Chen Zheng leisurely savored the delicious food, not paying much attention to Xiao Mei's words.

"Heh... indeed! My father is obsessed with calligraphy and painting. Despite my mother's repeated attempts to dissuade him, it seems now that it was no great harm. Perhaps it was these works of art that led him to meet the Qi Family Head!"

Xiao Mei was still lost in her fantasies, her face brimming with an excited smile.

So the reward for the calligraphy is related to Xiao Yi… How ironic. A wry smile touched Chen Zheng's lips as he listened while enjoying the delicacies.

An hour flew by in the blink of an eye. The guests had eaten their fill and were beginning to say their goodbyes. Qi Zhenyun and the others had finished their feast and stood up.

Xiao Yi hurriedly rose and said, "Family Head Qi, please take your time. I'll see you out. Do come again!"

Qi Zhenyun waved his hand. "Brother Xiao Yi, no need to be so polite!"

With that, Qi Zhenyun walked straight toward Chen Zheng.

Under everyone's puzzled gaze, Qi Zhenyun respectfully approached Chen Zheng and said, "Mr. Chen!"

Chen Zheng's eyebrows furrowed slightly. His gaze swept over Qi Zhenyun and settled on the group of people behind him. These people were worth hundreds of billions, yet they all wore ingratiating smiles, their eyes fixed on Chen Zheng.

"What can I do for you?" Chen Zheng asked indifferently.

His calm tone left the members of the Xiao Family stunned.

Zixuan's boyfriend? Xiao Menghai's brows knit together. Chen Zheng's presence hadn't caught his attention.

Could Qi Zhenyun's visit have something to do with me? Xiao Li wondered.

Xiao Yi's eyes widened, his mind reeling with confusion. Liu Ya and her daughter Xiao Mei were completely clueless, as if lost in a fog. They had originally thought that Qi Zhenyun came because of Xiao Yi's calligraphy. The reality, however, was a rude awakening.

Xiao Mei, in particular, felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. Earlier, she had speculated in front of Wei Zixuan about the relationship between Xiao Yi and Qi Zhenyun. Now she realized it was just her wishful thinking.

Qi Zhenyun clenched his teeth and mustered his courage to say, "Err! Mr. Chen, some friends have asked me to introduce them to you!"

Seeing Chen Zheng's unchanging expression, he quickly signaled to the others with his eyes. Getting the hint, they all stepped forward.

"Mr. Chen, I am the CEO of Daqian Enterprise. Here is my business card. If there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask!"

"Respected Mr. Chen, I've long admired your reputation. I am the Chairman of Haitian Group..."

"Mr. Chen..."

One by one, these prominent figures respectfully handed over their business cards. Wei Zixuan gracefully stood up, took each card, and responded with a smile.

The members of the Xiao Family were dumbfounded.

Who on earth is this Chen Zheng? Why are these people acting so humbly toward him? This was the only question on their minds.

Of course, they were unaware that the unassuming man before them was the very person who had almost driven the Qi Family to bankruptcy.

After Wei Zixuan had accepted all the business cards, Qi Zhenyun spoke. "Mr. Chen, we'll take our leave now." With that, he led his group away.

"Zixuan, did you know all along? You kept me in the dark! Do you have any idea how embarrassed I was?" Xiao Mei finally snapped out of her daze and pouted. Her slender hand gripped Wei Zixuan's arm, as if she were about to pinch it hard.

"Sister! I really didn't know anything!" Wei Zixuan covered her mouth and chuckled, which only made Xiao Mei grind her teeth in frustration.

"AHEM."

Xiao Menghai's cough cut through their laughter. His gaze swept across the room, and he nodded in satisfaction. "The birthday banquet is drawing to a close. Both of you brothers have performed exceptionally well, and your networks seem fairly balanced."

Hearing this, the smile on Xiao Mei's face immediately froze, replaced by a look of despondence. Just as she was about to say something, Liu Ya tightly grabbed her arm. Xiao Mei's mood turned as dark and heavy as a storm cloud. Her father handled interpersonal relationships with a natural ease that won people over, yet her grandfather turned a blind eye to this. He even equated her father's achievements with her uncle's, a glaring act of favoritism that filled her with immense disappointment.

Chen Zheng glanced at Xiao Menghai, his eyes filled with irony and helplessness. Such blatant favoritism is enough to chill anyone to the bone.

At that moment, Xiao Menghai's words were like a sharp sword directed at Xiao Yi and Xiao Li. "Your task, you two brothers, is to vie for Yan Shuiyu's cooperation. Whoever succeeds will be awarded the master seal token."

"Yes!" Xiao Yi and Xiao Li accepted the challenge without hesitation.

Xiao Menghai said nothing more. He gave Chen Zheng and Wei Zixuan a long look before slowly rising and leaving. Wei Zixuan also stood up, with Chen Zheng following closely behind. Together they left the old residence, a place filled with contradictions and conflicts.

Xiao Yi's family and Xiao Li also left one after another.

Outside, Xiao Li asked Xiao Yi about the progress with Yan Shuiyu.

"It's still a long way from the desired outcome," Xiao Yi admitted truthfully. They had never had an in-depth partnership with Yan Shuiyu before, so their progress in negotiations was indeed limited.

"In that case, I'll just take the master seal token now. As you know, my old classmate is the general manager of Yan Shuiyu. I even consoled him back when their market value shrank," Xiao Li said with an air of indifference.

Xiao Yi was surprised, but his resolve was firm. "Big Brother, even so, I will never give up!"

Xiao Li said nothing more and simply strode away.

Xiao Yi sighed and approached Chen Zheng. "Chen Zheng, I really have to thank you for tonight. If it weren't for you, I might have made a fool of myself in front of the Xiao family," he said gratefully.

"Uncle, you're being too formal. We're family; it was nothing," Chen Zheng said with a smile. "If there's nothing else, Zixuan and I will take our leave now," he added politely.

"Alright, drive safely."

Chen Zheng smiled and nodded, then gently started the car, driving away with Wei Zixuan.

"Sigh... my poor Second Uncle. He's so talented, yet he always has to endure these endless injustices," Wei Zixuan lamented as the car drove off into the night.

"It seems your maternal grandfather is particularly fond of your eldest uncle. Is there a story behind that?" Chen Zheng asked curiously.

"It's all my mom's fault!" Wei Zixuan explained helplessly.

It turned out that years ago, Wei Zixuan's mother had defiantly chosen to marry Wei Zixuan's father, which infuriated Xiao Menghai and led to a fallout on the spot. Xiao Menghai went as far as to sever the father-daughter relationship and strictly forbid anyone in the Xiao Family from contacting her. Xiao Li had also grown cold toward Wei Zixuan's mother back then.

However, Xiao Yi was the only one who defied Xiao Menghai's threats and bribes. He maintained a close bond with Wei Zixuan's mother and went out of his way to help her on many occasions.

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