CH 168

Chapter 168 – He Wishes to Redeem

“Feng Yan!” Just as Wei Yan was about to leave, a scream from Feng Cui’e stopped him in his tracks.

From the age of fifteen to now, twelve years had passed. In Feng Cui’e’s understanding, Wei Yan was still Feng Yan, her son alone. He had no connection with Zhang Ze or the Wei family.

“Mom,” Wei Yan turned around helplessly. His tired eyes met Feng Cui’e’s icy gaze. He said, “Mom, I’m going to rest.”

His love for his mother was beyond doubt.

From his memory until the age of fifteen, his world had consisted solely of his mother.

They depended on each other and lived in the dirtiest places. In order to get him, a person with no household registration, into school, his mother knelt outside the principal’s house for a day and a night, struggling to raise him.

When he was fifteen, people from the Wei family came, saying he was the young master of the Wei family, and that he should return to enjoy wealth and honor.

He refused to go, and his mother didn’t want him to leave either.

His mother was his everything, and he was his mother’s everything.

Back then, he naively believed that no one could separate him from his mother. However, he didn’t understand the power of the Wei family.

Under the Wei family’s influence, he and his mother were forcibly separated.

From that day on, he started wearing clean and neat clothes. He had never worn such clean clothes before; his previous clothes were all old ones his mother had patched up. From that day on, he had household registration, he was called Wei Yan instead of Feng Yan, and he could go to school. The new school was clean and tidy, with rich courses.

But Wei Yan didn’t like it. He felt that none of this belonged to him; his life with the Wei family didn’t fit.

So, he escaped and returned to his mother’s side, to the dark and cramped little room where he ate, drank, slept, and relieved himself.

Only here did Wei Yan feel like he could breathe freely, like he was truly free.

However, within two days, the Wei family caught him again.

In the Wei family, he endured mockery. They called him the beggar’s son, said he had no parents, that he was a wild child.

Although the two who were called young masters alongside him theoretically never mocked him – one with an expressionless face, the other with a smiling brow – Wei Yan was very sensitive at the time. Whenever someone looked at him, he felt they were ridiculing and taunting him.

Later on, he gradually understood that neither Wei Chen, whom Grandfather Wei personally raised and nurtured, nor Wei Hua, who was always cheerful, would spend time mocking him. They were outstanding, they received praise, and they disregarded him.

Comparing the two sides, Wei Yan’s competitiveness was ignited. He began to study diligently, determined to show everyone that he, Wei Yan, was no worse than anyone in the Wei family.

During that period, it was the most arduous time in Wei Yan’s life. The Wei family didn’t prevent him from seeing Feng Cui’e, but for the sake of studying, Wei Yan would only visit Feng Cui’e once a week, or even once a month.

After learning about Wei Yan’s aspirations, Feng Cui’e didn’t appreciate his intentions. Instead, she subjected him to a beating. To this day, Wei Yan still remembered the sinister and hateful look in his mother’s eyes.

But Wei Yan was not willing to give up. So, he had less and less time to visit Feng Cui’e. However, each time he went, they would end up parting on unfriendly terms.

Wei Yan continued to strive and reach higher, hoping that Grandfather Wei would notice him and treat him the same way he did Wei Chen and Wei Hua.

However, reality was different from his hopes. Even though Grandfather Wei brought him back home, he didn’t give him any attention in reality. It was as if he were a child left to his own devices.

Wei Yan was not satisfied. It wasn’t until he was nineteen that he accidentally stumbled upon a secret.

After learning this secret, Wei Yan no longer hoped to gain attention and recognition from the Wei family. With this newfound knowledge, he realized he was born with original sin.

A week later, Wei Yan left the country, wandering between different countries, beginning his self-imposed exile.

Until that day when Wei Chen handed over the A Zone project to him and told him that he believed in him.

If anyone else from the Wei family had said those words to him, Wei Yan would have scoffed at them. But it was Wei Chen, precisely Wei Chen, whose statement “I believe in you” could make Wei Yan forget the principles he had established over the years. It could make him do anything that was valued by the Wei family.

Because he wished to redeem himself.

Yes, to redeem himself from the original sin he was born with.

Watching Wei Yan’s figure disappear into the darkness, the breath that had been stuck in Feng Cui’e’s chest dissipated. She slumped onto the couch, hands covering her face, tears streaming down instantly.

Ayan, this was never your fault. Why did you burden yourself with such a heavy load?

The Wei family’s dirty secrets had nothing to do with you at all, Ayan. Why do you torture yourself like this?

Fighting back her sobs, Feng Cui’e’s tears slowly covered her face, a mix of aging and despair accompanying her like shadows.

…

After returning to his room, Wei Yan didn’t turn on the lights. He just threw himself onto the bed, raised his hand to cover his eyes, and allowed the weariness to roam within his body.

On that spring night, the air was slightly cool, but he felt cold, bone-chilling cold.

*

As for what was happening in the city, Wei Chen knew nothing. Lately, he had been busy, busy with meetings and entertaining VIPs visiting from the United States. Max was an internationally renowned car brand, producing supercars worth tens of millions. This brand didn’t have a subsidiary in China, which meant that if someone in China wanted to own a Max supercar, they had to acquire one from abroad through their own means and connections.

And now, China’s economy was rapidly growing, and wealthy individuals were emerging like mushrooms after rain. However, a significant portion of these people lacked the qualities to match their newfound wealth, leading to a trend of comparisons among them.

Max’s supercars became part of this comparison. Owning a Max supercar in China became a matter of pride for those who could afford it.

Of course, many wealthy individuals genuinely enjoyed cars or supercars. Max’s design and performance made it the preferred choice for those who simply loved automobiles. These individuals would use their connections to import a Max-branded supercar from abroad.

Recognizing a business opportunity, Max’s leadership saw a potential market. A week ago, news had circulated that Max was planning to recruit brand agents in China and sell its supercars in the country.

For domestic car companies, this move was like a huge boulder thrown into the sea, causing massive waves.

As a car company, it was only natural for Changfeng Group to be aware of Max’s supercars in China’s market. So, becoming Max’s exclusive agent in the country would mean that the massive cake of Max’s profits would be monopolized by one company. Even Changfeng Group, as a state-owned enterprise, was tempted by this prospect, even determined to secure it.

The moment Wei Chen stepped into the company, a meeting was convened at the top level to discuss Max’s matter. Wei Chen was fully prepared for this, and Sheng Jiaqi had also implied that he hoped Wei Chen could secure the deal with Max.

Of course, external competition was matched by internal competition. With such a large slice of the pie up for grabs, anyone who was qualified naturally became restless.

Within three minutes of Wei Chen’s arrival at the conference room, everyone had gathered. They all sat upright and attentive, clearly recognizing the significance of the collaboration with Max for Changfeng.

“Is everyone here?” Sheng Jiaqi’s smile remained, but even so, as long as he sat in the chairman’s seat, a sense of pressure seemed to pervade the entire conference room. People sat up straight, cautious not to act recklessly in front of Sheng Jiaqi.

“I believe you all know the purpose of this meeting. Max is an internationally renowned brand, and its supercars, whether in terms of performance or design, are highly sought after worldwide. This time, Max is looking for an exclusive agent in our country, which signifies their desire to enter the local market.

As members of the automobile industry, you should all be aware of the trends in our country’s automotive market, especially in the high-end segment which has seen significant growth in recent years. High-end supercars like Max’s are in high demand. Once we secure the deal with Max, we can take a substantial slice of the high-end car market.”

Surprisingly, Sheng Jiaqi, who usually spoke very little during meetings, was quite articulate today. It was clear that he attached great importance to the Max brand.

“According to reliable sources, Max’s Director of Marketing will be coming to our country on the weekend to conduct further market research. My desired outcome is that after this visit, our Changfeng Group will be essentially locked in as the agent for Max.”

While Sheng Jiaqi didn’t explicitly mention who would be responsible for this task, it was evident to anyone with discernment that his gaze was fixed on Wei Chen. Clearly, Wei Chen was his favored candidate.

“Chairman Sheng,” Zhou Tongpeng naturally didn’t want to let Wei Chen take credit for this achievement so easily. He directly said, “While I was on a business trip to the United States, I had a few encounters with Max’s director. When Max’s Director of Marketing comes to China, I hope to meet with him. We’ve already made arrangements.”

Zhou Tongpeng took the initiative to take on the task, and there was even an air of acting first and reporting later. However, Sheng Jiaqi remained composed and said, “Since Vice Chairman Zhou is acquainted with Max’s Director of Marketing, then please do your best, Vice Chairman Zhou.”

Zhou Tongpeng shook his head with a smile and replied, “It’s all for the company’s benefit. There’s no such thing as too much trouble for the sake of that.”

“Then please give it your all, Vice Chairman Zhou,” Sheng Jiaqi responded with a smile.

“I will certainly give it my all,” Zhou Tongpeng said, a hint of pride in his eyes.

With his connections, Sheng Jiaqi couldn’t simply disregard them and let Wei Chen, who lacked such connections, handle the matter. Sheng Jiaqi wasn’t one to make foolish decisions. So, Zhou Tongpeng had already made preparations early on.