Yu Jing happened to be dining at the same restaurant that evening, accompanied by the famous actor Sun Chu. She saw Wang Ning’an enter and, after hesitating for some time, finally could not resist going over to knock on the private room door.
Yu Jing had not been having an easy time lately. Ever since Yu Hongming brought his mistress and their son into the family home, the household had been in constant turmoil. To take revenge on Yu Hongming and the other woman, Li Xin had been using the strength of her natal family to oppose Shenghui. That forced Yu Hongming, who had developed some misgivings about Wang Ning’an, to rely on him again.
Yu Jing’s feelings toward Wang Ning’an were complicated. She hated him for bringing about her brother’s imprisonment and the breakup of her family, but seeing him become increasingly capable left her feeling unsettled. Deep down, she was still reluctant to give him up. Her pride simply prevented her from admitting it.
She had at last made up her mind. She sent Sun Chu away and went to find Wang Ning’an, hoping to use the opportunity to speak frankly with him. Instead, the man who had started all her troubles opened the door.
“Miss Yu. Is there something you need?”
Wang Cheng did not open the door fully, but his voice was loud enough for Wang Ning’an and Chu Yifeng to hear.
Yu Jing’s expression soured further when she saw him. “I’m looking for Wang Ning’an.”
Wang Cheng did not budge. “What do you need him for? You can tell me.”
Yu Jing clenched her teeth. “It’s about work.”
Wang Cheng raised his wrist and checked the time, then smiled. “I’m afraid it’s after working hours. If it concerns work, please ask him during working hours. We’re in the middle of dinner. If there’s nothing else, goodbye.”
His refusal to give an inch made Yu Jing furious.
“Isn’t that the eldest daughter of the Yu family?” The door to a neighboring private room suddenly opened. Three men came out, and the one in front recognized Yu Jing.
Wang Cheng narrowed his eyes when he saw the man. They had only met once, but he recognized him immediately. It was Gu Ping, the relative Shen Yuan had introduced at the gathering. They had just been discussing him earlier that day, and now he had appeared before them. He might even be the person directing the attempts to seize the pendant.
After recognizing Yu Jing, Gu Ping noticed Wang Cheng. Once he got a good look at him, he approached politely with an outstretched hand. “Mr. Zhou! What a coincidence to see you again. I’m Gu Ping. Do you remember me?”
Wang Cheng glanced at his hand and replied with a strange half-smile, “How could I possibly forget someone as distinguished as Mr. Gu?”
Gu Ping thought his smile was rather odd. But he was certain the two had never met outside the gathering at Feise, so there should be no reason for bad blood between them. Just as he was about to say something, a man emerged from behind the door. Gu Ping’s pupils contracted. It was Chu Yifeng, the very man he had been most eager to befriend at that earlier gathering.
“What’s taking so long?” Chu Yifeng asked with a frown, making his displeasure perfectly clear.
Gu Ping was skilled at reading people. He immediately said, “I see Mr. Chu is here too. We won’t interrupt your meal. Goodbye.” He walked away with his two companions. Yu Jing had not managed to speak with Wang Ning’an, but judging from the situation, she would get nowhere by staying. She left reluctantly.
Back inside, the three men finished the dishes, which had begun to grow cold. Wang Ning’an elegantly dabbed the corners of his mouth with a napkin before asking about the jade pendant.
“Big Brother, Chu Yifeng investigated the pendant’s origins. Have you heard of Gu Group?” Wang Cheng got straight to the point.
Wang Ning’an nodded. Given his profession, of course he knew the Gu family. Gu Group was a genuine giant of the biopharmaceutical industry, one that even Shenghui Group could not match. It kept a relatively low profile, so its true standing was known mainly to people in the field. The company did much more than sell medicine. Its biotechnology research was said to be highly advanced. It had formed a specialist team years earlier to pursue cutting-edge biological research. Many professionals dreamed of joining it, and the team reportedly included brilliant minds from around the world.
Wang Cheng took out the pendant he had brought. “We suspect Gu Group’s chairman may be Dad’s father. The character shou engraved here is part of Chairman Gu’s name. Supposedly, all four Gu brothers once had a pendant.”
Wang Ning’an looked slightly surprised. “If that’s true, I think I understand why someone would want the pendant so badly.”
“Why?” Wang Cheng asked in astonishment.
“Because of the division of the Gu family’s property decades ago, isn’t it?” Chu Yifeng said.
“Exactly.” Wang Ning’an nodded. “The Gu family’s history isn’t a secret. As far as I know, the four brothers fought bitterly over the family fortune. Eventually the patriarch divided it into four equal portions, one for each brother. But the other three could not preserve their shares. By the third generation, they had either squandered their fortunes or watched their businesses shrink into minor second-tier companies. The only real success was the third son, Gu Shouzhuo, now chairman of Gu Group. He’s a genius. Even when he was young, he put forward some astonishing ideas.”
“And then?”
“Rumor has it Gu Shouzhuo had two women in his life who could be called wives. He never actually married the first; she was his fiancée, although their wedding had been planned. Something happened, and they were separated. The Gu family looked for her but never found her. I hear they searched for several years. Eventually they seem to have assumed she was dead and arranged for Gu Shouzhuo to marry another woman. Several years later they had a son, but he died in a plane crash in his twenties.”
“Don’t tell me the family line ended there?” Wang Cheng joked.
Chu Yifeng immediately ruffled his hair. “If his line ended, then what exactly is your father?”
Wang Cheng knocked his hand away. “Go away! Can’t I make a joke?”
Wang Ning’an shook his head helplessly. He was still surprised by the way they interacted. This was not his first encounter with Chu Yifeng, but the man always possessed an overwhelming presence. He did not seem like someone who would joke and tussle with another person.
“If his only son died, Gu Shouzhuo lost both his child and his heir. So who will inherit a conglomerate that size? Didn’t he have another child?”
Wang Ning’an did not know whether to laugh or cry. “Gu Shouzhuo wasn’t young when he married his second wife. By the time their son died, he was nearly sixty. How could he simply start another family? And he isn’t like ordinary wealthy men. He reportedly never cheated on his wife, and she is still his only spouse.”
“Sounds like Dad’s father is a good man,” Wang Cheng said teasingly.
“Unfortunately, this good man is facing the end of his line, with nobody to inherit the company he spent his life building,” Chu Yifeng added.
Wang Cheng frowned. “But isn’t Gu Ping a member of the Gu family? When Shen Yuan introduced him, I thought he made it sound as though Gu Ping was Gu Group’s heir.”
“Gu Ping is only a grandson of the Gu family’s second son,” Chu Yifeng explained. “Since Gu Shouzhuo has no acknowledged heir, he has been considering someone from among his brothers’ descendants. But that’s merely an idea; he hasn’t actually decided. And the Gu family has other branches. The eldest and fourth branches certainly covet Gu Shouzhuo’s fortune too.”
“Mr. Chu is right. The descendants of the Gu family are fighting fiercely over Gu Shouzhuo’s company. Gu Ping is only one contender, and the others won’t quietly watch him rise.”
“I see.” Wang Cheng stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Those younger relatives only have a chance because Gu Shouzhuo has no descendants. If he did, Gu Group would never be theirs. His fiancée disappeared, but she was pregnant at the time. Just because they couldn’t find her doesn’t mean she or the child died. Someone must have kept searching over the years. Members of the Gu family might have learned about Dad from somewhere, which explains why they want the pendant. Right now, it’s the proof of Dad’s identity. Without it, we might never have traced the Gu family.”
“That’s the only explanation.”
“Actually…” Wang Cheng stopped, exasperated. “Are these Gu family people stupid? They keep making attempts to steal it, practically begging us to realize there’s something special about the pendant!”
“Even if they did nothing, you would eventually investigate once you noticed its quality,” Chu Yifeng said, crossing his legs. To be fair to Wang Cheng, he added, “But whoever is directing them is indeed too impatient. All these attempts only make you investigate the secret sooner.”
Wang Cheng gave him an approving look, then turned to Wang Ning’an. “Big Brother, what are you planning to do now? We know the jade comes from the Gu family.”
Wang Ning’an frowned. “If someone in the Gu family already knows Dad exists, do you think Gu Shouzhuo knows too?”
“Gu Shouzhuo built Gu Group into what it is today. It would be rather strange if he knew nothing, wouldn’t it?” Wang Cheng considered the matter. “And of everyone in the Gu family, he has the strongest reason to look for Grandmother and Dad. The other three branches would much rather the search fail. Why would they put any effort into finding them, let alone discover Dad before Gu Shouzhuo did? I don’t believe they’re capable of that.”
Chu Yifeng and Wang Ning’an both stared at him.
Wang Cheng was puzzled by their looks. He reviewed what he had said and could find nothing wrong. “Why are you staring at me?”
Chu Yifeng smiled. “Nothing. You’ve made a very convincing argument.”
An exceptionally convincing one.