Chapter 341: A Night of Tea and Strategy

Finally off work after a long day, he called Mr. Cui.

“Zhou, my dear brother, what makes you remember your old pal today? I’ve been wanting to get together for ages!” Mr. Cui had always been on good terms with Zhou Can.

On top of that, Zhou Can had once saved his life, making their bond even stronger.

“Actually, there’s something I’d like to ask your advice on, Brother Cui! Are you free tonight?”

Zhou Can rarely asked his friends for help unless it was truly important.

Every now and then, they’d get together for a meal or a drink—just the usual way to keep in touch.

Mr. Cui, like Zhou Can, was always swamped with work.

But in the evenings, he usually stayed home with his family, savoring the simple comforts of life.

“Of course I’m free! I’m always home in the evenings. You’re welcome to drop by for tea anytime!” Mr. Cui replied, then quickly added, “So when will you be here? I’ll have tea ready and waiting.”

“Give me about fifty minutes. I just clocked out, but it’s rush hour. I’m worried I’ll get stuck in traffic.”

Zhou Can was already out front of the hospital, hailing a taxi.

“I’ll be waiting!”

Mr. Cui truly wasted no words on small talk.

An hour later, Zhou Can arrived at Mr. Cui’s villa.

Zhou had actually helped design the villa’s classically styled living room. Step inside, and it felt like stepping back into ancient times—it was completely immersive.

True to his word, Mr. Cui was in the tea room brewing tea.

The water was already boiling, sending billows of white steam into the air.

“Zhou, my friend, the tea’s ready—come, have a seat!”

Mr. Cui got up to welcome him.

“Let me go wash up some fruit and bring out a few snacks,” said Yin Qin, the type of wife who could handle both hosting guests and running a household with ease.

“No need, Sister-in-law—just relax! I’m practically a fixture here, always eating and drinking on your tab anyway!” Zhou Can’s visits were always met with true warmth from Mr. Cui and his wife.

“Oh, it’s no trouble! Having you here makes the house feel livelier. If the hospital wasn’t so far, your brother Cui and I would love to have you over every night!”

Yin Qin brushed back a stray hair with a graceful smile.

She practically ran the family’s foreign trade company, the very image of a capable businesswoman and true CEO.

But unlike the often cold, overbearing bosses on TV, she had a gentle, down-to-earth warmth that made her real and relatable.

“Meeting you and Brother Cui is the luck of a lifetime. I’d love to come by for dinner every day, but my work keeps me swamped night and day. I couldn’t make it happen even if I wanted to.”

Zhou felt that, with their son abroad, Cui and his wife did seem a little lonely.

“Try this fresh Maojian tea!”

Mr. Cui poured him a cup.

Even though Zhou Can was worried sick about his parents back home, he knew better than anyone that urgent situations called for a calm head.

Keeping cool under pressure was an essential skill for anyone in charge.

Every real leader he’d met had one thing in common: even if the sky fell, they’d keep their cool.

By the time they’d had five cups, Yin Qin had come back with a plate of fruit and arranged it on the tea table.

She’d also brought out some exquisite pastries.

“I made these mung bean cakes yesterday, Dr. Zhou. Please try one!”

“Made by your own hands? No way I’m turning them down. Last time I had your homemade whole grain cookies, they were amazing!”

He took a mung bean cake and popped it in his mouth—sweet but not cloying, melting instantly with the fresh fragrance of the beans lingering on his tongue.

“Nothing beats homemade snacks with zero additives. This is truly one of life’s greatest pleasures.”

“Haha, you’re laying it on a bit thick! But if you like them, I’ll pack some for you later—you can keep a few for overtime or for a quick bite during long surgeries. They’re all-natural, though, so don’t keep them more than three days!”

Yin Qin looked out for him like a big sister would.

Zhou Can felt nothing but gratitude for their care.

“Thank you, Sister-in-law!”

He readily accepted the offer.

Whether with Mr. Cui’s family or Mr. Li’s, the relationships were so close, too much formality would only feel awkward.

“Brother Cui, Sister-in-law, I actually came here tonight for some business advice. Honestly, something’s happened in my family. My parents run a food processing plant—which you might remember. Today my mom called me, and something seemed off about her tone. I had some friends back home quietly look into things…”

Zhou Can explained how his parents had been set up, their villa sealed by authorities, and how they were now surrounded by trouble on all sides.

After listening, Mr. Cui went straight to the point: “Your parents are being hit by malicious competition. Maybe they offended someone in the business world, so now someone’s trying to ruin your family by using dirty tricks—like getting them to rush a big custom order with a small deposit, just so they’ll fall into their trap.”

Mr. Cui was a veteran in business—just the details alone were enough for him to see what was happening.

“Even if I know my parents were set up, so what? They don’t want the deposit back, and even if we sue them, it won’t help. All I can do now is try to minimize my parents’ losses. There’s nothing I can do to those people.”

Zhou Can knew the law ruled above all now.

Even if they’d dug a pit and baited his parents into it, what then?

Calling the police was useless; they’d lose the lawsuit anyway.

Those crooks never cared about losing their deposit. They’d take a small hit to inflict a massive loss. This whole scheme was just to crush the family’s processing plant.

That was their real objective.

“Don’t worry, Dr. Zhou. These people know their way around business—they got your parents in with a small deposit, which means they’re pros. I doubt their only goal is to destroy your factory. They’ll want to squeeze out every last benefit. For example, if your family has to sell assets cheap to pay off debts, they’ll just snatch everything up for a bargain. It’s a way to swallow up your family’s plant and your parents’ lifetime of hard work for next to nothing.”

Yin Qin’s business instincts seemed even sharper than Mr. Cui’s.

No wonder she’d always been the one in charge of the family’s business affairs.

“I won’t just let them get away with it. If my parents are in debt, I’ll cover it myself—as long as the factory survives, that’s what matters most.”

Zhou Can had taken out loans before and knew firsthand how dangerous a forced asset sale could be.

A piece of equipment worth a million could be sold off for only thirty thousand, or maybe even less. A villa worth three million could end up in a foreclosure auction for less than two.

He’d willingly put in every cent he’d made in the last two years—tens of millions—just to make sure those crooks didn’t win.

Business could be merciless.

You knew you were being ruined, but you still had to watch them snatch your assets for pennies on the dollar.

“If I’ve got it figured out, they tricked your parents into producing a custom batch of food products. The real trick is, these products don’t fit domestic tastes, so they won’t sell in the local market—forcing your parents into a corner.”

Calmly, Yin Qin broke down the entire scheme.

“Your parents can’t sell those custom products, but they probably have overseas channels. So, they’ll buy them up at dirt-cheap prices. Based on my years in foreign trade, food for export usually has to be additive-free—which means it won’t keep for long.”

“They’ll use that as leverage to drive prices down. In the end, your parents will have two choices: sell at a huge loss, or let it rot away.”

Yin Qin’s step-by-step analysis made Zhou Can break out in a cold sweat.

Their calculation was terrifying.

They wanted nothing less than to skin his parents alive, drain everything from them, and pocket it all for almost nothing.

In the end, they’d get back every penny of deposit—and probably make a fortune besides.

“Sister-in-law, is there a way to counter this chain of nasty tricks?”

“Definitely! In fact, if you play it right, you can hit them with a beautiful counterattack.” A glint of sharp intelligence flashed in Yin Qin’s eyes.

“Please, teach me!”

Zhou Can was overjoyed.

Healing people was his specialty; when it came to business, he was a novice.

“Don’t worry—you saved my husband’s life and you’re a dear friend to both of us. Of course we won’t just sit back while your family’s being targeted. The plan isn’t even complicated…”

She walked him through the entire counterattack strategy.

After listening, Zhou Can was practically in awe of her business acumen—and excited to put the plan into action.

“Sister-in-law, you’re an absolute genius. That group thought they were clever, but you’ve got them beat at every turn. I can’t wait to see them so desperate they want to jump off a roof!”

“Give it half a month—that wish is as good as granted!”

She beamed with unshakable confidence.

Zhou Can left Mr. Cui’s house full of fresh ideas and in a terrific mood.

The minute he got home, he started making arrangements.

First, he spent ten thousand yuan to hire two foreigners as actors—and rented a high-end luxury car.

These two had one job: to show up, posing as international buyers, when those crooks tried to acquire the custom food products—driving up the price.

In addition, Yin Qin and Mr. Cui had a few more tricks up their sleeves to deal with the schemers.

The masterminds behind this scheme would never dream they were about to get outwitted.

The next day, Zhou Can asked the hospital for five days’ leave.

For most trainees, getting even a single day off was a stretch. Zhou Can had worried he might need Deputy Director Ye’s approval—but the head of Endocrinology handled it right away.

He only had to mention family troubles, and got immediate support.

The department chief’s help was also a friendly favor.

Hospitals are a microcosm of society—the chief knew if Zhou ever owed a favor, he’d be happy to repay it down the line.

Leave secured, Zhou Can picked up some nutritional supplements for his parents.

Back in the day, his family never wanted for anything.

His parents were always generous with him, but frugal with themselves. His mom would agonize over buying a thousand-yuan dress, but when giving Zhou pocket money—fifty thousand at a time—she’d fork it over without blinking.

When Zhou headed downstairs, he spotted Su Qianqian’s BMW already waiting at the curb.

“Boss, over here!”

Wei Fang waved him over.

As Zhou walked up, Su Qianqian—sitting in the back seat—reached out and opened the car door for him.

“Can, sit back here!”

He got in, shut the door behind him.

“Did you ask your company for leave?”

“Of course! Boss Li didn’t even hesitate when he heard we were going to visit your folks.” As the star of the company, Su Qianqian’s five-day leave was bound to affect business.

“Honey, how’s this outfit?”

“It looks perfect—and you’re beautiful.”

Zhou gave her a thorough look and nodded seriously.

Honestly, a knockout like Su Qianqian could pull off anything.

In simple clothes, she could be the girl next door. In a designer dress, she’d turn heads like a superstar.

“I bought some gifts and put them in the trunk—hope your parents like them.”

Meeting her future in-laws for the first time, there was a trace of nervousness to her.

She worried she hadn’t done enough or might make a misstep, afraid she’d give Zhou’s parents a bad impression. She just cared too much about Zhou.

Only winning over his parents could remove a huge barrier for their future together.

“Any gift from my daughter-in-law, my parents will love. Don’t worry!”

Zhou pulled her into his arms, grateful for her effort.

“Wei Fang, I sent the address to your phone. Let’s head straight there.”

“Got it, boss!”

Once Wei Fang started calling him “boss,” she never switched back.

It’s funny how things go—after the first time, everything else comes easily.

…

Xinhai City had “city” in the name, but in practice it was a county-level town. Not small either, with a population of over 1.4 million, and more than half a million residents in urban areas alone.

The economy here wasn’t bad—among the nation’s top hundred counties.

As Zhou arrived at his family’s villa, he saw the gate sealed with a court notice, tightly locked.

Seeing his home actually under seal made him ache inside. His real pain was for his parents.

With their home seized, the pressure on them must be unimaginable—and yet they’d kept it all from him, bearing every hardship alone.

He couldn’t begin to imagine how they’d managed these past days.

He told Wei Fang to turn the car toward the family’s food processing plant.

When they got there, banners hung across the gate—workers demanding wages, suppliers demanding payment.

He could picture just how desperate his parents must feel, surrounded on all sides.

He called his mother’s phone.

“Mom, where are you now?”

“I’m at the factory, what is it?”

Her end of the line was loud and chaotic.

He could even hear people yelling and cursing.

“It’s nothing, Mom. Didn’t you want to meet your daughter-in-law? I’m bringing her to see you and Dad!”

Zhou told her.

“Ah… today? Your dad and I are both tied up—how about you don’t come today? We can always visit you in the provincial capital another time.”

She sounded a little rattled.

Zhou signaled to Wei Fang and Su Qianqian to stay in the car and got out, heading straight for the factory.

“Mom, I can see you from here.”

With no security guard at the factory gate, he walked in easily.

He soon spotted a crowd gathered outside the office building. His mother, phone in hand, slipped into a quiet corner to take his call.