Chapter 2221 - 716: Hypocrisy, Rationality, Timidity, High Profile_4

That also meant admitting that she herself owed Liu Qingning.

Since they were indebted, and Chairman Jin took the lead in "making amends," they (Ouyang Xianyue and Su Yu) certainly had to show something in return.

Otherwise, if everything is exposed in the future, Liu Qingning will surely have her own thoughts.

The major institutional shareholders of[Qingning Technology]are[TY Precision], Smile Holding, and Tang Jin Family Office, while Chairman Jin, Miss Ouyang, and Su Yu, are individual shareholders.

This move is essentially using a form of "moral coercion" to force Ouyang Xianyue and Su Yu to give up their individual shares in[Qingning Technology].

It’s equivalent to helping Liu Qingning complete the "MBO" (management buyout) of[Qingning Technology].

Once Liu Qingning achieves absolute control over[Qingning Technology], her weight in the family office system will be completely different.

At that time, she could even leverage the deep bond between[Qingning Technology]and[TY Precision]to aim for[TY Precision]’s shares and board seats.

This is a silent way to topple the pot, indirectly weakening Miss Ouyang’s industrial influence within the entire system!

Chairman Jin is indeed incredibly cunning!

...

Yang City, Liquan District.

The gentle night envelops this old city, with occasional melodious Cantonese vendors’ calls drifting in from outside the window, full of the hustle and bustle of the marketplace.

Inside the rental apartment, the light is bright and warm.

Zhang Yan curls up on the sofa, holding the chubby orange cat named Orange in her arms, quietly listening to her mother Zhou Hui’s rambling.

Today is her mother’s first day out of the hospital.

The effects of the CAR-T cell transfusion therapy have already manifested in her, with a once haggard face due to illness now rosy and much improved in spirit.

During this period, Zhang Yan almost put aside all work, focusing on accompanying her mother.

This is the first time in many years that mother and daughter have been so closely together for a prolonged period, leaving behind the past’s oppression and heaviness, and only warmth and the bond of survival remain.

"...That caregiver Xiao Chen, really is a good child, so thoughtful in what she does, and the soup she makes is delicious..."

Zhou Hui leans on the sofa, caressing Orange’s smooth fur, while expressing her sentiments.

When Zhou Hui paused, Zhang Yan softly said: "Mom, I’m going on a business trip starting next Monday, for about a week."

"Business trip?" Zhou Hui was taken aback, then immediately expressed concern: "Where to? You haven’t been working long, can you manage alone out there?"

"Don’t worry, it’s fine. Sister Wen Ruan said someone would look after me. During this time, Sister Chen the caregiver will still be with you."

Upon hearing the name "Sister Wen Ruan," Zhou Hui showed a grateful smile, nodding repeatedly: "Oh, Boss Wen has been so good to our family, truly indescribable. Of course, it’s also because of Tang Song’s influence."

Upon this, Zhou Hui mysteriously leaned closer to her daughter, lowered her voice, and asked: "By the way, Ayin, you and Tang Song... Mom never dared to ask, what exactly is your relationship now?"

Zhang Yan’s face instantly turned red to the ears, as if it had been scalded.

She stammered for a while before whispered: "I, I’m going on this trip...first to stay three days in Yan City, then go to the Imperial City Headquarters for training."

"Ah?!" Zhou Hui’s eyes lit up instantly, full of delight, "Yan City? That’s great, great! When you go, properly thank Tang Song."

"Got it, Mom..." Zhang Yan said, red-faced, her voice as small as a mosquito.

Seeing her daughter’s shyness, Zhou Hui was more convinced of her suspicion.

But she still wanted a definitive answer: "Ayin, Mom just asks you once, are you and Tang Song boyfriend and girlfriend now?"

"I...I...maybe...it’s just..."

Zhang Yan opened her mouth, her fingers unconsciously scratched at Orange’s soft fur, feeling as if all the blood in her body had rushed to her head.

The day before their separation, she mustered up the greatest courage in her life and spoke those "confession words."

And his response was "I like you."

Following normal procedures, they should count as a pair, right?

But the deep-seated insecurity inside her kept her from being able to state the relationship with full confidence.

Especially Liu Qingning.

Due to work reasons, she has already joined the[Xuanji Light Realm]content ecosystem cooperation WhatsApp group.

In the group, representatives from all participating parties gather, with Liu Qingning as the head of[Qingning Technology]having spoken several times, discussing the deep integration of AIGC technology and content creation.

Her speech is clean, confident, composed.

Every word conveys a kind of excellence that feels unattainable.

Whereas she has been a quiet bystander all along, only daring to silently reply with "received" when receiving a notification.

"Ayin." Zhou Hui called softly, seeing her daughter lost in thought.

Zhang Yan lifted her burning face and looked at her mother.

Zhou Hui handed over the phone, carefully saying: "Mom saved some photos from your middle school days here. When you meet Tang Song this time, you could show them to him. Aren’t you middle school classmates? You can reminisce about the past together."

Zhang Yan hesitated and looked down at the phone screen.

The photo’s tint was slightly yellowish, capturing a slender girl.

She was wearing a brand-new white printed T-shirt and light blue jeans, sitting on an old bamboo sheet bedspread, tightly hugging a plush toy bear.

With long, jet-black hair carrying a hint of natural waves, beneath her bangs, those clear apricot eyes were looking at the camera with a bit of reservation, her cheeks naturally flushed.