Chapter 520: A Strategic Retreat
Chapter 520: A Strategic Retreat
On the third day of the Lunar New Year, Lu Jiaxin and Nie Zan left for a vacation in Provence, staying until Yuanxiao Festival before returning to Hong Kong.
On their way home, Lu Jiaxin linked arms with Nie Zan and said with a smile, "After I graduate from university, let's plan another trip together when you have the time."
With Nie Zan by her side, she could focus on enjoying herself without a care in the world. Moreover, seeing how hard he worked every day, she wanted him to have a chance to relax.
Nie Zan smiled and said, "It's not just about my schedule; we both need to make sure we have the time."
The two had already discussed that after the Lunar New Year celebrations, Lu Jiaxin would take over the operations of Five Blessings Jewelry. With the responsibility of managing three companies soon to be on her shoulders, she knew her free time would be limited.
After dropping Lu Jiaxin off, Nie Zan headed to the Nie family mansion. Last year, Grandpa Nie had asked him to bring Jiaxin home for the Lunar New Year celebrations, but the outcome was predictable—Jiaxin refused, still resentful of the family for investigating her. Knowing that Grandpa Nie had looked into her finances, she felt nothing but animosity towards the entire Nie clan. If it weren't for Nie Zan's thoughtfulness, she wouldn't have wanted to continue the relationship.
Grandpa Nie was furious about this, and while they were on vacation, he had called back and given Nie Zan an earful. This time, his visit to the mansion resulted in yet another scolding.
Nie Zan's expression turned grim as he said, "Grandfather, Jiaxin had agreed to get engaged to me after her graduation. But when she found out that you were investigating her finances, she changed her mind. She's afraid that if we get engaged, she'll be in danger of being harmed for your financial gain."
Grandpa Nie's face twitched, and he said unhappily, "What harm? We don't need to scheme for her money."
He had only been curious to see how much Lu Jiaxin had profited from the stock market crash. To suggest that he would harm her for her wealth was giving himself too much credit.
Nie Zan retorted bluntly, "You know better than I do the situation with the Mansheng Bank. Once the internal issues come to light, our family's assets won't even come close to hers."
The Mansheng Bank was on the brink of collapse due to its problems being exposed, and only Mansheng Real Estate remained. Even if you calculated their worth based on market value, it still paled in comparison to Lu Jiaxin's wealth, not to mention that they only held less than half of the shares.
When Nie Zan heard that Lu Jiaxin wanted to postpone their engagement plans for the year, he knew that things couldn't continue as they were. If he didn't make a change, there would come a day when Jiaxin would leave him because of his family. "Grandfather, when you gave me the shares of Mansheng Real Estate, you essentially drew a line between us. The problems and pitfalls of Mansheng Bank are something my older brother should deal with on his own. I shouldn't always be the one cleaning up his messes. Likewise, if Mansheng Real Estate encounters a crisis in the future, it's my problem, and I won't trouble my brother with it."
Grandpa Nie looked at him, his voice deep and serious. "Azhan, Mansheng Bank and Mansheng Real Estate are the fruits of my life's work."
Nie Zan didn't want to see his grandfather's life's work amount to nothing, so he had tried his best to help Nie Jingwen. But if his cousin continued to be a liability, there was only so much he could do. He certainly wasn't going to sacrifice himself and Mansheng Real Estate to fix things.
In the past, he might have acquiesced to his grandfather's unreasonable demands. After all, Mansheng Real Estate was the product of the older man's efforts, and using it to plug the holes in Mansheng Bank wouldn't have seemed like a big deal. But now, with responsibilities of his own, he couldn't simply agree to everything.
Recalling Lu Jiaxin's words, Nie Zan said, "Grandfather, I've done what I can. If it's beyond my capabilities, there's nothing more I can do. If that's not enough, I'll return the shares of Mansheng Real Estate to you. Whether you choose to manage the company yourself or hand it over to my brother, I have no objections."
Grandpa Nie was stunned. "What are you saying?"
Nie Zan replied bluntly, "Back then, you pulled all sorts of strings to get me to come back and take over Mansheng Real Estate because you felt that my brother could only maintain the status quo and lacked the ability to expand.
Nie Zan had had enough, and he replied with a hint of frustration, "If I'm expected to bail out Mansheng Bank now, then what's the point of me working so hard to develop Mansheng Real Estate? It will just drag me down with it anyway. If that's the case, why should I bother investing my time and energy into its growth? We might as well accept that it's heading towards bankruptcy and instead, I'll focus on managing my hotel and fashion businesses."
"Mansheng Bank does have some issues, but they're not insurmountable. We just need to address them," Nie Zan's grandfather insisted.
Nie Zan, equally exasperated, didn't want to delve further into the matter. "Grandfather, if you think the issues are minor and manageable, then you handle them. I don't have the capability to fix this. Also, if you want to take back the shares of Mansheng Real Estate, give me a call before the end of the month."
The implication was clear—he knew his grandfather wouldn't take back Mansheng Real Estate. The old man was already advanced in years and in poor health, and no one else in the family could shoulder that burden.
After Nie Zan left, his grandfather called Nie Jingwen, demanding that he return immediately. When they met, the old man's face was grim as he asked, "How severe are the bank's problems? Tell me everything today."
Back at the luxurious mansion in Repulse Bay, Nie Zan headed upstairs to take a shower, intending to freshen up before visiting Lu Jiaxin. However, when he came downstairs, he learned that his grandfather had fainted and been rushed to the hospital.
Nie Zan suspected that the cause was the revelation of the true state of the bank. Nie Jingwen had initially followed his advice, avoiding the biggest risks, and the remaining issues could have been tackled gradually. But his cousin had tried to be clever, and now the problems had compounded to the point where even Nie Zan was powerless to resolve them.
On his way to the hospital, Nie Zan called the Lu family mansion and spoke to a servant, who informed him that Lu Jiaxin was still sleeping, so he didn't pursue the call further.
Lu Jiaxin slept for over two hours before waking up. She had been out and about and hadn't slept as soundly as she did in her own home. As she headed downstairs, the butler informed her that Nie Zan was at the hospital and wouldn't be able to come by that evening.
After dinner, Lu Jiaxin called Nie Zan to inquire about his grandfather's condition. Upon hearing that he had suffered a stroke, she knew it was due to some emotional distress.
Nie Zan explained, "Grandfather has learned the truth about the bank's situation, and it's far more serious than he realized. The shock caused him to faint."
His tone was calm, and Lu Jiaxin asked, "Is it serious?"
Nie Zan reassured her, "It's not too bad. His left hand is weak, but the doctor said with medication and rehabilitation, he should recover soon. The doctor did emphasize that he must avoid any further stimulation, or his condition could worsen."
At an advanced age, the slightest stimulation could be dangerous, and a stroke was considered a mild outcome. More severe cases could result in death.
Lu Jiaxin was relieved to hear that it wasn't too serious. Without needing to ask, she knew that Nie Zan had played a role in this development.
"I'll visit your grandfather tomorrow morning," she said.
Despite her displeasure with some of his actions, she had been dating Nie Zan for three years, and their relationship was known to their friends and family. It wouldn't do to avoid visiting him in the hospital—people would talk.
"Okay," Nie Zan agreed.
The next day, when Lu Jiaxin arrived at the hospital, Nie Zan's grandfather was sleeping. She left a flower basket and some nutritional supplements, offering words of comfort to a weary-looking Nie Jingwen. "Take care of yourself, too, big brother. Your father needs you and your wife by his side."
Nie Jingwen was actually quite decent. As a third-generation rich kid, he had no bad habits, and he worked diligently. His biggest flaw wasn't a lack of ability but his refusal to listen to advice.
Happy Dragon Boat Festival, everyone!
(End of Chapter)
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