Chapter 26: The Heir of Nam
Chapter 26
The system can only use the eye of heaven authority when the female lead and male lead appear in the same scene, which may affect the progress of the host's task, and when the female lead is in danger.
Qin Zhao originally wanted 502 to help her check Nan Yue's whereabouts.
But the reply she got was that Nan Yue was very safe at this time.
Although she didn't understand why she left, knowing that she was safe, Qin Zhao was relieved.
Without Nan Yue's company, Qin Zhao resumed her solitary life.
She went to work on time on Monday. Her mood was not very good originally.
But when she heard Pei Fanzhi say that Liuyuan's user growth and revenue had hit new highs, she put on a smile.
"Hey, what's with the face? Your smile looks sadder than crying!" Pei Fanzhi patted Qin Zhao on the shoulder and said, "If something is bothering you, tell me and make me happy."
Qin Zhao rolled her eyes at her, "I'm very happy."
Pei Fanzhi didn't believe her of course. "Let me guess why you're not happy. Hmm...did you go bankrupt?"
Qin Zhao was silent.
"Is someone in your family sick?"
Qin Zhao remained silent.
Pei Fanzhi's voice suddenly went up an octave, "Don't tell me you broke up with your girlfriend?!"
Qin Zhao simply turned around and ignored her.
Pei Fanzhi realized she had guessed right and struggled to restrain her gloating smile. She comforted her, "Don't be so heartbroken, out with the old and in with the new. Trust me, with your looks, the next one will surely be more obedient."
If only it were that easy to turn the page.
But the situation was different now. Nan Yue was not just a strategizing target to Qin Zhao. She really had feelings for her.
Seeing Qin Zhao looking so listless, Pei Fanzhi said, "Why don't I tell you some good news, listen, maybe it'll cheer you up."
Qin Zhao turned to Pei Fanzhi and raised her eyebrows, "Let's hear it."
She did need some outside stimulus at the moment.
Pei Fanzhi leaned in and whispered, "I heard that the investors who signed the wager agreement with Ye Chenxi, dissatisfied with Wilderness's poor performance, are preparing to sue, demanding 10 times compensation in proportion to their investment.
The amount is an astronomical figure. Even if he sells Quest Game, he can't pay it back.
After this fall, Ye Chenxi will never get back up again."
Pei Fanzhi knew Ye Chenxi was Qin Zhao's love rival, so this news would surely delight her.
Sure enough, Qin Zhao's expression lightened considerably.
"Sister Pei, thank you for telling me this. I do enjoy seeing Ye Chenxi get his comeuppance," Qin Zhao said with a smile.
"I'm glad to hear that," Pei Fanzhi patted Qin Zhao's hand. "Keep up the good work, I'm going to discuss business with President Shen."
"Sure."
After Pei Fanzhi left, Qin Zhao's smile faded.
In the original work, Ye Chenxi did experience failure, but with the male lead's halo, he often turned crises into greater opportunities.
Bouncing back from rock bottom was one of his specialties.
It was too early to celebrate.
On December 7th, two major news events occurred.
First, Ye Chenxi, as the legal representative of Quest Game, was on the court's compulsory execution list for owing 1.2 billion yuan in debt.
Second, Nan Chenghui, Chairman of Nan Group, was arrested for embezzling huge sums of public funds to bribe high-ranking officials.
Then in just one short week.
Nan Group's stock plunged 30 percentage points in market value.
As Nan Chenghui's wife, Li Shuyun came forward to speak and released the group's financial report and follow-up response measures, slowing the decline in stock price.
Two days later, the group announced its future successor, trying to regain public trust by changing the helm.
It turned out to be Nan Yue!
This was the first time Qin Zhao had seen her name in public since Nan Yue left.
During this time Qin Zhao had called Nan Yue many times but she never picked up, and didn't reply to WeChat either.
She didn't expect that she had gone back home to inherit the family business.
Although she vaguely knew there must be inside stories, it still surprised her.
Not only Qin Zhao was surprised, the media and public were equally surprised.
Nan Yue, this rich young lady who looked prettier than a celebrity, had attracted much attention since her first appearance, and was a regular in entertainment news.
The clothes and accessories she wore and used were often sold out.
People also enthusiastically talked about her extravagant lifestyle.
Perhaps because her looks were quite likable, the public did not pick on her like they did other rich people, and were quite partial to her.
But perceptive people could see that she had not been groomed as a successor. Everyone assumed Nan Chenghui expected her to be a little princess forever.
Therefore, when the news came out, the media raised doubts and the stock price dropped accordingly.
Qin Zhao was a little worried about Nan Yue's psychological state.
Being doubted by everyone was not something ordinary people could withstand.
She tried calling Nan Yue again. It rang four times. She thought Nan Yue wouldn't pick up this time either, but she did after the fifth ring.
Nan Yue's voice came through, "Hello, Zhao Zhao?"
The familiar voice and tone made Qin Zhao feel very estranged.
How could she act as if nothing had happened, still calling her "Zhao Zhao" after not seeing her for over a month?
"Zhao Zhao, are you there?" Nan Yue asked again.
Qin Zhao took a deep breath and replied, "I'm here."
"Great, how have you been recently?" Nan Yue asked.
"Pretty good."
Then the two fell silent.
Qin Zhao forgot her purpose for calling Nan Yue, and Nan Yue also seemed at a loss for words.
Ten minutes later, Qin Zhao was the first to hang up.
At least from Nan Yue's reaction, it seemed she was doing quite well.
Ye Chenxi sat at his desk listening to his assistant brief him on the recent situation of people chasing debts from the company.
"The three game studios we work with are demanding the accounts that used to be settled quarterly switch to monthly settlement.
This means we need to clear 86.3 million by the end of this month."
"Guangxi Studio is asking us to pay them the money for the previous outsourced project within this week, a total of 14 million."
"Also..."
"Enough!!" Ye Chenxi shouted, interrupting his assistant's report.
She jumped back three steps in fright, thinking to herself: It's not me asking for money, why is he yelling at me! Ah, corporate life is so hard!
Ye Chenxi lowered his head, looking utterly defeated.
The assistant even felt a little sorry for him, but when she recalled how condescendingly Ye Chenxi usually treated her, she felt vindicated.
She even hoped things would get worse for him.
Ye Chenxi suddenly lifted his head to look the assistant in the eye. Seeing a fleeting panic cross her face, he asked, "What, do you want to laugh at me too?"
The assistant quickly waved her hands, "No no, Boss, I hope you'll be very successful. When you succeed, I'll get paid. Why would I wish you ill?"
"Hmph, you all want to see me in misery, but I refuse to satisfy you.
One day, I will make everyone know that I, Ye Chenxi, am a born winner! Failure is only temporary."
The assistant faked a quiet, obsequious voice, "Boss, I believe in you. You're the best!"
Ye Chenxi looked at the assistant appraisingly. She shut her mouth nervously.
Ye Chenxi suddenly smiled and said, "People like you are the majority, but I don't care if it's fake or not. When everyone can only flatter me, then I've succeeded."
The assistant hurriedly nodded, "Yes yes, Boss is right."
Ye Chenxi looked out the window. "I'll transfer 50 million from my personal account to the company's. Tell the CFO to negotiate with those people and give them some time."
The assistant timidly asked, "What if the talks fall through?"
"Then tell them that if the company goes bankrupt, they won't get a cent!"
The assistant was stunned by his shamelessness. She shivered three times. "Okay, Chairman Ye, I'll go arrange it."
Not long after she left, someone else entered the office.
The man was in an expensive tailored suit, refined in appearance, in his fifties, yet gave off an extraordinary air.
Seeing the man's face, Ye Chenxi immediately stood up from his chair and exclaimed, "Dad! What are you doing here?"
Ye Jianxiong sat down on the sofa, crossed his legs casually, and said grumpily, "Of course I've come to see my precious son."
Ye Chenxi's face lit up in delight. "Dad..."
This was the first time Ye Jianxiong had been so affectionate with him.
Ye Jianxiong tossed a card to Ye Chenxi. "There's 2 billion on the card. Take it and resolve your company's problems first."
Ye Chenxi took it, his body trembling slightly from ecstatic joy.
When Ye Chenxi was gasping for breath under the heavy burden of debt, someone suddenly sent money to relieve his urgent need.
Without personally experiencing it, one cannot appreciate the joy.
He felt his body was as light as a feather, as if he was dreaming.
Then a basin of ice water was poured down immediately!
Ye Jianxiong said, "Consider this money as the last help I give you as a father. I'm too disappointed with your past performance. There will be no place for you in the group in the future."
Ye Chenxi was struck by lightning and frozen on the spot!
After a long while, he asked with trembling lips, "Dad, why are you so cruel to me? Am I not your son? In what way am I inferior to my sister?!"
Ye Jianxiong sneered, "Don't mention your sister. You are not qualified to compare with her. You are just a mistake I made when I was young.
I have given you 3 billion in total. It's your own incompetence that lost it all.
I have been benevolent and righteous enough to you. Go ask around, which illegitimate daughter has been treated like you?
You have taken advantage of your gender privilege and are still full of complaints here. If you have the energy, run your little company well.
That's all I have to say. Take care of yourself and don't smear the Ye family!"
After Ye Jianxiong left, Ye Chenxi threw the bank card into the trash can!
With both hands on his forehead, his hairstyle was messy, and none of his usual glamour could be seen.
He mumbled to himself, "You forced me...you forced me!"
Squatting down to retrieve the bank card from the trash can, when Ye Chenxi looked up again, his expression had returned to calm.
He dialed a number and said to the other end, "Have you found the Vietnamese I asked you to look for?"
The other party replied, "I found them, but they seem to have mental problems. I've never seen them take a bath.
They just eat, sleep, and fight when they have some strength. Their faces are bruised and swollen.
Boss, find something for them to do quickly, otherwise I can't guarantee they won't go out to make trouble."
A sinister light flashed in Ye Chenxi's eyes. He said, "There's a job for them to do, just right."
"Warning! The male lead is about to make trouble!" The system alerted Qin Zhao!