It was Sunday. Neither Zhou Lin nor her husband needed to go to work. Staying home and resting ought to have been pleasant, yet both looked rather exhausted. Even Zhao Chenlin sat obediently to one side, hardly daring to breathe too loudly.
Wang Cheng noticed that his grandfather did not greet him with his usual beaming smile or beckon him over. There was not a trace of gentleness in his stern expression. With his face set and a heavy atmosphere hanging over the room, it seemed something serious had happened. Wang Cheng instinctively wondered whether Zhao Chenlin’s family of three had been speaking ill of him to his grandfather again. He gave no sign of the thought, however, and quietly approached.
“Grandpa, I’m back.”
Zhou Shichang gave a subdued acknowledgment. Rubbing the corner of his eye, he said, “It’s good that you’re home. You haven’t eaten yet, have you? I’ll have Butler Zhou ask the kitchen to make you something.”
Hearing that his voice was still fairly gentle, Wang Cheng knew the trouble was not about him. He immediately said, “There’s no hurry, Grandpa. Did something happen while I was away? Everyone looks strange. Why don’t you tell me about it? Maybe I can help take some of the burden off your shoulders.”
Before he had even finished, Zhao Chenlin let out a derisive snort.
It was as though he were mocking Wang Cheng for overestimating himself. What made him think he could help Grandpa with his troubles?
Wang Cheng treated him as if he were air. Some people were like that: because they were incapable themselves, they assumed everyone else was just as useless, and could not bear to see anyone do well. Wang Cheng knew that anything worrying his grandfather was probably related to the company. Although he had begun learning about its operations recently, he was still an outsider in many respects. He had only wanted to do what little he could. Even if he could not help, at least he would not make matters worse for his grandfather.
“It’s enough that you’re willing to help.” Zhou Shichang patted his hand.
Seeing that his grandfather had no intention of explaining, Wang Cheng did not press him.
Although there was trouble at the company, Zhou Shichang did not keep a stern face the entire time, especially once they sat down to eat. Wang Cheng told him not to let work ruin his appetite. No matter how difficult a problem was, there was always a way to solve it. Only then did Zhou Shichang’s expression soften somewhat.
“Enough about the company. Tell me about yourself. Did you settle everything during these past few days in Shanhai City?” Zhou Shichang asked while drinking the soup Wang Cheng had served him.
Wang Cheng nodded with a smile. “Something came up back home, so I went back to deal with it. That’s settled now. I also took care of some company business while I was there. I remembered what you told me before, Grandpa, and it’s all been handled. There won’t be any lingering trouble.”
Zhou Shichang knew only that Wang Cheng had returned to his hometown near Shanhai City to settle a problem. He did not know the details, and certainly had not expected his grandson to deal with the threat hanging over Dongwang Group at the same time. Delighted, he felt some of the gloom caused by his own company’s problems lift.
“Excellent! That’s my grandson, all right. That’s how it should be. You mustn’t go soft on enemies. If you give them even a moment to catch their breath, you’re giving them another chance to harm you.”
“I’ll remember that, Grandpa.”
Neither Zhou Lin and her husband nor Zhao Chenlin understood what they were talking about. They had no idea Wang Cheng was Dongwang Group’s largest shareholder. Shanhai City was only a mid-sized city and beneath their notice. If they knew he had taken control of an entire Dongwang Group, they would hardly be sitting there so comfortably.
A company that dominated the business world of a mid-sized city was still a large company, even if they looked down on it. That Wang Cheng had managed this much was proof of his ability.
The family of three assumed he meant Yazhi. The entertainment company really had been developing smoothly lately, and had even connected itself to a heavyweight like Fashion Vanguard. Its growth was only a matter of time.
After their meal, Wang Cheng accompanied Zhou Shichang on several circuits of the courtyard.
Spring was now in full bloom. The courtyard’s flowers, trees, and shrubs were lush with green, and a stroll after eating came with the fresh scent of nature. After his grandfather went to the study, Wang Cheng returned to his room to call his family. He first let Mama Wang know he was safe, then phoned Mother Zheng. They had not seen one another for several days, though Mother Zheng called him every day. Today he had flown back and his phone had been switched off.
“Chengcheng, have you eaten? Are you at the Zhou house now?” Mother Zheng’s voice came promptly through the receiver.
Wang Cheng answered both questions before asking, “Mom, you seem to be having a pretty good time lately. Has something good happened?” His biological elder brother had told him that Mother Zheng had been going out often recently, apparently to gatherings with a group of wealthy ladies, and returned in high spirits every time.
“There has been some good news, but let’s leave that for now. Mom heard something happened at Zhou Group. Have you heard about it?” Mother Zheng had been about to tell him, but remembering the news she had heard that morning took away her enthusiasm.
Wang Cheng had not expected her to know. He immediately asked, “Not yet. I saw Grandpa and my aunt’s family when I got home, and I asked, but Grandpa wouldn’t say. Mom, what exactly happened? Grandpa looks so angry. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him like that.”
“I’ve only heard the broad outlines. Apparently, confidential company information was leaked and fell into the hands of Zhou Group’s competitor, Hengyu. They got to a client Zhou Group was planning to sign before we could. It’s connected to the company’s plan to enter the international market. They chose this client after a great deal of careful consideration, and negotiations were already under way. Everything was just about settled. Who would have thought Hengyu would find out and get there first?”
Hengyu Group and Zhou Group had always been rivals. Because Hengyu feared the Zheng family behind Zhou Group, it had never dared make any particularly bold moves before. This time, however, its first major strike had been devastating. Clearly, it had come prepared.
“That should have been confidential information. How did Hengyu find out?” Wang Cheng asked.
“Obviously, there must be a mole inside the company.”
Zhou Group had only recently finished clearing out internal personnel. They had finally achieved a little peace, only for another mole to emerge. The person had not been discovered during the last round of dismissals, which showed how deeply they were hidden. Moreover, anyone who could access such important confidential documents had to hold a fairly senior position.
When the news spread through the company, everyone grew nervous. Junior staff knew little about what had happened, but the senior executives were terrified. It had been years since anything truly angered the chairman, and every time it happened someone ended up suffering the consequences. They could only pray the misfortune would not fall on them.
When Wang Cheng arrived at the company, the atmosphere was even more oppressive than during the previous layoffs.
He ran into Zhao Chenlin, who, contrary to his usual behavior, did not provoke him. Zhao Chenlin got out on the sixty-ninth floor, probably to look for his mother again.
Wang Cheng saw Xie Wenzhi, but because of the leaked confidential documents, everyone on the entire floor was busy. Xie Wenzhi was so occupied that he did not even notice Wang Cheng’s arrival until Wang Cheng spoke.
“Brother Xie, I heard what happened with the company. How bad is it now?”
Recognizing him, Xie Wenzhi did not conceal anything. “It’s rather troublesome. President Feng and the other executives chose that foreign company after several meetings. We’ve been negotiating with them for some time, and it was all going so smoothly that everyone had already started planning the next stage. No one expected things to fall apart at the very end. Now every plan has been disrupted, and we’re running out of time. If we don’t find another partner soon, the damage to Zhou Group will be immense. It won’t simply be a matter of losing money. At worst, it could compromise the group’s entire expansion overseas.”
Wang Cheng had not personally participated, but he had studied the matter carefully when preparing his earlier report. Zhou Group had spent several years preparing to open the door to the international market. Everything was finally ready, and all the work had been arranged. To learn now that an insider had leaked information was no small blow.
“But Hengyu has already beaten us to that foreign company, so we’ll have to find another. The schedule is tight, but if we move now, isn’t there still a chance to make up for it?”
“It’s not that simple,” Xie Wenzhi explained. “Finding another potential partner isn’t difficult. The trouble is the process. Every part of the project was arranged in advance, even the advertising campaign. We have very little time, and negotiations take time too. When money and benefits are at stake, no company will give ground right away. We’ll have to negotiate repeatedly, but Zhou Group no longer has that luxury.”
Wang Cheng began to understand. It really was a headache, and there were still other problems.
Zhou Group was in a hurry, while any new partner had no reason to rush. The other side could take advantage of that weakness and draw things out until Zhou Group had to compromise. The longer it took, the less time remained to revise all the fine details. For a prestigious company positioned at the high end of the market, even a small mistake could be fatal.
“The ideal solution would be to find a new partner within the next few days and get them to sign an agreement within a week. Only that would keep everything moving according to plan.” Xie Wenzhi knew how unlikely that was. It might be possible if Zhou Group gave away the lion’s share of the benefits from the outset. But after years of preparation, they were understandably unwilling to abandon their established plans and goals because of one sudden setback.
Wang Cheng could only feel helpless. This really did seem to be something he could not do much about.