C5 5 Is Director Zhang Here?

"My silly daughter, I can't believe your grandma would be so heartless. I have to go talk to her!" Yulian stomped her foot in frustration and shouted, "I bet your uncle and his son are stirring up trouble again, badmouthing you to your grandma!"

Just as Yulian was about to storm out the door, Qiang quickly grabbed her arm and said, "Yulian, this was Mom's decision. What good will it do to cause a scene now?"

"What good will it do? Are we supposed to compromise every time? Are we just going to let them walk all over us? Qiang, you're a man, aren't you? You're really being a pushover!" Yulian screamed at the top of her lungs.

Qiang shrank back, not daring to say a word.

Mengyao chimed in, "Mom, Dad's right. Even if you cause a scene, it won't help!"

How could Mengyao be content with this? But since her grandma had the final say in the company’s personnel decisions, she had no choice but to swallow her pride.

Suddenly, Xiao Tian got up from the floor and put on his clothes. "Don't worry, kiddo. No one else but you will be in charge of the whole project."

Yulian's anger flared up again at Xiao Tian's words. She snapped, "Ha! This is our family matter. What does it have to do with a useless guy like you? No one would miss you if you stayed quiet!"

Seeing her mother speak so harshly to Xiao Tian, Mengyao felt compelled to intervene.

"Mom, can you please not talk about him like that? He's a good person and means well. He's just trying to help me. Let's not argue about this. I'll figure it out myself," Chen Mengyao said.

Qin Yulian, still upset, wanted to continue berating Xiao Tian, but Chen Qiang gently led her out of the room.

Chen Mengyao walked to the door, closed it, and approached Xiao Tian. "I'm sorry about my mom. She just says things she doesn't mean. Please don't take it to heart..."

"Don't worry," Xiao Tian replied. "If I took it to heart, I wouldn't have come in."

Home? Those words struck a chord with Chen Mengyao.

Did he really see this place as his home?

"Doesn't it bother you, being treated like this every day?" Chen Mengyao asked.

"You've endured more than I have. What right do I have to complain?"

Hearing this, Chen Mengyao stood there, tears welling up in her eyes.

Was he enduring all this because of her?

The next day, at Fuguang Realty.

Chen Wenchao, dressed in a limited edition Gucci suit, stood at the company entrance, waiting for Zhang Qiubai, the CEO of Purple Gold Group, to arrive. Although the contract was agreed upon, it hadn't been signed yet. Today's goal was to finalize the contract and, more importantly, to discuss the change in project leadership with Zhang Qiubai.

Chen Wenchao was brimming with confidence. As the eldest grandson of the Chen family and the future heir to Fuguang Real Estate, his status was unmatched by anyone, especially Chen Mengyao.

A sleek black Rolls-Royce approached. With sharp eyes, Chen Wenchao recognized it as the car of Zhang Qiubai, the chairman of the Purple Gold Group. He quickly ran over, trying to appear gentlemanly, and greeted eagerly, "Hello, Qiubai. I'm Chen Wenchao, the Chen family representative for this project."

Zhang Qiubai extended his hand for a shake. Chen Wenchao was thrilled; it seemed like a good start, and he assumed Zhang Qiubai had accepted the change in leadership. He thought Chen Mengyao's successful negotiation of this partnership was just luck and not as challenging as it seemed.

"And where is Miss Chen?" Zhang Qiubai asked, seemingly casually.

Thinking Zhang Qiubai was just making small talk, Chen Wenchao made up an excuse, "She's not feeling well lately. I'll be handling all collaborations with your company from now on."

Zhang Qiubai nodded, "In that case, let's wait until Miss Chen recovers before we proceed."

With that, Zhang Qiubai turned to leave. Chen Wenchao, still processing, saw him heading to his car and quickly chased after him, "Qiubai, I assure you, I'm just as capable as Chen Mengyao. You can trust me with the collaboration..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Qiubai cut him off sharply, standing by the car. "There are plenty of companies in River City eager to work with Purple Gold Group. Since the Chen family seems so uninterested, I'll have to reconsider this partnership."

Chen Wenchao watched as Zhang Qiubai's car sped away. He stood there, stunned. He hadn't expected such a firm stance from Zhang. The thought of having to reconsider the partnership sent shivers down his spine.

The Chen family was a second-tier household in River City, with assets just over a hundred million dollars—respectable, but nowhere near the billion-dollar stature of Purple Gold Group. This collaboration was a rare opportunity, and if it fell through because of him, his grandmother would be furious.

What was he going to do? He had already made a solemn promise to secure the deal. If his grandmother found out, given her temper, the consequences would be dire. Was he really going to have to ask that woman, Mengyao, to fix this mess? He couldn't stand the thought. Just last night, he'd boasted over the phone, kicking her out of the family business. Asking her to come back and clean up this disaster would be humiliating.

Just then, his phone rang. It was his father, Chen Yong.

"Wenchao, your grandmother is in the third-floor conference room. Hasn't Zhang Qiubai from Purple Gold Group arrived at the office yet?" Chen Yong asked smugly.

His father was a shrewd man, having removed Mengyao from the company to pave the way for his son to secure the partnership with Purple Gold Group, thus cementing his position within the company. If Wenchao could pull this off, the future of Bright Light Real Estate would undoubtedly be his.

Hearing his father's words, Wenchao felt extremely anxious and replied shakily, "Dad, I'm coming up right now."

Fuhua Real Estate, third-floor conference room.

All the executives and their relatives were present; not a single person was missing. After all, this was an important collaboration with Purple Gold Group, the leading company in the region. The turnout demonstrated the Chen family's sincerity.

Old Madam Chen sat in the chairman's seat. Seeing Wenchao enter alone, she asked, "Wenchao, has Director Zhang arrived yet?"