CH 141

Chapter 141 – Not a Transaction

Guided by Housekeeper Zhang, Wei Chen entered the study of Old Master Wei. Housekeeper Zhang knocked on the study door. “Master, Young Master Chen has arrived.”

A strong voice came from inside the room, “Come in.”

Housekeeper Zhang opened the door and made a gesture for Wei Chen to enter.

After Wei Chen entered the study, Housekeeper Zhang didn’t follow him inside. He closed the study door and stood at the entrance with a straight posture. During this period, anyone who came by would be denied entry by Housekeeper Zhang.

Inside the study, Old Master Wei was in the midst of a chess game. The chessboard displayed a clear division between the two sides, with the pieces of red and black evenly matched.

“Take a seat.” Old Master Wei heard the footsteps but didn’t look up, instructing, “Join me for a game.”

Following his words, Wei Chen took a seat opposite Old Master Wei, holding the black pieces.

And so, the grandfather and grandson began to play chess in silence, without exchanging words.

Wei Chen had Chen Li on his mind, and his impatience to leave Chen Li alone in the room affected his chess play. Soon, Old Master Wei spotted his mistake. A single wrong move led to the loss of the entire game, and Old Master Wei checkmated him swiftly.

“You’re quite impatient,” Old Master Wei remarked, his brows slightly furrowed as he looked at Wei Chen.

Wei Chen openly admitted, “Yes.”

“Because of Chen Li?” Old Master Wei asked.

This time, Wei Chen didn’t hesitate to nod, “Yes.” His gaze remained steady.

Old Master Wei fell silent, rising from the chess table and walking over to his desk.

The atmosphere grew heavier, and the room became eerily quiet.

Old Master Wei seemed to be testing Wei Chen’s patience. He had called Wei Chen to discuss something, but after a brief discussion following the chess game, he fell silent.

“If you have no further matters, I’ll take my leave,” Wei Chen said, his impatience driven by his concern for Chen Li. He was about to bid farewell and leave.

Finally, Old Master Wei spoke up. He reprimanded Wei Chen, “Sit down! When did you become so impatient?”

“I have something on my mind,” Wei Chen replied candidly.

Old Master Wei didn’t expect Wei Chen to be so direct. He was taken aback for a moment before saying, “The thing on your mind is Chen Li?”

“Yes.”

“Wei Chen, do you remember how I taught you?” Old Master Wei’s knuckles gently tapped on the tabletop.

Tap-tap-tap.

Tap-tap-tap.

It was rhythmic, like the beat of a tightly paced song.

Wei Chen closed his eyes slightly and recited, “Don’t let your enemies exploit your weaknesses. To prevent such a result, it’s better to be strong enough that you have no weaknesses.” This was a phrase that Old Master Wei had repeated to him since Wei Chen was very young.

“Do you still remember?” Old Master Wei taunted. “Then what are you doing now? Are you getting agitated over Chen Li? You’re losing your composure. If I wanted to defeat you right now, all I’d need to do is seize Chen Li.”

“I’m not strong enough yet,” Wei Chen’s gaze remained open and resolute as he stared at Old Master Wei. “I’m not strong enough right now. The best way to protect weaknesses isn’t by erasing them, but by becoming powerful enough to ignore others’ attacks.”

Old Master Wei didn’t anticipate Wei Chen’s response. He had just raised his argument when it got stuck in his throat. He managed to suppress his frustration and stared coldly, saying, “Is this your explanation? Don’t forget that there will always be people stronger than you in this world. Humans aren’t machines; there will always be moments of negligence.”

“It’s okay. If that day ever comes…” Wei Chen looked out the window, a glint in his eyes, “If that day really comes, I’d rather break all barriers. And besides… Li Li isn’t my weakness.”

A touch of sunset spilled in from the window. Although Wei Chen’s face remained expressionless, Old Master Wei couldn’t help but notice a softening of his facial features. To him, it seemed like Wei Chen’s entire demeanor had become gentler.

Observing this scene, Old Master Wei’s determination only grew stronger. He confronted Wei Chen directly, his voice low and compelling, “Divorce Chen Li.”

Fearless, Wei Chen met Old Master Wei’s gaze and firmly declared, “Grandfather, my marriage with Chen Li is not a transaction, nor is he a bargaining chip in your hands.”

Though Wei Chen didn’t state it outright, Old Master Wei understood his meaning. Wei Chen wanted to convey that his marriage with Chen Li wasn’t a matter open to interference. He wouldn’t accept a situation where his decisions were swayed by others – marrying if told to marry, and divorcing if told to divorce – it wasn’t something Wei Chen would let happen to himself.

Old Master Wei’s expression darkened instantly. “Do you even know what you’re saying?”

“I do,” Wei Chen didn’t flinch at all.

“Even if you lose the inheritance rights of the Wei family for this?” Old Master Wei’s tone turned icy, laden with pressure.

“Yes,” Wei Chen’s response was clear-cut and concise.

Once again, Old Master Wei fell silent. His eyes fixed on Wei Chen for a prolonged period, as if searching for any hint of hesitation on his face. He hoped to capitalize on even the slightest hesitation, compelling Wei Chen to forsake Chen Li for the sake of Wei family’s inheritance rights.

However, during this moment, he couldn’t find a trace of hesitation on Wei Chen’s face. It was at this point that Old Master Wei realized, Wei Chen genuinely didn’t care about the Wei family’s inheritance rights. Not at all. Even if he were to sever ties with the Wei family, Wei Chen would do so without hesitation.

“Your wings are strong now. I can’t control you anymore.” In the end, Old Master Wei let out a deep sigh, conceding.

Wei Chen was the one he had nurtured from the beginning. He had thought he understood Wei Chen better than anyone else. He believed Wei Chen was ambitious, with great aspirations for the Wei family. He even thought that Wei Chen had married Chen Li originally to secure his place in the Wei family’s inheritance.

But now, it seemed that all these assumptions were laughable. He, who thought he knew his grandson well, couldn’t see through anything. Even towards the behemoth that was the Wei family, Wei Chen showed no interest whatsoever.

This outcome was unexpected for Old Master Wei, and it was the last thing he wanted to witness. He preferred having everything under his control. As long as Wei Chen had even a sliver of attachment to the Wei family’s inheritance rights, Old Master Wei could effortlessly keep Wei Chen under his thumb.

However, now he realized that he had no leverage over Wei Chen. Just as he had said to Wei Chen before, his wings had grown strong. He didn’t need the Wei family’s support to soar high. Thus, Wei Chen had no reason to heed his threats.

A soundless sigh echoed in Old Master Wei’s heart. He compromised, “Fine then, Achen. Let’s make a deal. If you can fulfill it, I’ll agree to let you continue your relationship with Chen Li. If you can’t fulfill it, you’ll divorce him.”

“Grandfather, as I’ve said, my marriage with Li Li isn’t a deal,” Wei Chen refused to back down.

“I haven’t even mentioned what the deal is yet, and you’re already afraid?” Old Master Wei chuckled bitterly. “Achen, when did you become so timid?”

“I, Wei Chen, even if I were at a dead end, even if I had no chance of turning things around, I would never place my marriage with Li Li on the trading table, to be bargained for.” Wei Chen stood tall, his chest out.

Regardless of how challenging Old Master Wei’s proposal might be, Wei Chen would never agree to use his marriage with Chen Li as a bargaining chip.

“You…” Old Master Wei pointed at Wei Chen, wanting to say something, but the words choked in his throat, refusing to come out.

This time, Wei Chen slapped him again with his attitude, as if saying, “I reject you once more.”

He had thought Wei Chen treated Chen Li well and that Wei Chen’s move to the capital was just out of defiance, as a result of him agreeing to the marriage. But now, it seemed that wasn’t the case. Marrying Chen Li was a sacred matter to Wei Chen, or else he wouldn’t be so resolute in not allowing it to be part of a transaction that benefited himself.

Facing Old Master Wei’s anger, Wei Chen didn’t back down. He looked firmly at his grandfather and stated, “Grandfather, I accept your proposal of a deal, no matter how difficult it may be. But we need to change the stakes.”

“Change the stakes? What do you mean?” Old Master Wei let out the breath he was holding, squinting at Wei Chen.

“The stakes would be three years of freedom for me,” Wei Chen said. “If I can fulfill what you’re asking for, then grant me three years of unrestricted development in the capital. If I can’t, I’ll return this year to take over the business in Shanghai.”

Old Master Wei chuckled at Wei Chen’s confident tone. “Why should I agree to your terms? Soon enough, you won’t have any inheritance rights in the Wei family.”

“Because the Wei family can’t exist without me,” Wei Chen’s gaze remained firm as he looked at Old Master Wei, his eyes full of unwavering conviction. It was as if what he just said was already an established fact.

And that was Wei Chen’s confidence.

He had never intended to completely sever ties with the Wei family, especially after learning about the disaster that would befall the family in a few years’ time. He wouldn’t leave the Wei family behind. As long as he still bore the Wei name, the Wei family remained his responsibility. Not accepting that responsibility now didn’t mean he wouldn’t take it on later, when disaster struck.

For a moment, Old Master Wei found himself unable to retort to Wei Chen’s words. He knew what Wei Chen said was true. Moreover, he knew that if the Wei family aimed for greater heights, besides Wei Chen, there were no other options.

Old Master Wei didn’t know when Wei Chen had realized this, but now, he was speaking with such confidence, displaying control. By the time Old Master Wei realized this, he had lost his dominance in the conversation.

“Achen, my dear Achen, you truly are the one I raised myself.” At this point, Old Master Wei stopped struggling. “If you can truly achieve it, then I have no issue with the deal you proposed.”

“Grandfather, tell me about the task.” Wei Chen didn’t display a hint of pride, he spoke with modest confidence.

“Help the Wei family secure the A Zone project, and I’ll grant you three years of freedom,” Old Master Wei said, not feeling that this would be putting Wei Chen in a difficult situation.

The A Zone project was the biggest project in Shanghai this year. All the enterprises related to Shanghai were vying for it – the Chen family and the Wei family included. Yet even massive entities like the Chen and Wei families couldn’t guarantee they’d obtain the project. It was held by the newly appointed city committee secretary of Shanghai.

It was said that this new secretary was strict and impartial. He had offended many on his way to becoming the city committee secretary, yet had also brought benefits to the people, giving him an excellent reputation among the citizens.

Even with connections like those from the Chen family in the capital, they couldn’t sway the secretary to favor them. He insisted on examining proposals from various enterprises, selecting the one that was most beneficial for the development of the magic city.

This ensured fairness, but it also made the endeavor of obtaining the project much more difficult. After careful consideration, Old Master Wei believed that only Wei Chen could achieve this. He believed Wei Chen had the best chance to secure this project.

Of course, what Old Master Wei valued wasn’t just the profit the project would bring to the Wei family, but also the opportunities it would open up and the connection it would create with the new city committee secretary.

It was said that this secretary had close ties with the Sheng family in Beijing, the patriarch of the Sheng family.

“Alright,” Wei Chen agreed.

Wei Chen understood the difficulty of securing the A Zone project, but he also believed in his ability to accomplish it.