Chapter 9
Zhou father’s funeral was very grand, very hasty, and after three days he was rushed to burial. The day after the funeral, the lawyer read his will, its contents shocked everyone. Zhou father left all the property under his name, including 30% of the shares of Zhou Group, to the youngest son Zhou Wenang. The eldest son and the second son did not get anything.
Second son Zhou Wenjing was an illegitimate child, he had never been acknowledged by his father. Not inheriting anything was nothing strange. However, the eldest son also got nothing. Zhou mother had also given her legacy to the youngest son, the world had to sigh- this Zhou couple was really eccentric being so partial to their youngest child. What was Zhou Yunsheng supposed to do in the future? Did they not consider this problem?
“Mr. Zhou, please sign.” The lawyers placed a thick stack of documents in front of Zhou Wenang and asked him to sign, the rest of the people could only stare drily.
“This is not possible, Zhou Hao can’t have left nothing for Yun Sheng. He said before, he’d give Zhou Group to Yun Sheng.” Yang old lady shouted, she couldn’t believe what was happening. Mr. Yang old also stared at the youngest grandson suspiciously. As in-laws, they were invited to attend the will reading.
Zhou Yunsheng smiled and patted his grandmother’s old back, although their relationship was alienated, the two elderly people did not lose their love for him.
“How could it be? He went abroad for six or seven years, and did not even call home. I was the one who accompanied my father till filial piety. I also helped to take care of the company. So why can’t my father leave the inheritance to me?” Zhou Wenang’s attitude towards the two old people was no longer as respectful as before.
“But Xi’s legacy was also given to you, your brother does not have anything- how can he live in the future … …” Yang old lady still felt it was very unfair.
“Oh, yes, from tomorrow, I’m the new president of Zhou Group, and I’ve decided to withdraw from Yang Group. I ask that you make preparations.” Zhou Wenang laughed heartily.
“Do you know what the consequences of divestment is? Do you want to force Yang into bankruptcy?!” Mr. Yang old asked, his wrinkled eyebrows concealed fresh rage. He did not expect the little grandson to turn out to be so ruthless. Was the previous sensible filial piety false? What did Yang ever do to him to actually let him plan the death of Yang family?
The always expressionless Zhou Wenjing finally exposed a smile. He knew the old man’s will did not have anything for him. Today he came for the sake of drama. Yang Jia never looked at him, and now Zhou Wenang, who they poured twenty years of love into, was attacking them. A real dog biting the owner’s hand development.
Zhou Yunsheng was very calm from beginning to end, he patted his grandfather’s shoulder, lightly laughed, “He wants to disinvest so let him withdraw. Grandfather, grandmother, were leaving.”
“But … …” How could Mr. Yang be willing to go? If Zhou divestments, Yang’s subsea tunnel project would have a huge shortage of funds, so the project wouldn’t be completed on schedule, even worse it could be cancelled. Then not only will Yang’s early investment of more than 100 million hit the water, but they’d have to pay compensation for the huge amounts of liquidated damages and bank loans. All of Yang’s industries would have to be sold to fill in this hole.
Zhou Wenang, this will simply send Yang to death ah!
“Even if you ask him, he will not change his mind. He wants Yang Jia to die. Grandfather, Grandmother, come with me, I have a way.” Zhou Yun Sheng was afraid that all of the shocking words would stimulate the two old people, so he forcefully took them away.
You have a way? What can you do? Zhou Wenang and Zhou Wenjing habitually mockingly said.
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Zhou father died, and Zhou and Yang’s cooperation came crashing down. Zhou’s new president, Zhou Wenang, announced that he would withdraw from Yang’s subsea tunnel project for unknown reasons. Yang was currently facing the biggest crisis, if the deal was not fixed, they would fall into bankruptcy, liquidation and despair.
But at this time no one was willing to lend a helping hand. They were waiting for Yang’s assets to go for the lowest price and make tens of billions in profits from the failure of the tunnel project. The business world was always like this, for benefits, not to mention friends, even their loved ones could be sold.
But what was surprising was that Mr. Yang was very stable. He went home to eat, sleep, and did not look to the outside world for help. Yang’s several children were also carefree, the current Yang leader’s wife, Yang Zhenhai, was even seen in the mall buying up tens of millions worth of jewelry, she did not look like she lacked for money.
“Oh, my nephew is the president of Noah Universal, what do I have to worry about? You know Noah Universal, right? Ranked first in the world’s top 500 companies?” Mrs. Yang stared at the huge diamond ring on her index finger, her laughter was particularly cheerful.
The salesman only nodded, but in his heart he sneered: Your two nephews, one inherited Zhou, one is nothing but a pauper, where did you get the world’s richest nephew? Dreaming?
Yang’s reaction, although strange, Zhou Wenang had no choice but to ignore it. He was too busy dealing with Zhou Wenjing. He did not expect that the bastard he had been playing around with, was now the president of a million dollar company, and he was competing with him for Zhou.
Zhou Wenjing first released news that Zhou Wenang was not Yang Xi’s son, and also implied that Zhou Hao murdered Yang Xi, seeking her heritage. He published on the Internet a DNA comparison of Yang Xi and Zhou Wenang, causing the police to quickly start an investigation. After two consecutive big scandals the world was in an uproar. After Zhou father died the group’s stock prices declined daily.
And Zhou Wenjing was taking advantage of this opportunity to buy up the shares, until he became a large shareholder of Zhou Group.
Zhou Yunsheng was satisfied, he wanted the two people to fight it out till death. He never thought to fight with Zhou Wenang for the family property, from the beginning, he decided to leave the others with nothing. And Zhou Wenjing, who thought he was the great winner, he wanted to give him a vivid life lesson, teach him what it means when the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the sparrow lurking behind, what it meant to draw water with a bamboo basket.
The original Zhou Yun Sheng experienced desperation and misery, he will not make him feel it twice.
For several months, the two Zhou brothers were in an intense competition. The two were currently holding 30% of the shares of Zhou, to win over the shareholders to their team, they needed to go after the 15% of shares in Du’s hands.
As early as seven years ago he was a shareholder of Zhou, but no one noticed. Zhou Wenang hesitated, trying to think about the meaning behind Du housekeeper’s move. He only knew that he would be the final winner if he could persuade him to sell his shares to him or support him at the shareholders’ meeting.
Unfortunately, Zhou Wenjing also had the same idea as him. He’d just gotten out of the elevator when the two met in the corridor.
“Come in, do you want coffee or green tea?” Inoue Xiushan, speaking fluent Mandarin, brought the two people into the president’s office.
“Coffee (green tea).” The two answered, completely opposed.
The leather chair turned around, a tall and vigorous man was squinting with a cigar, hair combed back, revealing a handsome evildoer’s face. His thin lips spit out a puff of smoke, but it couldn’t cover the sharp light in his dark pupils.
Zhou Wenjing habitually sat straighter, Zhou Wenang was scared enough to almost spill his hot coffee. But what let him panic was not the identity of Du Xu Lang, but how Zhou Wenjing respectfully greeted him. He called him uncle!
“Well, you’ve already joined forces to deal with me, huh?” Knowing that staying any longer would just lead to his own disgrace, Zhou Wenang clenched his hands and angrily left.
He said ‘joined forces’ referring to Zhou Wenjing, Zhou Yunsheng, Du Xu Lang together, after all, he knew that Du Xu Lang was Zhou Yunsheng’s boyfriend. The other side had Du Xu Lang, such a big thigh, no wonder Yang quickly raised 2 billion to fill in the holes in the missing funds.
But Zhou Wenjing did not know the inside story, he thought he was talking about his uncle and himself. Ignoring it, he said, “Uncle, that 15% of the shares you have, please sell them to me, it doesn’t have to be cheap.”
Du Xu Lang did not answer, but strangely asked, “Wenjing, have you not thought that Zhou should belong to Yun Sheng?”
Zhou Wenjing barely suppressed the jealously in his heart, pretending to take it lightly he laughed, “Uncle you’ve taught me well. Business is a battlefield, you have to rely on yourself to win. This is a competition. If he wants Zhou, he can rely on his own ability and fight with me.”
Du Xu Lang’s inexplicable care for Zhou Yunsheng made him feel a sense of crisis.
Du Xu Lang was silent a moment, then he nodded, “You’re right, natural selection respects the strong who have the ability to survive. Zhou will belong to the strongest.”
“That means…. uncle you’ll stay in the sidelines and won’t intervene?” Zhou Wenjing asked relieved.
“I will not intervene.”
“Then the shares … …” Zhou Wenjing pushed. He was afraid his uncle would send the shares to Zhou Yun Sheng. He said he would not attack Zhou Yun Sheng, but that does not mean he would help him. He had long sworn, he’d leave the other side with nothing.
“I’ll sell it to you, 35 yuan per share.” Du Xu Lang gave the most reasonable price.
Zhou Wenjing was satisfied, he immediately took out a check to fill in the figures. Inoue Xiushan sent him to the elevator door, looking as his complacent face as he disappeared through the door, he quietly sighed: silly boy, the boss fooled you. You thought the boss was fair, in fact, he was just covering up his bad deeds. According to his acting style, if he doesn’t attack directly, the hidden attack should be deadly.
Sheng did not compete for Zhou, not because he had no ability, but because he plans to destroy Zhou. This 15%, after he was done, would become waste paper.
Boss obviously knew the truth, but he not only did not mention it, he also sold a stack of waste paper to his nephew. Really inhuman ah!
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T/N:
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the sparrow lurking behind – being too focused on what’s in front to notice a danger behind you
Draw water with a bamboo basket – a fruitless effort
Really inhuman ah! – Inoue engages in some Chinese world play after this sentence. I’m not able to properly convey it so I’m leaving it out. Afterwards he just pats himself on the back, saying how clever his pun is.