Book 3, Chapter 162: Successor

After the door opened, Meng Shu stood still at the entrance for a second. Chen Chuan saw her subconsciously taking in a deep breath before heading inside.

He followed her. The lighting in the study was great. The autumn sun shone in through the windows, making the majestically decorated study look even more grand.

Under a beautiful, complex crystal chandelier located at the center of the ceiling was a heavy-looking, wooden desk. On it was a globe the size of half an adult man. The paintings and markings on the globe were done in the style of the old era.

Meng Lai was sitting on the sofa behind the desk.

Border Fusion was established sixty years ago, so Meng Lai should be at least eighty years old, but he looked like he was only a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties.

He was handsome and in good shape. His muscles weren’t loose either, and his skin was in good condition. He had thick, black hair, and gave off the air of someone who had been a leader for a long time.

Chen Chuan noticed that Meng Shu’s eyes were similar to his. Both of them had upturned almond-shaped eyes, but Meng Lai’s gaze was more complicated and profound, like a bottomless lake.

Aunt Yu went to Meng Lai and whispered into his ear. The man then smiled at Chen Chuan and gave him a nod before turning to Meng Shu. “You’re here, Xiao Shu.”

Meng Shu went forward and bowed to him as a greeting. “Grandfather.”

Meng Lai gave her a nod. “Since you’re here, take a seat. We need to wait for one more person.”

One more?

Chen Chuan wondered whether he was referring to Meng Huang. That was highly likely. But why would he refer to Meng Huang as a guest? That title held a unique implication.

Aunt Yu then said, “Take a seat.”

Chen Chuan readily accepted the offer and nodded as thanks before sitting down on a long sofa by the side. He looked outside. From here, he could see the airship docking pad in the courtyard outside. Meng Xu was still standing, as if waiting for someone.

Aunt Yu placed a hand on her Realm Pass and said something. A moment passed before a middle-aged man wearing a monocle with his hair neatly combed walked in. Beside him was an old man with a cane. His face was covered in age spots, and he had thin hair. He needed the middle-aged man to support him as he walked in.

Chen Chuan had read up on the people supporting Meng Lai, and he recognized the middle-aged man as Meng Lai’s personal lawyer, Ma Guangming. The old man had left a deep impression on Chen Chuan.

He was Meng Zhenghuai, Meng Lai’s granduncle and the man with seniority in the Meng family. He was 120 years old and only alive due to medicine.

Aunt Yu went over and dismissed the servant. She then grabbed Meng Zhenghuai’s arm and led him to a seat while saying, “Take your time, Mr. Zhenghuai.”

“I’m old now. I feel winded after taking just a few steps.”

After he sat down, Meng Zhenghuai put on his hearing aid with a trembling hand and turned to Meng Lai. “Xiao Lai, I’m here now. While I can still hear, why don’t you tell us what you want to say?”

“You’re not old yet, Granduncle. If you want, I can set up an implant surgery for you. With the technology nowadays, you can get your body back in good condition,” Meng Lai said with a smile.

“I told you, I don’t want those things in my body. I’m worried that my ancestors won’t recognize me after I get them. I’m already content for being able to live this long,” Meng Zhenghuai rejected the offer with a shake of his head and a dismissive wave.

Meng Lai didn’t try to continue convincing Meng Zhenghuai to change his mind. He just turned to Ma Guangming and said, “Mr. Ma.”

“Here,” Ma Guangming responded with a bow.

“I’ve asked two of the junior members of the family to come over. They’re both potential successors I value. I’ve been observing them for a long time. Now, since Xiao Shu is already here, I’m going to make my first announcement. Take note,” Meng Lai said.

Ma Guangming’s expression became stern. He took out a document from his briefcase, then grabbed a ballpoint pen and looked at Meng Lai to continue speaking.

At that moment, the room turned silent.

Meng Lai continued, “If Meng Huang doesn’t come at the assigned time today, I will see it as him giving up. I will then elect Meng Shu as the company’s sole successor.”

Meng Shu didn’t appear to be excited. She wasn’t sure whether this was Meng Lai trying to appease her or whether he had actually made up his mind.

But she knew what sort of reaction Meng Lai wanted to see from her, so she didn’t show anything.

Meng Lai seemed to like her reaction, and satisfaction appeared in his eyes.

Ma Guangming quickly wrote down what Meng Lai said before looking up and saying sternly, “I’ve recorded your statement, Mr. Meng.

“Based on the stipulated rules, if you’ve made any decisions regarding your successor, you need to present them to the other Meng family members and have them approve it. Then, you need to put it in black-and-white.”

Meng Lai hummed at that. He picked up the teacup on his desk and blew at it. “I’ll announce my decision in the next family meeting,” he said languidly.

“Then, there’s no other problem,” Ma Guangming said respectfully.

Meng Zhenghuai then said, “Xiao Lai, I’m here today, so I’ll bear witness to the matter.”

He turned to Aunt Yu. “Xiao Shu is the fourth’s daughter, isn’t she?”

Aunt Yu bowed. “Yes. She’s the fourth young master’s daughter. Your memory is still strong, Mr. Zhenghuai.”

Meng Zhenghuai chuckled and stroked his thin beard. “The fourth is a good kid. Xiao Shu is a good kid too. Xiao Lai, you’ve made a proper decision. I’ll support you in front of the other family members.”

Yan Yi cast a glance at Meng Lai before quickly looking away to turn to Ma Guangming.

Even though Meng Lai seemed to have already picked Meng Shu, Yan Yi didn’t think that the situation had really changed. Meng Huang’s actions were still going to be the deciding factor as to whether Meng Shu would be the successor. As long as they didn’t get rid of him, everything could change at a moment’s notice.

A company’s senior executives needed to be able to give their subordinates long-term expectations, but as part of the company’s management, she knew that only things truly put into practice had real value. Some promises might sound good on paper, but before they were fulfilled, they were empty promises.

Chen Chuan heard everything, and he had a feeling that those words weren’t meant just for Meng Shu, but also for him.

Or rather, it was for the Resolution Department.

Meng Lai was treating him as the representative of the Resolution Department.

That wasn’t wrong. He had come with some authority to act if things went awry. The permission to enforce the law had been delivered to him along with the other items, and he had brought them along with him.

Ma Guangming added a few more items on the document before handing it to Meng Lai for verification. When Meng Lai confirmed that there weren’t any problems with it, Ma Guangming took the document back and went out with Aunt Yu. Soon, Aunt Yu came back and gave Meng Lai a nod.

Then, Meng Lai and Meng Zhenghuai started talking about the good old times. They would occasionally ask about Meng Shu’s life, just like how an elder of a family would ask after the wellbeing of someone younger. The atmosphere was much more harmonious than before.

The seconds ticked by. After around half an hour, the agreed upon time of the meeting arrived, and the mantle clock started ringing.

Meng Zhenghuai stopped talking and narrowed his murky eyes.

Yan Yi subconsciously clenched her fists.

As the final chime echoed in the air, the door of the study flung open, and a man in his thirties walked in. “Sorry, I’m late,” he said in a teasing voice.

Chen Chuan looked over and found that the man shared some similar features with Meng Shu. He was pretty handsome, but there was something about his expression that screamed he was a man who did whatever he wanted and however he wanted.

When Meng Huang stood in front of them, Chen Chuan found that he looked a little different from the photo the Resolution Department had provided for him. The biggest difference was in his height. Meng Huang was supposed to be around 1.8 meters tall, but for some reason he was more than two meters tall.

Even though there was plenty of technology and implants that could increase a person’s height, Chen Chuan was sure that Meng Huang hadn’t used those methods.

The people in charge of companies seldom used implants. They had better medicine and unique methods to get stronger bodies and increase their lifespan.

Meng Huang didn’t come alone. Behind him was a burly man in sunglasses. His arms were pretty short and small, but his legs were thick. Compared to Meng Huang, he didn’t draw much attention, so it was easy to overlook him. Once he came in, he stood still and didn’t move.

Chen Chuan could sense that the man was not as he seemed. He was also very certain that he was a Third Limit martial artist, so he had to be Meng Huang’s personal security guard.

Meng Huang scanned the room. After seeing Meng Shu and Meng Zhenghuai, he grinned before shifting his attention to Meng Lai. Condescension appeared in his eyes, then he went to an unoccupied sofa and sat on it with his knees crossed.

“You’re late, but at least you arrived,” Meng Lai said languidly.

“I didn’t want to come, especially to see you. Whoops, sorry for saying that. I just can’t bring myself to respect you when I see you,” Meng Huang said with a nonchalant smile.

Meng Zhenghuai had removed his hearing aid the moment Meng Huang came in and started nodding off while holding his cane, as if he was taking a nap.

Meanwhile, Yan Yi stared at Meng Lai in disbelief. She had never expected Meng Huang to be so rude to the company’s president. He didn’t even bother with basic politeness. Was it because he knew that he couldn’t be the successor anymore and had decided to just give up entirely?

Meng Huang turned to Meng Shu and pointed at Meng Lai. “I don’t think you know it yet, my dear cousin, but this thing is just a bioreplacement with a consciousness regulator.

“Did you actually think he’s our grandfather? Don’t joke with me!

“I don’t think we’ve ever seen the real him before. Our actual grandfather might already be dead, while this consciousness regulator is the one controlling the company.

“Are you willing to listen to a consciousness regulator’s orders and let this thing decide our fates? I’m not.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep