Chapter 43
After a quick wash, Chu Ci noticed that the wound on her back had become inflamed again, and the doctor had to clean it again.
She had a low-grade fever, dizziness, cold sweats, and severe chest pain; she gasped for breath, trying to relieve the pain.
The doctor strongly recommended that she be hospitalized, but she didn't have the time.
Chu Ci didn't have time to think about whether those words were meant to comfort Huo Chaojiang and Meng Huizhou, or to herself.
The ring fit her perfectly, but Huo Junyan couldn't fit it all the way in.
Visibility was poor underwater at the time, but I could vaguely see that he was wearing it on the second joint of his index finger.
That spot could be where she took off the ring herself, or it could have fallen off by itself...
Looking up at the Huo Group building, the neon lights were dazzling. She slowly walked into the lobby, the receptionist nodded from afar, and Chu Ci went straight to the elevator.
Conference room floor.
The elevator doors slowly opened, revealing two rows of bodyguards standing in the corridor.
The bodyguards that Meng Huizhou had arranged for Chu Ci escorted her as she pushed open the conference room door, and the noise abruptly stopped.
Chu Ci calmly walked to the head seat. Huo Qiyu nodded to her. Chu Ci glanced around the room and sat down in the head seat.
The entire audience erupted in uproar.
Immediately, some people questioned her position, and others echoed this, saying that she had no position in the company. Then, some people said that her identity was unclear and that there were problems with her shareholding, and so on.
The huge conference room resembled an activity plaza for seniors during an evening dinner.
After a long commotion, seeing that Chu Ci didn't react, someone called out by name, "Chu Ci, we don't know anything about your relationship with Jun Yan, we don't know if it's true or not, it's not appropriate for you to sit here."
Chu Ci seemed to have just heard it, and looked up to see the middle-aged woman in the front of the middle of the speaker.
It seems to be Huo Junyan's aunt or cousin?
Whatever, I don't care who it is.
"I don't know who you're dating either. Junyan has never mentioned you to me," Chu Ci said indifferently.
"Pfft..."
Laughter of varying pitches rose and fell in waves.
Some people, trying not to laugh, stood up for the middle-aged woman, saying, "You're so rude, you're completely ill-mannered...Tch, coming from a small town, you really can't be presented to the public."
"Chairman Feng, how can someone with proper upbringing attack women in public?" Huo Qiyu's eyes were red-rimmed. Her younger brother's life was still unknown. Did these people have no heart?
Then came a round of discussions about one's background.
Some people tried to steer the conversation back on track, saying, "We're talking about her and Junyan; we're questioning whether Junyan was deceived."
Immediately, some people accused Chu Ci of trying to climb the social ladder, and then others brought up the fact that she had been married to Zhou Yubai, thus launching a new round of attacks.
This kind of attack was like a soap opera to Chu Ci at this moment; it didn't register in his mind at all.
Even though she tried her best to listen.
Huo Qiyu slammed her hand on the table. "What era are we living in? What's wrong with a woman having been married before? Who says a woman can only get married once? Who says my brother can't marry a divorced woman?"
Among the women present were those who had been married several times, those who were unmarried, and those who did not wish to marry. Even those who were getting married for the first time dared not pat their chests and guarantee that they would only get married once in their lives.
Therefore, none of them objected.
Some elderly men gave speeches on the outdated notion that traditional women should remain faithful to one man until death.
Chu Ci sighed inwardly as she listened to Huo Qiyu's weak rebuttal. After all, she was a young lady raised in a prestigious family; she didn't even know how to curse properly.
What is the essence of swearing?
They either attack the lower levels or expose the weaknesses.
Old Deng was lost in a lecture about women's three obediences and four virtues, oblivious to the world around him, when he suddenly heard a few short laughs. He glared at Chu Ci and asked, "What are you laughing at?"
"I married Zhou Yubai first, and then I married Junyan. The procedures were legal and compliant, and did not violate public order and good morals." She turned her face and looked at Huo Chengxun seriously.
This glance sent chills down Huo Chengxun's spine. Before he could react, he heard Chu Ci staring at the person from before, speaking each word clearly.
“You should warn Huo Chengxun that even if his grandfather’s woman is illegitimate, he cannot inherit her.”
...
A long silence fell over the meeting room.
Huo Qiyu looked at Chu Ci in surprise, "You really dare to say that!"
Lowering his head, Huo Chaojiang glanced at his father and also lowered his eyelids, seemingly embarrassed.
Everyone slowed down even when turning their heads, leaving only their eyes darting around as they exchanged messages.
The Huo family's upper echelons must have heard about this matter to some extent, but it's been a long time, and Huo Chengxun was kicked out of the family long ago. It was just a romantic affair, so who would hold a grudge and upset Huo Lao?
However, in recent years, Huo Lao has gradually lost his strength, Huo Chengxun has been causing trouble, and Huo Junyan also intends to eliminate the forces that do not submit to him.
The cunning one began to secretly observe the two heirs.
They soon discovered that Huo Chengxun was still with Lan Ni. No one had noticed before because the two of them had hidden it well.
Compared to the cunning and shrewd Huo Chaojiang and the ruthless Huo Junyan and his son, Huo Chengxun, who was burdened with a mess of debts, was easier to control.
Therefore, without any external force or prior planning, and knowing that Huo Junyan might not be able to return, they all tacitly chose Huo Chengxun.
No one mentioned his messy affair with Lani.
Exposing this kind of thing would offend too many people, especially since it involves Old Master Huo. Even though he has long since retired from the public eye, no one dares to provoke him.
Even if it's not explicitly stated, everyone will tacitly treat it as an invisible bargaining chip under the table during negotiations, and it always works.
No one expected that it would be at the shareholders' meeting that the truth would be revealed so directly and by name.
Even if Huo Chengxun was a scoundrel, he still had his pride. His face turned a deep purplish-red, and he stood up abruptly, staring down at Chu Ci.
Chu Ci was not intimidated at all. She didn't exert much effort in her gaze, but just looked at him indifferently, and didn't even intend to stop there.
"Eldest cousin, you and your wife have weathered thirty years of ups and downs, never abandoning each other. It truly embodies the saying—the more unacceptable the relationship, the more intense it is. It's a pity that no one will write a 'Song of Everlasting Regret' for you."
Everyone present knew that Huo Chengxun had only been married for a little over ten years, and that his wife was sitting at the very end of the table.
The thirty years she mentioned naturally refer to Huo Chengxun and Lan Ni.
Where does this leave Huo Chengxun's wife?
Everyone was puzzled: which side was this woman trying to win over?
Soon, Chu Ci cleared up the confusion for everyone, "As you all may not know, when my eldest cousin invited me for tea last time, Miss Lan Ni was right there with me, and she told me to call her 'eldest cousin's wife'."
Sizzle—
The woman at the end of the table suddenly stood up, glared angrily at Huo Chengxun, and then stared at Chu Ci with a hostile look. Unfortunately, the distance was too far, and when it reached the person at the head of the table, all that could be heard was the action of "looking".
Chu Ci glanced at Huo Chengxun. "Sit down."
puff--
Some people lowered their heads to suppress their laughter, some rolled their eyes, and some tried to clear their heads.
Huo Chengxun wanted to get angry, but he didn't know what to get angry about. Now he felt ashamed to even stand or sit.
Chu Ci didn't care about his thoughts. He looked around at everyone present. When their eyes met, some people looked at him with disdain, some looked back calmly, some stared sharply, and so on.
She didn't care.
Should we continue discussing personal emotional and marital issues?
Is there a way out? Huo Chengxun's sycophant immediately chimed in, "Personal matters can be handled privately. Today we mainly want to talk about business. Chairman Huo, didn't you have something to say?"
Huo Chengxun left his chair, walked to the opposite side, and turned on all the lights, making the conference room as bright as day.
He calmly returned to his seat and said, "The main reason I've gathered everyone here today is to discuss our contract with Okun in Southeast Asia."
"Secretary Wu, turn off the light above my head."
Secretary Wu immediately turned off the round light above Chu Ci's head.
Everyone looked at Chu Ci, but she made no attempt to explain.
Huo Chengxun gritted his teeth, "We have already signed a contract with Aokun. If we cannot deliver the goods on time, we will have to pay huge compensation."
Some people couldn't hold back any longer and loudly echoed, "That's right, Chu Ci, you gave Lightspeed shares to your ex-husband, which is infringing on the interests of the entire Huo family."
The speaker was Lightspeed CEO Qi.
His ability to wait until now to vent his anger is truly remarkable.
"How could that be? My ex-husband sent me money."
"What can that little bit of money do?" President Qi roared, his voice cracking.
Chu Ci sneered, "That little bit of money is mine too, it's none of your business what I do with it."
"You, you, you have no right to dispose of Lightspeed shares,"
“You have nothing to do with the Huo family. Our shares have absolutely nothing to do with you.”
“That’s right, you have no connection with the Huo Group whatsoever,”
"That's right, that's right..."
A cacophony of voices erupted, one louder than the next. Chu Ci picked at his ear and tapped the solid wood table lightly with his knuckles. Someone noticed, but deliberately spoke even louder.
But they were all secretly observing the Chu Ci.
But then Secretary Wu placed the contract documents in front of her. "President Chu, the chip technology transfer contract has been drafted and is just waiting for your signature."
Chu Ci reached out and handed her the pen.
At the same time, most of the seemingly respectable shareholders in the conference room went crazy, grabbing at contracts or pens, gasping for breath, their eyes filled with fear and disbelief.
Huo Chengxun slammed his hand on the contract, his eyes blazing with fury. "You're going to transfer the chip technology?"
Once the chip technology is transferred, what will he give to Okun to explain?
"I own the chip technology patent rights, and I can transfer them whenever I want."
"You're talking nonsense. The patent rights belong to the Huo family and have nothing to do with you," the shareholder of the branch company, who was originally in charge of chip production, shouted.
Chu Ci burst out laughing. "I don't believe you haven't checked my marriage agreement with Junyan. Sigh! Fine, I'll go somewhere else to sign it."
"You're going to cause us huge losses. Can you take responsibility for that?"
"You actually want to transfer something as important as chip technology? Are you crazy?"
What should be done about our interests?
...
Chu Ci has never been very patient. He forcibly took the contract from Huo Chengxun, wrote his name on it in a few quick strokes, and said, "Give the chip key to President Lu as well."
Huo Chengxun could no longer bear it, so he snatched it away and tore it to shreds in a few strokes.
Everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief, including Huo Qiyu.
She also owns shares in chip technology.
Huo Qiyu looked at Chu Ci with a complicated expression, not understanding what she was going to do. Selling the shares of Lightspeed had already served as a warning, so did Chu Ci really want to sell the chip technology?
She was in a state of confusion, wanting to listen to her mother, wanting to avenge her brother, hoping that her brother was still alive, and shocked by Chu Ci's actions, at a loss for what to do.
"Didn't you say that I have absolutely no connection with the Huo family's interests? Then what do your losses have to do with me?"
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