092 Signing the Contract

After reading it twice with painstaking care, and even secretly pinching his own thigh, Zhong Pingjiang finally confirmed that he was not hallucinating.

It was real.

He felt the blood in his whole body surge toward his brain; his head rang with a low roar, and excitement swelled in his chest until it seemed ready to burst. For a moment, he almost wanted to throw his head back and cry out to the heavens.

Fortunately, the last shred of reason told him this was no time for excitement. He handed the contract in his hand to the lawyer beside him and asked him to look it over.

This lawyer had been his university classmate, one of the closest kind, and now served as legal counsel for his company.

The lawyer took it carefully. On the way here, he had assumed it was just an ordinary agreement and had prepared for nothing in particular. When he saw that the person arriving was Chen Musong, however, his surprise was beyond words. Since when had this old classmate of his become connected to Giant Machinery Group?

He was even a little resentful that Zhong Pingjiang had not tipped him off in advance, leaving him flustered. At the same time, though, he was incomparably excited. A contract on the level of Giant Machinery Group was something he had never before been qualified to take part in. That had always been the province of the top-tier lawyers. To have a chance to join in this time would add a heavy stroke to his professional record.

Holding his breath, he read the clauses one by one, almost word for word. Before long, his eyes were wide open. The further he read, the more astonished he became. When he finished, he drew in a deep breath, his face full of disbelief.

Zhong Pingjiang had been watching his friend closely. Seeing that expression, his heart lurched, and he leaned over to ask softly, “Is there a problem with the contract?”

A problem? It was far more than a problem.

The lawyer cast Zhong Pingjiang a complicated look.

After reading the agreement, he had been flooded with suspicion. These terms made no sense at all. There was no reason for Giant Machinery Group to hand such a huge cake to Zhong Corporation, an obscure little company.

His first thought had been that the contract must be flawed, so he read it again and again in careful detail, yet he found no loopholes and no traps. Every clause was stated plainly and clearly. There was absolutely nothing wrong with it.

The contract itself was fine. But that only raised a much bigger question.

Why? Why was Giant Machinery Group elevating Zhong Corporation in this way?

Even if Zhong Corporation had truly invented a machine that could change an entire era, Giant Machinery Group still had no need to offer such favorable terms. They held the overwhelming advantage. Even if they demanded harsher conditions, could Zhong Corporation really refuse?

When something strange happens, there is bound to be a reason. After so many years as a lawyer, he knew that behind extraordinary events there were always hidden currents and unseen dealings. Being as shrewd as he was, he naturally would not pry any further. Doing his job well was enough.

Only, he found it hard to accept that his usually familiar old friend had suddenly become so inscrutable.

A multitude of thoughts flashed through his mind. At last, he answered quietly, “There’s nothing wrong with the contract.”

He did not even realize that his tone had changed from its usual casualness to something noticeably more respectful.

Zhong Pingjiang finally breathed a sigh of relief. Since the contract was fine, all that remained was to sign it.

Signing was not a simple matter. Chen Musong had long since made the arrangements. They had brought personnel from the notary office. First, everyone signed their names and stamped the paper contract, which could be preserved permanently, and then the notary office affixed its seal. After that, they used identity cards to sign the electronic contract. Only then was the process complete and the agreement officially effective.

Throughout the entire procedure, a dedicated operator recorded everything with a panoramic recorder.

Once the contract was signed, it was time for the press conference. Giant Machinery Group had long since established a fixed process for handling such matters. With their influence, they managed, in just half a day, to invite the nation’s major news outlets.

The next day, Zhong Machinery, a company practically unknown to the public, shot to fame overnight through its cooperation with Giant Machinery Group. Anyone who watched the news would notice those key phrases: Zhong Machinery, Giant Machinery Group, stabilizer, a 70-billion joint venture...

Giant Machinery Group had clearly decided to push the Zhong Stabilizer with full force. The next day, almost all media outlets placed the news at the top of their headlines: “The Zhong Stabilizer, a creation of a new era. From this day on, the entire machinery industry will undergo earthshaking change.”

Among them, Zhong Machinery was the greatest beneficiary. Under the relentless bombardment of national media, it nearly became a household name, despite its pitifully small scale.

From that day on, Zhong Pingjiang was once again so busy his feet barely touched the ground, so busy that he had no time even to find Zhong Yun for an interrogation. There were too many matters requiring his attention.

By comparison, his son Zhong Yun lived far more comfortably. Every day it was school, home, and occasionally going out carousing with Tianhai and the others. Of course, he did not neglect his two regular pursuits for even a single day: combat drills and opening boxes.

His skill in using yuan energy was also steadily improving. Zhong Yun felt as though every day brought a new gain, and his life was both full and happy.

He did not go to the martial arts association’s combat skills test, because that day happened to be Xiaoqing’s results day. He had already missed the exam itself, and if he did not accompany her on results day as well, it would be far too unreasonable. For that reason, he even asked the school for a day off.

That day, Xiaoqing was as delighted as a lively lark, her clear and bright laughter circling around Zhong Yun the whole time. She had gotten in.

The two of them played all day long, and only when the sky had gone completely dark did Zhong Yun send the still-unsatisfied Xiaoqing home.

A few more days passed, and the joint venture company’s affairs were more or less settled. Just as Zhong Pingjiang thought he could finally catch his breath, his son came looking for him again.

Seeing his son poke his head through the doorway and peer inside, Zhong Pingjiang immediately grew irritated. “Come in. What are you sneaking around at the door for?”

Zhong Yun walked in with a heh-heh smile. “Wouldn’t want to disturb you.” He casually shut the door, then went over to the sofa by the wall and sat down.

Zhong Pingjiang was somewhat helpless. He could hardly really give him a sound beating. Putting down what he was doing, he walked over and sat on the sofa opposite his son, staring at him fixedly. After a long while, he said, “Tell me. How many things are you still hiding from me?”

Zhong Yun had just finished making a pot of tea. He poured a cup for his father first, then one for himself. “You mean the Giant Machinery Group matter?” He lifted the cup and took a small sip, then shook his head. “Dad, this tea really doesn’t match your status now. You need to change it. Otherwise, when guests come, they’ll think you’re stingy.”

“Stop changing the subject.” Zhong Pingjiang tapped the table, then lifted his cup and drank. Indeed, the tea was a bit low-grade. “If you don’t give me an explanation today, don’t even think about pocket money in the future.”

Zhong Yun put on a bitter expression. “Dad, you’re not that cruel, are you? If I have no pocket money, how am I supposed to live? I still have two girlfriends to support.”

“You still lack that bit of money?” Zhong Pingjiang said irritably, automatically filtering out the part about girlfriends.

“Dad is indeed wise and brilliant, seeing everything clearly.” Zhong Yun first buttered him up, then said, “Actually, it’s very simple. I happen to know someone from the Yang family, and we’re quite close.”

“That’s all there is to it?” Zhong Pingjiang did not believe it for a second. Could the decision-makers of the Yang family really give away such enormous benefits just because of one family member? He would not believe it even if he were beaten to death. Only after digging deeply into the Zhong Stabilizer did he understand just how much profit that little device could generate. The phrase “a creation of a new era” was no exaggeration at all.

“How complicated can it be?” Zhong Yun spread his hands and said half seriously, half jokingly, “One of my girlfriends happens to be Yang Bingchang’s daughter.”

“What?”

Keep the votes coming.

Finally, a friend’s novel is recommended: The Big City’s Little Bodyguard, book number 1177257.