Meanwhile.
The smile on Wu Yi's face only lasted until he left the Kung residence; by the time he reached home, his expression was as cold as frost.
He had barely sat down when someone came to invite him:
"The Chief of Staff said he's been busy these past few days and couldn't attend to Young Master Wu. Fortunately, his work is done now, so he has arranged a small banquet. There are no outsiders, just our own people gathering to chat and catch up. Everyone else has pretty much arrived."
"We are just waiting for you, Young Master Wu."
Here it comes.
This is going to be a joint interrogation.
Wu Yi sighed inwardly.
Knowing he couldn't hide from it, he calmly nodded, saying that he had just returned from outside and was covered in dust, so he would head over after freshening up a bit.
Seeing the messenger only nod without moving his feet to leave, a wave of annoyance rose in his heart.
He almost lost his temper but forcibly swallowed it down. He had to stuff a considerable amount of money into the man's hands to send him away. He knew that this kind of petty person was the most opportunistic; if the man hadn't sensed his master's intentions, he would never have been so arrogant.
It was obvious that this hurdle would not be easy to overcome.
In the inner room.
Xing Qiu put down the book in her hands, lost in thought. Suddenly, she heard a child's voice filled with indignation: "I said long ago that Su Ning is a jinx. She doesn't do anything but bring bad luck to people. She is competitive, mean, and ungrateful, making Dad frown all day."
It was Wu Xuewen.
He could be considered precocious and had long understood what had been happening these past few days.
When he knew Su Ning was going to suffer and be unlucky.
He had secretly woken up laughing in the night.
Who knew that the good times wouldn't last? Not only was Su Ning fine, but she was also very likely to gain both fame and fortune. Instead, it seemed his father, Wu Yi, was going to be implicated.
"Shut up."
Wu Xuewen looked over in astonishment.
"Personal grievances are one thing, but Su Ning did nothing wrong in the matter of prospecting for the oil field. Not only did she do nothing wrong, but she also made a tremendous contribution to the country and the people. You cannot speak of her like that."
Xing Qiu patiently instructed her son.
In other aspects, she was willing to spoil this son she had lost and found again, but there could be no deviation on matters of major right and wrong.
"She's not the only one who wanted to prospect for oil. She was just lucky. If it weren't for her, Dad and the others would definitely have found a better oil field, and they would be much better for the country and the people than that mean and cold-blooded Su Ning."
Wu Xuewen was unconvinced.
He rattled off a long string of words, and seeing Xing Qiu frown.
He stubbornly raised his chin even higher.
"You child..."
Before she could finish speaking, Wu Yi walked in. He put his arm around Xing Qiu's shoulders, and though she dodged him, he didn't mind. For the first time, he looked at Wu Xuewen with appreciation.
"Dad."
Wu Xuewen felt this gaze.
His heart pounded wildly.
"Mhm, just don't say these things outside," Wu Yi casually patted his son's head and smiled. "If others hear it, they will only laugh at you for being a sore loser. Winners are kings and losers are villains. When it's time to admit defeat, just admit it. Wait until you win next time to take it all back."
"I understand."
Wu Xuewen nodded obediently.
However, he failed to notice the disapproving look from his birth mother, Xing Qiu, beside him.
Wu Yi did notice it.
But he didn't care either. Little Qiu had always been like this, a bit old-fashioned and stubborn... But it was exactly this that made her different from other women, pitiful yet lovable.
However, it wouldn't be good for his son to have such a personality; he wouldn't be able to navigate social circles.
Fortunately, Xuewen was like him.
Feeling a bit better, and running out of time, Wu Yi changed his clothes while asking Wu Xuewen—someone who had actually dealt with Su Ning—about her. Combining this with the information he had, he sketched out an image of her in his mind:
Cold-blooded, ruthless, mean, and arrogant.
This was indeed Su Ning.
But on a deeper level, she was incredibly shrewd. She calculated ten steps ahead for every step she took, and everything she did was to achieve her goals. To move this kind of person, one only needed to lay out the clear benefits.
Wu Yi felt that victory was already in his grasp.
He finished changing and left.
Inside the room.
Wu Xuewen was still immersed in the excitement of being acknowledged and valued by his biological father. Beside him, Xing Qiu frowned slightly and soon found an excuse to leave in a hurry.
...
The next day, Peiping.
On the bustling streets, the crowd skillfully made way for a few cars, then went back to doing business or shopping, appearing very calm and collected.
"Peiping is truly a century-old ancient capital, full of outstanding people and a vibrant spirit. There are hardly any refugees or beggars on the streets, are there?"
Madame Kung spoke with an admiring tone:
"Huaiqian has governed this place quite well."
One must know that even in Nanking, beggars could be seen everywhere. It wasn't that Peiping had none, but there were far fewer. The common people also seemed to have a bit more flesh on their faces, and their expressions were peaceful and calm.
At a glance, one could tell they were making a decent living.
"You flatter me."
The one driving was the Secretary-General, and he mercilessly exposed his old classmate's true situation:
"There are fewer beggars because most of the refugees were taken in by Miss Su to work under her. During the previous food shortage, it was also thanks to Miss Su selling grain at low prices, which saved countless lives. Not to mention the effect of the chemical fertilizers; we've never seen such a good harvest year."
Actually, it wasn't that great.
But this was a time when everything was bad, and because of various reasons, the people of Peiping had a moment to catch their breath, making them look much more lively than people in other places.
"As the saying goes, in success, one should try to let others be benefited. Miss Su has reached the realm of the ancients."
Madame Kung sighed with emotion.
She asked casually, "Miss Su must have a very good reputation around here, right?"
Uh, well.
How should he put it? Probably, maybe, saying Su Ning had a good reputation was something that would make any random person in Peiping burst out laughing. It would be pure fabrication.
The Secretary-General ultimately chose to remain silent.
In the backseat, the low-profile Wu Yi smiled in understanding, only to hear Madame Kung answer her own question:
"It must be good. Hiring so many refugees, just feeding them is a huge sum of money, not to mention their salaries, and she probably has to provide housing too. Miss Su is actually a kind-hearted person with a cold exterior."
As for why she wasn't like this in Nanking?
Well, Peiping was her hometown.
It was good that she was kind-hearted. That way, she would have more confidence in persuading Su Ning to forgive those fence-sitters.
"No, that's not it."
"What did you say?" The voice was too soft, and Madame Kung didn't hear clearly.
"I mean, when Miss Su hires refugees, aside from covering their room and board, she doesn't pay them a single cent in salary for the first few months." The Secretary-General spoke bluntly: "Oh, right, they also owe Miss Su a training fee, which is deducted from their future salaries... for about a year or two."
...
Silence. Silence defined Madame Kung today.
The Secretary-General in the front seat chuckled softly.
A great philanthropist could also be called a great pushover—someone easily swayed by sympathy and easy to deceive. It would be bad if Madame Kung misunderstood and caused a scene after losing face; that was one reason.
Secondly, what if Miss Su directed her anger at him, the one driving them there?
Wu Yi, however, thought even further.
Regardless of good or evil, the city of Peiping bore the deep mark of Su Ning. She was like an evil dragon from Western tales, entrenched in a lair she had marked as her own.
This thought reached its peak when they arrived at the Su residence!
Luxurious and magnificent, every inch overflowed with the scent of money. No matter who came here, they couldn't help but be shocked, feeling inexplicably inferior.
Therefore, even though many people and vehicles were gathered in front of the main gate, there was surprisingly no sense of noise. Only when one got closer could a few words be heard.
"Oh, here comes another one."
"This license plate looks a bit familiar. Let me think whose family it belongs to."
"Hmph, it's useless even if the Emperor of Heaven comes. Miss Su has made it clear she doesn't want to see anyone. See that? Even Antonio is standing guard here with us."
"If you're not happy about it, then leave. No one is forcing you."
"I'm definitely not leaving."
As they talked, another argument broke out. The others were used to it. Everyone was here for the lucrative oil business, but being left out in the cold was frustrating, so any little friction easily sparked a quarrel.
Some jeered, while others tried to break up the fight.
Some did not want to get involved and boredly watched the newly arrived car.
It was the familiar routine.
They asked the guards to announce them, though they did not offer any bribes. It was a bit of a pity not to see them get rejected. Someone went inside to announce them, dropping a single sentence:
"Wait here."
And then they would wait forever just like the rest of them... Wait, what?!
What was he seeing?
The door opened!
...
"Why do we have to switch cars?"
Madame Kung frowned. Shang Wenyun, who had come to guide them, explained the reason neither haughtily nor humbly, stating that everything was for security purposes.
Her phrasing was tactful and appropriate.
At the very least, Madame Kung was successfully persuaded, and the group switched to the new car. Before getting in, Wu Yi took an extra glance at Shang Wenyun. So this was his son's former adoptive mother?
Not bad.
Being raised by someone like her would not be an embarrassment to speak of.
Retracting his gaze, he focused all his attention on the upcoming meeting with Su Ning, repeatedly simulating the conversation in his head. Before leaving, he had made a promise to his uncles...
Inside the house.
Su Ning was not surprised by Madame Kung's arrival, but when she heard the other name, she raised an eyebrow slightly. Just then, there was another ding.
"Host, Level One Alert!"
The system jumped up. "I told you, I told you there was something wrong with this guy! What is he doing in Beiping for no reason, and why does he want to see you? Maybe he is here to assassinate or poison you... Anyway, there is definitely a problem."
Su Ning ignored the system's clamoring.
Coming together with Madame Kung.
Combined with the inexplicably incessant reward notifications, what else was there not to understand? She even had a vague guess as to the male lead's purpose for coming here.
"Let them in."
"However, I will only see Madame Kung." It was better to leave him hanging for a while first.
It would probably trigger another wave of rewards, right?
