The Declining Group

After taking on the task, Wenren Sheng studied it for a while, then suddenly felt as if he had forgotten something. His mood immediately soured.

He turned to look at Brother De and finally came to his senses. In a single stride, he rushed over and snatched away his liquor bottle.

Sure enough, even the Sage could make mistakes after a thousand considerations.

He had been busy just now and had neglected the other man for a moment, actually forgetting that Brother De still had to cook dinner tonight.

"What, what are you doing?" Brother De squinted, seemingly trying hard to see who had taken his liquor. He reached out to grab it back. "Even if you're my dad, you can't steal your son's booze!"

If Old Wu had not been there, Wenren Sheng truly would have wanted to let him experience Grandpa's love once again! Wu Liansong, who had been looking at his phone, froze. This big brother really was drunk...

"You drank yourself into this state. Who's going to cook the premium ingredients Shan Shan brings back tonight?" Wenren Sheng asked blandly.

"Of course whoever's the dad cooks..." Wenren De said muddleheadedly.

Wu Liansong shook his head helplessly. "Forget it, I'll do it. But it's already six o'clock. Shan Shan still isn't back?"

"I'll call and ask." Wenren Sheng put down the bottle, took out his phone, and made a call. Before long, a somewhat delighted female voice came through the receiver.

"You finally remembered me. I'll be back soon, ten minutes at most."

"You've worked hard." Wenren Sheng nodded, his expression completely unchanged.

"It wasn't hard. As long as you work hard tonight..." The female voice drew out the last words.

"Old Wu is here." Wenren Sheng shook his head, feeling a prickling sensation on his back. That was a father's love...

"Who is he?" the female voice retorted.

Wu Liansong immediately became dejected.

Wenren Sheng frowned. It seemed the secrets surrounding her were far from truly uncovered.

"Alright, I'll pick you up in a bit." Wenren Sheng checked his phone and found her location.

"No need. Just rest at home. Didn't I say today was to reward you for passing the selection?" the female voice said carelessly.

"Alright, then."

Wenren Sheng ended the call, sat back down on the sofa, and continued looking at his phone, studying the materials for the project he had just taken over.

At that moment, Old Wu looked at Wenren De, who was still trying to snatch back his liquor, then looked at Wenren Sheng.

He decisively abandoned this friend, hoisted him up, tossed him directly into his bedroom, and shut the door.

After doing all that, only he and Wenren Sheng remained in the living room.

Of course, he was not drunk. He had not lost his Otherworldly User and was still an Expert Level Otherworldly User. How could a single bottle of baijiu get him drunk? "Um, Wenren..." He put on an affectionate expression and leaned closer.

"Is something wrong, Director Wu?" Wenren Sheng continued reading the materials without even raising his head.

"For the sake of me cooking tonight, could you help me out? You know what I mean." He rubbed his hands together like a man who had just become a father.

Only then did Wenren Sheng look up. "I want to know more detailed information about what happened between you and your daughter afterward."

Wu Liansong's expression darkened again. After a long while, he let out a long sigh. "As expected, I couldn't hide it from you. There really was more to the story. After Shan Shan learned that I was an expert in the Mysterious Realm, she wanted me to summon her mother's soul. But the Soul Domain is one of the most difficult and dangerous Mysterious Realms. Leaving aside whether it could succeed, even if it did, what came back could never be Xiao Bai. It would be far more likely to be some terrifying Mysterious Calamity."

"So you refused. That was the real reason she called you useless, and you even forcibly prevented her from doing anything similar. That was the fundamental reason she severed your father-daughter relationship. Only then could she do whatever she wanted without restraint," Wenren Sheng said mercilessly.

"Sigh, that's exactly it." Wu Liansong leaned back against the sofa and glanced at Wenren Sheng, envy showing in his eyes. "Back then, when Old Zhao made you a manager, many people felt it was unfair to me. I didn't care much, though I was a little puzzled. Now, I think both they and I understand. Your talent truly far surpasses mine."

"That's because you were blind. It was obvious from the start," Wenren Sheng said as if it were only natural. "After all, I stand on the shoulders of giants."

Wu Liansong suddenly laughed. "Yes, at least when it comes to shamelessness, you far surpass me."

Just then, a chilly voice suddenly sounded from outside the living room.

"Since you already know, will you help me?"

Wu Shanshan walked in carrying Dabao and Little Package, standing at the entrance to the living room as she looked at the two men.

"Shan Shan, I did all that for your own good. Xiao Bai wouldn't have agreed to you doing that either." Wu Liansong hurried forward, saying words that were clearly ones he had repeated far too many times.

"Stay away from me!" Wu Shanshan suddenly said fiercely. Then she looked only at Wenren Sheng. "I only want to know what you think."

Wu Liansong retreated, utterly dejected, then sat on the sofa with his head in his hands.

Wenren Sheng did not stand. He merely stared at her.

Wu Shanshan, Mystery Points: 1/21.

Mystery Composition: Seed of Fear, Extraordinary Power (Extraordinary Physique Beginner, Mystic Horsemanship Beginner), Mystic Cognition, Soul Caller, ???

You have discovered a rare Mysterious Profession. Mystic Cognition increased by 1 point. Mystery Points limit increased to 112.

Sure enough, there were still secrets that had not been uncovered.

He did not get up, merely lowering his head again. "I'm hungry."

Wu Shanshan froze. An indescribable light appeared in her eyes, and for some reason, she nodded. "Alright. I'll cook, then."

With that, she carried the ingredients toward the kitchen.

"Wait. Your skills are pretty good, but let Old Wu be the head chef." Wenren Sheng spoke from behind her.

"Yes, yes, I'll cook..." Wu Liansong said as though granted a reprieve, hurriedly rising to his feet.

This time, Wu Shanshan did not refuse. She silently placed the ingredients in the kitchen, then walked back and leaned directly against Wenren Sheng's shoulder.

Wu Liansong secretly gritted his teeth, but he did not dare show it. He could only shrink into the kitchen in frustration, using busyness to numb himself.

"You're not deliberately getting back at him, are you?" Wenren Sheng asked, holding his phone as he turned toward her.

"Who is he? I simply don't like strangers getting close to me," Wu Shanshan said blandly.

"Then how about this? We're off tomorrow, so why don't I take you out for some fun?" Wenren Sheng seemed to have completely forgotten what had just happened. Calm-faced, he handed her his phone and showed her the contents on the screen.

"Xu Yuchen? Interesting. The compensation is decent. But I happen to know that the additional shares he wants to offer aren't actually worth much." Wu Shanshan looked at it, then began analyzing it eagerly as though she too had forgotten what had just happened.

"You mean Five Colors Group has reached the point where it's about to be eliminated by the market?" Wenren Sheng said thoughtfully.

In his previous life, he had personally witnessed the great wave of capacity reduction. The once-booming steel industry had suffered from overcapacity, with the market unable to absorb production. Many companies with assets worth billions or even tens of billions had been forced to shut down one after another.

"More or less. This steel and nonferrous metals group may appear to be worth tens of billions, but that's only a glossy facade. Their debt ratio is actually extremely high. Their only hope of turning things around is for Xu Yunshuang to become a Mystery Expert and receive some support from above. But that would take at least ten years, and they can't hold on for another decade. A family group with over two hundred years of history is about to 'see the birds scatter to the woods, leaving behind nothing but a vast expanse of white.'" Wu Shanshan shook her head.

"So that's how it is." Wenren Sheng shook his head, recalling the prophecy Zhao Han had made before. "If their thinking becomes rigid and they receive no outside support, even the largest company will collapse beneath the tides of the market."

Wu Shanshan suddenly smiled. "That's true, but it isn't Xu Qingshu's fault. It was his father—the biological grandfather of cousins Xu Yunshuang and Xu Yuchen—a playboy."

"After inheriting the family business, that man indulged in pleasure and never put his mind into management. He wasted the group's opportunity to transform, and he also failed to seize the chance when Divine Land developed the seven frontier provinces and launched massive infrastructure projects. That led to their defeat in market competition and a soaring debt ratio.

"It was only because Xu Qingshu took over early, doing everything he could to keep things afloat and exhausting himself, that they barely managed to survive until now."

"So that's why. No wonder Xu Qingshu looks so old. The files say he's only fifty. Given his status, he should look more like someone in his thirties or forties at that age." Wenren Sheng nodded, then praised her sincerely. "It seems your intelligence gathering is indeed quite good."

"Of course. When it comes to my greatest romantic rival, I naturally have to know both myself and my enemy." Wu Shanshan stared into his eyes.

"Listen to yourself. I've always been an honest man. I've never had any improper thoughts."

"Heh. Men."

"What's wrong with men? Leaving Brother De aside, isn't Old Wu still single?" Wenren Sheng said without changing expression.

At that moment, someone in the kitchen who had been too distracted to work suddenly became much more serious. The clattering of pots and pans grew livelier, and even his enthusiasm for cooking surged.

"Don't mention him." Wu Shanshan said unhappily.