While Tao Rui was consciously selecting his friends, Li Jiaxuan began conducting a comprehensive investigation and analysis of the Tao family's pharmaceutical factory. Naturally, the project proposal was rejected. Tao Feng sought other partners, but upon seeing the Li family's attitude, they all backed off.

Who knows what grudges they have? If they offend the Li family by cooperating with the Tao family, it would be more trouble than it's worth.

Tao Feng was filled with rage and wanted to curse, but he couldn't reach Tao Rui and Li Jiaxuan at all. Only the housekeeper and secretary answered his calls. He wanted to vent his anger, but he had no place to vent it. Instead, Jiang Li and Tao Mujiang at home took the brunt of the anger. The family atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense, and Tao Mujiang was becoming more and more rebellious.

Not long afterward, Tao Feng discovered the Li family's actions against the Tao family. Surprised, his first reaction was—Tao Rui had truly come for revenge!

Tao Feng urgently convened a meeting of the pharmaceutical factory's senior management to develop countermeasures. Numerous plans were drawn up, but facing the surging Li family, they were like an ant trying to shake a tree. The Tao family was already on the verge of collapse, and Li Jiaxuan was using them as a training ground. Even with initial inexperience, the Tao family would soon collapse.

The entire process was like a lesson for Li Jiaxuan. She had accumulated a wealth of experience and knowledge, even developing a completely new management plan and employee benefits plan. Under her leadership, the pharmaceutical factory was sure to have a brighter future. This was a boon for all the employees at the factory, but it was a bolt from the blue for the Tao family.

Tao Feng and Jiang Li couldn't get into the Li family's house, so they simply blocked the door. Tao Rui went to the company every noon to deliver lunch to Li Jiaxuan. As soon as his car drove out of the gate, Tao Feng parked his car in front of him, blocking his way.

Tao Feng and Jiang Li slammed the door and got out of the car. They walked over angrily and banged on the door, "Tao Rui! Get out of the car! Get out!"

The driver asked, "Mr. Tao, do you need to call security?"

Tao Rui nodded and rolled down the car window. He sat in the car with his legs crossed, calm and composed, like a gentleman. Facing the furious Tao Feng outside, he smiled cheerfully, "Father, what's so mad about?"

"What are you asking me? Tao Rui, what on earth did you do? You asked Li Jiaxuan to buy the pharmaceutical factory? She's about to succeed, and you think that's a good thing? If the Tao family is gone, you'll be nothing more than a gigolo who marries into the family and lives off them!"

"Just because the Tao family exists, does that mean I am no longer one?" Tao Rui asked back.

Tao Feng tried to read something on his face, but there was nothing on Tao Rui's face except a smile. Tao Feng then realized that his son was so perfect. When did he grow up to this point?

Tao Feng gritted his teeth and said, "It was me who wronged your mother and you. You can ask for any compensation you want. If you want the pharmaceutical factory, I can also make a will and make you the heir..."

"Tao Feng!" Jiang Li screamed, her eyes widening. It was obvious she hadn't known Tao Feng had such plans before coming. If the pharmaceutical factory was given to Tao Rui in the future, what would happen to her and Tao Mujiang?

Tao Rui glanced back and forth between the two of them and asked with a smile, "It seems you two don't agree. Do you want to go back and discuss it?"

Tao Feng said firmly: "No need. The pharmaceutical factory is mine, it belongs to the Tao family, and has nothing to do with her."

"Tao Feng! You bastard, even if you don't care about me, I still have to think about our son..."

Jiang Li pulled Tao Feng, but was pushed aside by him and almost fell. Tao Feng raised his hand and pressed it on the car window, and said to Tao Rui seriously: "Tao Rui, your last name is Tao. Our pharmaceutical factory that has been passed down for three generations cannot be destroyed in my hands."

Tao Ruiwei looked up at the white clouds in the sky and said softly, "There was once a kind woman. She was the most beloved pearl of her parents, the mother that her son relied on the most, and the best Mrs. Tao in the Tao family. I believe that her life should not have ended in the Tao family, but I will never have the chance to save her life, nor will I have the chance to spend even a second with my mother again."

He shifted his gaze to the couple outside the car and said calmly, "Mr. Tao, Ms. Jiang, I have always believed that good and evil will be rewarded in the end. I think your fate today is what you deserve. Every time you show up, it reminds me of everything that happened in the past. Then, I have to strike harder to be worthy of my deceased mother and my past self. Goodbye, and good luck to you both."

Tao Rui rolled up the car window, blocking out the angry curses and shouting outside. The driver drove around the Tao family's car, and the couple was restrained by security and kept away from them.

That night, Tao Rui ran into Tao Mujiang again at Jiang Hua's club. Or rather, Tao Mujiang had someone bring him in specifically to see Tao Rui. Tao Mujiang, drunk and red-eyed, grabbed Tao Rui and demanded, "Why are you doing this to my family? Why have you ruined my life? My parents fought over you and smashed the study, and nothing I said was working. Dad even wanted to divorce Mom, and I've become everyone's laughingstock!"

This is all your fault. Why did you return to China? Tao Rui, you are totally redundant. Everything was fine when you were away!

Jiang Hua was about to call the security guard over, but Tao Rui waved his hand. He pushed Tao Mujiang away, lowered his head to smooth out the wrinkles on his sleeve, and said with a smile, "My return to China was Ms. Jiang Li's idea. Your mother wanted to sell me in exchange for the support of the Li family. Unfortunately, I'm not her puppet. She overestimates my intelligence. If you're not satisfied, you should ask her why she's so stupid."

You've had such a smooth life these past few years that you've probably forgotten that you were an illegitimate child in your mother's womb. It was only after my mother passed away and gave way that you were born legitimate. The three of you ruined my mother's and my life long ago, and now you're simply returning to the way things should have been.

So if we talk about being redundant, then you are the redundant one in the Tao family."

Tao Mujiang's face was filled with dissatisfaction. Tao Rui stepped forward and looked at him and said, "If you don't want this ending, then work hard to change it yourself. Like me, when I was exiled abroad, did I ever cause you any trouble?"

“You rely on the Li family, you are despicable.”

"If you have the ability, you can rely on others to bring me down. If you don't, then don't laugh at others. Learn more." Tao Rui turned to leave, then stopped. "Oh, and you don't have to worry about being a laughing stock, because people won't remember you at all. You take yourself too seriously."

After saying this, Tao Rui walked out of the club, and the others naturally followed him.

Tao Mujiang couldn't argue with Tao Rui, and his face flushed with shame and anger. He thought he had lost face and everyone would look down on him. But he found that people who walked past him just walked past him, chatting about other things. No one looked at him strangely or talked about him.

He waited until Tao Rui and the others were far away, took a deep breath, and walked out with forced composure. It was still the same. No one paid attention to him, as if no one knew him. Even the staff at the gate treated him the same as other guests. There was nothing special about him.

Tao Rui was right, he took himself too seriously. Compared to the way Jiang Hua and others followed Tao Rui just now, he suddenly felt a huge sense of frustration, feeling that he and Tao Rui were no longer on the same level.

Just days later, the Tao family's chain of pharmaceutical factories was officially acquired by the Li family and merged into the Li family's umbrella. The Tao family went bankrupt, and not only did they lose the pharmaceutical factories, but they also lost the villa they had lived in for many years and several luxury cars. Before they could vent their anger, they were forced to move, completely withdrawing from the circle of "rich families."

While the Tao Family Pharmaceutical Factory wasn't a top-tier enterprise, it was certainly a second-tier one. The sudden change of ownership, with the daughter-in-law acquiring her father-in-law's pharmaceutical factory, immediately became a hot topic!

All major business magazines were reporting on the incident, and even gossip and entertainment were speculating about the reasons behind it, as if it were gossip. Li Jiaxuan's secretary suddenly received many interview requests, including requests for interviews with both Li Jiaxuan and Tao Rui.

Of course, he rejected all the interviews, but Tao Rui didn't mind revealing a little bit of gossip.

Soon, the internet knew some of the "wealthy family's secrets": Tao Feng had an affair with Jiang Li, got her pregnant with Tao Mujiang, angered his original wife to death, and sent thirteen-year-old Tao Rui abroad, leaving him to fend for himself. Only years later, when he was trying to get back into the Li family, did he remember Tao Rui. Unexpectedly, this time, Li Jiaxuan brought disaster upon her entire family. She avenged Tao Rui!

Netizens don't understand the specific details of the pharmaceutical factory acquisition, nor the specific gains and losses, but they love to read gossip. With scumbags like Tao Feng and Jiang Li, this development is simply delightful. Furthermore, Tao Rui and Li Jiaxuan's sweet moments are also quite sweet; this young couple can make people imagine many sweet stories.

In particular, some employees of the Li Group also posted information online, revealing that Tao Rui personally cooked for Li Jiaxuan at noon and in the evening every day and ate with her at the company. He also gave Li Jiaxuan a supercar and a cart of roses.

This added an unparalleled romantic touch to the young couple's sweet story, naturally aligning the vast majority of netizens with Tao Rui and Li Jiaxuan. A good corporate image is crucial, and as the current chairman of Li Group, Li Jiaxuan currently holds an excellent image. Meanwhile, Tao Feng's image is so poor that no one would believe him even if he tried to stir up trouble. He certainly wouldn't be given the chance to stage a comeback.

While gossip was swirling around the city, Tao Rui had already used a formula-making machine to create formulas for over a dozen common ailments. These medications were more effective, had no side effects, and were made from readily available herbs. Li Jiaxuan immediately ordered the relevant procedures to be followed up and released promotional materials for the drugs, capitalizing on the hype to let everyone know that the pharmaceutical factory had been completely overhauled and was completely different from before.

All the problems left over from Tao Feng’s mismanagement will not affect the future development of the pharmaceutical factory, and naturally will not cause people to have doubts about the quality of the drugs.

After a busy period, Li Jiaxuan found some time to go home early and told Tao Rui about giving him shares. "The pharmaceutical factory means something special to you, and you came up with those formulas. You deserve these shares."

Tao Rui showed no interest. "Shares are also an important factor in management. You should keep them for yourself. It will be convenient for you to do anything. We are a couple and we are of one mind. Why should we divide them so clearly?"

"But……"

"No buts," Tao Rui joked, "Am I afraid you'll kick me out? There's no need for us to go back and forth. You're back so early, why don't I draw you a picture?"

Tao Rui pushed Li Jiaxuan into the studio and showed her his recent work. "I've made a lot of progress. I've been learning to paint for so long, but I've never painted for you. I'll paint a picture today and hang it in your study."

"Ah? I don't know how to be a model." Li Jiaxuan felt a little helpless when she thought about the model staying there unable to move. She had never been a model before.

Tao Rui walked over with her and said with a smile: "It's okay, it's very simple. You can look at the documents or do anything else here. Don't worry about me. I will draw slowly and tell you when it's done."

"Read documents?" Li Jiaxuan thought for a moment and shrugged. "Okay, I'll bring the computer over and take care of some things here."

"OK!" Tao Rui arranged all the painting tools, waited for Li Jiaxuan to start working, and slowly outlined her figure on the canvas.

The studio was so quiet that only the sounds of computers and paintbrushes filled the air. But it wasn't dull at all; instead, it felt warm and harmonious. Tao Rui's words about how daily meals fostered a bond were true. They were already very close, and the image of them spending time together like this was a painting, a picture of happiness and warmth.