Father Zhao was already overwheld with the affairs of the company, and seeing his son with an air of naive innocence, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger.
His only son was over thirty years old and still as pure as a child.
Because his son was kidnapped when he was young, Father Zhao had kept him protected all these years, rarely showing him to others.
Many people had heard that the Zhao Family had a son, but few had seen his true face. In fact, when things first started, he even sent the child to live with farrs for a ti.
Father Zhao believed that everything he did was for the good of his son and never restrained him in any matter. Even when his son ran off for eight years to experience civilian life and got a marriage certificate with a girl, he said nothing.
But under all the preconditions, he ensured his son could always remain under his wing’s protection.
Father Zhao never thought of himself as old. With the passing of ti, all that grew was his age. Compared to young n, he now had not just vigor but also more experience and wisdom.
As long as he was around, the child could grow slowly....
But now, looking into his son’s eyes, filled with such naive foolishness, for the first ti, Father Zhao felt that his ideas might have been wrong.
Perhaps he was too arrogant.
His anger towards his son was more a misplaced anger towards his own impotence.
He wasn’t as strong as he imagined himself to be.....
Having co to this realization, Father Zhao’s once straightened back slumped slightly, and the sharpness in his eyes dimd with a touch of chaos.
Recent chaos in the company forced him to confront aging, whether he liked it or not.
Father Zhao waved dismissively, and Zhao Li was even more confused, but his natural fear of his father made him hold back the questions in his mind, only mumbling, ".....Then, then I’ll go back to my room."
Without waiting for his father’s nod, Zhao Li scampered back to his room like a little mouse.
Father Zhao wanted to say sothing, but seeing Zhao Li’s retreating back, he could only let out a heavy sigh.
Never mind, take it slow; tomorrow I’ll let Zhao Li get acquainted with the company.
Father Zhao was optimistic, having experienced a lot; he had faced even worse situations before, and he had gotten through them, thinking he still could.
However, he never imagined the downfall he faced in business would be far worse than expected.
In just three days, the Zhao Group suffered a devastating blow.
Once soone broke through Zhao’s defenses, the original giant, the capital forces that followed imdiately bared their fangs.
The speed with which they acted was unimaginable.
Beset on all sides, the Zhao Group and its partner entities had no chance of revival.
Many saw through the crafty and terrifying siege, understanding that a manipulative hand was orchestrating everything behind the scenes.
Father Zhao couldn’t figure out when he had offended such a formidable person.
He had built his family empire to its current scale, and it was impossible to say he had stayed entirely clean, without a trace of filth.
He had offended many people along the way, and the Zhao Group blocked the interests of many.
He thought that with his abilities, even if he couldn’t escape unhard, he could at least save enough assets.
From the beginning, he had always left a way out for himself.
Father Zhao never expected that just as the siege against the Zhao Group began silently, it would end swiftly and abruptly.
Before he could do anything, it was all over.
----------
Still in his dreams, Zhao Li was awakened by a noise from downstairs, and anger flared instantly.
The aunties and maids at ho knew his habits and wouldn’t disturb him in the morning.
Last night, he played gas until midnight, going to bed around three or four in the morning.
Irritably scratching his tousled hair, Zhao Li, without even putting on slippers, headed downstairs barefoot.
As he got up, he glanced casually at the clock on the bedside, which showed it was only six-thirty in the morning.
He had only slept for two or three hours, and the exhaustion of his body and mind made him so irritable he felt like hitting soone.
But when he actually got downstairs, he was completely confounded by the workers coming and going, and forgot his urge to hit soone.
Zhao Li: "Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?"
Zhao Li’s sharp eyes noticed several workers holding things from his father’s collection room.
And others were moving valuable goods outside.
His unhappy questions went unanswered.
The young master’s temper within Zhao Li was ignited, but before he could explode, an auntie ca in from outside and grabbed his arm.
Faced with the auntie who had worked at ho for more than twenty years, Zhao Li softened his attitude, asking eagerly: "What’s going on?"
"I’m leaving. Mr. Zhao gave us severance pay and told us to leave on our own. Not just ; everyone else in the house too... what happened, we don’t know, young master. You should ask the old master."
Zhao Li was hit hard, bewildered.... A sense of extre unease swept over him.
Ignoring the people coming and going, he quickly pulled out his phone to get a clear answer from his father.
He dialed several tis, but the line was busy or couldn’t be connected.
"Don’t move those things...." Zhao Li, overwheld with anxiety, frantically tried to stop the workers’ actions.
"Mr. Zhao, please don’t hinder our work, okay? We ca at Mr. Zhao’s request...."
"Zhao Li, co here."
Hearing the familiar voice, Zhao Li eagerly poured out all his questions, "Dad, what’s going on?"
Seeing his once high-spirited father, now looking like a truly ordinary old man, steeped in a dejected aura, entirely devoid of his usual vigor, Zhao Li’s heart tightened abruptly, as if a pair of hands were gripping his heart tightly.
Father Zhao, looking dazed and dejected, said, "It’s gone, everything’s gone...."
Zhao Li, anxious, asked, "What do you an, gone?"
"The things I worked for most of my life, I didn’t expect them to vanish so easily."
Father Zhao turned to Zhao Li apologetically, "The company is gone, and the house has been mortgaged. We have to move out."
The collapse of the Zhao Group caused a storm of influence that was not easily eradicated in a short ti.
For several days, financial journals, urban dailies... all kinds of news dia were competing to cover the story.
Even city and provincial leaders were paying close attention to the aftermath. But none of this mattered to the Zhao father and son anymore.
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