Feng Rou, with her back to the nurse, gazed out of the dilapidated window at the warehouse. She said slowly, "Don't be afraid. I only asked you here to ask you something. Once I'm done, I'll have someone send you back."
This rundown warehouse was rented by her. To find out Xie Zhendong's current situation, she had to resort to some extreme measures, just like Yang Shasha.
The nurse, still frightened, asked, "Who are you and what do you want to know?"
Feng Rou ignored her questions and directly asked, "Who do you take care of in that mansion every day?"
Zhan Jiayi had repeatedly emphasized to Xie Zhendong's medical staff that they were not to disclose any information about the patient to anyone.
The medical staff had signed confidentiality agreements with Zhan Jiayi, and any disclosure would result in legal repercussions.
"I don't understand what you're talking about," the nurse feigned ignorance.
Feng Rou commanded the burly men she had hired, "She's unwilling to answer my questions. You can do whatever you want with her."
The nurse, terrified, tried to escape, but facing these tall, strong men, she was like a helpless lamb, with no chance of escape.
One of the men pushed her down onto the ground and immediately pulled off her coat.
The nurse screamed in fear, "I'm taking care of an old lady in that big house!"
Feng Rou had considered this possibility. After all, the old lady was advanced in age and in poor health, so it wasn't impossible to hire specialized medical staff.
However, she couldn't easily believe what the nurse said and needed to pressure her further.
Feng Rou remained unmoved and said, "It seems she's still unwilling to tell the truth. I'm leaving, and she'll be left with you."
Another man approached and began to tear her clothes. She struggled to resist but was slapped by others, her ankles pinned down.
Feng Rou stopped standing by the window and began to walk away.
The nurse cried out, "No, no! I'll tell you, I'll tell you everything! We are taking care of a Mr. Xie!"
Feng Rou stopped, still not turning around, and simply raised her hand, signaling the men to stop.
"Mr. Xie? How old is he? Is it Xie Zhendong?"
"Yes, that's the name. He's over sixty," the nurse replied, getting up and kneeling on the ground, trembling.
Feng Rou finally breathed a sigh of relief. He was alive, he was indeed alive!
"What illness does he have?"
The nurse answered, "Mr. Xie isn't sick. He was injured."
"Where is he injured, and why hasn't he recovered yet?" Feng Rou pressed.
The nurse gritted her teeth and said, "The injury is very serious. He's in a vegetative state. It's uncertain if he'll ever fully recover."
Feng Rou was shocked and disbelieving. She turned abruptly to face the nurse, "Vegetative state? What's the difference between that and being dead!"
The nurse, terrified, quickly said, "Mr. Xie has regained some consciousness, but it will take at least a few years to fully recover all bodily functions. What I'm saying is true, I'm not lying! Please, let me go!"
Feng Rou suddenly threw her head back and burst into laughter.
Her laughter sounded eerie and chilling, even making the men she had hired feel a shiver down their spines, thinking she must be a madwoman.
After her laughter subsided, Feng Rou said with hatred, "This is retribution, his retribution!"
The nurse cautiously stood up from the ground, wanting to leave quickly.
Feng Rou looked at her, took out a thick envelope from her bag, and handed it to her. "Don't be afraid. As long as you keep in touch with me regularly, not only will I not harm you, but I will also give you countless benefits."
The nurse trembled, afraid to take it, but Feng Rou still pushed it into her hands. She instructed the men she had hired, "Take her back properly. Don't neglect her."
"Yes." The men then escorted her out.
As Feng Rou thought of Xie Zhendong suffering retribution, she couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile.
This explained why there was no news of Xie Zhendong in the outside world. The Huangfu Group had already begun its actions, while the Xie Group was still struggling to hold on.
If it were revealed that Xie Zhendong had become a vegetative state, even the formidable Zhan Jiayi might not be able to sustain the Xie Group.
It seemed that her becoming the chairman of the Xie Group was just around the corner. She started laughing again, this time tears streaming down her face.
...
Zhan Jiayi had spent the entire night reviewing the shipping company's disposable assets report. She was thinking that if Qin Tianyi made a decision and was willing to cooperate with them, they would need to present something substantial to prove that the Xie Group was not yet at its absolute end.
Therefore, she had fallen asleep in her study close to midnight. She felt she hadn't slept long before her phone rang.
She rubbed her forehead, picked up the phone, and said, "Hello."
Old Zhou's voice came through, "General Manager Zhan, something terrible has happened. All the shareholders of the group came this morning, saying they want to convert their shares into cash and withdraw their investment from the group!"
"Why? Why are these people suddenly acting like this?" Zhan Jiayi was shocked.
If the shareholders wanted to withdraw their capital at this time, it would be like draining the well.
Old Zhou's voice trembled as he said, "They, they heard from somewhere... they heard that Mr. Xie has become a vegetative state and will never recover..."
"That's utter nonsense, it's a rumor!" Zhan Jiayi vehemently denied it.
Old Zhou quickly said, "I also know it's definitely a rumor. I've communicated with several major shareholders. But they said that even if Mr. Xie is recuperating, he should be able to meet with them. They want to see Mr. Xie in person, otherwise, they will still insist on withdrawing their shares from the group."
Zhan Jiayi said, "Zhendong needs rest and cannot be disturbed."
"General Manager Zhan, at this critical juncture, can't you let Mr. Xie make an appearance? Even for a few minutes would be fine."
Zhan Jiayi felt immense distress. Xie Zhendong's current condition still made it impossible for him to see anyone.
"I can only discuss it with Zhendong and see what he thinks." She decided to stall for time. "You need to stabilize the shareholders at the group and prevent the situation from escalating. I will try to refute the rumors."
"Okay, I understand."
Zhan Jiayi hung up the phone, clasped her hands over her head, unable to understand how such a rumor could have spread at this time, and more importantly, how it reached the Xie Group's shareholders.
Xie Zhendong's condition had always been kept highly confidential. It was impossible for those shareholders to know.
Where had something gone wrong? She thought that neither she nor the old lady would ever reveal it, so it could only be the household maids or the medical staff caring for Xie Zhendong.
However, there were only two maids left in the house, and they were both people Lian Ma trusted, so it shouldn't be them.
The medical staff were also personally selected by her, and they had all signed confidentiality agreements... She really couldn't figure out who it could be.
She put down the report she was looking at and decided to first probe the two household maids.
Feeling that the maids were not the problem, she then contacted the medical staff one by one, but one nurse consistently did not answer her calls.
She immediately realized that this nurse might be the problem and asked other doctors and nurses.
According to them, this nurse had not come to the mansion yesterday, and they had tried to contact her, but she was also not answering calls or replying to messages.
Zhan Jiayi felt it was all over. It must have been this nurse who leaked Xie Zhendong's condition.
It seemed that even the confidentiality agreement couldn't prevent those who intended to harm the Xie Group.