Chapter 90: Outrageously Absurd

Anyway, there were no outsiders around, so Long Shu, in high spirits, continued: "In this old man's view, you can use any means necessary to win."

"It's not some earth-shattering matter, nor is it shameless, because everyone is doing it for survival."

"Because those people who step forward to scold us are also doing it for fame, for notoriety."

"So they have to accept whatever outcome comes with it."

"The truly shameless thing is when you win, and then put on an act about how your methods back then weren't quite proper, apologizing to this person or that."

"Aren't you basically saying, damn, you can't even beat someone as pretentious as me — are you just that useless?"

"More importantly, the moment you express regret, you shift the focus of victory from skill to method. Aren't you just telling everyone that the one who lost was the truly skilled one? Doesn't that also insult us, your former comrades?"

"So regret and pretension — that's what's truly shameless."

Long Shu spoke very naturally, and everyone present laughed — it really did make sense.

After all, when the other side steps forward to say that this group of theirs from the chef competition was all style and no substance, stirring up trouble for fame, they've already proven that stepping forward was also for fame.

Even if it wasn't, the moment you step forward, don't you also gain fame?

Gain fame, and don't you gain wealth?

Unless you don't want those things.

But is that possible?

Is there anyone who, after gaining fame and effortlessly acquiring wealth, would actually stop?

Most likely, very few.

But those who were defeated and didn't get to share in the later big cake definitely didn't stop.

So there's no need for regret.

The other side got what they deserved.

Listening to a bit of gossip, learning some insights from a winner — it didn't affect anyone's work in the afternoon at all.

After all, this kind of thing doesn't affect the life of a wage slave.

Shen Mo also defined himself as a wage slave.

Just serving a different master, that's all.

On the way back to the office, when no one was around, Liu Yue suddenly spoke: "There are chef competitions nowadays too, but they're all run by the winners from back then. They occasionally come to invite Long Shu, but he refuses most of the time. Only on very rare occasions does Long Shu go."

Shen Mo was a bit dumbfounded — what was the meaning of this sudden remark?

【Don't get it, but whatever, no need to force understanding.】

Liu Yue smiled — what she meant was that Long Shu wasn't as carefree as he made himself out to be.

In truth, as he grew older and material comforts became plentiful, he did somewhat regret how ruthlessly he'd acted back then, so now he didn't really want to show his face or keep raking in money.

The two returned to the office, and Liu Yue had Shen Mo call Meng Bai.

Baiyin Game Company now had shares belonging to the other party, so they needed to inform them about the operation.

Even if not saying anything wouldn't matter, the notification still had to be made.

First try — no answer.

Half an hour later, second try — it connected but then hung up, with a reply: eating melon, do not disturb.

Shen Mo was stunned.

Sis, is eating melon more important than my call?

Don't understand it, and don't want to respect it.

Still, Shen Mo didn't keep pestering.

Liu Yue smiled at that.

Two hours later, Meng Bai's call came back.

Upon connecting, Shen Mo spoke first: "What melon were you eating that you were so into it?"

Meng Bai's excited voice came through the phone: "It's about the real and fake young master."

"So freaking thrilling."

Shen Mo was stunned, and Liu Yue, who had been handling work, also looked up and told Shen Mo to come over.

Meng Bai said excitedly: "You know about the Meng Family and the guy surnamed Zhou going bankrupt, right?"

Shen Mo hummed in acknowledgment — yeah, he knew, and it involved Meng Bai and Wang Chunsheng's maneuvering. Wasn't Meng Bai currently taking over the Meng Family's legacy, planning to inject capital to revive the Meng Family company and carve out the quality assets? Meng Bai continued: "While the guy surnamed Zhou was messing around with my dear little sister, he was also in some shady entanglement with a female college student."

"The melon comes from that female college student."

Shen Mo's body jolted: "Please, go on."

"After wrapping up the Meng Family matter, I was about to deal with the Zhou Family's assets when this female college student named Qiu Siyu jumped out — she's pregnant with Zhou Xing's child."

Shen Mo and Liu Yue's bodies jolted: "That's just freaking absurd."

Meng Bai's excited voice rang out: "Even more absurd is that Zhou Xing is the real young master of the Jingcheng Zhou Family who got lost years ago."

"Qiu Siyu is the daughter of the Zhou Family's housekeeper. She happened to find out, located Zhou Xing, and plotted to get pregnant with his child to get back into the Zhou Family."

【What freaking dog-blood drama.】

Liu Yue concurred.

But Shen Mo immediately realized another problem: "Then aren't you in great danger now? Zhou Xing's death…"

If there were no involvement from Meng Bai, Shen Mo wouldn't believe it.

Meng Bai laughed out loud: "No, the climax is coming up."

"Qiu Siyu told the Zhou Family about Zhou Xing's death."

"Zhou Xing's parents gave me a call, saying Zhou Xing had nothing to do with their family, and Qiu Siyu was kicked out."

"Qiu Siyu is stuck between a rock and a hard place — no one on either side wants her."

Shen Mo and Liu Yue were dumbfounded: "Then was Zhou Xing actually the real young master or not?"

Meng Bai said excitedly, "It really is the young master."

"But he didn't get lost on his own — his Zhou Family parents both didn't want him."

"Through all kinds of money I threw around, I found an old servant who used to work for the Zhou Family and learned the reason for the whole affair."

"The Zhou Family parents weren't loving in their early years — Zhou's father had an affair, and Zhou's mother wanted to take Zhou Xing and leave the Zhou Family."

"But this Zhou Xing fellow was afraid of losing his wealth and status, so he refused outright."

"For that, he even pushed his pregnant Zhou mother down the stairs."

"You could say he was a born rotten seed."

"Zhou's mother, through her own investigation, discovered that Zhou Xing was also cursing her behind her back, saying he'd ruin her good fortune."

"Honestly, if I weren't certain that the old servant I found used to be a Zhou Family nanny, I wouldn't dare believe it."

"Zhou's mother was utterly disappointed in Zhou Xing and left on her own."

"Zhou's father was very happy about this, because it meant his son was like him."

"But when the mistress came into the household and had two miscarriages in a row, Zhou's father realized something."

"What Zhou Xing loved wasn't Zhou's father — it was the Zhou Family fortune, the identity of the only son."

"The young Zhou Xing swapped the mistress's vitamins for birth control pills."

"The young Zhou Xing thought he was very clever and had done it very covertly, but in reality, once Zhou's father truly started investigating, none of this was a problem."

"So Zhou Xing was driven out of the house by Zhou's father, given only a monthly living allowance."

"The Zhou Family old servants from those years were all dismissed; Qiu Siyu and her mother came later, so they didn't know."

"What the Zhou Family told the outside world was that Zhou Xing had gotten lost."

"Hahahahaha."

"The fake Zhou Family young master that Qiu Siyu assumed existed was one Zhou's father and Zhou's mother had later together."

"Because after the mistress's two miscarriages she could never bear children again, Zhou's father took back Zhou's mother, who could bear him a son."

"And Zhou's mother, after several years of hardship out there, also realized she was already finished, so she went back."

【Absolutely ridiculous.】

(End of this chapter)