Mo Yushen did not reply.
I had just put my phone away when an announcement came over the loudspeaker that my flight to Beijing was delayed.
This flight is habitually delayed; it happens every time.
Mo Yushen sent a voice message to his grandfather: "Grandpa, my flight is delayed. I won't get home until after 1 a.m. I'll come over first thing tomorrow morning."
Grandpa: [I'm not sleepy either, you can come.]
A car came into the yard.
Grandpa put his phone aside.
The person who came was Mo Lian's mother, who had called an hour earlier.
Although Old Master Mo is no longer with the company, nothing that happens within the company escapes his notice. He already knew why Mo Lian's mother was coming over tonight. The news that Mo Yushen had directly threatened his father with retirement had already spread among the company's senior management.
As for what kind of threat they will use, others do not know for the time being.
He was too lazy to figure it out.
Anyway, it's not something to be proud of.
For decades, there hasn't been a single day of comfort.
He was exhausted.
Mo Lian's mother brought some gifts. "Dad, Mom."
After exchanging greetings, Old Mrs. Mo went upstairs. She had never been satisfied with this daughter-in-law, but her son was a disappointment and insisted on marrying her.
I got the marriage certificate without telling them.
The old lady's figure turned a corner on the stairs.
The living room quieted down, leaving only Grandpa Mo and Mo Lian's mother.
Old Master Mo was too lazy to beat around the bush, "Just say what you have to say, I'm tired too."
Mo Lian's mother was used to Old Master Mo's lukewarm attitude and had been patient with it all these years.
She took a deep breath and said directly, "Dad, you know about Yu Shen's matter, right?"
Grandpa Mo didn't pretend to be confused and nodded.
Mo Lian's mother said, "We're family after all. Isn't Yu Shen making us a laughingstock? His father is already old. How many more years can he stay in that position? Can't we wait until he retires?"
Grandpa Mo: "As the old saying goes, 'If a man doesn't look out for himself, he'll be damned.' Between father and son, if there's no affection, they're no different from strangers. Take it easy."
Mo Lian's mother's expression changed. She suppressed her temper and emotions.
Does this sound like something an elder would say?
Cold-heartedness is so vividly displayed in the Mo family. Mo Yushen is one, as is Old Master Mo. Even Mo Lian has inherited this trait.
She wouldn't have bothered coming here if she had any other choice.
She left the Mo Group at noon and went straight home.
She was restless all afternoon.
Mo Lian is currently in a secure position at the Mo Corporation because Old Mo keeps Mo Yushen in check. But if Old Mo were to resign, no one would be able to control Mo Yushen.
If Mo Lian were to fight Mo Yushen, judging from the current situation, Mo Lian's chances of winning are not very high.
After much deliberation, she decided to visit the old house, clinging to a sliver of hope that the old man could uphold justice so she could buy some time for Mo Lian.
Despite her anger, Mo Lian's mother dared not show it on her face, and her tone remained gentle, "Dad, Mo Lian and Yu Shen are both your grandsons. You can't just stand by and watch them fight and do nothing."
Old Master Mo took a sip of tea and asked in return, "Tell me, how am I supposed to manage this?"
Mo Lian's mother said, "I know Yu Shen is upset and has a problem with Mo Lian. He can't tolerate Mo Lian. The fact that he forced his father to resign early today is a clear indication that he wants to drive Mo Lian away from the Mo family business. It's only a matter of time."
Grandpa Mo maintained the same attitude: "I'm too old, nobody listens to me anymore. Let them be, each according to their own abilities."
The atmosphere was tense.
But Mo Lian's mother dared not speak out against her anger.
Grandpa Mo poured himself another cup of tea, as if it were none of his business.
Mo Lian's mother was still unwilling to give up and made one last attempt, hoping that the old man would soften his heart. After all, Mo Lian was also his own grandson, and she refused to believe that he had no feelings for Mo Lian at all.
“Dad, no matter what, it’s not Mo Lian’s fault. He has been wronged all these years, but he just kept it to himself.”
The old man looked at the tea leaves in his cup; they were emerald green, the same tea packet that Mr. Yue had brought him.
Seeing that the old man remained silent, Mo Lian's mother continued, "They are both my flesh and blood. Can you really bear to see the two brothers like enemies? I've come to terms with it now. I don't ask for anything else, just peace and stability. I also hope that the two brothers can look after each other in the future."
Old Master Mo has heard all sorts of things and seen all sorts of people; these things no longer move him.
He put down his teacup and said to Mo Lian's mother, "Speaking of the palm and the back of the hand, the back of the hand is something that others can see at a glance, and it's more about saving face. The palm, although fleshy, is rough and has endured more grievances."
Mo Lian's mother remained silent.
Old Master Mo: "Back then, you chose the back of your hand to save face for you and Mo Lian. You can't expect me to take a piece of my own flesh and give it to you now. People, don't be too greedy."
Mo Lian's mother opened her mouth, but had no answer.
Grandpa Mo stood up, leaning on his cane, and said again before going upstairs, "Mo Lian is not wrong, the mistake is that his mother is you. There is a cause for every effect. It is impossible for one person to have all the good things."
He stepped toward the stairs.
"Go home early."
Mo Lian's mother turned pale; she hadn't expected the old man to embarrass her so openly.
Grandpa Mo didn't go back to his bedroom; he went to his study instead.
In the early hours of the morning, the city quieted down.
Old Master Mo didn't sleep; he kept waiting for Mo Yushen.
After a long journey, Mo Yushen arrived home with a look of fatigue on his face.
As usual, I poured Grandpa a glass of warm water.
He sat opposite his grandfather, listening to his teachings. Although he would basically forget what he heard as soon as he heard it.
Grandpa handed him a book. "I was tidying up the bookshelf today and found this. It's a book that Lao Yue wrote a few years ago. It talks about human nature. It's sharp and insightful. You can read it when you have time."
Mo Yushen took it. This wasn't something he had found; it was a gift from his grandfather, given to him with a special meaning.
Grandpa didn't say much about grand principles, but his heartfelt words were: "You must have your own ideas about how to handle things with Mo Lian. Grandpa won't interfere, and he supports you."
Mo Yushen did not respond, but pretended to read a book and turned a page.
Grandpa sighed, heartbroken: "You and Mo Lian were both good children, it's my son who's disappointing."
Mo Yushen looked at the title page; it was blank.
"Why did you go to the mountains?" Grandpa changed the subject.
Grandpa still remembered, "Didn't Jiajia just go there two or three days ago?"
Mo Yushen closed the book and paused for a moment. "Xi Jia wants me to go see her."
They're surprisingly obedient.
Grandpa smiled; he hadn't felt this relaxed in days.
It's not necessarily a bad thing that Mo Yushen has a weakness.
Grandpa waved his hand, "Go back."
Mo Yushen left his grandfather's house at two in the morning.
The streets were unusually quiet at midnight.
There weren't many cars on the road; occasionally, one would pass by in the opposite direction.
Mo Yushen sent Xi Jia a message: 【I've arrived.】
Three days later.
Mo held a press conference.
Mo Yushen personally presided over the meeting and announced important news:
Due to health reasons, Chairman Mo is recuperating in the hospital and is not suitable for strenuous work. Therefore, Vice Chairman Li will temporarily act as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mo Group.
In fact, everyone knows perfectly well that the so-called temporary management of the group by Chairman Li is just a wording, so as not to embarrass Chairman Mo, and also to help stabilize the stock price.
It won't be long before it's officially announced that Chairman Mo is unwell and has formally resigned.
The press conference did not include a Q&A session and ended in just a few minutes.
At the hospital, Chairman Mo also watched the live video broadcast.
Mo Lian's mother brought over some hot tea, took his phone away, and said, "Don't look at it, it's so upsetting." She put the teacup on the cabinet and started peeling fruit.
Chairman Mo moved in last night; if he didn't come in and pretend to be there, he'd lose face. Last night, he made concessions.
He also reached an agreement with Mo Yushen that he would resign as chairman of the board, and that all of Mo Lian's affairs would be wiped clean.
Mo Lian's mother handed over the peeled fruit.
Chairman Mo didn't answer. He had no appetite left.
Mo Lian's mother sighed softly, "I thought Yu Shen was just being stubborn and throwing a tantrum, but I didn't expect him to be so serious. He doesn't even care about you as his father anymore. And you, you still want to leave half of the shares to him. You treat him like family, but he might not."
Chairman Mo narrowed his eyes. "Could you please say less?"
Mo Lian's mother stopped there.
The news about the Mo's Group quickly lost its popularity online.
Everything seemed calm.
The proposal to increase R&D investment was approved at the meeting today.
Mo Yushen was busy until 9 p.m. before he had time to check his phone, and Xi Jia didn't send him any messages.
He looked at his phone screen, thought for a moment, and sent a message: "Is your signal bad?"
Xi Jia quickly replied: 【No. What's wrong?】
Mo Yushen: [I sent you a message before.]