Rivals of Rebirth

Chapter 63: Scheming

"Mr. Zhou, considering Zhou Cheng'an's face, I won't hold it against you for what you just said. Please leave now," Zheng Jue said, crossing his ten fingers and looking at Mr. Zhou with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Mr. Zhou or Zhou Chen, was the son favored by Old Master Zhou, but he was also the most useless among all his sons. Perhaps because Old Master Zhou had exerted too much effort, Zhou Chen ended up as a pampered and effeminate young man, lacking the decisiveness and shrewdness of his father.

A dark glint flashed in Zheng Jue's eyes. He couldn't stand that such a person dared to provoke him. He had been too patient for too long.

Zhou Chen, who had never been humiliated before, exploded upon hearing Zheng Jue's words. He stood up abruptly, kicking over the tea table and shouting, "Zheng Jue! Do you really want to oppose me?"

Zheng Jue coldly smiled and slowly stood up, his voice solemn. "Mr. Zhou, while the security guards haven't arrived yet, I suggest you leave immediately!"

Zhou Chen glared at Zheng Jue with a vicious look in his eyes and stormed off.

Watching Zhou Chen’s departing figure, Zheng Jue's expression gradually became serious. Although Zhou Chen was not very capable, he had the backing of Old Master Zhou. If he was determined to obstruct Zheng Jue, the outcome might not be favorable.

In the concerned eyes of Susie, Zheng Jue said in a soft voice, "Call Zhou Cheng'an. I can't handle this matter alone."

Susie immediately complied, leaving to make the call.

In half an hour, Zhou Cheng'an arrived at Zheng's headquarters. As per Zheng Jue's instructions, he went straight to Zheng Jue's office. Anxious, he said in a low voice, "Zheng Jue, I'm truly sorry."

Zheng Jue had never seen Zhou Cheng'an like this before. After acknowledging Susie, who led Zhou Cheng'an into the office, Zheng Jue nodded and waited for Susie to leave before saying, "Young Master Zhou, we don't need to discuss this. But your father's matter must be handled properly."

Zhou Cheng'an smiled awkwardly. "My father has always been like this—overbearing, tactless, and offending many people in the business circle. He sent me abroad just to avoid troubles. Zheng, please bear with him."

Zheng Jue shook his head with a smile, gesturing for Zhou Cheng'an to sit. "Zhou, I'm not worried about him directly confronting me. I'm concerned that he might sabotage our collaboration."

Zhou Cheng'an took the water glass Zheng Jue handed him and sighed. "Rest assured, even if he has such intentions, he doesn't have the capability to disrupt our collaboration. This cooperation was approved by my grandfather himself. If my father causes a scene here, he'll be scolded when he goes back. Just wait for my grandfather to apologize to you."

Zheng Jue breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. As long as Old Master Zhou remained clear-headed, he hoped that the old man wouldn't follow Zhou Chen's lead in causing trouble.

"Well, that puts my mind at ease," Zheng Jue said, a slight smile forming on his lips, and his expression softened.

Observing Zheng Jue's change in demeanor, Zhou Cheng'an's eyes flickered with curiosity. He lowered his voice and asked, "Zheng, I couldn't attend Han's charity dinner yesterday due to some family matters. Did anything interesting happen?"

Zheng Jue's expression stiffened for a moment before he forced a smile and replied, "Nothing unusual. It was just like before."

Zhou Cheng'an naturally noticed Zheng Jue's odd reaction, and his expression became somewhat knowing. "Zheng, I know about your relationship with Vi. You don't need to hide it from me. Just be careful; Mr. Han is not someone to be trifled with."

Zheng Jue chuckled softly. "Rest assured, Zhou, Mr. Han is well aware of the situation between me and Han Jin. Times have changed, and some things are no longer the same."

Zhou Cheng'an nodded slightly, having grasped the underlying meaning.

"Indeed, that way, it won't cause any unnecessary trouble. As long as you both understand," Zhou Cheng'an said, displaying an elegant smile.

Seeing Zhou Cheng'an's smile, Zheng Jue furrowed his brows imperceptibly. He felt that Zhou Cheng'an's words held a deeper implication, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Zhou Cheng'an, he escorted him out.

As Zhou Cheng'an walked away, Zheng Jue's brows furrowed even more. He signaled Susie, who was behind him, to come forward. "You need to keep a close eye on Zhou Cheng'an. I still have some reservations about him."

Susie nodded in response.

Meanwhile, while Zheng Jue was facing his own challenges, the situation at the Han's company was entirely different. Han Zizhang had started a thorough clean-up of the entire Han's board of directors, leaving the upper management in a state of anxiety, and the atmosphere at the company was tense.

At this moment, Han Jin leaned against the window, looking down at the people waiting to talk with Han Zizhang. Some feigned composure, while others had fleeting expressions. Han Jin watched the scene unfold with a smile playing on his lips.

Han Zizhang still ruled Han's like an emperor, but this colossal entity also needed some fresh blood injected into it.

As Han Jin's assistant entered the room, he saw this scene first—a smile on Han Jin's face—and it sent shivers down his spine, though he managed to maintain a composed demeanor. He cautiously approached Han Jin and whispered, "Young Master Han, half of the board members are here today."

Han Jin didn't turn around but sneered, "Han Zizhang's assistant is quite quick on his feet."

Han Jin's assistant kept his head down, afraid to speak, but a chill ran through his hands.

It had only been three days since the charity dinner, yet the atmosphere at Han's had turned gloomy and tense. Everyone was on edge, but little did they know that the one responsible for this turmoil was the person right in front of them.

With a final glance at the people below, Han Jin turned away from the window and returned to his office.

**

In his office, Han Zizhang looked at the people before him. Most of them had grown up and struggled alongside him in the Han family, but now their relationship with him was on a dangerous edge.

Han Zizhang had three suspects this time—his two cousins, Han Dong and Han Su, who grew up with him, and his most trusted right-hand man, Wu Xi, the general manager of Han's.

In the past, Han Zizhang's position within Han's was not secure. As the youngest son of the previous family head, he was quite young when his father passed away. Many elders in the family didn't accept him, and there were internal struggles for power. Han Dong and Han Su were among those who had considered making a move against him, but he crushed them thoroughly, forcing them into submission.

As for Wu Xi... Han Zizhang narrowed his eyes as he observed the person sitting before him.

He had invited these people to Han's with the explicit purpose of shocking the snakes. These individuals were all experienced players, and it was better to act openly than in secret. He wanted to see how these people would react. Additionally, he wanted to know how many people would show up and how many still remembered him, the old man.

Among them, Wu Xi's performance stood out. Just two days ago, he was in Miami, yet today he sat in Han's headquarters, chatting and appearing friendly. His performance seemed a bit over the top.

Doubt surfaced in Han Zizhang's mind as he gazed at Wu Xi. He had always been mild-mannered and low-key, like a shadow by his side—quiet and unnoticeable, yet always present. In the past, Han Zizhang hadn't paid much attention to him, but now he felt a shiver run down his spine.

"Zizhang, what happened to the company this time? Why has it become such a big mess?" Wu Xi asked with a smile.

Han Zizhang smiled nonchalantly and replied in a gentle tone, "Nothing, just wanted to meet some old friends. How's business in the United States?"

"It's going well," Wu Xi said, lifting the drink on the table and taking a sip. He continued, "Han's is pretty stable over there. Don't worry about it."

Han Zizhang nodded slightly and smirked. He casually glanced at Wu Xi and noticed a subtle tension in his formerly gentle eyes. Han Zizhang sneered inwardly.

"As for you, I am naturally reassured. What worries me is Han Jin. He's young and full of fire. I fear he may not be able to handle major responsibilities in the future," Han Zizhang said, seemingly sighing.

Wu Xi breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "You can rest assured. Han Jin has always been steady. He's been performing excellently at the company these past few days. There's no need to worry."

Han Zizhang sighed again, "I'm not worried about his business acumen, but his impulsiveness. Young people tend to be too fiery. These past few days, he's been getting angry with me frequently."

Wu Xi smiled and reassured him, "You don't need to worry about that. He just needs more experience, and he'll mature in time."

Han Zizhang nodded with a smile, and the topic on this matter came to an end. Instead, they began discussing their past experiences. After a long chat, Han Zizhang finally ended the conversation and saw Wu Xi off.

As he watched Wu Xi leave, his assistant stood behind him, waiting for orders. When Wu Xi's figure finally disappeared, the smile on Han Zizhang's lips gradually faded, replaced by a cold expression. "Investigate Wu Xi thoroughly. Find out when he met Han Jin, especially around the time of Han Jin's mother's death."

If Han Jin could mention that matter on the day of the charity dinner, it meant that it wasn't discovered only recently. Perhaps Wu Xi had set a trap for him ten years ago when Han Jin's mother died. He had overlooked Wu Xi for so many years, and it was indeed a costly mistake.

The assistant nodded slightly and replied in a low voice, "I've already investigated Wu Xi's background in that aspect. He and Han Jin haven't met in recent years."

Han Zizhang coldly chuckled, "No, not in recent years. Go further back in time and thoroughly investigate Wu Xi's relationship with Han Jin, especially around the time of Han Jin's mother's death."

If Han Jin could mention something from years ago, it meant this wasn't a recent discovery. Wu Xi might have set a trap for him when Han Jin's mother passed away ten years ago. He had ignored Wu Xi all these years, and it was a costly oversight.

The assistant nodded slightly and replied in a low voice, "Understood."