Night had already fallen, and I hadn’t even had time for dinner yet. Still, I resisted the hunger and sat back on the sofa, asking Yan Yan, “Is there anything else you need to tell me?”
Yan Yan’s expression was hesitant and heavy. What she had to say was obviously no small matter. After a long pause, she finally spoke in a low voice, “Zhaoyang, what I want to talk to you about is… Fangyuan.”
I immediately became alert but responded casually, “What does his business have to do with me?”
Yan Yan fell silent, perhaps due to the psychological pressure or perhaps because she couldn’t find the right way to express herself. In any case, she remained quiet for a long time.
During this silence, I looked at her seriously and said, “Yan Yan, at this point, I don’t know what mindset you’re using to view Fangyuan, but honestly, I really don’t want to hear that person’s name again because he’s a complete bastard!”
Yan Yan smiled bitterly and finally spoke, “I indeed hate him more than anyone else, but Zhaoyang, what can hatred bring us? He remains a symbol in our youth that can never be erased. Especially now that I am living the life I always wanted, I no longer wish to hate him. Perhaps he is a more pitiful and tragic person than us!”
“Is that so?”
“Give him a way out, give Wansen a way out too… If you’re willing to do this, in fact, everyone will at least have a decent ending. Even if you can’t forgive Fangyuan, Mi Lan is still Mi Cai’s blood-related sister. Is Wansen or Zhuo Mei really worth sacrificing everything for a fight to the bitter end? Besides, you and Mi Cai already have more than enough. Leave Wansen to them!”
I laughed in disbelief, “Yan Yan, do you really think their happiness must be based on owning Wansen? Once, Mi Cai and I returned to Xuzhou with nothing, but that period of our lives was a forever unforgettable happy memory. Therefore, happiness isn’t something granted by others—it depends on what you want!”
“Zhaoyang, you misunderstood me!”
“There’s no misunderstanding. Everything Mi Cai and I are doing now is just to reclaim what we once lost… Even if Fangyuan and Mi Lan lose Wansen, at least with Fangyuan’s abilities, he can ensure Mi Lan lives comfortably for the rest of her life, continuing to live far better than the average person… I still say, happiness depends on what you want. But between us and Fangyuan, there must be a resolution: to reclaim Zhuo Mei from him. As for how he chooses to live afterward, it’s simply a matter of choice. If he and Mi Lan truly love each other, they’ll find happiness even with just bread and water!”
Yan Yan sighed softly. She gave a faint, disappointed smile and finally replied in a low voice, “I just feel sorry for him…”
I remained silent. Later, there was no opportunity to say anything further about the matter because Qin Yan arrived at Yan Yan’s office with Xiaohua, bringing her dinner. He had been delivering dinner to Yan Yan for several nights in a row because she had been very busy recently.
Yan Yan didn’t rush to eat. She took Xiaohua from Qin Yan, showing maternal care in her words. Qin Yan seized the moment to capture a photo of the radiant smiles of mother and daughter with his phone. Watching this scene, I felt momentarily disoriented, as if the moment when Yan Yan had just pleaded with me to spare Fangyuan had never happened at all! It was as if she merely felt pity for Fangyuan…
After leaving Yan Yan’s office, I boarded a bus, circling the outermost edge of this city. The edge is the fate of this bus route; due to the route’s design, it never ventures into the city center, yet this is its fortune, for the most beautiful nights in this city aren’t found at the center but at the less densely populated edges…
Looking closely at the tall buildings and bright lights hurts the eyes, but from afar, they form a beautiful, detached landscape…
Suddenly, I felt a deep love for this world. I loved the cold wind that urged me to pursue the warmth of sunshine. I loved the nights illuminated only by artificial lights, which allowed me to grasp a sense of depth amid fear and loneliness, helping me reflect on my life… When I looked back, I finally dared to say that I hadn’t lost myself.
What about Fangyuan, my once closest friend? At this moment, how does he view this world we once complained about together?
I don’t know, and it no longer matters, because I no longer wish to forgive him due to our past camaraderie… He has already lost himself.
Three days after meeting Yan Yan, news came from Europe that Chuxinrui had been removed from the board of Eisar Investment. This meant Mi Cai’s strategy in Europe had ultimately succeeded, and also marked the end of the cooperation between Wansen Group and Eisar Investment. I believed it wouldn’t be long before Eisar Investment transferred its controlling shares in Wansen, making the development of events increasingly clear.
In the office, I sat opposite Chen Jingming, discussing the recent series of changes. He no longer hesitated as much as he used to when talking to me about Mi Cai and New Green Energy. He told me that New Green Energy had already started negotiations with Eisar Investment’s board to reclaim the shares controlled by Eisar in Wansen. If this negotiation succeeded, many subsequent issues would be easily resolved.
After talking with Chen Jingming, I immediately drove to a golf course in the suburbs of Suzhou, knowing that Mi Zhongde had been going there to play golf recently. I wanted to have a serious talk with him.
The vastness of the golf course seemed to make one forget all the discomforts of winter. Although I had only met Mi Zhongde once at a business event in the past couple of years, I felt no strong emotions because I clearly knew the purpose of my visit—I was striving to complete the final piece of the puzzle in reclaiming Zhuo Mei.
From afar, I saw Mi Zhongde swinging his club with great force, as if filled with hidden anger. I naturally understood his growing dissatisfaction with Fangyuan over the past year. Fangyuan’s power-hungry behavior had completely sidelined him, and he had been away from Wansen Group’s affairs for over a year.
I approached Mi Zhongde steadily. He noticed my arrival but didn’t stop swinging. He hit the ball again and watched its trajectory in the air for a moment.
Finally, I spoke up, “Chairman Mi, I’ve come today to discuss something with you.”
Under the fading sunset, the streaks of white in Mi Zhongde’s black hair were particularly noticeable, giving him a look of aging. He sighed and finally looked at me, saying, “I understand your intention. I do indeed have some shares left for retirement. If you need them, I can transfer them to you!”
“What I want is not just your shares. I also hope you can persuade the board members to transfer their shares to our company. I believe that at this moment, the Wansen Group is in turmoil, and they need a leader to guide their decisions. With your status in the group, you can influence them. This is also their last resort. If the banks lose patience with Wansen, the capital chain will break completely, and Wansen will face bankruptcy. At that point, no one can guarantee the interests of these shareholders!”
“I understand. So you want me, Mi Zhongde, to oppose my own son-in-law, is that right?”
I countered, “Chairman Mi, is this how you choose to view this matter and your position on it?”
Mi Zhongde sighed again, not immediately answering my question. He turned and walked toward a nearby rest area, and I followed. He sat down tiredly on a bench, and I stood beside him, waiting…
Finally, he said, “Xiaocai has been gone for two years now. Two years isn’t long, but it’s also not short, and many things have truly happened unexpectedly… After all, Xiaocai is the biological daughter of my wife. Yet, I foolishly placed Zhuo Mei’s fate on my mother-in-law’s promise. But how could that promise ever outweigh the lifelong maternal bond she had with her daughter? That’s why Zhuo Mei ending up like this was inevitable!”
I replied, “So it seems you’re not feeling resentful at all!”
Mi Zhongde shook his head bitterly, “I have too much to resent. I resent that the Zhuo Mei I spent half my life building became Wansen. I resent that it’s now the younger generation’s world, and I resent most that my beloved daughter married a man with wolfish ambitions who used her as a tool to achieve his goals!”
I remained silent for a long time, feeling pity and sorrow for this man in his fifties. After a while, I said, “So, Chairman Mi, you’ve already given me your answer, haven’t you? If most of Zhuo Mei’s shares return to me and Mi Cai, Zhuo Mei will still belong to your Mi family. Otherwise, you know better than anyone what the outcome will be!”
Mi Zhongde nodded, seemingly having already prepared himself. He looked at me with a gaze that seemed to tear me apart and said, “I can promise to fulfill your request, but you must also agree to one of mine…”
“Go ahead. If it’s within my ability, there’s no problem.”
“I want you and Xiaocai to write a legally binding commitment letter, ensuring that after you reclaim Zhuo Mei and restructure it, you will give Xiaolan twenty percent of the shares… My greatest concern in life is this daughter who has caused me endless worry. As long as she’s happy, I don’t care about anything else! Including her failed marriage to Fangyuan.”
I completely understood Mi Zhongde’s feelings as a father, but twenty percent of the shares was quite a high demand. After a brief pause, I replied, “I’ll need to discuss this with Mi Cai first and will give you a prompt response.”
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