Chapter 10 The next day, Zhou Jingyu roughly figured out who his new neighbor was. A massive advertisement had been hanging in the Wealth Plaza that he passed through daily, covering an entire building facade. He simply hadn’t bothered to look at it before. It was an advertisement for an international luxury brand. She wore a flowing, pale green long dress, barefoot among the trees. She was running, as if drawn by something, when she suddenly turned her head. Her face was undoubtedly the finest gift the Creator had bestowed upon humanity—breathtakingly beautiful at first sight, unforgettable, and stunningly gorgeous beyond ordinary imagination. A tear mole at the corner of her eye made her entire being come alive, like a spirit leaping through mountains, with even her exposed toes appearing round and adorable. Anyone with common sense knew that placing an advertisement here, occupying such a massive screen, was not something ordinary people could accomplish. No wonder she kept asking if he knew who she was. From the driver’s seat, Zhou Jingyu looked up and saw the prominent signature in the lower right corner, written in bold, flowing calligraphy: two large characters. —Wen Tang. Every Monday morning, Shenglin Group headquarters held a routine meeting. Barring any exceptions, all company executives were required to attend. Shenglin Group’s main industries included shopping malls, real estate, and five-star hotels, with operations throughout the country and international renown. Zhou Donghai had not just one son, Zhou Jiayi, but also a second son, Zhou Jiarong, a third son, Zhou Jiaxin, and a daughter, Zhou Jialan. Among them, only the eldest was the most incompetent, holding a sinecure with some shares that earned him annual dividends, without even qualifying for a seat on the board. However, despite Zhou Jiayi’s incompetence, his eldest son, Zhou Jingyu, had been parachuted in as chairman of Shenglin Group. Initially, the board members were greatly shocked, but after two or three months, they had all calmed down. This morning’s meeting primarily discussed a plot of land in the urban village. Hundreds of billions had been spent acquiring it last year, with the original plan to build and sell residential properties. However, the national government had imposed strict controls, leaving the land vacant for observation. Real estate was managed by Zhou Jiarong, while Zhou Jiaxin managed shopping malls. He had long coveted this land. At the last meeting, he proposed that since the real estate industry was gradually declining, converting the land into a large shopping mall would be the best way forward. “The national government is currently undertaking major reforms in the real estate industry with macroeconomic controls. Recapturing past glory would be as difficult as ascending to heaven! But shopping malls are different. National consumption levels are rising daily, and mall revenues are increasing significantly. These past years, every industry has faced a harsh winter, and even our hotels haven’t escaped—occupancy rates are below sixty percent, far from what they used to be. Only shopping malls can maintain their previous performance, remaining stable with steady growth. Moreover, that plot is located in a central position at a transportation hub. Not developing it into a shopping mall would be a waste!” Throughout the meeting, only Zhou Jiaxin spoke. He and Zhou Jiarong had never gotten along. The eldest was incompetent and had been kicked out long ago. The fourth was a girl, and Zhou Donghai would never hand over such a massive group to her. In the end, the choice could only be between Zhou Jiarong and Zhou Jiaxin. Once, not just the two of them, but the entire upper management and even the whole group thought this way. When Zhou Donghai was present, the two men fought for power behind the scenes, standing in opposition. After Zhou Donghai was hospitalized and his health completely deteriorated, in their struggle for control of the group, they brought their conflict into the open, tearing their faces and fighting fiercely. Yet no one had anticipated that Zhou Donghai would choose neither, instead parachuting in Zhou Jingyu, catching everyone off guard. Sending Zhou Jingyu to France for ten years without a word, then pulling the rug out from under everyone at the last moment—Zhou Donghai truly had excellent tactics! After decades of hard work in the company, why should they end up working for a young upstart? On this matter, Zhou Jiarong and Zhou Jiaxin quickly reached consensus, united against outsiders, and rapidly formed an alliance. With years of experience managing the group, wasn’t it easy to deal with a parachuted newcomer? Whatever Zhou Jingyu did, they would oppose it, making his work difficult to carry out and letting everyone in the group understand who the real power holder was. With Zhou Jingyu sidelined, what did it matter if he held the title of chairman? He was merely an empty shell, a decorative piece. But they still needed to fight for their respective interests. Essentially, Zhou Jiarong and Zhou Jiaxin could not work in harmony. While obstructing Zhou Jingyu’s work, privately the two families continued their endless struggle. This land dispute was merely the tip of the iceberg. “Your wishful thinking is quite elaborate, but I went through tremendous effort to acquire this land, and you want me to hand it over to you for a shopping mall? That’s ridiculous—don’t even think about it!” Zhou Jiarong was nearly infuriated by Zhou Jiaxin. Yet he also understood in his heart that the government was holding things up, and procedures were delayed. Every day the land sat vacant was another day of losses. That location was his carefully selected choice—absolutely prime real estate. Whether building residential units or a shopping mall, it would be profitable. Otherwise, how could Zhou Jiaxin be so desperate to snatch the land from his hands? Zhou Jiaxin remained composed and said: “Of course you want to continue building residential units, but can you build now? The land sitting empty is still empty. Why not develop it into a shopping mall and make money sooner?” Then, feigning politeness, he sought the opinion of Zhou Jingyu, who sat in the main seat: “Jingyu, what do you think? Am I right?” Zhou Jiarong let out a cold snort, dismissively saying: “He’s only been in the company for three months. What would he know?” Within the group, Zhou Jingyu was not as prominent as outside rumors suggested. He could only make decisions on trivial, inconsequential matters. Real power remained in the hands of Zhou Jiarong, Zhou Jiaxin, and Zhou Jialan. With the conversation directed at Zhou Jingyu, being openly and subtly disrespected, Zhou Jingyu showed no annoyance whatsoever. He always maintained a calm, composed demeanor, and was respectful and humble before his elders. Zhou Jingyu struck a balance: “Both uncles make valid points. Whether building residential units or a shopping mall, both are wise choices. This matter is truly difficult to decide.” “I’m afraid we won’t reach a conclusion today. Why don’t you two uncles go back and carefully plan your proposals? We can all vote by show of hands again?” Zhou Jiarong, seeing his incompetent appearance of not daring to offend anyone, let out a light sneer. Zhou Jiarong spread his hands: “Right, when necessary, we still need to listen to the chairman.” Zhou Jialan, who had been observing from the sidelines throughout, was too lazy to listen to them bicker further. Impatiently, she said: “Alright, that’s enough. You two go back and prepare your proposals respectively. We’ll listen to Jingyu’s decision, and we’ll vote by show of hands when we meet again. That’s all for today. I have something else to attend to right now. Meeting adjourned!” With that, the meeting ended.　　Back at the office, he saw Zhou Jingxi sitting at his desk with his legs crossed, waiting. Zhou Jingxi hadn’t seen Zhou Jingyu since he left the Zhou family mansion. He was twenty-three years old this year, having just graduated from university and returned from abroad. He hadn’t pursued further studies. Spoiled since childhood, he had no great ambitions in life. Before Zhou Jingyu returned, he hadn’t even set foot in the company, spending his days eating, drinking, and having fun. After Zhou Jingyu came back, Yue Lin’s sense of crisis surged, and she forcibly obtained a position for Zhou Jingxi from Zhou Jingyu, making him go to work. This time Zhou Jingxi came to report for duty. He was assigned a fairly high position—Vice General Manager of the Marketing Department. After Zhou Jingxi reported in, he came to the President’s office. The secretary said Zhou Jingyu was still in a meeting. Zhou Jingxi had loved clinging to Zhou Jingyu since childhood, and having not seen him for so many days, he missed him dearly. So he went into the President’s office to wait on his own.