44 NOT A FICKLE MAN

In Supreme City, there was some speculation that the relationship between the Zhong siblings was not good. No one knew the source of the rumours, but most people assumed that it was true. The primary theory implied that the two could not agree on the future inheritance of the Zhong Industries. The conjecture was that the lure of financial power had caused some bad blood.

According to the unnamed sources, Zhong Mian felt that, though she was a woman, she deserved to take the reins of the family and the company. After all, she was a full ten years older than her twenty-five year old brother. The wisdom of age trumped gender.

On the other hand, the younger brother did not approve of a woman leading the prestigious corporation. Didn't that mean that their family business would be in the control of an outsider when his elder sister got married?

The sources had said that the Zhong father had allowed them to fight for the right of inheritance without his interference. After a major quarrel on this topic, the siblings had fallen out.

Zhong Feng had decided to start his own company in a field that Zhong Industries did not have their hand in. The elder sister had decided to take a top position in the family business and had remained unmarried for the sake of power.

The rumours implied that the family tried to keep appearances of cordiality to avoid harming their business image. However, there was no hope for reconciliation between the brother and sister. Moreover, no one truly knew who would inherit the company in the future.

The facts of this matter involving the powerful family could not be further from the speculations of the masses. Well… that was not entirely true. The Zhong siblings did have an unfriendly exchange on the matter concerning the inheritance of the family business, but the arguments presented before their father were not as one would assume.

Zhong Feng felt that his elder sister deserved to be in charge of the company because she had put so much effort in its continued operation over the years. As an eighteen year old adult, he felt that he did not have the experience and knowledge needed for involvement in the business.

Zhong Mian had stated that she had only joined the company in order to pave a way for him to take over when he became an adult. She had not wanted him to struggle with the plots and betrayals of board and the management in the future. So, she had made an effort to clean up the operations and grasp as much power as possible.

After a long stand-off, the Zhong father had been unable to make a decision because he did not want to force his beloved children. He did not even know if he could because they were both quite stubborn. Finally, he had closed the case and allowed them to take the path they chose until the right time came.

The result was that Zhong Mian had stayed in the family business and was now only second to her father in the Zhong Industries. However, she maintained that she would only keep on holding up the power of the company until her brother was ready. On the other hand, Zhong Feng had decided to follow his original plan and start his business through his own efforts.

As Zhong Mian walked to the private elevator that those two people had used over an hour ago, she felt guilt rising in her like scorching flames. It was the same guilt that had forced her to abandon her own desires and focus on Zhong Industries. She had sworn that she would do everything to protect Zhong Feng. Now, she felt so inadequate as an elder sister because she had failed to protect her little brother once again.

She gritted her teeth in anger as she punched the glowing button again, hoping that the action would force the lift to move faster. Her heart prayed that the incident was not like it seemed from the outside. However, the evidence and the testimony were pretty damning.

More importantly, she knew her brother. He was not a fickle man who brought women into his room. He had been raised by a father who believed in loyalty, responsibility and faithfulness. In simple terms, he had grown up believing in the myth of a pair for life. He still did.

How could Zhong Mian not feel anger when she imagined that this Hu Lei had taken advantage of her pure brother? And she had helped by hosting the damn gala. Her heart was cold because she felt that this event would not have a good ending for Feng'er.

There were only two paths. Either, Feng'er would feel a sense of responsibility and keep the despicable woman. Thinking about that type of female being in their family put her teeth on edge. The alternative would be that Feng'er would see the light and realise that the woman had used evil means to violate him. Unfortunately, if he did, this might break his belief in the forever after. That would change her perfect little brother.

Yes, to Zhong Mian, Feng'er was what was good in the world. Even though he had always been cold and never been cute in her presence, she believed that there was no one better in the universe. Basically, she wore elder sister goggles that altered her perception of Zhong Feng, seeing only a perfect younger brother.

Unfortunately, her unconditional-love-and-faith behaviour annoyed Zhong Feng a lot, making him avoid her like the plague. The more she tried to get closer, the further he went. She had been trying not to get too involved in his business lately so that they would be close again. She forgot that they had never really been that close.

Today, she had no choice but to intervene in his matters. She felt that she had good reason to be involved because he had been poisoned in her territory. Also, she feared that his sense of loyalty and responsibility would cloud his judgement if he dealt with this Hu Lei personally.

She would take the consequences of his anger as long as she could protect him.

When the lift opened at the seventeenth floor, she took a deep breath. Don't worry, Feng'er. Big sister will not fail you this time.