The husband and wife continued to fight with each other.
“Is it really serious? Are we really cut off from the Jin clan? Maybe the clan head is just throwing a fit and he’ll retract his decision once he calms down,” Jin Chenggong’s wife said in a hopeful tone.
“Jin Liwei is a serious man. If he says something, then he’ll do it and it’s final,” Jin Chenggong told her. “I know that he’s serious. All of these happened because of that slut Iris Long! If it wasn’t for her, then our branch family wouldn’t be cut off like this from the clan. Now we’re experiencing all of these shit because of her! How dare she ruin our lives?!!”
“You’re right. She’s really an evil woman. Everyone in high society thinks so, too. She’s the same as her mother who’s one of the biggest sluts in high society. I bet that Iris Long is only using the clan head and will divorce him later on to squeeze alimony from him just like how Wei Lan used Long Tengfei all those years ago.”
“Evil has entered our clan and her name is Iris Long!”
Just a few seconds ago, the husband and wife were fighting each other but now they banded together against a common enemy—Iris Long.
Then Jin Chenggong received a call all of a sudden. After speaking for a couple of minutes, he returned to his wife with the ugliest expression on his face.
“What happened?” she asked him.
“Sir Lu Jianhong has fired me from my position in the board of directors!”
“What?!!!”
“Oh no! We’re ruined! Ruined, I say!”
“Shut up, woman! Don’t bother me with your noisy mouth! Let me think!”
Jin Chenggong left his wife and headed to an empty sitting room. Then he called someone on the phone.
“Hello?” Romeo Young answered the call after three rings.
“It’s me, Chenggong.”
“I know. What’s the matter?”
Jin Chenggong told him everything that happened earlier that day at the Jin Family’s Old House.
Romeo Young was silent for a few moments, processing what Jin Chenggong told him.
“That’s very unfortunate,” he said. “Iris Long is becoming a much bigger problem than what I first thought. Jin Liwei, too. It seems like that woman managed to seduce him to the point that he’ll even throw away blood relations just for her. Truly pathetic.”
“We’ll do something about this. Don’t worry. I’ll assist your branch family in any way that I can. I’ll also tell my wife about your problem. I’m sure that her family there in China will be able to extend a helping hand to you. You’re my daughter’s biggest supporter in the board of directors. I’ll always be grateful for your help in championing Rose to become Jin Corporation’s next CMO back then,” Romeo said.
“I’ve known Rose since she was only a little girl. She used to visit my house and play with my kids, nieces and nephews every summer. She’s such a smart girl and now she has grown up into an amazingly smart and successful woman. There is nobody else in the world more suitable to become the next Madam Jin except for her. Your daughter, Rose, is the only Madam Jin that I’ll ever accept in my life,” Jin Chenggong declared.
“Thank you. I know that things are difficult for you and your family right now but just endure. We’ll help each other out to achieve our ambitions together. Once my daughter succeeds in becoming the next Madam Jin, we’ll remember your help and reinstate your branch family back to your previous status—no, we’ll place you in a higher position in the Jin clan and of course in Jin Corporation as well.”
“Good, I like that! Yes, I’ll endure. My family will endure. All of us will endure until we achieve success!”
The two men were in two different countries but it was as if they were in front of each other. They dreamed of being on top together while planning the demise of Iris Long, trapping Jin Liwei into marriage with Rose Young, and acquiring the main family’s portion of Jin Corporation.
Regarding Sir Lu Jianhong, yes, they recognized him as a big problem. But he was already an old man. They only needed to wait it out for a few years, maybe even a decade, and he would eventually die. He hadn’t chosen his heir yet. He also never involved any of his Lu relatives in Jin Corporation, choosing to keep half of his portion of the company all to himself. What a greedy and selfish old bastard!
That was why his own flesh and blood grandson grew up to be such a happy-go-lucky guy. His grandson almost died by breaking his neck while skiing on a snowy mountain somewhere in the world—what a ridiculous way to die! However, it seemed that his grandson had now turned over a brand new leaf and had begun acquiring small business all over the country on his own. Despite this, Lu Zihao’s business achievements weren’t enough to make him deserving to inherit Sir Lu Jianhong’s half portion of Jin Corporation.
Thus, the only possible and acceptable candidate that everybody could think of was Jin Liwei himself, the current President-CEO of the company. By the time that Sir Lu Jianhong died and passed his half portion of the company to Jin Liwei, Romeo Young was confident that he and his daughter Rose would be able to control him. Then wouldn’t that make his Young family the puppet master pulling the strings behind the entirety of Jin Corporation?
Both Romeo Young and Jin Chenggong rubbed their hands in anticipation at the same time. They couldn’t wait for that moment to come. But for now, they needed to endure.
And also to make sure to erase Iris Long, the biggest obstacle to their plans of controlling Jin Liwei.
###
Long Ancestral Residence.
The sun had already set when Iris, Jin Liwei and their bodyguards reached the ancient residence that the main family of the Longs inherited from their noble ancestors many centuries ago. It was a dark and cold evening.
While they walked through the roofed walkway of the inner courtyard to the master wing, the couple talked about what happened earlier at the Jin Family’s Old House.
“Love, I’m sorry about what you experienced at my family home. I’m embarrassed by what you’ve seen about my Jin clan,” Jin Liwei told his baby girl.
“Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault. To tell you the truth, I already expected it to happen so I’m not surprised at all. Yes, I felt angry but more than anger, I felt indifferent. They’re not worth my time,” she replied.
“Yes, you’re right. They’re not worth your time. Don’t worry, love. If I can cut off Uncle Cheng—I mean Jin Chenggong’s branch family from the clan, I can cut off the others who dare disrespect you again. All of those who disrespect the wife of the clan head will be gone from the clan forever!”
Iris hugged his arm, a little shy that he was referring to her as his wife without adding the word “future” before it.
“Not yet. But you will be.”
She nodded.
The bodyguards walking around them—most of them single dogs—channeled the power of one of the elements and pretended that they were air. This was so that they wouldn’t drown too much from the overflowing dogfood the lovey-dovey couple kept on producing.
Not knowing that the bodyguards were suffering because of them, the inconsiderate couple continued whispering sweet nothings to each other.
That was until Iris remembered something and sighed while looking around the ancient ancestral place.
“You’ve already kicked out a branch family from your clan. I should feel sorry that it’s largely because of me but I’m not. That Jin Chenggong also dared disrespect Grandma Li and Auntie Yuyan. He and his equally disrespectful daughter deserve to be punished for how they acted earlier today. What happened with them reminded me of the same stupid political games the branch families of the Long clan are always playing.
“I guess I also have to do some cleaning in the Long clan as well, just like what you did with your Jin clan. What a hassle. I really don’t have much interest in the Long clan affairs but I guess I have to start interfering now, especially after what that stupid idiot did to Ying Yue. Suddenly dragging her into a painful custody battle for their son, our godson Little Jun.
“I won’t rest easy after all of the things he did to hurt my friend and our godson. It’s just a pity that I wasn’t able to buy that 5% shares of Long Industries when it was put on sale. Qiao Yu even offered more money above the asking price but it was declined because the seller didn’t like me.”
Jin Liwei was quiet for a few moments, thinking about what she said. Finally, he spoke. “If they don’t want to sell shares to you because of their blind stupidity, then maybe they would be more willing to sell shares to me.”
“Matrimonial assets,” he simply said.
“Oh…” She tilted her head to the side. “50/50 again?”
“En, if you want.”
“Hmmm… That’s not a bad idea. I prefer to buy them solely under my name but I can’t do anything if the sellers don’t want to accept my offer of purchase. I guess this is the only way.”
He kissed her forehead. “Think about it.”
“Okay. I’ll talk to Qiao Yu about it. I want to hear what he thinks about your suggestion first. If they don’t want to sell shares to me, maybe he could throw your name around and they’ll be more willing to sell. We’ll buy it together. I can’t let that stupid idiot gain more shares than me any longer. The more foothold he gains in the clan and in Long Industries, the more arrogant he becomes into thinking that he could bully my friend and threaten her to take Little Jun away.”
Jin Liwei’s expression turned cold and dangerous.
“Don’t worry, love. Grandpa Lu’s lawyer already contacted both of our lawyers. He already took over our godson’s custody case. With our three lawyers working together, there’s no way Long Hui would be able to successfully take our godson away from Jiang Ying Yue and from us. We won’t let it happen. Jiang Ying Yue and our godson are safe in our Dragon Palace mansion, especially now that Fifth Brother’s subordinates have tightened our property’s security even more.”
She nodded, feeling better after hearing what he said.
Then Iris handed two small objects to both Long Tengfei and Yang Jiahui. “These…” She cleared her throat and tried again. “These keychains are from my mother. She wants me to give them to you.”
Long Tengfei didn’t take the tiny keychain, so Yang Jiahui had no choice but to take both of them herself.
“They’re so tiny and cute,” she said in an appreciative tone. “Please thank your mother.”
“I will.” Iris was relieved that Yang Jiahui was a kind woman and didn’t make things awkward like Long Tengfei.
To make up for the unimpressive keychains that Wei Lan bought, Jin Liwei handed his future father-in-law the seventy-year old vintage cognac from his own cellar while Iris gave a big Orchidia Beauty gift basket to Yang Jiahui.
This time, Long Tengfei finally displayed an appreciative expression. He was obviously pleased by his future son-in-law’s gift to him.
As for Yang Jiahui, she was delighted.
“Oh! Orchidia Beauty products! And so many! Thank you, Xiulan!”
