"Xiaoqing, I'm sorry, I can't help you with anything."
"No," she said softly, closing the curtains, getting up and going downstairs. She stepped barefoot onto the grass, sighed, sat on the swing, and swayed slowly.
"Xiao Qing, I have a strange feeling, as if we were brothers who fought together to conquer the country, but now that we've conquered it, I'm powerless to defend it."
"Yes, it is difficult to maintain the country, because the people's hearts are no longer so united. There are not only external threats, but also internal troubles."
"Xiao Qing...you...how..." Xu Zhihan was inexplicably alarmed. Did she...did she know something? For a moment, he wanted to blurt out the truth to her, but as long as it wasn't the final step, he still held onto a sliver of hope. He knew it was hopeless, but he really didn't want to give up on everything he had now; he didn't want to just watch it slip through his fingers.
"It's nothing, I just randomly replied to what you said," Song Qing comforted her, but a bitter pain crept up her heart like vines.
"Where are you?"
"I'm at home, but I can't sleep."
"Come out for a walk, I'll come pick you up." Xu Zhihan stood up. He was disturbed by Song Qing's sudden phone call today, and felt a heavy pressure that made it hard to breathe. He was so eager to see her, he thought, he would say anything, even just a few words. He believed that Song Qing needed him at this time.
"Okay." Song Qing replied after a long while.
"I'll come pick you up. I'll be there soon," she replied before hanging up.
Song Qing got up and went upstairs. After getting ready, she carefully went out the door. Once she was off Beiyang Road, nearing Xu Zhihan's house, the car suddenly slowed down considerably. Perhaps there was a tire problem, so she had to stop and get out to check. She had just crouched down and was about to peek over the edge when she was suddenly struck violently. Before she could even call for help, she passed out.
When she woke up, she found herself still surrounded by darkness, unsure how long she had been unconscious. Suddenly, a bright light shone directly at her. Confused, she gasped and tried to cover her eyes, only to find that her hands and feet were bound together, rendering her unable to move.
She was naturally unable to speak, as her mouth had been gagged with a gargling tape. Panicked and furious, she twisted her body, protesting in a muffled voice.
A crowd immediately surrounded him, and standing in the center was none other than Xu Kai!
She stared wide-eyed in astonishment and disbelief, utterly unable to believe it.
Xu Kai's face was filled with madness, a desperate decision born of recklessness. His face was horribly distorted, and he looked as dejected as someone suffering from drug addiction and unable to fulfill their desires.
Just as someone was about to harm her, Xu Kai waved his hand and slowly approached. Song Qing shook her head desperately, still clinging to a sliver of hope. "Xu Kai, we've been best friends since childhood! How could you do this?"
Unexpectedly, he ruthlessly slapped her twice without any mercy.
"You bitch! Do you remember what you promised me that day at Four Seasons? Huh!"
Swimming pool? She desperately tried to remember what happened that day, struggling to get up. Someone grabbed her by the collar and lifted her up, only to be met with a burning sensation on her face once again.
"It's all my fault for being soft-hearted and believing you. Otherwise, would you still be so arrogant today?! Let me tell you! If the Xu family falls, I'll make you all pay with your lives!"
Song Qing felt dizzy and disoriented, completely unaware of why she had been slapped several more times. She had never experienced anything like this before. Her headache from the daytime had intensified, and even breathing was difficult.
"Brother Kai! This woman is really fragile." A henchman cautiously reminded him. If this continues, someone could really die. They thought Xu Kai was just bluffing, but besides, this woman's identity was not ordinary. If she really died like this, they would all be in deep trouble.
Seeing Song Qing's face covered in bruises, lying weakly at his feet, completely devoid of her usual strong, independent woman, Xu Kai felt a little relieved. But then he thought that if it weren't for her, the Xu family wouldn't have fallen to this state, so he couldn't help but kick her again before he was done with it.
"Lock her up properly! What's the rush? If anything happens, I'll take responsibility! Get back to work now, I'm going out for a bit, so you all need to be on your guard with utmost vigilance!"
The huge, abandoned car repair shop suddenly fell silent again. The glaring light had been removed, but her face still burned like fire. She coughed a few times, feeling utterly exhausted. Supporting her aching body, she stared blankly for a while, and then, without realizing it, drifted off to sleep again.
The remote location made Song Qing, who never slept in, sleep restlessly until noon. She only woke up with a start when Xu Kai stormed in, furious, and rudely yelled at her. But she couldn't make a sound. Clearly, Xu Kai had no intention of listening to her explanations; his mind was filled with his own speculations.
Xu Kai's venting of his anger by beating and cursing her finally brought her to her senses. Now, all she could think about was Fuhua's situation and her father's health. In her anxiety, tears streamed down her face, and she wished she could fly away to heaven.
Xu Kai's hatred for Fuhua and her at this moment was not without reason. Without Fuhua and the Power No. 1 project, Yan Xunan would not have found such a perfect opportunity to kick them out of Weisheng. In just one day and one night, Fuhua was in complete chaos. Weisheng was celebrating Song Ning's investment in a high-profile manner, and Song Ning's remarks at the press conference plunged the unique Fuhua into crisis.
Song Ning claimed to have mastered all the technical data of the Power No. 1 battery, and that Weisheng was already working on the complete machine, which could be launched on the market immediately. Those who came to support him were all influential people in the business world, and the attractive investment conditions offered by Weisheng made this explosive news even more sensational, causing a huge stir in Linchuan.
Weisheng's stock, which had been sluggish for some time, suddenly surged, and everyone was eager to hear Fuhua's response. However, it was Secretary Liu who spoke, and his answers failed to satisfy anyone. Meanwhile, Song Jingmo, in her anxiety, suffered a relapse of her serious illness and was being treated in the hospital, keeping the entire Song family in a state of chaos. Even though Xu Zhihan faced everyone with a dejected expression, assuring them of the integrity and security of the Power One technical data and hoping for their continued trust in Fuhua, these words were far less authoritative than those spoken by Song Qing or Song Jingmo.
Song Qing's sudden disappearance has sparked much speculation: is he escaping, or is there another hidden reason?
In just two days, Fuhua's stock price plummeted; reality is indeed cruel.
Even Dong Haifeng of Hanlong showed signs of switching sides to support Weisheng. This crisis was like a severe illness collapsing like a mountain, completely beyond anyone's control, leaving Fuhua in a passive position. Now that Song Qing was gone and Song Jingmo had fallen seriously ill, Fuhua was like a pile of loose sand. Without a leader, the atmosphere in the vast Fuhua was oppressive, and everyone felt insecure.
Although Song Qing was anxious, she knew the situation outside must be terrible, but because the information she heard from Xu Kai and the others was incomplete, she didn't know exactly how serious it was. On the third day, Xu Kai's expression softened slightly, he removed her gag and brought her food, but by then, she didn't want to speak or hear any more news.
Xu Kai stared at her blankly all morning, his expression shifting between madness and ruthlessness, and pity and sighs, clearly caught in an internal struggle and contradiction. Song Qing, having eaten and regained some strength, simply said, "Xu Kai, let me go. If this drags on any longer, you and Fuhua will both be finished!"
She had already seen the newspaper containing the food, and she had a pretty good idea of what was going on.
"I have said before that I will not cooperate with Weisheng."
"No matter what, the outcome is certain for me!" he said resentfully, taking a deep drag on his cigarette.
"I know, but killing me won't help. If you don't let me go now, you'll never have another chance."
Xu Kai stomped on the cigarette butt and turned around, saying fiercely, "You're threatening me!"
Song Qing shook his head sympathetically, "I'm telling the truth, three days is already the limit."
She believed in Bill, and she also believed in Yi Zhengwei.
Xu Kai was enraged by her calm and composed expression. He cursed rudely, kicked over a chair, walked closer to Song Qing, and suddenly revealed an evil smile.
"What are you going to do?" She involuntarily took a step back, staring at him warily.
As Xu Kai took off his clothes, he slowly approached. He pinched her chin and said, "What are you going to do? What else can I do? Even if I can't beat Yan Xunan, I'll make him taste the pain of heartbreak!"
Song Qing shook his head in alarm, saying repeatedly, "No, you can't! Be rational! This won't change anything, and besides, the Xu family still has a lot of potential..."
Upon hearing this, Xu Kai's eyes widened, and he quickly flicked his hand, leaving several more finger marks on her face.
"Don't pretend! Today I'll see what's so great about you that makes that brat Yan Xunan so infatuated. Heh heh, he wouldn't let you still be a virgin, would he!"