After the divorce, the aloof CEO begged me not to withdraw my investment.

He turned around and glanced at the elders present, each with a different expression on their face.

Ye Feng's grandfather, Old Master Ye, had deep eyes and an imposing presence.

Uncle Ye Hai, with a shrewd look on his face, tapped his fingers incessantly on the table;

Second Uncle Ye Jiang, on the other hand, seemed somewhat absent-minded, his gaze wandering.

“Xiao Feng, hasn’t the family been doing well all along? What are you doing…” Ye Hai spoke first, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction.

“Good? Uncle, how long do you think this ‘good’ situation can last?” Ye Feng retorted sharply. “Hasn’t the Global Technology incident served as a wake-up call for you? We can’t always react passively to crises; we must take the initiative to ensure we remain invincible.”

Ye Hai's face stiffened. The incident with Global Technology had cost him a large sum of money, which made him even more dissatisfied with Ye Feng's "youthful arrogance".

"Then tell me, what do you want to do?" Old Master Ye asked in a deep voice, a glint of light flashing in his cloudy eyes.

"I want to cultivate the next generation of the family so that they can shoulder the responsibilities of the family." Ye Feng said firmly, "The future of the family cannot rely on our generation alone; we must have fresh blood injected into it."

"Cultivate the next generation? Easier said than done!" Second Uncle Ye Jiang scoffed. "Look at your cousins, which one of them is interested in business? All they know is eating, drinking, and having fun. What kind of future can they achieve?"

Ye Feng took a deep breath, suppressing his anger. "Therefore, I need everyone's support. I will develop a detailed training plan, tailored to each person's strengths. I believe that as long as the methods are appropriate, they will definitely achieve something."

"Hmph, I think you're dreaming!" Ye Hai snorted coldly, stood up and was about to leave, "I have something to do, I'll be going now."

"Uncle, please wait." Ye Feng stopped him, his tone icy. "Everyone has a responsibility for the future of the family. You cannot stand aside."

Ye Hai glared angrily, "Are you lecturing me?"

"I'm just stating the facts," Ye Feng said without backing down, his eyes sharp as knives.

The air seemed to freeze, the atmosphere in the study tense and fraught with tension. Old Master Ye broke the silence with a heavy cough.

"Sit down, all of you!" His voice carried an unquestionable authority. "The interests of the family come first. If you have any disagreements, you can discuss them properly and not ruin the harmony."

Ye Hai angrily sat back down in his chair, while Ye Jiang remained silent, though his eyes held a hint of mockery.

The scent of sandalwood still lingered, but the air in the study felt suffocatingly thick.

Ye Feng's words were like a pebble, creating ripples on a calm lake, and everyone's expression became subtle.

"Train the next generation? What will you use to train them?"

Ye Hai sneered, and the sound of his fingers tapping on the table became more rapid, as if he were pounding on Ye Feng's nerves.

"The family has so many resources, why should we share them with those good-for-nothing offspring? Instead of wasting them on them, we should concentrate our resources on those of us who have already proven ourselves so that we can continue to grow and thrive."

He suddenly stood up, walked up to Ye Feng, and looked down at him condescendingly.

"Xiao Feng, you're still too young and don't understand what reality is. In this world, you can't succeed just by having ideals."

Ye Feng gripped the jade thumb ring tightly, his knuckles turning white, and the veins on the back of his hand bulging.

He felt a surge of anger rising in his chest, almost threatening to engulf him.

But he suppressed his anger, raised his head, looked directly into Ye Hai's eyes, and said, word by word, "Uncle, times have changed. Closing ourselves off from the world will only make us fall behind. Only by constantly innovating can we remain invincible in the competition. The future of the family cannot rely solely on our generation; we must have fresh blood injected into it."

"Innovation? I think you just want to use the name of innovation to control all the family's resources in your own hands!"

Second Uncle Ye Jiang said in a sarcastic tone, leaning back in his chair with a glint in his eyes, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows.

Do you think we can't see through your ambition?

Ye Feng felt a tightness in his chest, as if a huge rock was pressing on his chest, making it hard for him to breathe.

He took a deep breath, trying to control his emotions, and said in an icy tone, "Second Uncle, everything I've done is for the future of the family, not for myself. If you have any opinions, you can bring them up, and we can discuss them together, instead of making veiled accusations here."

The atmosphere in the study became even more tense, like a fully drawn bowstring that could snap at any moment.

Grandpa Ye remained silent, quietly observing everything, his cloudy eyes flashing with complex light.

"Enough!" Old Master Ye suddenly spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority that instantly silenced everyone else.

He slowly stood up, leaning on his cane, and walked step by step to Ye Feng. He looked at his grandson with his cloudy eyes and said in a low voice, "Xiao Feng, your idea is good, but the family tradition cannot be easily changed. It is important to cultivate the next generation, but it is even more important to ensure the stability and unity of the family."

Ye Feng looked at his grandfather, his heart filled with helplessness and bitterness. He knew that his grandfather was the most authoritative person in the family, and his words were final.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end nothing came out.

Ye Hai and Ye Jiang exchanged a glance, a hint of smugness flashing in their eyes. They knew they had successfully thwarted Ye Feng's plan.

"Meeting adjourned!" Old Master Ye said in a deep voice, then turned and left the study.

The sandalwood scent in the study now smelled like rottenness to Ye Feng, making him feel nauseous.

Ye Hai and Ye Jiang's smug gazes were like two sharp knives, stabbing him in the heart again and again. He felt suffocated, as if trapped in an invisible net, unable to move.

After the meeting, everyone left one after another. As Ye Hai passed by Ye Feng, he patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Xiao Feng, you're still young, and there are many things you don't understand. Take your uncle's advice, stop causing trouble, and just stay quiet and peaceful, isn't that better?"

Ye Feng abruptly slapped Ye Hai's hand away, the bulging veins on the back of his hand resembling twisted earthworms.

"What do I know? I know that you are willing to sacrifice the future of your family in order to protect your own interests!"

He gritted his teeth and forced out those words.

Ye Hai's face instantly turned ashen. He snorted coldly and stormed off.

Ye Jiang stood at the door, looking at Ye Feng with a mocking gaze. A cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth, a smile as sinister as a viper's hiss, sending a chill down Ye Feng's spine.