public opinion
A thousand kilometers away, Xu Zhiyuan was sleeping alone.
The word "dependence" is completely unfamiliar to Xu Zhiyuan. He is forced to learn to be alone and live alone. A world of one person is too quiet for him, but he has to adapt.
This is his only way to survive.
He is not good at explaining himself, is not used to seeking, and does not understand what the alternative to being single is.
But he slowly began to get used to it.
"Have you had your midnight snack? I specifically told Claire that if you like, we can have it tomorrow..."
"Today, when Xiaoqi was watering your flowers..."
"I went to your office today, and there was still..."
Regardless of whether Xu Zhiyuan replied in time, Jinnan would pick up the little details of life and share them with him. Xu Zhiyuan was very interested in this, and Jinnan was also well aware of this.
Is this feeling of being needed a form of dependence? Xu Zhiyuan doesn't understand.
He flipped through the messages that he hadn't had time to read due to being busy, and saw the last one, which was an emoticon package and a message sent by Jinnan ten minutes ago.
"I'm so sleepy. I'm about to fall asleep."
Not long after Xu Zhiyuan opened the input box, a call came in. Before he could even see the contact person clearly, he pressed the answer button.
"Brother." Jin Nan's dazed voice came, and it was obvious that he was no longer conscious.
"Are you sleepy so early?" Xu Zhiyuan glanced at the time. It was half past eleven, which was totally inconsistent with the schedule of Jinnan, a night owl.
There was a rustling noise, and Jinnan seemed to sit up and yawned.
"You have no idea how busy I was today. I didn't even have a nap, and I had to go out drinking at night. Gao Min and Li Hongfang are like crazy."
The man was talking, mumbling, and then fell back into the quilt.
"What happened to them?"
"When will you be back?"
Such stories seem to have happened many times. Ever since Jinnan appeared beside him, Xu Zhiyuan has always been trying to answer this question.
Sometimes he is in another city, sometimes he is in another country, sometimes he is just across the street, at the gate of a school.
Jinnan asked him from some place he knew or didn't know, when will you come?
When will you come back, when will you come over, you...
Xu Zhiyuan could imagine Jinnan's lips opening and closing when he said this. He was sleepy, with soft hair covering his eyes. The reason he didn't make a video call was probably because he didn't want Xu Zhiyuan to see his lazy look buried in the quilt.
Jinnan seldom calls someone "brother". He feels that this title is too sticky and intimate. He can only call someone "brother" this way if he trusts them immensely.
Now he often calls.
"Brother, I can't sleep alone. The bath water hit me, the plum I ate today also hit me, and Monica..."
"Zhiyuan."
I miss you so much.
He didn't say it out loud, but Xu Zhiyuan understood. He was speechless for a moment, listening to Jinnan's breathing, even the hair on his ears was numb.
"Be good, I'll be back at the end of the month." Xu Zhiyuan whispered, "Is everything going well?"
"It went smoothly. What went wrong?"
Xu Zhiyuan set up the trap early in the morning, waiting for people to jump in. Jinnan acted as a bait and a lucky charm, eating well, sleeping well, and reporting safety every day.
Of course, Jin Shao’s acting skills are not bad either.
"I've collected all the evidence and will be waiting for you to come back." Jin Nan's face was half buried in the quilt, and his voice was muffled. "Let's get rid of those guys, and then we can go on a honeymoon? I've picked the place, and we're just waiting for the plane tickets..."
Before Jin Nan could finish his words, Lu Yiqing suddenly called, followed by an emergency call from the head of Hua Lin's public relations department.
*
"Hua Lin has entered a news silence period effective immediately. Regarding the recent online rumors, our company will actively cooperate with the judicial investigation and is confident that the law will render a fair and impartial judgment."
"Ms. Spokesperson! Mr. Jin Licheng's detention by prosecutors is documented. Could you please tell me if this involves judicial bribery?"
"Can you give a positive response to the recent revelations? This incident has already severely impacted Hualin's stock price..."
"Could Mr. Jinnan, the head of Hualin, come forward to respond? The victim's family is currently..."
In the square in front of the Hualing Park, the fountain is crowded with various cameras and microphones, and at first glance there is almost no place to stand.
Since the online rumors broke out two days ago, Hualin Group's online and offline positions have all collapsed, and it is filled with curses everywhere.
Jin Licheng, the former chairman of Hualin Group, used coercion and inducement to kill Xu Hongcai and his wife, who were then working at the Lidu City Materials Research Institute, in order to obtain technical patents during his tenure.
Many years ago, during a crackdown on organized crime, the perpetrator involved in the case was imprisoned, and the incident gradually died down. However, recently, the perpetrator, who was about to be released after nine years in prison, suddenly changed his confession and confessed to the "murder case" that was originally thought to be an accident.
For a time, public opinion was boiling, and the condemnation and boycott of Hua Lin reached its peak.
It had been so long since the incident that the original accident investigation had long been closed, the detectives who handled the case had been removed or promoted, and the three parties involved were dead and unable to testify.
The Xu couple died on the spot in the car accident, and Jin Licheng also passed away last fall from lung cancer.
However, public opinion demands truth and justice, and Hua Lin's passive attitude in responding to public opinion is seen by them as a form of "guilty conscience."
The police car drove into the Hualin campus. After several days of investigation, even Jin Nan, who usually had a big heart, became a little nervous.
In contrast, Geng Guangsong was smoking a cigar in his office at this time, looking relaxed.
"Xiao Nan, listen to my advice. Public opinion is surging right now, and the stock price is plummeting. If this continues, the entire group will be dragged down." Geng Guangsong tapped the ash from his cigarette. "For the sake of the greater good, on behalf of the company, you must sincerely apologize and express your full cooperation with the investigation to clarify the truth and provide an explanation to the public."
"Just say you're sorry for taking up public resources. Isn't that what those little celebrities always say?" Another middle-aged man on the sofa raised his lips and smiled. "If you ask me, Jinnan, you're so pretty, and you're suitable for those things. Company management isn't for you."
Jinnan expressionless: "Is this what the board of directors meant?"
Of course not, Xu Zhiyuan hasn’t spoken yet.
But Jinnan was a young man with little experience, no backing, and shallow roots. Even when Xu Zhiyuan was around, the weight of Jinnan's words had to be weighed.
What's more, Xu Zhiyuan is no longer his guardian angel.
Geng Guangsong remained silent, as more old men, eager to see what was happening, lurked in the shadows. Jinnan simply remained silent.
"Xiao Nan, you must give everyone an explanation at the emergency board meeting tomorrow morning."
Geng Guangsong passed by Jinnan and patted him on the shoulder.
His suit was still perfectly straight, and on Jinnan's wrist was the Yu Wenku watch that Xu Zhiyuan had left him. A watch was almost the weight of longing.
"Of course." Jinnan replied.
*
Affected by public opinion, Hualin’s stock price fell for a week in a row, and a depressed atmosphere enveloped everyone who went to work on time.
The personal opinions of company executives shouldn't logically have such a significant impact. There's so much gossip about wealthy families, and which family doesn't have a few stories about adopted sons and concubines who "made their fortunes"?
The reason why Hua Lin was greatly affected this time was because the scope of involvement was too wide and the impact of the rumors was too severe.
Killing two researchers for exclusive patent agency rights? And he managed to get away with it for decades?
As the incident unfolded, all parties began to dig deep into the so-called "inside story" of Hualin over the years. It was not difficult for those who were interested to find out the life experience of Xu Zhiyuan, the current CEO of Hualin.
Some wrote revenge novels, some dug deep into Xu Zhiyuan's growth history, and some said that Xu Zhiyuan recognized the enemy as his father.
There are also a few paintings whose styles gradually became weird, and Jinnan opened his eyes wide when he saw them.
Some girls took photos of Xu Zhiyuan and him at an event and immediately started to ship them as a couple.
Xu Zhiyuan glared at the man before him. He was clearly the murderer of his father, but why...why, could he not forget his beautiful, deep eyes?
"Xu Zhiyuan thought, since they have been enemies for life, no matter what he does, Jin Nan will not love him. So, he can do anything."
"So what do you want to do?" Jin Nan finished reading the sentence, hugging the screen and observing Xu Zhiyuan's expression on the other side of the video. "You know what, this article is quite well-written. The sentences describing my appearance alone are... 123456! Six lines!"
Xu Zhiyuan smiled helplessly. Surprisingly, he had no special reaction to Jinnan reading his fanfiction in front of him.
Thinking of seeing him blush and embarrass himself, Jinnan felt deflated for a moment and became quieter.
The document was shared on the screen, and Xu Zhiyuan could of course see the contents behind it. Hmm... it was the kind of thing that wouldn't pass review if posted online.
I don’t know where Jinnan got it.
But the surveillance and monitoring, the control of life described in it...it has happened. All that's missing is a golden chain.
Xu Zhiyuan smiled, and Jinnan felt a little creepy for some reason.
Xu Zhiyuan: "Those guys didn't make any moves?"
Jinnan rested his chin on his hand and tilted his head to think for a moment, "Come up to me, hang around, and then leave."
"They're not afraid of you." Xu Zhiyuan couldn't help but laugh. "Once you take me down, it will be easy to deal with you."
Jinnan: "You seem like a villain."
"I'll be back next week." Xu Zhiyuan tapped his knuckles on the table. Suddenly, something occurred to him, and he stood up and left the scene. After a moment, he returned to the table and Jinnan saw that he was holding a ring box.
"I saw it today and bought it." Xu Zhiyuan opened the box, revealing two identical, simple, dark silver rings. However, Jinnan could tell from the inscription on the box's interior that it was Finn's work.
It was custom-made by Xu Zhiyuan early in the morning.
"How can you propose like this?" Jin Nan complained with a smile, but his eyes were fixed on the ring and he couldn't take his eyes off it.
Mr. Xu was still dishonest. This time he didn't do something bad behind his back, but unfortunately, Jinnan did the same thing.
He wasn't ready to speak yet.
"This is not a proposal." Xu Zhiyuan said, "This is my dowry. Will you accept it?"
Jinnan was defeated, covering his red cheeks and ears with his hands, and said helplessly: "This is too unfair."
Xu Zhiyuan's ears were actually a little red, and it took him a long time to recover. He said to Jinnan, "I'll be back soon. Wait a few days and you can help me with one last thing."
Before he finished speaking, Jin Nan's phone vibrated, and a message from Liu Rui appeared on the screen: Ready.
"Then it's a deal, dowry." Jin Nan said, "When the time comes, I'll propose to you, and you must agree."
Xu Zhiyuan looked into his eyes and said, "Definitely."
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