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The air was filled with the smell of disinfectant.

Outside the ward, Lu Yan sat on a cold chair in the corridor, his hands supporting his head, his eyes, visible through his fingers, were bloodshot, and he looked as if his spine had been removed. The chaos at the board meeting a few hours earlier, his father's sudden collapse, and the doctor's announcement, "Acute myocardial infarction. Fortunately, he was brought in in time and is currently stable, but requires close observation and must not be subjected to any further stimulation," were like a series of heavy hammer blows, shattering all his previous naiveté.

The sound of footsteps grew louder as they approached, stopping in front of me.

Lu Yan looked up and saw Lin Ruoyin walking over carrying a bag of water and supplies.

Lu Yan's Adam's apple bobbed, and he uttered two dry words: "...Thank you."

Thank you for calming him down when he was panicking, thank you for handling things calmly when your father collapsed, and thank you for not looking at him with any blame or disappointment at this moment.

Lin Ruoyin sat down next to Lu Yan and handed him a bottle of water, saying, "You stay here with Dad."

Lu Yan was taken aback and turned to look at Lin Ruoyin.

Lin Ruoyin said calmly, "I have to go back to the company."

Lu Yan: "Now?"

Lin Ruoyin: "The more chaotic things get, the more people need to be there."

She paused, glanced at the closed door of the ward, and lowered her voice: "The doctor said Dad can't be subjected to any more stimulation. So, if Dad wakes up later and asks, just say 'we're dealing with it,' don't let him worry. Understand?"

Lu Yan looked at her and suddenly felt that the woman in front of him was both strange and familiar.

What was unfamiliar was her way of cleaning up messes; he had never really paid attention to it before.

What's familiar is her unwavering resilience—she always manages to catch her breath and keep moving forward.

"I'm leaving the company... in your hands."

Lin Ruoyin nodded.

Back at the Lu Group building, the atmosphere was even more somber than when we left.

If the chaos this morning was the first wave of impact, then now it is a continuous dam-breaking process with undercurrents and escalating tensions everywhere.

Lin Ruoyin had just stepped into her office and hadn't even had time to take off her coat when Purchasing Director Wang Zhen rushed in with a worried look on his face.

“President Lin,” Wang Zhen’s voice was strained, “we just received official notifications from our partners in the Mogok mining area in Myanmar and in Brazil…”

Lin Ruoyin felt a chill run down her spine, already having a bad feeling: "Speak."

“Mohe Technology…Mohe Technology signed three-year exclusive supply agreements with these two mines at a premium of 30% above the market price.” Cold sweat dripped down Wang Zhen’s forehead. “Starting next quarter, our pre-ordered batch of top-grade pigeon blood red and emerald…is all…all gone!”

Lin Ruoyin felt a chill rise from the soles of her feet.

Xu Jia is sparing no expense to cut off the Lu family's lifeline.

She forced herself to calm down and quickly asked, "How big is the impact? What are the specific figures?"

"Next quarter, there are 43 orders awaiting delivery that explicitly require the use of these two types of rough stones as the main stones."

Delayed delivery, especially for a trivial reason like "not even being able to get the main stone," is enough to instantly shatter the trust that the Lu family has painstakingly cultivated for a century.

Lin Ruoyin: "Have you contacted other alternative suppliers?"

"We've contacted everyone we can. But Mr. Lin, as you know, there are only so many top-quality gemstone mines, and those that meet our quality requirements are extremely rare. Mohe's move... is tantamount to cutting off all the best and most stable sources of supply on the market. The remaining ones are either substandard in quality, too few in quantity, or their prices have already been driven sky-high, which we can't afford."

After a few seconds of silence, Lin Ruoyin said, "Notify all senior designers in the design department, the head of the craftsmanship department, and the manager in charge of high-end clients in the marketing department to hold a meeting in the conference room in half an hour."

Wang Zhen: "Okay."

Half an hour later, Lin Ruoyin stood in front of the whiteboard in the conference room, which was filled with the names, characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of various gemstones, as well as possible combination schemes. She concisely explained the situation reported by Wang Zhen.

"...So, that's the current situation. We need to find a solution for the affected orders in a very short time."

After a brief silence, the discussion quickly escalated, but it was like a desperate struggle between trapped beasts.

“How about using top-grade spinel instead? The vibrant red of ‘Jedi’ is comparable to pigeon blood red, and it’s also very popular in the market…” one designer suggested.

“I just spoke with two of our long-term clients,” said Zhao Wen, a high-end client manager. “One of them asked directly if there was a problem with the gemstone, saying, ‘If it’s not the promised pigeon blood red, then it’s meaningless.’ The other one… said that if we can’t even guarantee the agreed-upon main stone, she will re-evaluate the partnership.”

Silence returned to the meeting room.

"We don't have enough time in terms of craftsmanship either," the process director said, his brow furrowed. "Even if we find a similar color substitute, the refractive index, hardness, and cutting angle are all different. The entire design will have to be adjusted from scratch, and the construction period will be delayed by at least two months."

"Then... what about using a cluster of side stones? To downplay the single main stone, using a sense of design and a large number of high-quality side stones..."

“Costs will get out of control! And,” the marketing department shook their heads, “for many high-end clients, the unique and substantial main stone is the core reason they pay for it. Piling up secondary stones? That might be criticized as a lack of sincerity.”

Every proposal was swiftly and brutally rejected. Anxiety filled the meeting room like a thick fog.

Time passed second by second.

Lin Ruoyin listened in silence the whole time.

Wang Zhen's voice was hoarse: "President Lin, how about... we try to communicate with the mine again?"

Lin Ruoyin shook her head, decisively abandoning the idea. "Going to communicate now will only expose our predicament and won't yield any results. Since Mohe dared to sign an exclusive contract, the terms they offered are definitely not something we can match on short notice."

Her gaze swept over the dejected and bewildered faces.

"Zhao Wen, stop all exploratory communications with the client about this matter."

Zhao Wen nodded quickly: "Okay, President Lin."

“Keep thinking about alternatives,” Lin Ruoyin turned to the design and technology team. “First, we need to do a detailed cost, time, and effectiveness assessment of all possibilities. We’ll continue this topic tomorrow morning at nine o’clock.”

Despite the assignment of specific tasks, the meeting ended in an atmosphere of confusion.

Back in her office, Lin Ruoyin promptly downed a whole cup of black coffee and began working on her computer, researching information and repeatedly considering various possibilities and solutions that would minimize the losses.

She only managed to lean back in her chair and close her stinging eyes, barely managing to get some rest, when the sky began to turn gray.

However, the first rays of dawn brought an even heavier blow.

Before she could even convene the scheduled second meeting, her phone started buzzing with message notifications.

Lin Ruoyin clicked on a news link that one of the directors had forwarded to her. Soon, her heart, already weak from staying up all night, suddenly clenched.

Galeries Lafayette in Paris, Bergdorf Goodman in New York, and three other top-tier channels that Lu's has partnered with for over twenty years, have also officially announced a deep strategic partnership with Mohe Technology.

On the screen, official announcements from several top department stores and boutiques were prominently displayed: Introducing the Mohe Digital Art Experience Space and related products, and in the future, store concept innovation and resource integration optimization will be carried out.

...

When Lu Yan pushed open the office door, he saw Lin Ruoyin standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, talking rapidly on the phone while hurriedly tidying up the scattered documents on the desk.

“…Yes, direct flight to Charles de Gaulle. Book a car, go directly to Galeries Lafayette headquarters. No, no need to pick me up, I'll contact them myself to make the appointment…” She spoke quickly, and after glancing away briefly when someone came in, she continued speaking into the phone.

Lu Yan waited until she hung up the phone before speaking to her and relaying the news: "Dad is fine now. The doctor said his condition has stabilized, but he needs to rest for a while."

Lin Ruoyin breathed a sigh of relief.

He paused, watching her hurriedly stuff the documents into her bag. "Are you going out?"

Lin Ruoyin zipped up her bag with a clean and efficient motion: "Yes, I'm going to Paris."

"Paris?" Lu Yan was taken aback.

Lin Ruoyin knew that Lu Yan hadn't had time to see the news yet, so she shared the information with him.

“The distribution channels are one of the lifelines of a brand, and we cannot afford to lose them. I must go there in person and talk to them face to face.”

Just then, there was a knock on the office door, and Xiao Tang peeked in, asking cautiously, "President Lin, will the meeting at nine o'clock still proceed as scheduled?"

Lin Ruoyin paused abruptly.

Her gaze was fixed on Xiao Tang, but it seemed as if she were looking into some empty void.

Negotiations with distribution channels are urgent, as they are crucial to Lu's foothold in top global markets. Meanwhile, within the company, the precarious high-end orders and the countless employees desperately needing stability... all weigh heavily on their shoulders.

In an instant, Lu Yan clearly saw a deep, heavy weariness and a kind of bewilderment, as if he were overwhelmed, flash across Lin Ruoyin's usually calm and composed eyes.

"President Lin..." Tang's voice lowered when she didn't answer immediately.

Just as Lin Ruoyin took a deep breath, seemingly about to make a difficult choice, Lu Yan took a step forward.

"The meeting will proceed as scheduled." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unprecedented determination.

Lin Ruoyin and Xiao Tang both looked at him at the same time.

Responding to Lin Ruoyin's confused gaze, Lu Yan tried to make his words sound organized: "Go ahead. As for the company..." He paused, then looked at Xiao Tang, "Xiao Tang, compile a list of the core topics to be discussed in the meeting, along with relevant materials, and give it to me. I'll chair the meeting at nine o'clock."

Xiao Tang opened her mouth slightly in surprise and subconsciously looked at Lin Ruoyin.

Lin Ruoyin also looked at Lu Yan. The man before her was unshaven, with bloodshot eyes and a wrinkled suit. He was completely different from the glamorous, arrogant, and carefree young master of the Lu family of the past. But he stood straight, and the panic of yesterday was gone from his eyes. In its place was a firm posture, as if he was trying to shoulder something.

She paused for a few seconds, then quickly made a decision: "Xiao Tang, you stay and fully assist President Lu. Take good meeting minutes, listing all the points of contention and difficulties that are temporarily impossible to move forward."

“Okay,” Xiao Tang replied immediately.

Lin Ruoyin picked up her bag and gave Lu Yan one last look: "Keep in touch. If there's anything you can't handle, call me immediately."

Lu Yan nodded, finally looking more like a comrade-in-arms.

Without further hesitation, Lin Ruoyin strode towards the elevator, her figure quickly disappearing at the end of the corridor.

Lu Yan stood there until the elevator doors closed, then slowly exhaled a breath he had been holding. He turned to look at Xiao Tang, who was still somewhat dazed, and tried to make his voice sound calm and reliable: "Xiao Tang, thank you for your help. We need to hurry up and prepare for the meeting."