Chapter 191: The Wang Family's Family Meeting

Xingcheng, the provincial capital of Nan Province, the Wang Family mansion.

In the heart of the city where every inch of land is worth an ounce of gold, this mansion, exuding the ancient aura of a former dynasty, stands quietly. That thick, vermilion-lacquered gate seems to carry hundreds of years of family secrets and historical vicissitudes; the bowl-sized copper studs on the door are arranged neatly, glowing with a cold metallic luster under the friction of time, as if silently recounting the majesty and solemnity of the past.

An Audi A8 with a special white license plate drove straight through the gate and stopped in the outer courtyard parking lot.

A man and a woman stepped out of the car. The man was in his early forties, suave and elegant, with a scholarly temperament and a faint air of officialdom about him; he was none other than Wang Hui, the second son of the Old Master Wang.

A fashionably dressed, beautiful woman with a noble and cold temperament followed behind him; she was his wife, Zhao Yue.

"What's wrong with the Old Master? Why call a family meeting so suddenly for no reason?" Zhao Yue said with some dissatisfaction.

Wang Hui frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "Since Dad summoned us, there must be something important. Don't ask too much, let's go in and see."

Zhao Yue gave a light huff, a trace of imperceptible disdain at the corner of her mouth, but she still followed quickly.

After entering the main hall, the other two branches of the family had already arrived, and Wang Hui hurriedly greeted them with a smile.

"Big Brother, Third Brother, you arrived quite early. Where is the Old Master?" Wang Hui said, looking at his eldest brother Wang Qiang and third brother Wang Yi.

"The Old Master is in the study, telling us to wait here. Hey, I say, Second Brother, I heard your position might move recently; has it been decided?" asked the eldest, Wang Qiang. He was in his early fifties, with a dignified official face; among the three branches of the Wang Family, his position was the highest, though it was in the military, so his influence on local affairs was relatively smaller.

"That's right, I heard it too. Secretary Hao called me and said you're having a Standing Committee meeting this afternoon, so this matter should be settled," said the third brother, Wang Yi. He was wearing a flashy suit and had his hair slicked back with heavy oil, looking like a loafer; he didn't have a shred of the steady demeanor of his two older brothers. But this was normal; as the youngest son of Old Master Wang, Wang Yi had been spoiled since childhood and only liked wining, dining, playing with cars, and chasing women, making him the least accomplished of the three brothers. However, he did have one advantage: he was well-connected and well-informed.

If his second brother advanced another step, he would be a proper department-level official; although still a notch below his eldest brother, it was quite impressive.

"It should be about right, no big problem. Just wait for the news," the second brother Wang Hui waved his hand and said modestly, though there was clearly an irrepressible look of pride on his face.

He was already forty-six years old this year; at this age, he no longer had much of an advantage in officialdom, but being able to be promoted to department-level at this age was still quite impressive compared to his peers.

Wang Hui sat in a corner of the living room, casually chatting with the eldest and third brothers about official and business matters, while the three women gathered together, chatting about topics between women.

"Hey, Second Sister-in-law, have you seen the news about that Time Reversal Instrument recently? This product has been so hot lately," the third brother's wife, Sun Lan, said excitedly.

Sun Lan was in her early thirties, with a standard "internet celebrity" face, and her voice was sugary. To be honest, Zhao Yue looked down on her, but for the sake of the third brother, she maintained a show of warmth on the surface.

"I saw it. The promotion is quite miraculous, but I don't know what the actual effect is," Zhao Yue said.

"Hey, I heard Ruolan is also working on the acquisition. It's said the Old Master attaches great importance to this matter too. If she really succeeds in this, maybe the Old Master will really agree to hand the group over to her. Hey, I really envy you, having such a good precious daughter fall from the sky," Sun Lan said with a smile, observing Zhao Yue's expression as she spoke.

Sure enough, upon hearing Sun Lan's words, Zhao Yue's face immediately darkened.

Meng Ruolan was a bastard her husband had with someone else outside. Now that she had been recognized and brought into the family by the Old Master, she was only close to him, and always maintained a distant attitude toward her biological father and herself, the stepmother. Zhao Yue actually loathed Meng Ruolan to the core!

After all, the more outstanding she was, the more useless her own daughter, Wang Lin, appeared. Thinking of how the Old Master had praised that little bitch Meng Ruolan for being outstanding in front of them more than once, and then thinking of her own daughter Wang Lin, who had just been rumored to have a scandal with a male model two days ago and was sent abroad by the Old Master in a fit of anger, her heart felt suffocated!

"Lanlan, you're joking. I don't have the fortune to claim this precious daughter; she doesn't even call her own father, let alone me, her stepmother. Oh, by the way, speaking of this, I just remembered, how is your Wang Yu doing lately? I heard that the school he's studying at abroad had a little trouble; has it been resolved?"

Hearing Zhao Yue's words, Sun Lan's internet-celebrity face also turned gloomy.

Some time ago, her son Wang Yu had gotten into a fight with someone over a minor celebrity, but he didn't beat the other person and ended up with a broken leg in the hospital. She had been trying hard to cover this up, never expecting this second sister-in-law to touch a sore spot.

Liu Mei, the wife of the eldest branch, listened to the verbal sparring between the two sisters-in-law without ever interjecting. She came from a prominent family, and every move she made was dignified and elegant; at the same time, her mind was the most meticulous. She saw through the petty minds of these two foolish women at a glance, a hint of disdain hidden in her eyes.

"The children of the second and third branches are none of them accomplished, and none are a match for Wang Hao. It's just this Meng Ruolan who appeared out of nowhere that is a major threat! If Wang Hao wants to take over the group smoothly, his biggest opponent is this little bitch. I must find a way to get rid of her!" Liu Mei thought to herself.

Just as the people of the three branches were each occupied with their own thoughts, light footsteps came from the staircase.

Everyone's gaze was instantly drawn over, and they saw Old Master Wang wearing a red Tang suit, walking down with steady and slow steps, with Meng Ruolan following obediently by his side.

Wang Hui reacted first, his face immediately filled with smiles as he said respectfully, "Dad, you've come down."

Zhao Yue also hurriedly put away her previous sharp look, replaced it with a gentle expression, and called out "Dad" with a face full of smiles.

Liu Mei of the eldest branch hurriedly walked over to support the Old Master and asked, "Dad, how is your health lately? You must persist in taking that prescription I found for you." As she spoke, her eyes swept quickly over Meng Ruolan, carrying a trace of wariness and scrutiny.

Seeing the Old Master had come down, the others also gathered around to greet him, but as if by prior agreement, they all treated Meng Ruolan, who was standing to the side, like air.

"Everyone is here, so sit down. I called you all here because there are two things to announce," Old Master Wang sat in the central main seat and said to everyone.