Zhang Mingzhe stood in front of the heavy black lacquered gate of the Zhang family's old house, the veins on his forehead throbbing uncontrollably.
He raised his hand to straighten his tie for the third time, only to find his fingertips trembling uncontrollably, a discovery that made him even more agitated.
Xiaomi's tearful voice still echoed in his ears: "Mingzhe... I'm so sad... All the advertisers canceled their contracts, and even the movie role I just got was replaced... It seems I'm really too bad, not suited for the entertainment industry..."
The sound of his beloved goddess sobbing was like a dull knife, cutting Zhang Mingzhe's nerves again and again, but at the same time it gave him the opportunity to stand in front of his grandfather, whom he had been afraid of since childhood, and seek help.
The door opened silently, and the deeply wrinkled face of the butler, Old Chen, appeared through the crack.
The old man looked at the young master with complicated emotions, his gaze lingering for a moment on his disheveled clothes and reddened eyes.
"Young Master... The Old Master wants you to go to the main hall; everyone is there."
Old Chen's voice was kept extremely low.
Zhang Mingzhe's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed a non-existent saliva.
He stepped over the threshold he had run across since he was a child, and suddenly realized that this time, he had to do things perfectly!
As Zhang Mingzhe pushed open the heavy mahogany door to the study, before he could even see what was inside, a crystal ashtray flew towards him and struck him squarely on the forehead.
A sharp pain exploded instantly, and Zhang Mingzhe staggered back two steps, his vision filled with stars.
Warm blood flowed down his brow bone, blurring his vision in his right eye. He instinctively raised his hand to cover the wound, but gasped when he touched the warm, wet area.
Kneel down!
The thunderous roar of Zhang Hongru, the patriarch of the Zhang family, made the glass in the study vibrate.
An eighty-year-old man stood in the center of the study, leaning on a cane, his face ashen, his hawk-like eyes burning with fury.
Zhang Mingzhe's knees buckled, and he knelt down on the cold marble floor with a thud.
The pain in his knee brought him to his senses a little more. Only then did he realize that the study was full of people. His father, Zhang Zhenguo, stood by the window with a livid face, while his mother, Lin Wan, sat on the sofa with a worried expression, but dared not approach.
His second uncle, Zhang Zhenbang, and his family of three stood in the corner of the study. His second aunt's undisguised sarcasm and his cousin Zhang Yueyue's gloating eyes were like knives stabbing at him.
Before he could even open his mouth to explain, the old man rushed forward in three quick steps and slapped him three times across the face.
The sound of slapping was particularly jarring in the quiet study.
Zhang Mingzhe's ears were immediately filled with a buzzing sound, and the inside of his mouth was broken by his teeth, with the taste of blood spreading in his mouth.
Do you know why I hit you?
The old man grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to the center of the study.
Zhang Mingzhe's expensive custom-made suit was crumpled in the old man's hands, and the tie was so tight that he could hardly breathe.
The old man let go and slammed a thick folder hard into his face.
Papers scattered and flew everywhere, and a few sharp edges left tiny bloodstains on his face.
"The Fu family has suddenly launched an attack on all of the Zhang family's projects! Banks are collectively withdrawing loans!"
"After investigating, the source turned out to be that lousy entertainment company that gave you practice on!!"
"Tell me, what have you been up to lately?!"
The old man's voice trembled with anger.
Zhang Mingzhe struggled to focus his gaze on the documents scattered on the ground.
Those were photos of him and Lu Xiaomi vacationing in the Maldives, intimate photos of the two on a private yacht, and transfer records of him securing resources for Lu Xiaomi—the amounts were astonishingly large, all of which the old man had thoroughly investigated.
Why even ask him? It would only embarrass him in front of his second uncle's family.
However, since the Zhang family has not yet explicitly named him as their heir, Zhang Mingzhe dares not speak his mind.
"Mingzhe, all for an actress like this?"
"You almost ruined the Zhang family's decades-long legacy! Does she deserve it?"
Aunt Wang Li's sharp voice came from the corner.
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