The people in the house became quiet for a moment, but laughed shortly after. It was just like dripping a drop of water into a hot but seemingly peaceful wok, the water droplet bounced quickly around the wok due to the heat.
“Official, I’ve already reprimanded her. She wouldn’t be so reckless anymore. Please do not hold it against her.” Xu Piaohong’s father, Xu Guiqi told Huo Shaoheng apologetically.
“Oh? What happened? Piaohong, you offended our Mr. Huo? Wow, you do have guts, don’t you?” General Ji’s wife, Mrs. Ji joked. “Shouldn’t you be made to drink 3 glasses of liquor?” She waved her hand and asked someone to bring the alcohol over.
Xu Piaohong stood up timidly. “Mr. Huo, I’ll drink this then?”
Huo Shaoheng looked at her, and shook his head. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about, Miss Xu. I don’t remember you offending me. Apologies, drinks forfeit; I really can’t afford it.” He turned to look at General Ji and his wife. “Mrs. Ji, General Ji, today, other than paying a visit to you for Lunar New Year, I have some things to discuss with you. General Ji, may I know if you have a moment please?”
“It’s the New Year today, must you talk about work?” Mrs. Ji smiled but rolled her eyes at General Ji. It’s the first day of the Lunar New Year, isn’t this a little too much…?
Even though Gu Nianzhi did not follow, her gazed was fixed on Huo Shaoheng.
Mrs. Ji was upset with Huo Shaoheng. Gu Nianzhi immediately came up with an idea. The wine in her hand slipped, and dropped onto the ground with a clank. Everyone looked over.
The red wine was splattered all over her powder pink dress. It stood out.
Huo Shaoheng turned and walked over quickly, and checked her hands. “Are you okay? Hurt anywhere?”
Gu Nianzhi shook her head and said apologetically. “No, I was careless.”
Huo Shaoheng brought her to General Ji and Mrs. Ji, and bowed apologetically. “General Ji, Nianzhi’s carelessness had brought inconvenience to you. I apologize.” He turned to Mrs. Ji and continued. “Mrs. Ji, could I trouble you to bring her for a change of clothes please?”
Gu Nianzhi quickly said: “I have a set of clothes in the car. Just get someone to bring it here.”
Huo Shaoheng called one of his soldiers, and the set of clothes were there in a minute.
Mrs. Ji volunteered and held Gu Nianzhi’s hand, saying: “Quick come with me. What a waste for the dress; it’s the new Spring/Summer release from Yves Saint Laurent, isn’t it?”
It wasn’t just a new release. It was a limited edition worldwide. There were only 3, and Gu Nianzhi’s was even altered based on her preference. They even stitched her name in the dress.
Gu Nianzhi smiled, “Auntie Ji really knows your things. It is indeed a new release from YSL. I feel upset too, but I was the one who was careless; whom can I blame? Huo Shao will definitely get me to run a minimum of 10 kilometers as a punishment when we get back…”
“Oh? He’s so harsh on you?” Mrs. Ji found it amusing. “You’ll really run?”
“Of course. It was like that all along; the punishments.” Gu Nianzhi was really easy to talk to. Moreover, she was a good talker. She managed to distract Mrs. Ji in no time, her subtle praises making Mrs. Ji a really happy woman.
It was only a change of clothes, and Mrs. Ji already liked Gu Nianzhi so much, she refused to let go of her hand.
She brought Gu Nianzhi around the entire house, and introduced her to all the guests who were present. She treated Gu Nianzhi better than her own daughter.
General Ji looked at how enthusiastic Mrs. Ji was towards Gu Nianzhi in shock. After sighing a couple of times, he smiled and turned to Huo Shaoheng: “…This Gu Nianzhi is really something, isn’t she? No wonder she’s a lawyer. Look at how she managed to coax Auntie Ji, she looks as though she’s on cloud nine.”
Huo Shaoheng revealed a faint smile in his eyes, but dismissed it almost immediately. He looked over at Mrs. Ji and Gu Nianzhi and continued: “We are extremely strict with her. Her manners are just slightly better than other girls her age, that’s all.”
Xu Piaohong heard that, and felt uncomfortable all over…
She bit her lips and stood beside her father, Xu Guiqi. From being the limelight just now, to the person who was being ignored and almost forgotten, the contrast was real.
She looked at the Gu Nianzhi who was brought all over the place by Mrs. Ji, and looked at the General Ji who was about to leave the living hall with Huo Shaoheng talking about work, she was a little anxious. Wanting to hint to her father, she nudged him lightly.
How would Xu Guiqi dare to disturb the conversation between General Ji and Huo Shaoheng?
His position in the army is too low compared to the both of them.
It was due to Mrs. Ji being impressed by Xu Piaohong, that they were able to even speak to General Ji and Huo Shaoheng today.
Who knew, Huo Shaoheng denied all unhappiness previously, leading to them looking like they were there on purpose to network.
This was really awkward…
Xu Piaohong could only look on at Huo Shaoheng and General Ji leaving the hall and into the study.
…
Once in the study, General Ji sat down behind the table. He wiped the smile off his face, placed his arms onto the armrests and asked: “What’s so important that we have to talk about it now?”
“If I don’t do it today, it might be too late tomorrow.” Huo Shaoheng took a step in front, and placed a disc on General Ji’s study table. “It’s like that. Our department’s overseas year-end report showed a rather reputable company setting up a branch office in Italy. However, there were no business dealings. They were doing money laundering.”
It’s the New Year now, and most banks are closed. However, from the second day onwards, there will be banks beginning to operate again. This matter was indeed urgent.
General Ji’s gaze darkened. He did not hold the disc, but said firmly to Huo Shaoheng: “… This, isn’t within your area of control.”
“I thought so initially as well.” Huo Shaoheng adjusted his collar casually, and continued steadily. “We went through their Headquarters in our country conventionally, and found out that this company had multiple dealings with the army, and was even the supplier for us on many projects.”
“What?!” General Ji was in shock. “You mean this company has connections with the army?!”
“That’s still fine.” Huo Shaoheng sighed. “The problem was that the contracts they provided the army with were filled with false numbers and multiple times of replacing good stocks with low graded ones. To put it accurately, they used illegal methods to raise profit margins when dealing with the army. Now that they have to be audited, they are worried of the matter seeing daylight. So they’re attempting to transfer all these profits to an overseas bank.”
“Ridiculous!” General Ji raged. He hated heartless businessmen like these. “They dare to harbor intentions for even the army’s money?! I really want to see who was the person behind all these plots!”
Huo Shaoheng remained silent, and lowered his voice: “This is the second issue I wanted to tell you.”
“What? You already know who did it?” General Ji stood up, and sounded really fierce. “Is it anyone internally?!”
Strictly speaking, suppliers who want to supply their things into army projects have to undergo a bidding session before they could get their contracts. However, amongst these, there had to be many who pulled strings.
With the same offers, those with connections would have a higher chance. This was an unspoken rule.
Similarly, when the supplier had issues, those connections who brought them in would be duly punished as well.
This was looked upon as the connection between power and obligations. One couldn’t merely reap the harvest and not undertake any responsibilities.
Huo Shaoheng nodded, and smiled wryly. “This company did pull strings, and it was related to my family.”
“Your family?!” General Ji’s face darkened further. “Shaoheng, don’t tell me it was you!”
“Of course it wasn’t me. To put it more accurately, it wasn’t my family, but related closely to us —- Because this person used my grandfather’s name and helped the company clinch the contract from the army’s logistics department.” Huo Shaoheng continued, “She is none other than my grandfather’s senior nurse Zhang Feng. You know her as well.”
“It’s her?!” General Ji’s face showed a weird expression. “It’s really her?”
“Yes. I’ve already got evidence of her dealing with the company.” Huo Shaoheng narrated calmly, without any traces of emotions. “The director’s son married Zhang Feng’s niece. They’re in-laws. They want to be the sole supplier for army’s construction, but they were not qualified enough. So Zhang Feng stepped in, used my grandfather’s name and struck a deal with Assistant caption Liao from Logistics department.”
“Old Liao?” General Ji was taken aback further. Touching the back of his head, he sighed. “I don’t blame him; Old Liao was your grandfather’s then-subordinate. Your grandfather groomed him all the way.”
“Yes. That was why she could use my grandfather’s name to settle this.” Huo Shaoheng nodded. “But this has absolutely nothing to do with my family. My grandfather didn’t know anything about this. I cannot allow the Huo’s to be embarrassed because of something that we didn’t do. So I hope that General Ji can pass an order to freeze all the accounts from that company based on damages in our army’s project, and begin auditing investigations on Zhang Feng and her family.”