Evil Love Appears chapter 13
For the past few days, Fu Xiaoyu had been in a good mood. He rarely got a break, and since he was in Europe around the Christmas season, the discounts at various luxury stores were substantial. He decided to buy some winter scarves, boots, coats, and even some cufflinks and ties that he liked.
Despite his current income, he still paid attention to discounts on items worth tens or hundreds of thousands. It might seem like the time cost was not worth it, but this meticulousness was deeply ingrained in him, likely because his father, Fu Jing, had taught him to count every penny and split it in half. This habit remained with him even now.
However, he didn’t expect to be awakened early one morning by a DingTalk call from Wang Xiaoshan, who had returned to China.
“Mr. Fu, it’s bad. The acquisition of Yunfeng that you previously suppressed was forcibly approved by the IM board of directors a few days ago! What should we do?”
Wang Xiaoshan’s voice on the phone sounded on the verge of tears, and he certainly knew what this meant for Fu Xiaoyu.
“What? How could they—”
Fu Xiaoyu had just woken up, and his face turned pale upon hearing this news.
However, as soon as he said a few words, he immediately realized that this was a question that didn’t need to be asked.
He was the CEO of the group and had signed a shareholding agreement with Han Jiangque, making him the nominal shareholder. Therefore, his decisions could be overruled, primarily because—
It was the intention of Han Jiangque, the actual largest shareholder of IM.
“Book me a flight back to China as soon as possible. The sooner, the better. I’ll rush back immediately after arriving in B City. Wang Xiaoshan, you arrange it. After I return to B City, I’ll convene a new board of directors to reconsider this.”
Fu Xiaoyu spoke rapidly, and as he did, he sent a WeChat call to Han Jiangque on his iPad.
He didn’t care that it was the middle of the night in China right now; he just wanted to clarify Han Jiangque’s intentions. But unsurprisingly, Han Jiangque did not answer the call.
In fact, Han Jiangque had not contacted him and had directly pushed through the acquisition of Yunfeng during his business trip. Fu Xiaoyu had already guessed this—
This timing was by no means coincidental.
Han Jiangque had originally planned to avoid a direct confrontation with him while he was on a business trip and forcibly implement this resolution.
The moment Fu Xiaoyu realized this, his fingers trembled with anger.
Yunfeng had previously acquired land in the West City District, which had been artificially inflated by the Donglin Group. This had already caused Yunfeng’s financial situation to be severely strained. However, the money spent on the acquisition wasn’t his main concern. Even if he lost the money invested in the acquisition, Fu Xiaoyu wouldn’t be so worried.
What he truly couldn’t accept was Han Jiangque’s motivation behind pushing through this acquisition.
Everyone knew how many malicious and illegal operations the Donglin Group had conducted in the previous case in the West City District. Yunfeng’s executives were undoubtedly the most aware of this.
They were now eager to get rid of it because their finances were already in shambles due to the acquisition of the overvalued land in the West City District. They were on the brink of bankruptcy. And the only reason they had managed to find Han Jiangque, who was eager to find evidence to bring down the Donglin Group, was because of their desperate situation.
This acquisition case, from beginning to end was just a signal for Han Jiangque to start his revenge campaign.
Fu Xiaoyu naturally knew why Han Jiangque had targeted the Donglin Group.
The Donglin Group was an industry of the Zhongning Consortium, and Zhongning was the industry of Wen Ke’s ex-husband, Zhuo Yuan.
Regarding Zhuo Yuan, Fu Xiaoyu had also heard a lot from Han Jiangque.
He knew that it was Zhuo Yuan who had taken advantage of a quarrel between Han Jiangque and Wen Ke during high school to possess Wen Ke during his first heat.
It was Zhuo Yuan who had plagiarized Wen Ke’s exam papers, leading to the expulsion of the brilliant teenager.
Zhuo Yuan had not only destroyed the relationship between Wen Ke and Han Jiangque but had also ruined Wen Ke’s entire life. In other words, he had simultaneously destroyed the lives of both Wen Ke and Han Jiangque over the years.
Han Jiangque hated Zhuo Yuan with an intensity that was etched into his very bones.
When Zhuo Yuan was mentioned, his pitch-black, beautiful eyes would radiate a nearly terrifying light.
That kind of obsession made Fu Xiaoyu lose sleep as well.
Everyone knew that the Donglin Group had some backing in B City. If they were to strike hard against the Donglin Group, Fu Xiaoyu truly didn’t know if IM could withstand the relentless attacks from the Zhuo family.
…
In the end, Wang Xiaoshan managed to book a flight for Fu Xiaoyu that would depart that evening. However, due to the abruptness of the situation, he could only secure an economy-class ticket, and it would have a three to four-hour layover at a transfer airport, making it a rather grueling journey.
Fu Xiaoyu hadn’t flown economy class on long-haul flights for a long time. He drank two glasses of red wine on the plane and brought a U-shaped pillow and an eye mask, but he couldn’t fall asleep because he was feeling anxious.
He endured the entire 14-hour flight without sleeping. By the time he arrived in B City, it was already early in the morning.
The first thing he did upon landing was to immediately open WeChat. Before boarding the plane, he had messaged Han Jiangque, informing him that he needed to return to address the acquisition issue.
Han Jiangque had replied with just a short sentence: “Xiaoyu, I’ve already made my decision.”
Fu Xiaoyu didn’t respond any further.
After returning home, he hastily took a shower and didn’t rest. He didn’t waste a minute of his time, eating a simple breakfast and then taking a taxi to the company.
As soon as Fu Xiaoyu appeared in the lobby of the Gemini Tower, he was stopped by Wang Xiaoshan, who looked pale and hesitant.
“Is the meeting scheduled? Have they all arrived?” Fu Xiaoyu asked, looking at his watch and motioning for Wang Xiaoshan to press the elevator button.
“Mr. Fu,” Wang Xiaoshan’s face turned even paler, and he hesitated for a moment before saying quietly, “We… we can’t hold the meeting.”
“What did you say?” Fu Xiaoyu turned around, staring at Wang Xiaoshan.
“The board replied that decisions that have already been made will not be discussed again. This morning, they brought in an executive manager to take charge of the acquisition. They said you don’t need to be involved in this matter…”
For a moment, Fu Xiaoyu didn’t know if he should go upstairs.
In that second, the painful reality felt like a bucket of cold water being poured over him.
He may have appeared prestigious, but he was only seemingly so.
He had several director-level managers who followed his orders, and he had a huge CEO office with a panoramic sea view on the top floor. The amounts involved in his projects were astronomical figures in the eyes of his former classmates.
However, his ability to have the final say in the group was only because the largest shareholder had once firmly stood behind him…
…
Just then, a notification sounded—
The elevator doors that had just closed suddenly opened again, and Xu Jiale and Hu Xia walked out.
“President Fu!”
Hu Xia saw Fu Xiaoyu and immediately smiled, saying, “Did you come back early?”
Xu Jiale yawned before asking, “What’s the rush?”
His unexpected presence surprised Fu Xiaoyu. He hadn’t expected Xu Jiale to come to the office while he was away on a business trip.
However, Fu Xiaoyu didn’t have the mental capacity to think about this. At that moment, when he saw Xu Jiale, his mood took a sudden turn for the worse.
It wasn’t just Han Jiangque; Xu Jiale belonged to Wen Ke as well.
Apart from those naive Alpha friends, Wen Ke was the only Omega friend Xu Jiale cared most about and cherished.
Fu Xiaoyu couldn’t control his worsening mood. At that moment, upon seeing Xu Jiale, he didn’t even manage a forced smile. It was undoubtedly an extremely impolite gesture.
On the other hand, Hu Xia approached with enthusiasm and no sense of social awareness, “President Fu, we were just going to buy some cola from the vending machine. Do you want us to get you a drink?”
“How’s the progress on version 1.01?” Fu Xiaoyu didn’t answer Xu Jiale’s or Hu Xia’s questions and suddenly asked.
“Well, it’s almost done,” Hu Xia nervously stuttered.
Fu Xiaoyu glanced at his watch and said coldly, “At three o’clock, when I come back down, I want to see your progress.”
“Okay…,” Hu Xia replied, looking helpless. All he wanted was a can of cola. Xu Jiale frowned but remained silent.
When he saw the impatience in Fu Xiaoyu’s demeanor, he turned and walked toward the vending machine in the lobby on the other side.
…
“President Fu, why don’t you just go home and rest for a day? Your jet lag isn’t even sorted out yet, is it?” Wang Xiaoshan, who was watching Fu Xiaoyu’s expression, felt worried and asked softly.
“No need,” Fu Xiaoyu replied, looking down. He said in a hoarse voice, “Go get me a coffee.”
“Alright,” Wang Xiaoshan sighed inwardly and turned his head. However, he froze when he heard someone say, “Uncle Fu… You…”
Fu Xiaoyu, upon hearing the trembling “Uncle Fu,” felt a shiver down his spine. He took a deep breath, paused for a few seconds, and then slowly turned around.
“Fu Xiaoyu, you damn coward!”
Standing in front of him was a middle-aged Omega who exuded an aura of anger. “You even dare to lie to your own father? Business trip during the New Year? Why can’t I believe that? If I hadn’t insisted on coming to see you, I wouldn’t have caught you.”
It was winter, and Fu Jing was wearing an ostentatious, fluffy white fur coat and designer boots. His facial features were almost identical to Fu Xiaoyu’s, though he wasn’t as tall. Despite being an Omega nearing 50, his youthful beauty from his younger years still lingered. He had fair skin and didn’t show signs of aging, except for some fine wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.
“Dad…” Fu Xiaoyu said softly, “I didn’t mean to lie to you. There was an urgent matter at the company, so I rushed back. I just landed at six in the morning.”
“Right,” Wang Xiaoshan quickly chimed in, “Uncle, President Fu’s flight was arranged by me. I can show you the records. Please don’t be angry. President Fu wouldn’t lie to you on purpose!”
“I don’t want to see it,” Fu Jing pushed Wang Xiaoshan aside. He glared at Fu Xiaoyu with anger in his eyes. “Fu Xiaoyu, these past few years since you graduated, how many times have you come home?I worked so hard to raise you, and what do I get? A white-eyed wolf who doesn’t even come home. Isn’t that right?”
Fu Xiaoyu didn’t answer. From childhood to adulthood, he was used to not arguing with the irritable Fu Jing. He simply endured Fu Jing’s scolding in silence.
But perhaps it was fate’s twisted sense of humor, he saw, out of the corner of his eye, Xu Jiale and Hu Xia, who had just finished buying cola, walking back from the other side of the lobby. They were about to approach the elevator.
“Dad, let’s talk about our matters some other time.”
Fu Xiaoyu was anxious and said, “This is my company! Please go back first. I will explain everything to you later.”
“My company?” Fu Jing raised his voice. “I came because it’s your company. Where is Han Jiangque? Let me talk to him…”
“Dad!” Fu Xiaoyu knew that he was running out of time. He shouted, “If you create a scene in my company, I’ll call security.”
“You…” Fu Jing sucked in a cold breath, his eyes widened.
“Slap!”
Before Fu Xiaoyu could say anything else, he felt a burning pain on his face as a slap struck him.
In that instant, Fu Xiaoyu, who had been an adult for a long time, felt like he had returned to his helpless childhood.
He knew everyone had seen it.
Standing nearby were Xu Jiale and Hu Xia, Wang Xiaoshan by his side, and security guards and employees not far away.
The entire elevator area fell silent.
Fu Xiaoyu’s face was burning, but he didn’t raise his hand to cover it. With all his strength, he managed to stand still and raised his voice, “Security…”
“Escort my dad out.”
He calmly said in front of everyone.
Astonished, Fu Jing never expected Fu Xiaoyu to treat him this way. Although he was in his forties, when he got agitated, he still had the same aura as before. In the lobby, he almost got into a physical altercation with the security guard.
It was probably the most embarrassing moment in Fu Xiaoyu’s life.
In front of all his colleagues, he had been slapped, and he had to shout for security to remove his own biological father from the company.
He didn’t know which part was more embarrassing.
“What’s going on? Xiaoyu?” At that moment, the sound of high heels clicking on the floor could be heard in the distance. A tall, bespectacled middle-aged Alpha woman hurried over.
As soon as Fu Jing saw the Alpha, he immediately calmed down and started complaining, “This little brat Fu Xiaoyu called security to have me dragged out.”
He looked a little disheveled, and his hair was slightly messy. He appeared as if he had been bullied.
The female Alpha wrapped her arm around Fu Jing’s waist and frowned when she heard him use foul language. But when she heard the second half of his sentence, she turned her gaze to Fu Xiaoyu, her eyes filled with reproach. “Xiaoyu, what’s going on?”
Fu Xiaoyu’s fingers, hidden under his cuff, trembled with pain. Compared to Fu Jing, he couldn’t defy this Alpha.
She had supported them.
She was their benefactor.
He painfully said in a low voice, “Aunt, I’m sorry.”
“I don’t want an apology from you.” Tang Ning spoke gently. “You should apologize to your father. You shouldn’t have security drag him out like this. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes,” Fu Xiaoyu lowered his head. “Dad, I’m sorry, it was my mistake.”
“I don’t want to hear it,” Fu Jing said sarcastically.
Tang Ning understood Fu Jing to some extent, so she helped her Omega save face and said immediately, “A-Jing, the child has grown up. If there’s anything, don’t make a scene at his company, alright?”
Although Fu Jing reluctantly turned his head, he grudgingly responded after a moment, “Fine.”
“Xiaoyu, you go on with your work. I’ll take your dad to spend some time in B City. He insisted on coming to see you. When you’re done, call us.”
With a few words, the female Alpha resolved the embarrassing situation and gave Fu Xiaoyu some face. She hugged Fu Jing and took him away.
The drama came to an abrupt end, and the elevator doors finally opened in front of Fu Xiaoyu. He walked in numbly, his face still marked with five red marks.
Hu Xia and Wang Xiaoshan didn’t dare to approach at this moment. Only Xu Jiale followed him into the elevator.
None of them had said a word during the entire incident.
Fu Xiaoyu could feel Xu Jiale’s gaze on his back the entire time.
That gaze made him uneasy.
Xu Jiale probably found this scene quite amusing.
In fact, one didn’t need particularly keen insight to discern Fu Jing’s background. The extravagant fur coat, ostentatious designer boots, conspicuous designer logos all over his clothes, and the way he leaned on an older female Alpha. Anyone could deduce his family background.
You could never escape your origins.
No matter how hard he tried, how much he pretended, even with his expensive attire, fluency in business English, and driving a luxury car to work—
As soon as Fu Jing appeared, everything about Fu Xiaoyu became pretentious. He was instantly dragged back into his original social class.
He was just an Omega who had grown up in the mud.