Chapter 80
In the parking lot outside Dammam Airport, Zheng Juyong leaned over the steering wheel and looked up at the sky. Her flight was not due to take off for more than an hour, and she was driving a little too fast.
When everything was settled, Zheng Juyong felt a sudden sense of emptiness in his heart. He murmured, "I hope you won't be so fickle. Next time we meet, give me a chance to start over."
They say you only realize what you've missed when you lose it, and that's probably what it feels like. While he was lost in the whirlpool of his relationship with Qiao Qi, Guan Ying methodically prepared for exams, chose a school, found a teacher, applied, rented an apartment, moved, and began a new life. She always had a clear goal in mind, knowing exactly where she was going and what she was going to do next. He, on the other hand, had long lost his direction, like a spinning top, spinning in vain.
Guan Ying's departure seemed to have pulled out the last big tree in the desert of his heart that he could temporarily rely on. In an instant, he lost her roots as a foothold, and his heart could only sink and sink with the ruthless quicksand... The car was slow to start, and he just wanted to stay here for a while, refusing to think about the difficult question of "where should he go next".
When the phone rang, his mind was pulled back to reality from the clouds.
"Son, please come back soon," the mother called from home, her voice trembling and panicked. "What about your father at the steel plant?"
Because of Qiao Qi's incident, the Zheng family's father and son had been locked in an unprecedented cold war. For a long time, Mrs. Zheng had been caught in the middle, forced to occasionally feign casual slurs to smooth things over. But today, with such a drastic change happening, she could no longer remain calm.
Zheng Juyong suddenly sat up: "What happened to my dad?"
"Your father..." Upon hearing her son's voice, Mrs. Zheng burst into tears on the phone.
The call was picked up by Engineer Li nearby. "Mr. Zheng, this is what happened. The factory has reached the final stage of upgrading its equipment. When the No. 3 blast furnace was about to be decommissioned, molten iron penetrated the furnace wall, leaking out and causing the accident..."
Zheng Juyong's heart sank. "Are there any casualties? Where's my dad?"
"General Zheng has been on the front lines... He's currently in the operating room, but the doctor says his condition is stable, so you don't need to worry too much. District government officials, public security, health, and fire departments have already rushed to the scene to organize rescue efforts. Thankfully, your father reacted quickly and took timely remedial measures. The workers around him were only slightly injured, but the worker near the blast furnace is missing and is likely in critical condition..."
Xicheng Steel had been operating safely for over 30 years, but this sudden danger had no experience in handling it. Zheng Juyong panicked, "How could this happen... I, I'll buy a ticket and go back right away."
Manager Zhao suddenly picked up the phone again: "Wait a minute! Juyong, is Guan Guan with you?"
"No, she's going to school tomorrow and will be returning to Seattle today."
"Oh, then we can only rely on you, Juyong!" Manager Zhao turned to Mrs. Zheng beside him and said, "Sister-in-law, don't blame me for being cruel. We can't mess around at this time. The steel plant is Mr. Zheng's hard work. When he comes out of the operating room and knows that all of us are surrounding him and leaving things aside, he will only get more anxious and angry. We all need to make arrangements and do what needs to be done for him!"
"Old Zhao, I don't know what you say we should do... Oh, what should I do..." Mrs. Zheng didn't know much about the steel plant. With such a big thing happening, she was already at a loss.
Seeing that Mrs. Zheng was at a loss, Manager Zhao returned to the phone: "Juyong, do you trust me, Old Zhao?"
If Guan Ying had not privately asked Manager Zhao to go to Yunnan for help, he would probably still be trapped in the Qiao family's quarry. Afterwards, Manager Zhao kept his word and kept the secret for him. Of course, he believed in Manager Zhao's character and ability.
Zheng Juyong: "Uncle Zhao, what should I do?"
Manager Zhao spoke sternly into the phone, "Engineer Li works for the district government, so there are some things he can't say. But I, Old Zhao, am a veteran of Xicheng Steel. As long as you, Mr. Zheng, trust me, I'll take on this challenge! I know your father. The steel mill has reached this point, and there's only room for progress. We can't just grieve now. Things don't wait! As soon as your father's situation is settled, Engineer Li, Engineer Chen from Shenzhen Fenghua, and I will rush back to the steel mill to take up our duties. The most important thing right now is to control the subsequent developments. We must come up with a plan as soon as possible. This incident has resulted in a loss of life. If we don't handle it properly, everything will be lost. We all have no experience, but there's someone in Jingxi who can help us! I know that Mr. Wu from Huagang has been in contact with your father recently. Huagang is one of the earliest state-owned enterprises. They have a mature set of methods for handling disasters and accidents, and for optimizing equipment and supporting processes. With your consent, I will invite the district government leaders to come forward and ask him to take charge of the emergency!"
Zheng Juyong: "Huagang? Can this Mr. Wu be trusted?"
Manager Zhao: "Brother Guan knows, and Guan Guan should also have some impression of us. When we were doing export business in the early days, we all followed Mr. Wu's buttocks to pick up the leaks. He is considered a recognized veteran in the industry! He retired a long time ago, and I don't know who invited him out this time. He came to your father to help Huagang's Middle East branch poach Guan Guan. Your father has always made excuses that he was busy at the factory and avoided seeing him. Since you are in Saudi Arabia, don't rush back. Find out what is going on in the Middle East with Huagang and why they suddenly targeted Guan Guan? Let's go and ask Mr. Wu. "I'm afraid he'll take advantage of this opportunity to use Guan Ying as a condition. You know Guan Ying, she's always willing to help Xicheng Steel when it's needed. But your father definitely won't agree to let her go. Outsiders don't know, but we all know that your father has long treated Guan Ying as his own daughter. Who would send their own daughter away? This matter needs to be handled, but it's difficult. The breakthrough point is at Huagang's Middle East branch. You have to hurry and clear this minefield! Juyong, you can't help by rushing back now. Solving the problem for your father over there is the real way to help him. Do you understand this?"
During the past few days in Saudi Arabia, he never heard Guan Ying mention anything about Huagang. However, given Guan Ying's resume and her reputation in steel foreign trade in Dubai for many years, it is not impossible for her to be noticed by a large company like Huagang. In addition, since Uncle Guan withdrew his shares, the outside world thought that Guan Ying had also left Xicheng Steel, so they started lobbying to poach her.
Zheng Juyong had never been so clear-headed: Guan Ying must not be allowed to leave Xicheng Steel! She had never been just a member of Xicheng Steel, she was his family, an indispensable part of his Zheng family, she was even more important than him, the Zheng family's biological son!
"Uncle Zhao, I understand. Leave this to me. I'll leave my dad and the steel mill in your care."
Old Zhao nodded with relief and returned the phone to Mrs. Zheng: "Sister-in-law, if you want to blame someone, blame me."
Mrs. Zheng was sensible. She was so grateful that an old friend had stepped forward to help the Zheng family manage the situation. She wiped away a tear and forced herself to remain calm, saying, "Old Zhao, you're right. Old Zheng valued the steel mill more than his life. Thank you on his behalf!" She then turned to Zheng Juyong on the phone and said, "Son, I'll explain things to your father when he wakes up. You should do your best over there... Guanguan is about to start school, and your Uncle Guan has retired. They're unfamiliar with America and have faced many challenges. Let's not burden them with our family matters."
His mother's intentions were clear: she didn't want to implicate Guan Ying, but her words, "I'll do my best," revealed she didn't have much faith in him as a son. Manager Zhao was even more blunt, saying, "Even if you rush back now, you won't be able to help." He was ultimately the one who failed to live up to his expectations. There was no reason to resent him, only to blame himself for his own weakness.
The sky above the airport was still filled with white traces left by the early morning flight. Fortunately, he had just sent Guan Ying away from this troubled place. Fortunately, he had confirmed her feelings: she had never thought of leaving Xicheng Steel.
There is still time.
......
Guangzhou, inside the recording studio of a rap show.
After returning to the temporary lounge from the preparation room, assistants greeted Qiao Qi and helped her quickly change into her outfit. As a "sky-high challenger" at the end of the show, the production team gave her extraordinary attention, providing a dedicated lounge for Qiao Qi's team, strengthening security, and strictly controlling contact with outsiders. The level of preferential treatment she received was almost the same as that of the show's mentors.
After changing her clothes, Qiao Qi took the phone handed to her by Sister Ling and sat down in front of the dressing table, letting the stylists remove and touch up her makeup on her head and face in preparation for the final stage to be recorded next.
The situation has been turned around like this today, all thanks to her agent Sister Ling who has been with her all the time and has been helping her.
Sister Ling slid over to sit on a small stool next to her, quickly pointing out the top three trending searches on her phone: [Sanhua Aqiao goes ballistic at the airport], [Qian Shaowei divorced], and [Qiao Qi returns to the challenge], saying cheerfully, "What was I saying? A small studio like Chongqing Lizi can't handle this massive wave of traffic. Sanhua Aqiao has won a few competitions and is completely out of control, even daring to diss her with her connected fans! Ha, in our industry, anyone who rises to the top by publicly exposing their shortcomings and dragging down their opponents will sooner or later face backlash. Last week, during the challenge, she even escalated her diss on you, but luckily you didn't respond. We just sang honestly, and now we've found our voice, our original musical spirit, and the sympathy of our fans. We've really made a comeback, and won beautifully!"
"She has never been my opponent." Qiao Qi has always been confident in her singing skills.
Of course, manager Sister Ling had to go along with her feelings at this time: "Yes, the reason she was able to beat Fiona earlier was not due to her strength at all, wasn't it because she exposed your secrets in the song? When you suddenly withdrew from the competition, you said it was due to health reasons, but the fans all thought that the production team used you to hype up the show and then abandoned you. At this time, Ah Qiao suddenly appeared, dissed the production team and Qian Shaowei, and stood up for you, causing the audience to inexplicably follow her and boil over, and the instructors could only go along with her and let her win! But no one is stupid. Looking back afterwards, wasn't she just using your privacy for her own benefit? What girls helping girls? Hypocritical and mean... She deserved the fans to block her at the airport!"
At this point, Sister Ling paused for a moment and looked up at her face. Qiao Qi was neither happy nor angry, but surprisingly calm.
Rather than watching the music competition show's winners and losers, the audience was eager to witness a major entertainment scandal unfold. After all, the rumors surrounding her and Qian Shaowei were becoming increasingly outrageous. The upcoming finals were crucial, and under such pressure, it was rare for her to remain calm.
Since bringing her back from Yunnan, Sister Ling sometimes feels that she has become more obedient, and sometimes she is vaguely worried that she is hiding some big tricks in her mind.
After laying so much groundwork, Sister Ling finally hinted, "Chongqing Lizi is using us to promote Ah Qiao, which is fine, but Ah Qiao is being too hasty to diss the production team as well. Rappers who want to be famous need to be authentic, but not too authentic! Even if the production team knows what's going on, they can't be so foolish as to give us a championship to ruin their own show! We, when we get on stage later, must keep up the good work and maintain our composure. Don't let anyone with ulterior motives push us into losing our composure. Strive to win the competition first and secure the championship. Nothing can stop us from letting our strength speak for itself!"
After experiencing the roller coaster-like ups and downs of life, Qiao Qi had become much calmer and more silent. She understood that the reason Sister Ling hadn't given up on her wasn't because she approved of her actions, but simply because of her commercial value.
Now, her relationship with Sister Ling was more like that of business partners bound together by profit. She could no longer be as domineering and capricious with Sister Ling as before. Instead, she learned to cooperate rationally and spoke more politely. "Sister Ling, thank you for your hard work. Don't worry, I will cherish this opportunity. But I'm worried that my mother hasn't completely severed ties with my brother yet. I'm afraid she's slipped some evidence into her son's pocket again... Could you please arrange for someone to keep a close eye on the house for me?"
Sister Ling swore solemnly, "Don't worry about this matter. I've sent people to Yunnan and Guangzhou to keep an eye on you. No matter what, I'll make sure you win the final stage! Your brother is really short-sighted. After asking Qian Shaowei for money and failing to get it, he actually leaked the news to a small workshop like Chongqing Lizi. He thought that by using Ah Qiao's mouth to expose the matter and make a big fuss, he could force Qian Shaowei to pay him to settle the matter. He couldn't imagine how treacherous the entertainment industry is. Ah Qiao dared to become famous by dissing the program team. Isn't it because she is sure that this trick can draw out Qian Shaowei behind the scenes? A veteran like Qian Shaowei only needs to beckon and give some resources to Lizi, and Ah Qiao will be obedient. They are working together to maximize their interests. What benefit can your brother get? He will only ruin you, his sister!"
Qiao Qi's eyes were empty and numb, and he murmured, "He's not the only one who ruined my life."
I just hope that after tonight, all the troubles will subside.
Qiao Qi touched her belly and asked sadly, "Is he really divorced?"
Sister Ling sighed and replied, "I heard Qian Shaowei fled to a mountain temple in Japan to hide. Those reporters are really clever, they even managed to find him... For someone like him who hides behind the scenes, the more scandals he gets, the more fame he'll gain. This world is always very tolerant of men, especially talented men... He didn't clarify his relationship with you, nor did he clarify the affair with Ah Qiao. He just told the reporters: he's divorced. Qiao Qi, listen to me, don't get involved with someone like him anymore. A talented and romantic man can just say he's single and he can make a comeback once the hype fades. But it's different with women. The price you have to pay is too high."
Qiao Qi smiled bitterly: "I knew from the beginning that there is no fairness in this world."
Sister Ling was worried she'd be feeling down before the competition, so she encouraged her, "Don't be too sad. There are still men like Mr. Zheng in this world! He's truly kind. Your uncles and brothers held him captive in the quarry for over twenty days, and when he got out, he didn't call the police, didn't blame you, and never mentioned breaking off the engagement... You'd never find a man like him! It's a pity you don't like him... In just two weeks, it's your wedding day, and by then all the rumors about you and Qian Shaowei will be dispelled. All you have to do is win the title of the first female champion in the rap world and keep a low profile until after the wedding, and we'll be through this!"
Her family, the capital she provoked, and the world she faced, all treated her unfairly, but these injustices had nothing to do with Zheng Juyong. Yet, he was the one who was implicated by her and suffered for her...For the first time, she felt indebted to Zheng Juyong.
"He didn't blame me because he no longer had any expectations of me. He didn't mention breaking off the engagement because he didn't care about the wedding anymore. Sister Ling, he doesn't like me anymore."
Qiao Qi finally touched her empty belly and looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes still empty. All she had was her career in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds.
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