Chapter 346

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

By now, the office premises of Shanhai Real Estate had already expanded in scale; previously there was only a single small shopfront of twenty to thirty square meters, but now the shop next door had also been rented, the two shops knocked through into one and remodeled into a layout divided into inner and outer sections.

The independent office inside was where Wang Dashan and Wang Erhai worked day to day.

The shared office outside was where the other employees worked day to day.

Wang Dashan brought Zhang Xiaoyun into the inner office.

"Speak. What's the matter?"

Zhang Xiaoyun then opened her mouth and said:

"I heard from Erhai that Shanhai Real Estate recently ran into a crisis."

"Indeed ran into some minor difficulties." Wang Dashan did not deny it; on the surface he made light of it, but in his heart he couldn't help complaining — how could his own second brother tell Zhang Xiaoyun about this?

Zhang Xiaoyun couldn't help with anything anyway; telling her would only affect the feelings between the two of them.

"Big Brother, don't hide it anymore, I know everything, Erhai told me all of it. You don't want to sell Shanhai Real Estate, you want to fight Ou Jiajie to the bitter end — I have no opinion on that. But have you thought about it? If something really happens in the end, the one who takes the blame will be Erhai, not you, because the director and legal representative of Shanhai Real Estate are both Erhai."

Wang Dashan's brows furrowed slightly; he looked at Zhang Xiaoyun and asked:

"Was it Second Brother who had you come tell me these things?"

Zhang Xiaoyun hurriedly denied it:

"No. Last night when he told me these things, I wanted him to hurry over and communicate with you, to transfer the company's directorship and legal representation to you, but he firmly refused, and we even had a huge argument. Maybe because he didn't sleep well after the argument, that's why he fell ill today. I came to tell you these things behind his back; he knows nothing about it. If he knew, he would have shut my mouth long ago. I know you brothers have a very good relationship; he's too embarrassed to come say these things to you. But as his partner, I have to come say them to you. You don't want Erhai to take the fall for you either, right? If Erhai goes in, what will become of me?"

Zhang Xiaoyun's words were half true, half false, very sincere, and perfectly reasonable with sufficient grounds.

After listening, Wang Dashan did not suspect anything.

Instead he sighed, then said:

"Later I'll go talk to Second Brother and have him transfer the company's directorship and legal representation into my name. Rest assured, I won't let him take the fall for me. I'm his real older brother; I could never do such a thing."

Seeing Wang Dashan agree to her proposed condition without much hesitation, Zhang Xiaoyun felt a pang of unbearableness in her heart; at that moment she realized just how genuine and solid the brotherly bond between Wang Dashan and Wang Erhai was.

"Big Brother, why don't we just sell the company? Even if it doesn't fetch much money, at least we wouldn't face the risk of being sued in court."

Zhang Xiaoyun persuaded earnestly, with kind heart and good intentions.

"That I have my own plans for; no need for you to worry." Wang Dashan answered like that.

Zhang Xiaoyun had nothing more to say.

"Anything else?" Wang Dashan asked again.

"Nothing else."

"Then go on out and work."

After Zhang Xiaoyun went out, Wang Dashan sat alone in the office.

He took out a cigarette and smoked with a gloomy, worried expression.

His heart was filled with myriad emotions.

Emotions complex and chaotic.

His own second brother, ultimately, was still growing distant.

Wang Dashan knew that Zhang Xiaoyun coming to tell him this today was most likely Wang Erhai's idea.

Falling ill and going to the clinic for an IV drip was mostly a pretext — to avoid suspicion.

But this couldn't be blamed on him either; after all, he had a partner now.

He had his own considerations.

And as the older brother, both emotionally and rationally, Wang Dashan indeed could not let his younger brother Wang Erhai take the fall.

Just thinking — after Wang Erhai and Zhang Xiaoyun get married, will the bond between the brothers become even more distant? His heart held a faint sorrow, because the answer was obvious.

In the past Wang Dashan didn't understand why his father and his Uncle would be polite and distant like strangers, barely keeping in touch except on major holidays, otherwise each living their own lives — how could real brothers become this estranged?

Now he seemed to understand a little.

Once each has their own family, plus all the pressures of life, one is powerless to control it.

Over time, naturally they grow distant.

It's not that just because you say you want to live together, you can live together.

Nor is it that just because you say you want to open your hearts and remain brothers who tell each other everything, you can remain brothers who tell each other everything.

While we build our own families, we are also slowly fading another kinship — this is the inevitable result.

From brothers and sisters who told each other everything, slowly each gaining their own careers and families, to polite and distant brothers and sisters — this is a process most ordinary people must go through.

Actually, ever since Wang Erhai and Zhang Xiaoyun started dating and moved out to live together, the signs had already begun.

And from now on, they will only grow further apart, and it is almost irreversible.

This afternoon, when Wang Erhai came to work, Wang Dashan called Wang Erhai into the office and said to him alone:

"Tomorrow we'll go handle the paperwork and transfer the company's directorship and legal representation to me."

Wang Erhai looked at Wang Dashan speaking these words expressionlessly, felt a pang of unbearableness; he really wanted to say sorry to his big brother, but the words stuck in his throat for a long while and wouldn't come out.

"Big Brother, I..."

Wang Erhai's throat was a bit choked up.

"No need to say anything. I don't blame you. You and Xiaoyun live your lives well. This Spring Festival bring her back to the hometown to meet Mom and Dad. Hurry up and settle the wedding. Xiaoyun is a good girl. If she didn't love you, knowing our company's situation, she'd likely just pat her butt and run off immediately, and she certainly wouldn't risk being hated by me to come here and put in a good word for you."

Wang Dashan was still expressionless.

Wang Erhai's feelings were incomparably complex; he could feel the brothers had already grown apart; his lips moved with difficulty:

"Big Brother, why don't we just sell the Company? You can't twist your arm against a Thigh; we can just start over."

Wang Dashan, however, laughed self-mockingly:

"Before, Ou Jiajie called me, saying he wanted to acquire Shanhai Real Estate for Ten Thousand Yuan. I cursed him out thoroughly and told him to scram. I cursed him like that, put the Sentence absolutely, so do you think we can still negotiate with him again?"

Wang Dashan's expression became incomparably serious. He watched the air, seemingly deep in thought, his gaze drawn out long:

"Back when I was in the Army, our Squad Leader emphasized Countless Times that during war, even if you die, you must hold the position, absolutely cannot be a deserter, and even more cannot be a surrender faction."

Speaking to here, Wang Dashan lit a Cigarette for himself, took One Kiss, and continued:

"This Mall is like a Battlefield. Now the great enemy approaches. If I directly throw away the position, don't resist and just pat my Buttocks and run, would I still qualify as a soldier? Even if I die, I must hold fast on the position. This is a Soldier's bottom line."

……