You pass, you pass
Am I Hong Xian’s biological daughter?
Hong Baolin washed her face with cold water in the bathroom. Water droplets slid from her eyelashes into her eyes. She closed her eyes and the image of Hong Xian standing on the stage appeared in her mind.
Such a rich, powerful and famous person, is her father?
Haha, so funny.
She had long considered herself an orphan. She had lived with her aunt for as long as she could remember. Her aunt had been mean to her, often beating and scolding her. She told herself that this was what orphans without parents were like.
If she had parents, all the suffering she had endured over the years would be nothing.
Hong Baolin took out a piece of paper and wiped her face expressionlessly. She used too much force and a red mark appeared on the side of her face. She moved closer to the mirror and touched it.
Yu Li was talking to Zheng Zhihe while Song Minjing stuffed some fruit into her mouth. She had been called in after returning from the All-Media Innovation Conference. Like Zheng Zhihe, she had just learned that Hong Baolin was Hong Xian's biological daughter.
"How did you find out? We all thought Hong Xian's ex-wife only had one child, Hong Jae-heon." Song Min-jeong puffed out her lips.
"It was just speculation at first," Yu Li replied. Hong Baolin seemed like a natural for media work, with a keen eye for the right trends. This acumen inevitably reminded her of the Hong family. Hong Baolin also had the last name Hong and was the same age as Hong Jae-heon. Both graduated from university in the first half of this year. According to previous research, Hong Baolin's only family member was an aunt, and her parents were unknown.
Once you have an idea, verification is not a problem.
Song Min-jung let out a "wow," intending only to sigh, but ended up choking on her juice and coughing non-stop. Yu Li patted her on the back, and Zheng Zhihe teased her like a three-year-old child, "Choking on your own saliva—I usually only hear about curses. I never thought someone would actually do that in real life."
Song Minjing was dissatisfied, but she twisted her body honestly: "Lili, pat me again."
Yu Li clapped again upon hearing this, and Zheng Zhihe rolled her eyes.
Hong Baolin came out at this time and happened to look at Yu Li. Yu Li's eyes were very indifferent, and Hong Baolin pinched the corner of her clothes.
Zheng Zhihe asked Hong Baolin to sit down: "Have you thought about it?"
Song Minjing poked her head out curiously: "What did you think of?"
Zheng Zhihe: "Do you want to meet Hong Xian?"
This is almost a free point question.
Hong Baolin looked at Yu Li and said, "I heard that Hong and Hong Xian have two sons. I was born to their ex-wife, and they are already this old. Maybe they don't care."
They will also blame her for showing up at this time to destroy the family happiness.
Yu Li let go of Song Minjing and sat back in her seat: "Is this all you're worried about?"
Hong Baolin lowered her head. She thought she would be immersed in the joy of finding her family, but after the brief shock passed, another thing came to her mind.
Kwon Yu-ri asked her if she wanted to take Hong Xian's position.
…she thought.
"Do I have a chance to take his seat?" Putting away all emotions, Hong Baolin looked at Yu Li steadily. She said something about family reunion. She was already 22 years old and was no longer at the age to look for her parents.
Why bother pretending? Everyone here knows that she is someone who will seize any opportunity to climb up the ladder.
"Of course." Yu Li's tone was firm. If there was no chance, why would she push Hong Baolin out? Hong Wuxu was in trouble, Hong Jae-heon was a rival, and Hong Baolin... Hong Baolin's rise to power could help her a lot.
At the very least, Song Minjing's public opinion assumptions can be realized.
"If you're willing, we'll start preparing." Yu Li glanced at the time and was about to leave. "Zhihe will contact you."
Hong Baolin said "OK".
Zheng Zhihe left with Yu Li, but Song Minjing did not follow them, saying that she wanted to discuss the new round of work progress in the studio with Hong Baolin.
When there were only two people left in the room, Song Minjing asked Hong Baolin to sit down.
Yu Li called her over to let her know Hong Baolin's identity and to reconsider her cooperative relationship with Hong Baolin.
Before that, she was Hong Baolin's boss.
Hong Baolin really thought that Song Minjing wanted to talk to her about work progress, and told Song Minjing not to worry, saying that she would do what she promised Song Minjing regardless of whether she could return to the Hong family.
This is not what Song Minjing wanted to say.
She had a smile on her face and looked at Hong Baolin with her usual curious baby eyes. She was holding a fruit plate in her hands, like a cute and lively little deer, and everyone who saw her felt happy.
But what she asked was: "Ah Baolin, you won't betray Yu Li, right?"
Hong Baolin trembled.
Song Minjing was still waiting for her answer.
Without thinking, Hong Baolin found her voice again: "I will never betray Quan Yuli."
If Kwon Yu-ri can help her up, she can also pull her down.
*
In May, the temperature rises rapidly. People lie in air-conditioned rooms with dull eyes, and everyone smells strongly of work.
Amidst the sweltering heat and anxiety, CPBC reported a piece of news about the person in charge of Pei Medical, successfully arousing public enthusiasm.
"Mo? The famous doctor? He turned himself in?"
"It's said that it's related to a case from over ten years ago, and he's been charged with murder."
"The victim is the Xu family, who own a hotel. I remember their president was named the Golden Bachelor."
…
Yu Li read the news as soon as it came out. This incident was bound to have an impact on Pei's company. The stock price continued to fall and the employees were in panic. However, this was a relatively good outcome.
If Xu Zaitan catches Pei Kangqi off guard, the Pei family will be really finished.
Pei Haocheng had called Yu Li. He knew about this a few days in advance, and his eyes were red from worrying: "Is this the preparation you asked me to make?"
Yu Li said yes, and Pei Haocheng fell silent.
Yu Li smiled and said, "Do you blame me for not telling you the truth in advance? Or do you think I should have stopped Xu Zaitan from reporting it?"
Unexpectedly, Pei Haocheng said thank you.
What's the use of Yu Li telling him? The evidence is conclusive. Xu Zaitan must have made several preparations. Even if Xu Zaitan disappears, Pei Kangqi will still go in.
The old man said that Xu Zaitan gave him time to arrange the funeral for Yu Li's sake.
He understood why the old man said that. The grudges of the previous generation ended with the previous generation. Xu Zaitan led the Xu family to become the No. 1 in the hotel industry. If he went against Xu Zaitan, he would hurt the enemy by a thousand and lose eight hundred of his own, and he might not even win.
And Yu Li, don't complain that Yu Li didn't tell him the truth in advance. Quan's is a powerful partner, and Yu Li is willing to help him, so he can gain a foothold in Pei's.
Pei Haocheng understands it all.
They are friends on both sides, and Yu Li has done what she can.
"I'll be very busy from now on." Pei Haocheng said in a relaxed tone, "You don't have to invite me for dinner. I'll treat you to dinner after I'm done."
The smile on Yu Li's face became more genuine, but since it wasn't a video call, Pei Haocheng couldn't see it.
"Will he not be sent abroad?"
"Go abroad?" Pei Haocheng sneered and returned to his previous high-spirited state. Pei Yanbin had no chance of sending him away.
"I will take the position of group chairman before you. You should quickly consider whether to change your marriage partner. My time is precious, and I can only wait for you for three days."
Yu Li raised an eyebrow, remembering Cui Ze's words: "Cui Ze said that he would personally come to give you the invitation to my engagement party with him."
Pei Haocheng: "..."
Pei Haocheng: "Hang up."
Pei Haocheng is really busy and cannot do everything perfectly in a week. It is only enough for the old man to transfer the shares to Pei Haocheng and keep a few confidants. Pei Yanbin is deeply shocked and can't believe that his father, who takes saving the dying and the wounded as his mission, would kill people. As a doctor, he is the only one who can stick to his heart.
Looking at Pei Kangqi's position, I feel that power consumes people.
He was depressed for a few days, and when he finally remembered to appease employees, shareholders, and contact the media, he discovered that Pei Haocheng had already done all these things. Not only had he done them, but he had done them in a very professional manner.
He was in a daze for a moment. Could it be that Pei Haocheng, who was following Pei Kangqi, had grown so fast?
Yu Li was unaware of this as she was busy dealing with Hong Baolin's affairs. Hong Xian was invited to give a speech at Hong Baolin's alma mater. Zheng Zhihe took him there and gave Hong Baolin a pocket watch before getting off the car.
The pocket watch was old. When Hong Baolin opened it, she found a photo inside.
The woman smiled at the camera, her hair was braided and scattered on one side. She had a gentle face, which was 30% similar to her.
"This is..." Hong Baolin had already guessed.
Zheng Zhihe: "I found it from your aunt. It's the only thing that hasn't been sold."
When Hong Baolin's mother left the Hong family, she took some valuable jewelry with her, but they were all sold by her aunt. Only this "unremarkable" pocket watch escaped and was thrown into a corner for many years with no one paying attention to it.
Hong Baolin stroked the photo. This was her mother.
Soon, she closed her pocket watch, calmed down, and realized that there was no point in feeling sad about the passing of time. She opened the car door and entered the campus.
While Hong Baolin sat at the podium listening to Hong Xian's speech, Pei's shareholders convened. Pei Yanbin was elected acting chairman, making decisions on all company matters until a new chairman was chosen. Pei Haocheng, due to his age and seniority, wouldn't be eligible for the position for several years, so he only held a position in the company.
The key votes for Pei Yanbin's election as acting chairman were cast by several major shareholders through the guidance of Pei Haocheng. Pei Haocheng could still distinguish between his own father as chairman and an outsider as chairman.
However, after the meeting, Pei Haocheng rushed to Pei Yanbin's office: "Dad, doesn't you think the position of president is full of pollution?"
Pei Yanbin was stunned, and Pei Haocheng spoke directly: "From now on, I will review the company's affairs and make decisions before presenting them to Dad, okay? Don't you prefer being a warm-hearted doctor to being at the top of the power? I'll help you solve the problem."
Pei Yanbin knows a lot about management companies.
At Hong Baolin's alma mater, Hong Xian's speech had ended. When he came out of the auditorium, a group of students surrounded Hong Xian and wanted his autograph or a photo. Hong Baolin was among them.
"President Hong, can you sign an autograph for me? I'm your loyal fan." Hong Baolin handed forward a notebook and a pen, but Hong Xian never came to sign hers. She stood on tiptoe anxiously. Hong Xian signed a few autographs and was ready to leave.
The students who had not signed in yet were anxious and wanted to squeeze forward. A push came and Hong Baolin staggered a few steps and fell heavily to the ground. The chain of the pocket watch around his neck broke and flew out, sliding a long distance.
Others moved away, leaving a clearing with Hong Baolin as the center.
Hong Xian stopped and the pocket watch just "flew" to his feet.
He picked it up. It was a very old pocket watch, but it looked vaguely familiar.
His ex-wife had such a watch.
He thought he had forgotten it long ago.
Opening the pocket watch, the woman's face was still so familiar.
He walked back to Hong Baolin. Hong Baolin had just stood up from the ground. Seeing Hong Xian holding her pocket watch, she apologized embarrassedly: "Sorry, I didn't hit you, did I?"
"No." Hong Xian raised the corner of his mouth, returned the pocket watch to Hong Baolin, and asked casually, "Is this your mother?"
Hong Baolin smiled and said, "Yes, it's my mother."
In an instant, uncontrollable anger rushed into Hong Xian's brain. After so many years, he finally saw this person again.
He looked at Hong Baolin in front of him, his eyes showing undisguised complexity. This was his daughter, he was sure, the daughter who was taken away by his ex-wife 22 years ago.
My ex-wife gave birth to twins that year.
He hated his ex-wife's betrayal and gave up after searching for her for two years. Why should he be sad for such a woman? There will always be new women, and children too. Just take them away.
He didn't even bother to look at Hong Jae-heon who was left behind.
Over the years, no one dared to mention his ex-wife, and Hong Jae-hyun didn't even know he had a sister. And this sister looked different from him, otherwise he might have discovered it earlier.
Suppressing his anger, Hong Xian said, "She's very beautiful and seems to be a gentle person."
"Hmm..." Hong Baolin tilted her head and thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't know. I've never seen her since I can remember, and neither has my father. I'm an orphan."
"But as you said, if she were still alive, I would also like to believe that she was a gentle person."
Alive? Hong Xian's hand at his side suddenly trembled: "She's dead?"
Hong Baolin forced a smile and said, "My aunt said that my mother died not long after giving birth to me."
Hong Xian clenched his fingers, Tian Nawen died.
He didn't know how he got out of the school, surrounded by students. His secretary and An protected him as he got into the car. After ten minutes of silence, he asked his secretary to investigate Hong Baolin: "She said she lives with her aunt. Find out for me."
Tian Namin took Hong Jae-heon and Hong Baolin away just two days after they were born. If she died shortly after leaving, it would be normal for him to not be able to find her.
Tian Nawen was from Yutai. For her, Hong Xian went to Yutai many times. After she disappeared, Hong Xian stayed in Yutai for two years.
Thinking of what happened in Yutai, Hong Xian smiled bitterly. If he hadn't been looking for someone, how would he have known Zhang Genghe? If he hadn't known Zhang Genghe, perhaps what happened later would not have happened.
The investigation went smoothly. The clues that had been impossible to find at the beginning all surfaced 22 years later. The secretary became more and more frightened as he investigated, especially after the confession of Hong Baolin's aunt came out. The secretary felt that Hong Xian might be going crazy.
He had been with Hong Xian for many years. Outsiders thought that Hong Xian hated his ex-wife so much that he hadn't mentioned her for so many years, and that he also ignored Hong Jae-heon. They didn't think about it. Without love, there would be no hatred. If he really didn't love her, Hong Jae-heon wouldn't be living like this today.
He gave the results to Hong Xian and even prepared heart disease medicine.
"The aunt Miss Pauling mentioned is not related to her by blood. She originally applied for a job as a maid at the Hong residence."
The aunt's purpose in coming to the Hong residence was not pure from the beginning. It was arranged by Hong Wuxu's mother, Ji Linghua. Everyone thought that there was no melodramatic plot because Hong Xian married Ji Linghua a year after his divorce and she got pregnant after marriage. In fact, there was.
Ji Linghua fell in love with Hong Xian when they formed a band. If he hadn't fallen in love with Tian Nawen, Hong Xian would have married her. However, as luck would have it, Hong Xian's marriage was not harmonious. Tian Nawen didn't like Hong Xian, but it was Hong Xian who forced her to stay by his side, and Tian Nawen always wanted to leave.
Ji Linghua then devised a plan. She sent the aunt to the Hong residence and secretly contacted Tian Nawen, saying she could take her away. Tian Nawen, who had just given birth, initially didn't believe it. However, one day when Hong Xian was away on an inspection trip, the aunt actually took her away from the Hong residence.
Before leaving, Tian Namin looked at her newborn child and took Hong Baolin away at the critical moment.
"According to this 'aunt,' Tian... regretted leaving not long after. It's not that she truly doesn't love you, but her personality prevents her from sitting down and talking with you calmly. Leaving made her realize her feelings for you, and she decided to come back to find you."
But Ji Linghua would not allow this to happen. She arranged for people to guard Tian Nawen and not let her come back to find Hong Xian. Tian Nawen finally found a chance to escape, but because of the pursuit of this group of people, she accidentally fell into the fast-flowing river.
"After she died, they found a wasteland to bury her. The 'aunt' took the money and started living with Miss Pauling."
How can you find someone if they are gone? This was the truth back then.
After hearing this, Hong Xian did not move for a long time. He went to pick up the water cup on the table, but his hands were shaking and he almost dropped the cup. The secretary quickly held it steady.
"Are you okay?"
Hong Xian waved his hand, but the first thing he said was, "That person at home is really good at hiding things."
During the six months that Tian Nawen disappeared, Ji Linghua never appeared in front of him once. It was not until three months before the one-year anniversary that they began to have frequent contact with the help of their parents.
At that time, Hong Xian's love for Tian Nawen had turned into hatred. Tian Nawen's previous performance showed that she did not love him and really wanted to leave. He always believed that it was Tian Nawen who ran away on her own initiative.
"Fool, idiot." Hong Xian rubbed his forehead and kept his head down. He didn't know whether he was talking about Tian Nawen or Ji Linghua, or maybe himself.
The next morning, Hong Baolin was taken to the Hong family by people sent by Hong Xian.
Yu Li didn't care how Hong Baolin performed or how the Hong family members reacted. If Hong Baolin couldn't even handle this, she shouldn't have joined the Hong family. Xu Zaitan asked her to meet to discuss something.
"I've thought of a way to help you." Xu Zaidan whispered, "Hong Jae-heon has been sending people to harass me lately, trying to get the video, but they haven't been successful. I'm fed up with him."
Yu Li asked Xu Zaitan to continue.
Xu Zaitan: "I remember Hong Wuxu is your friend? How about you push him to the top? I have a way to deal with Hong Xian and Hong Jae-heon."
Yuri:......
The news of her falling out with Hong Wuxu didn't seem to get out. After all, it wasn't a big deal. She wasn't childish enough to post on WeChat Moments saying "On xx day, I, Kwon Woo-ri, and Hong Wuxu broke up and we are no longer friends." Xu Jae-dam didn't know what was normal.
His memory still stuck in a few months ago.
Hong Baolin had just returned to the Hong family, and the Hong family had not had time to announce it, so it was normal that Xu Zaitan didn't know.
Yu Li remained calm: "What's your plan?"
Xu Zaidan grinned, "I'll edit the video and only leave the part where Hong Xian throws the stone at Zhang Genghe. I'll send it to Hong Xian and tell him that this is what Hong Jae Heon has been looking for. Hong Xian doesn't like Hong Jae Heon to begin with, and with this, I think he'll kick Hong Jae Heon out of the Hong family."
"And since he killed someone, he will naturally be punished. When he goes to jail, Hong Wuxu will be the only one left in the Hong family."
"How's it going? Not bad, right?"
Xu Zaitan and others praised him.
Yu Li hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded affirmatively: "That's a good idea."
Xu Zaitan was delighted, and Yu Li said, "You can send it."
Xu Zaitan was even happier. He really wanted to do something to help Yu Li, so he went home excitedly and started editing the video.
Yu Li was also a little happy. Before she could even say her plan of killing two birds with one stone, Xu Zaitan took the initiative to help her implement it.
So this year's May was particularly lively, with people's news coming one after another.
The melon at the beginning:
"Wow, big deal! The idol drama has come true. The Hong family has a daughter who was stranded outside, and they have been taken back."
"It's Hong Baolin! The famous internet celebrity!"
"With this gene, even without formal education, one can still become a millionaire internet celebrity. Should we say the Hong family is truly amazing?"
The melon after that:
"Mo? Hong Xian is divorcing his current wife? Is it because of Hong Baolin?"
"Rumor has it that his current partner was behind the divorce, and the truth came out after Hong Baolin returned."
"Ah Xi, this is really an idol drama."
The next melon:
"The Hong family is in great turmoil right now, with two sons and one daughter fighting for power."
"Didn't you say you're divorcing your current partner? Shouldn't their child be the first to go?"
"Hmm... Hong Xian seems to value his daughter more."
The last melon:
"This is crazy! Everyone's crazy. Hong Xian was exposed to be connected to a case from 20 years ago. It seems he murdered someone!"
"I seem to have seen this news some time ago. How come it appears again?"
"The person who broke the news a while ago was Pei Kangqi. This is Hong Xian. They are not the same person."
"What happened to these chaebols?"
In fact, the most surprising thing is that it was revealed and the two did not deny it. Usually, they would find various reasons to eliminate suspicion, or at least find a scapegoat, but none of them did that.
Hong Xian didn't expect this to happen. No, he had a feeling. He had a feeling when Pei Kangqi got into trouble, but he didn't expect this day to come so soon.
After Hong Baolin brought her home, he immediately filed for divorce from Ji Linghua. He wanted to live peacefully as Mrs. Hong after killing Tian Nawen? He was dreaming. Not only did he want a divorce, he also wanted to send Ji Linghua to jail.
Looking at Hong Wuxu and Hong Jae-heon again, their moods are completely reversed. They are full of apology and guilt towards Hong Jae-heon, and disgust towards Hong Wuxu.
His emotions were like this, black and white. He knew it was abnormal, but he couldn't help but take his anger out on Hong Wuxu.
Just when he was about to make amends to Hong Jae-heon and let him join the company, he received a video and evidence that Hong Jae-heon was trying to use the video to force him to abdicate.
Hong Xian couldn't recover for a long time.
Hong Jae-heon already hated him so much? That made sense, but he still couldn't accept it.
After all, his fatherly love for Hong Jae-heon comes from Tian Na-min. If Hong Jae-heon dares to deal with him behind his back, he will not let Hong Jae-heon go even if Tian Na-min is still alive.
Like Pei Kangqi, Hong Xian began to do the same thing.
The person who posted the video obviously won't let him go. What if he goes in and gets into trouble with Baolin? After much thought, he can only take Ji Linghua in with him to prevent Ji Linghua from attacking Baolin.
As for Hong Jae-heon, before Hong Xian could decide whether to kick him out of the Hong family or give him a smaller share, the police came to Hong Jae-heon's house to ask him to assist in the investigation.
Upon questioning, I found out that Hong Jae-heon had done a lot of shameful things behind the scenes over the years, and now he has been anonymously reported, and the evidence is very clear.
Hong Xian: ...
How come the Hong family is even worse off than the Pei family?
After a lot of chaos, the dust finally settled. The media joked that they were indeed a family and they held hands when they went in.
Three people from the Hong family went in: Hong Xian, Ji Linghua, and Hong Zaixian.
The only two people who stayed outside were the silly and miserable Hong Wuxu and Hong Baolin who had just returned home.
Netizens all felt that Hong Group was in danger. Its stock price had fallen even more sharply than that of its neighbor Pei Group, and all media outlets were predicting a negative outlook.
Hong Baolin is able to keep calm.
Quan Yuli had told her that Hong Corporation would inevitably experience its ups and downs, and that she should not be impatient and should seize the opportunity to improve her abilities. She had already graduated from university and could join the company. Her initial position would be low, but she would definitely reach the top in the end.
She went to Hong Xian's office to take a look.
Broad and bright, just like her future life.
As for Hong Xian's appreciation of her... Haha, how could such a hypocritical and cold-hearted man have the nerve to tell her that the person he loves the most is her mother.
As for her mother, it was really stupid of her to fall in love with such a man.
After the incident between Pei Haocheng and Hong Baolin, Yu Li felt relieved. Now there was really only one last thing left.
The wedding dress has been made, and Zheng Zhihe asked her to find a time to try it on. Yu Li flipped through the calendar and asked Cui Ze when he was free. Cui Ze said that midnight would be fine.
Not even the end of the world could stop him from getting engaged.
At that time, Yu Li was held in Cui Ze's arms. Hearing this, she kissed the corner of Cui Ze's lips. Cui Ze was sometimes quite humorous.
At this time, Xu Zaitan called.
"Yu Li, the plan went awry because Hong Baolin showed up halfway through." He studied Hong Baolin's social media account. "But it's okay. If Hong Wuxu has any difficulties, I can help."
Yu Li sighed inwardly, still unable to figure it out. Xu Zaitan's brain really didn't work well sometimes.
"Don't worry about the Hong family. I know Hong Baolin."
Yu Li knows her? Xu Zaitan paused, his first reaction being that Yu Li was amazing, she knew everyone, and then he realized that something seemed amiss.
Didn't Yu Li's words clearly tell him that he didn't need to help Hong Wuxu? In what situation did he not need to help? Of course, he didn't need to help when Hong Wuxu was PASSED.
So at the beginning…
Xu Zaitan knocked his head, it hurt so much, he needed to grow a brain.
He shook his head. No matter what, he could always help Yu Li: "Yu Li, is there anything else you need my help with? I will definitely not let you down this time."
Tsk, this flag.
Yu Li thought about it and realized that there was indeed one thing.
Pei Haocheng doesn't have time now, Gao Zhuyan is not suitable, but Xu Zaitan is suitable.
"Then help me keep an eye on someone."
"Who?"
"Jiang Hengzhu."
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