Chapter 2347 - 2347

Zhang Xiaoyang was a bit pleased, but also a bit pissed.

Seriously, this Liu Zhizhong, huh, he's just not getting along with my Zhang Family, is that it?

Every single thing I, Zhang Xiaoyang, talked to him about, it's like none of them have ever gone smoothly!

A while back, when Gu Yan was taking the civil service exam, I gave him the heads-up, told him to handle it properly when he was on the interview panel.

And what did he do? He actually volunteered to step down as an interviewer.

Of course, Gu Yan still passed the interview, and very smoothly at that. The final ranking came out, and she got in without a hitch.

And this time, heh, even when I bother to personally come to propose on behalf of my sister—yeah, it's half for show—but you, Liu Zhizhong, still won't play along, huh?

Doing it on purpose, are you?

My sister's such a gorgeous woman, and you're not even interested? You just rejected it outright, refuse to cling to the Zhang Family's big tree—are you fucking stupid?

If this were anyone else, could they even stay calm hearing that offer? They'd be scrambling over each other just to get a blind date with my sister, right?

Who doesn't know, once you become a son-in-law of the Zhang Family in the Southeast, you're set for life, soaring all the way up?

Goddamn Liu Zhizhong, you're really one hell of a freak!

Forget it. I'll tell Grandpa about your attitude later, and then you'll see—if Grandpa gets pissed, the consequences are serious, heh…

Zhang Xiaoyang let out a cold laugh, feeling like he'd found some kind of release.

Anyway, the idea of Liu Zhizhong becoming his brother‑in‑law was something he could never accept; even the blind date itself felt like an insult to his sister, to the old Zhang family, and to him, Zhang Xiaoyang, heh…

Some people are born thinking they're high and mighty, and everyone else is born low and cheap.

In Zhang Xiaoyang's eyes, Liu Zhizhong was exactly that—born low. Growing up in a welfare home and making it this far was already not bad; getting Mr. Zhang's favor was a heaven‑sent blessing, and yet you, Liu Zhizhong, refuse to enjoy it—then don't blame the Zhang Family Members for getting rude!

When Gu Man heard about Liu Zhizhong's decision, she was kind of dumbfounded, had no idea what her ex was thinking—was it still about the hatred in his heart?

Of course, she also felt pretty relieved. Liu Zhizhong didn't want it, and Zhang Xiao You didn't want it either, so who can you blame? Not even Grandpa can change that, right?

And in the future it won't be so awkward between them—what's not to like?

When Zhang Xiao You heard her brother lay out the situation, she couldn't help finding it funny, with a faint feeling of having been insulted.

But right now she was a highly educated woman doing her master's at a top university in Little Japan; her emotional control was very steady, and she put on an indifferent face.

Anyway, the moment she heard it was about Liu Zhizhong, she'd never planned to develop anything with him. As for the blind date, that was just going through the motions.

So she told her brother to find a chance and talk to Grandpa as soon as possible: Liu Zhizhong had laid his cards on the table and refused; that kind of grandson‑in‑law was off the table.

As for Zhang Xiaoyang, of course he had to pick the right time and opportunity to sit down with Grandpa and talk about Liu Zhizhong.

And Liu Zhizhong had his own calculations in mind.

First, the Zhang Family throws out such a big card, trying to bring me, Liu Zhizhong, to heel—whether they want to treat me as the future pillar of the Zhang Family or as a slave, I, Liu Zhizhong, am a man with backbone!

Second, wealth and glory are like smoke and clouds; at best they flourish for three generations. The Zhang Family in the Southeast has already entered its third generation, so next they should be heading downhill. That's not mysticism; there's some science behind it. A family like that, better to stay away.

Third, if I became the Zhang Family's son‑in‑law, I could move into Zhang's Manor, living under Mr. Zhang's authority every day. No matter how capable you are, they'll still say you're living off a woman. Pointless. Freedom and progress have always been what I, Liu Zhizhong, pursue.

Fourth, since I've already formed an alliance with Mr. Zhang and Mayor Xiong, and there's the Wang Family in the Provincial City backing me, why shouldn't I develop independently? Why do I have to rely on the Zhang Family? Has the Zhang Family only screwed me over and bullied me once or twice? Heh…

So when it came to Zhang Xiaoyang coming to propose on behalf of his sister, Liu Zhizhong treated it as if it had never happened, just a joke.

He could also see that in Old Sir Zhang's eyes, he, Liu Zhizhong, still counted as someone—a person of note—and that was quite satisfying, heh…

Still, in this world there are always some things you just can't dodge.

Those who don't want to be together will end up with a story.

Those who do want to be together will also end up with some other story.

Everything in this world is fickle, right?

Ha ha…

In a blink, another weekend came. Zhang Xiaoyang went back to Zhang's Manor to get together with the family members, which could be considered routine.

Only this time, the gathering was a bit special.

Everyone gathered in the dining hall of Zhang's Manor, enjoying lavish gourmet dishes while also congratulating Zhang Xiaoyang on going to the Provincial City for training. His future was boundless, and he'd surely be able to carry the Zhang Family's banner.

So everyone drank some wine—all top‑shelf stuff that ordinary folks only hear about and never get to taste.

Usually it's like this: people who buy good wine don't drink; people who drink good wine don't have to buy.

The good wine in Zhang's Manor came from all over, domestic and foreign, they had it all.

Dongnan City might be a remote Prefecture-level City, but it still had a population of over eight million. With that many people, it's not a problem at all to sustain a dominant, near‑monopolistic Powerful People family like the Zhang Family.

Not to mention anything else, just take one project launched by the Southeast City Party Committee and Government at the start of this year—that alone was enough for the Zhang Family Members to eat and squander to their hearts' content.

The underground pipe network renovation and upgrade project had a total investment of 5.893 billion yuan, and thirty percent of that share would flow into the Zhang Family's pockets. Heh heh… convinced yet?

Over 1.7 billion—is that enough for this nearly hundred‑member Zhang clan to eat and drink? More than enough, heh…

Of course, the Zhang Family wasn't stupid; they understood that in the current climate, there are mainly two ways to keep wealth safe: one, buy gold; two, move it overseas.

If you really want a third way, that would be to move the money overseas and buy gold there, ha ha…

After this dinner, Zhang Xiaoyang walked with Grandpa along the lake, taking a stroll.

The chill of the spring night had long faded; the warm late‑spring evening had arrived. Zhang's Manor was steeped in an atmosphere of wealth and tranquility.

Zhang Xiaoyang hadn't drunk much; he kept a strict limit on alcohol. That was what Mr. Zhang had just taught him tonight—because your body is the capital of the revolution.

When the old man speaks, it carries weight across the entire hall; everyone has to listen.

Mr. Zhang himself was drinking health wine, very careful about the amount.

Grandfather and grandson chatted and joked, not looking drunk at all.

Naturally, Zhang Xiaoyang wanted to use this chance to brief Grandpa on what was going on with Liu Zhizhong.

Who knew, they hadn't walked far before Zhang Taikang brought the topic up himself.

"Xiaoyang, there's not many days left before Xiao You comes back from Little Japan! How's the situation with that Liu Zhizhong arranged?"

Seeing this, Zhang Xiaoyang felt pleased—he'd just been planning to bring it up, and Grandpa mentioned it first. Looked like he really cared!

So, Zhang Xiaoyang shook his head, and before saying anything else, he let out a sigh, setting the tone and mood first, heh…