Volume 2 [239] Happiness Won't Just Come to You
Seeing Zhao Qiang's embarrassed state, Yu realized that there was indeed nothing more satisfying than a fight. Chuan could only laugh self-deprecatingly, "Am I too old-fashioned? Can't I keep up with today's fast-paced society?"
Zhao Qiang hurriedly defended his teacher, "No, no, teacher, you're not an old-fashioned person. It's just that people these days are too wild and can't listen to advice."
Gu Yu raised his cup and said, "We're here to celebrate your birthday, let's drink."
Lei Tianming's expression changed drastically at the mention of drinking. He first looked at Yang Shiqi, who remained silent. Then he looked at Zhao Qiang, who took the initiative to say to his teacher, "Teacher, I'm not feeling well right now, and I get dizzy as soon as I drink, so please offer me tea instead of wine."
Lei Tianming was relieved to hear Zhao Qiang say he wouldn't drink; otherwise, it would be terrible if Zhao Qiang got drunk and blamed him.
Luo Wei helped her grandfather back to the study, where there was a bedroom for the old man to rest. What was supposed to be a birthday celebration almost turned into a family tragedy, and one of the main characters was the girl in front of her.
Luo Xin lay half-reclined on the bed and sighed. Luo Wei helped her grandfather tuck the blanket around him. Although it was a bit hot, the old man still couldn't stand the wind. Luo Xin suddenly raised his hand and stroked Luo Wei's face, saying, "Wei, I'm sorry you've suffered because of me. Does the slap your father gave you just now still hurt?"
Luo Wei shook her head. "Grandpa, I don't hate my dad."
Luo Xin said, "So you hate me?"
Luo Wei was an honest child; that was indeed what she thought, but she couldn't say it out loud and hurt her grandfather's feelings, so she chose to remain silent.
Luo Xin said, "You don't want your father to be involved in the Luo family's affairs anymore, do you?"
Luo Wei nodded. "Grandpa, I can earn money to support my parents now. I don't want them to keep working hard every day because of the Luo family's affairs, only to end up with nothing. I just want them to live a happy and peaceful life."
Luo Xin, looking quite old, said, "When you're in the martial world, you're not in control of your own destiny."
Luo Wei said, "Grandpa, this is something you can control. As long as you don't let my dad become the general manager of Haifeng Group, and as long as you let my second uncle take over the Luo family in a reasonable way, wouldn't the world be at peace?"
Luo Xin snorted, pointed to the cabinet by the bed, and said, "Open it."
Luo Wei, unsure of what to do, bent down and opened the cabinet, revealing many documents inside. Luo Xin then pointed and said, "Take a look at the red ones on top."
Luo Wei took it out and flipped through it, only to realize it was the financial statement of Haifeng Group. What she saw shocked her; Haifeng Group had lost nearly 1.5 billion yuan in the first half of this year! That's an average loss of 200 to 300 million yuan per month. At this rate, even Haifeng Group, with its vast resources, would be wiped out!
The only department showing profit growth in the financial statements was the refrigerator division managed by Luo Wanfeng. However, due to outdated production lines and uncompetitive products, profits were minimal, barely breaking even.
Luo Wei was somewhat horrified. "Grandpa, how could this be? Didn't Haifeng Group's financial statements from last year show a very high rate of return?"
Luo Xin said, "In the first half of last year, I didn't delegate authority to your second uncle. In the second half of the year, my health deteriorated, so there were some things that I had to let your second uncle handle. Until this year, he has almost taken control of all the affairs of Haifeng Group. Only half a year has passed, and look at what the company has become. Wei, Grandpa also has his own selfish reasons. Actually, I would like to hand over the family property to your second uncle. You understand the situation of the Luo family. Your father is not my child, and you are not my biological granddaughter. Your second uncle and his family are my own flesh and blood. But when I think about how the Luo family will be completely destroyed in your second uncle's hands after I die, I will die with regrets."
As the old man recounted his family tragedy, tears streamed down his face. Luo Wei couldn't bear to see him so heartbroken, so she said, "Grandpa, please don't be like this. I am your own granddaughter."
Luo Xin held Luo Wei's hand and said, "It's definitely not going to work out with your second uncle, third uncle, and aunts. So, only if your father and you manage Haifeng Group can it turn a profit and continue to survive in this world. I can finally rest in peace after I die."
"
Luo Wei said, "But my dad simply doesn't have that ability! He can't sever the ties with his family and relatives. If my second uncle begs him, he'll end up having to hand over the management rights. Besides, I don't even know if he can successfully take over the management rights. Grandpa, you're oversimplifying the situation."
Luo Xin suddenly smiled mysteriously, "Help Grandpa turn on the monitor and switch the view to the living room."
Luo Wei turned on the large monitor on her desk and then operated the software a few times. The monitoring screen switched to the lobby, and Luo Xin then pointed out to Luo Wei to zoom in, so that the entire screen only showed the view of Zhao Qiang's table.
Seeing Zhao Qiang made Luo Wei feel sweet inside. Ever since she escaped from the Holiday Inn, she had felt a desire to be close to Zhao Qiang. As long as she was by Zhao Qiang's side, she felt incredibly safe. With Zhao Qiang protecting her, she felt that no matter what happened, she didn't have to worry or be afraid.
Luo Xin naturally noticed the happiness on his granddaughter's face. He said, "Wei, you like Zhao Qiang, right?"
Luo Wei blushed: "Grandpa, Zhao Qiang actually has a girlfriend. I lied to you before." Luo Xin's voice was somewhat stern: "So what if he has a girlfriend? So what if he has a wife! Look at your second uncle, he has plenty of women outside. It's normal for people to have multiple wives and concubines. I wasn't faithful to your grandmother either. This is an unbalanced fact resulting from thousands of years of Chinese civilization!"
The idea of male superiority and female inferiority has persisted in China for thousands of years. Although this phenomenon has changed in modern society, that is the world of ordinary people. In the lives of people like Luo Xin, gender equality is not taken so seriously. They still conservatively believe that men are superior and women are just appendages.
Luo Wei remained silent. This matter wasn't originally her decision. Even if she liked Zhao Qiang, so what? Whether Zhao Qiang would like her back was another matter. Even if she was willing to be Zhao Qiang's mistress, so what? Whether Zhao Qiang would want her for Xu Xiaoya's sake was another matter. So this wasn't something Luo Wei could control.
Luo Xin said, "I really didn't expect him to have so many different personalities. When I first met him, I thought he was glib and smooth-talking. In the hall, I saw him being extremely irritable, but now I feel that he is dull and gentle. Look at him, when others offer him a toast, he always has to explain several times before he can use tea instead. He has a very good temper. If we look at the momentum he showed when he hit your second uncle just now, he should have scolded these people a bit."
Luo Wei said, "Grandpa, Zhao Qiang is a good person. When we play together, we always bully him, but he just smiles and never holds it against us. He always steps up when we are at a disadvantage and never lets his friends suffer."
Luo Xin chuckled: "It seems he treats you well too, that's a good thing."
Luo Wei lowered her head: "It's just the kind of good friendship we have."
Luo Xin continued watching the screen. "What? He also has dealings with Shiwu Finance Company?" At this moment, the screen showed Zhao Qiang talking to Liu Lan. Liu Lan was a figure of some importance in Shiwu Finance Company, so Luo Xin recognized her. These days, which company doesn't have some business dealings with finance companies? Even if Haifeng Group has its own finance company, it can't avoid it.
Luo Wei explained, "Liu Lan's son admires Zhao Qiang a lot. In addition, Zhao Qiang had been doing computer maintenance for Wushi Finance Company, and his first contact was with Section Chief Liu Lan."
Luo Xin pointed with his crutch at Yang Shiqi in the camera lens, "Tell me about this person."
Luo Wei said, "The Yang family from Beijing always has a group of soldiers with them. They are very arrogant, but they have become much more subdued since they met Zhao Qiang. Now they have business cooperation with Zhao Qiang, so they spend most of their time in Donghai City."
Luo Xin nodded. "And who is the Hu family's daughter?" Lei Tianming had mentioned it to Luo Xin before.
Luo Wei said, "Hu Qian, she also has a younger brother named Hu Jiang, the general manager of Rednet Technology."
Luo Xin muttered to himself, "Rednet Technology? It rose very quickly. Judging from the company's predecessor, it shouldn't have had such a scale. Moreover, it later moved to a medium-sized city. Is there some story behind this?"
Luo Wei said, "Grandpa, there are some things I can't tell you, because they are Zhao Qiang's secrets."
Luo Xin nodded: "Oh, I see, he's not short of money, is he?"
Luo Wei said, "Yes, he can mobilize a large amount of cash at any time if needed." Luo Xin said, "That's good, he can help you and your father."
Luo Wei said, "Grandpa, I don't understand what you mean."
Luo Xin asked, "Is Qimingdeng really not your own company?"
Luo Wei hurriedly explained, "Really, Grandpa, how could I lie to you? How could I possibly have such advanced patents? Please don't listen to my second uncle's nonsense. I only have management rights. It's not like what they said, that this is a shell company my dad set up to transfer Haifeng Group's assets."
Luo Wei knew a bit about the family affairs, and that Luo Wanjiang already coveted Qimingdeng Electronics, which was why she was so anxious to explain to Luo Xin.
Luo Xin said, "Of course I believe you."
Luo Wei breathed a sigh of relief. Luo Xin then said, "Actually, why are you in such a hurry? If your second uncle or grandfather pressured you about this matter and made you hand over Qimingdeng Electronics, do you think Zhao Qiang would just ignore it?"
Luo Wei said proudly, "Of course not. My second uncle is better off not messing with him, otherwise he'll be the one who suffers."
Despite his exhaustion, Luo Xin continued to press, "Oh, you're so confident in him?"
Luo Wei said, "Of course. With Zhao Qiang's skills, making money is nothing." Luo Wei realized she had said something inappropriate and quickly stopped talking. Everyone trusted her to know Zhao Qiang's secret, and if she let it slip, she would be betraying their trust.
Luo Xin didn't press further, but said, "Wei, Grandpa wants you to go after him!"
Luo Wei was stunned. "Grandpa, I can't do it. It's not that I don't like him, but that he won't like me."
Luo Xin said, "No, you're wrong. How do you know he doesn't like you if you haven't tried? A person only has a few chances in their life. If you miss this opportunity, you'll regret it later. Men, especially those already liked by girls, hope other girls will take the initiative so they have an excuse to be with you. If you don't take the initiative, happiness will never come to you on its own."
Volume 2 [240] I took on a job on a whim
Yiwei said absentmindedly! But I can't let Ya down, she's my... (referring to a character or title)
"
Luo Xin said, "Why should you let her down? Can't you be a better friend to her? Don't you even have that much ability?"
Luo Wei was somewhat bewildered: "Be a better friend. If she finds out that I also like Zhao Qiang, she'll hate me to death."
Luo Xin demanded, "How do you know how she'll behave if you haven't tried?"
Luo Wei lowered her head and remained silent. Luo Xin continued, "Zhao Qiang is not from any powerful family, but precisely because he has no foundation, he has never made any enemies. He controls a large amount of funds and patents, which gives him the conditions to rise. His complex interpersonal relationships are his talisman for survival. This person is definitely a target that various families are vying for!"
Luo Wei nodded. Her grandfather's analysis was spot on. Although Zhao Qiang had many enemies, they were not worth taking seriously and could not cause any trouble. With the technology Zhao Qiang now possessed, it would only take a few years for him to rise to power. Judging from Yang Shiqi and Hu Qian's attitudes, Zhao Qiang had already been drawn into the family's struggle.
Luo Xin took a few breaths and continued, "Bu Wei, to be honest with you, your father is determined. He definitely won't give up the task I gave him. As his daughter, you know what you should do for his sake."
Luo Wei remained silent. To be honest, she harbored some resentment towards her grandfather. He had used her family as pawns, and Luo Wei disliked this! However, her father was willing to do so. Given his feelings for the Luo family, it was impossible for him to let go and allow the Luo family to decline at this time. But could her father handle it? Luo Wei knew the answer in her heart.
"Alright, Grandpa won't pressure you anymore. I need to rest now. You can go out." Luo Xin waved his hand, and Luo Wei silently left the study.
In the hall, no one pressured Zhao Qiang to drink, so although Zhao Qiang dealt with several groups of people, he ultimately won by not drinking. Otherwise, if his super chip went out of control again, he would have made a huge fool of himself.
"Mr. Zhao, you really shone today!" someone said from behind. Zhao Qiang turned around and smiled, "Sister Liu, you're here too." That was Liu Yiyi, the manager of Yiyi Fashion Apparel Co., Ltd., a very elegant and mature businesswoman, now 30 years old (by Chinese reckoning), no longer considered a young woman.
"It's been a few months since we last met," Liu Yiyi said with a faint smile when she saw Zhao Qiang, unlike her usual stern face. She was grateful to Zhao Qiang; if it weren't for his rescue, she would have died in the Holiday Inn long ago. Many people died in that fire, so one more wouldn't have mattered. Moreover, she had witnessed Zhao Qiang's resurrection and killing during the fire, which instilled a fear in her towards him. Therefore, she hadn't taken the initiative to contact Zhao Qiang during this period.
Zhao Qiang raised his water glass to indicate, "It's been half a year."
Liu Yiyi asked, "Zhao Qiang, how have you been lately?"
Zhao Qiang said, "It's alright, how about you, Sister Liu?"
Liu Yiyi said, "It's alright. You still do repair business?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Yes, I just finished repairing a Yuan blue-and-white porcelain vase for someone, and then I brought it over for a meal."
Liu Yiyi chuckled: "Mr. Zhao, you're still as humorous and witty as ever. I have a repair job I'd like to ask you to do. I wonder if you have time?"
Zhao Qiang said, "I'd be happy to serve you, and the price will definitely be favorable."
Liu Yiyi said, "Okay, it's settled then. We'll set off first thing tomorrow morning."
Zhao Qiang was taken aback: "Ran? Aren't we going to your company?"
Liu Yiyi said, "Of course not. I recently opened a branch in the provincial capital and imported a batch of computerized embroidery machines from Europe. But I didn't expect that they would break down so many times in less than two months. At first, the repair technicians in the factory could manage, but the more they repaired them, the more problems arose. Now half of them are unusable, and a large number of orders are backed up. I'm almost going bankrupt."
Zhao Qiang was in a dilemma, "Sister Liu, I usually send things for repair..."
Liu Yiyi pleaded, "Can't you come to my door just once?"
Zhao Qiang hesitated and said, "Going to the provincial capital would take up most of the day just on the road. If we also need to repair the machine, it probably won't be finished in a day or two." Liu Yiyi lowered her voice and said, "I'll give you whatever money you need. Please help me this time, okay? I don't know who else to turn to besides you. The European side doesn't provide any after-sales service for this order. I'm really at my wit's end."
Considering the extraordinary relationship between Zhao Qiang and Liu Yiyi—meaning Liu Yiyi knew his biggest secret, Wei, and her resurrection—Zhao Qiang agreed, "Alright, let's not talk about money. It's my honor to help Sister Liu."
"I'll pick you up first thing tomorrow morning. You haven't changed your access code, have you?" Liu Yiyi said.
Zhao Qiang said, "No, I'm still staying at the repair shop. Just honk your horn when you get there."
It wasn't unusual for Liu Yiyi to attend Luo Xin's birthday banquet. After all, they were all business people, and they might develop a business relationship someday. After saying goodbye, the two went to chat with other guests, especially Liu Yiyi. Such a beautiful and mature woman was very popular, and Zhao Qiang couldn't keep her all to himself.
Professor Gu only drank three glasses of wine before leaving early. Given his status, it's surprising he even came to the station.
The state showed respect to the Luo family. If Zhao Qiang hadn't been there, they probably wouldn't have been punished even for a drink. However, Yang Shiqi and Gu Xuemei stayed behind. Before parting, Professor Gu made an appointment with Zhao Qiang to go to Huaxia University of Technology to teach as soon as possible, as Professor Gu had a few questions he wanted to discuss with Zhao Qiang.
Yang Shiqi secretly poked Gu Xuemei with her finger, but Gu Xuemei just blushed and didn't look up. Yang Shiqi pleaded, "Mei, can't you be a little more outgoing? This won't do."
Gu Xuemei's voice was barely audible, "I never said it would work. You're forcing me. I'm not talking to you anymore."
Yang Shiqi sighed helplessly, "Fine, fine, it was my fault, but your junior brother is just a blockhead. It's useless if you don't chop him down with an axe."
Gu Xuemei said, "You should chop it yourself, I'm going home."
Yang Shiqi almost fainted. "If I could chop him up, would I still be standing here?"