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So...

"Every time I pass by, they stare at me with an eerie vibe, betting on when I'll reconcile with my father, right?"

Even big corporations are this nosy?

No...

How would they know about his family matters?

"Indeed."

The manager, seeing Qian Xiuyuan proactively delivering milk tea, assumed that the father-son conflict had been resolved. He smiled and said, "Now that the two of you have reconciled, allow me to congratulate the young master in advance for coming back to inherit the family business."

Chapter 78

Inherit the family business?

As the young master of Xiangxin Catering?

Not only was Qian Xiuyuan stunned into immobility by the news, but even the neighbors outside were dumbfounded.

The awkward atmosphere was instantly dispersed by the explosive revelation.

"Wow! The young master of the Fragrant Heart Restaurant!"

"R-Really a second-generation rich kid?"

"What second-generation rich kid? Fragrant Heart is worth billions, Qian Xiuyuan is a freaking über-rich second-gen!"

"He was living under a bridge and eating cabbages, and now he's suddenly a billionaire overnight."

"Truly envy-inducing."

"You guys think, if I sleep under a bridge, will I wake up as a super-rich second-gen too?"

"You? Before you worry about being a rich kid or not, you should first make sure your zipper is up properly."

"Oh." The man hastily zipped up, flustered.

The neighborhood erupted in laughter.

The corridor of the office building buzzed with noise, drawing the attention of many passing white-collar workers. It was like a lively marketplace where people haggled over vegetable prices.

Finally,

Qian Xiuyuan regained his composure from the shock. He lifted his hand to touch his face, still numb from fear, and looked at the manager's name tag.

His tone remained hesitant, struggling to believe what had just happened.

The master... really did hit the nail on the head. Midday, February 24th, 09:12.

Was he truly a second-generation rich kid?

"Manager Sun, are you sure the boss you're talking about is Qian Xi?"

"That's right," Manager Sun replied with a smile, pushing up his black-rimmed glasses. "Surely a son wouldn't forget his father's name, would he?"

Manager Sun, as the longest-serving confidant of the boss, naturally understood the boss's concerns.

"The boss has been talking about retirement and wants to hand the business over to you. Back when you were in college, they hoped you'd study finance at the University of Chicago, but who knew you had your own plans?"

"Fortunately, after all the twists and turns, you're still willing to return to Xin Xing. Xin Xing is your parents' life's work; it would be a shame to let others benefit from it."

Manager Sun was referring to the other shareholders of the Xin Xing company. If Qian Xiuyuan didn't take over, the leadership position would naturally fall to them.

"We've all been waiting for Young Master to take his rightful place."

In conclusion, Manager Sun patted Qian Xiuyuan on the shoulder in a fatherly manner, "Do your best."

By the time Qian Xiuyuan emerged, Chu Yuening had already bought herself an iced Americano. Taking a sip, she furrowed her brow and gazed down at the dark coffee, "So bitter."

Indeed, it only smelled good.

Spotting Qian Xiuyuan, she tossed her coffee cup into the trash can before turning to look at the Xin Xing company behind him. She noticed that Manager Sun was also observing Qian Xiuyuan.

She offered a gentle smile. "So, what do you think?"

Qian Xiuyuan spoke in a daze. "It's like I'm living in a dream."

Chu Yuening gave Qian Xiuyuan some time to process the information.

Half an hour later.

Qian Xiuyuan was about to take Chu Yuening across the street.

"Wait a moment," Chu Yuening said, looking at the neighboring company with a similar golden signboard. She redirected her gaze and asked, "Are you curious why your boss always assigns tasks to you and tries to isolate you from your colleagues?"

"Of course," Qian Xiuyuan replied, recalling the boss of the internet company who deliberately isolated him. He still held a grudge against the man.

"Master, could it be that this internet company is also my father's doing, all part of a plan to get me to return to the family?"

Despite his young age, Qian Xiuyuan was sharp-minded.

No need for further explanation.

He had already grasped the intricacies of the situation.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

"If Father deliberately arranged for someone to suppress me, I will never forgive him, absolutely never."

"We'll know soon enough," Chu Yuening said, gazing at the faint black aura around Qian Xiuyuan. "Put on a show for us."

In a rural vegetable garden, a couple wearing straw hats were planting cabbages. The middle-aged woman wiped her forehead with her sleeve, revealing a pair of pearl earrings and skin that was not rough and yellowed like that of a typical peasant woman due to sun exposure; it was, in fact, delicate and fair.

"Old Qian, remember to feed the pigs when you go to the sty later. Fatten them up so we can slaughter one for Laifu's health."

"Got it."

The middle-aged man dug a hole with his hoe, then reached into his pocket to scatter seeds into the earth, his wrist adorned with a gleaming gold watch.

"Sigh, you're the most unfortunate one. You could have just told Laifu that he would inherit the family business, but instead, you insisted on making him suffer outside," Zheng Caixia recalled the photos delivered by the detective the previous day, showing her son huddled under a bridge, surviving on nothing but cabbage for all three meals a day.

Heavens know how much it pained her to witness that scene.

"I'll hold you accountable if anything happens to our child!"

Qian Xi also felt the pain as he dug another hole to sow seeds. "Do you think I want this? He insists on making an online game. What kind of market prospect do you think it has? Nowadays, everyone prefers video game consoles."

As he spoke, he looked up. "Aren't you fond of them too?"

"Well... there was no need to argue about it," Zheng Caixia followed behind, watering each hole with a flower pot. "I don't understand you. You clearly support our child's entrepreneurial endeavor. Didn't you secretly invest tens of millions in that internet development company where he works?"