Game with Father

The detention center's visiting room had white walls, iron bars, and air so cold it reeked of disinfectant and an indescribable oppression.

Zhao Chen sat on a Hard Plastic Chair, his gaze fixed through the thick glass on Zhao Jianguo's face across from him.

Overnight, the halo of Shan City Real Estate's tycoon had shattered completely.

Zhao Jianguo wore an ill-fitting Gray-Blue Detention Center Vest. His beard was unkempt, dark bags hung beneath his eyes, and his once meticulously combed hair drooped in disarray.

Only his eyes still retained their usual sharpness, along with a trace of panic he desperately tried to hide, like a Head Wolf caught in a trap yet still baring its fangs.

"Dad." Zhao Chen's voice carried the right amount of hoarseness and an almost imperceptible tension—the way a deeply worried son ought to sound.

"Are you alright? What exactly happened?"

When Zhao Jianguo saw his son—especially the undisguised "concern" on his face—the string that had been taut in his heart seemed to loosen slightly.

He tried to straighten his back, wanting his voice to sound more steady and forceful, but he could not keep the dryness out of it.

"Xiao Chen, don't worry. It's just some misunderstandings. Dad can handle them. How are things outside now?"

"Very bad." Zhao Chen frowned deeply, speaking faster.

"The stock price... it's fallen badly. The news is writing all sorts of nonsense. Director Lin and Secretary Liu came to the house last night and wanted me to immediately sign on as Acting Chairman and issue an announcement."

"Did you sign it?" Zhao Jianguo leaned forward and asked urgently.

"I didn't." Zhao Chen shook his head, his face showing confusion appropriate for his age, along with a trace of lingering fear.

"I said I didn't understand. It's such a huge matter—I didn't dare make the decision alone. Dad, what should we do? Will the company really..."

Zhao Jianguo put on an expression of sorrowful trust.

"Xiao Chen, you did the right thing. At a time like this, we can't panic. But the situation is urgent now. Only you can help Dad and help the company hold the line."

His tone was earnest, almost pleading.

"You're Dad's only son, the Legitimate Heir of Henglong. Dad is temporarily unable to act, so you must step forward at once and take responsibility.

"Acting Chairman is only a title. What matters is that you use that position to reassure the banks and Suppliers, to tell the market that the Zhao Family is still here, and Henglong will not fall! Lin Wanqing and Liu Mingyu will assist you..."

"Dad." Zhao Chen sneered inwardly. Only son, my ass.

He interrupted Zhao Jianguo, his voice full of difficulty and dependence.

"I understand everything you're saying. But I really don't feel confident. Those Debt Contracts, the Equity Structure, Bank Negotiations... I don't know the first thing about any of it. If I make the wrong decision, wouldn't that be even worse?"

He looked up, his eyes clear—even a little naive—as he looked at Zhao Jianguo. "At the very least... at the very least, Aunt Zhang, Zhang Qingxue, needs to help me.

"She was Mom's best friend, and she's a Top Lawyer. Only if she's beside me, watching over me and telling me what I can and cannot do, would I dare try. Otherwise, I'd rather do nothing than ruin all your hard work, Dad."

Zhao Jianguo's brows furrowed sharply.

Zhang Qingxue?

That woman who had always been wary of him, who had even obstructed the Share Pledge last time?

His instinctive reaction was rejection.

But when he looked at his son's face, plainly saying that he needed an adult to hold his hand before he dared take a step, then considered the crisis raging outside—every second of delay meant another measure of risk that Henglong would sink.

"...Fine." Zhao Jianguo forced the word through gritted teeth, as though making an enormous concession.

"Let her help you. But Xiao Chen, remember this: you're the backbone! At critical moments, you have to make your own decisions!"

"I'll discuss everything properly with Aunt Zhang." Zhao Chen nodded "obediently."

Zhang Qingxue arrived even sooner than Zhao Jianguo had expected.

She was still dressed in crisp Dark Professional Attire, with a Briefcase at her side. Her gaze behind her Gold Wire Glasses was calm and professional, utterly out of place in the detention center.

Without wasting words on pleasantries, she exchanged an extremely brief glance with Zhao Chen—one that would have been difficult for anyone else to notice—then sat directly before the microphone.

"Mr. Zhao, time is tight, so I'll get straight to the point."

Zhang Qingxue's voice came through the microphone, clear and calm, devoid of any personal emotion.

"Xiao Chen is willing to try to stabilize the company at this time out of Family Affection and a Sense of Responsibility.

"But as his temporary legal counsel, I must establish clear boundaries for his actions and secure the necessary safeguards, so that his youth and lack of experience do not draw him into unpredictable legal or financial risks."

Zhao Jianguo patiently replied, "What does Lawyer Zhang suggest?"

"These are not suggestions. They are prerequisites." Zhang Qingxue opened the Computer she had brought with her, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"First, according to our preliminary review, you personally, or related parties under your control, have made multiple non-operational appropriations of funds from the Listed Company over the past three years.

"Before Zhao Chen becomes involved in managing the company, a written commitment to return those funds must be signed, along with a clear repayment plan."

Zhao Jianguo's face darkened. "That was temporary cash flow management! Once the company stabilizes..."

"Before it stabilizes, this is a potential powder keg—one that could drag Zhao Chen into an investigation for illegal Related Party Transactions at any time."