It’s really hard to make sense of it all, but once things become clear, all that remains is heartbreak.

Xiao Keyi took a deep breath, feeling as if her insides were all twisted together, the discomfort making it almost impossible to breathe.

But in the face of this long and lonely night, she could only endure it alone; if she didn’t put in the effort, no one else could help.

At this moment, Xu Ke noticed a group from the Headquarters waiting at the company entrance. These were Xiao Zhen’s subordinates, known for their unyielding loyalty to him. Seeing Xiao Zhen hurt by the situation and his clear stance, they became even more overbearing.

So they came over early, without taking time off, thinking of themselves as ridding nuisances and not worried about being reprimanded. As people layered around the branch, Hong Xuan drove up and quietly stood behind Xu Ke.

Originally, he had plans to go yesterday, but, unfortunately, his wife got into a car accident and needed surgery, forcing him to postpone the old man’s 80th birthday party.

He felt a bit guilty, so he called the old man that night. The old man didn’t seem in a good mood, even appearing exhausted, which worried Hong Xuan. What was going on with the old man? Why did a birthday party turn out like this?

He remembered the old man once saying to a circle of friends that for his 80th birthday party, he wanted everyone he knew to attend.

On that day, he wanted to be in high spirits, celebrating his granddaughter’s growth, and hoped to find a suitable partner for her. It’s a shame the old man’s wish wasn’t fulfilled, possibly due to Xiao Keyi.

Plus, Xiao Keyi is still young and isolated in taking over the Xiao Group. Additionally, Xiao Zhen is still not old; he doesn’t want his daughter to assume control of the Xiao Group prematurely, so the father and daughter will inevitably argue over the Xiao Group.

Because of the old man’s decision, their relationship will surely become tense, and Xiao Zhen is unwilling to retire now. Many people in the company support Xiao Zhen, making Xiao Keyi’s situation even more difficult.

Although Xiao Zhen has always pampered his daughter, when it comes to power, he probably won’t let go so easily.

The old man must be the most heartbroken because all of this is due to him, yet there’s no complete solution. If there were, he would have resolved these issues long ago, without waiting until now.

In truth, Xiao Zhen isn’t cut out for business. If he had any business sense, the old man wouldn’t need to worry about the next generation or be so harsh on Xiao Keyi.

Sighing slightly, now that his wife’s condition has stabilized, it’s time to stand up for Xu Ke. When the assistant brought him the phone this morning, Hong Xuan saw the difficult situation Xu Ke was in. He didn’t understand what the old man was thinking.

Wasn’t the old man very fond of Xu Ke some time ago? What happened during this time to cause such a drastic change in attitude?

Currently, there’s no news from the old man, but all the public opinion has landed on Xu Ke. Though brought up by the old man himself, Xu Ke has shown gratitude and mentorship towards him.

Furthermore, he gets along well with Xu Ke, and if Xu Ke were driven out of the Xiao Group’s branch, the gaming and animation projects would definitely fall apart.

Xu Ke’s vision is the most advanced he’s seen; as for Su Zining mentioned in the news, Hong Xuan didn’t regard him much. There are plenty of polite men like Su Zining, but how many are actually good at business?

It takes someone as bold as Xu Ke to accomplish great things. If politeness were enough, why would you need someone with brains?

So, after explaining to his family, Hong Xuan hurried to the company. His family understood Hong Xuan’s passion for gaming and animation.

He hailed a taxi, and upon arrival, saw the company entrance crowded with people from the Xiao Group, some even seemingly there intentionally to cause trouble. Hong Xuan took it all in, surprised by their audacity.

After yesterday’s argument between Xu Ke and the old man, these people clearly no longer respected Xu Ke and no longer feared his protection under the old man’s care, acting recklessly, with no fear whatsoever.

"He used to rely on the young miss and the old man, didn’t he? Now, the young miss and the old man see his true colors and no longer protect him. I want to see what he’s capable of. If he’s not competent, he should hurry up and leave, instead of wasting our positions here."

"Exactly, the Xiao Group’s branch was a big piece of pie, and he managed to snag a bite. He’s not even delivering results; why not let someone from Headquarters take over? There are so many talents in Headquarters, why hand this business to him?"

"Even if not handed to us, having it given to the old man’s grandson-in-law wouldn’t be bad. It’s said the grandson-in-law is doing well in high enterprises in other cities."

Everyone chimed in, not for their own gain, but their words excluded Xu Ke. Whoever took the position, they didn’t want Xu Ke in it anymore.

At this time, Secretary Zhou, who liked working with Xu Ke, and Vice President Liu Yifei felt conflicted. They both believed in Xu Ke’s abilities.

But none of this was recognized by the Xiao Family. After all, this was the Xiao Group’s branch. If they stood up now, they’d face losing their jobs, and this time, it meant opposing the old man. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

If they went against the old man, no company in Changnan City would hire them after resigning. They’d avoid them like the plague, so neither dared to speak up, and everyone watched the stalemate, not knowing what to do.

Even Ren Liang, the president of Light and Shadow Company, came over. Ren Liang didn’t expect events to escalate to this extent after last night. He had planned to stay until the end but had to leave early due to Jin Yina’s mishap and fear she might cause more trouble.

Arriving here this morning and seeing the deadlock really gave him a headache. What on earth was the old man thinking?