng’s masculine, handsome exterior, he was looking at his own past.
“I don’t want us to end up like this, so how about we put things on hold for now?” Zheng Yucheng seemed to see hope in his attitude. “I know that right now, just saying things is useless; it’s just pretty words, and there’s no way we can truly get past the old man. The only thing to do is to achieve some results before speaking. I’m willing to prove to him in the future that I don’t necessarily need to sell my marriage for an alliance.”
“As for He Wanxin, there really is nothing between her and me. I will absolutely never discuss marriage with her or any other woman.”
Chen Wengang listened to the first part, but the last half sentence suddenly gave him a reminder:
If Zheng Yucheng ultimately didn’t marry He Wanxin, nor did he marry any other woman in the future, the outcome itself would be a good thing.
Ultimately, having one more “tongqi” (a straight woman married to a gay man) in this world, regardless of the nature of the marriage, is always a tragedy.
If someone truly intended to discuss marriage, he couldn’t possibly stop them.
Zheng Yucheng was making solemn vows right now, but how far could he actually go in this life? Where would this path lead?
The human heart is complex. This wasn’t a future Chen Wengang could foresee or decide. He pondered for a moment, and ultimately didn’t pour cold water on these vows. Meanwhile, Zheng Yucheng harbored different thoughts. With Chen Wengang reflected in his eyes, he was driven by an impulse, wanting to kiss him regardless of the consequences.
As he raised his hand, he brushed against the nearby plants. With a buzz, a massive bug flew out, flapping its heavy wings in a circle, and smack, crashed into Zheng Yucheng’s chest before finding its way and flying off.
A smile surfaced on Chen Wengang’s lips: “You still have the mind to think about this? Wait until you can prove yourself before you speak.”
With that, he turned and headed downstairs first.
Zheng Yucheng closed the door to the terrace and hurriedly chased after him.
On the way, they encountered a few familiar secretaries, and the two groups exchanged greetings.
Even after walking past, the women turned their heads to peek secretly. The new topic in the pantry would likely be discussing whether the two had reconciled.
This made Zheng Yucheng’s heart a mix of awkwardness, frustration, fleeting luck, and hope—a jumble of mixed feelings.
Arriving at the door to his office, Zheng Yucheng wanted to find an excuse to keep him a little longer: “The event I’m currently in charge of… even though you were suddenly transferred away, after all, we pulled all-nighters to put it together. Could you help me look it over one more time to see if there are any omissions?”
