Chapter 28 The more Xu Qingbang cherished something, the less he...
"Then I won't ask."
Chen Yaoan looked down at the computer screen, which had gone black at some point.
She pressed the power button.
After pressing the power button several times without any response, Chen Yaoan thought the phone had run out of power and shut down. After plugging it in, she pressed the power button again, but there was still no response.
Chen Yao'an was fiddling with the iPad with a troubled expression when Xu Jialan walked over and asked, "What's wrong?"
"The iPad won't turn on."
Xu Jialan reached out and took it, fiddled with it for a while, but still couldn't get it to work.
"It must be broken."
Is it broken?
How did it break? It was working perfectly fine before.
Chen Yao'an's shoulders slumped.
Why is everything going wrong lately? She was already worried about the rent, and now her livelihood has been ruined.
Thinking about these things, she felt inexplicably irritated.
Chen Yaoan reached out to take back the iPad, but Xu Jialan raised her hand to dodge it.
"What's wrong?"
"I'll take it to get it fixed for you, so don't worry about it."
"No."
He's such a nuisance.
Xu Jialan dodged again, "What are you worried about?"
Chen Yao'an was too lazy to argue with him, "Alright then."
She really didn't have much energy to deal with these trivial matters right now. "Thank you."
"I have a lot of manuscripts inside, so I asked him not to lose them."
"rest assured."
Not long after, Xu Jialan took her iPad and went out.
He found a repair shop that looked decent, following the directions Chen Yaoan had given him.
The repairman in the shop took his iPad and examined it for a few moments.
The repairman in the shop took the iPad from his hand, glanced at it, and said, "Your iPad is too old. Nobody uses this model anymore."
Xu Jialan also took a few glances at it. The machine was indeed quite old, with obvious signs of wear in some places. It was a machine that the manufacturer produced many years ago.
Electronic products are updated very quickly these days, it's no wonder Chen Yaoan has been able to use it for so many years, it's impossible for it not to break down.
The repairman asked him, "What's the problem?"
"The computer won't turn on, and the screen isn't responding."
Upon hearing this, the repairman tried pressing the power button a few times, but there was indeed no response. "I'll take it apart and show you," he said.
"Um."
Xu Jialan stood in front of the glass cabinet, waiting quietly for the technician to disassemble the machine.
After a long inspection, the technician finally determined the problem: "The screen is broken and needs to be replaced."
"Then let's choose another one."
"That might take a few days. The screen for this model is too old, and we don't have it in our store. We need to find one for you first."
"good."
Xu Jialan left her phone number, telling him to call her after he fixed it.
After leaving the repair shop, Xu Jialan thought for a moment and then drove to a nearby shopping mall.
He remembered that the shopping mall had the only Apple store in Dai County.
Upon entering the store, Xu Jialan asked the clerk to bring her the latest and highest-spec iPad.
Do you need me to help you set up your account?
"No need, I'm giving it away as a gift."
"Okay, if you're sure, please make the payment here."
Xu Jialan followed the shop assistant to the cashier and asked him to scan the code to pay.
"good."
Xu Jialan took out his phone to scan the QR code, but the payment failed. His phone showed that his account balance was insufficient!
Xu Jialan had never encountered this situation before, and immediately tried several times, but each time it showed that his bank card had insufficient funds.
He frowned. How could there be insufficient funds?
He calculated the time and realized that last month's salary should have already been deposited into his account.
All he could say to the clerk was, "Please wait a moment."
The shop assistant didn't rush him and nodded.
Xu Jialan turned around and walked to the side. She first checked her account and found that last month's salary had indeed not been deposited.
He called Zhang Ting, who also looked puzzled.
"You didn't receive it? My salary was deposited into my account several days ago."
Xu Jialan frowned slightly, a vague premonition creeping into her heart.
"I need the money urgently, can you check it for me?"
"Don't worry, maybe there's a problem with the branch office's accounts. I'll check it out for you, and I'll let you know."
"Um."
It didn't take Zhang Ting long before he called him back.
"I called the finance department and they said there was no problem, it's..." Zhang Ting paused, unsure of what to say next.
"What is it?" Xu Jialan leaned against the wall, her tone calm.
"It was the branch's finance manager, directly instructed by the chairman, who said that since you're not going to work, you don't need to be paid."
After hearing his words, Xu Jialan didn't show much emotion. Perhaps he had a premonition that Xu Qingbang would leave from there. In the end, he just gave a cold laugh.
Xu Qingbang clearly didn't want to leave him any way out. He said in a calm voice, "I understand."
After hanging up the phone, he returned to the cashier, stared at the already installed computer for a moment, and then said, "Sorry, I don't need the computer for now."
The sales clerk was clearly taken aback. "Sir, is there something wrong with the computer? Or..."
Now that things have come to this, in order to save face, he can only force himself to say, "It's my own choice not to want it anymore."
The shop assistant didn't say much, after all, he was a customer. "Okay, then come again if you need anything."
Xu Jialan nodded.
Xu Jialan hadn't gone far when the shop assistant couldn't wait to complain to her colleagues: "That guy came in to buy an iPad saying he wanted to give it as a gift, but he didn't have any money at all."
How did you know?
"I overheard him on the phone just now, asking about salary and stuff, and he looked really upset."
"Why buy electronic products if you don't have money?"
What they didn't realize was that Xu Jialan, who had left, returned and overheard most of their conversation.
Xu Jialan gave a wry smile. Xu Qingbang had made the right move, but he wouldn't let him give in!
Three days later, Xu Helan received a call from the mobile phone repair shop, saying that Chen Yaoan's iPad had been repaired and that he could pick it up when he had time.
After hanging up the phone, he went directly to the store to pick it up and then delivered it to Chen Yao'an.
When they arrived at Youye, Chen Yaoan was standing in the workshop making a phone call.
She was engrossed in playing and had her back to the door, so she didn't notice Xu Jialan coming in.
The door to the workroom was open, and Chen Yao'an's voice could be heard coming from inside.
"Grandma Tan, could you please extend the rent payment period for a few more days?"
"Xiao Chen, it's not that I'm in a hurry, but you've already dragged this out for half a month. We old folks also have to make a living."
Chen Yao'an bit her lip awkwardly, "I've never delayed before, but this year is indeed a special case."
After a long while, Grandma Tan sighed and said helplessly, "Alright then, I'll give you some more time."
"Thank you." Chen Yao'an didn't feel relieved at all; instead, she felt a heavy weight pressing on her heart.
After hanging up the phone, Chen Yaoan stood still, letting out a heavy breath, trying to release the pent-up frustration in her heart, but found that the effect was minimal.
There was a large glass wall separating the work area and the reception area, and Xu Jialan was standing in front of the glass wall looking at her.
She kept her head down, her shoulders thin and frail, like a winter branch that could be broken by the wind and snow at any moment.
He wanted to reach out and support her branch, to prevent her from breaking.
Chen Yaoan didn't know how long she had been in a daze. When she turned around, she saw Xu Jialan leaning against the front desk.
She composed herself and stepped out of the workroom. "What brings you here?"
Xu Jialan raised her chin and pointed to her iPad, "It's fixed."
Chen Yaoan picked up the tablet and pressed the power button, and it returned to normal.
"Check if anything inside is missing."
Chen Yaoan listened to Xu Jialan speak while conducting the examination.
"The screen is broken. Your iPad is too old, and it took a while to find the screen."
Fortunately, nothing inside was lost.
"Thanks."
"Hmm," Xu Jialan responded faintly.
Neither of them spoke for a moment.
Xu Jialan felt the air in the room was stuffy. "I'm going out for a smoke."
Chen Yaoan nodded.
As he left Yuye, the sky was just beginning to darken. He didn't go far; he stood at the door and lit a cigarette for himself.
He would occasionally turn around and look at the people inside the door.
As usual, Chen Yao sat quietly behind the front desk, but lately her brows had been tense.
After finishing a cigarette, Xu Jialan thought it over and over, and finally made a phone call to Liu Minggan.
"Uncle Liu."
"Jialan, I was just about to call you."
"What are Xu Qingbang's plans?"
Liu Minggan's voice was somewhat heavy.
"After your father left Lin'nan, he instructed the finance department to stop your salary."
"I already know."
“That’s not the most important thing. The most important thing is that a few days after he came back, he told me that he planned to marry Xiang Wan and even asked me to go outside to help him find out if he had any illegitimate children.”
After hearing his words, Xu Jialan sneered, "Is he planning to give up on me?"
Liu Minggan remained silent for a moment, which was taken as tacit agreement.
"By the way, Xiang Wan also has a son who is about to take the college entrance examination. The chairman said he would support his studies and nurture him."
Xu Jialan's eyes grew colder, tinged with frost. "He really has the guts to leave his assets to two complete strangers."
Xu Qingbang's greatest love has always been his career.
Liu Minggan sighed deeply, "The chairman has already met Xiang Wan's son and said he is a promising talent. The chairman is now actively undergoing treatment, hoping to extend his life by a few more years."
Finally, Liu Minggan said earnestly, "Jialan, don't argue with your father anymore. There's no need to go this far. Are you really willing to hand over the Xu family's assets to someone else?"
Xu Jialan remained silent.
He hated Xu Qingbang, but he didn't care about the Xu family's business at all.
“Give in to your father, and the Xu family will still be yours,” Liu Minggan continued earnestly.
Xu Jialan simply replied, "I understand."
After hanging up the phone, he fiddled with it in his hand for a few moments before dialing Xu Yan's number again.
As soon as the call connected, Xu Yan's teasing voice came through, "Oh my, whose call is this?"
Xu Jialan interrupted him at the right moment, "Stop talking nonsense, I need to talk to you."
"You remembered me when you needed something. I've never heard you call me before."
"What's up?"
Xu Jialan hesitated for a moment, then spoke with some difficulty, "I need to borrow some money from you."
There was another big reaction on the other end, the tone full of surprise, "You? You want to borrow money from me?"
He paused for a moment, then immediately became serious. "Did something happen to you over there?"
Given the Xu family's wealth, Xu Jialan would never need to borrow money from him.
"It's nothing, it's just that Xu Qingbang has stopped all my cards and my salary here."
"Are you going to go this far this time?"
"Stop talking nonsense, are you lending it or not?"
"Borrow, how much?"
"One hundred thousand."
"That's all? Is your standard of living that low now?"
Xu Jialan frowned. "Don't worry about it."
"But now that things have come to this, aren't you planning to come back?"
"What are you going back for? To fight over the inheritance?"
Why not fight?
"I don't care about that old man's stuff."
The more Xu Qingbang valued something, the less he cared about it.
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