Ch 25: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

The next morning, Shen Yunxuan made a token effort to contact the business partners, only to be told they refused to meet her and that the problem had already been resolved. She then hurriedly contacted the company’s shareholders, only to learn that Huo Siming had already won. That day, he would be appointed as acting CEO, and they hoped she could understand.

When Aunt Lan arrived at the hospital in the morning to deliver some items, she relayed Shen Yunxuan’s anger, frustration, and unwillingness to accept the outcome to Huo Siming.

Huo Siming felt a deep sense of relief. His second uncle had previously criticized him for being too aggressive, but now it was clear: if he had been even a bit slower, the acting CEO position would have gone to Shen Yunxuan.

Shen Yunxuan rushed to the company to attend the shareholders’ meeting. Although she held no shares, she was permitted to attend on behalf of Huo Siheng and Madam Huo due to the special circumstances.

The shareholders, Mr. Li and Mr. Liu, had already aligned with Huo Siming. As soon as the meeting began, they proposed appointing Huo Siming as acting president, emphasizing that it had been a fair and impartial competition.

Mr. Li remarked, “Second Young Master Huo was busy working for the company all day yesterday, while Mrs. Huo stayed at the hospital. While we’re all concerned about President Huo’s condition, this is not the time to let emotions guide us. Mrs. Huo, falling behind means being irresponsible to the company. I trust you can accept this result, can’t you?”

Expressionless, Shen Yunxuan sat in silence before replying curtly, “I can accept it, but the contract must clearly state that Kevin is only the acting CEO. Once Siheng wakes up, he must immediately step down.”

Huo Siming quickly responded, “Of course! Just one day of this was enough for me. I wouldn’t want to manage the company long-term. No one hopes more than I do that my brother wakes up soon.”

Ignoring him, Shen Yunxuan continued, “Additionally, if he makes any major decisions that harm the company, he must immediately step down. Since you’ve all said the company needs capable leadership, surely no one would allow someone who makes poor decisions to remain as acting CEO, right?”

After some discussion, the shareholders agreed. The acting CEO position was only temporary, and once Huo Siheng woke up, this issue would be resolved. If he didn’t wake up, they anticipated that Huo Siming’s father would step in to help him consolidate power. In that case, it would likely lead to another power struggle, and they were far more optimistic about the Huo family than about Shen Yunxuan and her mother-in-law.

For now, their priority was stabilizing the company and avoiding stock price fluctuations, so agreeing to Shen Yunxuan’s conditions seemed inconsequential.

Shen Yunxuan then proposed, “Let Yang An assist Kevin as his aide to help him manage the company.”

Mr. Liu frowned and responded sharply, “Mrs. Huo, we’re giving you face, but that doesn’t mean you can meddle in company affairs. Even Madam Huo wouldn’t intervene to this extent. Everyone has their choice of assistants.”

Shen Yunxuan stood up. “What’s the problem? Yang An has always been the president’s special assistant, and his abilities are well-recognized. You’ve all emphasized that the company is in a critical state. Isn’t having Yang An assist Kevin the best solution? Do you really need to rush to establish your own team? Or perhaps…”

She turned to Huo Siming, her eyes filled with hostility. “Kevin, are you already so eager to replace Siheng and install your own people?”

Huo Siming, always projecting a sunny and cheerful demeanor, was unlikely to engage in open conflict with his sister-in-law. Facing her accusations, he maintained his good-natured tone. “Sister-in-law, I didn’t mean that. Don’t misunderstand me. If Yang An can help me, I’d be glad. Let’s do it your way. Does that make you feel better?”

Shen Yunxuan snorted coldly. “I’ll be watching you closely. Don’t let me catch you making mistakes, or you’ll be removed immediately! Remember, Huo Corp belongs to Siheng and our family!”

“I understand, Sister-in-law,” Huo Siming sighed, his tone conveying helplessness, further highlighting Shen Yunxuan’s unreasonable behavior.

Several shareholders frowned, thinking that the Shen family had fallen on hard times, and it showed from top to bottom. Shen Yunxuan’s performance was nothing more than sour grapes over losing to her younger cousin. Without the skills to turn the situation around, she resorted to making a scene and throwing out threats, accomplishing nothing and losing her dignity. Fortunately, she hadn’t been made acting president; otherwise, she might have thrown the company into chaos.

Without saying anything further, Shen Yunxuan left the company with a cold expression.

Back at the hospital, Madam Huo anxiously asked about the situation. Shen Yunxuan reassured her that everything was fine, then resolved to have Huo Siheng transferred to another hospital and bring in the best specialists for a consultation. After much persuasion, she finally convinced Madam Huo. Arrangements were immediately made for medical staff and bodyguards to escort Huo Siheng, while citing privacy concerns to prevent Aunt Lan and Shu Yue from accompanying them.

Aunt Lan quickly informed Huo Siming of the development. Alarmed, he asked, “Did she say how confident she is in waking him up?”

“She said she’s very confident. After all, she’s bringing in the nation’s top specialists and professors.”

Huo Siming grew irritated. “Why didn’t you think to follow them? Where are they now?”

Aunt Lan was helpless. “Mrs. Huo said she feared news leaking to the press, which could disturb Mr. Huo’s recovery. Miss Shu wasn’t allowed to go either. Only Mrs. Huo and Madam Huo accompanied him. Maybe you should contact Madam Huo for details?”

Alone in his office, Huo Siming pondered for a long time. After discussing with his father, they concluded that Shen Yunxuan’s recent loss of the acting president position had likely made her unusually sensitive. If she was indeed influencing Madam Huo, it was best to avoid getting involved for now and creating more complications.

Currently, it is uncertain whether the expert team will be able to wake Huo Siheng. They need to speed up their plans, as any delay could result in wasted efforts. After everything they’ve invested, they can’t afford to slow down in these final stages—they’re taking a gamble they can’t afford to lose.

Moreover, Shen Yunxuan will undoubtedly keep a close watch on him, trying to find fault to push him out of his position. Right now, she’s preoccupied with Huo Siheng’s condition and doesn’t have much energy to monitor him. He needs to act quickly. If it becomes clear later that Huo Siheng won’t wake up, and Shen Yunxuan has more time to scrutinize him, it will be harder for him to make moves.

After the father and son reached a decision, they abandoned their previous plan to stabilize the situation for a while. Instead, they directly contacted the Chen family, Huo Corporation’s long-time rival, and several competing enterprises in the same industry.

This sudden activity immediately alerted Huo Siheng, who quickly deduced their entire scheme. It became clear they had no intention of managing Huo Corporation. Their goal was to dismantle its valuable assets and sell them to competitors.

Afterward, they would take the money and business opportunities and return overseas to continue developing their own enterprises. If executed discreetly, outsiders might not even realize what they had done. Even those who knew the truth wouldn’t publicly expose such unethical behavior.

Despite being members of the Huo family, the second uncle had received funds and connections to develop his business abroad after Father Huo inherited the company. Over the years, Huo Corporation had consistently supported the second uncle’s ventures. Although Huo Siheng rarely saw them, he had always provided benefits to their company. Yet, they were now plotting to destroy Huo Corporation.

The most ironic part was that Huo Siming’s biggest advantage in becoming acting president was his surname, Huo! They used this familial connection to brazenly attack Huo Corporation. Why? If they were dissatisfied with the original inheritance distribution, they should have competed openly, not resorted to such underhanded tactics. That car accident had clearly been an attempt on his life!

Suppressing his anger, Huo Siheng instructed his team to continue gathering evidence. If they were ruthless, he would respond in kind. At this point, the only solution was to completely take them down.

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One Week Later

Shen Yunxuan visited Huo Corporation headquarters. Her heavy makeup seemed an attempt to cover her exhaustion, but her pallid expression betrayed her struggles. She first approached Yang An and a few executives, asking about Huo Siming’s performance over the past few days—whether he was fit for the president’s role and if he had made any mistakes. Everyone reported that Huo Siming was doing well, making her expression even darker.

In the president’s office, shareholder Mr. Li remarked to Huo Siming, “Second Young Master, did you see her face earlier? She looked absolutely awful. She probably didn’t expect you to manage the company so well without giving her any opportunities to exploit.”

Huo Siming smiled faintly. Shen Yunxuan’s visit actually put him at ease. He had already contacted several competitors but was still missing a few assurances. Seeing her look so defeated indicated that there was no hope for Huo Siheng’s recovery—no expert or professor could save him. This would allow him to solidify those partnerships and move more boldly and quickly. Once the deals were done, he could finally return home.

After briefly inquiring about the company, Shen Yunxuan didn’t meet Huo Siming and prepared to leave. As she reached the entrance, she encountered Shen Yunrui, who was dressed to the nines.

Shen Yunxuan frowned. “What are you doing at Huo Corporation?”

Shen Yunrui removed her sunglasses and smiled smugly. “I’m here to see the president of Huo Corporation, of course. Kevin thinks our company is promising and wants to collaborate. There’s money to be made together. Are you here to seek a partnership too?”

Feigning surprise, she tapped her mouth lightly. “Oh, I forgot—your company just got registered and hasn’t even started operations before your husband’s accident. So, it hasn’t made a cent yet. I can’t believe I beat you to it.”

It was clear to Shen Yunxuan that Shen Yunrui was riding high and taking immense pleasure in her apparent misfortune.

Without a word, Shen Yunxuan stepped aside to avoid her and walked on.

Shen Yunrui blocked her path, sneering. “Do you believe in fate, Shen Yunxuan? Some people are destined for misfortune. No one in the Shen family liked you, and now, as a member of the Huo family, you’re bringing them disaster too. Do you think anyone still calls you lucky? They probably curse you as a jinx!”

Shen Yunxuan laughed coldly. “I do believe in fate. I believe that good deeds are rewarded, and evil deeds are punished. Some people come into this world to enjoy blessings, while others come to be punished. I’ve never done anything wrong, so I’ll naturally enjoy good fortune. You, on the other hand, might not be so lucky. Be careful—you might lose it all if you keep doing bad things.”

“Shen Yunxuan!” Shen Yunrui shouted angrily, but she could only watch as Shen Yunxuan walked farther away. Just as she considered asking Huo Siming to put Shen Yunxuan in her place, she saw Lin Huaizhi approach with a dark expression.

Shocked, she blurted, “Huaizhi? Why are you here?”

Lin Huaizhi’s tone was cold and accusatory. “What’s the matter? Did you do something shameful that you don’t want me to know about?”

Furious, Shen Yunrui snapped back. “What are you implying? What could I possibly have to hide?”

Lin Huaizhi tugged at her scarf and wiped her lipstick forcefully. “You’re all dolled up—who do you think you’re meeting? Do you think I don’t know? If making money for us means humiliating me, then I’d rather not have that money!”

Shen Yunrui was both shocked and disgusted. “Lin Huaizhi, what are you doing?! Don’t touch me! Stop falsely accusing me! I’ve worked so hard running business deals outside, and you still don’t trust me? If I had any ulterior motives, why would I bother buying houses and cars for your freeloading family? Why would I have married you? Instead of making a scene, why don’t you figure out how to grow the company and get us on the rich list!”

Lin Huaizhi hated hearing those words the most. It felt like she was calling his entire family parasites and mocking him for being useless and incapable of becoming wealthy. If she despised him so much, why did she marry him in the first place? Or was it him who had schemed relentlessly to marry her? And now, she had her sights set on Huo Siming and was starting to look down on him?

A surge of anger flared up in Lin Huaizhi. He grabbed Shen Yunrui’s wrist tightly and dragged her upstairs.

“What are you doing? Let me go!” Shen Yunrui snapped, fuming.

Lin Huaizhi stared at her intently. “Aren’t you looking for your Kevin? I’ll take you to him right now and let him know that even if I, Lin Huaizhi, can’t compare to him, he’ll never have the chance to put a green hat on me!”

“Lin Huaizhi, you’re insane!” Shen Yunrui’s eyes widened in disbelief. She had never seen him so impulsive, reckless, and unreasonable. How did Shen Yunxuan tolerate him in her previous life? Or was this some kind of butterfly effect? Otherwise, why couldn’t she see even a trace of the wealthy, smooth-talking socialite that Lin Huaizhi had been in her last life? What had gone wrong?

As they struggled, they eventually made their way to Huo Siming. Along the way, plenty of onlookers cast curious glances, making Shen Yunrui wish she could disappear into a hole in the ground. Huo Siming, meanwhile, was utterly baffled. Shen Yunrui had approached him several times, always trying to gain benefits and occasionally dropping hints of flirtation. However, he had only been using her to gather information on Shen Yunxuan—he had absolutely no interest in her.

Now, thanks to Lin Huaizhi’s outburst, it looked as if he really was interfering in their marriage. This entire scene jeopardized the clean image he had carefully cultivated, which could severely disrupt his plans to make a smooth exit.

After quickly dismissing the two of them, Huo Siming immediately decided to accelerate his timeline. He needed to finalize his deals and leave the country as soon as possible. Otherwise, the longer he stayed, the more likely things would spiral out of control.

When Shen Yunxuan heard about the unexpected “assist” from those two, she couldn’t help but laugh out loud. She never imagined Shen Yunrui would end up doing her such a big favor. Finally, the endgame was within reach, and she couldn’t wait to see their faces when they learned the truth.

🌸˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧🩷˚⋆