Under One Person: The End of Technique, Company Building

"Dad," Xu San spoke again, this time with a hint of pleading in his voice.

"I'm perfectly sober," Xu Xiang interrupted him.

His voice was even softer than before, but every word was clearly audible to everyone present.

"Third son, fourth son, I know what you're thinking..." Xu Xiang's gaze shifted back and forth between his two sons. "You think I'm confused, that I've been pressured, that this isn't my intention. Let me tell you, this is my stance."

These words were like a hammer, shattering the last shred of hope in Xu San's heart.

Xu Xiang said, "I've thought about this for a long time. Ever since I knew my body wouldn't last much longer, I've been thinking about this. I've thought about it for a long time, much longer than you can imagine..."

His chest heaved slightly, the numbers on the monitor jumped for a second, then stabilized.

"You can't protect her forever. Some things can't be solved by 'taking care' of her. Your positions are here, your authority is here, and there are some things that can't be entrusted to you."

Xu San fell silent.

He knew in his heart that his father was right, but he didn't want to admit it.

"She's with Zhuge Qi within the headquarters system, right under Chairman Zhao Fangxu's nose... If anything happens to her, the entire company system can cover for her..." Xu Xiang paused, his gaze falling on Zhuge Qi. "Section Chief Zhuge, you don't mind me saying this, do you?"

Zhuge Qi finally made his move.

He lowered his leg, placing both feet flat on the ground, and leaned forward slightly, a posture resembling the subconscious reaction of a subordinate receiving instructions from a superior.

"Director Xu, what are you saying?" he said. "You're willing to entrust such an important person to me because you trust me."

Xu San ignored Zhuge Qi's words.

He stared intently at his father's increasingly pale face, remaining silent for a long time.

"I just feel that most of the decisions I've made in my life have been right, except for one thing, which I've regretted for most of my life, and I don't want you to regret it too..."

He looked at Feng Baobao.

Feng Baobao remained in the same posture as before he spoke, bending over and gently holding his hands with both of them. There was no resistance, no doubt, and not even worry in her excessively clear eyes.

Just like when I first came to the Xu family many years ago, I knew nothing, believed everything, and was afraid of nothing.

"Baby," Xu Xiang's voice softened a little.

Feng Baobao tilted her head slightly. She didn't express much emotion from beginning to end, and she didn't object to Xu Xiang's arrangements for her.

Xu San suddenly turned his head to face the window, his shoulders trembling slightly.

He didn't want anyone to see his expression at that moment, especially Zhuge Qi.

Xu Si didn't turn around, he just looked at Zhuge Qi.

He had always assumed that the two people from Tianjin were there for Zhang Chulan, and he had taken some precautions.

However, because they did not handle Zhang Chulan's matter properly and were caught out by the other party, they accepted the situation even though they eventually lost their supervisory power over Zhang Chulan.

I just didn't expect that the other party would turn around and take away the baby's custody, and I don't know how they persuaded the old man.

The atmosphere in the ward was as oppressive as a pot of thick porridge simmering in the broth, with everyone feeling trapped inside, unable to break free.

Zhang Chulan stood at the door, without saying a word from beginning to end.

But looking at the scene before him, he suddenly realized that he was no stranger to this situation of "having no choice".

He had no choice when the company targeted him, he had no choice when he inherited his grandfather's estate, and now he's in North China following Xu San and Xu Si—it's all the same kind of pre-arranged "no choice."

"San'er," Xu Xiang called out again.

Xu San turned back from the window, his eyes still red, but his expression had regained its composure.

"Dad, please tell me."

"Promise me," Xu Xiang said, "This is... Dad's last request of you."

Xu San's lips were trembling.

He looked at his father's eyes, which were about to close, and at his face, which was almost transparent in the afterglow of the last rays of sunlight. He knew that these might be the last words his father would say to him in this life.

He opened his mouth, but it felt like his throat was stuffed with cotton, and he couldn't say anything.

Xu Si answered for him.

"Okay." Xu Si's voice was hoarse, as if it had been sanded. "Dad, we promise you."

Xu San suddenly looked at Xu Si, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions: anger, confusion, pain, and a sense of relief that he himself was unwilling to admit.

Xu Si did not avoid his gaze. He glanced at Xu San, as if to say with his eyes, "Agree to it first, we'll talk about the rest later."

Xu San remained silent for a few seconds, then finally nodded.

"Okay, Dad, I promise you."

A faint smile appeared on Xu Xiang's face.

The smile was like the last rays of the setting sun, falling on his wrinkled face, making him look like an old man who had just signed the last word on a document and could finally put his pen cap back on with peace of mind.

He turned his head and looked at Feng Baobao.

"Baby……"

Feng Baobao moved closer, her face so close to Xu Xiang's that she could see every wrinkle at the corner of his eyes.

"Doggy."

Feng Baobao reached out and touched Xu Xiang's head, and began to hum an old tune softly.

The melody of that song was very old, as if it had drifted over from a very, very far place.

The lyrics are fragmented; in some places there is only the melody without the words, and in other places the words and melody are mixed together and cannot be heard clearly.

"...Eldest sister wears a coiled dragon bun...Second sister wears a willow branch adorned with flowers..."

Xu Xiang's eyes slowly, very slowly closed.

The heart rate curve on the monitor changed from regular fluctuations to a straight line, and the long "beep" sound was like a needle piercing the ears of everyone present.

Only Feng Baobao's soft humming could be heard in the ward.

She didn't cry at all, but held Xu Xiang's gradually cooling hand and hummed that old, almost lost song over and over again, as if she were seeing him off.

Zhuge Qi simply stood there, facing the sickbed, and bowed slightly. The movement was small, but sincere.

Then he turned and walked toward the door, leaving the rest of the time to the few people.

He paused for a moment as he passed by Xu San.

"Please accept my condolences." He said these two words in a very soft tone, as if he didn't want to make a fuss.

Xu San neither looked at him nor spoke.

Zhuge Qi did not linger any longer, pushed open the door and walked out.

His reason for taking away Feng Baobao's supervisory power was not because he had any ulterior motives towards Feng Baobao herself, but mainly because of the Xu family; he needed to take precautions.

The Xu family placed too much importance on Feng Baobao, and Huabei was a family business passed down through generations; the company was not actually owned by the Xu family.

If unavoidable disagreements arise between the two sides in the future, Zhuge Qi needs to consider the possibility of the Xu family rebelling against the company.

If Xu Xiang were in charge, the possibility would be much smaller, but it wouldn't be very stable if the Xu brothers took over. In that case, it would be better to take Feng Baobao away as soon as possible, so that the other party would have more concerns.

Mr. Zhao was also willing to provide protection for Feng Baobao; the two sides were not enemies.

However, there is a possibility that a third party might instigate conflict, causing the two sides to one day stand on opposite sides.

The company is not solely owned by Mr. Zhao.

Zhuge Qi also did not want to see the Xu family rebel. Compared to the losses caused, the damage to the company's credibility would be much greater, so this potential threat could not be allowed to exist.

This is something that General Manager Zhao cannot order; that would mean a complete breakdown in relations.

So I have to do it myself.

In any case, the Xu family cannot rebel.

He took a few steps, stopped at the elevator entrance, took out a cell phone from the inside pocket of his suit, and the screen lit up, showing an unread text message.

The sender was Zhao Fangxu.

Zhuge Qi opened the text message; it was very short, containing only a few words—

"I'll talk to you when I get back."

At this moment, Zhang Chulan had already left the room.

As the door slowly closed, the time for mourning was left to the few people inside.

Now only the two of them remained in the corridor.

"Zhang Chulan, let's talk."