199: It's not about gaining, it's about destroying.

Shen Lian and Chu Yilan spent a week vacationing in Yun City.

Naturally, they spent most of their time in the sea of roses they had just purchased. After continuous improvements, the small cabin had been transformed into a distinctive, high-end room equipped with everything they needed. They had even connected the second floor via a staircase, and after clearing and renovating the upper level, they installed a bathtub.

While soaking in the bath and looking out, one could see the prominent silhouettes of the flowers in the dark of night.

CEO Chu had bought up all the surrounding extensions. In a perimeter surrounded by tourist developments, he had claimed this prime location for himself. Once night fell, the air became exceptionally quiet, as if only the two of them remained in the world.

Everything was perfect, except for Teacher Shen's slight regret. That night, the Chu Yilan who had spoken so boldly and exposed his carnal desires was a damn limited edition!

Regardless of how Shen Lian coaxed him over the following days, Chu Yilan only took action and didn't say a word.

On the day they returned to Qudu, Shen Lian brought back some gifts for Sun Binghe and the others. Naturally, that private plane was tucked away by Chu Yilan after they landed.

Without even thinking, it was likely being plated in colorful gold; he probably wished he could tie a bow on it and hide it in the safest, deepest corner.

After resting for a day, Shen Lian went to participate in an event arranged by Hu Kailan.

The organizer was Star Opening, and they had recommended a group of artists. The other parties were naturally various brands and partners. Being scouted here could be considered a way forward.

When Shen Lian arrived at the event venue, he didn't expect Kuang Chenghai to be there as well.

CEO Kuang now had every reason to be proud. Not only was he enjoying the shade of a large tree, but his company's artists were also very successful. He had originally been standing in the center of a crowd, holding a glass of champagne and looking profound, but when he turned and saw Shen Lian, the corners of his eyes and brows began to twitch.

Shen Lian understood what he meant and found a quiet place to wait.

As expected, Kuang Chenghai soon hurried over, his wealthy and powerful image completely gone. With a bitter face, he complained, "Boss's wife! Can we not do this next time? You gave a cool goodbye, and I was almost torn apart by those old foxes. People are still interrogating me even now."

Shen Lian gave a dry laugh. "Sorry, I was a bit too happy that day."

Hearing this, Kuang Chenghai didn't dwell on it. "Heh, I understand. It was a birthday, after all. I wanted to give CEO Chu something, but I was worried he'd look down on it, so I just had Assistant Sun buy my share along with the rest."

"Alright, I'll mention it to him later."

Kuang Chenghai smiled even more broadly. "Great!"

Who wouldn't want their intentions or performance to be noticed by the boss? Talking to Shen Lian was extremely comfortable; he wasn't manipulative or pretentious, and he was straightforward.

Returning to the event venue, Kuang Chenghai personally took Shen Lian to meet some big bosses.

Success really does wonders for a person's look. Wherever Shen Lian appeared, the other artists suddenly seemed dull and lusterless.

After a round, Shen Lian was a bit tired, but his network had been enriched. CEO Kuang had been very helpful.

"Teacher Shen," someone called out from behind.

Hearing the voice, Shen Lian turned his head with a smile. "Chen Mu?"

Compared to the crowd of meticulously and exquisitely dressed artists, Chen Mu appeared more simple, yet he possessed certain qualities that others simply lacked.

Shen Lian had heard from Hu Kailan that while one might say Chen Mu's personality led him to suffer losses, he was actually quite magnanimous and broad-minded. He could accept any hostility or malice and never lost his temper. Ordinary people couldn't hurt him at all.

Shen Lian had heard twice about Chen Mu's sponsored clothing being snatched away. He was naturally angry and wanted to go confront them, but without exception, he was stopped by Hu Kailan and Chen Mu.

"A small matter"—those were the three words Chen Mu always used.

Tonight, Chen Mu wore a simple black suit and had a basic hairstyle. His watch seemed to always be the same model. He had a "nostalgic" quality about him; with every blink or lowered gaze, a gentle sense of old times would overflow.

Perhaps because he had been filming in the sun for a while, Chen Mu was slightly darker.

Shen Lian pulled Chen Mu aside and chatted for a while.

It was worth mentioning that a character Chen Mu had previously played had gained popularity, with plenty of organic buzz. There were edits of him on all the major video platforms. Coupled with Star Opening's willingness to provide resources after seeing him gain traction, his follower count on the backend was rising rapidly.

"Come here, come here." Kuang Chenghai passed by, first smiling at Shen Lian, and then immediately waving to Chen Mu.

Chen Mu didn't dare to delay.

After Chen Mu walked away, Shen Lian frowned almost imperceptibly. Was it an illusion? Chen Mu seemed to have a hidden sense of exhaustion about him.

Until Shen Lian left, he didn't see Chen Mu again.

Chu Yilan was still in the afterglow of the "birthday surprise." This was specifically reflected in how closely he monitored Shen Lian's schedule. As soon as he heard the event was over, he told Shen Lian to come directly to Hengtai.

Shen Lian readily agreed. It was perfect; they could go home and eat dinner together.

Sun Binghe picked him up through a private passage. When they reached the floor of the CEO's office, they hadn't walked far before they saw Zhou Tangru heading toward the elevator on the other side.

Zhou Tangru also saw Shen Lian, gave a polite nod, and then left.

Shen Lian frowned. "Why is he here?"

"You might not know," Sun Binghe said. "Old Madam Zhou is hospitalized with hemiplegia and a stroke. The doctors say she won't recover. To prevent internal fighting in the Zhou Family, she gave the actual power to Zhou Tangru."

Shen Lian: "What about Zhou Tangsi?"

"He's useless now," Sun Binghe's tone lightened. "The scandal with Zheng Ge is known to everyone. His recent decisions have all been failures. No leader would feel at ease with him. By comparison, Zhou Tangru has become the model of a good grandson in Old Madam Zhou's eyes. It's just a pity... she saw his ability clearly, but misjudged his character."

Sun Binghe continued, "Zhou Tangru came because he wants to transfer the Zhou Family's shares to the Boss."

"Huh?" Shen Lian was a bit surprised. "The Zhou Family's business can't function anymore?"

"On the contrary, if Zhou Tangru took over the previous long-standing problems, he could bring it back to life. But he's unwilling. I only saw clearly today that Zhou Tangru's goal isn't to gain the Zhou Family's business, but to destroy it," Sun Binghe said softly.

"His mother was deceived by Father Zhou back then. She only found out she had stepped into someone else's marriage after giving birth. Born into a scholarly family, her pride was shattered, and she became bedridden and eventually passed away. Old Madam Zhou also maintained an attitude of secretly hiding and suppressing Zhou Tangru. They all thought that once Zhou Tangru was draped in wealth and glory, he would forget everything. But as it happens, he remembers it all."

"Sell the Zhou Family and go abroad?" Shen Lian began to think of a script.

"No, sell the Zhou Family to become a live-in son-in-law for Lin Chen Technology. He and Miss An Jing seem to be turning their fake relationship into a real one. Zhou Tangru originally wanted to directly poke a hole in the Zhou Family's accounts, but then he thought about it and felt it would be better to sell it to the Boss as a favor." After Sun Binghe finished, he pushed open the office door. Chu Yilan was sitting behind the desk and looked up.

Shen Lian made an "OK" gesture, indicating he understood.

The door closed, and Chu Yilan asked, "What were you chatting about?"

"I saw Zhou Tangru," Shen Lian said, clicking his tongue in wonder.

In the book's plot, it was Zhou Tangsi who forced Chu Yilan into a corner and swallowed his industry. Where did he get the nerve? This is how it should be.