The Origin of the Banquet

Zhuang Xin gave a wry smile as he watched Zhuang Wanshu's incredibly swift movements.

It wasn't that he was being distant, he genuinely didn't need it.

With his current financial standing, developing Biyue Bay Beach would be more than enough.

What's more, he owned over fifty percent of Doushi. If he were truly short on cash, he could always cash out on the stock market.

"Alright, alright, Zhuang Xin is probably just shy. After the banquet, everyone will prepare a sum of money for you! But don't think this money is yours just because it's given to you. It all needs to be repaid. You need to record it meticulously. If someone else encounters trouble in the future, you must return exactly what they gave you today!"

"Of course, if you prove to be incapable and live a mediocre life, this money will be passed on to your son! The family will train your son, and your generation will start anew." Zhuang He finally showed a hint of seriousness.

Zhuang Xin quickly nodded.

He wasn't clear on the Zhuang family's rules, but after they explained, Zhuang Xin had a general understanding.

Afterward, Zhuang He briefed Zhuang Xin on a few more matters and gave him a small gift.

Finally, once he was done, Zhuang He told Zhuang Xin to find something to eat and wander around.

Zhuang Wanshu introduced him to many people. Besides some members of the Zhuang family from Juncheng, there were also those who had gone to other provinces, and some relatives who had recently returned from abroad.

Most of the Zhuang family members were quite good to him.

But there were still one or two who seemed to be at odds with Zhuang Xin, though he didn't know why.

"Those few people earlier had some disputes with your grandfather back in the day over certain matters. You don't need to pay them much mind. Their businesses are no longer in Juncheng; most are in other provinces and abroad, so you won't have any dealings with them."

Then, Zhuang Tong sneakily ran up to Zhuang Xin's side, pouting as she mumbled, "Zhuang Xin..."

"Hm? What is it?" Zhuang Xin asked, looking at Zhuang Tong, who seemed completely at ease with him.

"It's... it's nothing, really. I've been playing around lately, and my dad cut off my card. Could you lend me some money? I want to go out with my friends tonight. Don't worry, I'll definitely pay you back."

Seeing Zhuang Tong looking at him with a pitiful expression, Zhuang Xin felt the warmth of the place and no longer felt like an outsider. He took out the bank card from his pocket and slipped it into her bag. "Here, take it. Go home early, and don't let your parents worry."

"Heehee, okay, thank you, Zhuang Xin!" Zhuang Tong said, then skipped away cheerfully.

Zhuang Xin shook his head and took out his phone to scroll through videos.

As time ticked by, the final segment arrived.

Great Grandfather Zhuang He took the stage, cleared his throat, and said, "We've been gathering everyone for the past half a month, and I'm sure you all know why!"

He smiled at the crowd and continued, "You all know the rules of our Zhuang family! To ensure that no descendant of the Zhuang family falls into destitution and poverty, since the Qing Dynasty, the Zhuang family has had its own ancestral teachings, passed down to our generation! Everyone here, your ancestors have all faced difficult times, and it was family members who provided the funds for them to rise again! This is everyone's home, and everyone's final fallback! A place that allows everyone to stand tall at the top and command respect from outsiders!"

Listening to Great Grandfather's speech, everyone naturally understood what was happening!

They all began to nod, without a hint of impatience.

To put it briefly, Zhuang He knew that talking too much would make some people restless.

He quickly explained the situation.

And so...

Someone began to step forward and place a slip of paper on the stage!

"Zhuang Lan lineage, a jade shop worth three million!"

The first person went up, and the second also began to place a slip of paper on the table.

"Zhuang Mu lineage, startup capital of two million!"

"Zhuang Ying lineage, a batch of jade worth five million!"

"Zhuang Fei lineage, worth..."

"Zhuang Sun..."

"Zhuang Hong..."

"Zhuang Jia..."

One name after another was read out by Zhuang He.

Various shops, various goods, and a large amount of startup capital were all meticulously recorded in the ledger.

Finally, the last person took the stage.

It was a fiery woman in a bright red dress, smoking a cigarette, with deep red lipstick. She glanced back at Zhuang Xin and tossed a piece of paper onto the table!

"Zhuang Ruoxin lineage, donating startup capital of three hundred million!"

As the voice fell, everyone present was stunned.

Within the family, it seemed Zhuang Ruoxin had always been displeast with Zhuang Xin, and complaints about her were often heard.

Yet, it was Zhuang Ruoxin who donated the most!

Zhuang Ruoxin let out a cold snort, not giving Zhuang Xin a good look, and went to a corner alone, picking up a glass of red wine to sip quietly!

"Butler, come over and calculate the total amount!"

A kind-faced elderly man with glasses stepped forward, holding a calculator. He tallied all the assets on the ledger and announced, "Total value of properties: five hundred million, total value of goods: nine hundred million, startup capital: one billion eight hundred and fifty million..."

"The grand total comes to three billion two hundred and fifty million!"

Even Zhuang Xin was somewhat dazed upon hearing the figure.

"Alright, but Zhuang Xin, I still need to remind you, this money won't be given to you now! It will only be gradually handed over to you after you've achieved a certain level of success with the contracts the family previously gave you! If you don't meet the family's expectations, this money will remain with the family to manage, and will be given bit by bit to your son, or grandson!"

Zhuang Xin looked at the expectant gazes of most people, and he knew that most of them actually hoped he would succeed.

The decline of any clan member represented one less hope for them to make a comeback in the future.

After solemnly nodding, everyone else also revealed smiles and came forward to congratulate him!

"Zhuang Xin, work hard in the future and build a career! Don't disappoint your brother-in-law."

"Zhuang Xin, don't be like my daughter, who only knows how to spend money. You can definitely do it!"

"Zhuang Xin, behind you are all the members of the family. If you can't turn things around with such good starting conditions, don't expect to be buried in the ancestral grave later. I'm afraid you'll be too ashamed to face your grandfather."

Zhuang Xin shook hands with each of them, agreeing to all their words.

Afterward, Eldest Sister Zhuang Wanshu walked over and said, "Alright, that's about it. I'll take you to see Zhu Zuo. I heard you gave him the engineering project but haven't paid him yet! General Manager Zhu has been covering for you. Even if you have a good relationship, you can't waste favors like this!"

"Oh, oh, oh..."

Zhuang Xin nodded, realizing he had almost forgotten.

A short while later, Zhuang Wanshu called the driver to bring a car and park it outside.

After they got into the car, they drove towards Zhu Zuo's company.