Chapter 2456: Grandfather

Ma Minyuan pondered. It was difficult to kill Cao Peng and Sun Zhenghua with the evidence in his hands; at most, it would just disgust them and prevent them from being promoted within three years, which didn't have much meaning, but instead would make those two mad dogs keep staring at him and biting, which was very counterproductive.

But if he handed it to Zhou Andong, this evidence might have unexpected effects. After all, Zhou Andong's record was there. When everyone didn't look favorably upon him, and even thought that Zhou Andong serving as the director of the Woolen Mill was seeking his own death, the final result shocked everyone, and the Yin family's face was beaten swollen by Zhou Andong.

However, this matter existed with risks after all. He had to talk to Zhou Andong personally and couldn't let his daughter get involved: "Ma Xiaotong, you tell Zhou Andong to meet at the Qing Tea House in Ye Zhongshan at six o'clock tonight."

"Okay!" Ma Ma Xiaotong breathed a sigh of relief and said: "I'll go over with Chairman Zhou tonight."

"No!" Ma Minyuan refused without hesitation: "Don't participate in this matter; just notify Zhou Andong."

"Fine, I'll go notify him now." Ma Ma Xiaotong hesitated for a moment, put down the phone, and left her office.

Ma Ma Xiaotong returned to Jiang Jiang Yuyue's office. As soon as she entered, she saw Zhou Andong leaning lazily on the sofa, playing with a lighter, bickering with Jiang Jiang Yuyue, while Huang Jiamin was watching helplessly from the side.

"Boss, my dad wants to see you. Meet at the Qing Tea House in Ye Zhongshan at six o'clock tonight."

"I got it." Zhou Andong looked at his wristwatch, got up, and said: "I'm leaving. Jiang Yuyue, you practice this Korean version of 'Unique' well. We'll record it at the end of the year and distribute it across Asia with Sony Entertainment's channels after the New Year."

Huang Jiamin suppressed her excitement and said: "Jiang Yuyue, except for the Spring Festival Gala, I won't take any other commercial performances. Your next task is to practice this song."

Jiang Jiang Yuyue nodded, picked up the score on the table, and said with some hesitation: "Why do I feel that the song 'Unique' fits the Korean context better?"

Zhou Andong snorted: "Do you know that in order for you to enter the Korean market and to better complete the Korean version of 'Unique', I've even turned my hair white?"

"Alright, alright!" Jiang Jiang Yuyue said amusingly: "Boss Zhou has worked hard. This little girl will definitely practice this song well and not live up to your cultivation grace."

"As long as you know." Zhou Andong waved his hand dashingly: "I'm leaving."

Just at this moment, a sorrowful cry came from the General Manager's Office in the East Wing: "Grandfather..."

Zhou Andong paused his steps. Jiang Jiang Yuyue, Ma Ma Xiaotong, and Huang Jiamin all turned their heads to look out the window. Immediately after, a group of people ran out from the Comprehensive Department in the West Wing, among whom several young men rushed into the East Wing.

Jiang Jiang Yuyue got up and walked out quickly: "Let's go take a look."

Inside the General Manager's Office, a young girl was squatting on the ground, her face pale, tears flowing continuously from her desperate eyes.

Another girl with short hair was squatting beside her, her face also full of tears, crying while trying to persuade her: "Young Lady, stop crying. Grandfather wouldn't want to see you like this; he would feel heartache."

"That's right!" A woman in her thirties also squatted down, grabbing Young Lady's somewhat cold hand, tears also streaming down uncontrollably: "Young Lady, stop crying. Go ask Manager Ma for leave now; you still have to go home to send Grandfather on his final journey."

"What's going on?" Zhou Andong entered the General Manager's Office. After scanning the room, his gaze fell on Young Lady, and he said in a gentle tone: "Did something happen at home? Tell me, if there are any difficulties, we'll think of a way together."

Young Lady seemed to have lost her soul. Hearing Zhou Andong's words, she just mechanically turned her head to look over, her originally beautiful eyes becoming hollow and lifeless. When she saw clearly that it was Zhou Andong, a glimmer of spirit finally appeared in her eyes, but she opened her mouth and couldn't make a sound.

Zhou Andong knew that when people are emotionally agitated and overly sorrowful, their vocal cords become congested and edematous, causing temporary loss of voice, so he looked at the woman in her thirties.

The woman hurriedly stood up and replied: "A call just came from Liu Jie's home, saying her grandfather passed away."

Zhou Andong looked at Liu Jie. Being sad to this extent because her grandfather passed away clearly showed that the bond between grandfather and granddaughter was not ordinary.

The short-haired girl stood up and explained with a choked voice: "When Liu Jie was five, her mother passed away due to illness, and her father found her a stepmother. They say that if you have a stepmother, you have a stepfather, and this saying is not false at all.

Ever since her stepmother gave birth to a younger brother, Liu Jie became the family's nanny. At seven, she started taking care of her younger brother, feeding pigs and chickens, and cooking for her parents. But she knew that only by studying hard would she walk out of that prison.

But her father didn't want her to study at all. It was her grandfather who insisted, and her father compromised, but she couldn't delay the family chores. So, the first thing she did every day after school was to finish all the chores at home, and only then was it her study time. Therefore, she only slept four or five hours a day.

Heaven does not disappoint those who try. She was admitted to Beijing Language and Culture University. This time, her father's attitude was very firm: he just wouldn't let her go to college, the reason being that the family had no money. Her stepmother scolded her even more, saying she was a money-losing brat who would marry off sooner or later, and that reading so many books was useless.

But the very next day, her father spent over two hundred yuan to buy a brand-new bicycle for her younger brother, who had just started junior high school. She went to her father unwillingly, asking why he had money to buy a bicycle for her younger brother but no money to let her go to college.

What she got was not justice but fists. It was raining heavily outside that day, and she was curled up on a wooden bed, covered in injuries, letting the rainwater leaking from the roof soak through her quilt. It wasn't until dawn was approaching that her door was pushed open, and her grandfather walked in with a hunched body."

The short-haired girl squatted down again, holding Liu Jie in her arms, tears flowing again: "Grandfather took out money with trembling hands, wrapped in a floral handkerchief left by Grandmother.

Grandfather opened the handkerchief, layer by layer. Inside were fifty-eight yuan, five mao, and six fen—money earned by selling a lamb he had bought less than two months ago, as well as two laying hens.

In that dark, rainy night, Grandfather was like a light illuminating Young Lady's entire gray life. With these fifty-eight yuan, five mao, and six fen, and with Grandfather's help, she secretly ran out of the house and came to the capital to study.

For four years, Young Lady didn't dare to go home because she was afraid that if she went back, she would never be able to come out again. And for these four years, every month she would receive money sent by Grandfather. Although it wasn't much, she knew it was Grandfather's everything. And Young Lady was also working hard because she wanted to get ahead, stand firm in the capital, and bring Grandfather over to enjoy life."

The short-haired girl knew Liu Jie's personal experience very well; it seemed the two had an incredibly good relationship.

"Last year, Young Lady graduated and had a chance to enter the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but she refused." The short-haired girl held Liu Jie, her eyes full of heartache: "She said that as a student who had just graduated, she didn't know how long it would take to get ahead in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She wanted to make money, make a lot of money, and bring Grandfather over to enjoy life as quickly as possible..."

Jiang Jiang Yuyue could not help but feel her eyes redden. So that was it; no wonder Liu Jie had been working so desperately since joining Future Culture. Although her salary was fixed, she took home the highest bonus every single month. She had even chatted with Ma Ma Xiaotong in private about how lucky they were to have recruited such a "workaholic."

Because of Liu Jie's performance at work, her ability was also outstanding, and her English was very good, so they planned to transfer Liu Jie to the Public Relations Department as a manager in the next quarter.

She would be mainly responsible for reviewing and publishing company press releases, promotional materials, and other related content, coordinating the relationship between the company and the media, and maintaining the company's brand image and reputation.

If Liu Jie could perfectly handle the work of the Public Relations Department, through subsequent strict assessment and evaluation, they would let her serve as the deputy minister of the Public Relations Department for key cultivation. After all, the company's scale was getting larger and larger, and business was constantly expanding, so the demand for excellent talent was naturally increasing day by day. Therefore, in addition to external recruitment, internal talent cultivation was also a top priority.

"Liu Jie, please accept my condolences." Jiang Jiang Yuyue took a deep breath and said to the short-haired girl: "Feng Old Man Man, I'll give you half a month's leave to accompany Liu Jie home for the funeral."

Zhou Andong then said: "The company will approve five thousand yuan for you. You represent the company to pay your respects and help her hold her grandfather's funeral in a grand way." ===== CHAPTER 2457 =====