As soon as Dong Jian and the others entered the Wu family mansion, the atmosphere became lively. In the courtyard of the old mansion, members of the Wu family were bustling about, preparing for the upcoming succession ceremony. Given the expected large number of guests, the ceremony was to be held outdoors; a small living room certainly couldn't accommodate such a grand event.
After Dong Jian and the Wu Corporation's executives arrived, various business partners of the Wu Corporation also began to arrive at the old mansion. Knowing that the Wu Corporation had secured a lucrative school district development project, these partners now showed a level of respect that far surpassed what they had offered during Wu Zhixing's leadership.
Wu Zhiming greeted each arriving guest with a smile. Observing him, everyone had the same thought: this man was always meant to be like this. The previous image of weakness and incompetence must have been a façade he maintained for over twenty years. But could someone really stay hidden for so long?
Initially, people believed that Wu Zhiming's backers had only recently found and supported him. But seeing his confident demeanor now, it seemed possible that his powerful supporters had been nurturing and concealing him for decades.
Everyone attending the ceremony today had a secret hope: that Wu Zhiming's mysterious backer might make an appearance on such an important day, even if it was just a hint of their presence. Yao Jing shared this curiosity. She wanted to see if, on this significant occasion, there would be any sign of the person behind Wu Zhiming.
"I think I should go down and help Zhiming. In a big event like this, someone with experience like mine is essential to keep things running smoothly. Otherwise, he might end up looking foolish," said Zhou Yanqiu.
"Mom, please don't go down and cause trouble. I know you want to show off a bit, but today is Zhiming's day," Yao Jing replied.
"How can you say that about your own mother? What a great daughter I have, always taking sides against her own family!" Zhou Yanqiu retorted angrily.
However, despite her irritation, Zhou Yanqiu stayed upstairs and did not interfere with Wu Zhiming.
Soon, it was 9:30 AM. No one had arrived at the Wu family mansion's entrance for quite some time.
"What's going on?!" Wu Maocai said with a frown. "I sent invitations to many of our family's close friends and notable figures in Haixia City. They should be arriving by now."
"No need to worry," Wu Zhiming said with a smile. "Those who choose to come are giving us their respect. Those who don't show up might have valid reasons or other engagements."
"But it can't be that all of them are occupied!" Wu Maocai insisted.
Wu Zhiming, looking towards the gate, had already anticipated this situation.
Shen Hongyue had managed the Wu family for many years and had deep ties with both the Wu family's old friends and the prominent figures in Haixia City. Now that Wu Zhiming had taken over the family leadership from her son, all it took was a word from Shen Hongyue, and these connections would certainly respect her wishes by not attending.
"Unfortunately, some people just don't seize opportunities when they come," Wang Hai scoffed. The absent invitees were missing their best chance to earn Wu Zhiming's favor. In the future, trying to gain his goodwill would require far more effort, and there was no guarantee of success.
Meanwhile, at Tianjiao Group:
"Grandfather, are we really not going to attend? The Wu family did send us an invitation," Yao Shanchuan asked.
"No, we're not going," Yao Tianlong replied, shaking his head. "The Wu family is only useful to us for their corporation. Now that our cooperation is underway and not even under our family's name, attending this ceremony is optional. Besides, Shen Hongyue asked us to stay away. We must respect her wishes, considering her powerful background. After all, she's from the Shen family in the provincial capital."
"The Shen family…" Yao Shanchuan's face grew serious. Haixia City was a second-tier city, incomparable to the first-tier Tianlu City and even less so to the provincial capital, Rongjin City. The Wu family's fifty-billion-yuan assets were impressive in Haixia, but they wouldn't even make the top ten in the provincial capital. And the Shen family, ranked among the top five in Rongjin City, dwarfed them.
In terms of assets alone, it would take ten Wu families to equal the wealth of the Shen family. Shen Hongyue, it turned out, was the daughter of the Shen family patriarch.
### Chapter 45: The Show Begins
Years ago, when Shen Hongyue married Wu Zhennan, it shocked many people. After all, Wu Zhennan was nothing more than a poor boy compared to the powerful Shen family. Marrying him was considered a significant step down for Shen Hongyue.
"The Shen family is a large and influential one. Even though Shen Hongyue married into the Wu family, we must still show her respect. Otherwise, it would be seen as disrespecting the entire Shen family," Yao Tianlong said.
"I understand!" Yao Shanchuan nodded in agreement.
Time quickly approached 9:50 AM. Several luxury cars pulled up to the gate of the Wu family estate.
As the cars came to a stop, Shen Hongyue emerged from a Maybach. Following closely behind her was someone no one expected to see: Wu Zhixing.
Previously held in custody, Wu Zhixing now appeared alongside Shen Hongyue, dressed in a suit and tie, looking nothing like a criminal. The Wu family members responsible for welcoming guests were stunned. Seeing Wu Zhixing and Shen Hongyue approaching, they instinctively called out, "Patriarch, Madam."
Realizing their mistake immediately after speaking, they quickly lowered their heads.
"Well said," Shen Hongyue remarked with a smile. "Once my son reclaims the Wu family, you will be handsomely rewarded!"
The greeter kept his head down, too intimidated to respond.
"Come on, son, let's go see that useless brother of yours," Shen Hongyue said.
Wu Zhixing nodded with a smile. Following them were a dozen others, all key members of the Wu family and former shareholders of the Wu Corporation. These were the core figures who had always managed the family's major events, unlike the more peripheral family members now present in the courtyard.
Wu Maohua, Wu Maocai's younger brother, was among them. Despite being younger, his status within the family was far more significant than Wu Maocai's.
Their entrance immediately created a tense atmosphere within the Wu family estate.
"Mom, Yang Sandao really didn't handle this well," Wu Zhixing remarked as they walked.
"What can you expect? He's just a small-time thug from a small place. If I'd known, I would have hired professionals from the provincial capital," Shen Hongyue replied.
Conversing as they moved forward, they soon stood before Wu Zhiming.
"Zhiming, you don't even greet your aunt?" Shen Hongyue said arrogantly.
"I only have one mother in this world," Wu Zhiming replied.
"Talking tough now, huh? You used to call me 'Aunt' all the time. Now that you're about to become the head of the family, you forget your manners and the concept of respect? With you as the head, the Wu family's future looks bleak," Shen Hongyue sighed.
"Better me than a criminal, don't you think, brother?" Wu Zhiming said, looking at Wu Zhixing.
"I'm out on bail. Whether I'm a criminal or not hasn't been decided yet. No one's judgment matters until the court rules!" Wu Zhixing replied coldly.
"Seems like your grandfather's influence paid off. Please, everyone, come in. We're all family here; no need to stand on ceremony," Wu Zhiming said, turning to Wu Maocai, "Could you show them in?"
"Madam… please," Wu Maocai said quietly.
"Who's this? Isn't this our family's turncoat? You recognize me as Madam now? Just days ago, you were badmouthing me in front of everyone. Did you consider me 'Madam' then?" Shen Hongyue retorted sarcastically.
Wu Maocai's face flushed with embarrassment. His body trembled slightly. Though he was senior in rank, Shen Hongyue's status was far above his.
"Watch your words!" Wu Yuwei, standing nearby, rebuked.
"And who do you think you are? Is this your place to speak?" Wu Zhixing snapped back.
"My grandfather is the most senior member of the Wu family. Disrespecting him means disrespecting the entire Wu family!" Wu Yuwei retorted.
"Wu Yuwei, look how quickly you've turned into a lackey. A few days, and you're already fluent in it?" Wu Zhixing sneered.
"Who's the lackey here? I'm just stating facts!" Wu Yuwei shot back.
Wu Zhiming glanced at Wu Yuwei and smiled. The man's attitude had changed significantly since he realized how much he owed Wu Zhiming. If he kept this up, Wu Zhiming might consider reducing some of the interest on his debt.
"Alright, Zhixing, let's drop it. They're in high spirits now, about to take over as head of the family. I'm just an aunt from the Shen family, with no right to critique him anymore. Let's wait here. I want to witness this historic moment when Zhiming becomes the family head," Shen Hongyue said.
"So do I!" Wu Zhixing replied with a smile. The group then moved to the side.
"They're here to cause trouble. Should I throw them out?" Wang Hai asked Wu Zhiming quietly.
"Throw them out? No, no. I want them to see with their own eyes how the position they coveted for decades, which they thought was theirs by right, falls into the hands of me, the most underestimated son of the Wu family," Wu Zhiming said, smiling.
Wang Hai nodded and then turned to find Dong Jian.
Time swiftly moved to 10:00 AM. The auspicious hour had arrived.
Inside the Wu family estate, the crowd wasn't large. Including Dong Jian and the representatives from the Wu Corporation's partners, there were only about fifty or sixty people. Adding the Wu family members, the total didn't exceed a hundred.
When Wu Zhixing took over as head of the family years ago, there were over a thousand attendees, including all the notable figures from Haixia City and representatives from the Shen family. Wu Zhixing had been the center of attention. In stark contrast, Wu Zhiming's ceremony was modest and understated.
Many members of the Wu family quietly rejoiced at this sight.
"The auspicious hour has arrived. The ceremony for the succession of the head of the family will now begin…" Wu Maocai started to announce, but he was interrupted by the sound of roaring car engines at the entrance of the Wu family estate.