At the start, I had to choose one of four options, and I immediately picked the Brahmin from the cou

"Brother Ma, how...how could you do this!"

"Girl, that's not a good point. I genuinely want to help you, so why are you blaming me? Go out and ask around in the whole of Tianshui City, who else is willing to take on this business for you?"

"Old Zhao owes 30 million, not 3,000. The bank is withdrawing its loan, the suppliers are demanding payment, the workers are demanding settlement, and there are a bunch of unfinished lawsuits waiting to be fought in Linjiang."

"Sun Dewang and his gang are as cunning as monkeys, and they run faster than rabbits. Do you expect them to turn around and help you? They're probably already calculating how much discount they can get on Old Zhao's plots of land."

These words made Duan Xue's face turn pale. She knew that what Lao Ma said was the truth, and it was precisely because it was the truth that it was more cruel than any lie.

Although she didn't know much about business, she knew that 30 million was a huge sum of money.

She lowered her head, feeling as if her mind was a complete mess. On one hand, there was the image of Old Zhao lying in the intensive care unit with tubes inserted all over his body, and on the other hand, there was Zhao Bin's cold words on the phone: "Don't bother me about Dad's affairs anymore."

These images spun around and around in front of her, making her dizzy.

Old Ma didn't rush her; he just waited. He knew that in this situation, the more he urged her, the more likely he was to provoke her rebellious attitude. It was better to give her enough time to gradually break down the wall in her heart.

For him, this was a game he was confident of winning.

He had been observing the woman next to Lao Zhao for quite some time. She was vain, greedy for comfort, and a parasitic vine destined to die without Lao Zhao, this big tree.

Now that the tree has fallen, the dodder must find another branch to cling to.

Although Lao Ma can't compare to Lao Zhao's former glory, he's still a boss with a net worth of hundreds of millions, which is more than enough to provide her with a place to settle down.

"Girl, don't think that Brother Ma is taking advantage of you. Think about it, with Old Zhao in his current state, even if he wakes up, he'll be bedridden for the rest of his life."

He attacked Duan Xue directly at her weak point, striking at her vitals.

"You're only 26 this year? That's the prime of a woman's life. Are you really planning to spend the rest of your life caring for a person in a vegetative state, with debt collectors harassing your door every day?"

"If I were you, I would start planning for myself now. If you follow Brother Ma, I can guarantee you won't have to worry about food or clothing. You won't have to sell any of those designer bags and jewelry that Lao Zhao bought for you before. You can still go out looking glamorous."

Duan Xue didn't speak, but Lao Ma noticed that her fingers were unconsciously rubbing the Cartier bracelet on her wrist.

That was a gift from Lao Zhao to her for her birthday this year; it cost over 200,000 yuan.

Seeing her action, Old Ma's last bit of uncertainty disappeared. A woman who was still touching her bracelet at this moment was absolutely unwilling to fall from grace, and being unwilling meant there was room for negotiation.

"You..." Duan Xue finally spoke, her voice barely audible, but she dared not look up to meet Lao Ma's gaze. "The millions you mentioned, can they really stop those debt collectors from coming to collect?"

"When has Brother Ma ever lied to you? But are you sure you want to use this money to help Lao Zhao cover his losses?" Old Ma said, putting his hand on Duan Xue's shoulder again, this time even more brazenly than before.

"What do you mean?" Duan Xue raised her head, her eyes still red, but a hint of wariness appeared in her panic.

"Girl, don't overthink it. Brother Ma is genuinely looking out for you. How much can you really fill Old Zhao's hole with those few million? With a debt of thirty million, throwing in a few million is just a waste of time. The banks will still withdraw their loans, the suppliers will still sue, and Old Zhao will still be bedridden. In the end, you'll lose your money and won't save him. What's the point?"

Duan Xue's lips moved, as if she wanted to refute, but she found that she couldn't find a point to refute at all.

Yes, that's not ten or twenty thousand, but a full thirty million. Even if she took out all the money she had saved from Lao Zhao, and sold all the limited edition platinum bags in her wardrobe and the jewelry in her jewelry box, she would only be able to scrape together a fraction of it.

Even if Duan Xue didn't understand business, she could still figure out this deal.

A few million yuan is enough to buy two houses in Tianshui, but if it's used to pay off Lao Zhao's debts, it's like throwing money into a well and getting no response.

She was caught in a dilemma.

Although she initially married Lao Zhao because of his good qualities, he could never find a single fault with her.

She casually mentioned liking Cartier bracelets, and the next day Old Zhao had someone transfer some from the provincial capital's boutique and send them over.

She said she wanted to learn flower arranging, and Lao Zhao enrolled her in the most expensive flower arranging class in Tianshui without saying a word. It cost 800 yuan per class. She went twice and then got lazy and didn't want to go anymore, but Lao Zhao wasn't angry.

Her mother underwent heart bypass surgery last year. Old Zhao used his connections to find the best cardiac surgeon in the provincial capital. The surgery and hospitalization fees were all covered. Even the nutritious meals her mother ate in the ward were ordered daily from a private restaurant by Old Zhao's secretary.

These things piled up in my mind one by one. I didn't usually think they were a big deal, but now, sitting at the door of the intensive care unit, listening to the sound of the ventilator rising and falling inside, they all suddenly came rushing back to me.

At that moment, she felt as if two forces were pulling her head back and forth. One voice was screaming at her, calling her shameless. Her husband was still lying in the intensive care unit, his life hanging in the balance, and she was actually here bargaining with another man.

Another voice, however, laid bare the reality for her, saying that according to the doctor, Old Zhao was unlikely to wake up, and even if he did, he would be a cripple.

She can't fill the 30 million hole, no one will help her. Once the court seizes the house and car, Duan Xue will be nothing.

The wives who used to fawn over her would gossip behind her back, saying she deserved it and that she was a vixen who climbed the social ladder by relying on men. Now, karma has come back to bite her.

Could she endure that kind of life? Living in a low-rent apartment, squeezing onto buses, haggling with vendors at the market for a few cents—just thinking about it made her feel suffocated.

Seeing that she was biting her lip and remaining silent, Old Ma knew that the time was almost right and decided to add one last bit of firewood.

"Alright, since you think Brother Ma is taking advantage of you, then I won't force you. Take care of yourself, I'm leaving now. By the way, remember what Sun Dewang just said, and cash in your jewelry as soon as possible. Those debt collectors don't care if you can handle it or not; if they cause a scene, they might really bang on your door."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the elevator, his leather shoes making a crisp, rhythmic sound on the marble floor of the hospital corridor.

He walked at a moderate pace, giving her ample time to hesitate. One step, two steps, three steps—he counted silently in his mind, and when he reached the seventh step, the rapid tapping of high heels on the ground finally sounded behind him.

"Brother Ma—wait!" Duan Xue almost staggered as she caught up. It wasn't until Old Ma left that she truly understood what she really wanted.