Chapter 2

The sun rises over the Zhongnan Mountains, and the Ancient Well Temple stands there.

At dawn, a young man, wearing a thousand-layer-soled cloth shoe and a light-colored coarse cloth robe, carried a yellowed bag and walked out of the Ancient Well Temple. Chen Sanjin, who had been waiting at the temple gate since the night before, rubbed his swollen face and forced a stiff smile: "Sir, good morning."

"Why aren't you surprised that I'm the only one accompanying you down the mountain?"

Chen Sanjin replied, "The family rules dictate that anyone who leaves the Ancient Well Temple must be treated with respect, even if it's just a sparrow flying out of the temple, the Chen family must bow and greet it."

Chen Sanjin paused and then emphasized, "This is the ancestral rule."

Indeed, Chen Sanjin was not flattering. The Chen family's ancestral rules have been passed down for nearly a hundred years, with only the first rule restraining the Chen family from internal strife. The second rule is that if the Chen family encounters a great disaster, they should seek refuge at the Ancient Well Temple. The last rule is that they must treat the people of the Ancient Well Temple with respect and not defy them.

The Chen family's patriarchs have always remembered these rules, even though most people do not understand the meaning of the last two. However, the patriarchs are not fools, and the history of the Chen family's rise is firmly recorded with the name of the Ancient Well Temple.

"Such respect?" The young man laughed in surprise, scratching his head and muttering to himself, "I didn't expect the ancestor to be so serious."

"May I ask for your name, sir?"

"My surname is Xiang, and my name is Que," the young man said wistfully. "Let's go, we'll go down the mountain."

The two descended the hill. Jinzhong, who had not slept all night, jumped up from the ground. Seeing the two people coming down one after the other, he was momentarily stunned, then greeted them with a normal expression.

Having been Chen Sanjin's assistant for over ten years, Jinzhong had never seen Chen Sanjin willingly walk behind someone.

The three headed out of the mountains, not retracing their steps. As a native of the Zhongnan Mountains, Xiang Que knew a shortcut that could lead directly to the foot of the mountain in a day.

"What's going on with your Chen family?"

Chen Sanjin's brows furrowed. Since entering the Zhongnan Mountains, his usually calm expression had become somewhat grim, and his words revealed a sense of helplessness.

"The incident started three months ago, right after the Spring Festival. The sixteen business operations we were conducting began to encounter problems, not due to a lack of funds, but for various inexplicable reasons. Within two months, all these businesses were at a standstill." The business setbacks did not greatly affect Chen Sanjin, as the Baoxin Group had sufficient funds to sustain the operations. However, the following narrative truly made him feel anxious: "A month ago, our direct family members began to experience abnormalities. My son and daughter, one in a car accident and the other bedridden with an undiagnosed illness, and two of my siblings also had issues. My wife has become mentally unstable. Almost all the Chen family members have suffered misfortune in this month."

Chen Sanjin said somberly, "Fighting with people is enjoyable, and the Chen family is not afraid, but fighting with fate is beyond our control."

Chen Sanjin's words were somewhat cryptic, and Jinzhong, who knew the details of the Chen family's troubles, did not understand the origin of this bizarre statement.

Xiang Que turned and looked at Chen Sanjin with a faint expression, saying, "Since your family was established, have you forgotten what the Ancient Well Temple instructed your family to do?"

"We have always remembered."

Xiang Que continued, "If you hadn't come to the Ancient Well Temple this time, you would have encountered problems in half a month."

Chen Sanjin's eyes widened. If all the Chen family members fell but he remained standing, the Baoxin Group could still stand. However, if he were to have problems, the Chen family's banner would truly be broken.

"I hope the temple can help the Chen family through this crisis."

"This is necessary. We must bear the consequences left by our ancestors; otherwise, we would be deviating from the path."

"Your long-term position and control over countless resources and personnel have naturally accumulated a power that ordinary people do not possess. Therefore, ordinary problems cannot affect you, so your family members suffered first. However, over time, you will also be affected. It's just a matter of time." Xiang Que, with his hands behind his back, said somewhat irritably, "This is a slap in the face of our Ancient Well Temple. Who is so mischievous?"

Jinzhong was a bit confused. As a high achiever from Harvard Business School, he was puzzled. He swore he understood what the two were saying, but he didn't understand the meaning, feeling as if his brain was short-circuited.

"Then..." Chen Sanjin deliberated, "Sir, do you know what the problem is?"

Xiang Que grinned, "I know, it's nothing much."

...

A day later, the three people from the Zhongnan Mountains arrived at the foot of the mountain and got into the three waiting off-road vehicles, then headed straight for Tangshan. They drove on the highway for a day and a half, entering the city and then driving to the northeastern suburbs of Tangshan.

In the suburbs, there was a small mountain, much larger than the hill where the Ancient Well Temple was located. A four-lane road was built from the foot of the mountain to the top, flanked by towering trees. When these trees were planted, the people of Tangshan had come to watch, and it was rumored that the value of the trees on both sides of the road could buy a three-bedroom apartment in the inner ring of Beijing.

At the top of the mountain, there were several houses, the largest of which, at least in Tangshan, was larger than any villa in the area.

After the house was built, the workers said that it was not a villa but a private garden.

In front of the house, outside the courtyard, stood a gateway with the characters "Chen Family" carved on it.

At the foot of the mountain, along the road leading up, a row of cars was parked, and a group of people stood beside them. These included Chen family relatives and high-level executives of the Baoxin Group, all eagerly awaiting the return of the Baoxin Group's leader.

Without Chen Sanjin, they felt they had lost their mainstay.

With the mainstay back, the Chen family's troubles seemed to have a solution.

The three off-road vehicles stopped, but Xiang Que did not get out.

Chen Sanjin, impatient, rolled down the window and stuck his head out, "All of you, get lost. You're all so damn idle. Get as far away as you can. If you don't disappear, I'll make sure you disappear forever. Damn it."

At this moment, Chen Sanjin regained his dominance in the Baoxin Group, and his usual tough demeanor resurfaced.

This was the Chen Sanjin of old!

The crowd outside the car, without hesitation, scattered like birds and beasts, disappearing without a trace. Not a single car drove up the mountain; they all headed out of the city.

In the Baoxin Group and the Chen family compound, if Chen Sanjin let out a fart, anyone who heard it would treat it as an imperial edict.