Another Day of Pretending for the Wealthy Couple - Chapter 48

Rong Xi squatted on the balcony smoking, recalling the question she had just asked Zhong Yan.

Zhong Yan had said that Qinghe Real Estate should not get involved, there might be hidden risks.

She glanced through the glass door again. Perhaps even Zhong Yan himself was unaware of the tenderness and affection in his eyes whenever he looked at Ji Tanyuan.

He probably didn’t want Ji Tanyuan’s company to suffer losses, so he refrained from putting her in a difficult position.

But she had already begun.

The business world shows no mercy, even if Ji Tanyuan is Mrs. Zhong.

Who doesn’t have some connections?

Rong Xi waved away the smoke and stepped back inside through the balcony door.

Ji Tanyuan hadn’t drunk tonight either, so she took on the role of driver, while Zhong Yan sat in the passenger seat gazing out the window.

Ji Tanyuan didn’t smoke or enjoy drinking. Her ways of relieving stress were exercise and shopping.

Such healthy coping mechanisms, how wonderful.

“Besides exercise and shopping, what else do you like to do?” Zhong Yan asked.

Ji Tanyuan thought for a moment. “There are plenty of things, playing mahjong, attending parties, watching handsome… fashion shows, traveling.”

That’s good.

Zhong Yan fell silent for a while before suddenly saying, “Why don’t you ask me the same question?”

Ji Tanyuan replied, “I observe with my eyes. Swimming, working out, smoking, drinking, hosting gatherings, cleaning, cooking, you enjoy all of those.”

“…”

Zhong Yan had nothing to say. Actually, that wasn’t entirely true.

After meeting Ji Tanyuan, there was one more thing.

When the autumn heatwave arrived, it brought with it a storm in the real estate market.

Qinghe Real Estate, a listed company, announced a temporary suspension of trading for a one-month equity division reform, converting some non-tradable shares into tradable ones.

At the same time, the Shanghai Intermediate People’s Court issued a notice: “Announcement on the Joint Public Auction of Premium Urban Real Estate Assets, Including the Dingsheng·Yujing Project on Shanghai’s Jiefang Road, Huaihai Road Plot.”

The notice included disclosures of asset flaws and risks, but no major issues were identified.

The purpose of this asset sale was to revitalize capital reserves. Although Qinghe had initially benefited from the equity reform, some investors began to turn bearish. However, during the trading suspension, it was impossible to accurately gauge whether shareholders were bullish or bearish.

Qinghe Real Estate had bundled three land parcels into the auction assets, signaling a clear intent to exit.

Some industry insiders inquired about who was leading the effort. Some said it was Yu Yanna, a rising star in asset restructuring, while others claimed it was personally handled by Lu Ke, the CEO of the Ji Group.

There were even rumors that Ji Qing himself had stepped in to oversee the operation. Opinions varied widely.

What was more apparent, however, was that the Ji Group intended to withdraw from the real estate sector and focus on emerging industries like new energy and microelectronics.

At the same time, Zidian Technology, a joint venture between Zhongheng Group and the Ji Group, released a preview of its annual report. The equipment capacity utilization rate had reached the highest in the country, signaling an expansion in the production of domestically manufactured 12-inch and 8-inch wafers.

Stocks of Zidian Technology’s upstream and downstream partners in the semiconductor sector saw a continuous rise.

This was the most notable achievement since the two companies began collaborating. In just one year, they had emerged as a dark horse, making a significant impact on the mainland.

All of the above was good news.

The bad news was that the Chairman of the Ji Group was reviewing Qinghe Real Estate’s internal accounts.

Beside him, Ji Ting was boasting, “If it weren’t for this mess, I could have handled it.”

Ji Qing didn’t respond. He held a cigarette, flipping through the pages one by one.

He had to smoke, otherwise, he might end up throttling his elder brother.

“Brother, I’ve done right by you.”

Ji Ting, who had been bursting with things to say, widened his eyes in disbelief. “Ji Qing, I saved your life when we were kids. Is this how you repay me?”

Frantically, Ji Ting waved the documents in his hand. “Let me make this clear, if you try to push me out as the scapegoat, you won’t get off easy either. And don’t forget Ji Tanyuan, she’s the daughter-in-law of the Zhong family now. If the Ji family falls, she’ll be looked down upon even more.”

With a cold snort, he slumped onto the sofa, breathing heavily.

His abrupt movements had caused his suit jacket and shirt to come undone, revealing a pale, protruding belly.

Ji Qing clenched his fists. “Go back for now. I’ll handle the rest. You mentioned finding traces of Zhihe, where?”

Ji Ting straightened his suit. “I need to ensure my safety first.”

Ji Qing closed his eyes, taking a long moment to compose himself. Streaks of white had appeared at his temples, and fine wrinkles were evident at the corners of his eyes. Leaning on the desk for support, he stood up, poured himself a glass of water, and took his medicine.

He then called his assistant in to clean up and dialed a number. “Arrange a meeting.”

But it was Ji Tanyuan who opened the door.

When she appeared at the entrance, Ji Qing was taken aback.

Ji Tanyuan had long given up questioning why a chairman would still tolerate his elder brother’s behavior, especially when her uncle and his family were the ones relying on him for survival.

She tossed her bag onto the sofa, crouched down, and began picking up the scattered documents, skimming through them as she did.

Qinghe Real Estate had accumulated numerous issues over the years, from visibly stalled projects awaiting sale to properties with unclear ownership rights.

As she gathered the papers, Ji Tanyuan suggested, “Transfer the assets to an AMC or a real estate fund.”

“Stop thinking about reviving them independently. Trying to plug this hole with profits from other projects is a never-ending cycle. Just keep the existing properties as the financial foundation. Hand over all the ongoing and undeveloped projects.”

“Take advantage of the Ji family’s recent major breakthrough in chips, it’s the perfect time to sell at a good price.”

Ji Qing stared at her, still processing her words.

Ji Tanyuan opened the window to air out the lingering smell of smoke, then glanced at the medicine on the desk. “How many times do I have to tell you? Don’t smoke while taking medication. Do you not understand?”

She felt a wave of exhaustion and decided not to press further.

“I’ll handle the rest. Previously, certain officials deliberately obstructed our approvals, hoping Qinghe Real Estate would collapse so they could swoop in and acquire it. Let’s follow her suggestion and give them a ‘generous’ gift.”

“You already went to see Minister Chen, didn’t you? And you drank too much.”

Ji Qing, afraid of angering her further, replied, “I didn’t drink much.”

“But he gave you a hard time.”

Ji Qing sat back down. “It wasn’t exactly difficult. In business, when dealing with officials, can we afford to act arrogantly?”

Ji Tanyuan pressed her lips together. “Fine, I can’t argue with you.”

“Why are you here?”

Ji Tanyuan sat down. “Did you think firing me means I can’t come?”

Ji Qing was left speechless by his daughter’s sarcasm. He knew that, ever since she was young, Ji Tanyuan had a habit of resorting to mockery when she was angry.

After organizing the documents, Ji Tanyuan said, “I’m going to see Lu Ke. You should go home and rest.”

“Qinghe Real Estate is a ticking time bomb. The projects may look promising, but they’re practically unworkable. What’s your plan?” Ji Qing asked.

Ji Tanyuan replied coolly, “If someone is eager to play the fool, why not let them?”