Ch. 1131..1140

 

Chapter 1131: 1130 God of Gamblers Couple

 

 

Tan Rou was very uncertain. She had never seen Zhuang Liu play Mahjong, but she had only seen him play chess. Zhuang Liu’s chess skills were very good. She wondered how good his playing skills were.

It didn’t matter. It was just a game anyway. She wasn’t going to take the tens of thousands. If Zhuang Liu lost, she would go over and comfort him.

Shen Jing smiled at Zhuang Liu. “Son, if it were any other time, I might have let you off. Today’s situation is a little special, so I can only sacrifice you.”

Zhuang Liu was not to be outdone. He replied, “Mom, although I’ve never played Mahjong before, it doesn’t mean that I will definitely lose. You know, playing Mahjong is very dependent on luck. Maybe my luck is better.”

Shen Jing raised her eyebrows. “Son, just wait to lose to Mommy.”

“It’s not certain who will win or lose,” Zhuang Liu chuckled.

Like Tan Rou, Zhuang Liu also learned the rules on the spot. He had a very good memory. Tan Rou only said it once, and he remembered all the rules. Even if he didn’t remember it, no one would wait for him. If he waited any longer, the sky would be bright.

When the game began, Zhuang Liu went through the rules in his mind again and began to draw cards. His luck was very good. He had drawn a hand of his own cards as soon as he came up. Before the others had even played their cards, he had already won the first match.

Zhuang Liu was very humble. After he drew the tile, he even asked Tan Rou, “Rourou, do I win like this?”

Tan Rou looked at the surrounding gazes and then whispered to him, “You do.”

Zhuang Liu was relieved. He pushed down all his cards. “I’m really sorry. I drew myself. Does this count as my win?”

The remaining three people were shocked, especially Tian Tian. She had yet to recognize what cards she had in her hand, and Zhuang Liu had actually won. This made her very unconfident in completing the next round of the game.

Tao Zhi encouraged her, “It’s okay. Zhuang Liu is still in the novice protection period. That’s why he won. You are also in the novice protection period. Believe in yourself, you will win the next round.”

Tian Tian nodded. “Yes, I’ll definitely win the next round.”

Zhuang Liu’s luck wasn’t very good in the next round. He got a good hand. Since he wasn’t familiar with the rules of the game, he directly played the hand he needed. The winner of this round was Shen Jing.

Shen Jing was very happy. “Son, the reason why I let you win was because I deliberately let you win. Now, I won’t let you win anymore. Don’t even think about winning again.”

Zhuang Liu said lightly, “Mom, I drew the card myself in the previous round. You didn’t have a chance to play at all. How could you let me win?”

Shen Jing glared at him. “Hmph, I’m not going to let you win from now on. Just wait.”

Zhuang Liu went through the rules in his mind again. “Then let’s continue.”

From the beginning of the third round, Zhuang Liu devoted himself to playing cards. He was a very easy person to concentrate on, so as long as he did something seriously, he would definitely succeed.

As expected, Zhuang Liu won the third round. Playing cards more or less required a bit of luck, but most of the time, it required the players to cooperate and calculate their own cards.

Zhuang Liu was very good at counting cards. He compared the cards that appeared on the field with his own cards, then calculated the cards that he needed, and then easily won the game.

“I’m sorry, I won this round again.” Zhuang Liu smiled.

Grandma Tao smiled and said, “As expected of the person Xiao Rou fancied. He’s as good at playing Mahjong as her but is this really your first time playing cards?”

“Grandma, I’m not lying to you,” Zhuang Liu said. “It’s really my first time playing cards.”

“Why wasn’t I this good the first time I played cards?” Grandma Tao muttered.

Shen Jing said, “Don’t be too smug. You only won two rounds. I won’t let you win the rest.”

“Mom, you’ve already said that once,” Zhuang Liu chuckled.

The game continued. In the end, Zhuang Liu won two-thirds of the money, which meant that he was the winner tonight. Tan Rou, who was the only one who bet on him, naturally received a lot of red packets.

“Thank you for the red packets!” Tan Rou clicked her tongue.

 

 

Chapter 1132: 1131 Second Brother Is A Little Lonely

 

 

At 11:30 pm, Grandma Tao was already sleepy, so she went back to sleep first. The rest continued to celebrate the new year. The Spring Festival Gala on TV had come to an end. No one was in the mood to watch TV anymore. The adults were sitting in the living room talking, while the younger children took fireworks to the courtyard to set off.

Tan Rou loved the annual fireworks show. The gorgeous fireworks bloomed in the sky. Although it was only for a short time, it was really beautiful.

There were more children in the Tao family. Those who had a lover were basically in a group with their lover. Those who didn’t have a lover would set off fireworks with their siblings. If their brothers and sisters didn’t go with them, they could only set off fireworks alone.

Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu were together most of the time, Tao Zhi and Tian Tian were a pair, and Tao Qi and Tao Zheng were in the same group. Under normal circumstances, Tao Qi would set off fireworks with Tao Zheng, but this year, Tao Qi and Aunt Tao’s son went to play together, so he didn’t go with Tao Zheng.

Everyone else already had partners, so Tao Zheng could only play with the fireworks alone. He had one in his left hand and one in his right. The fireworks were warm, but the surroundings were cold.

Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu were standing not far from Tao Zheng. After setting off a firework stick, she saw her second brother standing there alone and setting off fireworks. He seemed very lonely.

“Are you looking at Second Brother?” Zhuang Liu stuffed the new fireworks into Tan Rou’s hands. “You and your elder brother are already married, but there hasn’t been any news from your Second Brother. I guess Dad and Mom are anxious.”

Tan Rou sighed and said, “Second Brother always said that his fate hasn’t arrived yet. He’s the one who’s fiddling with his cameras every day. How would he have time to find a girlfriend? Dad and Mom did say that they wanted to introduce girlfriends to him, but he didn’t agree to any of them. He didn’t even want to see them.”

Zhuang Liu had also heard about Tao Zheng’s blind date. “My mom introduced a girl to Second Brother last time. Her family is in the media industry. The girl is quite beautiful and has a high education level. She’s a good match for Second Brother but on the day of the blind date, Second Brother didn’t go. The girl and her parents were furious and said that she would never marry into the Tao family again.”

Tan Rou was also in a difficult position. “Don’t think that he’s gentle and easy to talk to, he’s actually very stubborn. As long as it’s someone or something he doesn’t like, he won’t even look at it.”

“Do you want to ask your Second Brother what kind of person he likes?” Zhuang Liu said, “I have a few business partners. They all have younger sisters and older sisters at home. I can let them get to know those who are about the same age as Second Brother.”

Tan Rou shook her head. “You know his temper. He won’t meet those girls at all. So, it’s better not to get involved in this matter, lest it affects your relationship with your business partners.”

Even though he said that, Zhuang Liu still paid attention to it. If there was a suitable girl, he would introduce her to Tao Zheng. If he could resolve Tao Zheng’s marriage, then his status in the Tao family would definitely be higher.

“Speaking of finding a girlfriend, I’m reminded of Xiao Mo. Is he with Bai Yin now?” Tan Rou really wanted to know. “I saw his post online. They seem to be quite close.”

“I haven’t asked Xiao Mo yet, but according to my judgment, they should be together.” Zhuang Liu laughed.

“I wonder when I’ll be able to attend Xiao Mo’s wedding,” Tan Rou said with anticipation.

“Then I’ll urge him to settle it soon.” Zhuang Liu said.

Tan Rou patted him. “Don’t rush them. A relationship is a gradual process. Haven’t we been dating for several years?”

Thinking of this, Zhuang Liu felt very lucky. At the same time, he felt a little regretful. “Rourou, when are we going to hold our wedding?”

Tan Rou had already said that she would hold the wedding after she graduated from her PhD, but she had used this excuse many times. This time, she wanted to use another excuse. “Second Brother hasn’t found a girlfriend yet. I can’t hold the wedding before him. So, we’ll hold the wedding when Second Brother finishes his wedding.”

Zhuang Liu only felt that his future was dark because Tao Zheng did not even have a girlfriend now. How could he get married?

He had to think of a way to help Tao Zheng get married as soon as possible so that he could hold a wedding with Tan Rou.

 

 

Chapter 1133: 1132 Meng Xiao Came to Pay New Year’s greetings

 

 

Every year, many people would come to the Tao family to pay New Year’s greetings. Some of them were relatives of the Tao family, while others were business partners of the Tao family.

On the second day of the new year, Meng Xiao arrived at the Tao family’s manor early in the morning with a gift. She did not press the doorbell because the Tao family was still sleeping at this time. She could not disturb others from their rest.

At eight o’clock, the servants of the Tao family came to open the door on time. There were already a lot of people gathered at the door. They all came with gifts. In order to maintain the silence in the park, everyone did not speak and lined up, waiting to see Old Master Tao.

Although Old Master Tao no longer cared about the Tao family’s business, his influence was still there; so most people would still visit Old Master Tao first.

Meng Xiao prepared two gifts. One was for the two elders of the Tao family, and the other was for Tan Rou. Tan Rou had given her a chance to survive in the entertainment industry, so she had to pay Tan Rou a visit.

There were many guests who came to visit. The Tao family’s servants could not take care of every guest, so some guests got lost in the Tao family’s manor. Meng Xiao was one of them.

Meng Xiao had been walking around the manor for half an hour with the gift box. The manor was very big and there were no road signs. She could not find Tan Rou at all. Moreover, there were so many people who came to visit today that she could not even tell which one was the servant of the Tao family.

Meng Xiao, who was looking around, bumped into someone at the corner. “Ah!”

The other party also let out a cry. “Are you alright?”

Meng Xiao felt that this voice was quite familiar. She looked up and saw that it was her current boss, Tao Zheng. “Uh, hello, President Tao.”

Tao Zheng frowned and looked at her. “You look a little familiar.”

Meng Xiao really wanted to roll her eyes at him, but she was no longer the second daughter of the Meng family and could not be willful anymore. “President Tao, I’m Meng Xiao. I signed with Xinghe Entertainment this year.”

“Oh!” Tao Zheng’s face was full of expressions. “I remember now. You’re the one signed by Rourou. You used to be part of the Meng family, but you left before the Meng family went bankrupt. So you’re in Xinghe Entertainment now!”

“Haha.” Meng Xiao sneered. “That’s right. You have a good memory.”

Meng Xiao finally understood why her colleagues said that Xinghe Entertainment would be ruined by Tao Zheng sooner or later. Not only did Tao Zheng not care about the company’s operations, but he also did not remember the artists he had worked with. With such a bad memory, he would definitely be deceived by others in the future.

Tao Zheng only knew how to carry his broken camera around every day. Although the photos he took were very beautiful and the TV series he shot were very photogenic, he was not a professional photographer. He was the boss of a company. The boss should do the boss’s things. Why would the boss follow him around every day?

“No, I should have seen you somewhere before.” Tao Zheng thought about it carefully and said, “Oh, a few years ago, you and your sister went to my dad’s birthday. At that time, you even quarreled with my sister on my dad’s birthday.”

Meng Xiao took back his words. Tao Zheng had a good memory, but he shouldn’t have remembered the things he remembered. “Yes, I wasn’t sensible at that time and offended Miss Tao. I hope you and Miss Tao can forgive me.”

Tao Zheng said, “Since my sister is willing to let you join us, it means that she has forgiven you. It’s fine. You don’t have to worry about it. Work hard at our Xinghe Entertainment in the future.”

“Of course, President Tao,” Meng Xiao said politely. She planned to leave after saying a few more words. “President Tao, your manor is quite big.”

“Our Tao family’s manor is the largest in the entire Capital,” Tao Zheng said proudly.

Meng Xiao smiled. “President Tao, it’s getting late. I would have to head back first. Let’s meet again in the future.” She would find an opportunity to escape from here and meet Tan Rou. She couldn’t bring the New Year’s gift back since she hadn’t given it out yet.

“Wait a minute!” Tao Zheng called out to her and then stared at Meng Xiao’s face.

Meng Xiao felt a little guilty. She had only prepared two gifts today. One was for Old Mrs. Tao and Old Mr. Tao, and the other was for Tan Rou. If Tao Zheng asked her for a New Year gift, she would not be able to hand it over.

 

Chapter 1134: 1133 I’ll Take You There

 

 

“I remember who you are!” Tao Zheng was very excited. “You’re that…That…”

Meng Xiao’s mouth twitched and she said with a fake smile, “President Tao, did you lose your memory? I’ve already said it just now. I’m Meng Xiao, and I’m now an artist under Xinghe Entertainment.”

“I know you’re an artist under our company, but that’s not what I want to talk about today.” Tao Zheng finally sorted out his thoughts. “You’re Four Flowers!”

Meng Xiao was speechless. If it wasn’t for Tao Zheng being her boss, she really wanted to reply, “What four flowers and five flowers? What are you talking about?”

“I saw you the last time I was filming a TV series in the desert.” Tao Zheng’s memory came back. “Xiao Rou said that she wanted to give you a role, so Liang Lu brought you here. You played the role of the servant girl, Four flowers, right?”

“Yes, you have a good memory. That’s me.” Meng Xiao admitted.

Coincidentally, Tan Rou was investing in a TV series set in the desert. The first job Meng Xiao received after signing with Xinghe Entertainment was to play a role in Liang Lu’s TV series. Although it was only a supporting role, Meng Xiao’s role was still very important.

Tao Zheng said happily, “When I was filming the video, you acted the most seriously. The probability of passing it in one go was also high. At that time, I thought that it would be great if I could invite you into my house to be a model. I didn’t expect you to come here yourself before I even invited you.”

“I’m here today to visit old Master and Madam Tao,” said Meng Xiao.

“Oh, oh. Have you met them?” Tao Zheng asked enthusiastically. He saw that Meng Xiao was still holding a gift in her hand and thought that she was los. “Why don’t I take you to them?”

Meng Xiao had just returned from the two elders ‘place, and she had already given the gifts. If she went back again, what gifts should she give the two elders? She couldn’t possibly give them the gift that she prepared Tan Rou.

“Actually, I’ve already gone to visit the two elders. This gift isn’t for the two elders. It’s for Miss Tan Rou,” Meng Xiao answered truthfully.

“Then I’ll take you to see her.” Tao Zheng didn’t care who the gift was for. “Come with me.”

Meng Xiao felt a little strange. Didn’t Tao Zheng care that this gift wasn’t for him? Tao Zheng was Meng Xiao’s boss. It was normal for employees to curry favor with their bosses. However, Meng Xiao didn’t give anything to Tao Zheng. Instead, she gave it to Tan Rou.

Tan Rou wasn’t working in Xinghe Entertainment now, so even if Meng Xiao gave her a gift, she wouldn’t get any benefits.

Could it be that Tao Zheng didn’t care on the surface, but he had already remembered Meng Xiao in his heart and was waiting to find trouble with Meng Xiao after the New Year when he resumed his work?

Meng Xiao let her imagination run wild as she peeked at Tao Zheng, trying to read his thoughts from his face. However, Tao Zheng’s face did not show any expression. Instead, Meng Xiao kept staring at him, making him feel embarrassed.

“Uh, is there something on my face?” Tao Zheng touched his face.

Meng Xiao quickly looked away. “No, no, I was just looking around.”

Tao Zheng smiled. How could Meng Xiao look at it again? She carried the gift and walked with her head lowered. She was secretly thinking about whether she should give this gift to Tan Rou.

This time, it was Meng Xiao’s fault for being too careless. When she prepared the gift, she only thought of the two elders of the Meng family and Tan Rou. She did not think of Tao Zheng, so she naturally did not prepare a gift for him.

If Meng Xiao had known that he would meet Tao Zheng, he would have prepared an extra gift. That way, the atmosphere would not have been so awkward.

“The manor in front belongs to Rourou. It’s already 8:30 in the morning. Rourou will be jogging now. You can wait for her here. She will pass by here when she runs.” Tao Zheng brought Meng Xiao to the entrance of the manor.

“I still have something to do, so I won’t be going in. After you give the gift, you can ask the servants at home to take you out.”

Meng Xiao couldn’t figure out Tao Zheng’s thoughts, but she didn’t probe further. She directly took the gift and went looking for Tan Rou. Anyway, she rarely saw her boss. She would give Tao Zheng a gift the next year.

 

 

Chapter 1135: 1134 Meng Xiao’s Work

 

 

Tan Rou ran two laps. When she was running the last lap, she saw someone standing where she passed. She slowed down and took a closer look. It was Meng Xiao.

“Why are you here?” Tan Rou took a few slow steps before stopping to talk to Meng Xiao.

Meng Xiao handed the gift she had prepared to Tan Rou. “I wanted to come over to give you a New Years gift.”

Tan Rou felt that their relationship was not that good and that they would wish each other a happy new year. However, these few days were happy days, so she could not say no to them. “Thank you. I’ll accept the gift.”

Meng Xiao felt that Tan Rou was really cold. She only said a few words in one sentence. She was hoping to talk to Tan Rou more and stay in this beautiful manor for a while.

“Your manor is so beautiful!” Meng Xiao glanced around. “On the way here, I heard from your second brother that this manor belongs to you and you live there alone.”

“Yes, this is a gift from my grandparents when I came home that year,” Tan Rou said.

“Can I take a look around here?” Meng Xiao hesitated for a moment before asking.

Tan Rou thought for a moment and nodded. “Sure. Come with me.”

Meng Xiao really liked this manor. When she was in the Meng family, although she had her own manor, it was too small. Moreover, she did not live there alone. Her other sisters had to live with her. The manor was not big to begin with, and with so many people living there, it would be very crowded.

“I really envy you, living alone in such a big manor. Unlike me,” Meng Xiao said enviously. “The house I live in now is only one percent the size of this manor. Moreover, I have to be disturbed by the neighbor’s children every day. It’s making me nervous.”

“The company should have arranged accommodation for the artists, right?” asked Tan Rou.

Meng Xiao smiled and replied, “The houses arranged by the company are all apartments. They’re much smaller than the place I live in now. I’m used to living in a big house. If it’s changed to a small house, I’m not used to it.”

When she was down and out in the past few years, Meng Xiao’s house was very small. It took her a year to reluctantly accept a small house, but after she moved out, she could no longer live in a small house.

“Work hard and try to buy a manor as soon as possible.” Tan Rou encouraged.

“I can’t buy a manor just because I want to!” Meng Xiao sighed. Not only did she need money, but she also needed a place to build a manor. Land in the capital was so precious that she had no way of buying it.

“How’s work recently? Can you still adapt?” Tan Rou was like a parent who cared about her child. “Did the company arrange any resources for you?”

Meng Xiao nodded and said, “The company has arranged jobs for the new signed artists. Although the workload is not very big, it guarantees the opportunity to show their faces. Other than the role I played in Director Liang’s movie, they also arranged for me to audition for other roles. After the new year, I’ll be joining the crew for another filming.”

“Yes.” Tan Rou was very satisfied with Meng Xiao’s current attitude. If she could continue, they might become good friends.

“Uh, I have one more thing to say.” Meng Xiao said.

Tan Rou thought that she wanted to give her more resources. “Okay, go ahead.”

“When I came here today, I only brought two gifts,” Meng Xiao said with a conflicted expression. “One is for Old Master and Old Madam, and the other is for you.”

“Alright. Thank you for your gift.” Tan Rou nodded.

Meng Xiao didn’t mean that. She shook her head and said, “That’s not what I wanted to say. When I came here just now, it was President Tao who sent me. He knew that I’m here to give you a gift today. You’re not my immediate superior but he is. Instead of giving a gift to his superior, he gave a gift to his superior’s sister. I feel that this behavior is very strange.”

Meng Xiao was very tactful. She didn’t directly say that she was worried that Tao Zheng would fire her. Instead, she said that Tao Zheng already knew that she had given Tan Rou a gift. It all depended on what Tan Rou said.

Tan Rou smiled. “Are you worried that the Second Brother will make things difficult for you if you don’t give him a gift?”

Meng Xiao nodded vigorously. “Yes, he’s my boss now. He’s probably going to die of anger if I give you a gift instead of my boss. What if he fires me after this?”

 

 

Chapter 1136: 1135 Photographer and Actor

 

 

“It won’t happen.” Tan Rou smiled and said, “People who work in the arts have a little bit of romanticism in them. Second Brother likes photography. His mind is all on photography. He doesn’t care if anyone gives him a gift.”

Meng Xiao was still a little curious. “Does he not mind?”

“Why don’t you ask him now?” Tan Rou asked.

Meng Xiao shook her head like a rattle drum. “Well, I wouldn’t dare to do so. He didn’t care about it at first, but after hearing what I said, he suddenly cared about it. Then where can I find a gift for him?”

“Second Brother really won’t mind. If you’re worried, I’ll call him over right now and let him talk to you personally,” Tan Rou emphasized.

“What? I don’t think that’s a good idea….” Meng Xiao still did not dare to meet Tao Zheng. Although Tao Zheng was often not in the company, Tao Zheng was still the boss after all. It was better to stay away from the boss when there was nothing to do.

As they were talking, Tao Zheng came over with his camera on his back. When he saw Meng Xiao, he even greeted her. “Hmm? You’re still here? I thought you left after giving the gift.”

Meng Xiao was a little embarrassed. What did Tao Zheng mean? Could it be that he disliked her for staying here for too long? Should she ask to leave now?

“That…” Meng Xiao looked at Tan Rou, then at Tao Zheng. She was already planning to leave.

“Perfect.” Tao Zheng walked towards them. “I’m taking photos of my family. You should come and take a photo too.”

Meng Xiao was stunned. “You want me to stay?”

Tan Rou didn’t like taking photos. If it wasn’t for her second brother, she would have left long ago.

“Sure.” Tao Zheng smiled. “I realized it when I was filming the drama last time. You’re quite photogenic. Every photo of you looks better than you in person.”

Meng Xiao and Tan Rou were both speechless. Did Tao Zheng know how to talk to girls? Who would say that a photo was better looking than the person?

Tan Rou stood at the entrance of the building. “Second Brother, hurry up and take the photos. I’m going back to take a shower after the shoot.”

Tao Zheng adjusted the camera and fixed Tan Rou in the photo after she had exercised.

“Yes, this photo is not bad.” Tao Zheng commented, “It’s the most suitable time to take photos. Next time, when we shoot a drama, we can try out more scenes in the morning.”

Meng Xiao’s ears perked up when she heard ‘next time’. Did she hear that Tao Zheng was planning a new drama? Did that mean she would have a chance to act in it?

She had to seize the opportunity to show her face in front of Tao Zheng today. As long as she could get to know him, Tao Zheng would definitely think of her the next time he had a new drama.

“President Tao, what pose do you think I should take?” Meng Xiao asked with a smile.

Tao Zheng said, “At least don’t call me President Tao. Just call me Tao Zheng. You’re younger than me. You can call me Brother Tao.”

Meng Xiao’s intestines were green with regret. If she had known that she would meet Tao Zheng today, she would have rushed to make a gift for Tao Zheng overnight.

“Okay, okay, okay. Then I’ll call you Brother Tao in private.” Meng Xiao put her hands on her hips. “Brother Tao, what do you think of this position?”

Tao Zheng looked at it carefully for a few seconds. “Move your right hand to the waist. Lower your left hand naturally. Push your right hip slightly.”

Meng Xiao followed his instructions. “Is this okay?”

Tao Zheng’s eyes lit up. “Yes, yes, very good!” He quickly pressed the shutter of the camera and snapped a few photos.

“Change to another position. Any position will do.”

Meng Xiao had endorsed products and worked as a print model before. Moreover, posing was one of the skills of an actress. Although she did not study acting, she had trained herself to act well.

“Maintain this position for thirty seconds.” Tao Zheng was very excited. He had never met such a cooperative model before, and this model was really to his liking. Not only could she do the actions he asked for, but she could also take into account the surrounding environment and choose the best angle to shoot.

Meng Xiao liked the feeling of being in front of the camera, so her expression was very real.

“Second Young Master and Miss Meng seem to get along very well.” Aunt Zhou said.

Tan Rou was also watching from a distance. “Yes, one is a photographer, and the other is an actor. There must be something to talk about between taking photos and being photographed.”

 

Chapter 1137: 1136 Cooperation with the Government

 

 

After the new year, all the companies would start work. The other companies in TR were two days late because Tan Rou wanted everyone to rest more. The workload would be heavy for the next period of time.

Before the Chinese New Year last year, Mayor Guo had already spoken to Tan Rou. The first thing he asked her to do was to deal with the cooperation between them.

Tan Rou had already promised Mayor Guo, so she would not reject him anymore.

What Mayor Guo requested was to develop a complete government affairs processing system to help the government improve its efficiency and better listen to the voices of the people.

This wasn’t a difficult task, but the amount of work was relatively large. There were many government agencies, and they had to try it out one by one, constantly adjusting the system to come up with a perfect plan.

Tan Rou planned to complete the system’s testing within a month. She had other projects to complete and did not have time to spend on such trivial matters. If Mayor Guo hadn’t come to talk to her personally about this project, she wouldn’t have interfered in it.

On the first day of work, Tan Rou brought her team to the site for a field trip. The place they went to was a new office building built by the government. It was relatively large and had a lot of space to use.

Tan Rou wanted to install new equipment here, and the new equipment was also produced by her company.

“Xiao Rou, why are you here?” Jiang Min appeared behind Tan Rou wearing a safety helmet.

Tan Rou turned around and greeted her. “Senior Jiang, long time no see.”

Jiang Min looked at Tan Rou’s outfit and guessed what she was here for. “So Mayor Guo has entrusted this project to you. Then, we’ll be working together these few months.”

“What are you doing here?” Tan Rou asked.

Jiang Min replied, “My family has a construction company. These office buildings were built by our company. Since they are the buildings of the city government, our company didn’t dare to neglect them. They sent me here to supervise them. The entire building has been built, but the rooms inside haven’t been settled yet. We still have some work to do here.”

Tan Rou nodded slightly. “You’ve worked hard too but now that you’re working in the construction industry? Wouldn’t your original profession be a waste?” She remembered that Jiang Min had also taken over the family’s high-tech industry in the beginning. How did she end up back in the family’s old industry after going around in circles?

Jiang Min’s face showed a trace of sadness. “The high-tech industry does have a lot of prospects. The current level of technology in the country isn’t that developed yet. Even if we want to develop this industry, we can’t find the right person.”

“If I had known earlier, I wouldn’t have invited Shang Jin and the others to our company,” Tan Rou said.

Jiang Min shook her head and said, “This thing can’t be made by one or two people. The high-tech industry doesn’t just require a large number of talents to invest, it also requires countless funds. My father thinks that this industry burns too much money. If it doesn’t succeed, then the money invested will be in vain.”

Tan Rou said, “There are risks to begin with. No one can say that they can win completely. Only by making bold choices and taking risks can they find a way out.”

Back then, she had spent all her savings to build TR. When TR was first established, there were less than ten people in the company, a few computers, a room, and Tan Rou’s ambition.

Tan Rou wanted to create a one-of-a-kind technology company, and reality proved that she had the ability to do so. Now, as long as it was mentioned, people would immediately say that it was the strongest technology company in the country.

Jiang Min sighed. “I understand what you’re saying, but I’m not alone. I have my entire family behind me, so I can’t risk their future.”

Tan Rou respected Jiang Min’s choice, but she still felt that it was a pity. “Senior Jiang, if you want to return to this field one day, then the doors of TR will always be open for you.”

Jiang Min was very touched. She quietly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.” “Okay, if I give up on inheriting the family business, I’ll go to you. Please don’t chase me out of the door.”

“Don’t worry. If you come to our company, I’ll definitely arrange the best seat for you,” said Tan Rou.

“Are you going to make me the boss of the company?” Jiang Min joked.

 

Chapter 1138: 1137 Work Begins

 

 

Tan Rou covered her face and laughed. “That won’t do. I’m the boss of the company. If you’re the boss, where should I go?”

Jiang Min was just joking. If she really wanted to be a boss, she might as well stay in her family’s company. Now that they had finished chatting, they had to get down to work.

“Have you been inside? I saw you bring a lot of mechanical equipment over just now. Are you planning to install them in each room now?” asked Jiang Min.

Tan Rou nodded. “I came to see the rooms the day before yesterday, but I found that some of the rooms weren’t renovated yet. If I install mechanical equipment in them, it will definitely affect the renovation, so I plan to install the equipment in the already renovated rooms first.”

Jiang Min also agreed with this approach. “I think the mayor is too anxious. He can wait until we finish here before starting the next work. Why is he in such a hurry?”

“I’ve heard about this from my dad.” Tan Rou said as she walked.

“He said that Mayor Guo has reached the age where he can be promoted. If he leaves the municipal government, he will go to the central government. He probably won’t have time to participate in these projects after that.”

Jiang Min still didn’t quite understand. “He’s not staying here anymore. Why is he in a hurry to build a new government building? Does he think the new mayor will thank him for what he did?”

Tan Rou didn’t want to talk too much about politics. “I don’t know about that. Maybe he’s someone who loves his job.”

Jiang Min laughed. “Yes, we don’t know much about politics. Let’s just finish building the building.”

Mayor Guo was also here. He was not here to supervise the work, but to see if Tan Rou and the others needed anything.

“If you need anything, just let me know. I’ll get someone to arrange it,” Mayor Guo said.

Tan Rou thought for a moment and replied, “Mayor Guo, we might need some of the staff to come over and try out the new equipment. I’ll have to trouble you to arrange for them.”

“Sure. How about I arrange for a few people to follow you now?” Mayor Guo asked.

Tan Rou said, “Nothing has been installed yet. It’s a waste of time for them to come over. I’ll let you know again when I need them here.”

Mayor Guo didn’t insist anymore. “Alright, I’ll listen to your arrangements.”

Since they were going to install new equipment, they would have to make holes in the wall. By installing the machine on the wall, they could save space on the ground.

Tan Rou called the workers over and asked them to make holes in the walls. However, when the electric drill was used, the workers ran over and said that they couldn’t drill holes into the wall.

“Why?” Tan Rou thought that these walls were more important. “Is this a bearing wall? If it’s a bearing wall, we really can’t make holes. Let’s change to another one.”

The worker looked around. Seeing that there was no one else around, he dared to whisper to Tan Rou, “Boss, don’t blame me for being nosy. It’s better if you don’t take this job. Otherwise, there will be trouble in the future.”

Tan Rou didn’t quite understand what he meant. “Make yourself clear.”

“There’s something wrong with these walls,” the worker said after hesitating for a while.

Tan Rou frowned. “What’s wrong with the wall?”

The worker picked up a small stone that had fallen off the wall and it crushed it without much effort.

Tan Rou was extremely shocked. This stone looked quite sturdy, so how could it shatter with just a pinch?

The worker looked at her shocked expression and said again, “Boss, there’s probably more than one wall like this. If we install machines on it, it might break through the wall. It’ll be troublesome.”

Tan Rou fell silent. She kept staring at the wall not far away, feeling a little confused.

A normal wall wouldn’t collapse, but it might not be the case for a jerry-built wall. However, she could not understand why the quality of the government building was so poor. Could it be that someone was extracting benefits from it?

Moreover, Jiang Min’s company was responsible for the construction of this building. She didn’t know if Jiang Min knew about the matter of cutting corners. This was an illegal act. If she knew, she definitely wouldn’t be able to escape the law.

“Boss, do we still need to move this wall?” the worker asked tentatively.

Tan Rou said, “No, let’s take a break for a while first. Don’t tell anyone about this. I have to talk to someone about this first. We’ll decide everything when I’m back.”

 

 

Chapter 1139: 1138 Cutting corners

 

 

Tan Rou and the others were on the top floor. When the entire building was renovated, the top floor would usually be renovated first to prevent the construction waste left behind from polluting the other floors.

Tan Rou walked along the corridor. Whenever she walked into a room, she would go in and take a look. Then, she would use the screwdriver she brought with her to shovel the dust off the wall and try to see if the Screwdriver could poke through a wall. If she could poke through it, it meant that there was something wrong with this wall as well.

Along the way, Tan Rou realized that there was something wrong with the walls of every room. If they were to use this building in the future, it would collapse one day.

This was really too dangerous. If not handled properly, someone might die.

Tan Rou stood in front of the window and pondered. Should she tell Jiang Min about this? Did Jiang Min interfere in this matter? Or was she the one who instructed the construction to cut corners?

After thinking for about ten minutes, Tan Rou still couldn’t think of an answer to this question. Therefore, she planned to let Jiang Min come over and take a look. If Jiang Min was really involved in this incident, she would report Jiang Min without hesitation. This was a matter of life and death. Tan Rou could not be biased.

Jiang Min came rather slowly. The elevator had not been repaired yet. She had climbed the stairs. Fortunately, there were only ten floors. Otherwise, she would have died from exhaustion.

“Xiao Rou, you asked me to come here and say that you have something to show me. What is it? Don’t tell me you want me to admire the scenery?” Jiang Min asked, panting.

Tan Rou’s back was facing her. “Senior Jiang, I hope you won’t be too shocked by what I’m about to say.”

Jiang Min was puzzled. “Tell me. I’ll try my best to stay calm.”

Tan Rou turned around and handed the gray brick in her hand to Jiang Min. “Try to pinch it with your hand.”

Jiang Min didn’t understand why Tan Rou wanted her to pinch the stone, but she did as she was told. “Oh, okay.”

She exerted a little strength and the brick was crushed.

“Eh, isn’t this too easy to pinch? Xiao Rou, are you going to perform magic for me?” Jiang Min asked in confusion.

“Senior Jiang, I just dug this stone out of the wall,” Tan Rou shook her head gently.

After Jiang Min heard this, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning. “You’re saying that this is a piece from inside the wall?”

Tan Rou’s expression was a little complicated. She dug out a bigger piece of stone and knocked out a small piece of gray brick from the wall. “I just dug out another one. You can try again.”

Jiang Min immediately took it. With a little force, she crushed the stone into pieces.

“How did this happen?” Jiang Min’s scalp went numb.

“Is it only this wall that will crumble, or is it every wall?”

Tan Rou replied, “Before you came, I had already checked all the rooms on the tenth floor. All the rooms have walls like this. Some of the rooms had already shown signs of cracking, but someone had used thick and heavy powder to block the cracks.”

Jiang Min’s heart was beating very fast. She didn’t know much about construction, but she knew that there was definitely a problem with the wall. “I didn’t know about this. I’m not trying to shirk responsibility, but I really didn’t know that there was a problem with the wall. To be honest, I only participated in this project after the new year. I didn’t participate in the construction of the building.”

“Who was the person in charge before?” Tan Rou asked.

“It’s my second uncle, Jiang Hao,” Jiang Min said.

“He was the one who dealt with this project, but during the Chinese New Year this year, he injured his leg and is now recuperating at home. My dad thinks that the government’s work is more important, so he sent me to take over his work.”

Tan Rou touched her chin and thought, “How can there be such a coincidence? The project was about to be completed, but the person-in-charge had injured his leg. Is your second uncle seriously injured?”

“I don’t think he fell badly.” Jiang Min recalled what happened during the new year. “He fell down the stairs, but there weren’t many floors. It was only five floors.”

“Humph!” Tan Rou sneered. “Maybe he already knew that there was something wrong with the wall here, so he broke his leg on purpose to find someone to replace him.”

Jiang Min thought of something else. “If I get caught because of this, he won’t be able to escape either. Why would he do such a thing?”

“It must be for the sake of profit.” Tan Rou said.

 

Chapter 1140: 1139 A Good Father

 

 

Jiang Min suddenly understood. “I know, he must have done this for his son!”

Tan Rou’s interest was piqued. “How old is his son?”

A trace of anger appeared on Jiang Min’s face. “His son is studying abroad. This year is the last half of the year, and he’ll be returning soon. Last year, my second uncle told my father that he wanted my cousin to go to the company for an internship after graduation. My father didn’t agree and scolded my second uncle.”

“Why?” Tan Rou asked.

“My father is a strict person. When my brother and I were young, as long as we made a mistake, we would be punished by him, so he wouldn’t allow anyone to make a mistake.” Jiang Min sighed and said, “But my second uncle is different. He and my second aunt only gave birth to my cousin when he was in his thirties. Therefore, he dotes on my cousin very much, causing my cousin to often make mistakes.”

Tan Rou understood. “Does your father dislike your cousin?”

Jiang Min nodded and said, “My cousin is not good at anything. His grades in the country have always been very poor. After graduating from high school, my second uncle found him a random school and spent money to get him into it. However, he still didn’t study hard in university. Every day, he was either racing or drinking.”

Tan Rou could predict what would happen next. “Did he get into an accident?”

Jiang Min smiled helplessly. “He almost killed someone with his car. When the news reached the country, Second Uncle blocked the news and did not let my father know. It was my dad’s business partner who told him. When my dad found out, he was very angry and insisted on calling my cousin back.”

“According to your second uncle’s doting personality, he probably won’t let your cousin come back.” Tan Rou said.

“You’re right. My second uncle and my dad had a big fight, saying that they don’t need my dad to care about their family matters in the future. My dad was so angry that he almost hit my second uncle.”

Tan Rou nodded slightly. “Your father is right to disagree. If someone like your cousin enters the company, it will only bring negative effects to the company.”

Jiang Min’s expression was very ugly. “My eldest Brother has become a university teacher, and he won’t be returning to the company in the future. That’s why my dad called me back to inherit the family’s company. If anything happens to me, Second Uncle’s family will inherit the company.

“If this matter is exposed, then the person in charge will definitely not be able to escape legal punishment. Your second uncle already has one foot in this trap and he’s trying to drag you along. It can be seen that he is very scheming.” Tan Rou frowned slightly.

“My second uncle is really a good father. He put in a lot of effort for his child to inherit the family business,” Jiang Min sneered.

“People are selfish. Who doesn’t want their children to live a better life?” Tan Rou said helplessly.

Jiang Min suddenly felt wronged. “Everything that our family has was built by my parents when they were young. What does it have to do with my second uncle? If he wants my family business to be left to his son, then he can earn money himself.”

Tan Rou comforted him. “You’ve just taken over this project. There’s still time. As long as you report this to your father, he’ll definitely know what to do.”

“My dad is extremely kind to my second uncle. Unfortunately, my second uncle doesn’t know how to be grateful.” Jiang Min’s eyes became fierce. “In that case, don’t blame me for being impolite.”

Jiang Min stopped the construction workers and asked them to inspect the entire building to see if there were any weak spots.

Tan Rou also followed behind and watched. From time to time, she would share what happened here with Zhuang Liu. “Fortunately, your Second Uncle and Third Uncle didn’t use this method to deal with you back then.”

Zhuang Liu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “My second and third uncles cherish their lives very much. They wouldn’t put themselves in jail for someone else.”

“Looks like they aren’t good fathers!” Tan Rou sighed.

As she spoke, Jiang Min walked over. When she saw Tan Rou on the phone, she stood at the side and waited for a while.

“Senior Jiang, what’s the matter?” Tan Rou hurriedly hung up the phone and asked.

Jiang Min pursed her lips. “I have to wait for a while before telling my dad about this. I want to settle this matter first and show my dad that I’m capable of working for the company.”

“I also think Senior Jiang can solve the problem,” Tan Rou said gratefully.

Jiang Min looked at Tan Rou. “So I need you to do me a favor.”