With everyone's encouragement, Ling Ruoke quickly calmed down.
She was afraid that her emotions would affect everyone, so she tried her best to smile at the dinner table and even took a clean pair of chopsticks to serve food to her grandfather and Yang Ziyun.
"Alright, sit down and eat too. We're family, not guests. Dad, right?"
The old man nodded earnestly. "That's right, we're family. Ruoke, little girl, hurry up and eat, eat."
Ling Ruoke smiled and agreed. By not thinking about her parents, her emotions stabilized.
At the dinner table, the old man, seemingly trying to lighten the mood and prevent her from dwelling on painful memories, recounted some amusing anecdotes from his time on the battlefield. As a former soldier with limited formal education, his vocabulary and sentence structure were often rather crude. But this only added to his charm and humor, making everyone laugh heartily. Some of the more suspenseful parts even piqued everyone's curiosity. Ling Ruoke, in particular, kept urging him to continue.
When he was urged again, the old man stopped and said, "Hey, Ruoke, do you want Grandpa to keep talking so that they can finish all the food?"
Everyone laughed when he said that.
Looking at the old woman's smiling face, Ling Ruoke deeply understood the saying: "Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure."
As soon as he put down his rice bowl, before Ling Ruoke could even wash the dishes or clean up the kitchen, Grandpa was already pulling her aside to play chess.
Ling Ruoke looked at the excited old man with a wry smile, his expression exactly like Fu'an's when he was allowed to go to KFC. "Grandpa, have a cup of tea first to help with digestion. I'll clean up the kitchen first, and then I'll play chess with you all night."
"That won't do. You all go inside and wash the dishes and clean the kitchen. Let my granddaughter-in-law play chess with me." The old man raised his voice and gave the order decisively.
"Grandpa, this—"
Yang Ziyun patted Ruoke's shoulder with a smile. "Ruoke, just listen to Grandpa and play chess with him obediently." Finally, she whispered in her ear, "If you don't behave, Grandpa will be unhappy."
She then went into the kitchen with a smile and, together with several guards, tidied up the kitchen.
Ling Ruoke felt quite embarrassed, but since her grandfather had given the order, she had no choice but to play chess with him. The old man naturally brought his precious chessboard and chess set.
The general also pulled up a chair and watched intently as the grandfather and grandson fought. Gradually, his gaze towards Ling Ruoke softened, becoming more appreciative. He thought to himself, perhaps he should set aside his prejudices and accept the woman his son was determined to marry despite all obstacles. Harmony in the family brings prosperity; there's no need to make things unpleasant over this.
Ling Ruoke didn't notice the general's gaze. She was very focused when she played chess, and nothing outside the game was within her notice.
The general watched silently for a long time, then stood up and went into the kitchen. It was almost finished tidying up; his wife was doing a final check. As soon as he entered, the guards hurriedly left.
He walked over, put his arm around his wife's waist, rested his chin on her shoulder, and said, "I think she's great."
Yang Ziyun paused for a moment before realizing he was referring to Ling Ruoke. "I think it's a good idea too. We were wrong before. From now on, let the young people make their own decisions. We're too old to interfere."
"As long as you can control me, that's fine." The general clung tightly to her, quite pleased that no one was taking his wife's attention.
Yang Ziyun turned around and looked at the man who always seemed like a child in front of her, her heart filled with mixed emotions. Sometimes women find it annoying when men act like children, but more often they enjoy it, as long as that man is a pillar of strength when it comes to being a man!
To be honest, Qingfeng is a spitting image of his father, not just in appearance, but also in personality. Even in matters of the heart, the father and son are both unwavering once they've made up their minds, even if the whole world opposes them. To be loved by such a man is happiness in itself, let alone his decades-long, doting affection.
The two returned to the living room, where the grandfather and grandson were still locked in their fierce battle. They were completely absorbed, oblivious to the others around them.
After watching TV for a while, everyone chose their own rooms to go to sleep. The old man's two bodyguards were still standing guard beside him; since their leader hadn't gone to sleep, they naturally couldn't go to sleep early either.
Ling Ruoke's schedule was always regular. The two of them had been fighting until 11 o'clock, and she was already in tears. But the old man was still in high spirits, so she had to keep going, even her yawns had to be completely concealed.
"Alright, go back to your room and get some sleep. Look at you, your head's practically touching the chessboard." The old man had sharp eyes; he knew she was really sleepy, so he waved his hand and let her go.
Ling Ruoke stuck out her tongue and quickly ran back to her room. After taking a shower, she collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep without even a dream.
When the alarm rang the next day, I still felt a bit unsatisfied. It wasn't until I washed my face that I was no longer in that groggy state.
Ling Ruoke ran downstairs and happened to run into a group of men who were going for a run, so she took them to the gym. No one except the colonel knew about her training at the base, so she only ran; she skipped the punching bag drills and such.
The old man was getting on in years, so he ran alongside her. For convenience, two treadmills were provided.
As the old man jogged, he looked around the gym and gave a thumbs-up, saying, "This is great. It's wonderful to have a place like this!"
Ling Ruoke teased him with a smile. "Grandpa, why don't you move in with us? I'll accompany you to exercise here every day, okay?"
The old man smiled, his eyes crinkling. "That's good, but I, this old man, dare not disturb your sweet life as a young couple. Otherwise, that brat Qingfeng will be glaring at me every day, wishing he could make me disappear."
“He wouldn’t dare! If he dares to be that bad, I’ll abandon him. Then I’ll still play with you, Grandpa.”
"No, no, no! This old man is still waiting to hold his great-grandson!" The old man had been thinking about his great-grandson for a long time. As people get older, they love to see a house full of children and grandchildren.
Ling Ruoke blushed and didn't know how to answer. She desperately wanted a child, but a huge problem stood in the way. If it weren't for this problem, the baby would probably already be moving in the womb. Thinking about it, her mood became somewhat depressed.
The old man seemed to have seen through something and said with a smile, "Ruo Ke, the ones who suffer the most on the battlefield are always the new recruits because they have no combat experience. It's the same with relationships. Those who go through hardships can make it to the end. If you suffer some hardships and setbacks when you're young, you'll have a more comfortable life in the future."
"Grandpa, I understand." Ling Ruoke quickly smiled at him. However, she felt that the connection between the two things the old man had done seemed a little strange.
Ling Ruoke shortened her workout time by half and then went back to prepare breakfast. She bought the ingredients last night when she went grocery shopping. Since everyone has a big appetite, she chose to make extra-large steamed buns, one of which is equivalent to three or four of theirs. She also made a large bowl of stir-fried noodles with lots of big chunks of meat and vegetables.
She saw it online by chance, saying that soldiers like to do this.
Just as the steamed buns were almost done, several men lined up and followed the old man back. They chatted and laughed. After washing their hands and calming their breathing, breakfast was ready.
Seeing the plump, white steamed buns, the old man laughed heartily. "Ruo Ke, you really know how to surprise people." Clearly, the plump, white steamed buns pleased the old man greatly.
I picked one up; the outer layer was soft and fluffy, and when I broke it open, it was filled with a rich and fragrant filling. Just looking at it made my mouth water.
Even the usually stern general remarked, "These steamed buns are really delicious."
Ling Ruoke smiled and gave each of them a large bowl, filling each with a bowl of fried noodles. She and Yang Ziyun used small bowls.
The men, seeing the large chunks of meat and crisp vegetables in the stir-fried noodles, all praised how delicious it was. Soldiers like to do things in a big way. Even when eating, they want to eat heartily like in the barracks. The steamed buns in the barracks are always big and plump, with large chunks of meat, making them very satisfying to eat.
Seeing everyone enjoying their meal made Ling Ruoke happy too. She whispered something in Yang Ziyun's ear and ate with great relish.
Finally, Yang Ziyun whispered in her ear, "Grandpa really likes you. I've been in the Huo family for over thirty years, and he's never praised me like that before."
“Grandpa…” Ling Ruoke couldn’t figure out what Yang Ziyun meant. She wanted to say something, but didn’t know how. “People always say that when a person reaches a certain age, he’s just like a child. We should just treat him like a child and coax him.”
Yang Ziyun covered her mouth and chuckled. She hadn't been jealous at all. Although the old man didn't like her much, he had never given her a hard time, and she lived a very comfortable life in the Huo family.
Ling Ruoke had planned to spend the whole day with them, but unexpectedly, Xia Mo called just after 9 o'clock, in a great hurry.
"Sister Ruo, someone left a message on the official website of xxx Candy Company, saying that we haven't paid her salary more than three months after the event ended. The client called and said that this is a serious problem. Their overseas boss already knows about it and hopes that we can find out the truth and give them an explanation immediately."
"First, find out where this person is. Have the project manager immediately investigate the payroll process thoroughly, contacting each city manager involved to confirm whether all salaries have been paid. I'll be there right away!"
Ling Ruoke hung up the phone. Holding the phone, she knew something was amiss; someone was probably causing trouble again.
Yang Ziyun noticed that her complexion was not right and quickly asked what was wrong.
"Something urgent has come up at the company, and I need to go there right now to handle it, I..." It was the culmination of her and Pei Shi's hard work, and she couldn't possibly ignore it. But the elderly folks were here, and she couldn't just abandon them.
"Ruo Ke, if you have something urgent to attend to, go and take care of it. We'll handle everything ourselves, so don't worry about taking care of your business."
"But--"
"Stop being so fussy! Our Huo family's granddaughter-in-law can't be so fussy!"
Ling Ruoke spoke a few more words to Yang Ziyun and left them the key.
"Go on, we came here because we were worried you'd be scared if you were alone. Since you have things to do, hurry up and go out." Yang Ziyun pushed her out the door.
"Wait, for your safety, let these two accompany you," Grandpa said, pointing to two of the guards.
Ling Ruoke initially wanted to refuse, but after thinking about it, she said nothing. If it could put the old man at ease, then there was nothing wrong with that. After thanking him, she drove straight to the company.
The two bodyguards were following behind in their car, but as long as she didn't have any ulterior motives, they wouldn't bother her at all. They were just two bodyguards; she could simply ignore them.
In this industry, employee salaries are very important because everyone wants to retain more excellent staff to serve them long-term, even for short-term promotional activities.
XXX Candy Company is a foreign-invested enterprise headquartered in the United States. Therefore, for minor complaints, the staff at its domestic branch will try to suppress them. As a subsidiary, they also face competitive pressure and naturally want to perform at their best. However, if a complaint is filed on the official website, there's no way to hide it.
Most people would make a phone call to complain, not post the incident directly on the official website. Now that this has happened, it's clear someone is trying to harm Peho. The most important thing right now is to find this person and clarify the situation. If it can't be proven that it's a frame-up, the cooperation between the two companies could very well be over. More seriously, it could directly damage Peho's reputation, making it difficult for them to maintain a foothold in the industry in the future.
When Ling Ruoke arrived at the company, the office was in an uproar, with everyone discussing the matter. Project manager Lin Beibei was loudly cursing and even swearing.
"Sister Ruo is here!"
"Everyone, get into the meeting room! We're starting the meeting immediately!"
Everyone grabbed their notebooks and rushed into the meeting room, as if facing a formidable enemy.
Ling Ruoke carried the laptop inside. "Xia Mo, come and explain the situation to everyone."
Xia Mo connected the projector and displayed the contents of the letter.
"Okay. Everyone, look at the screen. Someone left a message on the official website of xxx Candy Company, saying that our company has not paid her salary more than three months after the event ended. I just checked, and the message was sent from X city. We did carry out the event in that city. She used a QQ email address, but the QQ number is newly registered, and there is nothing in her QQ space. In other words, apart from knowing the city, we do not have any other information about her at the moment."
Ling Ruoke stood up. She was more serious than ever since she took over the company. This was the most serious matter since the company's inception.
"This matter has reached the highest levels of xxx Candy Company. If we can't prove that someone maliciously framed us, we may lose this client, and it could even directly affect the company's reputation in this field. I hope everyone takes this seriously. All personnel involved in this project should find a way to follow up and ensure that everyone has received their wages. Personnel in other projects should check all their projects to ensure that there are no overdue payments to the company or bonuses. Lin Beibei is in charge of this project, right?"
“Yes, Sister Ruo.” Lin Beibei quickly stood up. “I just had my assistant call the heads of each city and have them call each promoter to confirm that their wages have been received. At the same time, we are also trying to get information from the heads of the companies to see if they have been paying out cash directly.”
"Very good. Lin Beibei and Xia Mo, you two keep a close eye on this matter. If support is needed, the other staff must find a way to assist, understand?"
"yes!"
"Everyone, continue with your work as usual. Don't let this affect your enthusiasm. Everyone else, the meeting is adjourned. Xia Mo and Lin Beibei, please stay behind."
After everyone else had left, Ling Ruoke asked Xia Mo and Lin Beibei to sit in the front. "What are your thoughts?"
Lin Beibei raised her hand. "Sister Ruo, let me speak first. Although the confirmation results from each city haven't come back yet, I'm pretty sure this situation doesn't exist. Even if it did, it's impossible that we didn't receive any complaint calls and instead went directly to their official website to post information. Unless it was intentional, most people wouldn't do that. And the wording was clearly not something just anyone could come up with."
“I agree with Beibei’s statement. Someone is probably deliberately targeting us. I think we must find a way to find this person, otherwise it’s like a time bomb planted next to us.”
"Yes, that's what I think too. Let's do it this way, we'll do both at the same time. Beibei, you should double-check to make sure we're all done. Note that for X City and the surrounding cities, don't rely on the city managers; have your assistant call them one by one from the contact list to confirm. Xia Mo, try to find out more information about the people who left the messages. Also, keep in constant communication with the clients."
Emerging from the meeting, Ling Ruoke rubbed her temples, a slight headache nausea in her eyes. One thing after another had happened, as if it were all pre-arranged. Like a program waiting for someone to press a switch. Could it all be related to that disgusting woman again?
I opened Outlook and refreshed it; the latest emails were all about the complaint. The relevant customer service representatives were replying one after another, making the issue seem increasingly serious. The big boss even replied with an email in English, further emphasizing the importance of taking the matter seriously.
Ling Ruoke carefully considered her words before replying to each email, expressing Pei Huo's serious attitude and promising to investigate as soon as possible and give them an explanation.
Fortunately, Peho performed well and made no mistakes. The client's response was not harsh; it mostly asked them to find out the truth and resolve the issue as soon as possible.
She spent almost the entire morning dealing with this matter. Emails went back and forth, and she had to carefully consider the wording of each sentence, afraid that she might say the wrong thing in a moment of impulse. Ling Ruoke felt that her nerves were taut, and she was afraid they might snap at any moment.
Xia Mo, Lin Beibei, and several others tried adding that person on QQ, but the person was offline, and even if they were, they probably wouldn't accept the request. This further proved that the person had planned this all along; otherwise, they would never have used a new QQ account to send messages.
The confirmation results from Lin Beibei's side are in, and all staff members have received their wages and bonuses.
Ling Ruoke breathed a sigh of relief, but was even more troubled. If this was a conspiracy, how could she find this person? The QQ account was new and would probably only be used once; tracking and investigating it afterward would be impossible.
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