Great-Grandfather, who had been sitting quietly to the side, set down his teacup the instant he heard the latter part of the remark.
The cup clinked against the saucer with a note of urgency.
He turned to Jiang Cheng, gave a slow nod, and his eyes shone with unmistakable approval.
"Your Second Uncle is right. A family's inheritance has never been just wealth and power—it's the continuation of bloodline and duty. The reason we old men still can't rest easy is that you have no brothers or sisters nearby. You're a grown man now; if you start early, life won't be so hard later…"
If Jiang Cheng remembered correctly, this wasn't the first time he'd heard the topic.
Oh, right—last time had been over hotpot in Shanghai with Mom and Dad.
Jiang Cheng immediately looked at Li Yan and cast his magic spell of deflection.
"Mom, did you hear that? If I work hard now, in eighteen years I can finally relax…"
Li Yan's cheeks flushed. She reached out and gave Jiang Cheng two loving swats.
After the two smacks she whipped out her phone and said to Great-Grandfather and Jiang Chenghong, "Hey! Dad, Second Uncle, you just reminded me—since I got back, my old girlfriends have blown up my phone, every last one trying to set me up with daughters-in-law! Family, looks, education—all top-shelf! I was just wondering how to bring it up with Cheng'er."
With that she turned straight to Jiang Cheng.
"I showed you a few in Chengdu last time; they were fine, but the ones here in the capital are even better. For instance, the Zhang family's daughter—Cambridge graduate, gentle and generous. And the Li family's granddaughter, a Tsinghua alum who runs her own gallery, absolutely elegant! You're in Beijing these days; you could meet them as friends first."
Great-Grandfather inclined his head slightly.
In the measured tone of a board member sizing up a strategic partner he added, "Mm, the families Yanzi mentioned are all respectable—no messy scandals. And old Zhou… General Zhou's granddaughter—I met her at a tea party. Well-proportioned features, clear eyes, a straightforward Girl. If Cheng'er's interested, they could meet."
In an instant six elder eyes, bright as searchlights, locked onto Jiang Cheng.
They looked ready for him to produce several grandsons on the spot.
Jiang Cheng felt like the final lot at an auction, being appraised by top buyers.
The tender, heart-warming scene of grandparent-grandchild affection had vanished.
In its place loomed the crisis of being tagged, priced, and shoved into the marriage market.
The muscles in his face twitched stiffly.
Black lines slid down his forehead.
Had they suggested he have a few kids with the Girl beside him right now, he'd gladly agree.
But whenever the subject came up, both his mother and The two elders made one thing clear: they intended to arrange someone proper.
They all knew perfectly well what he got up to outside.
They simply looked the other way.
Yet every candidate Mom and Grandfather had just listed revolved around one word—pedigree.
Their choices were strictly gate-kept by family status.
Jiang Cheng had no intention of opening that discussion.
For the moment there was simply no solution.
He wasn't feudal, but people at their level inevitably married their equal—power to power.
He'd always believed his parents had married for love; he still did.
But since arriving in the capital, though he hadn't met his mother's family yet, it was obvious they were no ordinary clan.
He didn't oppose the idea; the timing just wasn't right.
Women raised in such families were notoriously hard to handle.
He had zero interest in keeping an immature woman around.
If she lost her mind and started trouble with his other women, she'd only make life miserable for him.
So for the foreseeable future he wouldn't even consider it.
No need to explain that to the three people in front of him.
Any explanation would be pointless.
As always: once you're strong enough, problems solve themselves.
Jiang Cheng suddenly clutched his stomach.
His face scrunched into a knot and he let out a perfectly realistic gasp.
"Agh—ouch!"
Operation Shit-Shield was go.
"Um… Grandpa, Mom, I—I think something I ate this morning is off. My gut's killing me… sorry, gotta run to my room. I'll be back for lunch!"
The words were still hanging in the air as he sprang off the sofa.
Whoosh—he shot out of the living room, leaving only a fleeing silhouette.
The three elders stared at one another.
Finally Li Yan reacted first, half-laughing and half-scolding, "This kid—every time we bring it up, he bolts."
Great-Grandfather paused, then shook his head with a helpless chuckle and sipped his tea.
Jiang Chenghong barked a delayed laugh.
For the first time today he wore a genuinely delighted smile.
Still catching his breath, he said, "Heh… the little rascal… can sure run fast."
Back in his room Jiang Cheng opened the system and clicked to use the 'Top-Tier Building-Materials Manager' card.
After confirming, the system dinged again.
'Top manager card used successfully. Personnel summoned; profile accessible at any time.'
'Individual has contacted Host via WeChat; request can be accepted at your convenience.'
Almost simultaneously his private WeChat buzzed twice with two new friend requests.
The first avatar showed a calm deep-sea scene; the name was blunt: Zhou Shoucheng.
The second showed a bridge pier being cast on site; the name read with a workmanlike air: Li Zhenguo.
Jiang Cheng accepted both, and before he could speak their messages arrived in tandem.
Zhou Shoucheng: "President Jiang, good day. My résumé and a draft development plan for Jiangtai Building Materials are in your inbox. I arrive in Chengdu tomorrow; hotel booked. Let me know when you're free for a face-to-face report."
Li Zhenguo: "Boss, I'm already in Chengdu. Just circled a few of the plants and warehouses—spotted several issues that could hit efficiency or safety. Ready to start whenever you say."
Seeing this, Jiang Cheng raised an eyebrow.
Rocket speed, huh.
Their efficiency and professionalism impressed even him. An SSR card from the system really was worth every point.
Jiang Cheng: "Understood. Thanks for the hustle. Take today off; I'm not in Chengdu yet. I'll notify the company shortly; you two officially start tomorrow."
He sent the same message to Li Zhenguo.
Both replied instantly.
Zhou Shoucheng: "Roger that, President Jiang."
Li Zhenguo: "Roger that, President Jiang."
After receiving their replies Jiang Cheng forwarded both profiles to Chen Xueer and told her to announce the hires in the company's main group chat.
Soon, in the Jiangtai Building Materials conference room, several veterans who had fought the trenches with Jiang Jianming—interim manager Wang Wei, purchasing VP Zhao Dezhu, production director Qian Maocai—were sipping tea and chatting.
Their relaxed conversation died the moment they saw the notice in the group chat.
Especially Wang Wei, who had followed Jiang Jianming the longest.