The Unknown God of War

Chu Feng and his family went into Hongbin Restaurant and enjoyed a lavish meal. After dinner, Li Hongtu sent them home by his car.

When Chu Feng told him about the Zhou family gathering tomorrow, Li Hongtu promised to prepare a lavish present to show his support to Zhou Lie, which made the latter very moved.

It was hard to meet someone like Li Hongtu in a public gathering other than events hosted by the government, and it was impossible to invite him no matter how much money one offered. One could imagine how much Li Hongtu respected Chu Feng to agree to attend the gathering of a second-tier family.

Later at night, back at the mansion, Zhou Lie sat on the swing in the garden. He held a pipe in his hand and blew smoke rings. No one knew what he was thinking, but something seemed to weigh on his mind.

Not far away, Zhou Ying was also sighing with her cheeks resting on her hands.

Chu Feng came over and handed Zhou Ying a cup of coffee. "Are you and Father worried about the family gathering tomorrow?"

"Yes. The annual family gathering is the time when every family flaunts their wealth and connections," Zhou Ying said unhappily. "Every year for the past ten years, without fail, our family has been mocked and marginalized. Even though Dad and Mom had always said that they didn't mind, I could see that they'd become very depressed whenever it was time to attend the gathering. Dad would sit in the garden smoking for the entire night…"

Zhou Lie's financial condition was the worst among his siblings. Moreover, he was a stubborn man without many friends.

He and his family would sit in a corner at every family gathering while the other tables were filled with guests. They would be the laughingstock and subject of mockery.

"This year, it'll be different!" Zhou Ying said confidently. She hugged Chu Feng's neck and giggled. "I'm sure my brother will make us proud this time. Show them what you're made of!"

"Hey, watch it," Chu Feng said and playfully scratched Zhou Ying's nose. "I've heard that your cousins have made a name for themselves."

Zhou Ying nodded. "That's right. Even though the Zhou family has been in decline since three generations ago, my uncles and cousins managed to salvage some influence and connections. Uncle Yang and Uncle Yong are multi-millionaires, and my aunts are doing well too. Second Uncle Wen is probably the most well-off. He's a deputy director in a government department. That's the highest ranking in the family, and even Uncle Yang has to bow to him."