Chapter 293: The Contents of the Red Envelope
"Elder Shen…" After Qiao Zhengguo left, Cai Yong held it in for a long time. After finishing a pot of tea, he finally couldn't endure anymore. He hesitated for a moment, then still spoke.
Today's scene was just too bizarre. If he didn't vent properly, even if his blood pressure didn't soar again, he would still end up suffocating himself into an internal injury.
Earlier, the conversation between Shen Daoyan and Qiao Zhengguo wasn't much at all. It could even be said that it was so little that Cai Yong felt there was no need to come to Donghua Garden, such a sacred place.
Their proper exchange amounted to only a few sentences.
Shen Daoyan handed a note to Qiao Zhengguo, then said: "It's the New Year, and I don't have much prepared. Take this small token as a red envelope for your granddaughter."
Qiao Zhengguo's granddaughter— even if he didn't point it out, Cai Yong knew it was Qiao Xier.
Then Qiao Zhengguo looked at the note. After reading it, the change in his expression was very clear. A hint of surprise flashed on his face. Although he quickly regained composure, that fleeting reaction still let Cai Yong sense something.
This red envelope was definitely not small!
Qiao Zhengguo was no ordinary figure. Anything that could move him would surely be enough to shock the entire elite circle of Huaxia.
After receiving it, Qiao Zhengguo carefully put the note away and replied.
"Thank you kindly. I shall accept it on behalf of my granddaughter!"
He expressed gratitude and said he was accepting despite modesty— polite on the surface, but the real meaning was simply: fine, I'll take it.
One had to know that the gift-giver was Shen Daoyan, someone of higher status than him— not someone of lower rank or equal footing. He should have at least acted with reverence, even if not overwhelmingly grateful. Yet Qiao Zhengguo behaved extremely calmly, as if this gift was something he naturally deserved.
Next, Shen Daoyan was also very brief.
"No need to be polite. Congratulations."
Then Qiao Zhengguo smiled, patted the right side of his chest where the note was kept: "I'll remember it. Elder Shen, if there's nothing else, I'll excuse myself. I'll definitely visit your home during the New Year."
After speaking, he left. He didn't even greet Cai Yong— a straight, clean slap to the face, loud and crisp!
His last sentence was even clearer in meaning— he accepted the gift. The single respectful address of "you" already showed that the Shen and Qiao families could now coexist peacefully. It seemed like they had reconciled.
But dignity? That dignity was shattered all over the floor!
Originally, Cai Yong wouldn't have spoken rashly, but now his curiosity was like a blazing fire he couldn't suppress— like a horny bastard who just drank aphrodisiacs and sees a naked beauty sleeping there; he absolutely wouldn't rest until he figured it out.
Moreover, with today's scene… Shen Daoyan definitely wouldn't be bored enough to call him over just to watch a show, especially when the show was a tragedy.
He finally understood why Shen Daoyan had been so incoherent at the beginning. Turns out he had come specifically to be slapped in the face. If it were him, Cai Yong, his blood pressure would have shot to two hundred instantly.
"I thought you'd keep holding it in." After Qiao Zhengguo left, Shen Daoyan seemed to return to his usual composed, commanding demeanor. He glanced at Cai Yong casually and spoke lightly.
Cai Yong lowered his head with a laugh. "Since Elder Shen called me over, it wouldn't make sense for me to just watch quietly, right?"
"Correct." Shen Daoyan suddenly sighed. "But today, I wasn't the one who called you here.
"Not you?" Cai Yong froze. His brows furrowed. In this world, who else could summon the head of the Shen family? A little thought already told him the answer.
Instantly, cold sweat burst from his back.
"Elder Shen, you're joking…" His voice even changed.
Shen Daoyan smiled, then a hint of bitterness appeared. "Do I look like I'm joking?"
He lifted the teapot, poured himself a cup, and muttered, "Do you know what was written on the note I handed him earlier?"
Cai Yong lightly shook his head. From Qiao Zhengguo's expression, he had already guessed it was something incredibly shocking, but he didn't dare jump to conclusions.
"Watch the news!" Shen Daoyan opened his mouth with a conflicted expression, like he had swallowed shit.
Hearing this, Cai Yong's blood pressure shot up. If not for them being relatives, he might've punched him to death right then.
"But there's one thing I'll remind you of— this year's Yuyuan Tea Gathering includes the Qiao family."
"Thunk!" The chair Cai Yong had just steadied wobbled, and he almost fell.
The so-called Yuyuan Tea Gathering was essentially a simple banquet where the Liuying family and the upper echelon of Huaxia met after the New Year's Lantern Festival. It was held annually at the Liuying family's Pines Manor. It sounded simple, but everyone attending held significant positions. Entering as a clan head meant one thing— the Liuying family had acknowledged their status, allowing them to officially enter the first-tier elite circle.
Of course, this still required a three-year observation period. But even with that, they were considered a quasi–first-tier clan. For the Cai family, it meant the Qiao family would now pull ahead of them.
What did that mean? It meant the hope they had chased after for years instantly turned into bubbles.
As for other gifts— he didn't need to know. Just this one fact alone made his organs twist with pain. "How could it be so sudden?"
Shen Daoyan frowned slightly, poured a cup of tea, pinching it between his thumb and index finger as he handed it to Cai Yong. Cai Yong looked at him suspiciously. Even though the two families were allied through marriage and had a strategic partnership, such a gesture of goodwill still made his heart race. Something was definitely coming.
"Thank you, Elder Shen!" He showed a trace of fear, took the teacup, and sipped. Before he could lower the cup—
Shen Daoyan stared at him and said: "Little Cai, what's the story with Spade Eight?"
Cai Yong froze, his heart thumping. Did he know?
But he still dodged verbally: "I don't know what Elder Shen means?"
"Enough. We're uncle and nephew by marriage. The Cai and Shen families are one. There's no need for secrecy. If you had confessed earlier, we wouldn't be in this mess."
Hearing this, Cai Yong's heart trembled. "Elder Shen… do you perhaps know something?"
"That Cheng Jisheng is your man, isn't he?"
Upon hearing this, Cai Yong instantly turned pale. The teacup slipped from his hand and shattered on the ground.
"H-How did you know?"
"Little Cai, don't say I didn't warn you. There are no secrets in this world. If you don't want others to know, don't do it. Cheng Jisheng was already being watched. Fortunately, there's no direct evidence linking you to him. Otherwise, giving up Southeast Province and withdrawing from Hualian Heavy Industries wouldn't be the end of it."
"Give up Southeast Province? Withdraw from Hualian Heavy Industries?" Cai Yong collapsed into his chair. "Don't tell me the higher-ups know too?"
Shen Daoyan nodded. "Correct. I got a call early this morning. I was shocked too. I didn't expect you to be bold enough to let your subordinate collude with Spade Eight, an assassin organization. Luckily, Secretary Shangguan told me the main responsibility doesn't fall on you as patriarch. Only then did the higher-ups show mercy…"
"You wanted to know what was written on the note I passed earlier? First, the Cai family exits Southeast Province. Second, the Cai family transfers its shares of Hualian Heavy Industries. Third, Qiao Zhengguo is invited to the Yuyuan Gathering. Fourth, you, Cai Yong, attend as an observer at Donghua Garden's Nuanshan Pavilion."
"Heh, Elder Shen." Hearing this, Cai Yong didn't get angry. Instead, he let out a defeated laugh. "Just that?"
Shen Daoyan nodded lightly.
"Correct. Currently, Spade Eight indeed has ties to the Cai family. But I can't control it anymore. Cheng Jisheng has long acted like a runaway horse."
"So, Spade Eight must not remain!"
"I understand." Cai Yong nodded. He had already planned to eliminate Cheng Jisheng. Now that the Spade Eight matter had leaked, letting him live was impossible.
"Elder Shen, I still have a question. You said withdrawing from Southeast Province and letting Qiao Zhengguo enter Yuyuan are understandable. But why do they want Hualian Heavy Industries?"
Cai Yong felt something was wrong. Hualian Heavy Industries was a holding subsidiary of the Cai family's Yongxing Group, valued at 2.4 billion. Its business mainly involved heavy industry, such as heavy trucks, large steel materials, etc., especially with close ties to military projects.
Although its performance was average, the state also held shares, making it a semi–state-owned enterprise. However, since the Cai family held over 50% of the shares, they were the largest shareholder.
The reason he paid close attention to this company was because one of its key businesses involved jointly producing alloy structures for fighter jets with a certain military enterprise.
The Cai family seldom cooperated with the military. This was a rare opportunity, and naturally he didn't want to give it up. But he didn't expect the Qiao family to directly request Hualian Machinery— a huge surprise.
Connecting this with the Qiao family's recent acquisition of two steel companies, he felt something was very wrong, though he couldn't articulate what.
Hearing the question, Shen Daoyan answered calmly: "I don't know. It's an order from above. Whether you accept it or not is up to you."
Cai Yong gave a bitter smile. "Elder Shen, with things this far, do I still have a choice?"
"Heh." Shen Daoyan smiled. "True. But it's not the end of the road yet. As long as the mountains stand, you won't run out of firewood. To put it bluntly, the reason the Qiao family is so glorious today comes down to one person."
"You mean Zhang Yang?"
"Who else? Tell me— how does Zhang Yang keep surviving every calamity? I truly admire his luck. Even though the higher-ups have suppressed this incident, everyone in the inner circle knows about it now. The Qiao family has a capable son-in-law… oh no, should say future son-in-law…"
"What do you mean?"
"Heh, you didn't get it? I said 'future son-in-law.' Meaning, he's not their son-in-law yet."
Hearing this, Cai Yong fell into deep thought.