Tang Qichen smiled and said, "When you came last time, you were busy with a project, and you were indeed very tired during that time."
"Take care of yourself. I brought you two bowls of cordyceps, which I asked my comrades up north to collect. You can't buy them on the market. I'll have Yining make you some soup to nourish your body."
Zhou Qishen has a deep relationship with Asia Pacific Group and has known Tang Qichen for nearly ten years. Tang was then the General Manager, and is now the powerful Chairman Tang. The Tang family has been quietly developing in Shanghai, and their wealth and hidden strength are immeasurable. The two companies are mutually beneficial and are true strategic partners.
The dinner was held at a secluded, quiet, and elegant suburban estate. The two men, who never needed formal drinking etiquette, discussed business after a simple meal. With work matters settled, Tang Qichen said, "There's news about what you asked me to keep an eye on. Zhuang Qiu returned to China on the first of last month and has indeed stayed in Shanghai without any particular activity. But his accomplice, that man named Fu Ming, was frequently seen entering and leaving Zhuang Qiu's residence around the middle of the month."
Zhou Qishen narrowed his eyes slightly and said in a flat voice, "I was injured on the 17th."
Tang Qichen said calmly, "That's it."
Having navigated the business world for many years, I've come to realize that differences still exist between people. Take Tang Qichen, for example; his family is wealthy and his foundation deep, so success is naturally smooth sailing. Then there's Zhou Qishen, who started from scratch, weathering many storms and being forged in the crucible of adversity. Men whose paths to success are fraught with hardship always have more stories to tell than the average person.
Zhuang Qiu, a native of Beijing, served in the same unit as Zhou Qishen in his early years. To put it more closely, they were comrades-in-arms; to put it more distantly, they were enemies.
Zhuang Qiu regarded Zhou Qishen as an enemy.
Although the Zhuang family's growth momentum has weakened in recent years, they still have some capabilities. However, Zhuang Qiu is different from Gu Heping. Gu Heping is a legitimate member of the family, with impeccable lineage. Zhuang Qiu is not; family scandals are kept private, stemming from his father's past romantic entanglements.
His name was illegitimate, his words lacked authority; though he possessed the blood of the Zhuang family, he was ultimately unfit for high society. Yet, this man exuded the air of a scion of a powerful family, arrogant and domineering even in the army, boasting to the heavens. Who was Zhou Qishen? He loved to humiliate people. He never flattered, letting his actions speak for themselves; in every training session, competition, and skills contest, he was always number one.
Zhuang Qiu disliked him.
Zhou Qishen might not even be interested.
The real feud stemmed from two individuals. One was Gu Heping, whose family was renowned, and Zhuang Qiu desperately wanted to befriend the young master Gu. Although Gu Heping was a womanizer, he was actually upright, had high standards, and was very insightful. He disliked Zhuang Qiu and looked down on his sinister aura.
Zhuang Qiu fawned over Gu Heping quite a bit, but behind his back, Gu Heping formed a small clique with Zhou Qishen.
This isn't just a slap in the face, it's a blow to the spirit.
Hatred was recorded, and resentment grew.
The second person is Min Yunzhi, the eldest daughter of a prominent businessman, the only daughter of the Min family, and the apple of everyone's eye. The Min family has no male heirs, so whoever marries Min Yunzhi will truly rise to the top. Zhuang Qiu is particularly shrewd, clearly weighing fame and fortune, and launched a fierce pursuit of Min Yunzhi. After a month of fruitless pursuit, Min Yunzhi instead told him that she had a boyfriend and was aiming for marriage. The next day, Zhou Qishen was seen driving, gentlemanly and considerately opening the car door for the girl.
There have long been rumors in the industry that Zhou Qishen is a shrewd and calculating man. At the beginning of his business, he charmed the daughter of the Min family, making her fall deeply in love with him and determined to marry him. Zhou Qishen used this connection to acquire many resources, and even Min Yunzhi's father was very satisfied with him, considering him the perfect son-in-law.
Zhuang Qiu hated him so much he wanted to eat him alive.
There were many more conflicts afterward, all of them the kind that were like grinding your heart out.
After Zhou Qishen retired from the army, he went into business and made his way in the world. Zhuang Qiu finally got his chance to succeed. Relying on his family background, he sent people to trip up Zhou Qishen. When he succeeded, he was so proud that he made a lot of boastful remarks to others, "What can a country bumpkin like him do!"
These words eventually reached Zhou Qishen's ears. Being a man who held grudges, Zhou Qishen gave a cold laugh and said nothing. A few years later, Jingmao developed rapidly, raised funds, went public, and truly became a major player.
Zhuang Qiu, however, hadn't made any progress in recent years, couldn't control his tongue, and was disliked by his father, so he was sent to work at an overseas base in Mexico. Anyone with eyes could see that this was exile.
Zhou Qishen was stabbed twice in the parking lot, and the culprit has never been found. Given this, it's quite possible that Zhuang Qiu will return to China to seek revenge.
Tang Qichen said, "He has been getting close to the mining industry this year. I guess he wants to make quick money, accumulate capital, and then go back to Beijing to develop."
Zhou Qishen's smile was laced with malice, sending chills down one's spine. "He'd better save up enough for his coffin, or he won't even have a place to be buried when he dies."
After finishing their business, Zhou Qishen returned to his hotel to rest, and Tang Qichen invited him to his home that evening.
Before their marriage, Tang Qichen lived in Tomson Riviera. After his wife gave birth to twins, they moved to a villa in Jing'an. Zhou Qishen was quite fond of the expensive, quiet location. Tang Qichen said, "Why don't you move your business to Shanghai and become my neighbor?"
Zhou Qishen laughed and said, "I'm used to living in Beijing, and I'm too lazy to move."
Still single?
"Not really," Zhou Qishen said gently. "I'm working on it."
Tang Qichen was pleased. "That's a good thing."
Upon arriving home, a warm and inviting atmosphere greeted him, a stark contrast to Tang Qichen's usual aloof demeanor. Tang Qichen's wife was beautiful and gentle, always wearing a warm smile. The house was impeccably clean, with all the ornaments and decorations personally selected by the lady of the house, showcasing her refined taste. Zhou Qishen examined two black jade ornaments with great interest; the depiction of mandarin ducks playing in the water was quite tender.
Tang Qichen said, "This is what Yining and I brought back from Yunnan."
Zhou Qishen played with it for a while, then put it back in its original place.
Before long, the driver picked up the little boy and his daughter, Xiaoduo, from kindergarten. The two children, just over three years old, were dressed in their British-style school uniforms and looked like little pink dumplings walking together. Their adorable baby voices were so cute they could melt anyone's heart, "Daddy! Mommy!"
Tang Qichen turned around, his handsome face as gentle as a spring breeze, his loving smile the greatest charm a man can possess. He opened his arms, and the children all rushed in. Tang Qichen held one in each arm, facing Zhou Qishen, and said, "Call me uncle."
The little boy was very well-behaved, saying, "Hello, Uncle."
The younger sister, however, was mischievous. She tilted her head, her eyes like purple grapes, and sweetly called out, "Hello, brother."
Zhou Qishen laughed, and the lines around his eyes deepened.
Tang Qichen kissed his younger sister and said to Zhou Qishen, "I've spoiled this child. I don't know who she takes after for her cleverness."
Zhou Qishen smiled faintly, "If I had a daughter like that, I would spoil her too."
As he spoke, his heart pounded, as if still being whipped and stirred by the lingering effects of a storm. Zhou Qishen looked at his sister, a fleeting look of pain and confusion in his eyes.
He couldn't help but reach out his hand, "Little Duo'er, can Uncle hug you?"
The little sister immediately stretched out her chubby little hands, "Uncle, hug me."
The baby had a faint milky scent, and Zhou Qishen was afraid that he would hurt his little sister by holding her too tightly. Tang Qichen laughed and said, "You can tell you've never held a baby before. Relax, you don't need to be so awkward."
Zhou Qishen gently patted his younger sister's back and said tenderly, "Good girl."
After putting the person down, Tang Qichen asked, "You're only holding my daughter, not my son?"
Zhou Qishen smiled faintly, looked at the young man, and the young man looked back at him. After a long gaze, Zhou Qishen simply reached out and affectionately touched his hair.