Chapter 199: Ruyan's Great Trouble?

Chapter 199: Ruyan's Great Trouble?

That evening, Zhao Zheng was about to head to the cafeteria for dinner when he suddenly received a call from Song Shang.

"Uncle Song?"

"Yes, it's me. Have you eaten yet? Come and join me for a drink."

Zhao Zheng knew that Song Shang must have something to say, so he readily agreed.

At the appointed restaurant, they entered a private room.

Only Song Shang was there.

It was clear that Song Shang indeed had something important to discuss.

He personally poured a glass of wine for Zhao Zheng and said, "Haitang told me that the reason for her excellent performance this time... This drink is my way of thanking you for taking care of Haitang in the Spirit Realm."

"You're too kind, Uncle Song. Taking care of Haitang is what I should do. I'll drink to that. You can have as much as you like."

Zhao Zheng finished the wine in one gulp.

With his current body, drinking this high-proof liquor was like a child's play.

The alcohol had no effect on him whatsoever!

Song Shang also finished his drink and then served some dishes to Zhao Zheng: "Eat more!"

After a few rounds of drinks.

Song Shang asked, "What are your plans for the holiday?"

Zhao Zheng, not understanding why Song Shang suddenly asked this question, replied honestly, "I plan to go home and visit my family first."

Song Shang nodded and suddenly said, "I just received a message that your father's company seems to have run into some trouble. It's a good idea for you to go back and check it out."

Zhao Zheng was immediately startled. "Uncle Song, what happened to my father's company?"

He remembered the last time he called home, his father was very happy and said that the company was thriving, and he would become a true wealthy second-generation rich kid.

It hadn't been long since then, how could it have run into trouble?

"I'm not entirely sure about the details," Song Shang said.

"After I was reassigned, I specifically contacted my former subordinate and asked him to keep an eye on your father's company. I only just learned about the issues with your father's company... It's said that someone has set their sights on it."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zheng's expression turned serious.

He had a good idea of what was going on.

Just as Song Shang said, someone was after his father's company, intending to take it by force!

He recalled the last time he called home and asked about his father's company. It was said that the company's first technological product had been launched and had caused quite a stir in the tech industry, making his father's company a highly anticipated one.

Despite currently operating at a loss, the company's potential was immense. It was about to embark on an angel round of financing, attracting the attention of numerous investment banks, and its estimated market value had reached an astonishing 2 billion yuan.

A valuation of 2 billion yuan meant that even if there was some inflation, it wasn't a mere 100,000 yuan that could acquire 51% of the company's shares.

"Cheng Hua, agree to their terms!"

The voice of the old man suddenly rang out, filled with astonishment and confusion.

The elder brother anxiously asked, "How can you agree to such a bandit-like behavior?"

The old man snorted, "What choice do we have? They can support another company if they want to, it might be challenging, but if they want to destroy Cheng Hua's company, they have several ways to do so!"

Upon hearing these words, the brothers had nothing to say.

The old man then spoke to Zhao Cheng Hua, "Agree to their terms, but make sure to gather all the evidence, data, and core technology. Find a way to keep them in your hands, and then wait!"

The elder brother couldn't help but ask, "Wait for what?"

The old man replied, "Wait for Zhao Zheng to grow up! If they like to bully others, I believe that one day, Zhao Zheng will avenge the humiliation we face today!"

Everyone in the living room fell silent again.

Zhao Zheng felt that he couldn't eavesdrop any longer.

So, he took a few steps back, pretending to have just arrived, and shouted loudly, "Dad, Mom, I'm back!"

As he shouted, he walked towards the living room.

When he reached the living room and saw his grandfather, elder brother, and fourth uncle, Zhao Zheng feigned surprise.

"Oh? Grandpa, Elder Brother, Fourth Uncle, you're all at my house!"

Zhao Cheng Hua hurriedly asked, "Why did you suddenly come back without letting us know?"

Zhao Zheng smiled and said, "I wanted to give you a surprise!"

"Zhen is back?" The elder brother smiled and said, "It's been a while since we last saw him, and he's grown so tall that I almost didn't recognize him."

Fourth Uncle added, "This kid has indeed changed a lot!"

The old man, on the other hand, was all smiles and waved at Zhao Zheng, "Come here, my good grandson."

Zhao Zheng immediately put down his luggage and hurried to the old man's side.

"Grandpa, I came back to see you. How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing great!"

The old man examined Zhao Zheng from head to toe, noticing his increasing vigor and overpowering aura, and smiled with satisfaction, "Good, you're looking more spirited."

Zhao Cheng Hua, standing nearby, said, "Since Zhen is back... Dad, Elder Brother, Fourth Uncle, let's have a drink at my place! I'll ask Wen Li to cook a few more dishes."

Zhao Zheng asked, "By the way, where's my mom?"

"She went grocery shopping."

...

After lunch, Zhao Zheng volunteered to send the old man back home.

The old man had grown fond of Zhao Zheng and happily agreed.

He also wanted to chat with Zhao Zheng and inquire about his grandson's current strength.

A moment later, they arrived at the old man's room, and he intentionally let the maid leave early.

After the maid left, only the two of them remained in the room.

The old man smiled and asked, "Did you come back suddenly because you received some news?"

They say that as people age, they become more astute, and this proved true.

Zhao Zheng nodded, "I was originally planning to come back in the afternoon, but I heard some news and changed my ticket to return earlier."

Before the old man could ask, Zhao Zheng took the initiative, "It's true that President Song told me that my father's company is being targeted?"

"Oh?" The old man was curious, "Why would President Song tell you this? He doesn't seem to like you."

Zhao Zheng didn't hide anything from the old man.

"During the last Spirit Realm, I obtained the top spot, and President Song was on my team. He chose to preserve his memories, so he now fully knows my secret and understands that his daughter's success is entirely because of me. He has changed his attitude towards me."

The old man grasped the key point of Zhao Zheng's words, and a glint flashed in his cloudy eyes.

"You're saying that you won the top spot in the last Spirit Realm, not Gu Jia's daughter?"

"Yes!" Zhao Zheng nodded, "Grandpa, my current strength is already at the top even among seventh-stage practitioners."

The old man suddenly stood up, his eyes fixed on Zhao Zheng for a few moments. Then, he burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! Excellent! You've indeed lived up to my expectations and haven't let me down!"

"Grandpa, please calm down and don't get too excited!"

Zhao Zheng quickly supported the old man to sit down and said, "You need to take care of your health. I still want you to witness the day I dominate the world!"

The old man loved hearing this and immediately smiled, "Good, good, good... I'll wait for that day."

(End of Chapter 1)

As Zhao Zheng waited patiently, the old man's anger gradually subsided, and he finally asked, "Grandpa, who are these people targeting my father's company?"

The old man huffed, "A bunch of bullies, that's all they are..."

He then proceeded to tell Zhao Zheng the whole story.

If Zhao Zheng were an ordinary person, the old man would never have shared this information because it wouldn't have made a difference.

But the current Zhao Zheng was different...

After hearing the old man's account, Zhao Zheng finally understood the situation.

The story was simple. Zhao Zheng's father, Zhao Cheng Hua, and his colleagues had developed a new type of material with applications in various fields, attracting the attention of greedy individuals who wanted to take advantage of their position and seize their hard work.

Zhao Cheng Hua was just an ordinary academic prodigy. With his talents, it was impossible for him to independently develop such a groundbreaking material. The real credit for this achievement belonged to the old man.

It was the old man who, in his youth, had ventured into a technology-themed Spirit Realm and acquired a very special Extraordinary item – a one-time-use USB drive. The old man knew that he couldn't go far within the Spirit Realm, so he decided to make good use of the drive by copying some research data and bringing it back to the real world.

This was the old man's legacy for his descendants.

After obtaining the USB drive, the old man gave it to Zhao Cheng Hua, not out of favoritism, but because among his four sons, Zhao Cheng Hua was the most academically gifted.

Zhao Cheng Hua, with his background in materials science and the old man's research data, spent years deciphering and studying the material. He was on the verge of a breakthrough, ready to establish a materials company worth hundreds of billions. But just as he was about to start his entrepreneurial journey, he faced a major setback.

Zhao Zheng listened calmly and asked, "Grandpa, if they dare to do this, their background must be significant, right? Who are they?"

Instead of answering, the old man said, "Listen to your grandpa, my child. For now, you don't need to worry about this. Focus on improving your strength. When you become strong enough, they will have to return everything they took, and more."

Zhao Zheng shook his head, disagreeing with the old man for the first time.

"Grandpa, I can wait, but my father can't. You should know that he's not the type to bend and compromise. I'm afraid this blow might be too much for him, and he might lose heart."

The old man furrowed his brows upon hearing this.

He was well aware of his sons' temperaments, and this was precisely his concern.

"Also, Grandpa, I think it's time for you to change some of your old ideas."

Zhao Zheng smiled and said, "Your grandson is already very strong. Extremely strong. When faced with such a situation, we don't need to hold back or worry about others' opinions."

"Once the Holy Site opens next month, if no one can obtain the Kryptonian Heritage Card from the Spirit Realm, I won't need to hide my strength any longer. The higher-ups will surely value me highly, and Song Haitang is the best example of this."

"So, you can rest assured and speak freely."

After hearing these words, the old man laughed heartily.

"Good!" The old man said, "The one behind this is a woman named Liu Ruyan, who seems to have some influence on the official side. All the troubles your father's company has been facing recently are due to official scrutiny and harassment... I suspect this woman might have some connections with the Grand Commerce's Liu family, but I'm not entirely sure."

Hearing the name "Liu Ruyan," Zhao Zheng was surprised, thinking he had encountered the Ruyan Emperor!

The Ruyan Emperor was a formidable existence, striking fear into all.

However, this was unlikely to be the case here...

Zhao Zheng nodded and said, "I understand."

Then, right in front of the old man, Zhao Zheng called Song Shang.

"Song Shang, am I interrupting your nap?"

"No!" Song Shang laughed on the other end of the line, "What's up? Have you figured something out?"

"Yes, and I need your help to investigate a woman named Liu Ruyan."

"Liu Ruyan?" Song Shang asked, "I've heard that name... Don't worry, I'll look into it right away."

"Thank you, Song Shang."

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end