Chapter 107: The Ruthless Actor (15)
The next day, Miao Jue and Zhan Deyun went to the British Consulate to sign an agreement with Davis.
No one present noticed that Miao Jue had tampered with the agreement.
Both parties signed the contract formally, but when Zhan Deyun took the seal of "Zhan's Trading Company" from the accountant, he was completely dumbfounded.
This important seal, which had been kept in a safe, was stolen at some point and turned into a fake seal with the word "Little Red Man" engraved on it.
Miao Jue was also shocked.
Beforehand, Shi Sui specifically told Miao Jue to make sure Zhan Deyun signed the agreement in his own name, not in the name of the Zhan Company.
She was a little nervous, not knowing whether she could successfully complete the task assigned by Shi Sui.
But now that the seal has been replaced, Miao Jue instantly felt confident.
After her persuasion without any obstacles, Davis finally agreed to let Zhan Deyun sign.
...At this time, Shi Sui was in the Zhan residence, playing with the genuine "Zhan's Trading Company" seal.
This thing is stored in Mr. Zhan's study. For her, changing the seal is as easy as taking something out of a bag.
Sign it! Sign it! Put all the blame on Zhan Deyun and make him bear the huge debt for the rest of his life!
…
On the way back, Miao Jue and Zhan Deyun passed by several businesses opened by the Zhan family in the British Concession.
Miao Jue was sitting in the car when he saw many men and women with half-dressed faces banging on doors, crying and shouting outside closed shops.
"Open the door! Why won't you open the door? Please, sir, please be kind! We haven't had any food in the house for three days!"
"Please! The kids and the elderly at home are waiting for dinner!!"
"Winter is coming soon, and we need some cloth and cotton to make some warm clothes!"
...The Zhan Company almost monopolized the supply of daily necessities in the British Concession.
The rich don't have to worry, as the Zhan's Trading Company will send people to deliver goods to them. But the ones who suffer are the common people who have no money and no power.
"What bad luck! I told you not to open the door, so why are these people here? It seems they haven't starved to death yet, and they still have the energy to come and cause trouble."
Zhan Deyun was very upset about the seal being replaced for no reason. He had no place to vent his anger, so he started to speak without restraint and utter bad words.
Miao Jue couldn't help but ask, "How long will the business be closed?! If this gets out of hand, the government won't just sit back and do nothing!"
"Haha, the government? The government dares to interfere in the affairs of the British Concession?! Sixth Mother, you are my father's concubine, so I respectfully call you 'Mother.' But you are a woman after all. Go shopping in the department store and buy some jewelry and cosmetics, that's fine. You don't understand business matters, so it's best not to interfere."
Zhan Deyun is two years younger than Miao Jue and is definitely a junior, but he is not polite at all when speaking.
Gah——
The driver suddenly slammed on the brakes.
Fortunately, Miao Jue reacted quickly enough and covered his head with both hands to protect it in time, while Zhan Deyun hit his face on the back of the seat in front of him.
"What do you do for a living? You can't even drive a car properly! I'll drive you away as soon as I turn around!" Zhan Deyun cursed immediately.
Miao Jue looked up and saw a young man standing straight in the middle of the road, motionless.
He was a handsome and gentle man, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, a lake blue Tang suit robe, a black wide-brimmed hat, and holding a rattan suitcase in his hand.
The young man raised his head slightly, looked at the plaque sign of "Zhan's Department Store", frowned, and seemed to be thinking about something.
"Big...Brother?" Zhan Deyun blurted out in surprise.
Yes, that is Mr. Zhan’s eldest son, Zhan Mingzhe.
Mr. Zhan's first wife, who has passed away due to illness, was a true lady from a noble family and came from a scholarly family in Hangzhou.
Just how powerful is her family? Her ancestors once produced a top scholar in the imperial examination, and before the fall of the Qing Dynasty, they had served as officials for generations.
Therefore, after the death of the first wife, her family had the confidence to take the young eldest son of the Zhan family back to Hangzhou to raise him.
Zhan Mingzhe's grandfather's original words were: "If there is a stepmother, there must be a stepfather. We Mingzhe cannot bear this kind of injustice. If your Zhan family wants a son, just marry another wife and have another one!"
Mr. Zhan was marrying up by marrying the first wife, and the other woman's daughter died of illness a few years after their marriage. He was in the wrong anyway and didn't dare to say a word in front of his father-in-law.
Zhan Mingzhe had not been in Shanghai since he was a child, so his relationship with his father was naturally weak.
Although Hangzhou and Shanghai were not far apart, and with the advent of automobiles and railways, travel had become even more convenient… Zhan Mingzhe only returned to the Zhan residence during the Qingming Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and Master Zhan’s birthday, as a way of catching up with his father’s relatives…
…
In the hall of the Zhan residence.
"Mingzhe, your father's birthday is still two weeks away. Why are you back so early?"
Shi Sui sat in the main seat in the hall, talking to this "son" who was not much younger than the fourth concubine.
Zhan Mingzhe took off his hat and placed it on his knees, sitting upright with his back straight, and his every move was quite dignified.
The appearance of that elegant young man was completely different from Zhan Deyun, who had the word "dandy" written all over his face.
"I heard that my father was sick and in the hospital, so I came back early to see if there was anything I could do to help."
Zhan Deyun was very disdainful: "Tsk! Are you here to help, or do you think Dad is seriously ill and want to fight for the family property? You always boast about reading the books of sages. Can you please stop being so hypocritical?"
"Anyway, I didn't come back to quarrel." Zhan Mingzhe looked righteous and didn't look away.
Shi Sui had long disliked Zhan Deyun, so she taunted him, "I heard you lost the company's seal? Oh, you still have the mood to curse me here, you don't seem to be in a hurry at all? Otherwise, I should send someone to tell the master."
"...Don't bother Fourth Mother! I, I... I'm just about to find out who's behind this! I don't have time to chat with you about family matters!"
Zhan Deyun was hit in the vital point and immediately started stuttering.
He was afraid of being questioned about this matter again, so he quickly withdrew.
After Zhan Deyun was driven away, the atmosphere in the hall became much more relaxed, and even the air became much fresher.
"Thank you, Fourth Aunt, for helping me out." Zhan Mingzhe bowed to Shi Sui.
"I'm not trying to help you out, I just don't want to see him." Shi Sui pointed at Miao Jue again, "That's the master's new sixth wife. You didn't come to their wedding, so let me introduce you to her."
"Oh, yes... I'm sorry, I haven't greeted Sixth Mama yet. It's my oversight. Hello, Sixth Mama, and please have some tea."
Zhan Mingzhe brought over a cup of tea, bent down seriously, and handed it to Miao Jue with both hands.
Miao Jue was a little flustered when suddenly there was this big boy who was a few years older than him.
"I, I didn't even prepare a red envelope... so there's no need to be so formal!"
She took the teacup and inadvertently touched Zhan Mingzhe's slender and somewhat cold fingers.
It was as if an electric current went straight from the fingertips to Miao Jue's heart.
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