Chapter 0689: Making Up One's Mind

Most of the time, emotions are nothing but a burden, devoid of any practical significance. Unlike opportunities, which are gaps that happen to favor you amid the flow of events—fleeting moments that require 'capturing' rather than waiting idly or procrastinating.

The Tao Te Ching says, 'Misfortune lies within fortune, and fortune hides within misfortune.' In other words, every matter has two sides; where there is a bad side, there is naturally a good side.

Take Dad Zhao's situation, for instance. In Zhao Fusheng's eyes, this was actually an opportunity—a good chance for his father to choose the path he would take from now on.

Sure enough, after hearing Zhao Fusheng's question, Dad Zhao fell silent for a long time.

After all, for him, this decision was not an easy one.

'It doesn't matter what I want; what matters is what you want,' Zhao Fusheng said to his father.

'Let me think it over some more,' Dad Zhao said in a low voice after a long silence.

Zhao Fusheng nodded, said nothing more, watched his father leave, then boarded the bus and returned to the dormitory.

Tan Kaixuan was online. Seeing Zhao Fusheng come in, he asked curiously, 'Why are you back?'

Having returned in a hurry, Zhao Fusheng hadn't told him.

'There's something going on at home,' Zhao Fusheng explained, glancing at Tan Kaixuan.

'It's about the mall, isn't it?' Seeing that Zhao Fusheng seemed down, Tan Kaixuan clicked his mouse and said to him.

Zhao Fusheng was startled: 'Even you know about it?'

He was surprised. Since it was an internal company matter, there was no reason for it to become common knowledge. Yet even Tan Kaixuan knew about it—a testament to how outrageous those people were.

With that thought, Zhao Fusheng's resolve to deal with that group hardened. No matter what, he couldn't stand by and let things spiral out of control.

'Hey, your dad is just too soft-hearted,' Tan Kaixuan said after a moment's thought.

Zhao Fusheng nodded helplessly. He knew Tan Kaixuan was telling the truth. His father was good in every way except for being indecisive. Come to think of it, Zhao Fusheng himself was quite similar in that regard.

'You don't know how bad things have gotten at the mall. Especially recently, all sorts of people have come in. Few are actually working, but there's a whole bunch of managers...' Tan Kaixuan began telling Zhao Fusheng what he knew.

After a while, Zhao Fusheng's face darkened like the bottom of a pot. Anyone familiar with him would know he was on the verge of exploding.

He really hadn't expected that not only were those people colluding with Ma Qianli, but they had also started placing their own people inside the company. In Tan Kaixuan's words, the entire Wanda Mall had practically become their backyard.

'I heard that in the procurement department, there are five deputy managers. Only one actually manages; the other four—two do nothing but collect salaries, and the other two, well, they take bribes and extort—there's nothing they wouldn't dare do.' Tan Kaixuan sneered. 'You know, someone even came to me, talking about raising rent, or extending the lease term and lowering the rent. And guess what they wanted?'

'Kickbacks?'

Zhao Fusheng frowned, not at all surprised.

Tan Kaixuan wasn't surprised that Zhao Fusheng guessed it. He nodded: 'Exactly. What a bunch of nonsense...'

'People are insatiable—a snake trying to swallow an elephant,' Zhao Fusheng said slowly after a long pause.

Tan Kaixuan nodded in agreement. He felt Zhao Fusheng was right. The human heart is the hardest to satisfy. When destitute, a bowl of noodles feels like bliss, but once fed and clothed, other desires arise. The saying 'warmth and satiety lead to lustful thoughts' often holds true—it's when life is comfortable that people lose their way.

No, to be precise, it's when their true nature is exposed.

'What does your dad plan to do?' As a close friend, Tan Kaixuan naturally cared about this matter and didn't beat around the bush.

Zhao Fusheng gave a wry smile: 'Don't even mention it. My dad is still agonizing over it. He still cherishes his old ties with those people.'

He sighed. 'You don't know my dad. He values that bond deeply. After all, it's a relationship of over a decade—not so easily broken off.'

Tan Kaixuan opened his mouth as if to say something, but since it was Zhao Fusheng's father, he shook his head and remained silent.

Zhao Fusheng understood what he meant. People have feelings. If a person disregards emotions entirely, they might appear impartial, but in the end, they'd be left with no one.

After all, Zhao Fusheng understood the principle that 'water too pure has no fish.'

Both sighed. In this matter, an outsider could offer no good advice. Ultimately, it came down to Dad Zhao's own choice.

With that thought, Zhao Fusheng felt an urge to call his father, but after much deliberation, he suppressed it. After all, his dad was already troubled enough; pushing him would only add more pressure.

Unexpectedly, the next morning, his father called him.

'I've thought it over. No matter what, the mall is something I built with hard work. I can't just let others have it for nothing. If they want the company, let them come and take it!' His father's voice was fierce. Zhao Fusheng had never seen him like this before.

'In that case, you'd better be prepared to burn bridges,' Zhao Fusheng said seriously after a moment of silence.

Business is like warfare. In other words, if his father was truly determined to break with those old friends, the ensuing struggle would be far more brutal than he imagined.

'They've already got a knife to my throat. If I don't act now, am I supposed to just wait to die?' Dad Zhao almost gritted his teeth as he said this.

For him, being betrayed by friends of over a decade was not a pleasant experience. Moreover, in the days to come, they would become enemies, possibly even facing each other in court.

'Alright, I understand,' Zhao Fusheng nodded.

Since his father wasn't going to compromise with those people, the next steps needed careful planning.

After hanging up, Zhao Fusheng sat in contemplation. Since Ma Qianli didn't intend to use official connections to seize the company, it meant the man was fully confident he could resolve internal issues.

In other words, he had probably already dug a trap, waiting for Dad Zhao to fall into it.

After pondering for a while, Zhao Fusheng took out his phone and dialed a number.