The two brothers walked out of the office, chatting and laughing, and coincidentally ran into two unexpected visitors—Gao Ning and Xia Zhu.
When he saw them, Chu Yuxuan didn't show much reaction; it was easy to guess that they were probably here to discuss a contract termination. However, Lao Wu's face suddenly darkened, glaring coldly at Gao Ning.
Unexpectedly, Gao Ning, who had previously been timid, now appeared calm and composed, showing a gentlemanly demeanor as he extended his hand to Chu Yuxuan with a smile, saying, "Mr. Chu, it's nice to see you again."
Chu Yuxuan raised an eyebrow, glanced at Xia Zhu, who was wearing sunglasses and looked frosty, and said with a hint of amusement, "Mr. Gao, what can I do for you?"
Gao Ning lowered his stance appropriately, "Mr. Chu, I'm here today to ask for your forgiveness for the irrational behavior of Xia Zhu and myself in the past. Additionally, I would like to discuss the termination of Xia Zhu's contract with you. I understand that Xia Zhu is likely to face suspension from your company, so Mr. Chu, could you possibly show some leniency regarding the breach of contract penalty?"
Chu Yuxuan interrupted him, "I don't want to get involved in your matters. Go directly to see Ms. Zhao."
"Alright, Mr. Chu, I won't bother you any longer. I'll go speak with Ms. Zhao now."
Gao Ning offered a standard smile, bowing slightly, but without seeming subservient; instead, he appeared like a refined gentleman.
Throughout the encounter, Xia Zhu didn't say a word or even look at Chu Yuxuan.
This former big star had apparently come to terms with the situation and chose to reconcile with the past. The reason for reconciling with Gao Ning was that, in essence, she had only been acting out of anger and never truly intended to leave Gao Ning.
Gao Ning's apology also seemed sincere—just one sentence, "I only lied to you because I liked you too much and was afraid others would take you away."
Combined with his willingness to kneel before Chu Yuxuan for Xia Zhu and Xia Mu's mediation, the two were back on good terms.
Seeing Gao Ning's "repentant" demeanor, Chu Yuxuan smiled lightly and left with Lao Wu.
As soon as they entered the elevator, Lao Wu said unhappily, "Big brother, are you not moving against the Gao family just because you're looking down on them? Or are you still considering that woman?"
Chu Yuxuan rolled his eyes and said impatiently, "Lao Wu, do me a favor and search online when you have time for someone named Yang Xiu from the Three Kingdoms period. Just see if he deserved to die."
Lao Wu asked, "What do you mean?"
Chu Yuxuan gave him a disdainful look and said, "That Gao family's son seems a bit off to me."
Lao Wu was puzzled, "I think he's submissive... uh…"
"Subservient?"
"Yes, that's the word! Subservient!"
Chu Yuxuan shook his head, "That's just the surface. I noticed in his eyes that he doesn't seem afraid of me anymore. In fact, he even seems a bit restrained."
Lao Wu shrugged, "Then I'll take him out. I've wanted to do that for a while."
"Forget it. A salted fish won't make waves. Don't stir up trouble." Chu Yuxuan stretched his neck and said, "This isn't Mexico."
Lao Wu's eyes lit up, "Oh... My cursed hometown, truly... Simple folk, right? Is that the term?"
Chu Yuxuan sighed, "Yes, very correct. In the future, don't tell anyone that your Chinese was taught by me."
Lao Wu asked, "What do you mean?"
When the elevator reached the first floor, the brothers walked side by side to the parking lot. Lao Wu looked at his GTR and then at Chu Yuxuan's car, grinning, "Big brother, drive yours? Come on, give me the keys."
Chu Yuxuan replied, "Drive yours; they're the same."
"Oh God! It's just the same in appearance! Yours is modified to racing standards. I heard from Lao San that it cost over 8 million? Let me try it!"
"Alright," Chu Yuxuan said with a half-smile, "If you can win a race, I'll give it to you directly."
Lao Wu's excited and expectant smile froze on his face. He quickly opened his car door and got in. Chu Yuxuan went to the passenger seat, and once inside, he called Lao San, "Still at the hospital?"
Lao San replied, "Yes. Chen Qiang's condition is still the same, temporarily stable. The doctor said they'll be able to make a final judgment after the next surgery."
Chu Yuxuan thought for a moment and said, "Return to the company. For the next few days, drive for Zhao Yanan."
"Oh... I'll come right over!" Lao San replied.
As Chu Yuxuan was about to hang up, he heard Lao San mumbling on the other end, "Why do I have to suffer while you flirt? First waiting for me, then for my son, now for my daughter-in-law, and in the future, my grandson. My wages and bonuses are even owed by that b*st*rd! Buddha, are you not working? Bless me, this flower monk!"
"Lao San, the call hasn't ended."
The atmosphere froze for a few seconds, broken by Lao Wu's nearly maniacal laughter, "Hahaha... D*mn fool, big brother wants you to protect sister-in-law. That Gao person is acting suspiciously."
Lao San replied, "Big brother, I don't know if you believe it, but I just fell asleep and was talking in my sleep! ... Gao's acting suspiciously? I'll first knock the sh*t out of him before sending him to meet Buddha!"
Chu Yuxuan pinched the bridge of his nose helplessly, "Sometimes, I really want to kill both of you…"
At noon, at the south gate of Jiangdong University, a deep blue GTR parked by the roadside. Shortly after, a foreigner with yellow hair, dressed in overalls and sporting a ponytail, got out of the car.
"Big brother, are you sure I look like a college student in this outfit? D*mn... I'm already 26 years old; it feels awkward."
Chu Yuxuan, sitting in the passenger seat and not intending to get out, looked up and down at Lao Wu and said with a smile, "You look just like one. Be confident… Go and have a good chat with your fellow countrymen."
Lao Wu grinned and fiddled with what looked like an ordinary button but was actually a pinhole camera, then turned and entered the school.
Chu Yuxuan reclined the seat and closed his eyes to rest.
After a while, Zhao Yanan called, "Xia Zhu wants to terminate the contract. I had our legal team do a preliminary estimate. Given that she hasn't caused substantial harm to the company, the penalty should be around 30 million. What do you think?"
"I'll go with what my wife says," Chu Yuxuan replied gently.
There was silence on the other end for a few seconds, followed by Zhao Yanan's faint, suppressed voice, probably because Gao Ning and Xia Zhu were still present, so she didn't lose her temper. She said coolly, "Mr. Chu, please give me a definitive answer."
Chu Yuxuan suppressed his amusement and replied with a smile, "What do they want?"
"The Gao family's lawyer is here, and they want to reduce it to 20 million."
Chu Yuxuan was silent for a moment, his eyes flickering briefly, then said, "Tell them I'll handle it when I return."
Zhao Yanan asked, "How long will it take for you to come back?"
"If you want me to come back, then I'll come now."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Yanan hung up. Chu Yuxuan smiled, rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment, and sent a WeChat message to Lao Er: "Check whom the Gao family has been associating with recently, especially Gao Zhensheng."
If it were just Gao Ning coming to the company, it might be because he loved Xia Zhu and was determined to negotiate the contract termination despite his embarrassment.
But with the Gao family's lawyer involved, the situation took on a different flavor.
The Gao family, who had just been given a reprieve, would not dare to show up at the door without someone egging them on.
Logically, they should be avoiding confrontation.
Chu Yuxuan sighed and muttered, "I hope I'm just overthinking. Ah… I've given you a chance to live; don't make me regret it."