Huo Xiaozheng ruthlessly hung up Lin Chuxu's call.
He quickly caught up with the sulking Ningning in a few strides.
"Dad was just teasing you earlier. If you don't want to drink it, you don't have to. Don't feel so pressured," he said, taking the cup from Ningning's hands and placing it on the nearby dining table.
Huo Guining glanced at the cup, feeling a bit conflicted. "But Grandma went through so much trouble to make that for me..."
Huo Xiaozheng suggested, "If you feel bad about it, why don't you drink it like water after you finish swimming? How does that sound?"
Huo Guining's eyes lit up; it was indeed a good solution.
As Ningning's swimming practice sessions increased, she was no longer as afraid of water as she had been initially.
Huo Xiaozheng could now work by the poolside while watching her swim.
However, for safety reasons, he generally avoided handling tasks that required intense concentration while Ningning was swimming.
This was to ensure he could immediately notice if she accidentally choked on water.
In this environment of ample security, Huo Guining became increasingly confident.
Occasionally, she would even venture alone into slightly deeper areas of the pool.
But when Huo Xiaozheng discovered this, he strictly forbade it.
From that point on, every time she swam, Huo Xiaozheng forcibly attached small foam wings to her body.
They were ugly, but they could save her life.
As for psychological counseling, just as Xie Lingluo had said, the frequency gradually decreased.
Because of this, Huo Guining lowered her guard around her.
Sometimes when Xie Lingluo asked about her past, Huo Guining would share a few details.
A mix of truth and fiction, it didn't raise Xie Lingluo's suspicions.
Things seemed to be moving in a positive direction.
Except for her body, which was still bound by the plot, forcing her to stay by Huo Xiaozheng's side.
Fortunately, both Huo Guining and Huo Xiaozheng had grown accustomed to each other's presence.
The father-daughter duo seemed to have fully adapted to each other's existence.
Not only did the company have Ningning's rest area and art studio, but Huo Xiaozheng's office also had children's items scattered about.
Huo Guining remained completely unaware of the brewing storm in the business world.
With Lin Chuxu's help, Jiang Suyuan quickly began operations on the Country A project.
Consequently, his attention to Old Mr. Qin's situation diminished.
The results from Yun City's disciplinary inspection hadn't been released, which seemed to give Old Mr. Qin unwarranted confidence.
The longer the investigation took, the more it suggested an unfavorable outcome.
Old Mr. Qin became increasingly reckless, not only intensifying his smear campaign against Huo Xiaozheng but even implicating local officials in Yun City.
By the time Jiang Suyuan finally had the chance to focus on Old Mr. Qin's situation, it was too late.
It was Friday night when the disciplinary inspection's results on Yun City officials were released.
Not only did it clear the local officials of suspicion, but it also made public the details of Huo Xiaozheng's land auction bid.
It stated that Huo Xiaozheng's procedure for bidding on that piece of land was not only legal and compliant, but out of love for his ancestral home, he had deliberately raised the price.
The price difference was used by the local Yun City government for infrastructure construction.
A detailed plan was also made public.
In the end, the local police stated that the internet was not a lawless place and that they would hold those who deliberately incited conflict accountable.
Upon hearing this news, Old Mr. Qin immediately ceased all activities and cut ties with all marketing accounts.
Due to Jiang Suyuan's prior warning, Old Mr. Qin hadn't used his own name when contacting these marketing accounts.
Instead, he had entrusted a friend to handle it.
Now, as the tree fell, the monkeys scattered.
His friend was the first to betray Old Mr. Qin.
When Jiang Suyuan came to find him, Old Mr. Qin was at a loss.
Jiang Suyuan said through gritted teeth, "At this point, there's no other way. Either you personally apologize to Huo Xiaozheng and Yun City to see if there's any..."
Old Mr. Qin, fuming, interrupted, "Apologize to a junior? Absolutely not!"
Jiang Suyuan couldn't help but roll his eyes. If you had known it would come to this, why did you do it in the first place?
But saying that out loud would probably be seen as disrespectful.
"Other than this, I can't think of any better solution..." he said.
Old Mr. Qin, clinging to a glimmer of hope, suggested, "Let's push the responsibility onto the marketing company and give them some hush money."
Jiang Suyuan: ...
He took a deep breath and said, "I've already told you the solution. How you choose to proceed is up to you."
With that, he turned and left without hesitation.
Despite his words, when he got home, he still discussed the matter with Qin Zhiyi.
They decided that Qin Zhiyi would privately apologize to the Yun City government on behalf of the Qin family and seek reconciliation.
As for Huo Xiaozheng...
Jiang Suyuan thought wearily that he would have to make another visit himself.
Unexpectedly, this time, Huo Xiaozheng was surprisingly amenable.
"How about this," Huo Xiaozheng said calmly, "The Qin family has already given my daughter some shares as an apology. Your Jiang family should also show some goodwill, but I hope it won't be less than what the Qin family offered."
Jiang Suyuan gritted his teeth and agreed, "Fine!"
It was just a matter of giving Huo Xiaozheng's daughter a share of the annual profits. Such a small gesture was something he should do anyway.
With Jiang Suyuan's consent, the process of transferring shares proceeded quickly.
Huo Xiaozheng also kept his word and didn't take advantage of the Qin family's vulnerable position.
Meanwhile, the local Yun City government responded well to Qin Zhiyi's apology and compensation.
However, considering that Yun City still needed funds for infrastructure, the local government hoped that the Qin family could provide some assistance within their means.
Qin Zhiyi generously agreed.
Learning that the matter had been resolved satisfactorily, Old Mr. Qin breathed a sigh of relief. That night, he drank alone under the moon until dawn.
The next day, when the housekeeper went to wake him up, they found him unconscious.
Qin Zhiyi, eyes red from crying, kept vigil at her father's bedside, not daring to leave for a moment.
Jiang Suyuan wanted to stay with her, but he received news that there was a problem with the Country A project.
"The funding chain broke? How is that possible?" Jiang Suyuan was shocked that at this critical moment, the unpredictable Lin Chuxu would simply abandon the project.
He immediately contacted Lin Chuxu: "What do you mean by this?"
Lin Chuxu lazily reclined in a chair at his estate, basking in the sunlight. "I don't mean anything. I just suddenly don't feel like doing it anymore."
Jiang Suyuan tried to contain his anger: "You do realize that withdrawing your investment now is a breach of contract and you'll have to pay compensation, right?!"
Lin Chuxu drawled, "I know. It's just money, isn't it? I'll compensate you, of course."
The compensation wouldn't be nearly enough for Jiang Suyuan to keep the project afloat.
Jiang Suyuan felt helpless: "Lin Chuxu, you're 30 years old. Can't you act more responsibly?"
Lin Chuxu laughed: "Is this your first day knowing me?"
Before Jiang Suyuan could respond, he added, "I've already sent a lawyer to your company. You can discuss the details with our legal team."
With that, he abruptly ended the call.
"Tsk, Huo Xiaozheng's move to cut off our resources is truly ruthless," Lin Chuxu muttered to himself. "Better not cross paths with Huo Xiaozheng in the future. He's too intimidating."
The intimidating Huo Xiaozheng was currently arguing with Huo Guining: "Didn't we agree that you wouldn't go to school for now?"