Chapter 9.1 (1/2)

Chapter Nine (Part 1)

It was circulated that Chen Yi Feng was interested in finding a new investment. The seniors at Qin’s company took advantage of the situation and did everything in their power to create relations with Chen Yi Feng.

The rumors were that Chen Yi Feng signed a contract with Qin Song’s uncles, openly declared Chen Yi Feng opposed Liang’s company to help topple Qin Song’s unstable position as the head of Qin’s company. As part of the contract Chen Yi Feng became a stakeholder of Qin’s company.

At the start most of Qin’s company stakeholders were intimidated by Qin Yun and Liang’s company influence in the market. But after hearing of Chen Yi Feng opposing Qin Song, those stakeholders withdrew their support for Qin Song to be Qin Yun’s successor.

Qin Song at Qin’s company was scrambling to keep supporters on his side.

Qin Song never voiced his work struggles with Han Ting Ting. But Han Ting Ting noticed that he’d been home late nearly every night and always came home with a tired look and she knew that something was wrong at Qin’s company.

‘Ting Ting… Ting Ting?’ Qin Yun called his dazed daughter-in-law.

‘Sorry, dad. What did you say?’ Han Ting Ting asked.

‘Ting Ting, I asked if you and Qin Song wanted to spend Christmas with us at Commander Zhang’s mansion?’ Qin Yun said. ‘Having everyone there will be lively. Then for New Year, you and Qin Song can spend it at your parents’ home.’

‘Is that possible?’ Han Ting Ting asked.

‘Of course. It’s your first Christmas as newlyweds, it would be good to join as on the festivities at Commander Zhang’s mansion. Straight after Christmas you and Song Song can head to your parents,’ Qin Yun said.

Han Ting Ting was excited at the prospect at having a lively Christmas. But she remembered Song Song’s tired state and hesitated. ‘Ah, I’ll need to discuss it with Song Song first.’

‘Song Song will definitely agree. Song Song hates spending New Year with my side of the family,’ Qin Yun said.

‘Why’s that?’ Han Ting Ting asked.

Han Ting Ting loved spending New Year with her dad’s side of the family.

‘Song Song never liked his uncles. They put too much pressure on him. Song Song rather work for Liang’s company than be the head of Qin’s company. Huh, now he knows he made a bad judgement. If he listened to me while I was healthy and spent more time with his uncles’ families then he wouldn’t be ostracized by his uncles at Qin’s company,’ Qin Yun gently explained.

‘Dad, why aren’t you stepping in to help Song Song?’ Han Ting Ting asked.

Han Ting Ting wanted to ask that question to Qin Yun long ago. She admired Qin Yun who ruled with an iron fist at Qin’s company for many decades. But couldn’t understand why Qin Yun would standby and do nothing to help Song Song when Song Song needed help.

‘Dad, or is it you want Song Song to learn a lesson before you help him?’ Han Ting Ting asked after deep thought.

Qin Yun shook his head. ‘Two months ago I had that exact thought. But now… it’s too late.’ His wife wasn’t here and it was only his daughter-in-law with him. Finally he was able to confide his true feelings about his son. ‘Ting Ting, I only have one son. I wanted to pa.s.s on all my life experience to Song Song. I wanted to tell him every lesson, failure and success that I’ve collected over the years. I want to give everything I have to him. I want him to surpa.s.s the expectations of those who doubted him… but it’s too late, I don’t have much time left. I can’t hang on long enough to watch him slowly improve. The few months I have left, I need to see how he can cope on his own. I need to see what decisions he’ll make to overcome obstacles. If he fails, it’d be ok, because I’m still here to show him why it didn’t work and advise him what’s the right course of action to take to achieve his goals. This is the most practical and also the last lesson I can give him.’

‘Dad! Dad don’t think like that… even though Song Song’s workload is busier by the day but he’s working hard to… he still reads research papers at night to find the best treatment and the best specialists to help you. He said nothing will happen to you… there’s nothing for you to worry about!’ Han Ting Ting said in a choked voice and her eyes stung.

‘I know,’ Qin Yun said and smiled gently. ‘But I can’t escape death. I can’t follow Song Song around his whole life. The person who’ll be by his side the rest of his life is you. You’re a good girl. Married to Song Song, it’s you that have made many sacrifices, in my heart I can see that clearly. But every parent is selfish when it comes to their own child, I’m deeply happy to see you by Song Song’s side. In the future… Song Song has to rely on you.’

Han Ting Ting left the hospital for a long time but she couldn’t stop crying.

Han Ting Ting didn’t interact often with Qin Yun. Usually Qin Yun is a serious person. Qin Yun treated her well and was gentler toward her than he was toward Song Song. But in her heart Qin Yun was the same type of person as her dad, someone she needed to always respect.

Han Ting Ting as an outsider could see the love Qin Yun reserved for Song Song. Qin Yun placed high expectations on Song Song. Qin Yun never stopped loving his only son. In Song Song’s life the people around him have loved him and spoiled him, Qin Yun was in that circle and Qin Yun reserved a special kind of love that no one else could offer Song Song.

It wasn’t that Qin Yun couldn’t help Song Song overcome obstacles… in the future Song Song would face more challenging obstacles. By that time Qin Yun wouldn’t be alive and exist in the world to follow Song Song and offer the support that Song Song needed.

Qin Yun was waiting to see the outcome of Song Song’s hard work, if at the critical moment Song Song couldn’t cope on his own, Qin Yun would advise Song Song what to do… Qin Yun wanted to be by the side of his precious son that he loved during the last few months left. Qin Yun wanted to see Song Song’s growth spurt, he wanted to see Song Song succeed. That way in the future when Song Song faced those unforeseen challenging obstacles… Song Song would look back and remember the final months spent with Qin Yun and how Qin Yun used the final strength he possessed to love and support Song Song.

Han Ting Ting asked her heart if her dad loved her in that way too? That her dad stood at a corner that she couldn’t see, to silently love and protect her. Like how Song Song always felt Qin Yun didn’t love Song Song… in the past her dad’s strict discipline style had hurt her deeply… but was that her dad’s way of showing her the deep love he reserved for her?

The hospital was close to Han Ting Ting’s parents’ home. She was deep in painful thoughts and cried on the way to her parents’ home. On a road not far from her parents’ home something was flung in front of her face, a piercing scream was heard and suddenly she felt a dull ache on one of her cheeks.

Han Ting Ting woke up from her shock. It was a beer bottle that was flung onto the wall beside her. The shattered beer bottle deflected onto the left side of her face. She absentmindedly rubbed her left cheek. Then on her palm she saw blood.

Afterward countless beer bottles were thrown at Han Ting Ting. Some of it hit her body and some was smashed against the wall. She was shaken and it took a while for her to crouch down and tucked her head between her knees. She cried and screamed for help at the same time.

Whilst Han Ting Ting was attacked by beer bottles, Qin Song finished a meeting. He cursed his uncles along the way back to his office and kicked the coffee table that was in front of his work desk.

Afterward Qin Song didn’t know why but he felt a sharp pain in his heart. The doc.u.ment he was amending wasn’t hard but he kept writing then crossing out mistakes… he couldn’t get rid of the feeling that something was wrong.

Qin Song felt frustrated he couldn’t shake off the bad feeling and flung his pen. At that moment Chen Yi Feng stepped into his office and narrowly missed Qin Song’s pen.

‘Mr Qin junior, Mr Chen, he…’ Qin Song’s a.s.sistant rushed in to explain Chen Yi Feng’s sudden appearance.

‘It’s nothing, you can leave,’ Qin Song said coldly.

Chen Yi Feng comfortably sat in front of Qin Song. ‘Forgive me for intruding. My time is limited. I can’t wait until you are free to see me. I had no choice but to resort barging into your office.’

‘You’ve already forced your way here. Mr Chen get to the point, what do you want?’ Qin Song asked.

‘Little Qin Song, you’re more grown up than you were in the past,’ Chen Yi Feng said. ‘When I cooperated with Liang’s company, you didn’t enjoy being around me. The first time you pushed the workload to Rong Yan and the second time you pushed it to Chen Yu Bai. We’ve never cooperated on a business transaction from start to end.’

Qin Song sat straight and kept eye contact with Chen Yi Feng.

‘Stop evading,’ Qin Song said. ‘Chen Yi Feng, aren’t you always finding an excuse to fight with me? Are you scared you can’t beat me on a one on one fight? That’s why you want to ambush me? Just fight with me directly that would be the manly thing to do.’

Chen Yi Feng lit a cigarette. ‘Are you game for a fight?’