Chapter 59: The Iron Tree Begins to Sprout After the Divorce
Xiang Jingheng was under a lot of pressure when he handed over the recording.
He must have offended the Gan family. His parents didn't understand and got very angry with him because of it. Especially Mrs. Xiang, who was Gan Xiaoxing's goddaughter and doted on her.
"What's going on? It's just a paper, why make such a fuss? Taking people away for investigation and forcing them to shut down their companies, even if the Yu family has absolute power in the research circle, they can't bully people like this!"
Mrs. Xiang was making a scene at home, her face ashen. "Besides, we've all seen how good Xiaoxing's grades have been since she was little. She can write a paper in a minute. Why would she steal it?"
Xiang Jingheng sat on the sofa with a sullen face.
He knew his mother hadn't read many books and wasn't very educated, but the fact that her cognitive abilities were so limited was still a headache.
"Mom, that's not an ordinary paper. It's a journal article, an important academic paper that can only be published if there are significant research findings."
Xiang Jingheng patiently explained, "Some scientists spend their entire lives without publishing more than a few important papers, even if they work themselves to the bone. Why do you think Gan Xiaoxing can write one in a minute?"
Mrs. Xiang stared wide-eyed. "What? Xiaoxing can't write it, but Yu Yan can?"
"Yu Yan is really capable of writing."
Xiang Jingheng said, "Do you know how valuable this paper is? Mu Zhiwei... is the one who impersonated someone else. The paper caused a sensation in the research community as soon as it was published, but it was quickly exposed as fraud because his qualifications and level were simply not enough to write such a paper. Let me put it this way, Gan Xiaoxing's wisest move was not to change Mu Zhiwei's name to hers, otherwise she would definitely be the one being ridiculed now, because she wouldn't deserve it. Even if immense wealth comes your way, you can't handle it if you don't have the ability, that's the point."
"Stop exaggerating and spreading alarmist rumors."
Xiang Tai crossed her arms and said coldly, "I know you're having a falling out with Xiao Xing now, and you're only speaking up for her because you want to reconcile with Yu Yan. I know all too well how fickle you men are."
"Cough cough..."
The chairman, who hadn't spoken until now, coughed lightly twice while sitting in the main seat. She glanced at Mrs. Xiang, which finally made her restrain herself a bit.
Xiang Jingheng pressed the bridge of his nose, feeling indescribably weary.
He knew that talking to his mother about these things was like casting pearls before swine; she simply didn't understand these things, and her thinking was still stuck on how women competed and fought for favor.
After all, she was once the victor in the female competition, so she naturally believed in these things and looked down on Yu Yan, who was not good at speaking and did not know how to be submissive.
Chairman Xiang was aware of the seriousness of the paper incident, but he was definitely not concerned about Gan Xiaoxing.
"The Hyosung Research Lab must be shut down as soon as possible. Furthermore, Xiangshi Technology must provide relevant proof to sever all ties with the Hyosung Research Lab."
"..."
Hearing his father's words, which were so business-like and ruthless, Xiang Jingheng recalled how he had just held Gan's father's hand and promised him that he would do his best to protect Gan Xiaoxing...
I suddenly found it funny.
Sometimes he wondered if the reason he and Yu Yan had fallen out like this, and Yu Yan felt he was cold and heartless, was because he spoke to her with the same expression as her father.
"Didn't you hear me?" Chairman Xiang's imposing voice came from behind the desk.
His mother wasn't in the study, and what his father said to him was completely different from what he said outside.
However, this is something Xiang Jingheng has been used to since he was a child.
He knew from a young age that what his father said outside the study didn't count; it was all just something he used to fool people.
Whether it's coaxing his mother or his sister, in his eyes, women always need to be coaxed.
Just say nice things to them, don't take it seriously.
But he didn't want to do that, so he went to the other extreme and refused to coax Yu Yan with a single word.
"I heard you," Xiang Jingheng replied.
He couldn't help but drift off into thought all day. He didn't know if it was Yu Yan's sudden fainting that had a huge impact on him, or if Shao Muyan's scolding had woken him up and made him start to reflect on his actions.
—From a goal-oriented perspective, he knew that if he continued like this, not only would pursuing Yu Yan be impossible, but even the most basic cooperation would be impossible.
“However,” Xiang Jingheng said, “there is no rush.”
He raised his cold, piercing eyes to the chairman, "What do you mean?"
Xiang Jingheng grew up under his father's powerful influence, but after taking over Xiang's Technology and gaining real power, he was no longer as afraid of his father as before.
A major reason is not only that Chairman Xiang is getting old, but also because... he is the only son in the Xiang family who is still capable of making a difference.
Xiang Jingheng didn't really care about his other brothers.
"After I handed over the recording, the public opinion calmed down a lot. Now, if I rush to distance myself from Xiaoxing Research Lab, it will trigger another wave of public opinion, which will be detrimental to the stock price."
Xiang Jingheng said, "The wisest course of action is to control the escalation of the situation, shift the blame to individual behavior, divert public attention away from Xiang's Technology, and attract attention by creating a few celebrity trending topics. That's how news works; it's all over in a flash. As for Xiaoxing Research Lab, I've invested a lot of money in it over the years, so we can't let it go unreturned. We can just change its name."
After a moment's hesitation, the chairman asked, "You still want to protect Gan Xiaoxing?"
"No, I want to protect my hard work and reputation."
Xiang Jingheng’s voice was slightly somber. “Over the years, the core team of Xiaoxing’s research lab has done some major projects. However, Gan Xiaoxing did not participate in many of these key projects. She was just a figurehead. She was not the core person, nor was she the one who did the work. The downfall of Gan Xiaoxing will not have much impact on the research lab. The equipment is still there, and the people are still there. It’s just a change of shell.”
He picked up the teacup from the chairman's glass and took a sip.
They all knew that Gan Xiaoxing wasn't very capable. The two families were close because of their family's long-standing friendship, and the Gan family had helped Chairman Xiang when he was short of funds during his early entrepreneurial ventures.
However, the Gan family is not as prosperous as before. It is said that you can help in an emergency but not in a long-term relationship, so they cannot really risk the entire Xiang family to save Gan Xiaoxing.
"Are you sure that person can support a new research lab?"
Chairman Xiang snorted coldly, "Don't let it turn into a bunch of thieves, I can't afford to lose face like this."
Ignoring her father's sarcastic remarks, she said to Jing Heng, "Her name is Mei Nan, and she is Aunt Mei's daughter."
Chairman Xiang was suddenly taken aback.
"Aunt Mei's daughter?"
“Yes.” Xiang Jingheng nodded, took out his phone, and showed his father Mei Nan’s resume.
Chairman Xiang squinted, then took out his reading glasses and carefully looked through his phone.
Xiang Jingheng stood aside calmly: His father was indeed getting old, and he needed to take on the responsibility of Xiang's Technology as soon as possible.
"Hmm, it's really good."
The chairman nodded with satisfaction, but after putting down his phone, he still said, "But he's still far from being as good as Yu Yan."
"They can't be compared."
Xiang Jingheng said, "There are few people who can compare to Yu Yan."
Chairman Xiang: "..."
After the divorce, did this seemingly indestructible tree begin to sprout?
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