Chapter 64 Giving Father a Chance to Be Reborn

Hearing his younger brother's question, Chen Ang did not answer directly, but instead asked a seemingly unrelated question with great seriousness:

"Chen Zhuo, having gone to the Company headquarters today, what do you think of the Company right now?"

Chen Zhuo thought for a moment and said, "If you hadn't brought it up, I was going to tell you anyway. I feel the headquarters is much more chaotic than I imagined. The accounts in the finance department are a mess, the administrative receptionist isn't at her post in the afternoon, and the hallways are empty and unsupervised."

"Zhou Yuda sold the Company without handling the aftermath properly, which has made many middle and even senior managers feel that their future prospects are uncertain, so their minds aren't on management. And the people below are following suit; some are just slacking off, while others have even started skimming off the top."

Hearing Chen Zhuo's analysis, which was quite well-reasoned, Chen Ang couldn't help but look at him with new respect.

He sat up and looked at Chen Zhuo, "Then what do you think should be done?"

Chen Zhuo didn't realize his older brother was testing him and blurted out, "The Company needs someone who can take charge, tighten up management, and if they can't handle it, then revolutionize it. Keep those who should stay, and get rid of those who should go."

The corners of Chen Ang's mouth curved into a smile, and he tilted his head to look at him, "Why don't you step up? And take the lead?"

Chen Zhuo was stunned upon hearing this and quickly waved his hand, "You know me, I can't handle that. I'm no good at taking the lead, though I'm pretty good at pointing fingers."

Chen Ang laughed out loud at this and said, "I want to bring Dad over to be the general manager and let him take the lead."

Chen Zhuo was dumbfounded, "Brother, with Dad's current temperament, it would be fine if you asked him to be a security guard, but General Manager? Are you kidding me?"

"I'm not asking him to manage the business right away." Chen Ang understood the old man's current state, so he said, "Zhou Yuda is leaving soon, and the Company needs someone who can keep the middle management in check, keep an eye on the finances, and prevent the people below from acting recklessly."

"As for Dad, he has been in the building materials business for decades. Back when Zhonghui was at its peak, he had about five hundred people under him. It's not that he doesn't understand management. It's just that the bankruptcy broke his backbone."

Chen Zhuo thought about it and felt it made perfect sense. He looked up and asked, "Then how are you going to get him to agree?"

"We'll put on a show." Chen Ang flicked the ash from his cigarette, "Tomorrow I'll talk to Zhou Yuda and say that you saved him once, so he's transferring him from the branch to the headquarters as a supervisor."

"And once he finds out you are Chen Zhonghui's son, he will come up with the idea of asking Dad to be the general manager. Because he has to go abroad for a while, and in the past, he did business with Dad and knows the old man has the ability."

Chen Zhuo listened and didn't object, nodding, "Will Zhou Yuda agree to this? The handover matters are almost finished, and he's not planning on coming anymore anyway."

"It will only take up a day or two of his time; he won't refuse such a small favor. To him, the Company is sold, and it makes no difference to him who manages it." Chen Ang flicked the cigarette butt away and closed the car window.

"Will Dad listen to the arrangements? With that lifeless attitude of his, I don't think I can convince him." Chen Zhuo raised another concern.

"I'll handle this. You just take some time tomorrow to go back home, pick up Mom and Dad, and bring them here. I'll talk to him." Chen Ang made the decision directly.

Chen Zhuo nodded in agreement, but then seemed to think of something else and said, "What about the relatives? Once Dad enters the Company, Second Uncle and Little Aunt will definitely think the Chen family is back on its feet. Whether they come to cling to us or demand debt repayment, it'll be a hassle."

Chen Ang laughed, "That's exactly why I want them to come. Dad needs to see for himself what kind of faces his own siblings have."

Chen Zhuo heard this and nodded slowly, "That's true. If Dad continues to be this foolishly filial, he's truly beyond saving. Grandpa has been dead for so many years, yet just because of one thing he said before he died, he has emotionally blackmailed our father for all these years."

"Back when we were doing well, which of their families didn't benefit from us? Now that we've fallen on hard times, they all want to come up and kick us while we're down to prove they are better than Dad?"

Chen Ang turned his face to look at the branches swaying in the wind outside the car. After a moment, he lit another cigarette, "Chen Zhuo, do you know? Countless times in the dead of night, I thought that if I ever made a comeback, I would step back on every single footprint they left on us, without missing a single one."

"Now that I have the ability, do you think I should do that to them?"

Chen Zhuo looked back at the flickering red ember of the cigarette, then at Chen Ang's somewhat ferocious face, and sighed, "Brother, they did eventually scrape together a few million."

He didn't know if he should advise his brother not to be too ruthless, but when he thought of the faces of these relatives, he felt nothing but indignation.

Chen Ang slowly exhaled a thick cloud of smoke and smiled, "I will repay their debts. On Grandma's birthday, I will bring the money back, with interest, every single cent."

"And then..." He reined in his smile and gritted his teeth, "I will make it clear in front of everyone that from now on, our family owes no one anything, and we will sever all ties with them."

Chen Zhuo was dumbfounded, but hearing his brother say this, he felt it was truly satisfying.

"So, you need Dad to recognize reality and stop wasting his energy on this group of relatives?"

Chen Ang looked at his younger brother and nodded, "Exactly, so you have to help me wake our father up. Mom will support it, and I've already talked to Little Sister over the phone. She supports it too."

Hearing that their mother and little sister both agreed, Chen Zhuo gave a heavy nod of affirmation.

Taking a deep drag and tossing the cigarette butt away, Chen Ang seemed to have also discarded an important burden.

He pulled open the car door and leaned down to look at Chen Zhuo, "Find a designated driver to take you home. You can drive this car. The suppliers coming in and out of the Company drive Prados, X5s, and GLEs. If you drive an X5 in and out every day, it will help the people below open their eyes."

"Yeah, I know. Brother..." Chen Zhuo reached out to stop the car door that Chen Ang was about to slam shut, "Do you remember Luo Bin?"

Chen Ang checked the force of closing the door. His mind raced, and an unfamiliar face appeared before his eyes.

"Luo Jianhong? Hongsheng Ceramics?"

"Yeah, Luo Jianhong's son, the one from Hongsheng Ceramics who later bought our factory at a low price."

"What about him? Is he giving you trouble?" A flash of chill appeared in Chen Ang's eyes.

"The other day, I went to the county for a meeting on behalf of the Company and saw Li Xue waiting for him in his car."

Chen Ang understood what this meant, and a surge of intense anger welled up in his heart.

The fact that both brothers had been cheated on nearly made it difficult for him to control his violent impulses.

What made it even harder for him to calm down was that behind their family's bankruptcy, Luo Jianhong was highly likely one of the black hands involved.

Taking a deep breath, he suddenly laughed and looked at Chen Zhuo, "What are you planning to do?"

Chen Zhuo scratched his head, the corners of his mouth lifting, "I suggest adjusting the procurement structure of the Company's ceramics division."

Seeing that his younger brother hadn't gone off track, Chen Ang relaxed quite a bit and nodded, saying, "Once Dad takes office, you can discuss it with him."

After saying this, he shut the car door and was just about to tell Chen Zhuo to take care when the car window rolled down, and Chen Zhuo said, "Brother, I saw Sister-in-law when I went home last time."

Chen Ang's body jolted, and he froze instantly.

He felt all his muscles tightening, his fingers hanging by his legs curled slightly, and he tried his best to swallow.

After his Adam's apple bobbed, his face remained expressionless.

"What... did she say?"

Chen Zhuo didn't notice his older brother's reaction and briefly described the situation at that time.

Chen Ang nodded, indicating he understood.

Without saying anything more, he turned and left, but his footsteps seemed very sluggish.

He knew clearly that when that name hit his ears, his heart had skipped a beat.