Chapter 76 The Seventy-Sixth Day of Not Running Away The Seventy-Sixth Day of Not Running Away...
Is Dad home?
When Zhang Yurong returned home, she handed her bag to Mi Lin and asked the housekeeper who came to the door.
Her father, Zhang Zhaolin, lived with his stepmother in a mansion on the Upper East Side of New York. The house had about a dozen rooms, but only a few people actually lived there. Besides Zhang Zhaolin and his wife, there was only the butler, a few nannies, assistants, and bodyguards.
"Yes, sir is having dinner." The butler nodded slightly to Zhang Yurong, came over to help Zhang Yurong take off her cloak, and then whispered in her ear, "Ms. Susan is also here."
Susan is Zhang Yurong's stepmother.
Zhang Yurong hummed in agreement, her face showing no particular emotion. She pointed to the dense forest and said to the butler, "Have the kitchen find her something to eat."
Mi Lin quickly replied, "I'm not hungry."
Zhang Yurong interrupted her, "You only have time to eat now. I have to go out again later, Meilin."
The housekeeper nodded and asked with concern, "Miss, would you like me to prepare something to eat as well?"
Zhang Yurong shook her head: "No need. Go to the gift room and pick out a few things suitable for male elders. I'll need them later."
Meilin agreed, and Zhang Yurong then hurried towards the main restaurant.
Although located on New York's Upper East Side, the Zhang family's house is decorated in a completely old-fashioned style, with mahogany tables and chairs, antique calligraphy and paintings, and an eighteen-fold screen separating the living room from the main dining room.
If you didn't know the inside story, you might think this is an old house somewhere in China.
In fact, the furniture and decorations in this room were indeed moved to the United States from the old Zhang family house in Suzhou decades ago.
“Dad,” Zhang Yurong said as she walked, her expression gradually changing from anger when she first returned to a smile.
She walked to the side of the main seat, touched cheeks with Zhang Zhaolin, and kissed her father's cheek.
The dining table was Chinese style, and Zhang Zhaolin was dressed in a full silk Tang suit. He was old, but well-maintained, with thick but completely white hair. He put down his chopsticks, patted Zhang Yurong's arm, and said, "You're finally back. Have you eaten?"
“May,” Susan greeted her with a smile, “You’ve been away in China for so long, your father must miss you.”
Zhang Yurong smiled slightly at her stepmother, "I miss Dad too. Dad, have you finished eating? I have something I want to tell you."
She glanced at the table and saw that the old man's meal was almost finished before she spoke.
Susan smiled brightly and said affectionately, "Zhang, your precious daughter really loves you. Look at my silly son, he's been away playing for half a year and he's never been this eager to come back."
Her mentally challenged son sat across from her. He was a young white man with blond hair. Although Susan belittled him by calling him mentally challenged, Philon was actually a legitimate Cambridge master's graduate, majoring in finance.
Phil put down her chopsticks, picked up her cup, and said to Susan, "Mommy, I miss you, but I know Daddy will take good care of you, so I don't have to worry at all."
Susan rolled her eyes at him and said, "What you're saying is, does that mean May wouldn't feel at ease with Zhang being with me? You really don't know how to talk."
Zhang Yurong almost sneered inwardly.
Previously, her best friends all said that it was a good thing that her father found a white woman. After all, white women are known for being carefree and straightforward, without any guile, unlike Asians who are used to scheming and backstabbing. Especially her best friends' fathers, whether they were banding together or had a mentality of "those who are not of our race must have different intentions," were extremely traditional when it came to finding mistresses, only looking for Chinese women. As a result, although the family had entered the modern era, the atmosphere was no different from the scheming and backstabbing in the feudal inner court.
Zhang Yurong only wanted to say that human nature is no different. The so-called "white woman" is innocent because she has seen too little of people and doesn't understand them.
If they saw how adept Susan was at using veiled insults, innuendo, and sowing discord, they would surely change their opinion of the white woman.
“I’m worried,” Zhang Yurong said with a smile. “Aunt Susan is so beautiful and loves sports. My father isn’t in good health, and I’m afraid he won’t be able to keep you entertained enough. By the way, Aunt Susan, have you been in contact with that man who plays frisbee lately?”
Susan looked a little embarrassed when the man was mentioned.
Like any stepmother who is mistreated by her stepchildren, she looked at Zhang Zhaolin.
Zhang Zhaolin ignored him, as if he hadn't heard or seen anything. He patted Zhang Yurong's hand and said, "Come on, let's go to my study. You must have seen a lot since you came back to China. I heard you made a fortune."
Zhang Yurong personally helped the old man up, but the old man weighed over 170 pounds, which was far beyond her ability to support. A bodyguard silently came up to help him.
Zhang Yurong felt a little relieved. "It's alright. Compared to what Dad made on Wall Street back then, it's just a drop in the ocean. But how much we earn is secondary; the main thing is that we've gained something..."
Upon entering the study, Zhang Zhaolin was already panting and sweating profusely after walking less than a hundred meters.
The bodyguard skillfully brought him an oxygen cylinder and let him breathe oxygen.
"Dad, how is your health?" Zhang Yurong had prepared a whole list of questions, but hesitated when she saw her father's appearance.
When she left, Mr. Zhang wasn't in such a state.
Zhang Zhaolin waved his hand, took several deep breaths of oxygen, lay down on the chair, closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, and then slowly opened them: "I'm alright, I reckon I can live for another year or two without any problem. You can continue with your story. How is things back home now?"
Zhang Yurong pulled up a chair and sat down next to him. "It's just getting started, and everything is still in its infancy. But I'm optimistic about the domestic market. With such a large population and such huge consumer demand, even selling just a pair of socks could make you a billionaire."
"Can people in China afford socks now?" Zhang Zhaolin said with a smile.
“Dad,” Zhang Yurong said with a hint of helplessness, “China is really different now than before. You can’t look at things with the old perspective anymore. For example, in Shanghai, I’ve seen many people who are willing to spend money. They can afford clothes that cost hundreds or thousands of yuan.”
"Is that so?" Zhang Zhaolin pondered. "The last time I went back was in 1969. It seems things have really changed. I don't object to a large domestic market, but I'm afraid the policies will change rapidly, sometimes loosening and sometimes tightening. Don't forget, we capitalists will be completely overthrown in China. If it happens again, the financial loss is nothing, but I'm afraid people will get hurt."
Zhang Zhaolin's words were not meant to smear, but were very objective.
Before sending his only daughter back to China, he had already contacted relatives and friends in China to conduct an investigation. One of them, Nian Guangjiu, the owner of a snack bar called "Foolish Melon Seeds," was arrested and released repeatedly.
In this situation, when investing and doing business back in China, in addition to considering whether it can make money, one must also consider the issue of safety.
Zhang Yurong said, "Dad, I know your concerns, but this time in Shanghai I really saw changes in the country. Didn't I tell you about the Shanghai Stock Exchange..."
She recounted how she bought two thousand shares at once and made millions.
As Zhang Zhaolin listened calmly, he seemed to be deep in thought. "So, the girl you brought back is a prodigy?"
“I think she’s very special.” After saying this, Zhang Yurong observed her father’s expression. Seeing that he didn’t immediately object, she continued, “Moreover, I want her to be the trader for the Particle Private Equity Fund.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhaolin laughed, but his laughter was so loud that he couldn't help but cough.
Zhang Yurong was about to go over and pat his back to help him catch his breath when the bodyguard stepped forward. Zhang Zhaolin coughed several times, covering his mouth with a handkerchief in his hand.
After a while, he calmed down, took a deep breath, and said to Zhang Yurong, "Dr. Zhuo told me that she needs to have bypass surgery. If I remember correctly, I once told you that to gain a foothold on Wall Street, you must have a strong body and a tenacious heart. You, as a talent scout, have picked out such a promising person after all your hard work?"
Zhang Yurong's smile was forced.
Of course, she wasn't stupid. Wen Chan's physical condition was indeed very different from the standards of Wall Street. You know, on Wall Street, both men and women are treated like animals. Moreover, the amount of money involved in this place is huge, often hundreds of millions or tens of millions.
Sometimes a single transaction can earn you millions, while the next one can result in a loss of tens of millions.
Let alone people with heart disease, even people with normal hearts will develop heart problems after spending too much time on Wall Street.
“She’s different. I believe she has the ability,” Zhang Yurong said. “Besides, I’ve already discussed it with her. She will make a few transactions first so I can see her strength.”
Zhang Zhaolin glanced at his daughter and sighed, "You're getting old, so make your own decisions. If the Particle Fund loses money, I don't need to elaborate on the consequences."
“I know,” Zhang Yurong nodded.
She paused for a moment, and although she saw that her father looked exhausted today, she couldn't help but ask, "Dad, I heard that you suspended Uncle from his job and sent him home to rest."
“Yes.” Zhang Zhaolin nodded. “Your uncle is getting old, and he has suffered considerable losses on several investments. I have to explain this to the other shareholders.”
"Are they other shareholders?" Zhang Yurong stood up and leaned against the desk, looking down at her father. "I heard that Susan accused my uncle of embezzling funds..."
As soon as Zhang Yurong landed, she received complaints from her younger cousins.
The Zhang family is such a large conglomerate, and most of its members are relatives. Everyone is very dissatisfied with Zhang's father for taking action against his own brother for the sake of a foreign woman like Susan.
Especially since Uncle Zhang is the general manager of Zhuoyue Property within the group, his temporary suspension and the appointment of his deputy to fill the gap have caused quite a bit of trouble.
In these turbulent times, Zhang Yurong only hoped that things would be less troublesome and that they would not cause her any trouble.
As for embezzlement, Zhang Yurong could only say that no one is perfect, and there are very few truly honest and clean people in the group.
Zhang Zhaolin said calmly, "I've already made up my mind about this, you don't need to say anything more."
He closed his eyes, his order to leave was clearly clear.
Zhang Yurong originally wanted to have a proper discussion with her father, but she didn't expect him to not even give her a chance to discuss it, which made her furious.
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