Meng Yao fell silent for a moment. Yes, she couldn't do it.
They didn't know what else to say and looked away, a sense of impending storm spreading within each of them.
After leaving the temple, on the way back, the three of them, mother and daughters, were lost in their own thoughts and remained silent.
The car was filled with a dead atmosphere. When Wu Xiufang was alone with the eminent monk, he looked at the fortune stick she had drawn and repeatedly shook his head, saying she would face a great calamity. However, he did not offer a way to avert it, only giving her a protective sachet to open in her most desperate hour.
She had never been so worried. Although the eminent monk hadn't explicitly stated it, she could sense it was a life-or-death trial.
Meng Qi had matters to attend to back at the group and got out of the car first.
Not long after Wu Xiufang and Meng Yao returned to the mansion, she was in a hurry to go out and meet Shi Changying.
Upon returning to the group, Meng Qi immediately went to see Huangfu Sisong. No matter what, she didn't want the Huangfu Group to be in trouble. If the worst-case scenario occurred, she wanted to at least protect the group built by generations of the Huangfu family.
As soon as Huangfu Sisong saw her in his office, he continued to process documents and said, "Didn't you go to the temple with your mother to pray? You're back so soon."
"Dad, did you manage a pharmaceutical factory under the group before?" Meng Qi couldn't wait for the investigation results and had to ask directly.
Hearing this, Huangfu Sisong put down his documents and looked at her curiously, saying, "Yes, why are you suddenly asking about this?"
Meng Qi clasped her hands together nervously and asked, "Then, did you and Mom harm the village doctor's family to revitalize that pharmaceutical factory back then?"
Huangfu Sisong was so shocked he froze. He couldn't understand how Meng Qi knew about this and asked, "Did your mother tell you? She's getting senile..."
"No, she didn't tell me. Yes, I found out myself." Seeing Huangfu Sisong's reaction, Meng Qi knew that Song Jiaping hadn't lied; it was all true.
Huangfu Sisong pressed, "How did you find out?"
Meng Qi looked at him and said, "There was a child from that family who survived, and he wants revenge for his family. Evidence should have been found by now, and they are about to make a move against you."
"No, impossible." Huangfu Sisong stood up from his chair in shock. "Your mother told me that the entire family had died, and no one else would know about this."
Meng Qi's heart ached. They had indeed harmed Song Jiaping's family.
But saying more accusatory words would be useless. She only wanted to save the group. "Dad, that pharmaceutical factory still exists, right? Were there any people who knew about this matter in the factory back then, and were the research formulas and data still there?"
Huangfu Sisong thought for a moment and said, "There was a researcher who knew about this, but he retired long ago. The research data and reports should all be archived. No one would go digging through things from twenty or thirty years ago..."
As he spoke, Huangfu Sisong also realized that there might be loopholes in these areas and quickly asked again, "Meng Qi, what exactly are you trying to say?"
"Find that retired researcher and destroy the old archives." Meng Qi dared to try saying more boldly, "Dad, let me be the chairman of the group. Let's complete the group's handover as soon as possible. I'm afraid that if something happens to you, and the group is under my and Yao Feili's names, it can clear our relationship with you and protect the group."
Huangfu Sisong stared at her, his gaze becoming increasingly deep. He suddenly laughed and said, "So, you two want to monopolize the entire group! You deliberately used these old matters to scare me, thinking I have Alzheimer's?"
"Dad, I didn't mean that. Feili doesn't know about this yet. This is the only way I could think of to preserve the entire Huangfu Group." Meng Qi tried her best to explain, "Of course, if you agree, we will proceed with all of this quietly. As for me and Feili, we will also sign a secret agreement, and the Huangfu Group will always belong to the Huangfu family..."
Huangfu Sisong could not accept her words at all and said with a laugh, "Are you possessed? Don't be fanciful. Even if, as you say, that family's descendant wants revenge, so many years have passed, he can't get revenge anymore. It's impossible to find any evidence."
Meng Qi retorted, "Have you been to that pharmaceutical factory recently? Do you know if anyone has investigated it?"
"Hmph, I've already transferred the pharmaceutical factory to Hong Jiaxi's name. It has nothing to do with our group anymore. If anything comes up during the investigation, it's Hong Jiaxi who should be responsible." Huangfu Sisong sat back down, feeling that Meng Qi's visit to his office was making him jumpy, and suspected it was Yao Feili's idea.
They were all wolves with ulterior motives, wanting to usurp their Huangfu Group. Outsiders could not be trusted.
Meng Qi tried her best to persuade him, "The current pharmaceutical factory has no illegal aspects. What responsibility should you ask Hong Jiaxi to bear? What they will dig up are those terrible things from the past. Giving the pharmaceutical factory to Hong Jiaxi was your biggest mistake. I know him best. He only wants to enjoy life and doesn't want to manage anything. He hasn't managed that pharmaceutical company much, and people inside the company are involved in various shady dealings, which has a very bad reputation in the industry."
This was the first time Huangfu Sisong had heard this and asked in surprise, "He can't even manage a pharmaceutical company properly, how do you know?"
"Dad, you haven't truly understood the current state of the pharmaceutical industry in Lancheng. Hong Jiaxi's company has a very bad reputation in the industry. He uses the Hong family's money to subsidize the company's losses every year and doesn't manage the company much in normal times. Giving that pharmaceutical factory to him is like throwing money into the sea. If you don't believe me, go to the pharmaceutical factory now. It's definitely in chaos internally."
"This Hong Jiaxi is truly a scoundrel!" Huangfu Sisong angrily slammed the table.
Meng Qi saw that her father didn't believe her and wouldn't agree to her suggestion, feeling very powerless.
"Dad, even if I didn't say anything today. I'll go do my own things."
After speaking, she left her father's office, feeling a bit impulsive, but she was genuinely worried about the future of the Huangfu Group.
Now, she was unsure of what major moves Song Jiaping would make upon his return. She feared that if Song Jiaping began to retaliate against her parents, she wouldn't be able to make full preparations.
However, Meng Qi also understood her father's attitude: he would never let his daughter inherit the group, fearing that the Huangfu Group would fall into the hands of outsiders.
She had thought that if her parents were truly in great trouble this time, then she would have to rely on Yao Feili to protect the Huangfu Group.
But since her father didn't agree with her idea, there was no need for her to discuss this matter with Yao Feili for now.
She returned to her office helplessly, feeling inexplicably anxious. Unable to persuade her father, she tried calling Song Jiaping again.
This time, the number was directly deactivated and suspended. It seemed Song Jiaping had made up his mind and would no longer see her.