In the car, Li Lei said to Zhou Xuan, "Xiao Zhou, you haven't been wronged here, have you? As soon as I got your call, I brought my men over immediately!" "No!" Zhou Xuan smiled and said, "I've never been so arrogant before. It's mainly because Zhang Tianyuan's men were too rude. From the beginning, they wanted to beat me up, so naturally I didn't hold back. Anyway, I don't plan to make peace with them in the future. Some opponents will always be opponents and will never become friends. Back then, they tried to slap me in the face, so I slapped them in the face back. Wherever they tried to do something to me, I retaliated!"
Li Lei chuckled and said, "It's alright. These guys aren't really acting for public duty. They're just doing their personal things for Huang Yuqun and Zhang Tianyuan's selfish desires. They don't deserve any sympathy. Let them beat us. Maybe beating them hard will wake them up!"
Zhou Xuan added, "Especially that man in the interrogation room, he came in with a stun gun and tried to shock me, but I took the stun gun from him and shocked him half to death. He couldn't even crawl!"
At this point, Zhou Xuan couldn't help but laugh, but after laughing, he asked Li Lei, "Uncle Li, I want to ask, what conditions should we make to Huang Yuqun?"
Li Lei pondered for a moment before saying, "Xiao Zhou, let me tell you, this Huang Yuqun is the deputy secretary of the municipal party committee. He's just like my dad and Grandpa Wei. Even though he's retired, he's still someone you can't touch. So, if we really go to war with Huang Yuqun, it's definitely not worth it. Your brother Fu's situation is already set in stone and irreversible. So, we don't need to go down this path to the bitter end. Why don't we ask him for some benefits and let it go for now? With our advantages this time, at most we can only make him feel a little embarrassed. At the higher-ups, they'll just find a scapegoat in the end. This matter alone won't bring him down. If we bring things out into the open, it won't be good for anyone. So, I was thinking, why don't you make a condition? You're the one who suffered a loss in this matter, so of course, you should make the condition!"
Zhou Xuan sighed, remained silent for a while, and then said, "Forget it. Brother Fu's fate is sealed. There's no point in me doing anything. Zhang Tianyuan is just a pawn, insignificant and irrelevant. I think we should let Brother Hong's brother propose the terms. I think Huang Yuqun is after him, and only his terms will be truly beneficial. This is my final gift to the old man before I leave, and it's also a way of giving an explanation to the Wei family, to the old man, and to Brother Hong!"
Volume 1, Chapter 633: Surprise
Li Lei sighed. Zhou Xuan's personality had indeed changed a lot compared to a year ago. When he first met Zhou Xuan, Zhou Xuan still had the impetuousness and arrogance of a young man, but now Zhou Xuan seemed to have had his edges smoothed out and his magnanimity in dealing with people had also increased.
"Alright, leave this matter to me. It will also be easier for me to talk to Wei Lao Er. Let him decide what to do. You've done more than enough for the Wei family!"
Li Lei understood the grudges between Zhou Xuan and the Wei family. In the past, they didn't say that one side owed the other side, and they treated each other like family. But this time, Wei Haihe hurt Zhou Xuan's feelings in the matter of Fu Yuanshan. If it weren't for the old man "Wei Haihong" and the Wei sisters, Zhou Xuan would have really severed ties with the Wei family!
When the old man passed away, Zhou Xuan saw with his own eyes that although the old man could not speak, his eyes were full of pleading for him. Zhou Xuan knew that although the old man was angry with Wei Haihe, he was still worried about the Wei family's funeral arrangements.
Zhou Xuan certainly wouldn't sit idly by, especially since he had witnessed it. However, this time might be the last. Everyone has their own path to walk in life, so there's no need to worry too much. Even his younger siblings—he had now fulfilled his wishes. He had handed over the company to his siblings to manage, bought a house, gotten married, and arranged everything. Even if he were to leave, he could leave in peace. His siblings would eventually have to support themselves and become independent. Now, it truly was time for them to do so.
Zhou Xuan had also clearly explained the company's affairs, and this time he even went to the south to purchase enough jade for the company to last for several years. Even if Xu Juncheng went all out, that would be enough.
"As for the antique shop, with Lao Wu and Zhang Jian holding it together, there's basically nothing to worry about. It's just that if he leaves, the business might decline. But that's reasonable, and things will return to normal. Before, Zhou Xuan used his superpowers to make too much money for the antique shop, which was abnormal. Apart from the money he made abnormally, Lao Wu and Zhang Jian's own earnings were much less, but they were still making money, just not as much as Zhou Xuan's."
With these two stores, Zhou Xuan readjusted the shareholdings, transferring half of the profits from the two companies to his younger siblings. He kept the other half for himself, keeping an account for the annual dividends, which would be deposited into his account every year, so that he could receive the company's money no matter where he was.
He had dinner at Li Lei's house, and then returned with Li Wei and Zhou Ying. He didn't need to worry about that kind of thing anymore; everything would be resolved through negotiation between Li Lei and Wei Haihong.
Zhou Xuan didn't even bother to see Captain Lin and the others who had been controlled by him and then handed over to Jiang Jin and the others to be taken away; he simply ignored them.
Back at the villa in Hongcheng Square, Zhou Xuan called his parents, younger brother and sister-in-law, Li Wei, Li Li, Fu Ying, and Aunt Liu together in the living room. "Dad, Mom, sister-in-law, Li Wei, Xiao Li, Aunt Liu, let's have a formal family meeting today!"
Everyone noticed Zhou Xuan's serious expression and remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
"First of all, I want to say, Mom and Dad, I've decided to leave. This house will be left to my brother and sister-in-law to handle. The proceeds from the sale will be split equally between the two of you. I've also arranged the company's share of profits; it will be the same for both my brother and sister. I'll give you half of all the profits, and the rest will be deposited into my account. Mom and Dad, all major business decisions in the company will require the unanimous approval of all four of you. Secondly," Zhou Xuan said, taking a bank card from his pocket and handing it to Aunt Liu, "Aunt Liu, for the past two years, you've taken meticulous care of me and my family. Many things can't be expressed with money. Here, I can only express my gratitude with a little money. There's one million in this card, a gift from me, hoping it will be of some help. After we leave, I hope you can go to my brother's house and continue to take care of his family. Xiaoli's parents are very kind people; I'll feel at ease if you go there. But if you don't want to, that's fine too!"
As Liu held the bank card, her eyes welled up with tears. In the past two years, she had been treated like family in Zhou Xuan's home. The Zhou family never treated her like a servant, and she did everything with them. Moreover, Zhou Xuan paid her a much higher salary than other families. This time, he gave her a million yuan as a farewell gift. Who else could do that?
Aunt Liu wiped away her tears and said, "Xiao Zhou, I know your family are all good people. I've worked for you for less than two years, and my salary, bonuses, and other allowances have exceeded 500,000 yuan. None of my fellow villagers working in Beijing have earned as much as I have, not even those university graduates pursuing doctorates. It's all because of your kindness. I'm very reluctant to see you leave, but all good things must come to an end. I can only wish you all the best, and..."
Aunt Liu then said to Zhou Tao and Li Li, "I'd be willing to help out at Zhou Tao and Li Li's house, as long as Li Li doesn't mind!"
Li Li's family isn't outsiders; they're always very helpful at home. She herself comes from a poor family and has a good personality. Li Li's parents have visited Zhou Xuan's house many times; Aunt Liu has met them and says they're honest, easy to get along with, not much different from Jin Xiumei. As for compensation, even if Zhou Tao and Li Li aren't as generous as Zhou Xuan, their basic salary will definitely not be less. Zhou Tao has company shares given to him by Zhou Xuan, which amount to billions in assets; hiring her as a worker is naturally no big deal.
Seeing that Aunt Liu was willing, Zhou Xuan was relieved. Zhou Tao also said, "Aunt Liu, don't worry, I'll treat you the same way my brother treated you, and I won't make things difficult for you!"
Jin Xiumei and Zhou Cangsong also sighed with reluctance. To be honest, they had become familiar with Beijing over the past year or two and had enjoyed a happy and fulfilling life there. It was truly hard to leave so suddenly. However, they naturally would not object to their son's arrangements.
Only Zhou Ying cried and hugged Jin Xiumei, reluctant to part with her. Jin Xiumei could only sigh and stroke her daughter's head. Fu Ying also held her hand tightly, but did not know how to comfort her.
Zhou Xuan smiled and said, "Little sister, why are you crying? It's not like we're not coming back. I'm taking Mom and Dad back because I think they're getting old and deserve to enjoy their retirement. I want them to travel the world with us and enjoy their golden years in peace. They've worried about us their whole lives, that's enough!"
A week later, Zhou Xuan and his family of six flew back to their hometown in Wudang Mountain. However, they did not return to their original home. "The old house was sold by Zhao Lao Er." In fact, they no longer had that home. Zhou Xuan wanted to return here to take his parents back to their hometown to relax first, and then head to New York.
Fu Ying and Zhou Xuan did not call their family in New York to inform them, because Fu Ying wanted to give her family a surprise.
After spending two days sightseeing in Wudang Mountain without hiring a guide, Zhou Xuan and his family knew the area very well. Zhou Xuan, in particular, had been wandering around this area since he was a child and could identify any place with his eyes closed. Fu Ying, on the other hand, had only been here once, and it was Zhou Xuan who had taken her there. This time, revisiting the place, she couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions. Just over a year ago, she was still engaged in a fierce competition with Wei Xiaoqing, but now, Wei Xiaoqing hadn't been able to pose much of a threat to her. However, Wei Xiaoyu had caused a major blunder, but fortunately, everything was in the past. Her daughter had been born, and the family was happy and content.
This time, my mood was completely different. It was calm and peaceful. My little daughter, Sisi, was in my arms, looking around with her eyes open. Although she was only a little over a month old, she was in very good spirits.
Little Si Zhou started babbling "Mama" again. Zhou Xuan, holding Little Si Zhou, said awkwardly, "Why is 'Mama' the first word the child says, instead of 'Papa' or 'Grandpa/Grandma'?"
Jin Xiumei laughed and said, "Of course! Every child is born and raised by their mother. Who else would they love more than their mother? Look at you, when you're frightened or tired and in pain, you cry out, 'My God!' The first person you think of is your mother, not anyone else!"
Zhou Xuan scratched his head and nodded, saying, "Yes, Mom. If you hadn't mentioned it, I would never have thought about this. When I'm scared, I say 'My Mom!' I've never called for 'My Dad!' Hehehe, it's really strange. You don't know until you hear it, and it's quite a surprise!" Zhou Cangsong came over to Zhou Xuan and said, "Let me hold the child. Come here, Sizhou, let Grandpa hold you!"
Xiao Sizhou really reached out his hand. To him, his grandparents were closer than his father because his grandparents held him more often, while Zhou Xuan held him less often. That's how children are; they like whoever spends more time with them.
Jin Xiumei also said to Fu Ying, "Yingying, come here, let me hug Sisi!"
Fu Ying's arms went limp, so she handed the child to her mother-in-law. Although she was strong and the strongest in the family, that was only when fighting enemies. Being strong did not mean she was good at working. Jin Xiumei and Zhou Cangsong were both from the countryside, and working was their forte, as was taking care of the child.
They stayed at a hotel in town that night. On the third day, the family visited Zhou Xuan's uncle and other relatives and gave them some gifts. On the fourth day, they went to the city airport to take a flight to Hankou, and then transferred to a direct flight to New York. It was only then that Zhou Cangsong and his wife realized that their son was going to take them abroad.
Although he was apprehensive, he didn't think he couldn't bear it. He knew that once they got to New York, they would definitely go to his wife's parents' house. With his son's abilities and financial resources, he could support his family without having to depend on others. Moreover, his wife, Fu Ying, was filial and sensible. Her family had come to Fu Ying's wedding and treated Ying Ying and Zhou Xuan very well. It was unlikely that they would look down on them.
However, this was the first time the elderly couple had traveled abroad, and how could they possibly remain calm on such a long journey? Moreover, they were unaware that with their son Zhou Xuan's wealth and resources, acquiring luxury items such as private jets and yachts would not be difficult at all—in fact, they could say he had far more financial resources than some famous entrepreneurs. But Zhou Xuan had never considered living that kind of life. He always felt that as long as they had enough money and the family was happy, that was enough. He never pushed him or his family into the lifestyle of the upper class. Fu Ying, because she deeply loved Zhou Xuan, never tried to impose those lifestyles on him, and she and Zhou Xuan's family lived happily together.
After disembarking at New York International Airport, Fu Ying became the main character. Since Zhou Xuan and his parents did not speak English, Fu Ying called two taxis. She first told them the destination, then asked her mother-in-law and father-in-law to take one car, Zhou Cangsong to carry Xiao Sizhou, and Fu Ying and Zhou Xuan to take another car, with Zhou Xuan carrying Xiao Sisi.
Zhou Cangsong and Jin Xiumei looked around in the car. "The buildings on both sides of the street are very different from those in China. They are very novel. The streets are full of foreigners with red hair, blue eyes and high noses. There are occasional Asians, but they are relatively few."
It wasn't until I entered Chinatown that I saw more East Asians with black hair and yellow skin lining both sides of the street. And most of the shop signs were now in Chinese characters.
They stopped the car in front of the Fu family mansion and stared at the magnificent building. Jin Xiumei and Zhou Cangsong were speechless. This house was even more magnificent than their son's villa in Beijing.
Fu Ying pressed the doorbell. Two people walked out of the courtyard through the large iron gate. They seemed to be bodyguards hired by the Fu family. Looking at the strange scene of Fu Ying, four adults, and two children behind the iron bars, they asked with some surprise and wariness, "Who are you?"
The two bodyguards spoke English, which Fu Ying and Zhou Xuan both understood. They turned on the language communication device on their right hands, and English was a minor issue.
Fu Ying didn't recognize the two bodyguards either. "They're probably new." She hadn't been back for almost two years, and the house had changed a lot. It felt like everything had changed.
"I'm Fu Ying, and these are my husband, my parents-in-law." Quickly open the door and announce to my grandfather that I'm back!
The two bodyguards were taken aback. They had heard of Fu Ying before; the Fu family's precious granddaughter had married into a Chinese family. They had often heard Fu Tian mention her. But was it true?