Chapter 75: Give and Take

“Hmm,” Zhao Yicheng responded blandly, not even bothering to give Li Yuan a glance.

Just then, Zhao Tianfu took a bottle of pills from his jacket pocket and placed it on a large bluestone.

“How long has it been since you took your medicine?”

“The illness is cured.”

“Suit yourself.”

He didn’t take the pills back, just left them there. Zhao Tianfu withdrew his hand.

“Keep them. I don’t want to see you on the internet entertainment charts.”

“Public opinion is fiercer than a tiger. Not long ago, there was a live-streamer who ruined their own reputation by selling goods.”

“Sales didn’t drop; they went up instead,” Zhao Yicheng said flatly.

The atmosphere between the two was like stagnant water; no matter who spoke, it was like a stone thrown into the sea, sinking without a ripple.

After a while.

“How old are you this year?”

***

“Hmm,” Zhao Tianfu paused, seemingly deep in thought.

Soon, he spoke, “I’ve found a few marriage prospects for you. Make time to meet them.”

“I have someone I like.”

“No matter, marriage is just an exchange of interests,” Zhao Tianfu seemed unsurprised by Zhao Yicheng’s answer, merely explaining, “Just maintain a superficial relationship. After marriage, have a child to serve as the nexus binding the interests of the two families.”

“As long as your little lover doesn’t appear in public, you can do whatever you like privately.”

“No, you’ve misunderstood.”

Zhao Yicheng, for a rare moment, used an honorific, but his sarcastic gaze couldn’t be hidden.

“I have someone I love. I won’t be like you. I will walk with her into the sacred hall of marriage…”

As he spoke, his eyes softened involuntarily, and even the corners of his mouth lifted slightly in happiness.

“That little pet of yours, whose origins are unknown?”

Zhao Tianfu frowned.

“Playtime is playtime, don’t get yourself deeply involved.”

“Love, that kind of thing, you can trick others with it, but don’t trick yourself.”

***

“The means by which you obtained her were dishonorable. What love is that?”

“You have my blood flowing in your veins. Don’t I know you? My son, people like us are neither fit for nor capable of having love.”

“Power is the pinnacle we crave.”

“Are you saying I should dedicate myself to that monster called ‘career,’ just like you?”

Zhao Yicheng retorted.

He didn’t want to talk about “power and authority”; nothing more, it was simply too childish.

“I have found my life’s companion. I love her just as she loves me. For the rest of my life, I only wish to spend it with her, sharing both joy and sorrow.”

“I know you have illegitimate children outside. If you wish, you can let him inherit your family property.”

“I will take my beloved anywhere we want to go.”

When he said this, Zhao Yicheng was clearly smiling; evidently, he was already looking forward to it.

Ultimately, Zhao Tianfu and Zhao Yicheng, a father and son connected only by blood, parted unhappily over the issue of marriage.

It wasn’t that they each held their own opinions; rather, they were completely at cross-purposes, unable to communicate because neither truly understood the other’s words.

Zhao Tianfu was cultivating Zhao Yicheng to be a perfect heir, and he had a unique understanding of “perfection”, perfect knowledge, perfect vision, a perfect social circle—so perfect that he hoped Zhao Yicheng would become a replicated version of himself, a perfect man who could lead the way to success.

However, Zhao Yicheng had his own path in life.

He didn’t reject a career; he also had ambition, but this didn’t mean he would let his career be the only thing in his life.

There are many choices in life, like making Xu Yinsheng obedient.

There are also many pleasures in life, like watching Xu Yinsheng slowly begin to obey.

***

Zhao Tianfu left.

When he left, he gave his fishing rod to Zhao Yicheng and also left Li Yuan behind to assist Zhao Yicheng in managing the company.

Zhao Yicheng also didn’t want to linger there and turned to leave.

But before he had even walked a few steps, the long-absent head ailment began to act up again, making his face pale and his forehead covered in cold sweat…

Li Yuan quickly helped Zhao Yicheng sit down and took the medicine left by the chairman to give to Zhao Yicheng. 

At first, Zhao Yicheng refused to take the medicine, but after the first pill went down, the effects quickly became apparent, and the throbbing pain in his head gradually subsided.

Zhao Yicheng struggled to open his eyes.

He sat up with difficulty, and a thought he had never had before surfaced in his mind.

Perhaps… he was really sick?

“Chairman… Chairman.”

Several calls in his ear brought Zhao Yicheng back to reality.

He noticed his assistant, Li Yuan, beside him.

He turned his head and gave him a calm nod.

“I’m fine.”

With that, he cast the fishing hook, which arced gracefully through the air before landing on the water, creating ripples.

“Chairman,” Li Yuan, being quite perceptive, quickly changed his address, respectfully asking, “Do you need me to call for a medical vehicle?”

“It’s nothing,” Zhao Yicheng waved him off.

Just then, the fishing bobber twitched, and ripples appeared on the water’s surface.

A fish had bitten.

Zhao Yicheng applied slight force.

His strengthened body was strong enough to lift a small car, let alone a grass carp.

However, just as land is humanity’s domain, the water is the fish’s domain.

The grass carp didn’t come out of the water as expected; instead, it engaged in a tug-of-war to some extent.

It wasn’t a contest of strength against Zhao Yicheng’s car-lifting power, but rather a contest of finesse within the limits of what the fishing rod could withstand.

If he were to apply more force…

Crack!

The tip of the fishing rod snapped!

Li Yuan, who had been about to flatter him, was stunned.

Breaking a fishing rod while fishing—if this were a fishing competition, it would definitely be mocked.

Zhao Yicheng’s expression remained unchanged.

He slowly reeled in the line and asked, “How should one fish for a fish?”

Li Yuan felt a bit apprehensive.

Fishing was one of the former chairman’s few hobbies, but this young chairman… could he not be his biological son?

A rebellious thought popped into his head.

Finally, at Zhao Yicheng’s request, Li Yuan explained fishing techniques.

After hearing the explanation, Zhao Yicheng lowered his head, as if he had understood something, muttering to himself, “A balance of tension and release.”

Thinking this, he cast the hook again, letting it fall onto the water, stirring faint ripples.

Before long, the bobber floated up and down; a fish had bitten.

This time, Zhao Yicheng didn’t choose to wrestle.

Instead, he alternately pulled and released, repeatedly tugging until the grass carp was exhausted.

With a slight pull from Zhao Yicheng, the fish leaped out of the water and into the bucket.

Li Yuan was about to flatter him again when he saw Zhao Yicheng turn his head to look at him and ask, “Tell me, can one fish for people?”

Li Yuan was speechless.

What kind of question was that?

A fishing rod?

Fishing for people?!

Although he had long heard that the chairman’s son had some minor mental issues, looking at the current situation… he wouldn’t have hobbies similar to Hannibal, would he?

Like Spider-Girl from the Ten Deadly Sins.

A layer of cold sweat trickled down Li Yuan’s back.

“Yes,” he swallowed, alleviating his somewhat dry throat.

“Mm,” Zhao Yicheng nodded.

He looked at Li Yuan and patted him on the shoulder.

“You’re good.”