Chapter 39
Huo Junyan pondered for a moment, "My eldest cousin lost a large sum of money back then, which led to the group selling half of its assets to make up for the losses."
Chu Ci was so surprised that she couldn't speak.
Half of the assets of the Huo Group.
It was a golden world.
Huo Chengxun, tsk tsk, you really can't judge a book by its cover.
Born a winning combination!
With his family fortune emptied and his grandfather's woman... well, with those two things under his belt, it's no wonder that no matter how outrageous the things he did later, no one was surprised.
"Lost half of your fortune?" Chu Ci vaguely sensed something was wrong; it felt like a trap.
Huo Junyan glanced at Chu Ci, admiring her keenness, yet sighing that she was too perceptive.
My older cousin has always suspected that my dad set this up.
"And what about your grandfather?" Old Master Huo's attitude was crucial.
"I didn't believe it at first, but I checked it out later."
The Chu Ci (Songs of Chu) makes no mention of this.
The investigation stemmed from suspicion, and indeed, Huo Chaojiang was the ultimate beneficiary, so everyone would suspect him.
Old Master Huo placed high hopes on his eldest son, but unfortunately, his eldest son died young. So he devoted all his hopes and affections to his eldest grandson, Huo Chengxun, and did his best to raise him.
If it weren't for those two incidents, Huo Chaojiang would never have been part of the Huo family.
It was a choice made out of sheer desperation by Old Master Huo.
Huo Chaojiang followed the old rules and made many decisions in accordance with Huo Lao's wishes. He also did not purge the people that Huo Lao had cultivated for Huo Chengxun. Gradually, he gained Huo Lao's approval and took control of the group.
Later, the exceptionally talented Huo Junyan took over the company, breaking with convention and expanding its territory, perfectly embodying the kind of successor that Old Master Huo had most hoped for.
Therefore, Mr. Huo was satisfied with him, trusted him, cared for him, and placed high hopes on him.
However, this affection stemmed more from Huo Junyan meeting the requirements of an heir.
When he discovered that Huo was unwilling to follow the established path, refused the arranged marriage, had a child with an ordinary woman, and now wanted to marry her, Old Master Huo was disappointed and angry.
The scales in her heart tipped uncontrollably back towards Huo Chengxun.
Even Mr. Huo is human; he can be hypocritical.
He likes Huo Junyan because he is very outstanding.
Old Master Huo was exceptionally lenient towards Huo Chengxun, a kindness that came from the bottom of his heart.
The child left behind by his beloved son, the grandson he raised himself, was a love untainted by any self-interest.
Those absurd things happened nearly thirty years ago, and Old Master Huo is now in his twilight years. Huo Chengxun only needs to bow his head and admit his mistakes, and Old Master Huo will forgive him.
If Huo Junyan refuses the marriage alliance and insists on being with Chu Ci, Old Master Huo will waver and deny the achievements of the father and son over the past thirty years.
His dissatisfaction was noticed by the group's senior management;
His wavering will influence which side people choose to side with.
Even someone as brilliant as Mr. Huo can make this kind of mistake.
Just as King Huiwen of Qin hesitated slightly between Prince Dang and Prince Ji before his death, it instantly triggered a court turmoil and almost led to the destruction of Qin by the alliance of six states.
It turns out we've reached the final hurdle.
No wonder Huo Chengxun met with Chu Ci.
Even a noblewoman as high and mighty as Meng Huizhou would lower herself to show weakness to her.
The issues she learned about at the company were too one-sided; the problems were far more serious and complex than she had imagined.
Chu Ci slowly lay down, turned her back, hugged the quilt, and buried her face in it.
Huo Junyan embraced her from behind, his fingertips brushing away the hair covering her cheek. His warm breath drew near, and Chu Ci buried her face even deeper.
The person behind him fell silent.
After a long while, she finally loosened the blanket to let in some fresh air, and a deep, calm voice came from behind her.
“As long as we open up the Southeast Asian market, Huo Chengxun will be no threat.”
They both understood each other's concerns and worries, and there was no need to hide them or continue to whitewash the situation.
"But you're back."
She turned her face and met a pair of deep, melancholy eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, and she raised her hand to touch his brow.
Her fingertips traced his prominent brow bone, and the melancholy in his eyes seemed to fade a little, her voice masking lingering fear.
“You have a criminal record, I’m afraid you’ll run away again.”
"Where could I run to?" Chu Ci looked away guiltily.
"You can't go anywhere, you're so unlucky."
"You!" Chu Ci roared in anger and kicked him from under the covers.
"Murdering her husband! Ahhh, where do you kick him? Next!"
Chu Ci's tense emotions were completely released. She sat up and scratched and kicked. Huo Junyan lifted the quilt and covered her with it. As soon as Chu Ci threw off the quilt, he crawled inside again. Chu Ci was so angry that she could only crawl inside and hit him.
The two of them lost their minds and chased each other, giggling, laughing, waah, ah ah, playing and chasing each other.
Hmm~ Playing a game that even a four-year-old would find disgusting.
Chu Ci's hair was disheveled, like a concubine who had gone mad in the cold palace; Huo Junyan's hair was frizzy, and he had lost all trace of the refined elegance of a noble young master.
"Let's go to Southeast Asia together."
Her mindset suddenly shifted. Whether she left or not could not stop Huo Junyan and Huo Chengxun from fighting. Even if Huo Junyan compromised and married, would Huo Chengxun be willing to give up the empire he had painstakingly planned for thirty years?
Regardless of whether there is a chance of winning, Huo Chengxun will not let go.
Just like Huo Junyan, he was also eliminating dissidents and sweeping away the people that Huo Lao had cultivated for Huo Chengxun.
Even if Elder Huo wanted to stop it, he was powerless to do so at this point.
Moreover, he also had his own selfish motives.
If she leaves at this time, it will definitely affect Huo Junyan's judgment. Whether she leaves or not should be put aside for now. It is more important to deal with Huo Chengxun, this big trouble.
Huo Junyan hesitated.
“We’re entrusting Xingxing to your parents, uh, your dad to take care of her,” Chu Ci said awkwardly, almost forgetting that Meng Huizhou had been hospitalized after being angered by her. “At times like these, Xingxing’s safety is of utmost importance.”
A smart person doesn't need to be explicitly told what to say; Huo Junyan understood immediately.
He took out his phone, ignoring the screen full of unread messages and missed calls.
Huo Junyan called Secretary Wu to request an expedited flight, and Chu Ci took out her suitcase and quickly packed her things.
The couple opened Xingxing's room, held their sleeping son in their arms, and returned to the Huo family's old house that very night.
The old house is divided into several courtyards. There were people waiting at the gate. After the car stopped, the door opened and an umbrella was held over it. Chu Ci got out of the car and saw the layers of Chinese-style courtyards through the rain.
Unfortunately, it was dark, and the lanterns under the eaves were not bright enough to see the entire building.
As Chu Ci passed through the archway and around the screen, he would always encounter some passersby. Those who were close would bow slightly to Huo Junyan and call him "Second Young Master".
It's a very mysterious title, always reminding me of the wealthy and powerful families described in books.
Along the way, the mansion wasn't particularly old and desolate, but it had all the modern facilities. It just had a touch of hazy charm because of the rain at night.
After passing through the covered walkway, the view opened up, and Huo Chaojiang waited in a tea room with two transparent walls.
Upon seeing them, he stood up from the rattan chair, first gesturing to Chu Ci with his eyes, then taking the sleeping Xingxing from Huo Junyan's arms and wrapping the child in the blanket again.
The servants behind him wanted to take over, but seeing that Huo Chaojiang showed no intention of letting go, they quietly retreated.
The father and son met eyes, as if they had a thousand words to say, but in the end, only one sentence remained.
Be careful in everything you do.
"Dad, it's chilly at night."
There was no further conversation.
Chu Ci and Huo Junyan walked down the steps of the tea room without looking back, and walked along the green-paved path to the corridor. As they turned the corner, she glanced at him.
Huo Chaojiang was still standing there holding the child, nodding slightly.
Chu Ci nodded very quickly.
Everyone knew what this trip meant.
Both sides have been operating in the domestic market for many years, understand each other, and restrain each other, making it difficult to change each other in a short period of time.
The outcome of this Southeast Asian battle is already decided...
Chu Ci looked out the window as the plane taxied and took off. The city lights gradually appeared, then condensed into a single point, and finally disappeared into the thin mist.
She felt vaguely uneasy, but couldn't quite put her finger on why.
Perhaps it was due to concerns about the negotiations, since the moment Huo Junyan returned to China, he received news that Huo Chengxun had already connected with a high-ranking official in Southeast Asia.
Chu Ci looked at the Southeast Asian market research data and discussed the current situation with Huo Junyan.
The two share similar views.
Those old foxes in Southeast Asia don't care who's in charge of the Huo family; they'd rather see the two sides fight amongst themselves so they can drive down the price and gain more profit.
Huo Chengxun would not consider the future of the Huo family.
He might not even necessarily need to take over the Southeast Asian market. He could simply sabotage it, have both sides withdraw back to their home countries, and then stand on equal footing, still enjoying nearly half of the Huo family's empire.
Of course, if he could take over the Southeast Asian market, he could directly acquire the Huo family, which would be even better.
Feeling a jolt in her body, Chu Ci lifted her eyelids slightly. The touch on her hand was a bit... Ahhhhh!
He sprang up on the spot, fell off the bed, and hit the partition. Huo Junyan sat up sleepily, saw Chu Ci's appearance, and chuckled.
As I entered the bathroom, I turned back and asked, "The plane has landed. Do you want to take a shower?"
Chu Ci couldn't bear to look at him and turned her face away, saying, "You wash first."
"Then you should wash your hair first, and I'll wash mine after you blow-dry it."
He politely and gentlemanly gave up the bathroom and sat on the edge of the bed.
rational.
Chu Ci really didn't want to look in his direction. She wrapped her shirt tighter around herself, turned to the side, and tried her best to avoid contact with him, but unfortunately, the private jet had limited space.
He sat on the edge of the bed, his legs so long they almost reached into the bathroom.
She was wearing a shirt, and stepping over him would definitely expose her, so she could only rub her legs against his and push him aside to make room for him to enter the bathroom.
"Wife."
Chu Ci turned around, and he was staring up at her, his eyes growing increasingly dark. "I'm aroused."
She caught a glimpse of him the instant he spoke, nimbly slipped into the bathroom, and reached a hand in the moment the door closed.
There is a significant disparity in strength between men and women.
Besides, she couldn't bear to hurt him by squeezing him.
The man kissed her head, domineering and urgent, and Chu Ci tilted her head back to cooperate.
The airplane bathroom was too cramped and didn't allow for much movement, so the man carried her out of the bathroom. Chu Ci used the momentum to push him down, and the man fell down as well, pressing his arm down on her waist.
Chu Ci propped her head up with her hand and said, "With such a tight schedule, this isn't appropriate for us."
"Then let's hurry up."
The man turned over, grabbed her chin, and gave her no chance to object. The small space was filled only with tender and affectionate love.
The accompanying personnel waiting outside the plane checked the time again. It had been an hour since they landed. Why hadn't President Huo come out yet?
Several senior executives preferred that Secretary Wu go in and take a look himself.
Secretary Wu wasn't stupid. He laughed it off, saying that President Huo had instructed him in advance to prepare the negotiation documents, which might take some time, and that President Huo hadn't rested for several days and might be getting up a little late, asking everyone to be understanding.
Those present were all shrewd people; after being slapped twice, they understood.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and early morning hormones are high.
Chu Ci stepped out of the cabin first and saw everyone waiting. She immediately felt her face burning and said through gritted teeth, "You know everyone is waiting for you, can't you control yourself?"
"You were very proactive just now," Huo Junyan said calmly.
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