Chapter 60 My good buddy, you were driving a Land Rover behind my back?

Zhong Yuanxin had been busy all afternoon.

She had updated the entire financial structure of Hengxing Investment and made a trip to the State Administration of Foreign Exchange to handle the compliance filings for round-trip investment.

It was nearly five o'clock when she left the State Administration of Foreign Exchange. She stood on the steps, stretched her shoulders, and her phone rang.

She fished it out of her bag and saw it was a call from Yu Liang: "Chen Ang is coming over for dinner tonight, buy some extra groceries."

After hanging up, the image of Hengxing Investment's 350 million in liquid capital popped into her head.

Her silly husband still thought Chen Ang only had a little bit of money; she wondered what expression he would have once he found out the extent of his brother's assets tonight.

With a smile, she took a taxi back and bought groceries at the market near their residential complex.

When she got home, Yu Liang had already started steaming the rice.

He had changed into casual clothes and was wearing an apron while washing greens at the sink. Seeing his wife return with bags full of groceries, he came over to help, "Why did you buy so much?"

"Normally, since it's your brother coming over, some home-cooked dishes would suffice without standing on ceremony, but since he's my boss now, I have to make a few extra dishes."

She responded with a smile, put on an apron as well, and began washing the vegetables with practiced efficiency.

No matter how good a relationship is, once someone becomes wealthy, friends will subconsciously hold them in higher regard.

This is human nature and doesn't count as deliberately fawning.

"Sister Xin, isn't this a bit much?" Yu Liang opened the bag, held up a spiny lobster that weighed at least three jin, and looked at it before turning to Zhong Yuanxin, "Going for this level of quality for a home-cooked meal?"

Zhong Yuanxin rolled her eyes at him, "What do you know?"

"Something's not right, this is too good for that kid." Yu Liang shook his head and voiced his confusion while placing the lobster on the cutting board to prepare it.

"Chen Ang has the capability now. Our relationship is good, sure, but there's nothing wrong with showing a bit more respect and courtesy." Zhong Yuanxin ignored the man's questioning.

Yu Liang chopped off the lobster's long antennae with a knife, "We've been brothers since we were kids; our bond isn't defined by a single meal. You're spending too much. I'm just happy for him now that he's successful."

"I told you, you wouldn't understand. I know the bond between you men is pure." Zhong Yuanxin understood Yu Liang's sentimentality, but she possessed her own feminine rationality.

"Relationships need to be nurtured. You might not need his help with anything, but it's hard to say once our Xiaomi grows up. My dad will retire sooner or later, and with your self-proclaimed righteous temper, you won't climb to a very high position in the end."

Zhong Yuanxin washed the vegetables as she spoke about her worries for the future.

"Now that you put it that way, I'm actually curious." Yu Liang put down the kitchen knife and leaned against the cupboard, "Hiring my Sister Xin as a CFO really doesn't sound like small-time stuff. Tell me, what kind of scale is it exactly?"

Zhong Yuanxin lowered her head to wash the green onions, her lips slightly pursed, "It's hard to say the scale. Either way, right now we're preparing a rental agency project, and there's also a leisure tourism project that hasn't started yet."

She spoke ambiguously, then turned around to grab the vegetable basket. Using this movement, she covered her mouth with the back of her hand to hide the smile she couldn't quite contain.

"With him spreading himself so thin, isn't he worried about running out of funds?" Yu Liang continued to ramble, "Tan Xiaolei said he scraped together three million. You're so optimistic about it, how about we withdraw that two million in fixed deposits and take a gamble?"

Zhong Yuanxin straightened up, placed the washed vegetables on the counter, and looked at her silly husband with a smile, "Just rest easy. His funds aren't as tight as you think, and he won't be lacking our two million."

"How do you know?" Yu Liang blurted out, only to instantly realize he had asked a stupid question.

Zhong Yuanxin chuckled, "Your Sister Xin is the CFO of Hengxing Investment, so how do you think I know?"

Yu Liang couldn't help but chuckle along.

As the couple chatted, the doorbell rang.

Yu Liang went to open the door. Chen Ang was standing there, with Chen Zhuo following beside him.

"Brother Liang, I've come over to mooch a meal too. I hope I'm not disturbing you and Sister-in-law." Chen Zhuo put on a smile and offered a greeting.

Yu Liang patted him on the shoulder, "We're all brothers, don't talk nonsense, hurry up and come in."

Zhong Yuanxin poked her head out of the kitchen and smiled at the two of them, "Dinner will be a while, you two go ahead and sit, chat for a bit."

Chen Zhuo nodded in response, called out to his Sister-in-law, and then sat down on the sofa.

Chen Ang waved his hand, "Sister Xin, you go ahead and get busy, don't worry about us. Where's Xiaomi? I haven't seen the little girl in quite a few days."

Six-year-old Xiaomi heard Chen Ang's voice and ran out of her room. As soon as she saw Chen Ang, she shouted, "Uncle Angzi."

Chen Ang gave her a hug and set her down, his eyes full of smiles.

Xiaomi tugged on his pant leg and wouldn't let go, "What about that glowing hair clip you said you'd bring me last time?"

Chen Ang paused for a moment before remembering that he had promised it offhandedly when he came for dinner last time.

He smiled and pinched Xiaomi's nose, "Uncle forgot today, I'll definitely bring it next time."

Xiaomi pouted, showing she was unhappy.

Chen Ang coaxed her with a few words, promising to bring it next time, which finally made the little girl smile again.

The smiling Xiaomi brought over a bowl of fruit from the side, "Uncle Angzi, eat some fruit."

Chen Ang chuckled, patted the little girl's head, and praised her for being so sensible, which caused the little girl to complain that he had messed up her hair.

At this moment, he inexplicably thought of Xu Zhaoli again; it seemed she and Xiaomi were about the same age.

He flashed a look of envy at Yu Liang, "It's really great having a daughter; a little cotton-padded jacket is the most thoughtful."

Yu Liang smiled but didn't respond.

This wasn't something he could easily respond to, after all, the man had just discovered that the son he had raised for six years wasn't his own.

The group then sat down by the coffee table. Yu Liang brewed a pot of tea and looked at Chen Zhuo while pouring it.

"How have you been lately, Little Zhuo? We didn't get a chance to chat in detail when we ate at Qilin Garden last time. Later, when I asked Tan Xiaolei, he said you were fired back in your hometown. What are you doing in Bin City now?"

Chen Zhuo's hand paused as he took the teacup, "Still at Company."

"So you weren't fired?" Yu Liang was confused; he remembered that's what Tan Xiaolei had said.

"My brother acquired Company. I am now the supervisor of Company." Chen Zhuo's tone was very flat when he said this, as if he were talking about the weather today, but he couldn't hide the trace of a smile at the corner of his eyes.

Yu Liang's action of holding the teapot stopped. He looked at Chen Zhuo first, a bit bewildered, then slowly turned his head to look at Chen Ang, "You acquired Company? I remember Company isn't exactly small, is it?"

"Yeah, the boss wanted to retire, and his son is abroad, so I just happened to take it over." Chen Ang leaned back on the sofa, one hand still supporting Xiaomi as she bounced around on the sofa, afraid she might fall.

Yu Liang placed the teapot on the table and sat up straight, "How much money did you spend to take it over?"

"A little over 30 million."

Good heavens, my brother is driving a Land Rover behind my back?

Yu Liang was shocked. It took him a long while to come back to his senses, and he pointed a finger at Chen Ang, "That's amazing, 30 million. No wonder Tan Xiaolei wanted to sell his supermarket to come join you."

At this moment, he finally understood the meaning behind his wife's words earlier, but he didn't blame her for being utilitarian.

Anyone would do the same in this situation. If a good brother strikes it rich, shouldn't you pull the relationship closer?

Avoiding harm depends on one's conscience. Pursuing benefit, however, is human instinct.

At this moment, Zhong Yuanxin walked out of the kitchen carrying a freshly cooked dish. Hearing her man's surprise, she couldn't help but chuckle.

Yu Liang turned to look at his wife, his eyes full of murderous intent as if to say, "You were treating me like a clown too."

Seeing Yu Liang's reaction, Zhong Yuanxin quickly returned to the kitchen, the corners of her mouth unable to stop curling upward—and this was just the beginning.