Chapter 55: The Second Branch Father and Son

Han Jinbu's room is in a typical old-fashioned Chinese style; the furniture inside is dark red, and the carpet is also dark red. It's not that the Chinese style is bad, it's just that the dark red is too concentrated; if the mosquito net were also red, it would be just like a haunted house.

It wasn't until he hung the painting that Han Yangting had given him on the wall that the colors of the room became a bit brighter, and it could barely be described as "antique and elegant."

Han Jinbu sat before his dark red desk, toying with two smooth, identical-sized walnuts on the table. At first, he didn't say a word, his whole person appearing very sinister.

"Father, you called me up here—is there something the matter?" Han Chunqiu asked.

Han Jinbu looked at the painting on the wall and said, "I don't know why, but whenever Han Yangting is at home, I feel uneasy in my heart."

Han Chunqiu said, "It's no wonder Father thinks so; actually, I have that feeling too."

Han Jinbu sighed and propped his feet up on the desk as well. "Nowadays, our shares are getting fewer and fewer, while the First Branch's shares are getting more and more. I'm just afraid that one day they will ruthlessly kick us out."

Han Chunqiu's eyeballs shifted. "That shouldn't be. The First Branch only has those few people in total. Eldest Uncle's health looks weaker by the day, Eldest Brother has run off to Africa, and all that's left is Ye Caiyue and Han Yangting, an orphan and a widow..."

Han Jinbu was furious. He grabbed the teacup on the table and smashed it at his son. "An orphan and a widow? If it weren't for Ye Caiyue, how would our Second Branch have ended up with so few shares? You—you can't even outmaneuver a woman! Our Second Branch doesn't hold a single key position in the Baiyin Group now. Every year we can only live off those pathetic few billion in dividends; we're not even as good as an A-list celebrity. The taxes those A-list celebrities evade are higher than our income."

Han Chunqiu was covered in tea leaves from the smash, and he felt aggrieved in his heart.

He just didn't understand: his father was at such an age, a person with one foot already in the grave, so why did he need so much money?

With several billion in dividends every year, in this country, one could live both affluently and simply lie flat; why not be happy with that? Why fight for that wealth?

Han Jinbu saw through Han Chunqiu's thoughts, and he became even angrier. "You think I'm making plans for myself? A person like me with one foot in the coffin has no use for so much money, but I'm doing it for you all! You're a man with a grandson yourself; don't you know how competitive education is now? To cultivate an elite, how many tens of millions do you have to spend a year? Not to mention anything else, just going abroad to study for a year—food, clothing, housing, and living expenses—can you get by on less than ten million for half a year? With just those few billion, how many people can you cultivate?"

When Han Jinbu said this, Han Chunqiu couldn't help but lower his head.

"But it is also an undeniable fact that neither my brother nor I are capable."

Han Jinbu was so angry he smashed another cup. "Then you just need to be more capable for me! You're over 50 years old and still need me to worry about this. Find a way to get rid of Han Yangting. As long as Han Yangting is gotten rid of, the Baiyin Group's shares will be ours sooner or later!"

Han Chunqiu shivered. "How do I get rid of him? K-kill him?"

At this moment, an abacus was thrown over, nearly cracking Han Chunqiu's head open.

"Useless thing, get out!"

Han Chunqiu immediately left the room.

But before he could even leave, he was called back by Han Jinbu: "Stop! Take that painting down for me!"

Han Chunqiu had no choice but to comply.

After the painting was taken down, Han Jinbu's room was once again as gloomy as a haunted house.

Han Chunqiu left the room. He didn't return to his own quarters, but instead went to sit on the lawn outside to contemplate life.

Han Chunqiu was not a stupid man. In front of his father and outsiders, he always appeared timid and submissive, but in reality, he was not like that at all.

As he thought, the sinister look that leaked from his eyes was even more intense than Han Jinbu's.

Far away in Xijiang, Bai Shuruo posted another update to her social media.

These pictures were all sent to her by a photographer who was traveling with her, and she was in the photos.

In the past, Bai Shuruo never felt she was beautiful. However, after looking at the photos more, she felt she didn't look too bad, which is why she dared to put them on her social media.

Although Han Yangting never liked her photos, she knew he was looking.

Because he also posted on social media frequently.

Half an hour after she finished posting, he posted too.

It was still a meal, but his mother appeared in the shot, and the text was: Eating with Mom.

Bai Shuruo couldn't help but feel a wave of nervousness.

She had always lived with Han Yangting before, and he had never taken her to meet his relatives. She hadn't thought anything of it, only feeling that life was lived by two people and had nothing to do with others.

But now, seeing Han Yangting's mother, she had the nervousness of an ugly daughter-in-law about to meet her parents-in-law.

She wanted to ask him when he would return to Fengcheng, but she couldn't bring herself to ask.

After agonizing for a long time, she finally gave him a routine "like."

It was almost the weekend.

Bai Shunan also had to prepare an event for Gu Yunting.

Saying it was preparing for Gu Yunting, it would be better to say it was preparing for Mo Wanqing.

Mo Wanqing was a violinist. Bai Shunan didn't usually pay attention to that circle and didn't know how famous she was within it; in any case, she had never heard of her.

However, since Mo Wanqing returned to the country, she had held more than two concerts, and none of them had many people attending; even giving away free tickets didn't work.

One also wondered what exactly Mo Wanqing had gained after abandoning Gu Yunting two years ago to run abroad for advanced studies.

In the office, Gu Yunting was acting quite nervous today and couldn't help but come in to ask Bai Shunan twice: "Shunan, how is the preparation for Wanqing's concert going now?"

The first time, Bai Shunan replied: "Everything is arranged; it's just missing the audience."

The second time Gu Yunting came in to ask, Bai Shunan gave the same answer.

Gu Yunting suddenly flared up: "Aren't you just being perfunctory?"

Bai Shunan was stunned for a moment, then replied neither humbly nor arrogantly: "The venue, reporters, equipment, and even the accompaniment team have all been found, and contracts have been signed for every aspect. This concert is foolproof; how is that being perfunctory?"

"What about the audience? Just this little bit? There aren't even a hundred people in total, right? Didn't I say that we must create a scene with many people so that Wanqing will be happy?"

Bai Shunan felt a pang of pain in her heart, but on the surface, she was still smiling: "President Gu just needs a large crowd, is that it?"

"That's right. Too few people came to the previous few shows, and Wanqing, she..." Speaking of this, Gu Yunting suddenly noticed the self-mockery in Bai Shunan's eyes, and his tone suddenly softened: "I'm sorry, Bai Shunan, I might have been a bit impatient. But Wanqing, she really values this kind of concert; she hopes her music is well-received."

Bai Shunan only said faintly: "Alright, President Gu, I understand."

Getting an audience wasn't difficult: contact the department heads, give out tickets, and then mobilize people she knew to ensure the venue would be packed today.

Before Gu Yunting left, he looked back at Bai Shunan once more. Seeing that Bai Shunan was working attentively, he didn't say anything else.

Bai Shunan never let him down when she did things.