C17 This Is a Scam!

When Chen Qingchuan was jolted awake by a phone call, he saw the number on the screen and immediately sensed trouble brewing. The caller was his grandfather, the towering figure at the pinnacle of Daming Group.

As he answered the call, Chen Qingchuan confronted his grandfather on the video: "What's up? Are you scheming to put me in a tight spot again?"

"Why would I do that? Look at this affectionate smile. It's the very picture of a grandfather's adoration for his grandson," his grandfather replied, his smile beaming through the screen. Yet, the more radiant the smile, the more uneasy Chen Qingchuan felt.

Three years ago, it was precisely this kind of smile that preceded his grandfather's maneuver to make him a son-in-law by marriage. Now, seeing that smile again, how could he not brace himself?

His instincts were spot on. His grandfather went on to say, "With your capabilities, being a mere president of a provincial branch is beneath you. It hardly showcases your talents and abilities."

"Here's what we'll do: I'm assigning you a new task. Starting today, you'll work at Su Xue's company! I'm confident that with your skills, you can still excel at the provincial branch with just a fraction of your effort."

It sounded like a compliment to Chen Qingchuan's abilities, but that wasn't the real issue. The crux of the matter was Su Xue's company!

"Hold on, why should I? I've barely made it through these three years, and now you're shoving me into her company again?"

"Grandfather, I object, I vehemently object. I get that you're nostalgic about your past romance, but you can't keep using me to fill your voids! Moreover, there's no love lost between Su Xue and me. Why are you so intent on pushing us together?"

"I refuse, I absolutely refuse. No matter what you say this time, I'm not doing it!"

Chen Qingchuan was resolute; he would not set foot in Su Xue's company. He knew all too well what his grandfather was plotting: to have him and Su Xue spend time together in hopes of kindling a romance.

He certainly wasn't going to make that mistake again. After finally being released from a three-year 'sentence,' he had no intention of getting trapped once more.

Upon witnessing Chen Qingchuan's unwavering stance, the old patriarch declared, "You won't go? If you refuse, then I'll strip you of your position and freeze your assets!"

Chen Qingchuan was unfazed by this tactic. The more oppressive the force, the fiercer his resistance became.

"Go ahead, freeze them! If you wait too long, it'll be too late!"

"If you freeze my assets, I'll just walk away from the Chen family. I refuse to believe I can't support myself with my own skills!"

Chen Qingchuan was truly exasperated. What kind of grandfather forces his grandson to be with someone like Su Xue? It was utterly exasperating!

Seeing the intensity of Chen Qingchuan's rebellious spirit, the old patriarch on the video call refrained from further comment, merely sighing deeply.

He understood all too well that Chen Qingchuan was at his breaking point. Any additional pressure would only backfire. If Chen Qingchuan decided to leave the Chen family and go it alone, he would lose some resources and connections, but the Chen family would lose a remarkable leader.

Driving Chen Qingchuan away was the last thing the old patriarch wanted, so he could no longer press the issue.

After a brief silence, the old man began to cough.

Chen Qingchuan watched as he covered his mouth with his hand, and when he pulled it away, there was blood on his palm!

Alarmed, Chen Qingchuan exclaimed, "Grandfather, why are you coughing up blood? What's wrong with your health?"

The old patriarch quickly clenched his fist and wiped his mouth with a tissue, downplaying the incident. "It's nothing. You saw it wrong. There's no blood."

But Chen Qingchuan knew better. The bright red stain on the yellowed, wrinkled palm couldn't be anything but blood. Surely it wasn't lipstick?

No matter how much Chen Qingchuan pressed for answers, the old patriarch insisted he was fine and urged him to focus on his role as the division president.

"Since you're reluctant to join Su Xue's company, I won't push you any further. Let's leave it at that."

"Grandpa, I'm heading to Su Xue's company. I mean it; I'll get in touch with her right away. It's no big deal..."

Despite Great-Grandfather's insistence on arranging a marriage, he cared deeply for Chen Qingchuan, and Chen Qingchuan was deeply devoted to his great-grandfather. In such a situation, not only was he willing to work at Su Xue's company, but if it meant securing his great-grandfather's health, he would do so without a second thought!

However, when he expressed his desire to return home to visit Great-Grandfather, he was met with refusal.

Moreover, Great-Grandfather later clarified, "I didn't force you to go to Su Xue's company. You agreed on your own."

"Right, right, I agreed on my own. I won't go back on my word, but you've got to let me come see you!"

But Great-Grandfather was resolute in his refusal and promptly hung up the phone.

Worry consumed Chen Qingchuan, who was too anxious to sleep. He quickly got out of bed.

He then called Su Xue, "I'm going to work at your company. Just assign me any position, but keep my identity under wraps."

Su Xue was still processing the conversation when Chen Qingchuan ended the call.

She was taken aback, completely at a loss for what Chen Qingchuan was planning.

Chen Qingchuan then reached out to Zhao Hongwu to arrange a flight back home as soon as possible.

Upon learning from Chen Qingchuan that Great-Grandfather had coughed up blood, Zhao Hongwu was astounded. "How can that be? I visited home just last month, and the specialists from our company's hospital were conducting health check-ups for the family. They even said Great-Grandfather was in excellent health and unlikely to face any serious illness for the next five years. How could he suddenly cough up blood?"

Exceptional health? This revelation left Chen Qingchuan equally baffled, especially since he had clearly witnessed Great-Grandfather coughing up blood. What was happening?

Reflecting on Great-Grandfather's demeanor during their video call, Chen Qingchuan began to piece together what might be happening.

After telling Hongwu to hold off on booking any plane tickets, he reached out to his family once more.

Soon enough, he received an update from the Chen family.

Just that morning, the great-grandfather had someone prepare a cup of chicken blood, though the purpose was unclear.

What could it be for? Obviously, to trick his grandson!

Upon learning this, Chen Qingchuan was livid, stomping his feet in frustration before calling his great-grandfather.

"Old man, are you trying to con me? To deceive me into agreeing, you resort to a cup of chicken blood and a bit of trickery. You're a professional at duping your own grandson!"

Great-Grandfather Fang, however, was all smiles. "You're my beloved grandson. I don't have enough time to pamper you, let alone cheat you."

"I came across an old remedy that claimed dabbing chicken blood on your lips could cure a cough. I wondered if it could really be that miraculous. I was coughing at the time, so I tried a bit of the blood on my lips, and believe it or not, the remedy actually worked..."

Chen Qingchuan felt utterly bamboozled by his great-grandfather. Was this old remedy truly effective? No, it was a ruse that had worked on him!

Fuming, he ended the call and dove into his bed, furiously pummeling the pillow.

"How did I get stuck with you as a grandfather, you professional grandson-swindler..."

While he was grumbling about the crafty elder in the family, his phone rang. It was Su Xue.

"The matter you mentioned earlier has been taken care of. When will you start work?"