After Lao Huang explained the whole story of Yang Sisi's father's bankruptcy to me, I quickly made a judgment in my heart. His trip to Dali to find Yang Sisi had nothing to do with right or wrong. He was asking for care and companionship out of family affection on behalf of Yang Sisi's father. So I didn't need to weigh it too much. This was originally Yang Sisi's responsibility.

This time... she has to leave!

I finally spoke to Lao Huang and said, "I do know where Sisi lives, but it's too late now. I'll go find her tomorrow morning. Let her get some more sleep tonight."

Old Huang nodded, but still looked worried, as if he himself was suffering. But based on my previous understanding of him, Yang Sisi's family was no longer prosperous, so it was in line with his style to keep his distance...

I think I have some misunderstandings about Lao Huang...

I suddenly realized that this world, and the people living in it, are hard to understand... I've been working with Lao Huang for three years in a superior-subordinate relationship, but all I've seen is the most superficial side of him...

Old Huang had finished his cigarette and wanted to smoke another one, but I stopped him. Smoking so much so late at night is really bad for your health.

I asked him, "With such a huge mess left here, how are we going to deal with the aftermath?"

Old Huang looked up at me and then replied, "...I can only keep an eye on things and see if I can get funding from other channels to plug these holes. That's one thing; on the other hand, I'll also see if any other companies are willing to take over these projects. As long as there are any willing companies, we'll transfer them... Let's prepare for both possibilities."

I nodded. Old Huang lit another cigarette for himself, smoking it with a worried expression. His behavior also proved that Yang Sisi's family was facing a serious problem. If even Old Huang was like this, one could only imagine how Yang Sisi's father, who had fled abroad, must be.

After a moment of silence, Old Huang seemed to remember something and said to me, "I've already resigned from that company, otherwise I really wouldn't have had so much time to run around for Old Yang..." He paused briefly, sighed, and continued, "Sigh! Old Yang's success and failure are all because of his personality... He's just too principled. Having principles is definitely a good thing, but sometimes it's easy to make enemies... When he was rich and powerful, it wasn't obvious, but now that he's fallen on hard times, all those people who want to kick him while he's down have jumped out. Now, the only one who can genuinely help him is me, his comrade-in-arms of over 20 years... But I'm under a lot of pressure too, after all, I quit my job. If this matter isn't handled well in the end, my family will suffer too..."

I was so shocked that it took me a long time to reply, "I never expected you to go to such lengths for their family's affairs!"

Old Huang smiled wryly: "I know you've always thought that my desire for Sisi to be my daughter-in-law was to curry favor with Old Yang's family... That's not true. My Xiaobao is just as good; many girls pursue him, but he genuinely likes Sisi. As parents, it's truly an act of love for him to support us in this matter... Besides, given my rock-solid relationship with Old Yang, there's no question of currying favor. Back in the army, we went through thick and thin together... Kids of your generation simply don't understand this kind of bond... But Michael, you must remember, in this life, you must have a close friend, otherwise, when you're in trouble, you won't even have anyone to help you!"

For the first time in my life, I wholeheartedly agreed with Lao Huang. I nodded and replied, "Yes, friendship is priceless!"

As I said this, I envied Yang Sisi's father for having a friend like Lao Huang who was willing to go to great lengths for him. Then I examined myself and wondered if I would have such a friend by my side if I were to fall on hard times someday.

I feel a little disappointed because I'm not confident about anyone around me.

I thought of Ye Zhi again. She is a woman who doesn't like socializing at all, but she still has Jian Zihan as her close friend. When Ye Zhi had her accident, Jian Zihan was willing to put aside her work and search for her in Thailand for several weeks. Although the result was pessimistic, I saw the words "priceless friendship" in her.

...

The next morning, I took breakfast and the bad news to Yang Sisi's place. She was still asleep, so I knocked on the door several times before she opened it.

Her hair was disheveled, and she looked at me groggily before saying, "Did the sun rise in the west today? You actually came knocking on my door so early in the morning... Shouldn't you be half-dead in your little room at this hour?"

I ignored her joke, mentioned the breakfast I bought to her, and said, "I bought you breakfast. Go inside and eat first. I need to talk to you about something later."

"What's wrong?" After thinking for a moment, she said, "You look so serious, it can't be anything good!"

"Enter the house first."

...

Yang Sisi is naturally very curious, so while eating breakfast, she kept asking me what was going on... and then she innocently made a lot of assumptions.

Seeing her like this, I felt really bad. I didn't know if she could bear the fact that she was no longer a "rich heiress." In my understanding of her, she was still quite dependent on her family's wealth, and she didn't have much ability to earn a living on her own. So, such a huge blow must have been devastating for her.

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