< Chapter 7: Ning Zhuo Comes Home >
The young clan leader of the Ning family summoned Ning Ze once again to inquire about the progress of the task involving the Young Puppet Master.
Ning Ze reported with gritted teeth.
Bang!
The young clan leader, Ning Xiaoren, was so furious that he grabbed the inkstone from the desk and hurled it.
The inkstone struck Ning Ze's forehead, immediately causing blood to flow.
Ning Ze didn't dare to wipe it away; his knees buckled, and he knelt down on the ground, wailing, "Young Clan Leader, it's truly not that I, Ning Ze, haven't tried. I've given it my all, but that Young Puppet Master is just impenetrable!"
"My abilities are simply insufficient; I really can't complete such a task."
"Young Clan Leader, you think too highly of me. I am severely overestimated. I truly lack the confidence and ability to handle such a duty."
Ning Ze dared not mention the matter of the Huang Family Three Ghosts; that was all his own doing.
He had wanted to abandon the task long ago. Now that the situation had reached its worst, he decided to just let go, admitting his incapacity—he couldn't do it!
"You, you, you!" The young clan leader was so angry that his fingers trembled, and for a moment, he was too speechless to address Ning Ze's dodging.
He leaned back in his chair, gasping for a long time, before finally waving his hand dismissively, "Such a simple task, and you can't even manage it! Fine, I'll assign it to someone else. Get out! Just looking at you makes my head hurt."
Ning Ze hastily retreated, but just as he reached the door, the young clan leader called out to him again.
"Wait!" Ning Ze's heart skipped a beat as he turned to bow, "What instructions does the Young Clan Leader have?"
The Young Clan Leader's tone slowed, "I've looked at the roster for the major exam, and Ning Zhuo is on it."
"He ranked 31st this time. As his uncle, what do you have to say?"
Ning Ze gave a bitter smile, "Speaking of Xiao Zhuo, I am indeed deeply troubled, Young Clan Leader."
"The child has grown up and feels that he can spread his wings. After the exam yesterday, he had a big fallout with my wife and me."
"Sigh, perhaps it's because Xiao Zhuo lost his parents at a young age. We haven't done enough, leading to his strange temper and solitary nature. He's extremely stubborn, unwilling to take shortcuts or let us pull strings because that would embarrass him."
The Young Clan Leader's gaze sharpened, "Hmm?"
"You know very well: Ning Zhuo's father, Ning Zhong, your own brother, was my lifesaver. I promised him and his wife that I would take good care of Ning Zhuo and help him cultivate properly."
"Young children don’t understand, but don’t you?"
Ning Ze hurriedly bowed, "Young Clan Leader, I understand your meaning. I'll go back right now and persuade Ning Zhuo to change his mind."
"Good!" The Young Clan Leader waved his hand, issuing a final warning, "If you can't handle this small matter, you won't be fit to manage any procurement duties anymore!"
With a heavy heart as if a large stone weighed upon him, Ning Ze returned home with a gloomy expression.
Upon seeing him, Aunt Wang Lan exclaimed in shock, "Husband, how did you get injured!?"
"It was the Young Clan Leader who hit me," Ning Ze sighed.
Aunt Wang Lan spoke with resentment, "Really, this Ning Xiaoren! If he is so capable, he should recruit the Young Puppet Master himself. Why bother subordinates for such matters?"
While complaining, Aunt Wang Lan gently applied medicine to the wound on Ning Ze's forehead.
The pain from the wound made Ning Ze's mouth twitch. He scoffed, "Fortunately... I managed to pass this hot potato along."
"But Ning Xiaoren gave me another task to handle."
"Ah, it's about Xiao Zhuo's mess!"
Ning Ze briefly explained.
After listening, Aunt Wang Lan's eyebrows shot up like an angered cat: "What? We really have to spend money to pull strings for him to enter the family business?"
"No, I don't agree!"
"How much money will that even cost?"
"We've raised him all these years, brought him up, and it wasn't easy. And now we have to spend more money?"
Uncle sighed, "He's been living at the academy without tuition fees, just a little bit for living expenses, which isn't much at all."
"Besides, his mother left a sum of money before she died from illness."
Aunt Wang Lan exclaimed, "Have you lost your mind? That money is ours!"
"Back then, when Ning Zhuo’s mother was on her deathbed, she took my hand and handed me that money."
"You were there, and several other elders were present too."
"Ning Zhuo's mother made it very clear that this money was not for Ning Zhuo's upbringing, but a thank-you gift to us!" Aunt Wang Lan insisted. "The money should be ours, and we should be free to use it as we wish."
Uncle chuckled coldly, "Exactly, and that's why we cannot let Xiao Zhuo down."
"After all, I am his uncle, and he ranked 31st this time. It wouldn't be right if I didn't make arrangements."
Aunt Wang Lan clenched her teeth and stood her ground, "If you think I'm going to part with such a large sum, you might as well kill me."
"This troublesome little brat, and that greedy Ning Xiaoren, deserve nothing!"
"Can't you see? Ning Xiaoren is singling you out to push you into bribing him, using his connections to get Ning Zhuo into the family business."
"What kind of man he is, and what he's plotting, aren’t you clear about that?"
"He is petty and heartless. Promises he made in public yesterday, he could conveniently forget today."
"Previously, we thought having such a connection would make things easier. But when we've asked him for help, he either shirks responsibility or demands money."
"To secure your position as procurement manager, we sought the Young Clan Leader’s help, and how much did he charge us? Three times more than what others paid!"
"Now, he's looking to exploit the situation with Ning Zhuo to extort more money from us."
"Heh, if he really cared about repaying the debt for saving his life, why hasn't he shown any concern or comfort for Ning Zhuo even once in all these years!? If he really wanted to repay the favor, he could have used his own power to place Xiao Zhuo in the family business directly. He is the Young Clan Leader, after all."
"Such hypocrisy, it's utterly despicable!"
Uncle sighed deeply, "Ah, do you think I don't understand? His intentions were very clear; this time if I don't curry favor with him and present him with gifts, he will strip me of my managerial duties!"
Aunt Wang Lan was incredulous, "Are you really going to submit to this? Let him extort our family?"
"You have a son too."
"Ning Ji also needs to cultivate and requires resources for it. What can we give him? We can't even satisfy him with the pastries from Jinshan Hall."
Uncle's face darkened as he snapped, "Nonsense!"
"Those Golden Thread Jade Dew cakes aren't something even a major manager can snack on freely."
"Don’t worry, let me think this over properly."
Ning Ze was filled with reluctance at the idea of using money and connections to secure Ning Zhuo a position in the family business.
Compared to his wife Wang Lan, it wasn’t the money that bothered him but rather his own dignity.
With Ning Zhuo having fallen out with them due to his stubborn temperament, Ning Ze felt it demeaning that, as an elder, he should have to go out of his way to secure a favorable position for him.
Wasn't that just acting like a servant?