Chapter 15: Something Horrible Has Happened

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Xu Weilai woke up a little late. By the time she had washed her face and headed downstairs, her parents were already done with breakfast.

It was a weekend today, and Mr. Xu didn’t need to go to the office. At that moment, he was seated on the couch in the living room with Mrs. Xu. Both of them had somber expressions on their faces.

Seeing this, Xu Weilai frowned slightly. Instead of walking to the dining room as she had originally intended to, she changed the direction of her feet and headed into the living room.

“Good morning, Dad, Mom.”

Her father looked up at her, but only sighed and didn’t say a word. Her mother, on the other hand, had sorrow written all over her face as she said, “Weilai, you came at the right time. Something horrible has happened.”

“What is it?”

Just as Xu Weilai asked the question, her eye caught sight of the newspapers that had been flung on the table. When she saw the headlines, she understood what was going on immediately.

Something horrible had indeed happened, but not to them. It had happened to Zhang Lei.

Xu Weilai reached out for the newspapers and sat down beside her mother on the couch. She quickly skimmed through the news article to gain a better understanding of the situation.

historical

Zhang Lei was in the food and beverage industry, and food safety issues had arisen in his restaurants. At the same time, the health products that were produced by his company were involved in a serious complaint regarding carcinogenic compounds. Their consumers had reported them, and due to the severity of the offenses, Zhang Lei had been arrested that morning.

Mrs. Xu couldn’t help sighing in despair. “How could the timing be this unlucky? Just as both of you were about to get engaged, this happened to him. Now that he can’t even protect himself, how will he invest in our company?”

Mr. Xu’s expression was dismal, but he still held on to a sliver of hope. “He’s only assisting them in their investigations at the moment. Perhaps it isn’t that serious. After all, Mr. Zhang has accumulated many contacts over the years. Perhaps this might be as simple a matter as just paying some people off.”

Xu Weilai pursed her lips.

She was a reporter herself. She knew well that if such a report was publicized, it meant that there was evidence present. Now that the whole country knew about it, who would dare to pull any strings on Mr. Zhang’s behalf? Furthermore, the problem didn’t just lie with his food products. It was also related to the carcinogenicity of the health products from his company. There was no way he’d be able to get off easily.

Based on what she could surmise, these weren’t Zhang Lei’s only offenses. Now that he had been arrested, a thorough investigation would ensue, and he was on his path to ruin.

However, how did this happen to Zhang Lei out of the blue?

–

As she had expected, news regarding Zhang Lei was televised again during dinner.

The list of his criminal activities was read out, one crime after another—bribery, threats, and even the hiring of hitmen. The stocks of his two listed companies fell overnight and became worthless.

Mr. Xu was so affected that he lost his appetite. He placed his chopsticks down and got up to head into the study room.

Mrs. Xu couldn’t stop groaning. “Weilai, what are we to do? What is going to happen to us...?”

Xu Weilai didn’t say a word.

She couldn’t tell if she was feeling relieved or concerned, regarding Zhang Lei’s predicament. On one hand, she really didn’t want to marry Zhang Lei. However, Xu Corporation was once again plunged into a crisis.

Without their lifeline that was Zhang Lei, it was highly possible that the Xu Corporation would crumble. That was something her parents wouldn’t be able to come to terms with.

Although she couldn’t think of a way out at that very moment, she had to calm her mother down first. She got up and headed into the kitchen to get a glass of warm water. When she returned, she placed the glass in front of her mother.

“Mom, the matter regarding Mr. Zhang is out of our control. Don’t worry. I’ll think of a way to save the company.”

Unfortunately, at that moment, Mrs. Xu was too dazed to hear a word she was saying.

After broadcasting the news regarding Zhang Lei, the news station turned its focus over to news concerning the Gu Corporation.