Chapter Thirty-Eight: Manager Li
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“A promising young man in his prime? I’d call them old foxes, if you ask me!”
Chen Churan exposed Chen Jianguo’s lie without mercy.
“Every one of them is either balding or sporting a huge belly, and they still have the nerve to call themselves promising young men? Big Brother, do you take me for a blind woman?”
Chen Jianjun fanned the flames from the side.
“Churan, Big Brother is only thinking of your own good. Why are you being so unreasonable? A woman should stay home, support her husband, and raise her children. What kind of respectable woman goes around showing her face in public?”
“You don’t get to judge what kind of woman I am!”
Chen Churan laughed in fury.
“You’re all just hoping I’ll get married as soon as possible so you can divide up my shares, aren’t you? Let me tell you, you can forget about it!”
Watching his children quarrel, Chen Jiwang let out a heavy sigh and waved his hand.
“All right, stop arguing! This is a family dinner. We’re not going to talk about unpleasant matters today.”
He turned to Chen Churan, his tone somewhat gentler.
“Churan, don’t blame your eldest brother. He really is doing this for your sake. You’re no longer young, and it’s time you gave some thought to your personal affairs.”
Chen Churan clenched her fists, struggling to suppress the anger in her heart.
“Dad, I’ll make my own decisions about my life. Right now, I only want to focus on running the company well. Everything else can wait.”
“Hmph. I think you’re planning to find yourself a pretty boy and squander the entire family fortune!”
Chen Jianjun muttered sarcastically.
Chen Jiwang slammed his hand against the table. The mahogany tabletop gave off a deep, thunderous boom, terrifying the servants into trembling.
“That’s enough! All of you, shut up! You’re grown adults, yet you bicker like children! Have you no shame?”
He glared at Chen Jianjun and Chen Jianguo, his anger blazing.
“Argue one more time and I’ll throw you out! You can forget about eating this meal!”
Though Chen Jianguo and Chen Jianjun were furious inside, they were cowed by their father’s authority. They could only fall sullenly silent, turning their heads away and rolling their eyes as they stewed in resentment.
Chen Jianguo rubbed his increasingly sparse horseshoe of hair and cursed inwardly:
You little brat. Just wait until the old man is gone. I’ll show you then!
Seeing the wronged look on his daughter’s face, Chen Jiwang sighed with pity and softened his voice.
“Churan, don’t stoop to their level.”
Chen Churan forced a smile.
“Dad, I know.”
Only then did Chen Jiwang relax and instruct the butler to serve the food.
Exquisite dishes were brought to the table one after another, including every delicacy of land and sea.
Yet the meal itself was oppressively tense.
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Chen Jiwang picked up a piece of fish and savored it carefully before nodding in approval.
“Churan, that charity appraisal livestream your company recently held has received an excellent response from society. I’ve even heard old friends mention it.”
Chen Churan smiled faintly, a trace of barely concealed pride in her expression.
“Dad, we really have one of our employees to thank for that. His name is Cheng Ziqiu, and he’s extremely capable.”
The chopsticks in Chen Jiwang’s hand paused in midair. A sharp glint flashed through his cloudy old eyes.
“Cheng Ziqiu? Is he the young man who helped appraise the antiques at my birthday banquet last time?”
“That’s right.”
The corners of Chen Churan’s lips lifted slightly, pride evident in her voice.
“Thanks to him, our company has become widely known, and our business has multiplied several times over.”
Chen Jiwang clapped his hands and burst into hearty laughter, the wrinkles on his face spreading into a smile.
“What a fine young man! As expected, heroes emerge from the younger generation! I could tell at once that he was no ordinary fellow. He has courage, discernment, and the makings of someone capable of accomplishing great things!”
He turned to his two sons, his tone suddenly turning stern.
“You’d better learn from him! Look at how he’s made a name for himself at such a young age. And look at the two of you—you know nothing but fighting among yourselves!”
Chen Jianguo and Chen Jianjun’s faces turned livid, but neither dared to argue. They cursed inwardly:
The old bastard only knows how to favor Chen Churan!
What’s so special about some immature brat that you have to praise him like that?
Chen Jianjun muttered sarcastically:
“Dad, don’t let him fool you. Young people these days are all smooth talkers. Who knows whether he really has any ability?”
Chen Jiwang shot him a glare.
“What do you know? I have a good eye for people, and I’m telling you, Cheng Ziqiu is an exceptional young man. From now on, stop making trouble for him and learn from him instead!”
Watching her two brothers squirm, Chen Churan secretly reveled in their discomfort.
She added fuel to the fire at just the right moment. “Dad, you’re absolutely right. Ziqiu really is outstanding, and he’s modest and humble as well—not like certain people who know nothing but how to run their mouths.”
“You!”
Chen Jianjun was so angry he nearly slammed his fist on the table. But with Chen Jiwang present, he could only force down his rage.
Chen Jianguo’s eyes shifted cunningly before he spoke with a smile that never reached them.
“Dad, you shouldn’t praise Cheng Ziqiu alone. Churan herself doesn’t have much ability, does she? Isn’t she relying on other people?”
“Why don’t I send our most capable man, Manager Li, over to help her? That way, it can count as support from her brothers.”
The moment Chen Jianjun heard this, he understood exactly what his elder brother meant and immediately chimed in.
“Exactly, exactly! Dad, Big Brother is right!”
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“Manager Li is the backbone of our sales department. With him helping Churan, her company is sure to reach even greater heights! We may not have many other talents, but we can certainly support our little sister.”
Chen Churan frowned slightly and was just about to object when Chen Jiwang made the final decision.
“I think that’s a good idea! Jianguo and Jianjun are only thinking of what’s best for the company. You’re family, after all, so it’s only right that you help one another.”
He smiled warmly at Chen Churan.
“Churan, your eldest and second brothers are doing this for your sake. Having another person to help you will lighten your burden.”
Chen Churan laughed coldly inwardly.
Lighten my burden?
I’m afraid they’re only going to make my life more troublesome from now on.
Her two brothers clearly had ulterior motives. They wanted to plant someone in her company to keep an eye on her and take a share of the profits.
Outwardly, however, Chen Churan remained calm and obediently replied:
“Then thank you, Dad. And thank you, Big Brother and Second Brother.”
Chen Jianguo and Chen Jianjun exchanged a glance, both eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
They seemed already to envision Chen Churan’s company falling into their hands.
When that happened, wouldn’t this little brat be entirely at their mercy?
Chen Jianguo laughed heartily.
“We’re family. There’s no need to thank us. Manager Li is highly capable. I’m sure he’ll be a great help to you.”
Chen Churan responded with a smile that did not reach her eyes.
“Then I’ll trouble you to take care of it, Big Brother.”
Watching his three children get along “harmoniously,” Chen Jiwang nodded in satisfaction.
“That’s more like it. This is how a family should be—supporting one another and making progress together.”
He had no idea that his “kind intentions” were only deepening the conflict within the family.
…
The next day, the moment Chen Churan stepped into the company, she sensed something strange in the air.
The employees were all silent and tense. The usually lively office was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
Her heart jolted, and an ominous feeling rose within her.
Sure enough, as soon as she entered her office, a slick-haired, heavily made-up middle-aged man came forward to greet her, his face covered in an ingratiating smile.
“President Chen, how do you do? My name is Li Qiang. From now on, I’ll be your deputy.”
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