Chapter 108 – The Xiao Family Goes Bankrupt
The matter of Greciano could be put on the back burner, as it was still a month away. The crucial issue now was his father’s situation. According to Fei Xiangnan’s advice, they should not interfere for the time being. After all, when this matter came to light, Father Xiao did not immediately seek out Xiao Fang. He didn’t look for Xiao Fang, but he had to fill this gap. Who would he go to? The answer was obvious.
In the study, Fei Xiangnan and Xiao Fang sat together looking at the computer. Xiao Fang stared blankly at the complex data on the screen. To him, it was like looking at hieroglyphics, but to Fei Xiangnan, it was as simple as reading a children’s picture book.
“It’s strange, your father,” Fei Xiangnan began, then paused. “I mean, this body’s father.”
Xiao Fang found this awkward. “What do you mean, ‘this body’s father’? Just be normal. He’s my father. We’re here now, so we should follow the rules here.” It just sounded strange.
Fei Xiangnan smiled dotingly. “Alright, let’s get back to the topic. I think there are many problems with this investment bankruptcy. Your father has been in business for many years and has a basic instinct for commercial investments. And according to data from the past ten years, his investments have been very cautious. High-risk investments are almost non-existent, unless he was very confident about it.”
Based on Fei Xiangnan’s description, Xiao Fang had a rough idea. “Are you saying someone deliberately tried to set him up?”
Fei Xiangnan looked at Xiao Fang and gave him an affirmative look.
“Can you find out who it is?”
Fei Xiangnan nodded, but then frowned. “Judging by the methods, the other party is very experienced. If they want to escape, they definitely have the means. After all, it’s not their first time. Even if it is, they definitely have a professional team orchestrating it. Without a clear target, it would be quite troublesome to investigate. Moreover, we don’t know the specific contract data of your father’s company. You might be able to start by looking into your father’s enemies.”
Xiao Fang thought for a moment and shook his head. Father Xiao’s personality was such that he would rather suffer himself than offend a friend. In all these years, he had almost no enemies. But if it wasn’t an enemy, who would spend so much money and effort to set him up?
Fei Xiangnan stroked Xiao Fang’s head. “I’ll have someone investigate it thoroughly. It may take time, but it doesn’t mean it can’t be found out. However, if your brother is willing to help, that’s another story. Five hundred million is not something he can’t come up with if he tries his best.”
Xiao Fang looked at Fei Xiangnan. Five hundred million was not as simple as drinking a glass of water for them. If he really wanted to fill this gap, would Xiao Qi, with his personality, have the conscience to do so?
***
After finishing a day’s work, Xiao Qi walked into the hotel and heard the news that he found rather laughable. To prevent himself from losing his temper outside, Xiao Qi asked Father Xiao for some details. Just as Father Xiao thought there was hope, Xiao Qi closed his room door.
“Five hundred million? You really know how to ask for an exorbitant amount!” Xiao Qi’s sarcastic voice reached Father Xiao’s ears, and the smile on Father Xiao’s face froze instantly.
However, Father Xiao was self-aware. Such a large sum would make anyone angry. He himself had never thought he would do such a thing. The other party had laid the path so perfectly that he had unwittingly fallen into the trap. Now, looking back, the foundation he had worked his whole life to build was destroyed by his own moment of impulse.
“Xiao Qi, Dad is just borrowing it. I know this is very troublesome. Dad… Dad shouldn’t have asked, but there are hundreds of employees in the company, and all the subsequent problems… Five hundred million is just to fill the gap. Once I’ve settled everything, Dad will pay you back six hundred million with interest,” Father Xiao pleaded.
Xiao Qi took a deep breath, trying hard not to vent his anger. If this were the past, when Yan Yunyang still loved him so much, when Xiao Fang was still an idiot, and his own career was flourishing, he would of course help his father.
But now he had nothing. He was still at Fei Xiangnan’s mercy. After hearing some rumors, those so-called investors and directors had a noticeable change in their attitude towards him. The arrogance from before was slowly resurfacing. He was already in deep trouble and unable to save himself. How could he protect a father who had caused him so much pain for so many years?
“Do you know how much a single outfit for a gala costs me? Do you know how much I have to donate at every so-called charity event? Right now, I’m a Film Emperor on the surface, but who’s helping me behind the scenes? Yan Yunyang has broken up with me. If I take out five hundred million, what will happen to me? Rely on you? Have you ever let me rely on you? You never cared about me before, and now you’re asking me for five hundred million? Dad, you really treat me like a mobile money tree, don’t you?”
“…I’m, I’m sorry.”
Xiao Qi just laughed. “Don’t say sorry to me. If you want to save the company, why don’t you ask your dear eldest son? You’ve raised him so well all these years, shouldn’t he repay you a little? It’s only five hundred million. If he sleeps under Fei Xiangnan for one night and whimpers a little, he can get it. Why are you looking for me?”
Just as Father Xiao was about to say something, Xiao Qi hung up the phone. That wasn’t all. He smashed the phone on the floor, but unfortunately, the floor was covered with a soft carpet, and even the screen didn’t crack.
A violent expression appeared on Xiao Qi’s face. No good things for him, but all the bad things came with reasons. Was he really that cheap?
Xiao Qi clenched his fists tightly.
Father Xiao looked at the disconnected phone and bent over in pain. He had already thought of many ways, and this was his last straw. In the end, it was gone too. His life was truly a satire. Not a single ray of light penetrated the room in Hunan. A middle-aged man had experienced the great ups and downs of life, and it seemed that many things he couldn’t figure out before were finally becoming clear.
“Sir, you haven’t eaten for two days. Would you like to eat something?” the family’s housekeeper asked with concern.
Father Xiao waved his hand, lifted his tired head, and said apologetically, “I’m sorry, I can’t pay you this month’s salary all at once. You don’t have to work so hard. I will definitely pay you the salary I owe you.”
The auntie immediately disliked hearing this. “Sir, don’t say that. You’ve been so good to my family all these years. When my husband had a car accident, you were the one who paid for his treatment and never asked me to pay it back. You’re in a bad mood right now. I’ll prepare some food for you first. If you get hungry, you can come out and eat.”
Father Xiao nodded, weakly said thank you, and was then left with endless sighs.
Xiao Fang had no work for the past two days, so he obediently stayed at home with the two children.
This morning, he was watching his recently favorite show, Animal World, with Xiao Xu. Xiao Fang had no mind for it at all. He held Lang Lang and began to daydream.
“Brother, the leopard is very cute.” Xiao Xu was slowly starting to enjoy talking now, but this time, Xiao Fang surprisingly didn’t answer.
Xiao Xu looked at Xiao Fang with confusion, called out again, and only then did Xiao Fang come back to his senses.
“Ah, what’s wrong? Sorry, brother was just thinking about something. Did you say something?” Xiao Fang smiled apologetically.
Xiao Xu looked at Xiao Fang and shook his head understandingly. “It’s nothing. Does brother want some water? Is holding Lang Lang heavy? Should I… take him?”
Looking at the exceptionally sensible Xiao Xu, Xiao Fang tried to cheer himself up. Don’t think so much. Spending time with the kids is what matters.
“It’s fine, let’s keep watching.”
Lang Lang nodded obediently and didn’t ask any more questions, turning his gaze back to the television.
At noon, Fei Xiangnan came home from work early for once. His face was not very good. He immediately said, “Xiao Fang, I need to talk to you about something. Come to the study.”
“Did you find the mastermind?”
Fei Xiangnan nodded with a heavy expression. “It’s the Third Branch again. Sure enough, we were too hasty, and they caught our slip-up. If my guess is correct, they’re probably planning a comeback.”
“Then what is their goal this time?” Xiao Fang didn’t understand why the Fei family would target his dad. It seemed illogical.
Fei Xiangnan looked like he understood completely. “It’s probably a test. He wants to sound out your bottom line first, to see how much I can be swayed through you.”
Xiao Fang was instantly furious. “Isn’t this just a dirty trick? They don’t dare to come at you openly, so they resort to underhanded methods? Scheming to hurt people in such a roundabout way?” Why were some villains always so bored?
“They are people who operate from the shadows. This is just their old trade. Moreover, I’m thinking it might be a series of traps. If I had used money to help, with his methods, he would have had another move waiting for me,” Fei Xiangnan said, very familiar with that person’s tactics.
Xiao Fang was so angry just listening to it. They really had nothing better to do with their lives. Greed really makes people do anything.
“But, it seems Xiao Qi is not planning to help his father.” There had been no news for several days, so both of them knew the score.
Xiao Fang sighed. This was the cold reality of human relationships. It was all for nothing in the end. No matter how glorious one was in the past, once you fell, how many people would remember you?
“In this body’s memory, that man was an irresponsible cheater, a weak person. But, in a complex web of relationships, he still raised Xiao Fang well, not letting him suffer any grievances. Human nature is sometimes really complicated,” Xiao Fang said. After hearing this, Fei Xiangnan roughly understood Xiao Fang’s thoughts.
He wasn’t helping a so-called cheater, but repaying a debt of gratitude.
“I won’t provide the funds openly. I can use other channels to fill the gap. I understand your thoughts. Compared to my parents, your father has fulfilled his obligations. There’s nothing to criticize about you helping as a son. And in the end, this matter arose because of the Fei family’s feud. It wouldn’t be right not to help.” Fei Xiangnan had already paved the way for Xiao Fang.
“No,” Xiao Fang surprisingly refused.
Fei Xiangnan looked at him with confusion, a knot in his heart. “You don’t need my help?”
Xiao Fang immediately shook his head, worried that his man would overthink things. He quickly sat down beside him like a sycophant and analyzed, “This matter is too complicated. Look at how much effort they put into just testing you. What if you foolishly fall into their trap and they have even more sinister methods? We should be in the best state to fight back now, not in a passive position. Besides, I’ve saved a lot of money myself this year. Although it’s not five hundred million, the Xiao family still has property and the company. My dad, well, he has his little faults, but he would never cross a line on matters of principle, and he would never wrong his employees. I’ve also thought about it today, and this is also related to you. As your soulmate, I have to help you too. Or are you looking down on me?”
Xiao Fang’s cute, probing little gaze instantly dissipated Fei Xiangnan’s new bout of sulkiness. “Fangfang, you’ve grown up.” His thinking was becoming more and more comprehensive.
“Hmph, I’ve always been grown up!” Xiao Fang puffed out his proud little chest, looking particularly adorable.
Fei Xiangnan couldn’t resist and immediately had his way with the cute little thing in his arms, only stopping when Xiao Fang threatened him with the service life of his little chrysanthemum.
However, things had already begun. The biggest internal war in the Fei family was about to break out. What kind of strength did the Third Branch, which had been lying low for over a decade, really have? It was time to find out. After all, he, Fei Xiangnan, was not so easily provoked.