Chapter 105: A Shameless Demand!

Page (1/3)

"Grandfather, Wushang is here."

Bringing Ye Wushang into the great hall, An Lan said with a coquettish smile.

At this moment, the An family dignitaries at the head table were all buried in their food, heads down.

Sweating profusely, faces flushed red—clearly both spicy and satisfying.

"Mr. Ye!"

Upon seeing Ye Wushang, the old master An beamed with delight, beckoning him closer, and said gratefully, "I truly owe you my thanks."

"First you cured my illness, and then you won the medicinal cuisine competition for our An family."

"You have done my family a debt of gratitude as heavy as a mountain."

"Here, I offer you my sincerest thanks."

With that said.

Old Master An rose to his feet and bowed in gratitude.

As for the other dignitaries, their expressions varied—some followed the old master's lead and bent at the waist in unison.

Others read the room and remained motionless, biding their time.

"You are too kind, Old Master An."

"Treating your illness was simply my duty as a physician."

"As for winning the medicinal cuisine competition, it was because Lanlan and I are good friends."

"Her matters are my matters. Please don't dwell on it."

Ye Wushang smiled in acknowledgment.

The moment he finished speaking, An Hailong's mocking voice rang out, "Lanlan? Calling her so affectionately."

"You don't actually think that doing a few trivial favors will let you fly off into the sunset with my cousin and become our An family's prized son-in-law, do you?"

Ye Wushang's expression shifted.

Just as An Lan was about to snap back, a distinguished-looking middle-aged man beside Old Master An immediately rebuked, "Hailong, shut your mouth!"

"What nonsense are you spouting here?"

"Look at the occasion. Your grandfather is right here—what right do you have to speak?"

"Dad..."

An Hailong wore a sullen face and wanted to say more, but was silenced by the fierce glare of the other man.

He had no choice but to return to his seat obediently, staring at Ye Wushang with venomous eyes.

Ye Wushang paid him no mind, instead observing the middle-aged man with keen interest.

Clearly, he was An Hailong's father—the eldest master of the An family and the true power holder, An Qingguo.

Around forty years of age, with a square face, tall and upright stature, and an air of distinction, he sat there exuding authority without even trying.

Judging by his appearance, he was not a cunning or treacherous sort, but his expression was solemn, and as he spoke, his fists were clenched.

He was evidently displeased with Ye Wushang, but with Old Master An present, he simply couldn't voice it.

"Come, Mr. Ye, let me toast you."

An Qingguo set aside his pride, poured two glasses of wine, handed one to Ye Wushang, and forced a smile. "Regardless of everything, you are the great contributor who enabled our An family to ascend into the ranks of chaebol families. As the head of the An family, I thank you."

"Come, bottoms up."

After clinking glasses, he tilted his head back and drained it in one go.

One doesn't strike a smiling face.

Although Ye Wushang had no particular fondness for An Qingguo either, since the man had voluntarily lowered himself, there was no reason to rebuff his gesture.

He followed suit and finished his glass.

Page (1/3)

Page (2/3)

"Brother, have some noodles."

Just then, his younger sister brought over a bowl of chicken giblet noodles, her face radiant as a spring breeze.

Ye Wushang furrowed his brow and muttered, "Wuyou, I didn't order noodles..."

"I did."

An Qingguo cut in, speaking with deliberate meaning, "I heard that your noodle shop also has an investment from Lanlan."

"In other words, our An family is also one of the shareholders of the noodle shop. It shouldn't be too much to ask for a bowl of noodles, should it?"

Ye Wushang was taken aback.

On the surface, the words seemed harmless, but the An family's wealth was vast, and An Lan's investment was only five hundred thousand yuan.

For him to deliberately bring this matter to the table clearly had a hidden agenda.

An Lan sensed trouble and was about to speak up in support, but Ye Wushang nodded and said, "Not too much at all. Thank you for your kindness, President An."

"However, the noodle shop was opened by me for my sister, and Lanlan's investment wasn't much."

"If President An feels it's inappropriate, she can withdraw her shares..."

"Absurd!"

Before he could finish, An Hailong sneered, "If you can just withdraw your investment after putting money in, then if I killed you and then said sorry, would you accept that?"

"Say another word and I'll have you silenced!"

An Qingguo shot him a glare, then smiled at Ye Wushang and said, "Mr. Ye, you're overthinking things."

"You are our An family's benefactor. Let alone investing in a noodle shop, even if you wanted me to invest in a company for you, I'd have no objection."

"As it happens, winning this medicinal cuisine competition won't just elevate the An family into the ranks of chaebols—it will also allow us to seize control of the entire food and beverage industry."

"You were brought in by Lanlan, and her contribution is indispensable..."

At this point.

He turned to Old Master An and said respectfully, "Father, I suggest that from now on, Lanlan be put in full charge of the food and beverage line."

"As for the group's affairs, let Hailong take over. With me overseeing things, there shouldn't be any problems."

Hearing this, Ye Wushang suddenly understood.

This was using the guise of gratitude to strip away An Lan's power.

Letting her run the food and beverage line while he seized the opportunity to put his own son in power and control the group.

His intentions were as clear as day to everyone.

"Grandfather, rest assured. Over the years, I've learned a great deal from my father."

"I'm confident I can manage the group well. I won't let you down, and I won't let the An family down."

Under An Qingguo's meaningful glance, An Hailong immediately stood up. First, he made a flurry of vows to Old Master An, then turned to An Lan with a smug smile. "Cousin, from now on, you can focus on the food and beverage business, including this noodle shop. With your abilities, I'm sure you'll accomplish great things."

"However, if there's anything I don't understand in the future, you'll have to be generous with your guidance."

An Lan's face darkened to the extreme.

Although she had always known that her uncle and cousin had their eyes on the position of president.

They were always finding ways to drag her down, and she had been careful to guard against it.

But who would have thought they'd dare to seize power right in front of their grandfather?

She was about to fire back when the other dignitaries spoke up one after another.

"Mm, this arrangement is quite good. I agree."

"Hailong is a child I've watched grow up. He's quick to learn and strong in execution. With Qingguo keeping an eye on things, we can rest easy."

"The food and beverage line will become our An family's secret weapon in the future. Having Lanlan handle it is the right call."

"Patriarch, I think this matter is settled."

Page (2/3)

Page (3/3)

These dignitaries did little actual work, yet their expenses were considerable.

In daily life, they had received no small amount of favors and assistance from An Lan. But now, they had turned their coats and sided with An Qingguo.

This infuriated An Lan beyond measure, and she snapped, "I don't agree!"

"The food and beverage business may be important, but the group's affairs are even more so."

"I have both the confidence and the ability to handle both at once. There's no need for An Hailong to take over on my behalf."

With that said.

She stepped forward, looked at Old Master An, and said solemnly, "Grandfather, please uphold justice!"

"Justice?"

An Hailong sneered. "An Lan, what are you trying to say? You think we're forcing you?"

"Lanlan, your uncle doesn't like hearing that."

An Qingguo's expression shifted slightly as he smiled. "I'm only considering the family's internal circumstances and adapting to the situation."

"Just because you say you can handle both doesn't mean you actually can. When it comes to the food and beverage sector alone, I believe you're the most suitable person."

"I'm sure your grandfather will support my decision as well. Isn't that right, Father?"

Old Master An was old in years but sharp in mind.

He understood the situation before him perfectly well—it was nothing more than a power struggle between his son and his granddaughter.

His heart leaned toward his granddaughter, but he had to take his son's side into consideration as well.

At present, whether it was the group or the family, public sentiment was tilting toward his son. If he openly ruled in An Lan's favor, it would likely stir up internal conflict.

After a brief moment of deliberation, he suddenly raised his head and looked at Ye Wushang, asking with a smile, "Mr. Ye, what is your view on this matter?"

"Me?"

Ye Wushang furrowed his brow.

Logically speaking, this was a family's internal dispute, and as an outsider, he had no need to get involved at all.

But An Lan was no longer just a simple friend to him—the relationship between them was something he couldn't quite define.

Now that An Qingguo and his son were pressing aggressively, clearly trying to sideline An Lan, there was no way he could stand by and do nothing.

After a moment's thought, he said, "In my view, President An's request is perfectly reasonable."

"And Lanlan's desire to take on both responsibilities is also understandable."

"Perhaps we can find a point of equilibrium that both sides can accept?"

"After all, you're all one family. There's no need to turn this into a standoff."

"Well said."

An Qingguo picked up the thread, smiling. "That's exactly what I was thinking."

"So, I believe the point of equilibrium can be exemplified by this noodle shop."

"Since Lanlan wants to take on both, she must already have a plan for the noodle shop's future, right?"

"As it happens, I have some friends who are experts in the fields of food and beverage infrastructure and operational development."

"Why don't you present your brilliant proposal, and have them use big data methods to calculate the viability of your plan?"

"As long as it exceeds fifty percent, I'll acknowledge that Lanlan has the ability to handle both the company and the food and beverage business."

"But if it doesn't work out, then you'll leave the company alone and focus solely on food and beverage."

"So, what do you think? Any problems?"

...

Page (3/3)