Chapter 069: The Qu Family of Haizhou

Night had already fallen late when the Zhao family, after some discussion, decided to pay a visit to the Qu family the following day.

Early the next morning, Zhao Mingyi took Zhao Hu with him and boarded a sleek black Mercedes S-Class, which soon came to a halt in front of the Qu family estate.

In Haizhou, the Qu family’s connections and status were second only to the Gu family. For years, they had always been overshadowed by the Gu family. As the saying goes, two tigers cannot share one mountain—especially with such prominent families as the Qu and Gu clans, whose influence and interests were deeply entwined, even reaching into the highest echelons of both officialdom and society. Outwardly, the Qu and Gu families appeared to coexist peacefully, but beneath the surface, they were locked in an ongoing, subtle rivalry.

Perhaps in a bid to stand toe-to-toe with the Gu family, the Qu family’s estate was the grandest and most luxurious in all of Haizhou. Even Hou Jinlong’s residence, in terms of size, amenities, and the prestige of its guests, was a tier below.

When Zhao Mingyi arrived at the gates of the Qu estate and beheld the grand, imposing architecture—resembling the manor of a prince from ancient times—he couldn’t help but gasp in awe.

He had always thought himself quite successful after all his years in the social whirl, but every time he stood before the Qu family’s estate, a sense of inferiority would inevitably rise in his heart.

Damn it, this is what a true aristocratic family looks like!

It was said the Qu family had three brothers, each with two sons and a daughter among them.

The eldest brother’s son—the family’s eldest grandson—was named Qu Shenghui, and he was the Qu family’s carefully groomed heir apparent. In the past, the Qu family had sought an alliance through marriage with the Tang family, hoping to pair Qu Shenghui with Tang Nianchen. Unfortunately, a young man from the Lin family intervened, and later Qu Shenghui was sent to the military for experience, to pave the way for a future political career. The matter of marriage was therefore left unresolved.

Nevertheless, Qu Shenghui’s feelings for Tang Nianchen were deep. Before leaving, he had made a bold vow: when four years had passed, if he achieved the rank of colonel, he would return and propose to her.

Now, with the four years nearly up, there was still no word in Haizhou as to whether Qu Shenghui had attained his goal.

As for the second brother’s son, he was Qu Junchu.

Qu Junchu fell short in comparison—whether in intellect, ambition, or depth of character, he couldn’t hope to match his elder brother. He was, in every sense, the archetype of a privileged second-generation heir.

Yet Qu Junchu was not one to accept defeat. He was unwilling to remain in anyone’s shadow and was constantly vying with his brother Qu Shenghui for recognition.

During the previous attempt at a union with the Tang family, Qu Junchu was the most outspoken, claiming he had long harbored feelings for Miss Tang, and even went so far as to compete with his brother for her hand. When the alliance fell through, the matter faded away.

But regardless of his shortcomings, as a scion of the Qu family, even if he were a pile of useless clay, he would still be propped up by the family’s power.

Qu Junchu had been sent abroad for his education from an early age and had already obtained a degree in economics from a top overseas university while still very young.

The purpose was clear: the Qu family wanted Qu Junchu to manage the family’s business interests in the future.

Thus, Qu Shenghui was destined for politics, Qu Junchu for commerce; this was the blueprint the family patriarch had drawn from the beginning.

As for the third brother’s household, there was only a daughter, Qu Xinyao. Not long after starting high school, she was sent as an exchange student to Japan, and rumor had it she was being groomed for a career in the entertainment industry. With the Qu family's resources and influence, it would be no great challenge for her to carve out a place there.

Thinking of these three heirs, Zhao Mingyi realized he ought to start planning seriously for his own son Zhao Hu’s future as well.

For now, though, the most pressing issue was to deal with the trouble from the Lin family.

Originally, Zhao Mingyi had intended to speak directly with the Qu family patriarch, Master Qu Tiannan, but the butler informed him that the old master was currently in the capital with his eldest son and not in Haizhou.

Just as Zhao Mingyi was feeling disappointed, a figure appeared from outside.

“President Zhao, what brings you here today?” Qu Junchu greeted him with a broad smile.

“Second Young Master Qu,” Zhao Hu called out.

Zhao Hu often moved in the circles of the city’s elite youth and had encountered Second Young Master Qu several times before.

“So it’s you, Second Young Master Qu. I was hoping to seek Master Qu’s help, but as luck would have it, he’s away,” Zhao Mingyi replied.

“Oh? What’s the matter? Perhaps I can sort it out for you,” Qu Junchu said breezily—he was confident that in Haizhou, there was little the Qu family couldn’t resolve.

“Well…” Something occurred to Zhao Mingyi.

He recalled that, within the Qu family, the one who bore the deepest grudge against the Lin boy was not Qu Shenghui, but this very Second Young Master, Qu Junchu. Qu Shenghui, with his lofty ambitions, had never paid much attention to the Lin boy. Qu Junchu, however, was known for his petty, vengeful nature.

With this in mind, Zhao Mingyi felt all the more pleased.

“It’s like this—Second Young Master, are you aware that the Lin family’s boy has returned?” Zhao Mingyi said.

“The Lin family? You mean Lin Le?!” Qu Junchu’s face immediately darkened.

In Qu Junchu’s mind, Lin Le had always been his greatest adversary.

But then Qu Junchu’s expression relaxed and he sneered, “So he’s back—what of it? Now, he’s nothing but a penniless nobody, unworthy of my attention!”

To Qu Junchu, the other was nothing more than a minor figure, no longer a threat to him. As for the matter between that boy and Tang Nianchen, it was likely long over—he’d even heard Tang Baisheng talking about annulling their engagement.

“But this time, things aren’t so simple,” Zhao Mingyi said ominously.

“Oh? What do you mean? What could he possibly do, looking so down and out?” Qu Junchu asked.

Zhao Mingyi signaled to Zhao Hu, who began recounting Lin Le’s misdeeds at school, embellishing the story as he went.

“What? That kid actually bullied Young Master Zhao?” Qu Junchu scoffed, thinking Zhao Hu was truly pathetic to let Lin Le force him to the point where he couldn’t hold his head up at school.

“There’s nothing I could do. The kid picked up some skills in the army—these days, not even I can beat him,” Zhao Hu grumbled.

“Besides, it seems he’s gotten close to the Gu family. I’ve heard Old Master Gu thinks highly of him, and even the Gu family’s young lady favors him!”

“Is that so…” At this, Qu Junchu’s amusement faded.

For the Qu family, the Gu family was like a perpetual curse, always pressing them down. There was a subtle dread and resentment for the Gu family that ran through every level of the Qu clan.

“I just don’t get it—Lin Le is a nobody, flat broke and up to his ears in debt. The Gu family’s young lady has impossibly high standards—why would she take any interest in him?” Qu Junchu said, puzzled.

“Last night, my wife had someone look into it. Turns out the reason Gu family values him is that, since his return, he’s somehow become a skilled doctor—he even cured Old Master Gu’s illness. That’s why the Gu family holds him in such high regard,” Zhao Mingyi explained.

“A doctor?” At these words, a flash of realization crossed Qu Junchu’s mind.

“And yesterday, I heard that Lin Le, in front of the entire school, paid off all his family’s debts—nearly a hundred million! No idea where he got that kind of money…” Zhao Hu complained.

“A hundred million?” Qu Junchu muttered in surprise.

“What is it, Second Young Master? Is something wrong?” Zhao Mingyi noticed his reaction.

“Damn it—is it really him?” Qu Junchu suddenly cursed.

The words from Zhao Mingyi and Zhao Hu had made everything click for Qu Junchu. Skilled in martial arts, versed in medicine, and in possession of a mysterious fortune—wasn’t this exactly the whelp who had made a fool of him at the Tang family gathering?

And now that he recalled their appearances, there was indeed a striking resemblance.

At that moment, fury surged in Qu Junchu’s heart.

“Damn you, Lin Le! This time, I’ll make sure you pay!”