Chen Qizhao went downstairs and found the kitchen staff serving food one after another. Chen Qizhao glanced at the dining room. Then he entered the kitchen and saw that Zhang Yazhi was talking to the chef. She seemed to be asking about the main points behind the soup in the big pot.
Chen Qizhao listened to a few sentences before he stopped listening. He took out a can of beer from the refrigerator.
Zhang Yazhi was still inquiring with the chef when she heard a clang. She immediately turned around and saw Chen Qizhao standing in front of the refrigerator. The beer can had fallen to the ground and beer was flowing out.
The kitchen suddenly quieted down. Chen Qizhao seemed to come to his senses. He bent down to pick up the beer can and threw it into the trash can.
He said, “I didn’t hold it steadily.”
Zhang Yazhi’s eyes stopped on him. “So careless. You get wet. Go and change your clothes.”
Chen Qizhao refused. He took another can from the refrigerator and quickly went to the dining room.
Zhang Yazhi’s eyes stopped on his back. Her mind didn’t return until the chef next to her called out to her twice.
“Ma’am, that’s about it. I’ll sort out the ingredients for you later,” the chef said.
Zhang Yazhi told him, “I troubled you.”
She looked at the pot of chicken soup but her mood wasn’t as high as before.
The table was relatively quiet when eating.
During this period of time, many problems broke out in the Chen Group. Chen Jianhong and Chen Shiming hadn’t been home for several days. For this meal, they rarely didn’t mention things at work. Chen Jianhong asked a few words about family affairs and his eyes fell on Chen Qizhao from time to time.
Chen Qizhao didn’t speak. He just finished the chicken soup served by Zhang Yazhi in front of him and only took a few mouthfuls of the meal.
Zhang Yazhi was stunned. “You’ve finished eating?”
Chen Shiming’s eyes stopped on Chen Qizhao’s bowl. “You’re only eating this much?”
“You guys eat. I still have work to do.”
Chen Qizhao answered before quickly turning around and going upstairs.
After returning to the room, Chen Qizhao went to the bathroom to change clothes. It was only after he came out of the bathroom that he dealt with the accumulated messages. He first went to process the messages in the email. Then he downloaded and sorted out the files sent by Xiao Zhou and Special Assistant Xu. Chen Shiming’s actions were very fast. After the internal affairs of the Chen family were handed over to him, even if there was the unexpected situation of the Lin family’s attack, he could arrange all the work and dig up evidence of the Lin family’s illegal crimes in an orderly manner.
Some of Lin Shizong’s actions might be well hidden but once some times were exposed, the ones he thought were chess pieces would become his potential opponents. The Lin Group’s investigation by the relevant department was just the beginning. The Lin Group wanted to drag the Chen Group into the crisis but that was on the premise that they didn’t enter a crisis first.
Lin Shizong thought he was attacking the Chen family but the main drama was still to come.
Chen Qizhao closed the email. It was only then that he noticed Shen Yuhuai sent him a message on VX two hours ago. There was an attached document.
He stopped and downloaded the document.
The line that Shen Yuhuai investigated followed the original aromatherapy, digging out the truth of the source of the aromatherapy bit by bit. It was from the special compound extraction institute in S City to the institute factories cooperating with them in the capital, to the extraordinary transaction between Lin Medical and Gu Zhengsong.
It should be the handwriting of the Shen family that he could check it so quickly.
[Shen Yuhuai: All the things investigated so far are like this. The probability that the Lin Group has a relationship with Gu Zhengsong is 95% but there is no way to find the direct evidence.]
[Shen Yuhuai: Gu Zhengsong is too cautious. It isn’t so simple to grab his handle.]
Chen Qizhao finished reading the document and saw Shen Yuhuai’s message below.
He paused for a long time before finally typing a thank you in the chat box.
The moment the thanks was sent, Shen Yuhuai replied.
The other person seemed to be waiting for his reply.
[Shen Yuhuai: I will tell you everything I know.]
[Shen Yuhuai: Once something happens, don’t hide it from me, okay?]
Chen Qizhao hesitated a bit when he saw the reply. His throat seemed to be choked up by something and he was unable to speak.
It took a long time before he replied to Shen Yuhuai.
[Zhao: Yes.]
[Shen Yuhuai: You aren’t lying to me?]
Seeing this sentence, Chen Qizhao seemed able to imagine the expression of the other person saying this sentence.
Shen Yuhuai looked at him.
[Zhao: Yes, I won’t lie next time.]
Chen Qizhao lowered his head and an indescribable emotion seemed to spread in his chest. He didn’t know where this emotion came from. The unspeakable feeling came out like this.
He was caught off guard and there was also an indescribable excitement.
He thought badly, ‘This is the last time. Next time, I won’t lie.’
The dining table of the Chen family was nothing more than work, study and daily affairs. Chen Qizhao used to rarely talk when eating but he also ate a lot. For today’s small amount of food, even Chen Jianhong and Chen Shiming noticed the problem.
“I was told by Old Zhang that he didn’t eat much at home some time ago.” Zhang Yazhi’s tone was a bit worried. “He also lost a lot of weight. I thought that since he would come home today to eat and I could let him eat more… But he just drank some soup.”
In fact, she had seen a lot during this time. Chen Qizhao wasn’t as rebellious as before. At the very least, he stopped arguing with Chen Shiming like he did some time ago. Now this person had become much more restrained and quiet. Zhang Yazhi also lost her appetite and she said with some worry, “When he watched TV with me in the living room, I always felt he was distracted. Sometimes when I was talking, he didn’t answer me. It was as if he was thinking about something.”
“I asked him to tell me something but he kept saying it was fine.”
Chen Jianhong and Chen Shiming were silent for a moment but the worry in Zhang Yazhi’s tone couldn’t be concealed. She couldn’t sit still at all. “Old Zhang, keep the chicken soup in the kitchen first. Send a bit to the second young master later.”
After she finished speaking, she added, “I’ll call and ask Dr Li.”
Zhang Yazhi left the table after speaking. Only the Chen family’s father and son were left at the dinner table.
Chen Jianhong asked, “Has he said anything else recently?”
“No.” Chen Shiming’s heart sank slightly. He thought of Chen Qizhao’s indifference and movements during this time. In the afternoon, he asked his assistant to send all the information that Chen Qizhao asked for in the company and found that part of the documents that Chen Qizhao requested were the internal problem report documents of the Chen Group in the past half a month. The main documents were the loopholes caused by the Lin Group.
Ever since Chen Shiming started to investigate the Chen Group’s internal loopholes, he also pulled out all the nails that could be pulled out. The rest were some intricate loopholes without evidence. He could move against them but problems would come. No matter how complete the list was, there might be people or things that had been missed. If he did things without certainty then it was likely to lead to serious consequences.
So in the beginning, before Lin Shizong made a move, he discussed with Chen Qizhao a plan to lure the enemy out.
Lin Shizong failed one after another. Seeing that the situation was about to end in vain and that Lin Shizong was likely to take further action, Chen Shiming gave some fake news to Chen Liyao and the others who were undercover in the group. He pretended that the time was ripe and forced the other party to take further action. It was only when Lin Shizong took the initiative to attack that Chen Shiming could find all the nails hidden in the Chen Group and find evidence that Lin Shizong had used the Chen Group as cover to do something wrong over the years.
It was inevitable that the Chen Group would lose something but this was the best way to completely get the Chen Group out of the current situation of being controlled by others. They could also catch Lin Shizong, who was behind the scenes.
Now that the Lin Group had indeed made a move on the Chen Group, people with a discerning eye could see the malicious targeting behind the numerous problems caused during this period of time.
His search for evidence was progressing gradually and he now had some evidence under control.
It was just that this was his initial plan. Now he felt that Chen Qizhao’s real plan was more than that.
Chen Shiming said, “I’ll go upstairs and take a look.”
Only Chen Jianhong was left at the dinner table and the surroundings instantly became quiet.
Chen Jianhong looked at Chen Qizhao’s position. What came to mind was the toddler, the child and then the little boy who was only as tall as his legs. The young Chen Qizhao was lively, cheerful and smart. Unlike his older son Chen Shiming, who liked to have a straight face since he was a child, Chen Qizhao lived like a happy child.
He didn’t know when the changes began but the boy who followed behind him and called him ‘Dad’ suddenly grew into a different look. It was as if he had entered the so-called adolescence and became covered with thorns. Chen Jianhong’s words just became preaching in the eyes of the child and the arguments and unhappy breakup seemed to have become a daily routine for the whole family.
Chen Jianhong couldn’t describe the feeling of not being able to dislike his own child. Even if his child was useless in front of outsiders or ordinary in comparison to his older brother, but in his eyes, this was his child after all. He only hoped that his child could have his own ability and become independent in the long journey of life.
In the early years, the father and son quarreled all the time and the dinner table broke up unhappily.
Then in the past two years, the child had lost part of his immaturity since becoming an adult and matured visibly to the naked eye.
The problems exposed within the Chen Group, the Lin Group’s deliberate targeting… these things came out one after another. His youngest son’s immature appearance faded in front of him and Chen Qizhao maturely and rationally threw out some unheard of evidence and clues. Finally, this matter grew bigger and bigger. A huge and weird conspiracy appeared in front of him.
Chen Qizhao had matured but Chen Jianhong couldn’t see through him.
He didn’t know when Chen Qizhao had noticed these problems and when Chen Qizhao had started investigating these things.
How long had his child been hiding and how long had he endured? How many things did he know and how many dangers had he encountered? How much of the past was true or false? All of these were unknown.
The housekeeper waited on the side for a long time. “Sir, do you want to take away the leftovers?”
Chen Jianhong’s mind returned and he suddenly said, “Old Zhang, am I an incompetent father?”
The housekeeper didn’t speak because he didn’t know how to answer.
“Forget it, take it away.” Chen Jianhong stood up and ordered, “Send a cup of tea to the study later.”
The housekeeper said, “Second Young Master doesn’t like you drinking tea.”
Chen Jianhong’s figure stopped. “Then send water.”
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Thank you for the chapter!
Thanks for the chapter!
I am somehow tearing up
I feel bad for Papa Chen. I hope once the bad guys are dealt with, CQ can mend his family and not just save their lives.
Well… tbh, criticizing a child for everything they do and for liking what they like is no way to raise them. Qizhao had his own personality and his own interests apart from the family, just like Yuhuai. Both Qizhao and Yuhuai weren’t interested in their family business and preferred a different career; Qizhao in computer science and AI while Yuhai was interested in Chemistry. The difference is that Yuhuai’s family let him study what he wanted while Qizhao received criticism. Plus where does the idea of Qizhao being incompetent even come from? He liked to play and party, yes; but his grades never slipped and he had his own interests. All this comparison with his older brother was what made him feel inadequate, made him overcompensate, and made him find friendship in two-faced people who only wanted to take advantage of him because at least they knew how to flatter him instead of the constant critique he got from his own family. All of this made it easier for enemies to drive a wedge between their relationship and create internal conflict to make it easier to topple their company. I’m not saying the Chens deserve what’s happening to him. I’m just answering papa Chen’s question: tbf, you’re not winning any father of the year award
This is certainly one way of looking at it – and is very similar to the old mc’s point of view.
However, what I think the author does really well here is they are pointing out the mistakes on both sides. The brother and father forcefully criticized the mc, without acknowledging his strengths or buffering their criticisms with explicit displays of the love that is driving them to make the criticisms in the first place. The Mc feels he is being restricted and constantly being compared to his brother, and is being guided by his friends into viewing his family as an enemy aiming to purposefully surpress him. He is not willing to listen or reason with his family, and so his family doesn’t understand even the more reasonable decisions he wants to make (like his choice of major).
I think what both side needs is to listen to each other without the assumption that the other side is purposefully trying to be difficult or target them. With that in mind, they can better communicate, and if they communicate, they can maybe even start understanding each other.
Families can be harsh and critical because they care more deeply. They see flaws in each other and worry about the impact. Partying and making only shallow friendships are really things that can have permanent, negative impact on someone’s life if continued for too long. In many cases, the mc’s family started out trying to discuss an issue they see with the mc, only to have the discussion blow up into an argument because neither side is willing to think about the situation from the other’s perspective. The thing is, if the mc’s luck hadn’t been so bad, the family would help the mc resolve any repercussion from bad decisions he makes. The mc would have time to develop (it’s mentioned earlier that the father was setting the son up to gain experience slowly so he would eventually have the knowledge to run his own company – if in the past, probably something that used his interest in AI). Nothing bad would happen to the mc despite his partying and bad choice of friends.
+1