Chapter 136

Chapter 136

After this day, Ji Mian no longer received any news about Yu Chuang.

At first, the notifications were so frequent that he almost thought Yu Chuang was still in Ningcheng, right by his side, as if he could see him at any moment.

But when Zhou Ji came to visit him one day, he brought news that Yu Chuang had moved away with Yu Xing. It was only then that Ji Mian learned that Zhou Ji had mentioned the alliance marriage between the Ji Family and the Pei Family to Yu Chuang.

With the system's omniscient perspective, Ji Mian knew that such an alliance marriage was impossible. But in Yu Chuang's eyes, it was a done deal.

Ji Mian didn't know where Yu Chuang had gone, but he assumed that Yu Chuang wouldn't be struggling financially.

Yu Chuang had managed to earn ten million, so Ji Mian didn't need to worry about his livelihood.

Later, the frequency of Affection Points from Yu Chuang gradually decreased, though they still came every now and then. Ji Mian sometimes felt happy upon receiving them, as if he had gotten a message from Yu Chuang, but more often, he felt sad.

Because every time the notification sounded, it meant that Yu Chuang was missing him somewhere in the world, perhaps even suffering because of it.

Ji Mian would rather never hear that sound again.

The system always retorted, "When you stop hearing this sound, you'll have to wait who knows how long before you can see your brother again."

That was true.

A year later, the Yunchi Group continued to grow in Ningcheng, gradually becoming a rival to the Peisheng Group. At the same time, Pei Qing completely severed ties with the Pei Family, and the planned marriage alliance with the Ji Family fell through.

Ji Mian remained the same carefree Master of the Ji Family.

Because of his "heartbreak," he put on many performances of being utterly devastated in front of his friends and family. Ji Hai and Zhou Ji were both moved, and even Xue Zongguang, who usually paid little attention to others, contributed fifty Affection Points.

The combined points from these few people were still fewer than the occasional Affection Points from Yu Chuang. But even a little bit counts.

For some reason, Pei Qing came to the Ji Family to apologize to Ji Mian about the matter.

Ji Mian was surprised and bewildered, truly not expecting such a gesture. Pei Qing had no reason to make a special trip for someone as insignificant as him.

Three more years passed, and during that time, most major events unfolded as they did in the original plot. During his time in the Pei Family, Pei Qing had also secretly made many moves. The second son of the Pei Family, provoked by Pei Qing, tried every means to insert his own children into the management of the Peisheng Group. The management within Peisheng was already problematic, and with a few more pests, decision-making errors piled up.

Yunchi capitalized on the situation and seized a large portion of Peisheng's orders and market share. Peisheng's cash flow ran into trouble, and the eldest son of the Pei Family finally came to Yunchi's boss with his tail between his legs to negotiate.

To his surprise, it wasn't Yunchi Group's boss, Yu Yunkui, who appeared at the negotiation table, but Pei Qing, who had severed ties with the Pei Family three years ago. The eldest son of the Pei Family fainted on the spot.

The Pei Family was completely ruined.

The Ji Family, as in the original plot, was also implicated. During that time, Ji Hai didn't even return home, staying at the company day and night.

Li Song often wore a sorrowful expression, but in front of Ji Mian, he maintained a calm demeanor, unaware that the Master he thought knew nothing actually knew far more.

A month later, Ji Hai returned home and sold several of the Ji Family's properties, including the one in Ningcheng where Ji Mian had always lived. Most of the household staff were let go.

It was at this point that Ji Mian began to feel that something was off. If the company was truly on the brink of collapse, Ji Hai wouldn't go to such lengths to sell properties at this critical moment; he would simply wait for bankruptcy and asset liquidation.

Ji Mian was puzzled, unsure if this was a desperate move.

But seeing Ji Hai struggling daily over such minor goals, Ji Mian still took most of his watch collection to the auction house.

Zhou Ji and Xue Zongguang also bought a few pieces from him at high prices. Ji Mian knew these two didn't particularly care for watches; they were just trying to help him. In the end, he barely managed to scrape together two hundred million.

The other wealthy young heirs in Ningcheng were all laughing at the Ji Family, spreading rumors that the once-arrogant Master had finally fallen from grace.

After the engagement with Pei Qing fell through, even his cherished watches ended up in the auction house, and he was left without a place to live.

If Ji Mian had known Ji Hai was doing this to plug the financial gap, keeping Ji Group on life support, he would’ve never parted with those watches.

Pei Qing gave the Ji Family some breathing room.

Two months later, Ji Mian did not wait for the Ji Family to declare bankruptcy, but instead waited for a weary Ji Hai.

Ji Group barely survived the storm, hanging by a thread.

Still, it was a far cry from the original plot.

Ji Mian was completely baffled.

How did the plot go so off-track when he didn’t do anything?

The points he’d worked so hard for were likely to be docked again.

The system reassured him, "The Ji Family was not significant in the original plot, and Ji Group is a shell of its former self, so it won’t affect much. Pei Qing has already completed his revenge arc, and what’s left is the emotional entanglement with the main protagonist. Just keep your head down, and you’ll be fine."

Ji Mian half-believed it.

The group survived, but Ji Hai was never the same again. Those months seemed to have sapped the rest of his life’s energy.

Nearing sixty, he’d lost the will to stage a comeback.

Ji Hai dumped the Ji Family’s mess, now valued at less than three hundred small targets, onto Ji Mian.

Ji Mian: "..."

"You want me to run the company?" He almost thought he had misheard.

Ji Hai, his hair noticeably grayer, nodded calmly while sipping his bland porridge.

After all this, he had a sudden realization. He didn’t know if he would live to seventy, and he shouldn’t spend his remaining years slaving away at the company.

No one knew if Ji Group would face another bankruptcy crisis.

He’d worried enough; it was time to live a little.

Ji Mian protested in every way, but Ji Hai brushed him off, throwing Ji Mian into the company while he smoothed the way for him.

Having been a CEO in his previous life, Ji Mian didn’t need his guidance. Within a month, he’d gotten the hang of Ji Group’s workings.

But he flat-out refused to do any actual work, thinking that since the plot had deviated, he would bend it back himself.

During Ji Hai’s tenure, Ji Mian remained relatively obedient. But once Ji Hai retired to a piece of land in the suburbs of Ningcheng for his retirement life, Ji Mian’s bizarre antics started coming out.

At his most outrageous, he impulsively changed the name of Ji Group, leaving everyone in the company dumbfounded.

The already struggling Ji Group was finally reduced to a half-dead state by Ji Mian’s antics. Several elderly employees, over fifty, were heartbroken, and at one point, they broke down in tears in front of Ji Mian.

Their wrinkled faces, tears glistening but not falling, were so bright it was blinding.

Ji Mian’s hardened heart was softened by these bright, tearful displays.

He reluctantly changed his decision.

From then on, these elderly employees often performed tearful acts in Ji Mian’s office, their acting skills becoming more and more refined.

After being tormented by a strong sense of guilt for half a year, Ji Mian finally decided to put the experience and knowledge he had accumulated over decades in his previous life to good use and started working seriously.

In less than a year, the Ji Group made a comeback at a speed that surprised the entire Ningcheng. While Ji Hai was busy farming and enjoying his retirement, he boasted about "like father, like son," all the while regretting not having pushed Ji Mian into the spotlight sooner.

When did this kid become so capable?

He usually seemed so carefree, but when it came to serious work, he was even more capable than his own father...

No one expected that Ji Mian would actually bring the Ji Group, which was on the brink of collapse, back from the dead. Although it still couldn't compare to the Ji Group in its heyday, such a turnaround in such a short time was a real miracle.

For the sake of the company's image, Ji Mian was forced to dye his golden hair back to black and put on a suit, becoming a tall, slim figure in black as he walked.

With his handsome face adding to the effect, the people in the company looked at Ji Mian as if he were a living Hua Tuo, as if he had a natural glow.

That evening, he had plans with Zhou Ji and others, and as soon as work ended, Ji Mian didn't want to spend a second longer in the company, taking the elevator straight down.

On the way, he encountered many executives, who immediately greeted him with respectful grins.

"Good evening, Mr. Ji."

"Good evening, Mr. Ji!"

Ji Mian forced a smile and responded one by one, no longer the carefree guy he used to be.

When he arrived at the place Zhou Ji had booked, he was greeted with several playful jabs as soon as he entered.

First, Xue Zongguang teased, "Oh, Mr. Ji is here?"

Ji Mian: "..."

Zhou Ji also smiled and said, "It's been a while, busy guy. I've tried to meet you several times, but you never came."

Ji Mian didn't smile at these two, just grabbed a bottle of wine and started drinking.

Fortunately, his current body had a good tolerance for alcohol, so he could drown his sorrows. Ji Mian didn't usually like drinking, but ever since he became the "Mr. Ji" in people's mouths, he would occasionally pour himself a drink when no one was around.

Zhou Ji, sitting across from him, held back a laugh and marveled at the dark circles under Ji Mian's eyes.

He had seen Ji Mian's transformation up close. From the time the Ji Family faced bankruptcy until now, it had only been two years, and this man had gone from a once carefree playboy to the Ji Group's Mr. Ji, who could shake up the business world. His methods were something even Zhou Ji couldn't match.

However, his private demeanor hadn't changed much, just not as lively as before.

The Ji Group had been revitalized, but Ji Mian seemed like an old man on his deathbed, drained of energy, radiating a sense of despair and numbness.

Ji Mian drank two glasses of wine but didn't touch the food.

Thinking about how he, who should have gone bankrupt, had inexplicably become "Mr. Ji," he tilted his head weakly to the side, not wanting to look at anyone. He had checked out.