Chapter 41 "Youngest son, do you know what you're like now..."

Today I returned to Dajiang Group.

Even though Jiang Miaomiao had been welcomed with a line of people earlier, that was in her capacity as "acting director." Now that she has officially become the chairperson, even if her seniority is lower, her rank is still there!

Jiang Yaowu and the others had no choice but to line up and welcome them again.

This time, in addition to the same people as last time, there were quite a few new faces, such as Shi Yi, Wen Rongying, Xi Shouge, and Mo Congyun.

“The company’s most representative figures are here. You two should think it over carefully. Even if you’re just background figures, you need to be mindful of your words and actions. Otherwise, it would be so funny if it were dug up as dirt on you one day!” Jiang Miaomiao reminded the two still dejected young men opposite her, giving them another 30 seconds to get ready before pushing open the door and getting out of the car.

Nowadays, updo hair, jade hairpins, and white suits have become Jiang Miaomiao's signature style.

She remained calm and composed, leading Jiang Bainian and Jiang Zhongming to greet those people.

Jiang Yaowu walked at the front, followed by Jiang Chengyu, with the others at the back. He extended his hand with a forced smile and gave Jiang Miaomiao a perfunctory handshake. "My dear niece, what a fine move of the younger generation surpassing the older!"

Compared to this young girl's methods and vision, their so-called experience and skills pale in comparison. This is not good!

Jiang Yaowu had never been afraid of Jiang Zhengye before, but now he had to be afraid of this cunning niece.

He glanced at Jiang Si beside him. No wonder he had to try to win her over in the first place? Unfortunately, he couldn't win her over, so now he had to find a way to get rid of her.

Jiang Miaomiao noticed that Jiang Yaowu, that old fox, glanced at Jiang Si, and combined this with the information she had gathered earlier and her speculation about his personality, she knew that Jiang Yaowu was serious about getting serious.

Just to be on the safe side, she felt it necessary to reiterate: "Second Uncle, Da Jiang Group and Gangcheng are your domain; I am merely a passerby."

Jiang Si secretly shook her head at her.

She had tried to persuade Jiang Yaowu in the same way she had tried to persuade Jiang Zhengye. But Jiang Yaowu was far more cunning than Jiang Zhengye, and given their differing opinions and past grudges, he absolutely refused to believe that Jiang Miaomiao's intentions weren't in Hong Kong. After all, anyone could say something so casually!

So even though Jiang Miaomiao emphasized it again, Jiang Yaowu still replied with a forced smile, "I wouldn't dare."

Jiang Miaomiao understood his obvious hostility, so she smiled and didn't emphasize it again.

Then, facing Jiang Yaowu's gradually revealed fierce aura, he refused to back down.

Their hands clasped together tightened even more, their veins bulging.

...

Those present were all senior executives and key personnel of Dajiang Group.

They initially compared Jiang Miaomiao, who had returned to China, with Jiang Chengyu, but Jiang Chengyu, the cousin whom Jiang Bainian and Jiang Zhongming had idolized for years, had now faded into obscurity.

The difference in quality is immediately apparent.

It was only later that everyone realized that Jiang Miaomiao was on the same level as Jiang Yaowu and the others!

Their expressions grew increasingly complicated, with Jiang Bainian being the most tormented: despite being twins, he was inferior to her in every way.

Jiang Miaomiao and Jiang Yaowu walked at the front, with the others following behind.

As they walked, the phrase "distinguishing between close and distant relatives" became blatantly apparent once again, as the remaining people, led by the two of them, gradually began to clearly distinguish themselves.

Jiang Miaomiao is a new emperor and a new minister.

Jiang Yaowu was a veteran of two dynasties, with a solid foundation.

The two sides were clearly evenly matched, and the saying "absence makes the heart grow fonder" was apt, even if the description wasn't perfect. This was the feeling many group employees had upon seeing Jiang Miaomiao again.

Jiang Miaomiao disrupted the stagnant state of the Da Jiang Group, tore away the fig leaves of many people, and snatched away the cheese from the elders... But the nobles and senior elders are ultimately a minority; the majority are commoners.

When ordinary people see a glimmer of hope ahead, and the hope is no longer just a paltry remedy, they will naturally know which side to take.

It was still Jiang Zhengye's luxurious office. Only the name tag that used to hang on the door, which used to say "Jiang Zhengye," had been replaced with the three characters "Jiang Miaomiao."

She still had one of her two younger brothers in each arm, and with a slight gesture, she told them to read the names on the paper carefully.

Jiang Zhongming and Jiang Bainian already felt humiliated by being pulled and tugged in public, and to be asked to do this again was an insult to them!

She trampled down both of them, along with their contemporary idols, leaving them no room to back down.

“At the same age of twenty-seven, I was already the chairman of Dajiang Group. And you… tsk,” she said, constantly striking at their fragile and delicate hearts, “tsk tsk.”

"You were just lucky!" Jiang Bainian, who had been expressionless, suddenly became fierce and resentful. "You were just lucky to get into an American school? Everyone knows that American education and technology are more advanced than China's. You succeeded in causing trouble because of what you learned there in advance. If I had gone to an American school, I could have done it too! I wouldn't have been any worse than you!"

Jiang Miaomiao looked him up and down, puzzled. "Are you jealous of me? Or envious of me?"

Jiang Bainian shrieked, "No way!"

She glanced at Jiang Zhongming, who looked like a quail beside her, and asked, "What about you?"

The latter shook his head violently.

He considered himself to be only half-siblings to Jiang Miaomiao, unlike Jiang Bainian who had a full mother to back him up.

Jiang Miaomiao turned her gaze back to Jiang Bainian and asked for confirmation, "So you think I'm better than you because I went to a prestigious university?"

Jiang Bainian nodded vigorously.

Then she asked, "If that's the case, why didn't you go to a prestigious American university in the first place?"

Jiang Bainian was speechless, and managed to say, "I was young back then, how could I know how to plan my studies? Besides, my dad didn't care about our studies."

Jiang Miaomiao raised her eyebrows. "So I'm good at planning? We're twins born on the same day, month, and year."

Jiang Bainian continued to offer flimsy excuses: "If I had known about these prestigious universities back then, I could have just had Lao Jiang throw some money at them and get in!"

Jiang Bainian racked his brains before finally managing to say, "I was just playing around back then. If I had studied seriously, I definitely would have done better than you!"

“Sigh, every loser has this catchphrase.” Jiang Miaomiao looked directly at him and said coldly, “Let me tell you the truth, every school has an educational function, but the biggest function of prestigious schools is selection!”

Even if you audit courses at a prestigious university for four or ten years, you still won't succeed if you don't get into one. The reason prestigious universities are so strong is that they take the best students, not because they turn mediocre fools like you into top talents!

A man in his late twenties, almost thirty, only knows how to reminisce about the past and spout impossible dreams. Do you think these nonsense can salvage your pathetic self-esteem? Can they change the impression that everyone thinks you've been lazy and useless for years?

Jiang Bainian was stunned for a moment, then his face turned red as he roared, "That's not true! You're talking nonsense, you're really short-sighted!"

"Then show me some results to prove it, and I'll admit I'm talking nonsense. But do you have any?" She finished speaking, glancing at Jiang Zhongming, who was still lying low beside her. "Do you have any?"

Jiang Zhongming, believing that patience would bring peace, quickly shook his head.

He didn't even have the courage to shout, which made Jiang Miaomiao even more contemptuous. She then pressed him aggressively: "Neither of you have anything! You can't produce anything. What's the use of just talking?"

Jiang Bainian felt increasingly disheartened as he listened, a growing bitterness and regret welling up inside him. He could no longer contain himself and grabbed her sleeve, yelling, "Fine, if you want to hear me admit I'm a good-for-nothing, then I'll say I'm a good-for-nothing, okay?"

After saying that, he turned around angrily and was about to leave, but Jiang Miaomiao blocked his way.

Her eyes grew increasingly cold. "During working hours, your office isn't over there."

"Trash should go to trashy places! I quit!"

There is still the concept of "waste can be utilized".

"Then let me put it another way, it's called environmental protection and recycling."

Jiang Miaomiao said unhurriedly, "If you're willing to admit today that you're not as skilled as me, and obediently follow my orders from now on, I might treat the three of you better out of consideration for siblings. When Old Jiang kicks the bucket one day, I might give you a larger share of my inheritance... If you don't admit it, either achieve something to refute me and defeat me fair and square, or I'll just consider the company as supporting two more good-for-nothings. Oh, the youngest is still in school. If he's as bad at studying as you guys, then I'll just consider him as supporting three good-for-nothings."

After saying that, she pushed open the office door and turned to walk in.

Jiang Bainian and Jiang Zhongming were left standing outside the door.

Jiang Zhongming timidly tugged at him, "Even Dad has stepped down, so it might be our turn soon. Let's just leave on our own."

"Where are you going?" Jiang Bainian shook off his hand, baring his teeth. "She's trampled all our male dignity! She just kept saying that she wanted us to give up on ourselves and become incapable of competing with her anymore, right? Why should we? The Da Jiang Group used to belong to Dad, but it will be ours in the future! We can't let her have her way!"

Jiang Zhongming asked in a daze, "Brother, what else can we do?"

Jiang Bainian clenched his fist: "Find an alliance! The enemy of my enemy is my friend! Although Dad has admitted defeat, Uncle hasn't. We can cooperate with Uncle, sow discord between the two sides, and then reap the benefits. Besides, she clearly benefits from the prestige of her prestigious university but insists on indirectly praising herself as smart. What a joke! We Jiang family men are the smartest; we're just not as eloquent and cunning as her! Our youngest son is still studying. Since she refuses to admit that we Jiang family men are smart, let him get into a better university than her and completely surpass her."

Jiang Zhongming asked suspiciously, "...I have a feeling you've misunderstood? You were completely manipulated by her?"

"Really? I don't believe it!" Jiang Bainian insisted. "I'm the eldest brother, you can't go wrong by listening to me! Let's go, let's split up."

"..." Jiang Miaomiao, who was eavesdropping on the conversation outside the door, suddenly had a "MMP" to say.

The office behind her had once again regained its internet cafe-like work atmosphere.

A dozen or so young people, dressed in T-shirts, shorts, and flip-flops, were typing away on their computers.

No one objected to the strange behavior of this leader, who was at the very top of their ranks, and they didn't even bother to glance at her. After all, for IT geeks, apart from the world of anime and manga, computer code was the most adorable thing.

Only Mo Congyun from the legal department noticed that she had been eavesdropping since she entered the room.

After a long, long time—so long that he was afraid of missing work—he finally mustered up the courage to step forward: "Boss, last time you signed a logistics cooperation agreement with the Tu family, but the Tu family's official website directly published the contract details. If both parties want to continue cooperating, you can take this opportunity to negotiate a lower price; if you don't want to cooperate, we can unilaterally terminate the agreement based on the fact that the other party leaked the contract."

Jiang Miaomiao came to her senses and calmly said, "Then let's officially lift the ban. Tu Dongli is indeed capable, but he actually indulged Tu Jiaojiao in bringing her business to the forefront. It's inevitable that similar situations will occur in the future, so it's best to cut it off."

Mo Congyun nodded and did as instructed.

Throughout the morning, various KPIs were distributed from the office one after another, including finding new logistics partners, promoting online shopping again, and planning the upcoming Valentine's Day promotional activities.

It's clear to the naked eye that Dajiang Group's oldest cosmetics and skincare business is poised for a second spring.

***

Jiang Jiezhi, who didn't feel much involvement in the internal strife and company chaos, went home to catch up on his studies tonight, as usual.

Just as he was about to express his disappointment because Jiang Miaomiao hadn't returned from working overtime, Jiang Bainian and Jiang Zhongming unusually appeared together.

They lifted him up, removed his feet, and dragged him into a well-soundproofed storage room with lightning speed.

"What...what do you want to do?" Jiang Jiezhi asked, feeling a little guilty.

I've been getting too close to Jiang Miaomiao lately, completely forgetting the vow the three brothers made to get rid of her, and mistakenly thinking that my brothers would punish me for it.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Bainian asked fiercely, "What were your recent exam scores?"

"What?" Jiang Jiezhi was momentarily stunned, but when he realized what they were asking, he immediately straightened his face and replied firmly, "Why should I say!"

That's a bad sign!

Jiang Bainian decisively snatched the backpack he was carrying.

Jiang Jiezhi, feeling embarrassed and ashamed, tried to take it back, but Jiang Zhongming stopped him by grabbing his waist.

"Ah, what are you doing? Let me go!" He frantically writhed, even more violently than when Jiang Miaomiao shaved his head a while ago. Jiang Bainian pulled open his schoolbag and roughly dumped out all sorts of colorful textbooks and workbooks. Unable to find the test papers, he rummaged through the textbooks and workbooks, finding that the workbooks were either blank or all marked with crosses, clearly indicating that the youngest son's academic performance was far from ideal.

Jiang Bainian covered his eyes, pointed at Jiang Jiezhi with a tone of disappointment and frustration: "How can you be so useless!"

Excuse me?

Is the exhaust fan on the storage compartment blowing too much air?

Or is there something wrong with his ears?

Jiang Jiezhi's eyes widened as he glared at Jiang Bainian: "What did you just say? How dare you say he's useless?"

"Damn it!" the bald boy immediately flew into a rage. "At least I've scored over ten points on my recent exams. You guys all handed in blank papers back then, okay?"

"No way!" Jiang Bainian retorted instinctively, and Jiang Zhongming also replied firmly, "How could we possibly hand in a blank paper?"

Jiang Jiezhi looked around, pointed to an empty corner in the storage room, and shouted fiercely, "I didn't have money to buy game currency a while ago, so I sold the books piled up there by weight. There were even blank exam papers you handed in during your high school exams mixed in with them."

Jiang Bainian and Jiang Zhongming choked for a moment, then said in unison, "No picture, no truth! You've seen wrong!"

With the score at two to one, the underdog Jiang Jiezhi was choked up, his eyes red with grievance.

He is, after all, the eldest son in this family, and moreover, he has been entrusted with an important responsibility.

Jiang Bainian coughed twice, then reached out to affectionately stop Jiang Jiezhi, saying earnestly, "Youngest brother, I have something to discuss with you. I heard you've been taking extra classes lately, right?"

"So what if I am? I'm still angry." Jiang Jiezhi pushed Jiang Bainian away, but the next moment, he was completely embraced by Jiang Zhongming.

Seeing that his paternalistic approach with Jiang Bainian wasn't working, Jiang Zhongming switched to a kind and gentle one, "Little brother, can your second brother ask you a favor?"

Jiang Jiezhi reluctantly said, "You go first, but whether you agree or not is another matter."

Jiang Zhongming then asked, "I heard you've been taking extra classes lately? How's your understanding? How do you anticipate the results?"

Jiang Jie asked suspiciously, "Why are you asking this?"

Jiang Zhongming smiled gently and said, "Do I need a reason to care about my own brother?"

Something's fishy! Jiang Jiezhi narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the two suspiciously, and carefully chose his words: "Not bad."

“How about we hire four more tutors for you? Two aren’t enough!” Jiang Zhongming said, making a startling statement, attempting to use the strategy of “quantitative change leading to qualitative change” to turn Jiang Jiezhi into a genius.

Jiang Jiezhi's expression immediately changed: "Even if I break my oath, do you really need to kill me?"

He's already suffering so much with two tutors watching him, and now they're adding four more? Is this some kind of lucky charm? Are they trying to wear him down?

He quickly shook off Jiang Zhongming.

But then two sharp claws gripped his shoulders and pulled him back, so he was once again facing Jiang Bainian's deliberately old-fashioned face: "Youngest son, do you know your status in the family?"

Jiang Jiezhi nodded.

Being the "youngest" in the family means having no status; he is now at the very bottom of the Jiang family's food chain.