Chapter 109

That being said, even though Zhou Mingxing and Wei Sheng felt no guilt, the investigation still dragged on for several days.

The only thing to be thankful for was that, since this was still an internal self-investigation by the TV station, their personal freedom wasn’t restricted. Both Wei Sheng and Zhou Mingxing could still go home as usual.

However, Hu Qianqian was scared out of her wits.

Wasn’t working within the system supposed to be the most stable and safest career path? How did a simple program recording turn into a situation where the disciplinary committee summoned them for questioning?

She knew her son best. Though Wei Sheng always acted playful and carefree, he was extremely proud and would never do anything like embezzlement or corruption!

Back when she and her ex-husband hadn’t divorced yet, her ex favored his nephew, buying different gifts for him. Ever since then, Wei Sheng had never once asked his father for a single thing.

He wouldn’t even take gifts from his own dad, so how could he possibly embezzle public funds?

When she heard that her son had been reported, Hu Qianqian instinctively believed that someone was framing him.

What’s wrong with people in the system? Were they jealous just because her son had become a celebrity?

Before Wei Sheng even reacted much, his mom was already wiping away tears in grievance. “Son! Come home! Quit that job at the TV station!”

“No more civil service exams! No more working within the system! The shop’s business is getting better, and our online store’s reputation is solid now. If nothing else, we’ll just go back to running the store! We won’t go hungry anywhere! We don’t have to take this! Be our own boss, and nobody can tell us what to do with our money!”

Having a mom who trusted him unconditionally eased a good part of the frustration from being maliciously reported. Wei Sheng smiled and comforted her—

“Blame it on your son being too outstanding. It made others jealous, sigh! This is the price of excellence!”

Before his mom’s iron palm could land on him, Wei Sheng quickly ducked behind Zhou Mingxing and kept joking, “But this might actually be a good thing. I’ve been too busy with work lately and barely had time to come home and see you guys. Now that I have to cooperate with the investigation and pause work, I can stay home and keep you company for a few days!”

“A few days? You’re that sure this investigation will go smoothly?” Zhou Mingxing raised an eyebrow.

“I saw you still had the mood to stop the car and buy candied hawthorns earlier, so I know it’s nothing serious.” Wei Sheng grinned.

After they left the station, seeing it was about time, Zhou Mingxing had planned to drive to school to pick up his daughter. Since Wei Sheng hadn’t driven today, he hitched a ride and decided to stop by the store too.

After helping Hu Qianqian through the post-school rush at the shop, and seeing her distressed over her son, she didn’t feel like keeping the store open any longer. She simply told Xiang Hong they’d close early today so everyone could get some rest.

“Mr. Zhou, why don’t you stay for dinner too? It’s on the way, and it’ll save you from having to find another place to eat with your daughter.” Hu Qianqian invited Zhou Mingxing over.

Zhou Mingxing thought for a moment and agreed. He needed to talk to Wei Sheng about what to do next anyway.

Besides, going so openly to the Hu family’s house for dinner would make them appear even more aboveboard and guilt-free.

So what next?

Faced with Zhou Mingxing, Wei Sheng didn’t hide anything.

“Old Zhou, I’ve thought it through. If the station insists that no employees, including contract workers like me, can run private businesses, then I’d rather resign from the TV station than give up this company!”

“You know it’s not just about the few of us shareholders anymore. The most important thing is that this company now affects the livelihoods of so many impoverished, lonely elderly people.”

“Can you guarantee that if we hand the company over to the station, the people taking over will care as much as we do? Will they make sure that every penny of the profits goes into the poverty relief fund for the elderly, just like we promised? And even if the foundation has money on paper, how much of it will actually reach those seniors?”

It wasn’t that Wei Sheng didn’t trust the organization, but he definitely didn’t trust that the person who’d resorted to such underhanded tactics to frame them could possibly be someone truly passionate about charity.

If their hard-earned poverty relief foundation ended up becoming a tool for some people’s personal gain, he’d die of anger.

Zhou Mingxing hadn’t expected such a speech from him. For a moment, he truly admired the kid.

Not everyone had the guts to give up such a good job at the TV station for the sake of a bunch of unrelated people.

Even though Wei Sheng was just a contract worker for now, anyone with eyes could see that the station’s leadership valued him highly. As long as he passed the written test, combined with his year of positive appearances on mainstream media, he’d most likely pass next year’s provincial exam with flying colors.

Don’t assume that’s just a case of “using fame to land a job.” Even within the system now, they welcomed young people who brought their own influence and resources—especially someone like Wei Sheng, who had been featured on national TV for poverty alleviation efforts. He was exactly the kind of high-quality talent the organization wanted.

Did Wei Sheng not know this?

Of course he did. But clearly, compared to having a good job, the fairness and justice he believed in were far more worth fighting for.

Zhou Mingxing hadn’t seen such a pure and passionate soul in this industry for a long, long time.

In their line of work, it was all too common for people to sacrifice everyone else’s interests for even the smallest personal gain. Not that this kind of choice was inherently evil—there was nothing wrong with looking out for oneself.

It’s just that Zhou Mingxing wouldn’t become friends with people like that, let alone choose them as long-term partners.

But Wei Sheng was different.

At the very least, at this moment, in Zhou Mingxing’s eyes, Wei Sheng was glowing.

“Since you’ve already made your decision, I respect it.”

“Your mom’s right. You’ll never finish making money. In this life, first, you need to be happy. Second, you need to stay true to yourself.”

“Do what you believe is right. That way, when you look back on your life someday, you won’t have regrets.”

Wei Sheng was stunned. “Old Zhou, did they lock you up earlier and make you drink a whole pot of motivational chicken soup? Why do you sound so full of cheesy life quotes today?”

Zhou Mingxing’s only answer was a massive eye roll.

Hearing that her grandson had spent both money and effort doing good deeds only to be reported, Grandma Hu had the same attitude as her daughter: screw them! If the job made him unhappy, he could just come home! After all, the family now had two shops. Worst case, Wei Sheng could help Grandpa Hu collect rent—no one was going to starve.

It was Grandpa Hu, after downing a glass of wine, who gave his grandson a piece of advice—

“Transfer your shares of that company to your mother’s name!”

“If they say employees aren’t allowed to profit from business ventures because of their positions, then don’t! Let your mom do it!”

Wei Sheng wanted to explain that family members weren’t allowed either, but surprisingly, Zhou Mingxing agreed with Grandpa Hu.

“Not just this company,” Zhou Mingxing reminded him, “If you want to keep working in this field, it’s best to put all your private investments under your mother’s name from now on. It’s a layer of protection for you.”

As a public figure, living constantly under the spotlight, every word and action could be magnified.

What’s more, business by nature was full of potential disputes. What if they hired an unreliable accountant who missed a few tax payments one month? Soon enough, someone would dig it up and accuse him of tax evasion… Even if Wei Sheng had merely invested some money and never even looked at the books, as long as his name appeared on the shareholder list, the responsibility would still fall on him!

This entire ordeal had taught Wei Sheng a lasting lesson. Even without this internal affairs interview, Zhou Mingxing had already planned to talk to him soon about transferring shares to family members. It was standard practice in their industry to reasonably avoid unnecessary risks.

“Then why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Wei Sheng suddenly felt like he might be giving too big a cut to Zhou Mingxing’s manager.

“If you didn’t take a hit, you’d never remember the lesson for life!” Zhou Mingxing snorted.

The whole reporting scandal, though dramatic at the start, ended in complete silence.

The person who filed the complaint was destined for disappointment. Wei Sheng had simply made the station too much money these past two years, with an impeccable public image to boot. In the end, there wasn’t even a public reprimand!

After a few days of rest at home, Wei Sheng bounced back to work full of energy.

As for that highly promising internet company?

Please! Not a single cent from the station had gone into it. Even the approval process was something Wei Sheng had scrambled for himself, smiling and begging favors, explaining how pitiful the elderly in Haitang Court were, asking people to help expedite the paperwork. That’s how all the licenses were approved in just a few days.

Where were these people when the trees were being planted? Now that the branches were heavy with fruit, everyone wanted to pick some?

Too late! Zhou Mingxing decided that no matter what, today he would persuade Wei Sheng to transfer all his assets to his family’s name. Let’s see how anyone would have the nerve to fight with a few elders over this!

Unexpectedly, as soon as he opened his mouth, Wei Sheng agreed without hesitation.

Now it was Zhou Mingxing’s turn to be surprised. “Aren’t you afraid your family will swallow your assets? What if your mom remarries…”

Forgive his dark suspicions—this kind of thing was all too common in their industry. Money moved people’s hearts. In the face of huge profits, even biological fathers and sons could turn on each other.

“Why would my mom be dumb enough to remarry? She’s living her best life right now!” Wei Sheng rolled his eyes. This was also a big reason why he had zero desire for relationships or marriage. After the divorce, his mom had been positively glowing, looking younger by the day. Once, when he helped her livestream for their online shop, fans even asked if Hu Qianqian was his cousin.

So yeah, with no plans for remarriage, and with only one child in her life, whether the assets were under his name or hers—what difference did it make?

“If only all parents were as open-minded as your grandparents.” Zhou Mingxing suddenly let out a heavy sigh.

“Hey? Are your parents nagging you to find someone new?” Wei Sheng asked nosily.

Zhou Mingxing flipped through the documents in his hand with an annoyed rustle.

“Yeah… They keep saying poor Yinuo lost her mom so young, and that I’m still young myself, shouldn’t stay single forever. They’re telling me to find someone while I still can, maybe give Yinuo a little brother…”

“Good thing my mom’s never pushed me to go on blind dates.” Wei Sheng shuddered at the thought.

But his look of post-crisis relief was just too irritating. Zhou Mingxing, annoyed, decided Wei Sheng couldn’t stay happy on his own.

“The company issue is settled, but you guys keep goofing off, finding time to start side businesses… The station leadership isn’t about to let their hardworking oxen idle. Just as the investigation wrapped up, they dumped a mountain of work on us.”

“Come on! Teacher Wei, come take a look at your upcoming work schedule.”

Looking at the thick stack of documents in Zhou Mingxing’s hand, Wei Sheng’s vision went black.

Sure enough, offend the leadership—even if the process was clean—you were still destined for a rough ride…