Chapter 38: 038 Business Sea
Translator: 549690339
Ming Jing stepped into the living room, her senses quickly picking up the tense atmosphere.
Madam Zhou emerged from the kitchen, subtly hinting her with a low whisper, “Sir is back. He had an argument with Madam upstairs. I guess there’s some disagreement. Be careful, Miss Ming Jing. ”
After the uproar caused by Zhu Wenjie that day, everyone tacitly acknowledged that the couple’s marriage was in name only.
Ming Jing nodded and asked, “How’s Granny today?”
Madam Zhou’s face broke into a smile, “Madam is doing better today, managed to eat some food. Just now, she was speaking about you.”
“I’ll go take a look.”
After checking on Granny Zhu, Ming Jing headed upstairs. To the right of the staircase was Zhu Wentao and Lin Qing’s bedroom, opposite theirs was Zhu
Shaodan’s bedroom. To the left were Zhu Xiangxiang’s room and a guest room.
From Zhu Wentao and Lin Qing’s bedroom came faint sounds of a heated argument punctuated with the sound of a flower vase shattering.
“Zhu Wentao! Twenty years of marital devotion doesn’t measure up to a three-month -old fling! You have utterly disappointed me…”
“Stop making a fuss over nothing.”
“I’m making a fuss? Look deep into your heart and tell me, have I not struggled, raising our two children and caring for your mother, is that an easy task?”
“We have maids to take care of the kids and my mother, what have you done? You are loitering every day, shopping, drinking tea, playing mahjong. All of your friends envy you. Is it that your life is too comfortable now that you’re making complaints?”
“Zhu Wentao, you’re not even human…”
“Bang.” The harsh sound of a door slamming.
Zhu Wentao stomped out of the bedroom, rage still plastered on his face when he bumped into Ming Jing who had just come upstairs. His face reflected a momentary embarrassment.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but feeling too ashamed to face his daughter, he promptly headed downstairs without uttering a word, his pace quickening with each descent.
The sound of heart-wrenching sobs came from the room.
Lin Qing had always held her head high. It was Ming Jing’s first time seeing such a vulnerable side of her.
Ming Jing stood at the top of the stairs as the sobs gradually subsided. Lin Qing made a phone call.
It was likely a call to a private detective, urging them to speed things up, as she couldn’t wait any longer.
Men and women have never been equal in marriage. To pursue the so-called equality, you must stay absolutely sober.
Luckily, she’s not foolish.
Downstairs, Zhu Xiangxiang’s voice echoed. Ming Jing headed back to her room without a word.
“Mr. Zhu, we’ve got a problem at the company.”
Zhu Wentao had just pressed the doorbell when he received a call from Secretary Wang.
Zhou Ling opened the door, her face adorned with a gentle smile. Seeing Zhu Wentao’s face turn instantly, she tactfully fell silent.
Zhu Wentao hung up the phone, his voice heavy, “You should eat on your own, don’t wait for me. I need to return to the office.”
Zhou Ling didn’t ask any questions, and just said, “Wait a minute.”
When she returned, she had a small lunch box, ‘You have a sensitive stomach, so I made your favorite flatbread and simmered pork trotters soup all afternoon. It might not taste as good when reheated in a microwave later, but it is better than going hungry.”
Zhu Wentao’s face softened slightly at the gesture, he caressed her face,
“Thank you for your trouble.”
Zhou Ling tiptoed to adjust his collar, speaking softly, “Drive carefully, send me a message when you get there. You should leave now, don’t let your work be delayed.”
Zhu Wentao lightly kissed her forehead, “Wait for me.”
After he left, Zhou Ling brushed a stray hair away from her face, smiled, then turned to enter the house.
The Zhu Group had made its start in the catering business. Back then, a well-known local mutton soup restaurant was gaining popularity, their family claimed to have been imperial chefs, guarding their secret recipe for several centuries.
But a family crisis forced the owner of the restaurant to sell it. Acting decisively, Zhu Wentao borrowed money from relatives and friends to buy the secret formula, and took over the restaurant. Together, he and Lin Qing worked hard, quickly building the reputation of Zhu Family’s Mutton Soup. In less than five years, it had become a provincial trademark, with branches opening all over the province.
Later, Zhu Wentao caught the real estate bubble. He shifted his investments to the property market and had a lucky streak, getting help from influential people, making a fortune. His industry transition was successful, and the company successfully went public ten years ago. Over the years, Zhu Wentao has been bold and decisive, hiring talented individuals, leading the company to flourish. Today, he’s considered a prominent figure in Jiangzhou.
The Zhu’s biggest recent move was a joint venture with the old real estate company, Shengda, to develop the Spring Academy residential project. Shengda, failing to keep up with the economic strength in the changing macro environment, agreed to cooperate with the Zhu Group, each party contributing proportionally. The project is in a coveted location, often referred to as the most expensive piece of land in Jiangzhou. This collaboration between the two major estate companies is a strong alliance that caused quite a stir in the city. Spring Academy, not yet open for sale, was already a hot commodity, with the price soaring to an astonishing number.
However, half a month ago, Shengda was suddenly declared bankrupt and was about to foreclose, with the aid of judicial seizure, on the invented residential property. In this interim, almost all of Zhu’s Group’s main focus was on this project. The setback had dealt a severe blow to the company, causing massive losses. The capital is unable to return and the upcoming major projects are all likely to be aborted.
And this was not the worst of it, the news of Shengda’s accident was leaked, and if it affected the stock price, things could become very complicated.
To make a terrible situation worse, the person responsible for the project had absconded with the money, leaving no scapegoat. Zhu Wentao had to shoulder all the pressure.
“Mr. Zhu, we’ve lost contact with President Qian. We’ve already contacted the police, but the loss to the company can’t be estimated. Moreover, we won’t be able to suppress the news for long, we must come up with a solution as soon as possible.”
Zhu Wentao’s face was a scary shade of sullen, “That bastard Qian, he better hope I never see him again.”
“Can Shengda do anything to salvage the situation?”
Secretary Wang shook his head, “Earlier there was a rumor that Shengda was going to be acquired by Fangzhou Group, but for some reason, the news suddenly disappeared. I suspect that this time Shengda’s accident is a setup by the others, making our company the sacrificial lamb.”
“Fangzhou Group? Every day of delay means considerable losses. Shen Zhou lives up to his shrewd, calculated reputation as a ruthless businessman.” “Mr. Zhu, should we arrange a meeting with Mr. Shen?”
Zhu Wentao didn’t want to plead with anyone. But after many years of navigating the tumultuous business waters, he had come to realize one thing— face doesn’t hold any value.
“Arrange it.”
Jiyuean temple.
Ming Ti sitting on the porch, lost in thought, gazing at the night sky, with her hands supporting her chin.
“Second Senior, it’s been thirty-five days since you’ve left, when are you coming back to see us? We miss you so much.”
The door behind creaked open, and out came a little girl, about eight or nine years old.
“Ah Chen, how is big sister doing?” the little girl asked turning her head. Ming Chen shook her head, “I hope second Sister can bring good news..”
