Chapter 5 Don't come over again.
She's really put up with him for a long time. What right does he have to instruct her on her work?
Are you trying to make decisions for her again?
Seeing his hesitant expression after being stopped, Qin Qiao sneered:
"You're right. If you hadn't accepted my interview back then, I wouldn't have gotten the special, official spot. But, Chen Jiashu... I don't owe you anything anymore!"
Every word was like a knife piercing the man's heart, cruelly twisting halfway around. Intense pain instantly spread to every part of his body, and cold sweat beaded on Chen Jiashu's back.
“You’ve misunderstood…” he tried to explain, but ultimately found himself speechless.
Her fingers were twisted so tightly that Qin Qiao's shoulders trembled as she looked at her face, which had lost all color in an instant.
Her words were like bullets piercing his body, wounding him and shattering him.
Tears welled up in Chen Jiashu's eyes, and blood vessels quickly spread across them.
Qin Qiao was startled and took a half step back.
Her eyelashes trembled, and she pinched her palm hard, hoping that the pain would awaken her and make her stop being controlled by this man's every move.
However, his heavy breathing sounded like a broken bellows.
Does something seem to be bothering you?
The thought flashed through her mind, but it was just a fleeting thought.
Suddenly, a surge of hot air rushed up his throat, choking him. Chen Jiashu's face turned blue, sweat beaded on his forehead, and his other hand stubbornly reached out towards her.
Qin Qiao took a few steps away, increasing the distance between them.
Even though he couldn't see her clearly, Chen Jiashu could tell from her body language and breathing frequency that she was trying to avoid him.
An unbearable sense of suffocation coursed through his body, and his eyes suddenly ached. He lowered his gaze, but still couldn't help taking a step forward.
"Don't come any closer!" Qin Qiao shouted.
But this warning only fueled the man's rebellious spirit.
He grabbed her arm and pulled her close, feeling her every cell in her body resisting him even through her clothes.
"What are you doing!" Qin Qiao screamed sharply, shaking off his hand in disgust.
The light dimmed, and Chen Jiashu swayed, unable to stand steadily. He braced himself with his white cane to regain his balance. Suddenly, the hand felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and he slowly pulled it to his side.
Even Qin Qiao herself was startled by the suddenness of it, and her body trembled slightly.
The moment Chen Jiashu shook her, her heart leaped into her throat.
What's wrong with him? She nipped that thought in the bud as soon as it crossed her mind.
Qin Qiao then realized that she shouldn't be here:
"I'm leaving now."
She turned around, grabbed her phone from the coffee table, and hurried toward the door as if fleeing.
Chen Jiashu watched her figure gradually disappear from view.
A bitter smile slowly curved his lips.
A dull ache, a feeling of stagnation, and a myriad of emotions instantly flooded his chest. The extreme lack of oxygen made him feel like a dying fish, desperately gulping for the thin air.
But it was all in vain.
The alternation of light and dark before my eyes became increasingly rapid, and the next second, the white cane slipped from my hand and fell to the ground.
Chen Jiashu staggered backward, bumped into the edge of the sofa, and then fell straight to the ground.
"Bang!"
The two loud sounds almost overlapped.
Before his consciousness was completely swallowed by darkness, he seemed to hear a desperate cry...
It seems to be Qin Qiao.
“Jia Shu”.
*
Qin Qiao sat by the hospital bed, looking at the sleeping man. His lips were dark, and his complexion was still pale. Six years had passed, and compared to the worsening of his eye disease, his appearance had not changed much.
He had lost some weight, and his facial bones were more prominent. But Qin Qiao had seen him when he was even thinner, during the early stages of his business. Later, as his business gradually stabilized, he slowly gained weight in his face and his body became less thin.
But actually, apart from his long-standing eye problem, Chen Jiashu has always been in good health and rarely even catches a cold, so when he suddenly slumped onto the sofa, it really startled her.
As she walked with the ambulance, she looked back and realized that Chen Jiashu's complexion had been terrible since she entered the room, but she had been too preoccupied with resentment to notice it.
With a high fever of 39.6 degrees Celsius, and with the group's interests at risk, he stubbornly confronted her despite his physical condition. Compared to his rationality, her constant venting and emotional outbursts even made him faint from anger.
Guilt surged like a tidal wave, as if this emotional torment would be difficult to quell unless I did something.
Qin Qiao looked up and saw that there was still half a transparent liquid left in the glass bottle, flowing down the dropper. Her gaze finally fell on the back of his hand that was covered by the blanket.
The man had large hands with long, slender fingers, smooth and clean nails, and faint bluish lines visible on his fair skin.
She grasped Chen Jiashu's right wrist through his shirt fabric, while her other hand lifted the blanket, carefully raising and lowering his hand as if afraid of waking him. Finally, she gently covered him with the blanket, but as she pulled it back, it touched his cold fingertips.
Nine years ago, she also had a fever while she was on a business trip. They talked on the phone that night, and she didn't tell him about her minor illness. However, he noticed the hoarseness in her voice and, just out of suspicion, bought a plane ticket to come and find her.
The kindness Chen Jiashu showed her all those years was genuine, and so was his love...
After a few seconds of stunned silence, Qin Qiao reached under the covers with both hands, carefully avoiding the area on the back of his hand where the needle was attached, and wrapped his hand in the blanket.
Amidst the dripping sound, the cold knuckles gradually warmed up in her palm.
The single hospital room in town was simply furnished, but this bed was in a good position, close to the window. The sun was being carried by the clouds, and when it was almost directly overhead, the warm, thin light slanted in, like a golden veil covering Chen Jiashu.
The man's fingers trembled, and Qin Qiao's arm shook as she hastily withdrew her hand.
However, she couldn't leave yet. Tian Jiayue went to the factory to get Chen Jiashu's white cane, and she needed to wait for Tian Jiayue to return.
She picked up her phone from the bedside table, lowered her eyelashes, and swiped to reply to messages in the work group.
Chen Jiashu woke up. He slowly opened his eyelids, and after the darkness faded, a vast expanse of white appeared before his eyes, mixed with a very light yellow.
Where is this?
Chen Jiashu slowly turned his eyes, and the large white area turned into various colored blocks. At the same time, he also smelled a cold disinfectant odor.
...This is a hospital.
The warmth and slight weight on the back of his hand felt so real, but the moment he woke up, the warmth and weight vanished. Was it just a dream?
The image of Qin Qiao resolutely leaving the office flashed through his mind. He had forgotten how deeply his words had hurt her back then; how could she possibly forgive him so easily?
In fact, hasn't she forgiven him enough?
Six years later, she didn't bring up the past, didn't become hysterical, and didn't even ask a single question, which was already giving him enough face. But he was like a stubborn gambler, wanting to gamble on her soft heart again.
A sour feeling welled up in his eyes, and he blinked frequently.
"Chairman Chen, you're awake."
The familiar, bone-deep voice startled Chen Jiashu. He hurriedly tried to confirm, and as soon as he applied pressure, a sharp, needle-like pain shot through the back of his hand. This was followed by Qin Qiao's slightly serious voice:
"Don't move, you're on an IV drip."
It really is her.
Chen Jiashu lay sprawled on the bed and, as instructed, stopped moving around.
She said softly, "Let me help you raise the headboard a little."
Qin Qiao walked to the foot of the bed, bent down, picked up the handle, and turned it repeatedly. Each turn raised the head of the bed a little, adjusting it to a suitable height. Qin Qiao then turned to ask Chen Jiashu, who was watching her.
"May I?"
Strands of hair fell on her cheeks, tickling her, and she tucked them behind her ears.
A relieved smile appeared on Chen Jiashu's face: "Okay."
Qin Qiao returned to the bedside, stood up, and looked down at him.
His tender gaze lingered on her face, making her very uncomfortable.
She looked away and saw the porridge that Tian Jiayue had bought on the bedside table.
The doctor said that his fainting was partly due to low blood sugar, and that he could eat something after waking up.
Qin Qiao paused for a moment and said, "Have some porridge. Jia Yue bought you some millet porridge."
Chen Jiashu had no appetite last night and didn't drink any porridge this morning, so he was really hungry.
Because his right hand was inconvenient, he could only turn over and reach for the bowl of porridge with his left hand. Just as his fingertips touched the side of the bowl, the bowl of porridge was taken away by Qin Qiao.
"If you're not feeling well, I'll feed you." Her tone was indifferent, revealing no emotion or other feelings.
It's just that he's not in a convenient position. Chen Jiashu lay back down and said, "Thank you."
The porridge wasn't too hot, so she scooped up a spoonful and held it to Chen Jiashu's lips:
"You're welcome, it was nothing."
The thick, sweet rice porridge slid down her throat, warming her all the way to her stomach and reaching her heart. Chen Jiashu glanced at her intently, watching her focused expression.
She had very fair skin. He remembered that in the dimly lit internet cafe, what first caught his eye was her fair and jade-like skin.
Then came her bright, expressive almond-shaped eyes, with amber pupils as clear as glass. At that time, she always wore her hair in a high ponytail, which gave her a touch of playfulness amidst her tranquil temperament.
Although it's not very clear now, it still matches the appearance in my memory.
Nothing has changed.
While Qin Qiao was scooping porridge, Chen Jiashu let out a breath, and his tense brows relaxed completely.
When Tian Jiayue knocked on the door, there was still a quarter of the porridge left. Qin Qiao put down the porridge bowl and looked up to see Tian Jiayue standing at the foot of the bed with Chen Jiashu's white cane.
"I'll be right out," she said softly, as if afraid of disturbing them.
She placed the white cane on the other side of the bedside table, and Tian Jiayue turned and left without looking to the side.
But in the passageway leading to the door, she heard Qin Qiao say, "I'm leaving. You stay with your brother."
The stool made a loud noise as it scraped the ground. Qin Qiao was standing when Chen Jiashu, who had turned over, grabbed her arm. His dark eyes shone with a stubborn light, and his fingers gradually tightened.
When Tian Jiayue returned and saw this scene, she was surprised. When had she ever seen her brother like this before? He was like a childish and stubborn boy, which was very different from his usual steady and aloof image.
A few seconds later, Tian Jiayue realized that she was not suitable to stay there, so she quickly lowered her head and walked out of the ward.
The door closed softly, followed by Chen Jiashu's words:
"I haven't finished my porridge yet."
His voice was very nasal as he was ill: "I think... Reporter Qin, you are not the kind of person who gives up halfway."
Seeing his sickly appearance, Qin Qiao couldn't bear to refuse and picked up the porridge bowl again.
*
That night, Chen Jiashu flew back to Lanchuan.
At midnight, Qiaoshu Group issued a blue notice, expressing its deepest condolences for the tragic passing of the father and son employees, and stating that a special investigation team has been established to thoroughly investigate the incident and will release the results to the public in a timely manner.
The announcement also included a summary of wages and salary increases for the Lanchuan main factory over the past three years, for public scrutiny.
Half an hour later, Qiaoshu Group once again topped the trending searches.
Netizen A: [Post the head office payroll? Is Qiaoshu Group blind? The deaths happened at the Dongting factory! Are they trying to fool people with irrelevant data?]
Netizen B: [Those evil capitalists.]
Netizen C: [Why don't you dare post the Dongting factory's payroll?]
......
At 1:45 a.m., five people from the public relations, finance and legal departments of Qiaoshu Group were summoned to a meeting in the conference room on the 22nd floor.
Chen Jiashu listened silently as he read the comments under the Weibo post on his phone, while the others held their breath.
After listening, he turned to the public relations director, Mr. Li, on his left and asked, "Mr. Li, what is the purpose of writing it this way?"
Director Li: "Attaching the data from the main plant is to prove to the public that the salary system of Qiaoshu Group is generally compliant. We will first establish a positive reference, and then make a comparison after the Dongting plant is thoroughly investigated."
Chen Jiashu's gaze was sharp: "What the public wants is an answer. If you give us data that has nothing to do with the factory area, it will only make them think that we are trying to divert their attention."
The entire group knew that Chen Jiashu had an eye disease, but his eyes were so sharp that no blindness could be seen, as if nothing could be hidden from his eyes.
Last July, Chen Jiashu's eye condition worsened, and he came to the group for the first time. He needed his assistant and secretary to help him throughout the visit, and he even spilled his teacup while drinking water.
Even so, a few people in the group still suspected that he was 'pretending to be weak to deceive others,' but in fact it wasn't that serious.
Two days ago, Director Huang joked, "Director Sun thought Chen Jiashu was blind and deliberately had someone manipulate the financial statements. But Chen Jiashu was prepared and set a trap in the opposite direction. Ha, so young, yet so cunning. Everyone be careful."
Director Li paused for a moment, then said, "But if we admit that there are problems with Dongting Factory before we have investigated it thoroughly, the stock price will fluctuate, and it will be difficult to explain to the board of directors."
Regarding whether or not the Dongting factory's salary data should be disclosed, Director Li immediately listed his points. After Director Li finished speaking, Chief Financial Officer Tong said, "Chairman Chen, disclosing the head office's data would at least prove that there's no systemic problem at the group level. Moreover, the Dongting factory is an acquired project; we can..."
"Disassociate yourself from this," Chen Jiashu said on his behalf.
General Manager Tong nodded, about to speak, when Chen Jiashu interrupted: "Then let me ask you, it's been two years since the Dongting factory was acquired, why hasn't the salary system been integrated? If you use this excuse, netizens will only conclude that the group is discriminating against the acquired factories."
The five exchanged glances; some nodded in agreement with Chen Jiashu's words, while others furrowed their brows in concern.
Chen Jiashu cited the dust explosion case at Hengxin Machinery Factory last year: "They released the safety records of the workshop where the explosion occurred as soon as possible. Even if the data was bad, the public could at least see their attitude of 'facing the problem head-on'."
He stood up, tapping the ground as he leaned on his cane, and walked through the aisle beside the conference table, stopping in front of the floor-to-ceiling window: "And what you're giving us now is an 'outstanding report card' unrelated to the factory area. In the public eye, isn't that just a diversionary tactic?"
The man was wearing a white shirt. Although he was thin, he had broad shoulders and a steady, mountain-like presence. Just standing there, he exuded an invisible aura of authority.
He gave three "immediate" responses.
Issue a new announcement immediately, acknowledging that the Dongting plant has experienced 'delayed salary payments', but must emphasize that it is investigating whether the delays were malicious.
Immediately release the original payroll of Dongting Factory. Furthermore, the chairman personally led a team to the deceased's home, offering only a bow without offering an apology.
Immediately recognize that the employees of the acquired factory area are also Qiao Shu's people, and no one can cross this red line.
After the meeting, Chen Jiashu took a car home. He needed to take a shower and then take a nap before flying to Dongting Town at seven o'clock in the morning.
*
When Qin Qiao woke up in the morning, the first thing she did was grab her tablet. Sure enough, the second announcement from Qiaoshu Group was trending on social media, acknowledging the 'delay in salary payments'.
The internet was filled with criticism.
Qin Qiao scrolled through the messages one by one, and saw that some people were already speaking up for Qiao Shu. The gist of it was that Qiao Shu issued a statement overnight, which was actually two announcements, and the chairman would personally visit the deceased's home to offer condolences, which showed how much importance was attached to the matter.
This announcement was clearly written under Chen Jiashu's guidance. He must have been furious about the blame-shifting announcement at midnight.
However, Qin Qiao also noticed that Qiaoshu's stock price fell by 10% today, and the board of directors is probably going to be furious. Balancing both sides, Chairman Chen is under a lot of pressure this time.
My body hasn't recovered yet, can I handle it?
Qin Qiao shook her head, dismissing the irrelevant thought, and closed her laptop.
As dawn broke, the streets were bustling with people weaving through the traffic, creating a lively scene. Qin Qiao left the hotel and bought two vegetable buns from a nearby steamed bun shop, eating them as she walked.
A black Mercedes-Benz drove past her, but stopped a hundred meters away with its hazard lights on. Qin Qiao just glanced at it a couple of times because she found it strange, and continued walking forward.
The car door opened, and Chen Jiashu got out. He put down his white cane, bent down, and said to Tian Jiayue in the car, "Go to the audit department first and get the documents. Put them on my desk."
"Okay, brother," Tian Jiayue nodded and said, "Be careful on the road."
The car door slammed shut, and Chen Jiashu turned around as the Mercedes drove away behind him.
Qin Qiao was preoccupied with something on her mind, and walked slowly with a wandering gaze until she felt she was about to bump into someone, at which point she suddenly stopped and raised her chin.
The man was backlit, his features somewhat blurred, his tall figure casting a dark shadow that enveloped her, and the fine downy hairs on his angular profile were clearly visible in the light.
Qin Qiao subconsciously took half a step back, widening the distance between the two.
However, as she took a half step back, Chen Jiashu immediately followed: "To the factory?"
His tone was warm and friendly, as if yesterday's unpleasantness had never happened.
Qin Qiao nodded.
Chen Jiashu turned around, and the two walked forward side by side.
The streets of Dongting Town do not distinguish between non-motorized vehicle lanes and motorized vehicle lanes. Cars can drive past you at any time. Once, a car narrowly missed Chen Jiashu's arm. He had no illusions and Qin Qiao was terrified.
She quickly reached out and grabbed Chen Jiashu's sleeve, pulling him inside while saying, "Let's go inside."
Qin Qiao let go of his hand, walked around to his outside, and said, "Let's go."
This road is not only a mix of vehicles, but also has many electric scooters that weave in and out of control, and there are many roadblocks, litter bags, overturned bicycles, and even overturned trash cans.
Chen Jiashu had a particularly difficult time walking; if Qin Qiao hadn't pulled him up from time to time, he would have bumped into things countless times.
A note from the author:
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