Peerless Martial Expert in the City
Chapter 525 - 522: Should Choose Jianguo Group

Chapter 525: Chapter 522: Should Choose Jianguo Group

Chapter Five Hundred Twenty-Two: Choosing Jianguo Group

"The situation isn’t good. Dong from the Cosmetics Group called to say that it’s extremely tough now. The chemical safety inspection department nearly comes for checks daily and finds issues with almost everything. Now there is strong backlash from clients—many are demanding refunds. And at Percent Company, it’s also a mess. They bring crowds to the supermarket entrance daily to create chaos and even bring the media for so-called exposés. Our performance has plummeted!"

A bitter expression appeared on Liu Yuan’s face. As Chen Jianguo’s chief secretary and the top manager of Jianguo Group, he was thoroughly aware of the problems that had arisen in recent days and knew the immense pressure Chen Jianguo had faced. He was constantly striving to alleviate some of that burden and hoped to bring Chen Jianguo some good news, but he could not. Lately, almost all the news he received had been bad.

Indeed, not only was Chen Jianguo feeling it, but he himself also felt the tremendous pressure on his shoulders. Each phone call from below made his head ache.

"Is it about time? Have the guests we invited arrived yet?"

Upon hearing Liu Yuan’s response, a sorrowful look appeared on Chen Jianguo’s face. After a moment of silence, he lifted his head, his face showing a hint of hope as he looked toward Liu Yuan. Just as the guests below were privately discussing, he was indeed hosting this grand party using his daughter’s birthday as an occasion, aiming to mobilize all his previous connections in hopes of resolving the current predicament facing Jianguo Group. Otherwise, with Chen Jianguo’s typically reserved nature, he would never have held such an ostentatious party for his daughter.

"Those few people haven’t come."

A bitter smile once again surfaced on Liu Yuan’s face, and his eyes faintly showed a hint of anger. Jianguo Group had developed well over the years, and with Chen Jianguo’s generous nature, he had been extremely helpful to those who sought aid from Jianguo Group. For those important partners of Jianguo Group, Chen Jianguo had been exceptionally benevolent. For the sake of long-term development, he had always said it was better to suffer a loss himself than let them suffer. His common saying was that advantages should not be monopolized.

Now, at the coming-of-age birthday party of Chen Jianguo’s only daughter, Chen Xue, eighteen years old, inviting them yet having them directly decline made him feel both angry and sad.

"I understand."

Sadness and grief flashed through Chen Jianguo’s eyes, but he quickly took a deep breath and cast aside the internal despair. The warmth of human relationships, the harshness of the world—it is just so. He knew it was cruel for him, but for them, it was a justifiable choice, as seeking blessings and avoiding disasters are innate human instincts.

Liu Yuan looked at Chen Jianguo’s expression, opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately said nothing.

The atmosphere in the office suddenly turned silent.

Sensing the office’s stifling mood, Chen Jianguo finally raised his head and looked at Liu Yuan. "What time is it now? How are the preparations below? We should go down soon and get ready to start."

"Yes, the preparations below are nearly ready, about ten minutes or so."

Liu Yuan also nodded, his expression somewhat sad, knowing that this party was likely to end in failure.

............

"Grandpa, are you really not going?

At the edge where G City’s city center meets the suburbs, inside a huge house complex set against mountains and waters, an old man with a full head of silver hair sat in an antique-decorated study, smiling as he wielded his brush vigorously.

Next to the desk, a girl in a simple light blue long dress was slowly grinding ink. Her expression was not focused on the old man’s vigorous strokes; she seemed lost in thought, her fine eyebrows occasionally furrowing.

"Ah, so refreshing! It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this exhilarated!"

After a while, the old man finally finished his last stroke, put down the large brush he held, dusted off his hands, and looked at the bold and fluid script he had just written, displaying a slight smug expression.

"Grandpa, are you really not letting Uncle Four attend Chen Jianguo’s banquet?"

Hearing the old man’s words, the girl seemed to come back to her senses. She glanced at the calligraphy on the desk but didn’t comment on it. Instead, with a puzzled look on her face, she asked.

"No, we’re not going. Everyone knows what Chen Jianguo wants to achieve. Why should we go there?"

The old man shook his head, stroked his chin, and smiled slightly.

"But, Grandpa, haven’t we always had a good relationship with Jianguo Group? Haven’t we cooperated with Jianguo Group in many businesses?"

A hint of confusion appeared on the girl’s face.

"Cooperation is just that, and as you said, it’s merely a business relationship. If it’s profitable, we can make money together, but we are under no obligation to share in the hardships."

The elder looked at the puzzled expression on the girl’s face, shook his head, and said with deep earnestness, "Lulu, you must remember, in business, profit is everything. Where there is profit, though the difficulties be great, we will push forward. What we dread most is loss. Once a loss is found, it must be cut off promptly, regardless of the person involved. A gentleman does not stand under a collapsing wall; the moment danger is spotted, one must swiftly distance oneself far from it."

"Oh."

The girl nodded, only half understanding.

Seeing the look on the girl’s face, the old man couldn’t help but sigh. His granddaughter, kind-hearted as she was, might be taken advantage of in the future and probably wasn’t cut out for business. Despite this, in his heart, he hoped that she would one day take over his role.

But on the other hand, if his granddaughter didn’t have such a disposition, he might not like her so much. If she, like those other descendants, weighed and calculated every word with him, he wouldn’t bring her along so often as he did now.

Forget it, let it be gradual. Thankfully, there’s still time to slowly cultivate her, though eventually, it will have to be intensified, more indoctrination for her.

The elder mused silently to himself.

"Grandpa, the Li Family now clearly wants to swallow up Jianguo Group. With the current power of the Li Family, if they really swallow Jianguo Group, won’t that strengthen their power?"

Soon after, a hint of confusion emerged on the girl’s face again.

"Haha... That’s a good question."

The elder, who had harbored some regrets in his heart, was momentarily stunned when he heard the girl’s question, then he burst into delighted laughter. He suddenly discovered that his granddaughter wasn’t as inept as he had thought; her perspective was even longer than he had imagined!

It took a while for him to stop laughing. He then answered with a face full of encouragement and satisfaction, "I’m delighted that you thought of this question. Everyone knows the intentions of Old Fox Li. How could we not see it? But do you think they can easily topple Jianguo Group? If it were that simple, how do you think Chen Jianguo managed to develop in G City so quickly and rise to his current position?"

"Grandpa, do you mean... let them fight each other, and when they have both suffered enough, you guys will make a move?"

The girl, seeming to have understood, asked with an expression of uncertainty still evident on her face.

"Exactly. Otherwise, why do you think Old Fox Zhao and Old Fox Zeng haven’t made a move?"

The old man’s face grew increasingly satisfied. He found that his granddaughter, although kind-hearted, was highly perceptive. With just a little grooming, she might truly become highly capable in the future.

"But Grandpa, have you ever considered that there might be a possibility that Jianguo Group won’t be swallowed by the Li Family and survive after all? In that case, wouldn’t our relationship with Jianguo Group suffer greatly? We might miss an opportunity?"

"Hmm?"

Upon hearing the girl’s words, the old man’s expression froze.

He realized he had never considered that possibility. It took him a while to come back to his senses. He shook his head and said, "Girl, I am glad you considered this, but that’s impossible. From the current situation, it’s clear Chen Jianguo has been beaten down by the Li Family to a point where he can hardly fight back. If things continue like this, at most, he will only deplete some of the Li Family’s strength, but his business empire is bound to disappear completely. I did not even anticipate Old Fox Li’s power before; it’s not something Chen Jianguo can contend with. Besides, if Chen Jianguo had the capacity, he wouldn’t have caused this gathering in the first place."

"Grandpa, I still think that this time, we should stand with Jianguo Group."

The girl pondered for a moment, but only briefly, then she lifted her head, shook it, and spoke to the elder.

——————————————————————————————(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com) with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation.)