She temporarily suppressed her doubts and followed her intuition. "First of all, I feel that the decline of the Xia Group over the past ten years is due to your conscious indulgence, Grandpa Xia. I don't know the specific reasons, but my cousin and aunt embezzled so much money. As the chairman, you couldn't have been completely unaware of it. You said that you were sick ten years ago, but as far as I know, a real patient wouldn't be in your current state, let alone after being sick for ten years. Even if it's been intermittent, the look in their eyes would be different. So, something that happened ten years ago might be the reason for your change of attitude."
She could clearly see the admiration in Grandpa Xia's eyes.
“Girl, you’re very smart. I thought you would be like others, blinded by victory. You’re right. The decline of the Xia Group was due to my indulgence, because of a warning from someone. My entanglement with him dates back twenty years and is also related to Lu Yan’s background. His name is Bai Chou.”
The second clan to be devoured by Lu Yan in the original work was the Bai clan. Considering her previous guesses, she had a feeling of "I knew it".
She analyzed, "The Bai family is different from our Xia family. The Bai family ancestors were warlords before the founding of the country. I don't need to say how many generations of people with the surname Bai have been in power since the founding of China. Although the higher-ups have intended to suppress his power, Bai Chou is the only one left in this generation. He was in power for ten years and only recently stepped down to the second line of power in China. Grandpa, do you have some dirt on him?" Otherwise, you wouldn't have forced Grandpa Xia to disappear.
Grandpa Xia nodded. "I can't tell you the specific details for your safety, but I was indeed forced by circumstances to help Bai Chou cover up his crimes that day. Later, Bai Chou was afraid that the incident would be exposed, so he eliminated those who knew about it one by one. Now only the Xia family is left."
Xia Yixin sorted through all the known clues in her mind.
Lu Yan, Grandpa Xia, and Bai Chou were all involved because of that incident twenty years ago. What did Bai Chou do that forced others to become accomplices? Later, to avoid being exposed, he eliminated those who knew the truth one by one. To avoid his sharp edge, Grandpa Xia has been in seclusion for ten years.
Twenty years ago... Logically speaking, Lu Yan was only one or two years old at that time, and at that age, he was no match for Bai Chou...
Could it be about his background? Is Lu Yan a child of the Bai family?
The more Xia Yixin thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
Having solved one problem, there's another: "Grandpa, I understand the logic. Lu Yan approached the Xia family simply because of the principle that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. He wants to use the Xia family as a stepping stone, but he doesn't need to become my fiancé, does he?"
Grandpa Xia's expression was strange. After a long while, he snorted and said, "That brat tricked me. I was just going to meet those people, but he said you fell in love with him at first sight, even kidnapped him back to the hotel, and that you two were having a tragic love affair. He said he was researching RP3 for his beloved fiancée—Xia Yixin." Grandpa Xia laughed in anger as he spoke. He hadn't expected this at the time. By the time he realized what was happening, Lu Yan had already finished speaking in a serious tone. His only duty was to accept everyone's teasing.
He changed the subject and said sternly, "Girl, tell me honestly, is it true or false that he said you kidnapped him to the hotel?"
"It's definitely a misunderstanding." Xia Yixin really didn't want to admit that, strictly speaking, what he said wasn't entirely a lie. The original owner did tie him up, but she replaced him later.
Grandpa Xia was also very troubled.
“There’s nothing we can do about this misunderstanding, girl. He boasted to the highest levels of government in China that all his passion comes from his fiancée, and that you will be responsible for launching all future products. RP3 is just the lowest level. You can’t distance yourself from him in the short term, and you might even have to play along, otherwise it will cause problems.”
Even though she was mentally prepared, she couldn't help but curse under her breath.
"He really went to great lengths," Xia Yi thought, her fists itching as she imagined the man's refined yet wicked appearance. If he weren't the target of her advances, well...
Seeing that Xia Yixin wasn't furious or flustered as he had expected, Grandpa Xia's expectations for her rose even higher. "Girl, what are your thoughts?"
She took a deep breath and calmed herself down. "Let's try to give the Xia family some breathing room within the most possible scope. What do you think about setting up a subsidiary?"
Anyway, the other party was referring to her, not necessarily all of Xia's shares. Establishing a subsidiary would also share some of the potential conflicts with various forces in the future, although it would be a little difficult at first.
Old Master Xia's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "Girl, I did underestimate you before. Go ahead and do it. But don't underestimate Lu Yan either. Although he is a single person, he has special bloodline abilities. His speed, strength, and reaction speed are all very strong. There is something I need to tell you. When he first came to see me, the people I took him to meet were not just people whose intelligence could impress those in power. He was capable of taking on a hundred people single-handedly."
Bloodline power? That's too fantastical... Xia Yixin couldn't help but complain in her heart.
The system in his mind slowly said, "What's so strange about that? Villainous bosses are always tough and have amazing skills. Besides, you've seen him single-handedly kill the perverted dean. How old was he back then?"
"..." Okay, she gave in.
However, Grandpa Xia reassured her, "I made an agreement with him that he must ensure your safety before the matter is completed. That's why I let him move into the Xia residence. He brought you in to increase his bargaining power. This agreement can also protect your safety for a short time and prevent Bai Chou from harming you, but you can't let your guard down, girl."
Xia Yixin knew that her grandfather must have given Lu Yan some benefits for this agreement, so she nodded and said, "I will be careful."
Before getting off the bus, Xia Yixin thought of a question.
"Grandpa, I have a question for you. Who gave you the video you posted before? Was it Lu Yan?"
...
Upon returning to her ancestral home, Xia Yixin rushed back to her room to avoid meeting the man, and instructed Long Wu to provide extra protection to prevent thieves.
Seeing her series of actions, the system complained, "Host, he's the male supporting character you're supposed to win over. How can your happiness level increase like this? Are you really okay?"
Xia Yixin collapsed onto the bed, rubbing her throbbing temples. "I'm not in the mood right now. Playing against him is too taxing on my brain cells. I'll talk about it when I'm in the mood."
On the way back, Grandpa Xia's answer was both unexpected and expected.
Xia Yixin was right!
The video was used by Lu Yan to threaten the Xia family. Grandpa Xia never sent her the video, so even her saving Professor Hao was part of his plan.
"Host, have you figured out how to increase happiness?"
“I still stand by what I said. As for his antisocial personality, we should deal with complicated people in a simple way. Let’s be honest with him and treat him like any other person. Even the most capable person needs help, otherwise why would he go through all this trouble to find the Xia family?” Xia Yixin thought it through and her mood improved. “Alright, I’m sleepy. Don’t bother me. I still have to deal with Wang Cheng’s matter tomorrow.”
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