Rivals of Rebirth

Chapter 60: Complexity

After Zhou Cheng'an left, Zheng Jue's mood became quite complicated. He couldn't help but ponder over Zhou Cheng'an's words, which had a significant impact on him. The downtown shopping mall wasn't very large, and for large companies like Han Group and Zhou Group, it might be considered insignificant. However, the way Zhou Cheng'an presented his idea was appropriate.

The downtown mall area was already divided among several major enterprises, leaving little room for a medium-sized mall like his to thrive. It would barely survive, but the profits wouldn't be substantial. However, if it were connected to Zhou Group's mall, its competitiveness would double, giving it the potential to make a significant impact.

Zheng Jue narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling intrigued. Han Group seemed like a behemoth in front of him, but he couldn't keep avoiding them forever. Relying on Han Jin was one path, but he hoped to become stronger himself, so that Han Zizhang wouldn't dare to act recklessly.

Zheng Jue had already decided to agree the moment Zhou Cheng'an mentioned the idea, and now he wouldn't change his mind. He picked up the phone, dialed, and connected to Susie.

A moment later, Susie entered his office and whispered, "Zheng-sheng, what's the matter?"

Zheng Jue said in a hushed tone, "Ask the marketing department to estimate the value of the downtown shopping mall. Have the legal department and the people in charge of the mall come to my office tomorrow morning. There's something we need to discuss."

Susie quickly acknowledged and went out to execute the orders.

In the afternoon, Zheng Jue received an email from Han Jin's office, inviting him to Han Group's charity gala in ten days. Recently, charity events had gained popularity, and Han Group, always clever, was organizing a grand charity gala to showcase its stance and set the tone for the city’s business community.

Zheng Jue wasn't a fool; he had already donated a considerable sum of money. Now, attending this charity gala was a way to gain some positive reputation for himself.

However, this email contained more than just an invitation; it also had some private content. Han Jin wanted to meet him and included the time and location.

Zheng Jue was somewhat surprised. Han Jin seemed so cautious, going to such lengths just to meet him. Zheng Jue suddenly realized the power of Han Zizhang. If he could make someone like Han Jin be on such high alert, it wouldn't be easy to fool him.

Zheng Jue gained a new understanding of Han Zizhang as a person.

After work, Zheng Jue personally left the company and went to the location specified by Han Jin. They had just met yesterday, and he had no idea what Han Jin wanted to discuss with him.

Zheng Jue arrived at the designated location, a hotel in the city center. He went to the room booked by Han Jin, and as soon as he knocked on the door, a hand from inside grabbed his tie and pulled him in.

At first, Zheng Jue was startled, but when he caught a whiff of the unique fragrance from the person, he immediately relaxed. He was dragged inside by that person.

Zheng Jue embraced the person's waist and whispered, "What's wrong with you again?"

Han Jin chuckled softly, "I wanted to see you."

Zheng Jue furrowed his brows slightly, "Mr. Han must be watching us closely. If there's nothing urgent, it's better not to contact each other for now."

Han Jin's body stiffened, and his voice suddenly sounded strange, "You... don't want to see me?"

Zheng Jue lowered his head and looked at Han Jin, realizing that his eyes were dull, devoid of any light. Zheng Jue hesitated for a moment before saying, "It's not that I don't want to see you. It's just that the situation is delicate, and we have to be careful."

Han Jin gazed steadily at Zheng Jue, his eyes carrying a trace of coldness. "Zheng Jue, you don't trust me. After all this time, you still don't believe that I can protect you." His tone was icy and low, stating it as a matter of fact.

Zheng Jue wrinkled his brows; Han Jin seemed to be unreasonable.

"I do trust you, but it's just for safety reasons."

Han Jin lowered his head slowly and chuckled lightly, his voice tinged with a hint of sarcasm. Zheng Jue felt a chill running down his spine.

"Alright, I understand. I won't call you out easily in the future," Han Jin said in a low voice.

Zheng Jue felt that Han Jin's words were strange, but he didn't press further. Instead, he gently stroked Han Jin's hair and smiled softly, "Once this matter is settled, we can meet anytime you want. Don't worry."

Han Jin chuckled softly a few times, and there was a trace of unfinished meaning in his tone. "I'm not worried..." as if there was something more to it.

Zheng Jue used his finger to lift Han Jin's chin, looking into his slightly cold eyes. Suddenly, he couldn't wait any longer and leaned down to kiss his lips, as if by doing so, Han Jin would return to the Han Jin he knew, the warm and innocent one.

Han Jin held Zheng Jue's neck tightly, burying his ruthless gaze behind Zheng Jue's back. He had to exert all his strength to suppress the darkness in his heart. Zheng Jue was by his side now, and he wouldn't lose him again.

Although Zheng Jue was worried that Han Jin's rash behavior might incur Han Zizhang's disapproval, since they were already in this situation, he wouldn't waste this opportunity. Almost as if they were sneaking around, they seized the chance. Zheng Jue suddenly realized that in such circumstances, Han Jin seemed even more excited.

After everything had calmed down, Han Jin lay in Zheng Jue's arms, sticking to him as if suffering from skin hunger. He whispered sweet nothings in Zheng Jue's ear, showering him with affectionate words. Zheng Jue found it hard to resist and they ended up making love again.

When they were both exhausted, it was almost dawn. Zheng Jue remembered that he had a meeting with Zhou Cheng'an regarding the shopping mall and hurriedly got up.

Han Jin looked at him sitting on the edge of the bed tying his tie. His handsome profile appeared softer under the dim light. Han Jin couldn't help but move closer and wrap his arms around Zheng Jue's waist, whispering softly, "Do you have to leave so early?"

Zheng Jue sighed and patted Han Jin's head helplessly, saying, "I have an appointment with Zhou Cheng'an today, so I have to leave early."

"Zhou Cheng'an?" Han Jin raised his head from Zheng Jue's waist and looked at him with some confusion. "Do you still have any connection with him?"

Zheng Jue couldn't help but smile. "What are you thinking? Zhou Cheng'an just wants to cooperate with me in the city center shopping mall, so we scheduled a meeting."

"The city center shopping mall..." Han Jin seemed to be deep in thought, and after a while, he said, "I remember now. Zhou Cheng'an was put in charge of a nearly defunct shopping mall by his father, and he wants to cooperate with you... Does he want to unite the two shopping malls?" Han Jin looked at Zheng Jue, his eyes sparkling with a peculiar light.

Zheng Jue couldn't resist kissing the corner of his eye and said warmly, "Very clever." Han Jin had a keen business sense, and Zheng Jue had barely started talking about it, and he already understood Zhou Cheng'an's intentions.

"If that's the case, you can agree to Lenny. It's beneficial for you and will also give my father a bit of trouble, which can ease some pressure on my side." Han Jin said confidently.

However, Zheng Jue felt something unusual in his heart. Han Jin's willingness to say this so openly was probably because this shopping mall posed limited threats to Han's. As he had said, it would only cause a bit of trouble.

These thoughts flashed through Zheng Jue's mind, but he smiled and replied, "I was already planning to cooperate with Young Master Zhou. If it can help you, then it's even better."

Han Jin seemed stunned for a moment, and then he suddenly pounced on Zheng Jue, kissing him fiercely until they were both breathless before finally letting go.

He leaned close to Zheng Jue's ear and murmured, "Ah Yu, you must come to our family's charity gala."

The tone was both ambiguous and alluring, causing Zheng Jue's stomach to tighten. He nodded slowly; it seemed that the next time they would meet would be at Han's charity gala.

After some playful teasing, Zheng Jue finally left. When he arrived at the company, the top executives and key members of the company had been waiting for quite some time. Not wanting to waste time, Zheng Jue went straight to the point and briefly explained the matter.

This was originally a good thing, and these people had no room for objections. So, apart from offering some of their own views, they didn't say much until the afternoon when Zhou Cheng'an came with several high-level executives from his company, and they officially sat down to discuss the matter.

Zhou Cheng'an made it clear that he didn't want to be controlled by others, and Zheng Jue also wanted better development. So, the collaboration for mutual benefit went smoothly, and by the end of the meeting, a general framework had been established.

After seeing Zhou Cheng'an off from the conference room, Zheng Jue was about to take the elevator when Zhou Cheng'an suddenly asked to speak with him privately.

Zheng Jue frowned slightly, feeling somewhat curious, but he didn't object and entered his office with Zhou Cheng'an.

Once they were both seated, Zhou Cheng'an began, "Zheng Sheng, we've been working together for some time now, and since this collaboration has gone so smoothly, there are certain things I can't keep from you."

Zhou Cheng'an looked at Zheng Jue and continued, "You might not know much about my father. He's always been a muddle-headed person. If it weren't for my grandfather watching over him, the cunning old foxes from those shopping malls would have chewed him up and spat him out by now. But he's ambitious, yet incompetent, and cares a lot about his reputation. Over the years, he hasn't caused too much trouble for the company."

"My grandfather's presence somewhat restrains him, but as his son, my position is somewhat awkward. Our relationship has never been good, and my father harbors deep hatred towards me. It hasn't changed much over all these years. Now that he's back, he's determined to kick me out of the board of directors. So, this collaboration may face quite a few setbacks in the future." Zhou Cheng'an looked slightly fatigued, a stark contrast to his previous confident demeanor.

Zheng Jue smiled at Zhou Cheng'an's appearance and reassured him, "Zhou Shao, don't worry. I believe in your abilities. Our collaboration is based on mutual benefit, and I'm confident that even if your father doesn't like you, he won't let money get in the way. Besides, even drinking water can cause choking, let alone such a significant collaboration."

Zheng Jue understood Zhou Cheng'an's intentions well, but he also knew that if one wants to succeed, they cannot fear the current challenges and should look at future benefits.

He may not know what kind of person Zhou Cheng'an's father is, but he knows Zhou Cheng'an very well and has great confidence in his capabilities.