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Chapter 401: 185 Troublemaker (an update)_2

Sure enough, Zhu Wentao’s face changed upon hearing this. He suppressed his anger and gave Du Ze a cold glance.

“A wise man submits to circumstances. Secretary Du is a smart man.”

Du Ze gave a faint smile and replied with an idiom that means “using a small effort to move great weight”: “I’d say those words apply equally to Mr. Zhu.”

Zhu Wentao snorted. The financial report was perfect; what could he glean from it? He stood up to leave.

Du Ze sent Zhu Wentao to the elevator. As he watched the elevator doors slowly close, he hooked his lip in a sneer.

Zhu Wentao exited Zhu Group, thought for a bit, then drove to the Zhangs’, only to be declined a visit on the grounds of the grandpa’s illness.

“Old bastard.” Zhu Wentao was seething. What did Zhu Mingjing feed the Zhangs?

He went door to door, visiting the homes of some major shareholders, who all declined him for a variety of reasons.

Once the CEO of Zhu Group, and now this. It was heartbreaking to see him brought so low.

Back at the Zhus, he ran into Lin Qing leaving the house.

Lin Qing was wearing a cheongsam that accentuated her curves. Her makeup was exquisite, and though signs of age were visible, they couldn’t hide her charming appeal.

“Qing…” Zhu Wentao murmured, his eyes filled with suppressed emotion.

Lin Qing spared him no more than a glance before stepping out with her handbag.

Men’s regrets are the cheapest of things. Ming Jing was right. She had to stay sober. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks – men are like that. If she believed his sweet talk, she’d be betraying all the tears she’d shed and suffering she’d undergone for him.

The only reason she let Zhu Wentao into the house was out of respect for his elderly mother, who had always treated her well, and because she couldn’t deny their three children the right to see their father. Beyond that, she had no connections to him.

In high society now, she might be the subject of ridicule due to her husband’s infidelity, but Ming Jing had vindicated her somewhat. In Jiangzhou, no other woman was as excellent as her daughter Ming Jing. While her daughter might be cold-hearted and aloof, no one could fault her elsewhere.

She arrived fashionably late to the high society ladies’ afternoon tea.

Upon seeing her, the other rich wives’ expressions fluctuated.

Lin Qing took a seat without a fuss, listening to the women gossip about some CEO’s affairs – the same old stories simply repackaged.

All men are the same – scoundrels. Lin Qing mocked with a tilt of her lips.

“The Liús’ youngest daughter is getting married this weekend, to a security guard, no less! Oh, how the Liús are fuming. They ended up having to consent only because their daughter threatened to take her own life.”

“That Liu girl must be out of her mind – the nouveau riche are nothing but trouble. She’s going to regret this big time.”

“She’s getting older. If she doesn’t get married soon, she won’t be able to have children. Her security guard husband is a good ten years younger than her.”

“Wasn’t that Liu girl chasing after Shen Zhou like crazy before? How did she end up getting married so soon?”

“Shen Zhou – who can compete with him? Even ten of that Liu girl would be no match for him.” The woman glanced at Lin Qing and laughed behind her hand.

“I heard a rumor that Shen Zhou has taken a liking to Ms. Zhu from the Zhu family. So, Shen Zhou had a reason for giving a hand during Zhu Group’s bankruptcy crisis. Congratulations to Mrs. Zhu on her son-in-law. May I ask Mrs. Zhu about how she raised such an outstanding daughter? With just one stroke, she got a top-notch son-in-law, amazing.”

Lin Qing frowned, “What do you mean?”

“Shen Zhou seems to be about the same age as Mrs. Zhu, right? So, you two should always have something to talk about as mother-in-law and son-in-law. It’s quite enviable, really. Having a son-in-law like Shen Zhou extends beyond age – his ability to protect Zhu Group from bankruptcy is what truly matters. Isn’t that right, Mrs. Zhu?”

The rest of the women barely concealed their laughter, dripping with envy and not entirely healthy humor.

Who was Shen Zhou? The combined wealth of all their husbands couldn’t even compare to him. The rich wives are, in essence, eating grapes and complaining they’re sour – they’re simply envious.

If they could have Shen Zhou as a son-in-law, it wouldn’t matter if he was older, even by a full generation.

What a fate had befallen Lin Qing – her husband fell, but her daughter rose.

Though nothing was set in stone yet and it was mainly rumor, the charm of Ms. Zhu was something all present had seen and they had no reason to doubt the rumor’s authenticity.

In the future, Lin Qing could walk around with her nose in the air as Shen Zhou’s mother-in-law. If they weren’t jealous now, they’d never get another chance.

Lin Qing finally understood their hidden agenda. She sneered to herself and said with just the right amount of pride, “I don’t know where you heard this, but as far as I know, Ming Jing and Mr. Shen are just ordinary friends. If you keep spreading rumors like this, you’re damaging my daughter’s reputation. What if it reaches Mr. Shen’s ears? He controls the economic lifeline of Jiangzhou. If you don’t want to ruin your own business by offending Mr. Shen, it would be best to keep your mouths shut.”