Chapter 38: Qin Mu Must Be Won Over

"I will have someone come to pick you up tomorrow morning," Qin Mu said, leaving behind those words before departing. After all, he still had to remain on standby to look after Jiang Li; as for Jiang Xue, spending money was enough to satisfy her vanity.

Jiang Xue nodded, looking truly delighted. "Alright, Brother Qin Mu."

Qin Mu exited Jiang Xue’s bedroom and walked into the main hall, where Jiang Jintao greeted him. "Little Qin, come over and have some tea!"

Thinking of the mission entrusted to him by Elder Jiang, Qin Mu suppressed his inner turmoil and sat down. He knew that if he wanted to uncover the truth early, he had to take the initiative.

"Uncle Jiang!" Qin Mu remained formal. After all, Jiang Xue had been with him for so many years; he had never given her a wedding, yet she had already borne his child.

"Little Qin, Chenchen still hasn't been found. I know it’s inappropriate to bring up your wedding with Xiaoxue right now, but it’s been so many years. Before, it was inconvenient because Chenchen was ill, but now that he’s had his kidney transplant, you really should start considering it!"

Qin Mu nodded. "You are right, Uncle Jiang. I should consider our marriage. It’s just that Chenchen has had some complications lately. Tomorrow, I’m taking Xiaoxue to Jiangcheng’s top auction to buy some jewelry, and once Chenchen’s affairs are settled, we will prepare for the wedding."

Jiang Jintao patted Qin Mu’s shoulder. "That’s more like it! Our Xiaoxue has always looked forward to being your bride, and besides, she is now the true eldest daughter of the Jiang family. After all, the Jiang Group might need our cooperation to thrive in the future. Marrying Jiang Xue won’t be a loss for you."

"Indeed. However, I am a bit curious: will you truly be the next helmsman of the Jiang Group?"

Hearing this, Jiang Jintao gracefully poured a cup of tea, a cunning, foxy smile appearing in his shrewd eyes.

"Heh, you’re not an outsider, Qin Mu. You’re going to be my son-in-law, and eventually, you and Jiang Hao will have to work together to make a fortune. So, I won’t hide it from you: the helmsman of the Jiang Group must be me. Elder Jiang is getting old, and the group cannot be left without an heir. Although I belong to a side branch, my grandfather and your Elder Jiang’s father were brothers. So, if he doesn’t give it to me, who else would he give it to?"

Qin Mu nodded. The blood relation was still quite close. Furthermore, the main branch had been a single-child lineage for four generations; if they were all eliminated, it was indeed possible for the assets to fall into the hands of a side branch.

"Uncle Jiang, does Elder Jiang really have only one grandson? No granddaughters, or perhaps any illegitimate children?"

Qin Mu’s question made Jiang Jintao laugh heartily. "I’ve already investigated. There really aren't any. However, before the succession is announced, I will make sure to find out exactly who he has given the inheritance rights to."

To ensure there were no mistakes, he thought, if Elder Jiang didn’t listen to reason, his existence would become meaningless.

This was a blatant declaration of intent to kill!

Qin Mu narrowed his eyes. He had always believed that the business world was like a battlefield and that certain tactics were tolerable; he himself had often forced others into submission. But he had never gone as far as murder, especially not against his own relatives. Even if one were to seize power, it shouldn't be done in such a monstrous way—wiping out an entire family, not even sparing an eighty-year-old man.

Qin Mu’s heart frosted over. He felt a deep repulsion toward Jiang Xue and her family. However, he maintained his stance. "Uncle Jiang, to be honest, I am still quite saddened. The accident involving Manager Jiang’s family—we still haven’t found any leads. Leaving Elder Jiang all alone and burdened with such a massive responsibility, you must be exhausted."

Jiang Jintao froze. He studied Qin Mu. He had spoken clearly enough; this young man was clearly siding with his mentor! If he was investigating the truth behind the deaths of the Jiang family, then what did his previous words imply?

"Ha!" Jiang Jintao gave an awkward laugh. "Little Qin, it was a tragedy for the Jiang family. The police have been investigating for so long and haven't found anything!"

Qin Mu put on a look of grief. "Elder Jiang is my mentor. Seeing him so heartbroken breaks my heart as well, so I will urge the police to continue the investigation."

A chill crept up Jiang Jintao’s spine. It seemed he was casting pearls before swine; this kid had no intention of helping him!

"Heh, yes, it must be investigated thoroughly," Jiang Jintao said, his words insincere. Thinking of how this young man was willing to take losses just to help the Jiang Group sign major contracts, he sensed something unusual. Could it be that Jiang Zhen-ting would leave the inheritance to Qin Mu? Impossible! Jiang Zhen-ting had two prized protégés: Qin Mu and Ji Han, both of whom he treated like his own sons.

Jiang Jintao shivered. He had to get Qin Mu and Jiang Xue engaged, or else things might take a turn for the worse.

"By the way, I have something to attend to. Uncle Jiang, I’ll take my leave now. I’ll come to pick up Jiang Xue tomorrow." Seeing the calculating look on Jiang Jintao’s face, Qin Mu decided to leave.

Jiang Jintao stood up hurriedly. "Little Qin, marry Jiang Xue as soon as possible. You are Elder Jiang’s most prized protégé; if you were to inherit the Jiang Group, I would be happy with that, too."

Qin Mu paused, thinking to himself that Jiang Jintao was indeed suspicious. Without offering an explanation, he gave a slight smile and got into his car.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xue had finished her makeup and ran out in a fresh, ethereal white dress.

"Dad, where is Brother Qin Mu? Didn’t you want him to stay for dinner?"

Jiang Jintao’s eyes turned fierce. "Xiaoxue, I’m giving you one week to win Qin Mu over. You must be married within a month, or don’t bother calling me your father again."

Jiang Xue stood stunned, watching Jiang Jintao’s retreating figure in confusion. "What’s wrong with Dad? He’s acting so strange. I’m going to the top auction in Jiangcheng tomorrow; Brother Qin Mu is clearly going to marry me!"

The next morning, Jiang Li woke up early, washed up, and began learning etiquette from her mother Xie Yun’s teacher.

The teacher was a woman of about seventy, with a kind face and pure white hair tied up in a bun, giving her an air of ethereal, Taoist grace. Upon seeing Jiang Li, the old woman studied her with appreciation.

"Hello, Grandma Ji. My name is Jiang Li. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to come to the Jiang house. You’ve worked hard!" Jiang Li finished and bowed deeply to the woman.

The old woman smiled slightly. "Little Li, you truly have an extraordinary temperament—beautiful and generous. However, looking at your face, I see indecisiveness. That must be changed."

Jiang Li was bewildered. They had only just met, and she was already being critiqued? Could the old lady really read faces?

"Little Li, I want to tell you how I taught your mother to become a qualified secretary."

Jiang Li nodded.

The old woman began, "First, your brain must learn to 'empathize.' When writing documents or handling matters, you must ponder: how would the leader view this? What does he care about? What effect does he want to achieve? This is called 'thinking like a leader behind closed doors.' Listen carefully to how the leader speaks and pay attention to what he focuses on. Slowly, you will grasp his line of thinking, and only then will your work be on the right track."

After listening, Jiang Li nodded. "You are right, Grandma!"

The old woman shook her head. "But that doesn't apply to you. It is not suitable. You are meant to be a leader yourself, and you must avoid being indecisive."