"I... I don't know what to do."
The woman looked up in bewilderment. A crystal-clear tear happened to slide down her cheek, adding a touch of delicate charm that would make anyone want to pull her into their arms and wipe her tears away.
To solve all her troubles for her.
For all these years, she had lived just like this, completely carefree.
From initially being looked down upon by Fernand's family, made things difficult by his children, and given the cold shoulder by others in high society, to her favorite flowers suddenly withering... everything would always miraculously turn out for the better in the end.
The family accepted her, and she could accompany her lover to family gatherings.
Fernand's children still didn't have the best attitude.
That was fine.
She didn't have to see them.
Those arrogant noblewomen suddenly invited her to afternoon tea one day. She made good friends, went on outings together, chatted together, and socializing outside was no longer so hard to accept.
When her flowers withered, she cried all night.
The next day.
When she woke up, she saw that the garden was full of her favorite flowers, blooming in dazzling, overlapping layers, even more beautiful than before.
"Maybe things will get better."
She said naively, "Anton, you are so handsome and young, no girl could dislike you. Su Ning might just be jealous and wants to teach you a lesson to scare you. Go apologize to her and promise to love her forever. It's best to bring roses... no, roses are too cliché, wild roses and forget-me-nots would be better..."
"Mother!"
Antonio couldn't help but interrupt her.
If he had heard such words before, he wouldn't have thought anything was wrong.
But now...
Just thinking of Su Ning's condescending, contemptuous, and cold face made it completely impossible to believe that she was capable of feeling jealousy.
Just like a statue carved from ice could never radiate heat.
Out of pride, he refused to admit that he lacked charm, so he said:
"No, I have already met my true love. You know that when love arrives, it is impossible to resist... so Su Ning already knows."
"How could this happen?"
The woman grew anxious and said instinctively:
"Who is that girl? How could she be so ignorant? Doesn't she know how critical the current situation is? For your sake, she should have endured it. She is too selfish and too stupid."
"Alright, this has nothing to do with Wan'er. I just couldn't help myself."
"How could it have nothing to do with her? If she truly loved you, she would wholeheartedly think from your perspective. She should have advised you, and if you didn't listen, she should have left on her own initiative. It's all her fault that things have turned out this way. Anton, you're a boy and don't understand these things. A girl like this doesn't love you at all; she just wants to climb the social ladder. That's why she acts so recklessly, just wanting to secure the relationship."
The more she spoke, the more agitated she became. Seeing her son being so stubbornly misguided, she shook her head in disappointment.
Anton was simply too naive.
How could he know the tricks of those wicked women? China was so poor and bitter; to escape her fate and latch onto Anton, she would naturally resort to any means necessary.
She must be very good at acting and pretending to be weak.
The next moment.
As if confirming her thoughts.
"No, Wan'er is a very pure and genuine person." Antonio's tone was firm but tinged with gloom. If only she really did want to latch onto him... He forced himself to pull it together and said:
"Since things have come to this, there's no use talking about it. The important thing is to find a way to stop Su Ning's scheme."
The topic finally returned to the main track.
Seeing the woman's bewildered face, Antonio said softly:
"We need to prepare a two-pronged approach."
"First, we will publicize my romance with Su Ning, hinting that we already married in secret by my father's sickbed."
"But didn't you say..."
"It doesn't matter. Portugal and China are thousands of miles apart." A sharp light flashed in Antonio's eyes. "Without evidence, who can prove that I actually violated the agreement?"
"Ultimately, this is our territory, and she is the outsider!"
"Also, the fact that I got injured saving her can be leaked. We'll arrange for a few reporters to cover it and exaggerate it a bit, saying I almost died. Many people will definitely be moved."
Something that everyone believes, even if fake, becomes real.
Antonio thought to himself.
When the time comes, there will be plenty of room to maneuver.
"I'll listen to you." The woman felt gratified, yet her heart ached. Setbacks and love could turn a boy into a man, just like Anton right now.
Never mind, let Anton enjoy the sweetness of love.
To soothe his pain.
Of course, she would be a good mother-in-law. Even if Su Ning had done so many bad things, she would still stand by her side, and they could keep each other company.
That Wan'er could just keep Anton company.
But crossing the line was absolutely forbidden.
Feeling that she had thought things through very comprehensively, the woman smiled in satisfaction. Looking at her son with reliance, she asked about the second preparation.
"It's simple. Su Ning is only this arrogant because of her shares. We must suppress this arrogance, otherwise she will still overpower me after we are together."
Hearing this, the woman frowned.
That wouldn't do.
"But no one has more shares than her."
"Then we make her shares decrease. Many people at Swire Shipping are dissatisfied with a Chinese woman becoming the de facto controller, so things will be easy to handle."
Dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and the son of a mouse knows how to dig holes.
Antonio had actually inherited some of Fernand's talents.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been such a Gary Stu in the original novel.
Right now, he came up with a good idea: increasing capital and expanding shares. He would forge a document left behind by Fernand before his death, stipulating that within a very short timeframe, a certain number of ships must be purchased to expand the scale of operations.
If this couldn't be achieved.
Other shareholders would inject capital, and Su Ning's share percentage would be correspondingly diluted.
With her position unstable, she would have no choice but to ally with him, the son of the former chairman.
He would also earn the goodwill of the other shareholders.
"...Also, we can try to purchase a few ships first. If we give the shareholders some benefits, they will have to allow us to make a profit too."
"Yes."
The woman nodded and said with a smile:
"I remember, Anton, you used to be friends with a girl whose family builds ships. Since you two dated for a while, just give this business to her. Friends don't need to haggle so much; a twenty percent discount should be a given."
That actually reminded him.
Antonio tried hard to recall, but he couldn't quite remember that girl's face.
However, he vaguely remembered that she was a very gentle girl.
He was quite happy during the time they dated.
What a pity.
It wasn't love.
The matter was settled in just a few words. The mother and son discussed it enthusiastically for a while, considering every aspect, before they realized a problem—
Money.
Doing all these things required a lot of money.
"Mother, Father should have left you quite a bit of money and properties, right?"
The woman nodded.
There was indeed a lot, but even if it was true love, it was impossible for Fernand to give all his private assets to her; the family wouldn't allow it. Although the money left behind could ensure she would never have to worry about food or clothing for the rest of her life.
But to live like she did when Fernand was alive.
Having whatever she wanted.
That was no longer possible.
Thinking of this, the woman agreed to invest the money without her son even having to ask, even though Fernand had instructed her never to invest her money under any circumstances, fearing she would be scammed.
But it was a sure thing.
A golden opportunity to make money from money simply could not be missed... When it came down to it, Fernand was the one to blame.
Otherwise, she would not have had to rack her brains like this.
At this thought.
A hint of sorrowful resentment flickered in the woman's eyes. Hearing Antonio express his disappointment, saying that such a rare opportunity would be perfect if they only had more money, an idea struck her. She suddenly said softly:
"Actually, some of Fernand's belongings are quite valuable. It would be a bit of a pity to just let them be buried with him."
Antonio's eyes widened.
After a long pause—
"Alright."
......
Meanwhile.
Su Ning was still on the plane. Driven by an inexplicable all-or-nothing desperation, the two of them were completely swamped with work—sometimes at the newspaper office, sometimes rallying the shareholders, and sometimes rekindling old flames with the shipyard girls.
