Chapter 169: Retreat a little
Although he is the nominal eldest brother and the earliest heir to the master, judging from the current layout and power distribution of the family, the eldest master has almost become the most marginalized of the three.
Whether in terms of discourse power, control of resources or accumulation of personal connections, his influence is the weakest among the three, and some people even no longer take his existence seriously.
However, the eldest master's mother is the master's original wife. It is said that when the master was not yet successful and was in poverty, she gave him endless support and help in the most difficult days, and even saved the master's life at one point.
This deep kindness is hard to match by any other lady in the Gao family.
The Gao family has three young masters, each with three different mothers. The status and influence of each mother cannot be ignored, and each represents a force.
If we can achieve non-interference with each other and live in peace, that would naturally be the best outcome.
But the reality is often not like this, especially in the distribution of various interests and resources at home, which is most likely to cause disputes.
Not to mention that brothers would develop grudges over whether they got more or less of the family property, which would then develop into fierce conflicts. What's more, behind the three young masters, there were their respective mothers secretly giving advice and competing with each other.
The eldest young master's family's power not only includes the young master himself, but also the grandson who has already been born. It can be said that it occupies an extremely important position in the continuation of the Gao family's bloodline.
The second young master's family is quite prosperous, with two sons and a baby granddaughter. In addition, his granddaughter-in-law is currently pregnant, and the family will soon be filled with new members.
As for the third young master's family, it seems particularly deserted. The third young master has not married yet, and naturally has no children.
He was the son born when the master was old and the youngest in the family.
You know, the third young master was born when the second young master was already in his twenties.
The eldest uncle is only about three years older than the second uncle.
The third young master also has a younger sister, the fourth young lady. She is the biological daughter of the master and the old lady. She has pure blood and is very much loved.
Before the second young master's granddaughter was born, the fourth girl could be said to be the only legitimate daughter in the entire Gao family manor.
Now, the fourth girl is married. Her husband's family is a very famous wealthy family in Hong Kong, with a prominent status and a great reputation.
Although she was married, she returned to the Gao family manor quite frequently. She often went home to visit her relatives and stay for a while, and they had close contact.
Those former colleagues who liked to discuss family affairs and spread gossip behind the family's back had secretly said something to Shen Yan - don't be fooled by the Gao family's seemingly harmonious appearance. In fact, there has always been a lot of intrigue within the family.
From the family's status and power to the daily allocation of business resources, each one affects people's hearts, and open and covert struggles can be seen everywhere.
The three young masters are independent in their own way, and each of them has their own mothers supporting them. Each of them is making their own plans.
Shen Yan was completely confused at the time, so she couldn't help but ask her old colleague: "So what exactly are they planning?"
The old colleague lowered his voice and answered, "I heard that the Gao family's business is currently mainly managed by the second young master."
"But the Third Young Master has developed extremely rapidly in recent years. His strength and influence have grown rapidly, and he is already showing signs of being able to rival or even surpass the Second Young Master."
"As for the eldest young master..." The other party paused, "This branch is relatively well hidden, and the outside world doesn't hear much about it. But they have the Gao family's first grandson, so they are the most favored by the master."
"Rumor has it that the master has granted his eldest grandson a 2% stake in the manor. This is an unprecedented and extraordinary move. No family member has ever held such a high percentage of shares at such a young age, without having made any real contributions. Even the fourth daughter, the most favored and highly regarded daughter in the family, has never enjoyed such treatment."
"When the equity distribution plan was officially announced, the fourth daughter was furious and lost control of her emotions, causing a scene at the family gathering. Her expression changed immediately, her voice rose, and she even nearly overturned the coffee table in front of her. Such a scene was extremely rare in the Gao family, which always valued etiquette and decency."
"She openly questioned the master, asking why the eldest uncle's family was allowed to continue to reap the benefits. They had made almost no real contribution to the family over the years, yet they were still entitled to higher stock rights than hers. Her words were extremely harsh, describing the eldest uncle's family as parasites sucking blood from the Gao family tree, enjoying unearned gains and being disgusting."
"When these words reached the ears of the master's family, they were utterly disgraced and extremely embarrassed. After all, these were said in a formal family setting. The fourth girl practically slapped the master's family in the face, completely exposing the years-old rift between them. The scene was extremely awkward for a moment."
"But despite this, the fourth young lady herself suffered greatly. The master was furious and slapped her loudly on the spot. It was the first time in her life that she had been personally disciplined by the master. Afterwards, to tame her fiery temper, the master made a surprising decision—he sent her abroad to study for a considerable period of time, not allowing her to return home for almost a whole year."
"After all, in the early years, there were very few daughters in the family. The fourth daughter was the only one, and she was also the most intelligent and beloved among the brothers. She grew up in love and rarely suffered any harm, and no one dared to teach her a lesson directly. But that time, the slap from the master made her truly feel the family's majesty and indifference. From then on, she began to harbor resentment towards the master's family and secretly began to make her own plans."
After hearing this, Shen Yan's heart could not calm down for a long time. Only then did she truly realize that the wealthy family behind the Gao Family Manor not only had a bright and beautiful appearance, but also had more complicated and even dangerous struggles.
The surging undercurrent that was invisible and intangible, yet could swallow everything at any time, made her shudder involuntarily.
However, beneath these complex family relationships, there are actually things she wants to know more.
She pondered for a moment and asked in a low voice, "Who in the Gao family manor can really influence the Third Master?"
As soon as this question was asked, the old colleague opposite was stunned and couldn't say a word for a long time.
If she knew who was qualified and capable of truly controlling the Third Master's thoughts, she would not have been kicked out so easily.
If there really was such a person, she would definitely ask him for help, hoping to at least say a good word in front of the Third Master, even if it would make him restrain himself a little.
That's right, she shouldn't have been the one to spread the news about the ambiguous affair between Chen Yan and the Third Master.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
