Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 240: Chapter 237: Judgement of Superiority Chapter 240: Chapter 237: Judgement of Superiority “Fantong!”

Master Zhou felt like he was about to explode with rage when he received such news. He had hoped wholeheartedly that his grandson could achieve something great, but he never expected Zhou Zhen to deliver such a disappointing result.

“Didn’t you say it was foolproof? I’ve wasted so much effort helping you, and now you tell me you’ve screwed it up, huh? Where should I put my face now?”

Master Zhou was known for his explosive temper, and the more he thought about it, the more frustrated he felt, unable to release his anger. He glared furiously at Zhou Zhen and, in his rage, grabbed a teacup from the desk and hurled it at his grandson.

Zhou Zhen instinctively wanted to dodge, but in a mere moment he steeled himself.

Now, with his grandfather in a fit of rage, dodging would surely make him angrier.

Zhou Zhen knew he had to endure this time, so he forcibly remained still.

A sharp pain shot through his forehead, and Zhou Zhen felt the cold tea splash over his face. He heard a loud crash as the teacup hit his temple and then fell to the floor, breaking into several pieces.

“Zhen’er!”

Mother Zhou exclaimed in shock, rushing over protectively.

Seeing a gash on her son’s forehead from which blood was flowing freely, Mother Zhou’s heart ached immensely.

“Dad, Zhen’er is still young; he doesn’t understand the company’s affairs. But you looked at the plan too and thought it was good before agreeing to let him execute it, didn’t you?”

Mother Zhou’s gaze settled on Zhou Yan, who stood silently to the side, a hint of blame and indignation flashing in her eyes.

“Besides, this isn’t solely Zhen’er’s responsibility. Didn’t you ask Zhou Yan to get involved in the company’s affairs? This matter involves Zhou Yan too. Why do you only blame Zhen’er?”

Zhou Yan kept his head down and said nothing, but the corners of his mouth curled slightly, the coldness in his eyes unnoticed by everyone.

“Don’t think I’m so senile that I can be easily deceived. This mess is all caused by your precious son. What does it have to do with Yan’er? I summoned him from America, not for you to make a mockery of things!”

Master Zhou’s eyes were sharp as he glanced at Zhou Father and Zhou Mother, then at Zhou Zhen, his expression growing colder.

Father Zhou looked down awkwardly, tugging at Mother Zhou’s clothes: “Enough, it’s Zhen’er’s own failure to handle things properly; it’s not Yan’er’s fault. Don’t drag irrelevant people into this!”

Mother Zhou, however, was not pleased and shot Father Zhou a sidelong glance indignantly: “Am I wrong? This matter was the responsibility of both Zhou Yan and Zhen’er. If Dad only blames Zhen’er, isn’t that favoritism?”

“You!”

Master Zhou was utterly exasperated. He had always favored his own grandson, Zhou Zhen. Although he was fond of Zhou Yan, even after bringing his grandson back from America, he had never truly considered handing over the company to him.

But at this moment, Master Zhou felt a sense of utter disillusionment.

He had always been pleased with this daughter-in-law, faithful and virtuous to her husband, respectful and reverent toward him. He had never known that she could be so unreasonable.

Master Zhou looked coldly at Mother Zhou and said indignantly, “Fine, since you think I’m partial, then let’s settle this fairly. Whatever position Zhou Zhen holds in the company, Zhou Yan will hold the same, and the two brothers will have a fair comparison to see who is truly more capable!”

Mother Zhou had been angry before, but her face changed instantly when she heard Master Zhou’s words. She was just upset that her son had been punished by the old master while her sister-in-law’s son was left untouched, which made her feel unbalanced, so she spoke without thinking. She hadn’t expected things to turn out this way.

“Dad! Zhou Zhen is younger, so this kind of competition might not be fair, right?”

Father Zhou looked at Mother Zhou angrily, wishing he could drive this woman out of the sickroom. He blamed her for being brainless and talkative. How else would the old master have said such a thing?

“Yes, Dad, Zhou Yan’s grades at school have always been the best. Zhou Zhen is younger than Zhou Yan; how could he possibly compete against him? It’s not fair for both of them to be tested together!” Mother Zhou said anxiously.

Master Zhou snorted coldly, “So, you’re willing to admit that Zhou Zhen is inferior to Zhou Yan? Then there’s no need to compare. From now on, the company will be managed by Zhou Yan!”

Upon hearing this, Mother Zhou realized she had slipped up again and panicked. Father Zhou glared at her fiercely, scaring her until her face turned pale, and she clamped her mouth shut, not daring to speak again.

Master Zhou looked towards Zhou Zhen, who was silently bearing the brunt of the situation, and said with full anger, “If you lack the ability, you should at least be aware of it. Pretending to be ambitious, you take on everything, and yet you can’t do anything right. What can you do apart from making big claims?”

Zhou Zhen knew from a young age about his grandfather’s authority, and he didn’t dare to breathe loudly at the moment, just obediently listening.

Master Zhou, seeing his worthless appearance, grew even more disappointed and decided, “The company doesn’t need your involvement for now. You both should spend the next few months getting to know the purchasing process and considerations for Hetian Jade. In some time, I’ll send both of you to Hetian.”

Though Master Zhou verbally emphasized fairness, he was actually biased toward Zhou Zhen.

Zhou Zhen, who had grown up under the old master, had a very detailed understanding of both Jadeite Jade and Hetian Jade, so purchasing Hetian Jade was not particularly difficult for him.

But Zhou Yan was different. He had lived overseas with Elder Miss Zhou, receiving Western education, and had little to do with domestic jewelry and jade, making the task of purchasing almost an impossible one for him.

Master Zhou set such a test clearly to put Zhou Yan at a disadvantage while giving Zhou Zhen an edge.

Zhou Yan maintained a neutral expression, his face still adorned with a mild and humble smile, a picture of a polite gentleman.

Surprise showed in Zhou Zhen’s eyes; confident about the purchasing task, he appeared sure of his victory.

Master Zhou, intent on testing them, saw one maintain composure with emotions unseen and the other openly joyful, revealing what they felt. Noting their difference in depth of character, he felt a tightness in his chest and his eyes dimmed a few notches, waving his hand, no longer wanting to speak another word.

Zhou Yan, still self-satisfied, stepped out of the hospital room and immediately assumed an air of smugness:

“Cousin, you really don’t know what’s good for you. Grandfather brought you back just to pave the way for me, don’t you see? He’s been making things difficult for you all along. I bet, Cousin, you don’t even know what Hetian seed material looks like!”

As he spoke, he shook his head, feigning sympathy as he patted Zhou Yan’s shoulder, then strutted out of the convalescent home.

Zhou Yan’s smile remained on his face, but the amusement around his mouth had already disappeared.

“So what if I don’t understand jade?” Zhou Yan raised his head and said lightly with a laugh, “As long as you understand, that’s enough!”