In fact, it was by virtue of his exceptional appearance and outstanding ability that he managed to break out from a small place and eventually married into a wealthy family, creating a vast family business.

But now, his brow is always shadowed by an inescapable gloom and fatigue.

Chen Man stepped forward and naturally took the tie from his hands, deftly and gently smoothing out the wrinkles for him.

She looked into her husband’s eyes, filled with heartache.

"Look at you, in just a few days, you’ve lost a lot of weight." Her voice was gentle, with a hint of reproach, "You’re in your forties now, even if you really fail, with your skills, you can start over again. There’s no need to put so much pressure on yourself."

"Times... have changed, Mannan." Tian Chengye’s voice was filled with bitterness, "When we were young, it was the golden era. As long as you were daring enough to venture, you could reap the benefits of the age. But now? Look at our Zhongcheng Group, such a big setup, and it’s also going downhill."

He paused, his eyes dimmed and his voice lowered further:

"I’ve already sold the premium asset of Jinxiu Commerce. If... if Huinei Electronics completely fails, at that time, our family... might never rise again."

New energy is a national strategy and the biggest trend of this era.

As a businessman with ideals and aspirations, he chose to heavily bet on Huinei Electronics, hoping to use this wind to take his career to the next level.

To complete the ultimate leap from "wealth" to "prestige."

But one wrong step, another follows, ultimately overestimating himself and underestimating the tide of the age.

He is now standing at the edge of a precipice.

Chen Man’s heart was also wrenched.

She was silent for a moment, finally speaking softly: "Today is, after all, Jingjing’s birthday. Don’t put Tang Song in a difficult position at the banquet. I can see Jingjing really likes him."

Talking about their daughter, Tian Chengye’s face was filled with conflict.

"This is Jingjing’s first romance. She’s still too idealistic and impulsive about relationships. As parents, we have a responsibility to provide her with more, different possibilities before she makes her final decision."

"Sigh." Chen Man sighed, feeling a bit reluctant.

Tonight, besides their relatives and friends, her husband also specifically invited Lin Jingming and Meng Chuan.

Both of them can be considered prodigies.

One founded a $500 million valued Speed ​​​​Charge Power in his early thirties, a hot new figure in the tech circle.

The other is even more impressive, one of the heirs of Stellar Investments, responsible for investment affairs in the Asia-Pacific Region.

Stellar Investments is a top-tier single-family office.

Relying on the vast business empire established by its ancestors, it holds significant influence in the capital markets throughout the Asia-Pacific Region.

Such appearances naturally attract attention and focus.

By comparison, their daughter’s boyfriend is inevitably side-lined, even becoming a subject of comparison.

In a sense, it’s quite cruel.

After all, it’s Tang Song’s first official appearance as Jingjing’s boyfriend to meet them.

Seemingly reading his wife’s thoughts.

Tian Chengye softened his tone: "Rest assured, no matter what, if she ultimately chooses Tang Song, I absolutely won’t force her. I just want her to see there are many equally excellent men out there in the world."

Ever since he discovered his daughter’s relationship with Tang Song at a private meeting at Yan Province Bank, he immediately commissioned a thorough investigation of Tang Song’s background.

Born ordinary, yet able to enter Meigou Technology through his technical skills and participate in core projects, proving he’s smart and hard-working;

Gaining favor from Smile Capital through project relationships and becoming the CTO of Jinxiu Commerce, demonstrating his luck and ability to seize opportunities;

Venturing into e-commerce live-streaming, running it decently, proving he has ambition and execution.

No need to mention his appearance; it rivals his youth.

From any perspective, he is an outstanding young man.

This is also the main reason he’s allowing his daughter to date him freely.

Previously, he would have gladly let his daughter slowly nurture her feelings with him, enriching her life experience.

Suppose he knew to seize opportunities, in a few years, stepping into marriage with his daughter.

He wouldn’t mind leveraging all his connections and resources to support this son-in-law’s rise.

But now... he himself is deep in trouble, unable to extricate himself.

He lacks the extra energy and capital to "cultivate" a potential candidate now.

He needs a powerful "ally" that can bring an immediate turnaround.

He knows that if his daughter truly aligns with Meng Chuan or Lin Jingming, their family’s business will receive direct, effective support.

This overwhelming crisis can be truly resolved.

As a businessman, this is an exceedingly rational choice.

But as a father, his heart is filled with unspeakable conflict and agony.

"Ring—" an urgent phone ring broke the oppressive atmosphere in the closet.

Tian Chengye picked up the phone and glanced at it, his exhaustion instantly cleared away, quickly regaining his spirit.

He cleared his throat, answered the call, his voice becoming steady and firm: "Hello, Secretary Zhang."

"Oh? Okay."

"It’s okay, it’s okay. Mr. Meng’s affairs are important. Please don’t rush; we have everything arranged here, awaiting Mr. Meng’s presence at any time."

After a few more courteous exchanges, he hung up the phone.

"What’s the matter?" Chen Man asked with concern.

"Meng Chuan’s meeting ran over time, showing no sign of ending soon, so he will arrive a bit later." As Tian Chengye spoke, he finalized adjusting his cufflinks, and the shadow in his eyes seemed to dissipate a lot, replaced by a shrewd business acumen.

Turning to his wife, he said, "Let’s go, Mannan. Let’s head to the hotel; some out-of-town friends should be arriving soon. Let’s go and greet them first."

Although Meng Chuan would be late, this apologetic call personally made by his secretary confirmed the sincerity and importance the other party placed on the meeting even more.

Besides introducing him and his daughter, he hoped to have a deeper, more private conversation with Meng Chuan.

After all, the other party is looking at the vast domestic new energy market, holding massive capital, and is scouting for promising investment targets.

If Huinei Electronics could gain the favor of Stellar Investments, even a small strategic investment...

It would alleviate his problems, and the future might not lack opportunities for recovery.