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Chapter 113
Zuo Zhiyu waved his hand dismissively: "Enough! Don't bring these matters up again! Have you all no shame?"
Hou Qiaoling chuckled at this: "I always wondered why your family acts like nouveau riche. Turns out, it's because you're living off someone else's wealth!"
Zuo Zhiyu flared up in anger: "What did you say?"
He hated nothing more than being called a "gold digger."
Hou Qiaoling wasn't intimidated in the slightest, sneering back: "What? You can do it, but others can't talk about it?"
The truth was, the wealth didn't belong to the Zuo family, nor to Zuo Group, and certainly not to Zuo Zhiyu.
It was all from Quan Feng's legacy.
Now everything made sense.
Hou Qiaoling had always found Zuo Zhiyu's behavior odd. How could someone so incompetent amass such wealth and mismanage a company so poorly?
Her father had once been a high-ranking official!
She had been groomed as a socialite from a young age, her vision and sophistication far surpassing this crowd. With her skills, taking down this family would be a breeze—she just needed to adjust her strategy.
The family fortune was still worth fighting for, and knowing the truth only made her more confident.
Did these fools really think they could outsmart her?
Dinner ended in discord, with everyone retreating to their rooms, each lost in their own thoughts.
...
Zuo Zichen sat at his desk for a long time, lost in reflection. He traced back the timeline, from the first time he met Quan Zhisui, to his reckless attempt to pick a fight that landed him in the hospital, and finally to watching Quan Zhisui dominate the entire family and rise to the top of the hierarchy.
So, what did that make him now?
Everything the Zuo family had enjoyed over the years—the food, the luxuries, even his expensive gadgets—had all come from the wealth Quan Zhisui's mother had amassed through shrewd investments.
Zuo Zichen had always believed his father was a formidable man, someone who had once made it onto Liangxi Town's list of wealthiest individuals. But now he knew the truth: that brief two-year stint on the list was only because his father had just taken over Quan Feng's company at the time.
He had stood on Quan Feng's shoulders, mistakenly believing he had the ability to reach those heights himself.
In reality, he had no such capability. He had fallen off the wealth rankings, disappearing without a trace.
Then came the rounds of financing, failed investments, more financing, and more failures, turning Zuo Group into a chaotic mess.
The company no longer bore Quan Feng's imprint, but it could never reclaim its former glory.
Did Zuo Group still make money?
Yes, but it was no longer a major player.
Zuo Zichen even pulled out his phone to check, only to find that Zuo Group was constantly criticized in the media, its decline unabated.
*Knock knock!*
The sound of someone at the door interrupted his thoughts.
Zuo Zichen scratched his head. "Then I guess we'd have to downgrade our lifestyle? The house should be safe, though. It's under Grandpa and Grandma's name."
Quan Zhisui laughed lightly. "What about the other properties?"
Zuo Zichen shook his head. "I'm not sure about the others. Grandpa and Grandma probably own more than one property."
Quan Zhisui nodded. "True, and they have more than one grandson."
Zuo Zichen's eyes widened slightly, but he said nothing.
Quan Zhisui looked at him and said, "Go ask them for your allowance. Get as much as you can, every month."
Zuo Zichen looked at her, confused. "But I just decided not to spend money recklessly."
Knowing where the money came from made him uncomfortable.
Quan Zhisui's eyes gleamed with shrewdness. "Just do as I say. Don't spend it—save it."
You'll need that money someday.
Zuo Zichen nodded. "Okay, I'll save it. Should I give it to you when you need it?"
Quan Zhisui smiled. "If that's what you want."
She didn't spell it out, leaving it up to him to figure things out.
The path you choose shapes your future.
Every decision you make in your youth will influence the rest of your life.
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The Zuo household was in chaos, with daily battles raging.
Hou Qiaoling was a formidable opponent, and now that she knew the truth, she was even more brazen, leaving the entire Zuo family speechless with her scathing remarks.
Xu Zhiyi was losing ground, even getting framed once, which nearly led to Zuo Zhiyu divorcing her.
The family was in complete disarray, a full-blown war.
Zuo Yunxuan was still being bullied at school, worse than when he was abroad.
Zuo Zhiyu was at his wit's end. His career was in shambles, and his home was a battlefield. He couldn't stand it anymore and fled to stay elsewhere.
One day, he received a phone call from someone he hadn't heard from in years.
"Mr. Zuo, it's been a while," the man's voice was elegant and warm.
Zuo Zhiyu jumped to his feet, bowing to the air in excitement. "Mr. Yan! Is that you, Mr. Yan?"
Yan Guanghua's voice carried a hint of amusement. "It's me. Shall we talk?"
Zuo Zhiyu eagerly replied, "Just give me the address! I'll come to you!"
Yan Guanghua said, "The usual place. You know it can't be in Liangxi Town."
Zuo Zhiyu nodded. "Understood! I'll be there in an hour!"