Chapter 682 A More Important Role
“I no longer have a home. Just drop me anywhere.” Ouyang Qi seemed to have regained some sobriety. “Let’s go to my place, then. You can stay there,” offered Tang Jing.
“Why would you care about me? I’m a loser,” Ouyang Qi muttered. “That’s enough. Don’t say that. It will all work out sooner or later.” Tang Jing owned an apartment in Flower City. As she lived alone, it was tidy and immaculate.
Upon his arrival, Ouyang Qi went straight to the toilet to throw up and only returned to the living room, falling asleep on the couch after emptying his stomach. Tang Jing covered him with a blanket and took a closer look at the man. He’s actually quite handsome.
Though he couldn’t compare with Nan Chen and his brother, she considered him more handsome than most men. However, he was too pasty and thin for her taste.
When Ouyang Qi awoke the following day, his head felt heavy. Despite having had too much to drink, he remembered everything that had happened the night before.
Tang Jing was already back from her morning exercise. She wore a black, tight-fitting exercise outfit, which accentuated her excellent figure. Being a disciplined person, she was determined to exercise every day so that she could stay in shape. Her resolution stemmed from her desire to succeed.
“Oh, you’re up? Go wash up. Breakfast will be served soon,” Tang Jing announced. As hungover as Ouyang Qi was, he knew that he must smell bad, so he slinked into the guest bathroom.
Tang Jing had laid the table when he emerged after a shower. Breakfast was simple. It consisted of one grapefruit, one slice of bread, and one glass of milk.
For Tang Jing, who had strict demands for her physique, breakfast served the primary need to replenish her nutrients. The taste was a secondary concern.
“Have a little of everything. This is breakfast that we mortals have. I don’t know how to make breakfast for the rich,” Tang Jing teased. “Thank you.”
Ouyang Qi sat down and helped himself to a slice of bread. Having thrown up everything he ate the night before, he was starving. The pair fell into silence as they ate. Neither of them said a word.
Ouyang Qi broke the silence. “Add me on WeChat. I’ll return the money to you.” “Forget it, it wasn’t much. However…”
Tang Jing wanted to ask him how he had gotten to the point where he could not even pay for drinks, though ultimately, she trailed off as she was worried it might wound his self-esteem.
Ouyang Qi knew what she was hesitant to ask, so he took the initiative to admit it. “I have no money. My father was the one who made the arrangements for my expenditures. Now that he is gone, my cards have all been frozen. I have no job and no income. That is why I’m broke.”
“Why would they freeze your cards, though? Aren’t you the son of the Ouyang family?” Tang Jing asked.
“Not anymore. I haven’t been for a long time.”
Ouyang Qi devoured the slice of bread in several bites. He then gazed inquiringly at Tang Jing as if to ask if there were any more bread.
Tang Jing handed him another slice and, upon the realization that one might not be enough, gave him one more after that.
“Are you your father’s biological son?” Tang Jing asked again.
“I think so. We haven’t even done a paternity test,” Ouyang Qi said with a self-deprecating laugh.
“Then how did you end up here? Don’t you have a more important role to play?”
Tang Jing was tactful in her choice of words. She meant to ask why he did not inherit his father’s fortune. How could he not even afford to pick up his tab?
Ouyang Qi said nothing. He raised his glass and took a sip of milk.
“Forget it. I shouldn’t pry into your family’s affairs,” Tang Jing said, concerned about upsetting Ouyang Qi by coming on too strong.
“With my father gone, my mother is the next heir apparent. The next thing I knew, she gave all her shares to my sister, who has now become the largest shareholder in the group. Ouyang Qing had been forced to sign away her rights to her shares. I did not sign mine, so my sister had the bank freeze my cards and bankrupt me. Now that I’m broke, my friends dared not meet up with me, worried that I’d ask to borrow their money. As a matter of fact, I am desperate enough to ask for loans if they dared answered my calls.”
Ouyang Qi gave another bitter chuckle.
Tang Jing had met Ouyang Li before and was under the impression that Ouyang Li was much more capable than Ouyang Qing.
It appears that my judgment is accurate. Ouyang Li is a vicious one.
“Are you just going to let that slide?” Tang Jing exclaimed.
“What else can I do? Sue my sister? Add on to the mess that the Ouyang family is already facing? Start an internal feud and have the outside world laugh at us?” Ouyang Qi retorted.
“You are still Mr. Ouyang’s son. With Sunshine Corporation in such a state, you should be doing your part. Did your father waste his time raising a son like you? Will he rest in peace?” she countered.
Ouyang Qi spread his arms, defeated. “What can a loser like me do? My sister is capable enough. It’s fine by me as long as she leads Sunshine Corporation toward a better future.”
The term “loser” was commonly used as an insult to others. Thus, Tang Jing had never met anybody who would assume the moniker “loser” for themselves.
“I think your sister would not succeed in leading the company. Besides, somebody would be bound to take over your family business,” Tang Jing opined.
“What do you mean? Is it because she’s a woman?” Ouyang Qi argued.
“No. Because of who she is.”
Ouyang Qi gazed at Tang Jing. “Speak your mind.”
“Your father had been forced to his death by the Nan family. Instead of avenging him, your sister starts contesting for power with her own family instead. That shows that she does not take vengeance seriously and is only concerned with satisfying her greed. She is selfish, and people like that cannot achieve greatness. That is why Sunshine Corporation will fall into somebody else’s hands sooner or later. It would be too late for you to do anything by then,” she elaborated.
Tang Jing was astute. She observed Ouyang Qi’s reaction after her speech and could tell that her words did not repulse the latter.
Instead, he looked as if he was thinking about it, though he did not express his stance.
Tang Jing knew she needed to add fuel to the fire.
“You were irresponsible back then because your father was there to run the company, which granted you the luxury to fool around. Things, however, have changed. Mr. Ouyang is not here anymore. Your mother, too, must have been forced to hand over her shares to your sister. If your sister marries, Sunshine Corporation will no longer belong to the Ouyang family. Your father’s meticulous plans against Nanshi Corporation to strengthen Sunshine Corporation’s position would all be for naught. Do you not care anymore now that he’s gone? Even if you have no ambition or desire, you should think of your mother and deceased father.”
Ouyang Qi leaped to his feet. “Don’t you think I’ve considered everything you’ve just said? Do you think I enjoy being a loser? Even when my father was around, he favored only Ouyang Qing and never allowed me to ask about the important matters of the company. Since he didn’t trust me, I could only spend my days messing around. I have no power. What else can I do aside from being a playboy? Besides, my father had been reckless in his doings. I don’t like his style, so he had even less of a reason to trust me. I’m sad that he’s gone, but what can I do?”
Tang Jing smiled, satisfied. Her hunch turned out to be right.
