Ch. 411..415: Mr CEO Ex-wife Escapes Again Chapter 411-415
Chapter 411: Chapter 411: Won’t Let Him Die!
The couple crawled up once more.
And as Sheng Siyuan sat up, with blood dripping from his forehead, he immediately took out his phone to make a call.
It was indeed fortunate, sliding all the way here, there was a cell signal.
Sheng Siyuan dialed directly to the Pentagon Building.
But, just as the call connected, there was another ’crack’ sound from above their heads.
"Husband!"
This time, Yin Hehe was so scared by the scene that she immediately clung tightly to the man beside her.
There was no way around it, she was human too. Even with great courage, having gone through that terrifying scene just now, she was still frightened.
Similarly, Sheng Siyuan gripped his phone, looking up, his handsome face completely pale.
"Chu Fengcheng! You just wait, if you can’t kill me, your death awaits you when I get back!"
He ground out these words, one by one.
"Creak!"
The cable car started to move.
Upon seeing this, Yin Hehe immediately closed her eyes in despair, her hands gripping the person beside her tightly.
It seemed they were truly going to die here today.
However, to die alongside this man wasn’t too bad, though it was a pity for their three children.
Yin Hehe buried her head in the man’s chest, a tear slipping from the corner of her eye.
A few seconds later, the cable car indeed started to move again.
This time, however, to both their surprise, the car wasn’t sliding downward, but instead began to ascend.
"Is it over?"
A flicker of life sprang up in Yin Hehe’s heart, and she immediately lifted her head from the man’s chest, looking upward.
Sheng Siyuan was also stunned.
When he saw that the cable car was indeed slowly rising, his expression visibly relaxed.
Could it be, he had been wrong?
Was it really just an accident with the cable car?
His tense body gradually loosened, but his eyes still vigilantly scanned the front.
Until the cable car approached its destination, seemingly about to stop.
"Husband, it seems we were wrong, it must have been an issue with the cable car." Yin Hehe also saw it and thus released her grip on the man’s arm, looking outside with a pleasantly surprised expression.
Sheng Siyuan muttered an "Mhm."
But just as the two were preparing to stand up, suddenly, with a violent jolt, the cable car plummeted down again in a matter of seconds.
"Help!!" Caught off guard, Yin Hehe screamed loudly inside the cable car.
However, it was useless.
The cable car, like before, plummeted down at rocket speed.
Yin Hehe: "..."
Dizzy and disoriented, she instinctively reached out for the person beside her.
Fortunately, the person beside her was always there, his hand gripping hers tightly as before, protecting her from injury.
However, was it just Yin Hehe’s imagination? This time, she felt like she couldn’t hear the man’s voice.
Was he angry?
When Yin Hehe was slammed to the ground again at that critical moment, this thought surfaced in her mind.
However, this time, as she recovered and tried to get up, she found that the man lying on top of her had been silent for a long time.
"Husband? Are you okay? What happened to you?"
She crawled over to him and saw his eyes tightly shut, his pale handsome face was contorted in pain, and she completely panicked.
"No... no problem, call this number right now, and... and have Chu Fengcheng killed!"
Sheng Siyuan eventually regained his composure, and after writing several numbers in the palm of the woman’s hand, he spoke with a murderous intent despite enduring immense pain.
Yin Hehe: "..."
Just as she was about to say something, the creaking noise above her head rang out again, and she immediately pulled out her phone and dialed without hesitation.
"Hello?"
A voice came from the other end of the phone.
Yin Hehe was struck by lightning!
Wasn’t that Xiahou Jingmu’s voice? Was he... still not dead?
Yin Hehe’s mind froze for a moment, but she had no time to think, as their gondola began to ascend again, and she immediately said on the phone, "Ayuan wants you to kill Chu Fengcheng, do it now!"
"Yes!"
The voice that replied was as cold as a machine programmed only to carry out tasks.
Yin Hehe hung up the phone and looked down, only then noticing the man still lying on the ground, not only motionless, but his lips also beginning to turn purplish-black.
"Husband, how are you feeling? Don’t scare me, say something..."
She was completely panicked.
Because by now, she had finally remembered something fatally important that she had overlooked about this man.
That was his heart disease that had not been cured!
Yes, back when he was in legal trouble with the shareholders of the Shengshi Group, he was taken away by the people from the Provincial City court for being falsely accused of murdering the company’s chief financial officer.
At that time, she rushed to Provincial City in haste to rescue him, and the solution she came up with was to have him stop taking his heart medication temporarily.
That night, after he took the medicine, she successfully got him out.
Because his condition then truly wasn’t much different from someone gravely ill.
My God!
How could she have forgotten about this? Had it been so long because he took care of her too well?
Or was she such a negligent wife that she never even thought of something so crucial?
"Where is your medicine? Where is your medicine?"
She began to search on his body, so panicked that she even forgot the danger both of them were in.
Her hands trembled uncontrollably.
Tears fell drop by drop.
Sheng Siyuan felt it and finally, he slowly opened his eyes amidst the pain.
"Don’t cry," he still tried to comfort her.
"Chu Fengcheng... must have wanted to take my life in this way... so, even if I take the medicine now, it’s no use. Wife, you protect... yourself later, it won’t be too long, understand?"
He slowly raised his hand, trying to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Yin Hehe was stunned.
A moment later, she understood what he meant, and then her entire body trembled violently beside him, before she ’thud’ collapsed next to him.
Right, how could she not have thought of it?
A man of his status, if killed in the open, would certainly draw significant attention, and if investigated, it would be troublesome.
So, exploiting his illness and letting him suffer up and down here, ultimately dying in this place. Later, they could find an excuse, saying it was an accident at the scenic spot, wouldn’t that be perfect?
Moreover, when Yin Hehe thought of this, she also remembered something horrifying.
That is, this man’s heart, belonged to Xiahou Xiu!
And Xiahou Xiu was Chu Fengcheng’s nephew!
"This beast!" Yin Hehe finally fully understood, and she immediately cursed bitterly, then began to frantically search his body again.
She would not let him die.
She didn’t back then, and she wouldn’t now!
Chapter 412: Chapter 412 Breaking the Game
Yin Hehe finally found that bottle of medicine.
It was hidden in the inner pocket of the man’s coat, a few small pills packaged in a vacuum-sealed bag.
Yin Hehe saw it and her eyes began to turn red again.
Had he been hiding it all this time? So, that was why she had never discovered it before?
She sniffled, tore open the medicine pouch, and quickly stuffed the pills into this man’s mouth.
"Husband, take the medicine quickly," she said with a sobbing voice.
Fortunately, in his haze of consciousness, he knew to swallow.
Yin Hehe breathed a sigh of relief.
But when she looked up and saw the cable car approaching the top, the color drained from her face once more.
If what Chu Fengcheng had said was true, and he intended to kill this man, then once the cable car reached the top, it was going to plunge down again.
With such violent movements and the thin air, Sheng Siyuan would undoubtedly die!
Yin Hehe despaired.
She hugged the man tightly in her arms, let her tears fall in big droplets, and waited for the final moment to arrive.
"Don’t be afraid, I’ll be with you."
"..."
Just as things seemed dire, there came a roaring sound from above, like a fierce eagle swooping down with force, circling around the cable car control center.
My God!
Was that a fighter jet?
The people at the control center were stunned.
It was at this moment that they heard a "click" from the jet.
Before they could understand what was happening, several bursts of gunfire erupted from within, tearing the control center to shreds.
The person in charge was riddled with bullets and died without comprehending what had happened.
"Don’t kill me, don’t kill me, we were forced too!" The others, gripped by immense fear, scrambled out of the ruins, clutching their heads and begging for mercy.
Forced?
Does being forced justify murder?
Xu Guannan sat inside the fighter jet, his eyes flashing crimson for a moment before firing several more shots, virtually leveling the control center.
When Yin Hehe was helped out of the cable car, her mind was still in a state of shock.
"Madam, it’s alright, don’t worry."
"...Okay... okay," she stammered, still trembling.
However, her thoughts were quick to react, and after a brief calm, she turned to the man also being carried out.
"Quick, save him, Captain Xu, save him quickly!!"
"I know, Madam, don’t worry, we will arrange it immediately, the President will be fine."
Xu Guannan reassured her as he saw her fingers gripping his sleeve
This was the first time he had seen her so panicked.
Half an hour later, when everyone had descended from the mountain, the local officials were already pale and waiting at the foot of the mountain.
However, Xu Guannan didn’t bother with them, instead, he helped Yin Hehe into the vehicle, and quickly, the group sped away.
Not long after, Doctor Qin, who heard the news, also arrived at the hospital.
"What happened? Why was there a cable car accident out of the blue?"
Doctor Qin didn’t know the truth yet. When she arrived at the hospital and saw Yin Hehe sitting blankly outside the operating room, she hurried over to ask.
When Yin Hehe saw her, her eyes instantly reddened.
In the end, it was Xu Guannan who explained, "Chu Fengcheng made his move, aiming to kill the President at the mountaintop."
"..."
Dr. Qin’s face suddenly contorted into the ugliest expression she had ever worn!
What she hated most was power struggles.
Back then, she actually had many opportunities to advance her career, after all, she had such a powerful father there.
But she didn’t accept them, just so she could concentrate on being a good doctor.
But now!
Dr. Qin was very angry, and she wanted to go find her father immediately.
But at that moment, Yin Hehe stood up and held her back.
"Dr. Qin, don’t go to see your father. This matter, once Ayuan wakes up, he will handle it."
"Okay..." Dr. Qin finally agreed.
Indeed, some things have to be dealt with personally; otherwise, if the centipedes are not dead, they will always come looking for trouble.
Yin Hehe had spent the entire day outside the operating room.
Fortunately, by evening, the doors of the OR opened, and the doctor emerged to bring good news.
"We’ve pulled through, but he mustn’t be agitated in the near future. His heart, after all, was not fully healed back then. These years it’s been maintained by medication, and if something like this happens again, I’m afraid not even an immortal could save him," the doctor said, removing his mask.
This doctor, in fact, had been Sheng Siyuan’s primary physician back in the day, and after the accident, Xu Guannan quickly arranged for him to come.
Upon hearing this, Yin Hehe felt a rush of relief, nearly causing her to lose her balance.
"Madam, are you alright? Do you want to take a rest? You’ve been here all day as well," Xu Guannan said, quickly supporting her.
Yes, this woman, she herself was injured, but she had steadfastly remained in place all day long.
Xu Guannan looked at her pale face, and the bandaged wounds on her arms and legs, and could not help but feel a twinge of heartache.
It was a protective affection, much like that of an older brother.
In the end, Yin Hehe obediently followed the advice and went to rest in the ward.
That night, while the hospital was calm, over in the capital, things had already reached a critical point.
"What did you say? They’ve surrounded the Pentagon Building?"
Chu Fengcheng was currently trapped inside the building, one of his legs broken. When he heard that the building was encircled, his expression turned incredibly ferocious.
"I am the one in power here, why are they surrounding this place? Who gave them the audacity?" he bellowed.
However, no one around him paid any attention. These people, ever since they found out he had secretly attempted to kill the president of Shengshi Group, had nothing more to say to him.
It wasn’t a matter of choosing sides.
It was that, as far as they were concerned, a ruler who would resort to such despicable and shameless tactics for personal vengeance didn’t deserve to lead them anymore.
The common people would never like such a ruler.
"Speak up, why aren’t you speaking? Why isn’t anyone coming? Is the army dead or what?"
Seeing that no one moved, Chu Fengcheng became even more hysterical.
Finally, someone stepped forward.
"Mr. Chu, do you know who it is surrounding this building?"
"Who?"
"The forces from Chongzhou. You mean to have the army fighting each other? These are not your personal soldiers."
The man, wearing a pair of black-framed glasses and looking refined and scholarly, was none other than Shangguan Jianying, who had been dramatically defeated by Yin Hehe in court the last time!
And now, after the new leadership was formed, he became the chief justice of the highest court.
But unexpectedly, this time, he didn’t stand by Chu Fengcheng’s side but vehemently rebuked him instead.
Chapter 413: Chapter 413: Counterattack
Chu Fengcheng was scolded to the point of a red face and burning ears on the spot.
Furious, he glared at the Supreme Court President he’d promoted himself, and after a long time, he finally said angrily, "Now that they are trying to besiege us, shouldn’t we fight back? Are we going to let the tragedy of last New Year’s Eve happen again?"
He even brought up New Year’s Eve night.
Suddenly, people present were somewhat reluctant to speak; after all, many had died that day.
Unexpectedly, just at that moment, a cold laugh suddenly came from above their heads.
"Chu Fengcheng, you have the nerve to bring up New Year’s Eve? Aren’t all these events that you’re stirring up just efforts to replicate that night?"
"..."
That was a harsh statement.
Not only did Chu Fengcheng immediately look up,
but the others also immediately turned their gazes upwards. To their surprise, they saw a person being wheeled out in a wheelchair.
"Xiahou Jingmu? He... wasn’t he dead?"
"Yes, didn’t Deng Yuanqi kill him that New Year’s Eve? Right here in this conference hall."
Everyone was dumbfounded, staring at the person being wheeled out, their expressions filled with disbelief.
But Chu Fengcheng was not so surprised.
Upon seeing this person, his eyes narrowed, and he even showed a hint of resentment.
Yes, his leg was recently injured by this man.
Xiahou Jingmu looked down coldly at the resentful expression of this man, and on his sickly pale face appeared a mocking smile.
"Chu Fengcheng, you’re really insatiable. Having already reaped the fruits of New Year’s Eve, why can’t you be content? Why do you insist on exterminating the Xiaho Family to the last, thinking that only with the Xiaho Family gone from this world, you can secure your seat at the Pentagon Building?"
Xiahou Jingmu started to question this man. When it came to the extermination of the Xiaho Family over the past six months, his voice became particularly sharp and piercing in the conference hall.
Suddenly, it was as though the mask of hypocrisy on Chu Fengcheng’s face was ripped away.
That was his very purpose!
After Deng Yuanqi was killed, Xiahou Yi had returned the Pentagon Building to him and promised that the Xiaho Family would no longer interfere with anything concerning the building.
But he simply did not believe it.
Xiahou Yi was too formidable, and his influence over him too great; he simply did not believe that this old man would let go so easily.
Therefore, for the first three months while Xiahou Yi was still around, he did not dare to touch the Xiaho Family.
But as soon as Xiahou Yi’s death was announced, he acted immediately, brutally suppressing the Xiaho Family. In just three short months, the members of the Xiaho Family in the capital had become like rats crossing the street.
In the end, he even wanted to make a move on Shengshi Group.
"Chu Fengcheng, if there’s anything you shouldn’t have done, it was to mess with Shengshi Group. Do you know why the Xiaho Family has suffered so much these three months, yet no one has troubled you?"
"..."
"Because it was the old master’s dying wish. But the moment you touched that side, you brought disaster upon yourself!"
When Xiahou Jingmu spoke his last sentence, all expressions on his face vanished, leaving only intense murderous intent in his eyes.
Seeing this, Chu Fengcheng immediately showed a look of panic and stepped back two paces.
But he did not admit defeat; instead, after standing there with his face alternating between red and pale, he retorted, "What nonsense are you spouting? When did I ever suppress the Xiaho Family? Clearly, after you left Xiahou Yi, you were useless at everything and you’re putting the blame on me."
He indeed resorted to a complete denial.
Xiahou Jingmu, upon hearing this above, was enraged to the utmost and laughed again.
"Really? Want me to present evidence to confront you? My uncle’s freight was innocently labeled as smuggling, my cousin Xiahou Shaojie was wrongfully accused of using drugs, and in the end, he died in the Drug Rehabilitation Center!"
"..."
The conference hall fell into a dread silence.
And this Chu Fengcheng, too, was left speechless by the retort, his face turning red down to the neck, unable to respond.
But Xiahou Jingmu had not finished, he continued, "Furthermore, my other uncle’s son, he’s only 17, a high school sophomore. Are you even human? You didn’t spare him either, forcing him to flee to Jiangbei to study!"
"This is too much, how could he do such a thing?"
"Exactly, it’s understandable to suppress adults, but to target a child, what does that make you?"
"That’s why I say, he is not a qualified leader!"
This revelation caused an immediate uproar, and those who had been silent moments before began to curse angrily throughout the conference hall.
Especially Shangguan Jianying, who once again concluded that this person was unfit to be a leader.
Chu Fengcheng finally began to panic as he looked at these people. Anxiously and angrily, he blurted out, "Yes, I admit I used some tactics against the Xiahou family, but it was all to consolidate the power of the Pentagon Building. Have you not seen what the building could do when the four big families were here? Weren’t they the ones who called the shots?"
He actually admitted to suppressing the Xiahou family.
However, he immediately followed up with a high-sounding reason, namely to strengthen everyone’s power.
In an instant, with those words, the people in the conference hall wavered once more.
After all, the latter part of what he said was indeed true; the four great families truly used to be the ones wielding real power in the capital.
Seeing people waver, Chu Fengcheng’s heart rejoiced.
"So, what’s wrong with what I did? I wasn’t doing this for myself. This place is supposed to control the world, why should it belong to the four big families? When Qin Zhihai founded the Pentagon Building, wasn’t it also his hope that this would be the real leadership?"
He became more agitated, even bringing up Qin Zhihai, the founder of the Pentagon Building.
This Qin Zhihai was the father of Doctor Qin.
Upon hearing him, the crowd became even more hesitant.
But just then, the conference hall doors opened slowly, and an elderly man dressed very simply walked in under everyone’s watchful eyes.
"Isn’t that...?"
"Mr. Qin, the senior?!!"
Someone recognized him, and immediately, the entire conference hall was filled with gasps.
Yes, this old man was Qin Zhihai, the very person Chu Fengcheng had just mentioned!
Chu Fengcheng lost all color in his face.
"You... How did you come here?" he asked the old man, trembling as if he had seen a ghost.
The old man held a tobacco pipe in his hand, and upon hearing such an absurd question, he looked at him and smiled.
"What do you think?"
With just a few simple words, he completely stripped this greedy villain of the courage to speak.
Indeed, when Sheng Siyuan visited the old man last time, the old man had already warned him, suggesting that mercy should be shown where possible.
And the result?
The old man, holding his tobacco pipe, stepped slowly to the chief seat of the conference hall he had once built with his own hands.
Chapter 414: Chapter 414 Not Your Personal Property
"This Pentagon Building was indeed established by my own hands, but my original intention was to seek welfare for the people and peace for the world. I never intended for it to become a stage for one person’s power and influence," the old man said.
When the elderly man reached that chief seat, he didn’t sit down but instead gently caressed the back of the chair.
It was as though it were his child; the look in his eyes was one of unbearable separation, filled with intense expectation for it.
On seeing this, everyone felt a warmth in their hearts.
Indeed, that was the right kind of look. A father raises his child, but he hopes the child will soar high, that it will have a broader world to explore and someday be able to contribute to society.
When did this child become someone’s private property of power?
Everyone felt a deep respect for the old man, and an even colder disdain for Chu Fengcheng.
Chu Fengcheng felt it too, and all at once, as he stood below, his fists clenched. That feeling of the tide of power slipping away began to climb up from the pit of his stomach.
"Mr. Qin, I never said I wanted to play with power in this seat. What I did was merely to reclaim the authority that had been dispersed among the four major families," he still rebutted, without giving up.
The old man heard and gave a light chuckle, "Is that so? Then why did you pursue and attempt to eliminate a person who had already renounced his inheritance rights to the Xiahou Family?"
"..."
Chu Fengcheng’s face turned paler.
Yet he still denied it, "That’s not true. I was completely unaware of what happened on the mountain peak. How could you blame me for that?"
"It seems you just won’t give up until you’re faced with the bitter end," the old man said, his kindly eyes finally turning cold.
He picked up his dry tobacco pipe and tapped it on the table. Soon enough, the doors to the conference hall opened, and two uniformed senior officers walked in.
"Bring out the documents and let him have a good look," he commanded.
"Yes, Mr. Qin!" the two officers responded, immediately taking out a stack of documents from the briefcase they brought.
As people saw this, they got up from their seats and crowded around to see. To their surprise, it was a pile of invoices, and the tax clients listed were all from Shengshi Group.
So, were these two from the tax bureau?
"Ladies and gentlemen, these are the tax documents collected by the Jiangbei Tax Bureau from Shengshi Group following instructions from above in the last two months. As you can see, the tax points have increased by more than 30%. Moreover, many items that we never taxed before are now included," the tax officer explained, handing the documents around for everyone to see.
After a few minutes, when people had finished looking, a sharp intake of breath echoed through the conference hall as they showed incredibly shocked expressions.
"This is preposterous; it completely deviates from national tax regulations," someone exclaimed.
"Exactly, isn’t this blatantly draining Shengshi Group as if it were a blood bank? Which ’above’ issued these instructions?" Shangguan Jianying angrily asked.
The officers in uniform shrugged their shoulders, indicating they were clueless.
"I only found out about this after Mr. Qin contacted me," one officer said.
"..."
Everyone was even more startled.
From the uniform this man wore, it was clear that he held a high position, probably from the headquarters in the capital.
And yet he was unaware.
But it didn’t end there, for the person next to the tax bureau executive also brought out some documents.
"And over here, at Shengshi Group’s electronic bank, I’m certain we received no instructions to terminate it, so why have we been receiving so many complaints from customers at our headquarters? I’ve been clueless about it all along," he said.
Turns out, this man was from the upper echelons of the Industrial and Commercial Bank.
The conference hall was in total uproar.
And when Chu Fengcheng saw these, his face completely lost its color.
With ironclad evidence, what could he possibly argue?
The elder spoke, "My visit this time was actually to give you face. If that child were to personally handle you, I’m afraid you would die a more unsightly death!"
He suddenly mentioned Sheng Siyuan.
At that moment, his expression finally turned utterly cold. Even without showing anger, merely by sitting there, the awe-inspiring righteousness emanating from him, along with an innate sense of oppressive authority, was palpable.
Chu Fengcheng staggered backwards two steps.
Indeed, how could he not know? If Sheng Siyuan were to make a move, he would have no chance of survival.
Just like Deng Yuanqi on Chinese New Year’s Eve, an old fox who had been scheming for so many years and who had real military power in his hands.
But what was the result?
Chu Fengcheng thought of the gruesome scene of Deng Yuanqi under that man’s gun and shivered; finally, he collapsed into the chair behind him.
His era had also come to an end...
--
City Y.
In the early morning city, the situation was well under control, so the local people were not affected.
After waking up, Yin Hehe looked out of the hospital ward window; when she saw the bustling streets bathed in a golden glow and people walking in an orderly manner, she couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
She had already known about what happened in the capital the previous evening.
From her perspective, it was the perfect resolution that Elder Qin had made a move in the end because she did not want to see chaos anymore.
Yin Hehe came out of the ward.
Just then, the doctor came to make his rounds, checked the intensive care room, and told her some good news afterward.
"The recovery is going well; you can be transferred to a regular ward now."
"That’s great!" She was extremely happy.
So that morning, Sheng Siyuan, who had already awakened, was transferred to a regular ward, with Yin Hehe taking care of him in the room.
"Husband, about what happened in the capital, after Elder Qin went there, he has dismissed Chu Fengcheng. Now, the Pentagon Building waits for a new powerholder to be elected."
Yin Hehe peeled an apple and brought it to the bedside. Seeing that the man seemed to be in a good mood, she tentatively mentioned the incident to him.
As her words fell, his gaze settled on her face. He didn’t say much but took the apple from her hands.
Yin Hehe: "..."
Sheng Siyuan: "That’s pretty good."
He finally spoke, and then began to eat the apple on the hospital bed.
Yin Hehe immediately let out a long sigh of relief.
With this, the matter had finally come to a close.
A week later, Sheng Siyuan was discharged. He had intended to go straight back to Jiangbei, but suddenly, Dr. Qin came over, saying his father wished to invite him to his small courtyard for a simple meal.
"Mr. Sheng, my father rarely invites people over. Those precious vegetables he grows are scarcely tasted by the old man in the neighboring village year-round."
Dr. Qin couldn’t help but show a look of envy while still in the ward as he said this.
Seeing this, Yin Hehe couldn’t help but feel amused.
"Dr. Qin, does that mean even you can’t get a taste?"
"It’s not that I don’t get any, but it’s rare. Every time the old man grows good vegetables, he hauls them off to the big courtyard, where many of his old friends are... Ah!"
Dr. Qin said dejectedly.
Chapter 415: Chapter 415: The Genes in the Bones
Sheng Siyuan ultimately went to the old man’s house with Yin Hehe.
Upon arriving at the courtyard, they found that in the bright and sunny yard, the old man with graying hair had already set up a table under the osmanthus tree, and at this moment, it was filled with authentic farmhouse dishes.
"Did... did the old sir make this himself?"
Yin Hehe was quite surprised to see this.
Dr. Qin, who was present at the time, actually showed a very proud expression.
"Yeah, my dad is quite good at cooking. He used to do all the cooking when I was a child."
"Tsk..." Yin Hehe immediately let out a sound of admiration.
After all, men who can cook are usually afamily’streasured hands.
The couple walked over to the small table.
Just then, the elderly man came out from the house again, wearing an apron and carrying a big bowl of soup.
"Make way, make way, this is chicken soup I’ve simmered all morning, all raised by myself, it’s so fragrant."
The old man brought it over cheerfully, looking nothing like his dignified self at the Pentagon Building.
He was truly a proper old farmer.
Yin Hehe quickly made room for him.
As for Sheng Siyuan, ever since the old man appeared, he had stood quietly to the side, with an air of unusual respect in his behavior.
"Sit down, why are you both standing? Xiaofang, go get some bowls and chopsticks, and bring a bottle of wine as well."
Seeing that the couple was still standing, the old man, after putting down the chicken soup, called for them to sit and for Dr. Qin to get bowls, chopsticks, and wine.
Dr. Qin went in.
Seeing this, Yin Hehe then pulled on the man next to her, signaling to sit down first.
In such a place, unlike the big cities, there were no particular formalities, and Yin Hehe feared that this man with a penchant for cleanliness might feel uncomfortable.
But to her surprise, when she asked him to sit, he truly pulled the long bench out and sat down.
"Young man, how are you doing now? Your body must have almost recovered, right?"
The old man, seeing the couple had both taken seats, asked with a beaming smile.
Sheng Siyuan nodded, "I’m fine now, thank you for your concern, Old Qin."
He actually even thanked this old man.
It seemed that this elder indeed received considerable respect in his heart, far more than his biological father, Xiahou Yi.
After hearing this, the old man also smiled happily.
"That’s good to hear. Can you have a little drink today then?" he almost immediately said this.
However, as soon as the words were out, Dr. Qin came out and immediately scolded her own father, "Dad, what are you saying? The man has just been discharged from the hospital, and you’re asking him to drink? Are you trying to kill him?"
"Cough cough cough..."
The old man felt a bit embarrassed being scolded by his daughter.
Seeing the situation, Yin Hehe quickly jumped in to smooth things over, "It’s okay, if Old Qin doesn’t mind, I can have a drink with you."
"Alright!"
The old man’s eyes lit up again.
So, everyone finally started to eat. Around the small table, there were four people—it wasn’t a feast with extravagant dishes.
But at that moment, Yin Hehe felt the atmosphere was especially good.
"Old Qin, the dishes you made are really delicious, fragrant and authentic," Yin Hehe said, unable to resist praising after tasting a few bites.
Hearing this, the old man, who was sipping on his drink, smiled even more joyfully.
The little girl sure knows how to talk, but I guess my cooking is pretty decent. Those old guys in the courtyard have been eating it for decades and never got tired of it."
...
That comment made both husband and wife under the tree fall silent.
From the information they gathered, the courtyard the old man mentioned was actually a veterans’ retirement home in City Y.
But that retirement home was quite special.
It was said that they were all disabled soldiers who had come back from the battlefield, with no family left. Later, they were all settled there.
Yin Hehe looked at the old man’s content and proud eyes, and suddenly seemed to understand why such a character had chosen to retire and live in seclusion here.
"Young man, I invited you over for a simple meal today because there’s something I want to ask you. Do you have any good advice regarding the affairs in the imperial capital?"
After the third round of drinks, the old man finally got to the point.
Sheng Siyuan heard this, having been waiting for it, put down his chopsticks and looked at the old man.
"I’m not interested in these matters."
"Hehe~~" Hearing this, the old man laughed, holding his small cup of wine.
"I guessed as much. In fact, your father came to me at the end of last year. He told me that he was troubled because you weren’t interested in what he wanted to give you, and even asked me to think of a solution."
Unexpectedly, the old man suddenly brought up such a piece of history.
Yin Hehe heard this and immediately put down her wine cup and looked at the old man: "What you’re saying... is it true?"
"Of course, it’s true. That old man, having held on in the imperial capital for so many years, didn’t have anyone to speak his mind to. Sometimes, he could only come to me to talk."
... "So what happened after?"
"Afterwards, he said he had come to terms with it and did not want to trouble you two. So that might be why he made his decision before he died, to dissolve the Xiahou Family’s power and give you and your spouse a quiet world."
The old man sighed, lifting his cup and taking another sip of wine.
He must have had regrets.
You must understand that Xiahou Yi was a man of great talent and strategy. If he had a competent heir, under his arrangements, none of what happened would have occurred.
Sheng Siyuan listened quietly.
Unfortunately, the old man finished his cup of wine, and still, he saw no response from the man.
Seeing this, the old man could only sigh again.
"I’m asking you this not just for the sake of it. If your father didn’t involve you in his affairs, naturally I wouldn’t force you to. Right now, I just want to see if you have any good ideas. That shouldn’t go against your original intentions, should it?"
The old man backed down, merely asking the man for advice now.
Upon hearing this, the man finally put down his chopsticks.
"I really don’t have any good advice. I’m just a businessman. If I speak from my point of view, of course, I hope the country can provide a good business environment for me. I don’t want to be threatened anymore, or be regarded as a piece of fat meat to covet."
He spoke indifferently about what he wanted.
The old man couldn’t help but chuckle upon hearing this.
"You rascal, who isn’t after that nowadays? The Pentagon Building is in chaos because of Deng Yuanqi and Chu Fengcheng, and now everyone is hoping to elect someone genuinely capable."
"Then you can take your time to choose. With so many people in there, can’t you find a good candidate?"
Sheng Siyuan frowned and replied.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, the old man actually shook his head.
"No, otherwise I wouldn’t have sought you out. I actually have a candidate in mind, but he’s very young and needs to grow up."
"And then?"
"Then, may I use my old face to ask you to be an Imperial Tutor once?"
The old man’s gaze suddenly pierced straight through to Sheng Siyuan, and this time, he wasn’t joking anymore.
He was very serious...