Chapter 36
The explanation from Lu’s mother made sense, leaving Lu’s father puzzled, “I’ll call and ask.” Lu’s father still took out his phone to call an old friend. He needed to know what was going on; only by finding the root of the problem could he possibly resolve the current embarrassing situation.
However, his verification calls were not successful either. After making dozens of calls, only a few people picked up, and they all claimed ignorance. Just as Lu’s father was about to give up, a former business partner, Mr. Sun, said, “Mr. Sun, I’m calling you today to ask… I feel that our company is being targeted by someone. You have many connections; could you tell me who it is?” Lu’s father spoke with a slightly pleading tone.
“My company is in utter chaos right now. I need to find out who’s behind this and beg them to spare me. This is my only chance to bounce back. I’m getting old; if Lu Group falls this time, I won’t have the chance to start over. I’m begging you.” Lu’s father lowered his stance, almost every word laced with blood and tears, piercing the listener’s heart.
Mr. Sun, also an elderly man, naturally had a bit of sentimentality, and his experiences were somewhat similar to Lu Yong’an’s. Hearing Lu Yong’an’s words, empathy stirred within him, and his eyes reddened. “Sigh, you should go to Jiahe and find President Xu. That’s all I can say. I hope President Lu can overcome this difficulty.” Mr. Sun sighed deeply and ended the call.
“How was it?” Lu’s mother asked nervously looking at the disconnected call.
“It’s Jiahe. It’s that woman Xu Jie who’s been targeting us all along.” Lu’s father’s eyes were filled with complexity as he looked at his phone, feeling a bit of fear. He used to dismiss it when others called Xu Jie a she-devil with exceptional means, thinking they were flattering her for her beauty. It wasn’t until this ordeal that he realized the woman’s prowess.
“What did our family do to offend her? Why is she coming after us?” Lu’s mother said in disbelief.
“I don’t know the situation. I’ll tidy up and go to Jiahe to see what’s going on. The company’s in your hands for now,” Lu’s father patted Lu’s mother’s shoulder as he spoke.
“You go ahead. I’ll take care of the company.” Lu’s mother adjusted her husband’s tie, a hint of worry between her brows.
She never imagined that the woman she considered a ’little girl’ could be so formidable, subtly pushing their family to this brink. If they make it through this, she’ll avoid Xu Jie in the future; she’s truly terrified of her. The once well-maintained face now showed fatigue, wrinkles surfacing, but she couldn’t care less. She watched her husband’s back, praying to the heavens for a successful trip to Jiahe, hoping the Lu Family could survive this crisis.
“Mr. Xu, Lu Yong’an is downstairs. Do you want to meet him?” Upon hearing the news of Lu Yong’an’s arrival, Xu Jie immediately reported to Xu Ke. Xu Ke paused his pen, pondering for a moment before recalling who it was.
“You go see him, you know what to do?”
“Understood.”
“Then go ahead.”
Listening to the sound of the door closing, Xu Ke curved his lips in pleasure, his work efficiency increasing significantly. Perhaps Lu Chi had forgotten what he did to Lin Mengyao, but Xu Ke remembered. Since Lu Chi engaged in villainy backed by his Lu Family ties, Xu Ke intended to destroy his support, to see what else he could rely on to cause trouble.
Moreover, he had given Lu Chi a big gift; he wondered if Lu Chi liked it.
With this thought, Xu Ke stopped what he was doing, picked up his phone again to check the messages from Lin Mengyao. His longing for her engulfed him like seaweed, almost suffocating him. Maybe he should go see Lin Mengyao, secretly, without letting her find out—maybe it would be fine? Xu Ke thought, narrowing his eyes.
Meanwhile, Lu’s father was brought to the meeting room. After sipping some tea, Xu Jie walked in.
Wearing a deep blue suit, she appeared both efficient and elegant, in stark contrast to his disheveled state. Lu’s unkempt hair heightened the disparity with his former shrewd and capable image. Xu Jie nearly failed to recognize him upon entry, but she concealed her expression well, revealing no change.
“Hello, President Xu!” Lu’s father immediately stepped forward upon seeing Xu Jie enter, reaching out to shake her hand.
“I didn’t expect President Lu would come today. Apologies for the lack of a formal greeting.” Xu Jie spouted pleasantries but didn’t shake the outstretched hand, sitting instead on the sofa, providing a subtle display of authority.
Though Xu Jie didn’t shake his hand, Lu’s father wasn’t embarrassed. He naturally withdrew his hand and sat opposite Xu Jie, as if nothing had happened.
Lu’s father’s actions caught Xu Jie off guard for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure, sipping her coffee before asking, “What brings you here today, President Lu?”
“The recent turmoil surrounding the Lu Group must have reached your ears as well. Our company is encircled on all sides, teetering on the edge of a cliff. A feather’s weight could send us into oblivion.” Lu’s father’s eyes reddened, tears threatening to spill.
Without Xu Jie’s response, Lu’s father had to continue, “I don’t understand why things have come to this. I struggled to learn that all this was at your directive, President Xu. We were once business partners. Even after our collaborations ended, there were no disputes. I don’t understand why you’re doing this. Where did we offend you?” Lu’s father looked at Xu Jie with a combination of anxiety and a thirst for answers.
“If you want to know how your Lu Group offended me, why not ask your young master? After all, he contributed significantly to this matter.” Xu Jie lowered her gaze, speaking slowly.
“Lu Chi? Is there some misunderstanding, President Xu? How could Lu Chi dare to offend you?” Lu Yong’an scarcely believed it. While Lu Chi had done some outrageous things, he was discerning from a young age. He never offended those who couldn’t be provoked, always polite and courteous. The notion that Lu Chi had offended Xu Jie was unimaginable to him.