Chapter 88: “So, Between Me and the Huo Family, Who Do You Choose?”
Lin Huaizhi suddenly flipped the duvet back and cupped Huo Chen’s face, kissing him several times.
“I’m not being perfunctory, and I do treasure you. You are my heart, my soul, and three-quarters of my life! You are the person I love most and can’t live without in this world!”
“Finally, you aren’t allowed to call yourself a ‘thing.’ You are my one and only baby!!”
These words were incredibly cheesy. Though they were the truth, Lin Huaizhi felt goosebumps all over his arms after saying them.
But Huo Chen loved to hear them.
The man’s expression visibly softened. He kissed Lin Huaizhi’s forehead. “Sleep. I’ll go open the door.”
Lin Huaizhi nodded and added, “If it’s Zhou Ning, tell him to come back in the afternoon.”
He had been dealing with Chu Xiaoran’s affairs lately.
The endorsements had all been terminated anyway, but the partners were quite easy to talk to. They actually indicated that the cooperation could continue if Huaimeng provided a different artist.
As for anything that made money, Lin Huaizhi welcomed it with both hands and feet.
The best part was that Chu Xiaoran had to pay damages. Since the endorsements hadn’t expired and he had ruined his reputation, he had to compensate the brands for the impact his actions caused.
Even better—Chu Xiaoran had no money.
Actually, over the years, Chu Xiaoran had filmed many dramas. Although few roles were breakout hits, he had made a lot of money. As long as he managed his finances well and saved a bit, he shouldn’t have been unable to pay the breach of contract fees.
The problem was that Chu Xiaoran spent money like water.
Over the years, he bought one luxury car after another and only picked the most expensive watches. He hadn’t saved much at all.
The brands stated that if he couldn’t pay, they would sue him.
If they actually sued him, Chu Xiaoran’s reputation would likely rot even further, making his path in the entertainment industry even harder.
Thus, Chu Xiaoran could only sell his cars and watches.
But cars and watches are very valuable brand-new; second-hand, they aren’t nearly as popular. Chu Xiaoran sold almost all the luxury items he had bought over the years and still hadn’t finished paying the fees.
Lin Huaizhi didn’t care what happened to Chu Xiaoran after that.
If it weren’t for the fact that he previously wanted to be friends with Chu Xiaoran and signed a ten-year contract, he would have kicked him out of Huaimeng by now.
As for now… the money had been spent, so he would leave it as is. Chu Xiaoran had no resources and was basically ruined. He was just waiting for Fang Mo to make a move.
After all, as Chu Xiaoran’s official match, how could Fang Mo stand by and watch Chu Xiaoran’s plight?
He wanted Fang Mo to save Chu Xiaoran, leading Chu Xiaoran from the wolf’s den into the tiger’s mouth, so that this official couple would go from loving each other to hating each other.
Huo Chen threw on some clothes and went to open the door.
He then came face-to-face with Zheng Xiu’ang.
Huo Chen: “?”
Huo Chen frowned. “I don’t recall asking you to pick me up this morning.”
Zheng Xiu’ang’s cold had lasted quite a while; even now, he wasn’t fully recovered. He looked at Huo Chen with blurry eyes and spoke with a voice like a dying duck.
“Boss! What did I do wrong! Why was I fired! Just tell me! I can change!!”
Huo Chen: “?”
Huo Chen’s frown deepened. “When did I say I was firing you? Has the fever fried your brain?”
Zheng Xiu’ang sniffled.
“But I received a termination message from HR! Aside from you, Boss, no one can fire me.”
Zheng Xiu’ang’s raspy voice was truly unpleasant to listen to. Huo Chen listened for a while until he saw the text message on Zheng Xiu’ang’s phone, then he understood why the man had rushed over.
“It wasn’t me.”
Huo Chen handed the phone back to Zheng Xiu’ang. Recalling that phone call with Li Meiqing a few days ago, he understood perfectly.
“Ignore it. Without my authorization, no one can fire you.”
Huo Chen spoke with authority, yet two seconds later, his own phone sitting in the living room began to ring. After answering the call, he looked at Zheng Xiu’ang with a half-smile.
“Not just you.”
“I’ve been fired, too.”
Zheng Xiu’ang had a look of utter confusion. “Wait, Boss, aren’t you the Chairman? Who can fire you? Stop joking, okay?”
Huo Chen glanced at Zheng Xiu’ang’s throat, then turned to the kitchen to get a glass. He filled it with warm water and handed it to him.
The man then sat on the sofa and gestured for Zheng Xiu’ang to sit as well.
“Liu Fei said the old mansion held a shareholders’ meeting at the company first thing this morning. They joined with other shareholders and voted me out.”
Zheng Xiu’ang spat out a mouthful of water.
Hurriedly grabbing a tissue to wipe himself, Zheng Xiu’ang didn’t forget to speak: “Wait, are they sick? Just because you’re dating President Lin, they held a shareholders’ meeting? They even removed you as Chairman??”
Zheng Xiu’ang truly couldn’t understand it. He looked both shocked and bewildered as he asked.
Huo Chen, however, wasn’t surprised.
He had expected those two would use every possible means to warn him. This was a ‘tradition’ since his childhood; as long as he was slightly disobedient, it was verbal abuse at best, the stick at worst, and psychological PUA in between.
Now that he was no longer a child, insults had no effect, psychological PUA didn’t work, and the stick couldn’t be used, so it led to the shareholders’ meeting.
Since those methods failed, they would control his money and career.
Just as Huo Chen was about to speak, the bedroom door suddenly opened. The young man walked out wrapped in a blanket, yawning as he said, “It seems your parents have put the Huo family and me on opposite ends of a scale, letting you choose one.”
Lin Huaizhi sat down beside Huo Chen and tsked twice. “I’m honored. To think I could be compared to a top-ten global enterprise.”
Even though he said that, Huo Chen could hear the teasing and the ‘ready-for-action’ tone in his voice.
Sure enough, the young man’s voice rang out again.
“So, between me and the Huo family, who do you choose?”
Zheng Xiu’ang: “?”
Zheng Xiu’ang felt the situation was becoming dangerous. He should be under the car, not here. Otherwise, once the Boss gave his answer, if Lin Huaizhi kicked them out, it would be quite embarrassing.
That’s right.
Zheng Xiu’ang thought Huo Chen would choose the Huo family.
Please, a top-ten global enterprise vs. Lin Huaizhi—as long as one wasn’t a fool, they would know which to pick, right?
Although! He said although—since he started following the Boss, he had indeed never seen him have a ‘more-than-friends’ relationship with anyone. Fine, he actually didn’t even have many friends. Lin Huaizhi was the first one since ancient times.
But!
But no matter how special or unique Lin Huaizhi was, he couldn’t outweigh a top-ten global enterprise!
He personally admired Lin Huaizhi; he thought the man was beautiful, confident, and bold. But sometimes, being too confident wasn’t a good thing.
Sigh. Such a good young couple.
Could it be that they were going to part ways today?
Zheng Xiu’ang was feeling very sentimental, but before he could finish his thoughts, Huo Chen’s voice came through—
“I choose you, obviously.”
Zheng Xiu’ang: “?”
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