Chapter 185: Chapter 180: Zhu Yixian: I Feel Crushed
...
At the entrance of the Western restaurant on the thirty-sixth floor of the Langting Hotel.
Lin Chu saw Zhu Yixian, who had surprisingly changed his clothes. He’d swapped his formal suit for a casual shirt and his black leather shoes for brown ones. His hair was also styled to be a bit tousled.
’Damn, what a stickler for details. He’s meticulous down to his very bones.’
Lin Chu greeted him with a smile, and they entered together. They each ordered a steak and a bottle of Romanée-Conti.
Seeing Lin Chu order something so extravagant yet act so casually, Zhu Yixian seemed a little surprised.
’Romanée-Conti... a bottle worth 360,000. Even for me, drinking it would sting a little. I would only indulge in such a luxury on relatively important occasions, when I’m in a good mood.’
But for Lin Chu, it seemed to be an everyday occurrence.
A fresh wave of curiosity rose in his heart.
’Just what kind of man is he?’
’For some reason, I feel completely outclassed.’
’Family background, connections, influence, women, even wealth... it seems I’m inferior in every aspect.’
’This is unbelievable! Is he even going to let others live?’
Just then, his phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, Zhu Yixian excused himself, quickly stood up, and answered the call.
It was from his eldest brother.
His eldest brother, Zhu Yizhen, was the family’s firstborn son and firstborn grandson.
Their grandfather had personally established the ’Yi’ generation name and had personally chosen the name ’Zhen’.
In fact, after the Mission Hills Golf club was completed, the family’s business focus had naturally shifted to Peng City.
"Brother, I’m listening."
Zhu Yixian’s voice was filled with reverence. His eldest brother was eleven years his senior, at thirty-five, and was currently a vice president in the group, in charge of finance. He was the designated successor.
’I have no grounds to complain, and even if I did, I’d have to swallow it.’
’Who could I blame but myself for being born later?’
"You’ve made two mistakes in your work today. First, inviting an entrepreneur like Geng Yue to give a presentation at the gathering was far too low-class. Golf is a sport for aristocrats, not a place for any Tom, Dick, or Harry."
"Second, after that incident with President Qian, did you do anything to remedy the situation with the members who were there?"
"Are you a pig? Use your brain for once!"
"An emergency is an emergency, but don’t the members need to be appeased?"
"You little punk! Someone getting arrested at our club... if word of this gets out, how much damage do you think it will do to our reputation?"
"Where are you right now? Get your ass back here immediately!"
On the phone, his eldest brother’s voice was a raging tempest.
Zhu Yixian’s body tensed up, his fists clenching secretly. He was angry, yet fearful, and his body trembled faintly.
He quickly guessed that his second uncle must have coordinated with the police for the arrest. If it had been his eldest brother, with his temperament, he would have done everything possible to stop it, putting the group’s interests first. The police wouldn’t have had such an easy time.
His eldest brother couldn’t possibly get angry at their second uncle and had probably even been slighted by him. So, as the junior person in charge on-site, he himself naturally and deservedly became the final target for all the firepower.
"I... I’m having dinner with a member. He’s a relative of the police officer from the scene, Mr. Lin Chu."
"I was thinking I could use his connection to subtly inquire about how serious this matter is. At the same time, Mr. Lin Chu previously bought five memberships at once—a purchase in the tens of millions—so he’s one of our most valuable clients."
"Brother, give me two hours. I’ll come back as soon as I finish dinner with him."
Zhu Yixian said cautiously.
He had come up with this reason in an instant; you could even say he’d fabricated it.
Before leaving, he hadn’t thought that far ahead.
But now, with the wine and food already ordered, he couldn’t possibly just abandon Lin Chu and rush back.
Besides, given his brother’s temperament and way of doing things, using a client as a shield would most likely work.
On the other end of the line, Zhu Yizhen was silent for a few seconds.
"Ten o’clock tonight. My office. I’ll be waiting."
He spoke with grave authority, then immediately hung up.
Zhu Yixian let out a long sigh of relief. Only then did he feel his soul return to his body, as if he had survived a catastrophe.
He patted his cheeks, forcing himself to relax. When he returned to the table, his impeccably polite smile was back in place.
He was already used to this kind of high-pressure environment.
There was no need, and absolutely no way, he would let an outsider know about it.
"Who was that?"
Lin Chu asked casually.
"Just work stuff," Zhu Yixian said, raising his glass with a smile. "Brother Chu, let me toast you first, and let me also apologize in advance. I have to go back for a meeting at ten tonight, so I probably can’t drink too much."
’Of course, I could never disobey my eldest brother’s command.’
"That’s rough," Lin Chu joked in a slightly exaggerated tone. "You’re a third-generation heir, after all. Working this hard... you planning to take down Li Bancheng and become the Richest Chinese?"
Zhu Yixian pursed his lips and gave a bitter smile. "What third generation? Ugh, let’s not talk about it."
’In front of a "client" and an outsider, talking about my family’s affairs still feels very inappropriate. First, it would affect the family’s image; second, it would make me seem incompetent.’
But Lin Chu paid his refusal no mind. He sensed that this was when Zhu Yixian’s defenses were at their lowest. He didn’t press too hard, though, just continued to probe casually.
"So, in your family’s younger generation, how many kids are there? Who’s the one calling the shots?"
"I have a soft spot for gossip about rich families."
"This..."
’It’s not exactly a very private topic, I guess.’
Since Lin Chu had asked, Zhu Yixian thought for a moment and answered casually, "My grandfather’s generation had four brothers. In my direct line, my father’s generation has seven children. And in my generation, the third, there are about thirty of us. The family tree has many branches..."
