"Mr. Su, your phone has been ringing." Although the secretary didn't want to disturb his boss's peace, the name displayed on the screen compelled him to remind him. "It's Miss Su calling."
Upon hearing the surname Su, Su Chen indeed stirred.
He had been worn out, both mentally and physically, from dealing with those people lately. Having finally extricated himself from that vortex, Su Chen just wanted to be alone, having almost cut off all contact with the outside world.
However, Su He's call was one he couldn't ignore.
"Hello?" he said, signaling the secretary to leave, then swiped to answer.
"Su Chen, are you still in Nancheng? I need to see you." This was the first time Su He had dared to call him by his name so directly.
Su Chen paused, a slight curve involuntarily forming on his lips. "Say it again, I want to hear it?"
Su He: ...
Her imposing aura instantly diminished.
"Big brother," Su He mumbled obediently.
"Call me by my name," Su Chen corrected, tugging at his tie.
Su He ignored him and got to the point. "What's going on between you and Xiaoxiao?"
The sudden question plunged Su Chen into a brief silence.
"Xiaoxiao? You mean your best friend?" Su Chen probed subtly.
"Don't play dumb with me! Xiaoxiao told me everything, that you used to sponsor her." Su He wasn't aiming to corner him immediately but to gradually understand his attitude towards her best friend.
"Oh, you mean that. Yes, there was such a thing." Su Chen admitted readily. "Why would she suddenly mention me?"
"Because I'm in Nancheng." Su He dropped another bombshell.
"You're in Nancheng, when did this happen?" Su Chen stood up abruptly.
A flicker of joy ignited within him.
He calculated the time; how long had it been since he last saw her? The last time they agreed to return on the second day of the Lunar New Year, he was intercepted at the airport. He had promised to give her a gift but never got the chance.
"Where are you, I'll come find you," Su Chen said, grabbing his suit jacket, ready to leave.
Su He, however, interrupted him. "Don't, I don't have time right now. Xiaoxiao... she just had surgery, I need to be with her."
Su Chen's steps faltered. "She... what happened?"
"A miscarriage, severe bleeding, she almost didn't make it," Su He said these words lightly, seemingly devoid of emotion, but in reality, she was brewing a storm.
A scumbag who bullied women!
Even if he were her own brother, she wouldn't let him off!
The words "miscarriage" and "severe bleeding" made Su Chen's brow furrow in a tighter frown, and he remained speechless for a long time.
His silence alerted Su He to something unusual.
"Big brother, you're from Nancheng too, can you help me investigate? I just want to know which irresponsible dog man bullied my best friend!" Su He deliberately said this to him.
"Alright, I'll help you investigate." Su Chen, being the boss of a listed company, had a certain level of composure. After a pause, he added, "Is she... alright?"
"She won't die, anyway," Su He replied perfunctorily. "Oh, I can't talk to you anymore, remember to notify me when you have news."
With that, she hung up the phone.
Su He paced on the balcony, her suspicions confirmed.
Su Chen and Xiaoxiao indeed had a connection!
Although he had asked very cautiously, she had still caught him out.
He didn't seem entirely heartless towards Xiaoxiao. At least, he still cared about her. Based on this alone, Su He felt there was still room for salvaging the situation.
Later, Su Chen called a few times, but Su He didn't answer.
She needed to make him worry a little first, otherwise, how could she test his true feelings? If he really cared, he would find a way to see her. With this thought, Su He peaceably turned off her phone and slept until noon.
*
The employees of Lu Group clearly noticed that their boss was distracted during the meeting. Although it wasn't very obvious, for those accustomed to intense work, they definitely sensed his abnormality.
After the finance manager finished his report, there was a moment of silence.
Lu Yanbei snapped back to attention and asked a few questions without much emphasis, "What's the next agenda item?"
The project department manager stood up. "It's about the project in Fengxi Village. Although ninety percent of the people have signed contracts, there are still a few stubborn individuals who refuse to move."
"Is it a price issue?" Lu Yanbei asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Price is one aspect. Some elderly residents say they've lived there their whole lives and would rather die there. Their children have tried to persuade them, but they just won't budge."
"They're old, it's not good to force them. If anything happens, they'll blame us."
"I think they're just demanding more money! I've seen plenty of people like this!"
"But even so, we can't set such a precedent! Otherwise, if others find out, they'll definitely start causing trouble..."
Lu Group had already invested a considerable amount of money in the Fengxi Village renovation project. The other cooperating companies were also eager for the project to commence smoothly. This delay was not a solution.
Lu Yanbei spun his pen and said calmly, "Send someone to inquire about the backgrounds of those people and gather as much information as possible. Addressing the root cause is key to solving the problem."
Verbal negotiations and back-and-forth only wasted time.
Upon his suggestion, those below nodded in agreement.
"That's all for today's meeting," Lu Yanbei said, seeing that time was nearing its end.
The punctual adjournment left the senior executives feeling somewhat unaccustomed.
"Isn't it good not to work overtime? Look at all of you... do you really enjoy being masochists!" Cheng Jue watched them sitting in the conference room without moving and couldn't help but shake his head.
"Assistant Cheng, does the boss seem to have something on his mind?" the administrative department manager asked Cheng Jue privately, as they were old schoolmates and had a good relationship.
Cheng Jue looked at Lu Yanbei's back and whispered, "The boss's wife has gone to Nancheng."
"I thought so!" the administrative department manager nodded emphatically. "Besides the boss's wife, who else could occupy our boss's mind?"
"Alright, stop gossiping," Cheng Jue said, patting him on the shoulder with a folder. "Just focus on your own work. If the boss really gets serious, neither you nor I could handle it."
"Got it, got it, thanks, brother!"
The two of them chuckled as they left the conference room.
Lu Yanbei returned to his office and called Cheng Jue in. "Who is in charge of the Nancheng resort project?"
"It's Mr. Qian from the branch company," Cheng Jue reported after thinking for a moment.
"I recall there were some issues with the financial report he submitted last month?" Lu Yanbei had an excellent memory and could spot minor errors at a glance.
Cheng Jue flipped through his notes and said admiringly, "Yes, that's correct. Compared to the previous few quarters, the budget for the latest quarter exceeded by over thirty percent. Because it's a high-end renovation, the subsequent investment is also quite substantial."
"Minglan Bay has topped out, hasn't it?" Lu Yanbei asked again.
"Yes, around Christmas. There was a grand event held at that time."
Lu Yanbei tapped on his desk, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes. "Book a flight to Nancheng for tonight. I'll personally oversee this project."
"Yes," Cheng Jue replied.
"Also, I don't want a third person to know about this matter," Lu Yanbei emphatically instructed.