Month: December 2024 (Page 3 of 4)

       Lihao, third floor.

       The man in the private room moved his hands and feet in an uncomfortably persistent manner. Lan Xin dealt with him perfunctorily, shoving him off while pouring one glass after another wine. The man could hold his liquor well, showing no signs of drunkenness, but as she drank, Lan Xin gradually began to feel light-headed and dizzy. The man took the opportunity to cause trouble, hugged her tightly, and kissed her face with his stubbled mouth. His breath was mixed with a strong smell of alcohol and bad breath, and his hands went into her chest and kneaded it randomly. Lan Xin felt nauseated and knew that this was not going to work. She retched, covered her mouth and said, “Boss Dou, I can’t take it anymore. I need to go to the restroom.”

       The man was dissatisfied, but he was afraid that she would actually vomit on him, so he grabbed her butt and said, “Okay, go ahead.”

       She picked her throat in the bathroom and vomited out all the wine she had just drank. She lost all strength and leaned against the sink to rest. There was a vibration in the small leather bag she carried with her. She took out her mobile phone, looked at the number, and then threw it aside in disgust. The phone kept vibrating on the counter, and the same number came over one after another. She frowned and picked it up, saying coldly, “What’s the matter?”

       “Filthy bitch, you fvcking dare not answer my call! I’ll fvck you, filthy bitch! Come back and see if I don’t fvck you to death…” The curse words came one after another.

       Lan Xin’s hand was shaking with anger while holding the phone, and she gritted her teeth and said, “Zhao Jun, have you had enough? I told you not to call me when I’m at work.”

       “What kind of job do you work in? Do you show off your coquettishness and let people touch you, or do you spread your legs and let people fvck you? Your customers don’t think you’re loose down there?” The drunken man took a sip and said, “So, you’re pretty good at hiding, huh? Think moving will keep me from finding you? Ha, guess where I am right now?” Then, the sound of his daughter Yuanyuan crying came through the line.

       Lan Xin’s eyes turned bloodshot, and she shouted into her mobile phone, “fvck you, Zhao Jun, don’t hit her! She is your daughter!”

       “You sleep with other men all day long. Who knows if she is my biological child.” The man said, “If you want me to stop beating this little bastard, give me money.”

       As she listened to the little girl’s cries on the phone getting louder and louder, her heart was twisted, and she shed tears, “It was you who forced me into becoming an escort; you pushed me into this! I’ve given you all the money… Zhao Jun, I’m begging you, please, let my daughter and me go… please…”

       “No money? If you don’t have any money, just take this little bastard and sell yourselves together. If mother and daughter did it together, your customers would definitely like it more.”

       “You’re not a fvcking human being!”

       “Yes, I’m not a human being. You are the human being, so you have to be nice to our daughter.” Zhao Jun chuckled, “I’ll be waiting for you at home, but you have to come back with the money before this bottle is finished, or else I will accidentally lose control of myself, and she’ll have to go to the hospital again. It’s not much, I want 20,000 yuan. Give me 20,000, and I’ll leave and never bother you again. Come back soon, Wife.”

       The phone was hung up. Lan Xin, who was exhausted both physically and mentally, lay on the sink and cried loudly. The tears smeared the heavy makeup on her face, making her look funny and miserable. However, crying couldn’t solve everything. She still had Yuanyuan, so the only solution for now was to find a way to collect money to fill this bottomless hole. She steeled herself, washed her face with cold water, put on her makeup, forced a smile in the mirror, and walked back to the private room.

       After a while, the private room’s door was kicked open violently, and Boss Dou walked out angrily. Lan Xin threw herself at his feet and begged, “Boss Dou, please lend me 20,000 yuan. I am willing to work as a cow or a horse for you. You can do whatever you want.”

       “fvck you!” Boss Dou kicked her hard, “I’m here to have fun, not do charity work. Get out!”

       Lan Xin grabbed his feet while crying. She had no choice. Zhao Jun was a heavy drinker and gambler, racking up debts and coming to her for money every few days. If he didn’t give the money, he would beat her and Yuanyuan. Not long ago, the loan shark chased her into the rental house, scaring them so much that they hid in the closet and trembled. She moved in a hurry, thinking she could get rid of this scumbag, but she didn’t expect that he would come to her door again. She had borrowed money from all the places where she could borrow money, and when she couldn’t pay it back, others were unwilling to lend her money again, so she could only ask the guests shamelessly. Boss Dou had requested her many times and was considered a regular customer. Unexpectedly, he was unwilling to help her even half a cent. She held on to the other person’s leg tightly, feeling like she was holding on to the last straw.

       “Are you not going to let go?” Boss Dou got a little drunk. He grabbed her hair and raised his hand to hit her down. But he was caught in the middle of the swing. He became even more irritable. He turned around and said, “Who the hell has nothing better to do than stick their nose in my business?”

       The young man who caught him looked at him coldly with dark brown eyes and said, “Don’t lay a hand on a woman.”

       “Get out of here…” Before Boss Dou could finish his words, he was punched hard in the face and fell backwards and heavily to the ground. The person who took action was another person who had just followed behind the young man.

       Lan Xin looked up in shock, saw the man standing before her, and said in confusion, “…Ah Zhou?”

       Chu Yunhan reached out to support her, pausing just before making contact with her body. His lips tightened as he firmly grasped her arm and helped her up. Although he still felt a strong aversion to touching others, he had managed to improve quite a bit through his efforts at self-restraint and adjustment.

       “Long time no see. It looks like you’re not doing well.” He said.

       Such a sudden concern made her originally hard-armoured heart suddenly become fragile, and tears instantly flowed down. Lan Xin casually wiped her face with the back of her hand, choking and saying, “It’s not very good.”

       “You little brat, daring to hit someone here! Don’t you know whose turf this is?!” Boss Dou was beaten by Bai Yang so badly that his eyes were black. He didn’t dare to come forward anymore. He just covered his face and sat on the ground, grimacing and cursing.

       “Oh? Whose territory is it?” Chu Yunhan raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

       The man said fiercely, “Hey, you are so arrogant that you dare to cause trouble at the Black Eagle Club’s place. I’ll see how you’ll kneel at my feet and apologise later!”

       He smiled and saw Cao Kun and Luo Ning rushing towards the elevator entrance in the corridor but said nothing. Lan Xin’s face turned pale, and she grabbed his wrist suddenly and said, “Don’t speak; I’ll take care of everything.”

       She knew that the clients coming here had various complicated social connections. From her previous encounters, although this Boss Dou was called a boss, he felt more like someone’s lackey. Even if he wasn’t involved in any illegal activities, he was someone ordinary people couldn’t afford to offend. Furthermore, Lihao was under the control of Golden Eagle, and to put it bluntly, anyone who could manage this kind of grey business smoothly had forces and managers behind them that were not to be trifled with. She had seen the fate of those who caused trouble in Lihao, and now with Ah Zhou and his friends getting into a fight and hurting someone because of her, she couldn’t let them get hurt any further. She quickly calculated in her mind how to explain the situation, but no good excuses came to her, leaving her trembling with anxiety and fear.

       This woman was still the same. She was scared to death, but she had to stand before him.

       Chu Yunhan remembered when he was working as a waiter at Lihao and accidentally spilt wine on a guest. She had stepped before him to apologise and smile, just like this time. Later, under that guest’s harassment, she ended up taking off her clothes and being groped and kissed to smooth things over. She didn’t ask him to thank her afterwards; she just said, ‘I’m used to being touched’. Later, the two got closer and vaguely learned about her family affairs. She had an alcoholic and gambling husband and a five-year-old daughter, and the whole family relied on her to earn money. She always used heavy makeup to hide the traces of beatings on her face. At that time, he just wanted to keep a low profile and save his life, and he could not do anything more for her, but things were different now.

       Chu Yunhan took off his thin coat and put it on her, then picked up the handkerchief and wiped her face with gentle and careful movements. He was used to being a playboy in the past, and now he was still very skilled in how he treated girls. Lan Xin was confused by his actions and looked at the nightclub executive parked aside in panic. He was about to say something when he saw the general manager, Cao Kun, accompanying him with a smile. He said, “Young Master Yun, I didn’t know it was you. It’s really rude not to come down to greet you.”

       “Don’t bother with the formalities. I don’t have much time, so let’s make this short.” Chu Yunhan was a little impatient. “This guest wanted to be rough with the woman, so he was beaten. The one who beat him was Mr. Bai Yang, the one next to me. If the police want you to arrest someone, arrest him.”

       “Eldest Young Master…” Bai Yang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

       “However, I’ve worked here before and have a good understanding of Supervisor Luo’s abilities. He will definitely find a way to ‘persuade’ this gentleman to give up on calling the police and handle everything properly.” He turned to Luo Ning, smiling ambiguously, and said, “Right?”

       Luo Ning was a member of the Intelligence Department of the Black Eagle Association, and the person Chu Yichen arranged to follow him in Lihao. He knew Chu Yunhan’s identity from the time he hid in Lihao. What he said was obviously a bit of a threat. If he didn’t handle it well, he would settle the score with himself. Luo Ning understood in his heart, stood with his hands down and said, “Okay.”

       Chu Yunhan saw Lan Xin looking at him in shock and smiled, “Let’s go.”

       Seeing the three people who had beaten him walk away, Boss Dou finally stood up and asked Cao Kun angrily, “You actually let him go like this? He beat me! Is this how you treat your guests? What’s with the Black Eagle Club, it’s useless…”

       “This guest, I think you’d better pay attention to your words.” Luo Ning’s tall body stood before him, covering most of the light above his head. Cao Kun said helplessly, “Let’s talk about compensation for you in detail. Mr. Dou, please follow me.”

       “Is there any mistake? Why should you pay compensation if he hits someone?”

       “Because this nightclub is one of his properties.” Luo Ning said expressionlessly.

       Autumn was approaching, and the weather had cooled down at night. Lan Xin walked out of the nightclub and said softly, “Ah Zhou, you…”

       “My name is Chu Yunhan.”

       She recited the name silently and smiled reluctantly, “Thank you, I…I have to go back.”

       “What do you want 20,000 yuan for?” he asked.

       She lowered her head and was silent for a moment, then said, “To save my daughter…and save myself…”

       In fact, Chu Yunhan had already made a rough guess in his mind, but he just asked her for confirmation. Turning to Bai Yang, he said, “Go and call some bodyguards, and then find me the person in charge of this area.”

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       “Have you heard that the CEO has been replaced? The eldest son of the Chu family has come to take charge personally.”

       “Is it because of our poor performance here? Isn’t it going to change? Oh my god! I don’t want to be laid off.”

       “What’s there to be nervous about? This Eldest Young Master is nothing like the second young master, who’s the chairman. He’s a well-known playboy! I’ve heard he’s only good at partying and chasing women, and he doesn’t have any real experience. I think he’s just here to put on a show and make himself look legitimate in the business world.”

       “That’s true. But why does he have to come here of all places? With such a huge enterprise like Golden Eagle, couldn’t he pick somewhere better? The physical economy has been in decline for years; our company’s profits are dwindling year after year. I wonder when it will get better… Oh my. “

       In the office area on the sixth floor, the sales department employees were gathered together, engrossed in gossip, completely unaware of anyone passing by. As they moved further around the corner, the chatter of the secretarial staff could be heard coming from the break room.

       “Look, this is it.”

       “Wow, he looks so handsome in the photo!”

       “I know Zhang Lili, who works at the group headquarters. She said that she had met Eldest Young Master Chu once. He was even more handsome in person than in the photos. He was like a walking hormone!”

       “No, the Chu family’s genes are too good. The sparkling Second Young Master Chu is already so handsome, and this one is even more… Only now do I feel that it’s great to be in the secretarial department. I’ll get to see him every day. My mood at work is going to change completely!”

       “You’re not thinking about trying to flirt with him, are you?”

       “I would like to, but I’m afraid he’s seen so many women that he wouldn’t even look at someone like me.”

       “That’s not necessarily true. Isn’t it always like that in dramas? The prince doesn’t like the princess; he likes Cinderella. Look at his name, Chu Yunhan—it’s both elegant and romantic. Tsk tsk.”

       “Hurry up and touch up your makeup. Maybe your Prince Yun will show up today.”

       …

       The young man walking in front stopped and listened for a while, then turned to the deputy general manager, Gao Jin, who followed behind him and said, “They are chatting during working hours, huh? It feels quite pleasant to work here.”

       Gao Jin was already sweating all over his head and said anxiously, “These people… are really outrageous, I…”

       “How should we deal with it according to the system?”

       “Notification and criticism.¹It typically refers to a practice in which individuals report issues or problems—such as misconduct, inefficiency, or violations of regulations—followed by a critical assessment or commentary on those issues.[\mfn]”

       “Make them write a self-reflection and upload it to the company intranet homepage, and have the HR department issue a warning. If it happens a second time, they’ll be dismissed immediately.”

       “Understood.”

       “By the way, just keep two reliable and capable people in the secretary department. I don’t like having overly ambitious women around me.”

       “…Understood.” Gao Jin nodded repeatedly, feeling unsettled. Initially, he thought the eldest young master was just here to put on a show, but when he asked for the materials the day before and returned them within an hour for a rewrite, it became clear that he was serious. Today, with his arm in a sling, Chu Yunhan had shown up at the company, ready to enforce a crackdown on discipline.

       It seemed this eldest young master of the Chu family was not here to play. The Golden Prosperity department store was definitely going to undergo some changes.

       Sitting in his office, Chu Yunhan stared at the complex financial statements on the computer screen, feeling a bit anxious. Although he had an MBA, he had no practical experience in managing a business. Now, Chu Yichen had handed him a poorly managed company without any assistance and expected him to increase the sales to a nearly impossible level. To put it bluntly, it was essentially just a setup for failure. 

       However, this was his only chance to get rid of that man, and he couldn’t give up just yet.

       Even though he felt uncertain, he decided to start by addressing the internal issues first and then rectifying them. In the morning, Chu Yunhan reviewed all the financial documents. In the afternoon, he took the building renovation layout and toured the various floors, checking the counter setups and decoration details. By the evening, he called a meeting with the heads of each department to assess each supervisor’s capabilities and ideas.

       At eight o’clock in the evening, he went to a private club on Donglin Road to have tea. Although it was called tea, he hardly touched the cup. He had a wide circle of friends, and among the wealthy young men he knew, while they were notorious for their extravagant lifestyles, they could be quite capable when it came to serious work. Many held positions in family businesses. Previously, Chu Yichen had confined him, cutting off his connections with these people, but now he decided to invite them over. This would help him reconnect and expand his network, as well as learn from them about how to run a company.

       The always charming Eldest Young Master Chu actually asked them for advice in a serious manner, which aroused everyone’s ridicule.

       “Young Master Yun, Young Master Yun, I never thought you would have such a day.”

       “Hey, you didn’t let that iceberg cousin of yours beat up your arm, did you?”

       “I guess so. He’s gone to work obediently after this beating.”

       “Such a tragedy, such a tragedy! It truly makes those who hear it feel sorrow, and those who see it shed tears. Hahaha!”

       “fvck you all. Hurry up and talk.” Chu Yunhan cursed and took out a notebook. Luckily, it was his left hand that was broken, so he could still write. After a whole tea session, his stomach was still empty, but his notebook was filled to the brim.

       After such a long and exhausting day, he was completely drained of energy, so he fell asleep in the car on the way home. He slept so deeply, barely stirring even when the vehicle moved. It wasn’t until he was put on the bed that he suddenly woke up. He felt someone touching him and instinctively pushed the person away.

       The situation became a little awkward.

       Chu Yunhan looked at Chu Yichen, who was holding a blanket in one hand and was about to cover him. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said, “I… will do it myself…”

       The man released his hand, said nothing, and walked toward the door.

       “It’s…”

       Chu Yichen turned around and looked at him.

       “This place is too far from the company… It’s tiring to go back and forth… Well, I think… it’s more convenient to live in the company…” He said these words awkwardly, feeling a little guilty.

       “Living in the company isn’t really appropriate. I’ll have Bai Xiao prepare an apartment for you, and you can move in anytime.” The man’s tone was very calm. “Is there anything else?”

       Just like that…he agreed? Isn’t it too easy? The somewhat unreal feeling made Chu Yunhan pause for a moment, and then he said, “…That’s all.”

       “Rest.” The door closed.

       He breathed a sigh of relief, scratched his head, and suddenly thought of a question. How did he get back to the room?

       The feeling just now was probably… being carried back. Who did it?

       Who else could it be?

       Who else dared to carry him?

       …

       Although Chu Yichen had promised not to touch him for three months, the previous training made Chu Yunhan tense up the moment he saw him, instinctively wanting to stay as far away as possible. So, on the very evening he received the apartment keys, Chu Yunhan eagerly moved into the apartment near the company.

       He lay down on the unfamiliar but soft big bed. He just felt that he was in heaven at this moment. He wanted to get up and set off two firecrackers to express his joy. When he thought of the ‘eight percent’, he suddenly wilted again and quickly got up and went to the desk to work.

       The following day, as soon as he started work, Chu Yunhan scheduled a meeting with the finance director. The director stated that with effective promotion, the store’s anniversary week sales could roughly match last year’s figures, but an 8% increase would be a challenging target. This left Chu Yunhan feeling a bit troubled. After much thought, a new plan formed in his mind.

       With online sales gaining traction and physical retail on a steady decline, he realised it might be better to embrace this trend. Golden Prosperity originally had a website, but it was basically abandoned due to the low number of clicks. Revitalising the company’s dormant website could give the stagnant company a much-needed boost. However, restarting the site meant significant time and resource investments. It was unknown whether they could reach enough visibility, and meet the 8% sales growth goal before the store anniversary.

       At this moment, he had two paths in front of him. One was to continue step by step on the road of traditional physical marketing, increase publicity, increase preferential activities, and attract customers to the door. The other option was to forge a new path and target online shoppers. It was a high-stakes gamble, one that would shape his future; a misstep would mean total failure with no chance of recovery.

       Chu Yunhan closed his eyes and leaned back on the swivel chair. After a long time, when he opened his eyes again, his eyes were no longer hesitant. He said to Bai Yang, who was waiting aside, “Arrange for a meeting tonight with these people.”

       Deputy General Manager Gao Jin hadn’t been sleeping well these past few days. Ever since the Eldest Young Master Chu took over, half of Golden Prosperity’s department heads had been replaced within a week, with newcomers carefully selected by headhunters who were well-qualified and highly capable. A team of network engineers was even brought in from overseas to revamp Jintai’s online platform, and he was assigned as project manager. At 47, Gao Jin usually only watched movies online and knew nothing about the intricacies of the internet. Now, handed this hot potato, he had no idea what to do. After several restless nights, he nervously approached Chu Yunhan, saying that his health was poor and that he was unfit for such a role.

       Chu Yunhan was very kind. He gave him a holiday and asked him to have a good rest. The next day, he promoted the head of the network department, who had just joined the job as the acting deputy president, taking over his position. Only then did Gao Jin realise that, as a longtime employee, he had made considerable contributions even without significant achievements. It was not convenient for this guy to fire him directly, so he used this trick. On the bright side, Gao still retained his honorary title, which he took as a sign of Chu’s consideration.

       When things got busy, time seemed to be insufficient. Chu Yunhan threw himself wholeheartedly into his work, almost wishing he could stretch each day to 48 hours.

       After addressing issues with the website’s style, the backend listing pages, link errors, and server instability, two months passed. The cast on Chu Yunhan’s arm was removed, and the official website of Golden Prosperity Department Store entered its final testing phase. Merchants on Golden Prosperity started listing some of their products and initiated a first round of trial sales, while the marketing team launched a large-scale online and offline campaign simultaneously. During the trial sales, however, some issues emerged, such as payments being made for out-of-stock items or inventory not displaying on the page. Additionally, the return and exchange channels were inefficient, causing some customer dissatisfaction.

       However, the surge in clicks on the website gave Chu Yunhan a glimmer of hope. He instructed the network department to refine the details further and brought in staff from sales department and planning department to design a ‘try offline, buy online’ clothing sale event. Collaborating with an online payment platform, they offered a discount to customers who paid online. Once the plan was ready, they would start promoting it immediately, aiming to launch it for the store’s anniversary.

       During this period, Chu Yunhan spun around like a top every day, often spending entire days in the conference room, analysing data with senior managers and strategising. When he got tired, he would nap at the table, wake up, drink coffee, and continue working. Sometimes, he thought that if managing one company left him this exhausted, Chu Yichen, with so many responsibilities, must be exhausted to death. He would then mentally grumble things like, “That guy really is crazy,” “I can’t match him,” or “Why am I even thinking about him?”

       Seeing their boss working so hard, the employees felt reluctant to slack off, making overtime a norm. Chu Yunhan, noticing their dedication, generously paid overtime wages, earning considerable goodwill among the staff.

       Seeing that the store anniversary was getting closer and closer, his nerves became more and more nervous. He couldn’t sleep well for several nights in a row. He wanted to go out for some air and relax, so he asked Bai Yang to drive out for a walk. Catching the sight of a familiar golden sign in the distance, he felt a sudden urge and said, “Take me to Lihao.”

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       Chu Yu sat down on the chair next to the bed and handed him a glass of water.

       His black hair had become a little grey under the erosion of the years. His slender figure was not out of shape due to self-discipline and exercise. The gilt cufflinks on the dark blue shirt were fastened meticulously. The previous leader of the Chu family was over half a century old, but he still had a strong aura. His black eyes seemed to be able to penetrate everything. Even if he glanced calmly, it would make people feel inexplicably oppressive.

       In the room, Hei Yu, Bai Xiao, and Du Chuan stood at attention, hands respectfully folded, not daring to make a sound. Bai Xiao, usually lighthearted and quick to laugh, wore a stern expression as if he was about to deliver a presidential speech. Hei Yu, typically stoic, now seemed as rigid as a steel plank. Du Chuan, standing quietly beside the kettle, looked guilt-ridden and uneasy, blaming himself for failing to look after the young master adequately; he had practically faded into the background, blending in with his surroundings.

       Chu Yichen raised his neck and drank the water inside, then lowered his head guiltily, “I didn’t expect to alarm you…it was my fault.”

       “The fault you are referring to is that you made yourself pass out and needed me to take over the work or to make Yunhan jump from the third floor to death?” The man in a dark blue shirt looked at him and asked.

       Chu Yichen’s gaze trembled, “…you know about him.” After saying that, he held the cup and wanted to ask something, but he didn’t ask.

       “You want to ask, when did I know.”

       He nodded.

       “It started when you were captured by the Grey Wolf.” Chu Yu looked at his expression and smiled slightly, “You don’t seem very surprised.”

       “When I was rescued, Hei Yu mentioned that one team deviated from the plan to head north of the warehouse and instead lay in ambush near the flatlands, where they later eliminated Gray Wolf’s main force. The squad leader of that team was one of Uncle Can’s men. I suspect… it might have been under your orders.”

       “Gray Wolf was the final test I set for you, but it’s disappointing that both you and your subordinates fell so short. As the head of the Chu family, you recklessly exposed yourself to danger, fully aware it might be a trap. Utterly foolish,” the man remarked, his gaze sweeping over the bowed head of Chu Yichen before casting a cold glance at Hei Yu and Bai Xiao standing nearby. “And as his subordinates, failing to curb his impulsive decisions, allowing strategic oversights, and even letting him push himself to the point of collapse—it’s sheer incompetence.”

       This sentence was extremely heavy that Hei Yu and Bai Xiao turned pale and knelt down simultaneously, lowering their heads. They had been trained since childhood, much like loyal retainers, bound to the rules of the Chu family: kneeling to the heavens, the earth, and their master. Normally, Chu Yichen would not let them kneel down, but Chu Yu’s words left them so ashamed and speechless that they could only sink silently to their knees. Nearby, Du Chuan stood in a state of uncertainty, but his attention sharpened when he suddenly heard his own name mentioned.

       “Du Chuan.” Chu Yu said slowly, “You have always been prudent in doing things, so I gave Yichen to your care. Now it seems that this job seems a bit difficult for you.”

       “Master!” Du Chuan was so frightened that he almost burst into tears, “I failed to take good care of Young Master. I dare not ask for your forgiveness. I only ask that you give me another chance…”

       “Father…” Seeing them like this, Chu Yichen couldn’t bear it and said bravely, “Everything is my fault. I insisted on…”

       “Of course it’s your fault,” Chu Yu interrupted him. “I originally had no intention of stepping in to help you. Since you’re willing to sacrifice your life for someone else, why should I stop you? Letting you fulfill your heroic death wish would grant your desire. But if you died, your father would be heartbroken.” Then, he looked toward the door and said, “Alright, come on out. You’ve been hiding long enough.”

       Xu Ye, who was wearing the same white shirt as him, walked in from the door. With a bit of embarrassment on his face that he had been exposed for eavesdropping, he said, “You make it sound like you won’t be sad.”

       “Dad.” Chu Yichen didn’t expect him to be here and was a little surprised.

       “Alright, let the children get up; the ground is cold.” Xu Ye’s voice was soft and gentle, like a breeze blowing on the face, making people feel at ease. “You can’t blame them entirely either. Who told you to raise a good son who is just as stubborn as you? They wanted to stop him, but they couldn’t; they tried to persuade him, but he wouldn’t listen.”

       “So it’s my fault, huh.” Chu Yu looked at him and said.

       Xu Ye smiled, “It’s my fault, okay?”

       When he smiled like this, Chu Yu’s expression softened a bit. He knew that Xu Ye followed him because he was afraid that he would blame them. He shook his head helplessly and said, “It’s because you’ve spoiled him.”

       Xu Ye sat down by the bed and said, “Alright, take this opportunity to let Yichen rest well. You can help him manage things. And isn’t there a bored Uncle Tang? Let him teach these two kids; it’s a way for him to still be useful.”

       “You have arranged so well for us. What about yourself?” Chu Yu raised an eyebrow. After being together for many years, this person already fully understands his thoughts.

       “I’ll just take care of you two.” Xu Ye curved his eyes into a smile.

       There was a slight smile on Chu Yu’s lips, and his expression became slightly better when he turned to the two people kneeling on the ground. He said in a deep voice, “Hei Yu, Bai Xiao, for this month, Tang Can will assist you in handling internal gang affairs in the capacity of a consultant. You will follow his lead. If by the end of the month you do not earn his approval, you won’t need to stay by Yichen’s side any longer.”

       “Understood.” The two of them raised their heads and looked at Xu Ye gratefully before leaving.

       “Du Chuan, you are responsible for taking good care of this kid, arranging his schedule, ensuring rest and nutrition. You don’t have to do it if he keeps passing out again.”

       “Understood.” Du Chuan agreed hastily.

       “Go down first. You didn’t get to rest during the time he was unconscious.” Xu Ye said.

       “Alright.” Du Chuan took the tea tray and walked out.

       Only father and son were left in the room.

       Xu Ye touched Chu Yichen’s head, “The doctor said there is no big problem; it’s just due to fatigue. You should rest well for the next few days and leave the matter to your father for the time being.”

       Chu Yu said solemnly, ‘I will only give you a month’s time to adjust, and after a month, everything will be returned to you. You must remember that as a member of the Chu Family, I can accept your adjustment at any time. Still, I won’t do anything like this time of overstepping my bounds in fulfilling the family head’s authority a second time.’

       “Understood, Father.” Chu Yichen sat up straight and replied seriously.

       “Now that the official business is over, next is private business.”

       Chu Yichen knew what he was referring to, lowered his gaze and said, “I will take care of it.”

       Chu Yu slowly said, “I know very well why you took over as the head of the family, and I also know your obsession with Yunhan very well. I once told you that there are always some things in this world that you cannot control and some people you cannot have. If you force it, you will only hurt others and yourself. You replied to me that since you cannot have him, as long as you can see him safe and happy, that would be enough. But you later changed your original intention.” He paused, “Whether out of revenge or jealousy, you got him in your own way and then forced him to become a sub. Chu Yunhan has an outgoing personality, is kind yet weak, and is proud and impulsive—like a tree that grows wildly. Yet you cut off its branches and forced it to grow in the way you need. Yichen, what you really want is a tree or just a bare piece of wood?”

       Chu Yichen’s eyelashes trembled, and he spoke with some difficulty, “I underestimated him and overestimated myself. But aside from this, I don’t know what else to do to keep him. The Gray Wolves, Sheng the Fifth, the repeated betrayals and escapes—I’m afraid that one day he might really do something that forces me to kill him. Or perhaps it’s just my selfishness at play; I want to have him… that’s all.” At this moment, he resembled a lost child, wandering, at a loss, and filled with so much sorrow.

       Xu Ye held him gently, patting his back with a sense of compassion. Time had passed too quickly; the child of years gone by had grown into a young man taller than him. As a father, he watched his son tread a difficult path, saw his smile grow rarer, and noticed the maturity and aloofness that didn’t suit his age as he took on the responsibilities of the entire family. At this moment, his natural vulnerability served as a reminder that he was still a child capable of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.

       “I just went to see Yunhan. He only had a few fractures and slight damage to his internal organs. He had surgery and has woken up.” Xu Ye knew that he was worried and that it was hard to ask, so he told him about the situation, “He didn’t say anything to me, just kept silent. I contacted the Zhou family and told them that something had happened to him. I asked them to send Sister-in-law and Jiahui over to see him.”

       Chu Yichen nodded. This was the safest thing to do. Chu Yunhan already wanted to die, and only the presence of someone he cared about could comfort him.

       “Yichen, now that the matter is over, what are you going to do?” Xu Ye asked.

       “…I haven’t thought about it yet.”

       Chu Yu said, “You are the head of the Chu family, and Chu Yunhan is a family member who has participated in the rebellion. It is up to you to decide how to deal with him. We will not interfere, but I hope your decision will not make you regret it.”

       After that, Chu Yu began to assist his son in managing matters related to the Golden Eagle, helping to streamline the somewhat chaotic decision-making system. He delegated responsibilities to Hei Yu, Bai Xiao, and other officials, bringing in a group of newcomers trained by Tang Can to minimise the pressure on Chu Yichen as much as possible.

       Chu Yunhan stayed at the old residence to recover from his injuries. His mother, Zhou Yuran, often came to see him, bringing along Zhou Jiahui. Under the careful care of doctors and nutritionists, his health improved day by day, and his spirits lifted significantly. He claimed that he had accidentally fallen from the windowsill, and Zhou Yuran believed him. However, Jiahui was sceptical and, feeling indignant, went to confront Chu Yichen, questioning whether he had bullied her brother.

       Chu Yichen never visited Chu Yunhan but kept asking about his situation from Du Chuan. In his free time outside of official duties, he played chess and chatted with his two fathers, worked out every day, went to bed early and got up early.

       Time flew by. A month later, Chu Yu took the veterans and retreated to the second line, and Chu Yichen returned to take charge of the overall situation. In the evening, he came to Chu Yunhan’s room. Chu Yunhan’s broken hand bones had not yet fully healed, so he hung his arm with a bandage. Seeing his appearance, her whole body stiffened, and she instinctively shrank back.

       The man sat down in the farthest chair from him and said, “I heard from Du Chuan that you can get out of bed now.”

       Chu Yunhan remained silent, his eyes filled with wariness.

       “The relationship between us should also come to an end.” Chu Yichen looked at him and said calmly, “I will give you a chance. Two years ago, the company acquired a department store in the north of the city, but its performance has been poor. I’m assigning you to take over as the general manager. After the three-month store anniversary, if the sales exceed last year’s figures by more than eight percent, I’ll set you free. Conversely, if you fail to meet this target, you’ll obediently come back to be my sub.”

       Chu Yunhan was a little surprised when he heard these words. He was stunned for a while and said, “What you said…is true?”

       “I never lied to you.”

       He pursed his lips uncomfortably, “So these three months…”

       “I won’t touch you, nor will I restrict any of your actions. However, this opportunity will become void if you try to outsmart me with tricks like a ‘golden cicada shedding its shell’ or secretly escaping. You know what will happen if you attempt to cheat or run away and I catch you.”

       Chu Yunhan trembled.

       “You can take office tomorrow, and Bai Yang will accompany you.” After the man said that, he stood up and left without staying for a moment longer. The young bodyguard named Bai Yang saluted him and said, “Young Master Yun, from today on, I am responsible for your safety. You can ask me to do anything you want.”

       He nodded, thought for a while, and said, “Do you have any information about that company? I want to see it.”

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