That afternoon, Jiang Qiuqiu returned, exhausted. She uploaded the dishes she had prepared earlier to her food showcase, and with that, her tasks for the day were complete.
She had finished everything before nightfall, but exhaustion already had her overwhelmed with drowsiness.
Mrs. Aiâer had told her on her way home that she might need to use more of her Healing Spiritual Power tomorrow, so Jiang Qiuqiu turned in early for the night.
Meanwhile, the headquarters of the Federation Live Broadcast Company was still brightly lit.
The matter with Wang Henli was still hanging over everyoneâs heads.
Qian Duoduo sat in the chairmanâs seat, thoroughly agitated. He had gone to Qian Songâs home earlier, admittedly with the intention of stirring up trouble... to get Qian Song and Qian Xingxing to compete against each other.
He had only wanted to put some pressure on Qian Xingxing, to instill a bit of a competitive spirit in him so he wouldnât always be so full of compassion.
But he never expected things to turn out like this.
âWhat a complete mess. Qian Song is truly a lost cause! Besides that face of his, heâs nothing like me!â
"Dad, are you not going to respond to this?" It had been almost half a year since Qian Xingxing took over the branch company, and the various challenges had tempered him, making him far more capable than before. "The major official media outlets havenât weighed in yet. We need to issue a proactive response, and quickly."
"Otherwise, once this escalates, weâll be forced into a reactive position."
"Mm, I know."
"Then why havenât you summoned the head of that branch company?" Qian Xingxing frowned. "Beyond an apology and a clarification, we need to investigate the relationship between the branchâs management and this streamer..."
"...to see if there were any shady, under-the-table dealings. If there were, we have to release a statement immediately. Otherwise, our competitors will tear us apart, and itâll become a huge mess." This was especially true with the annual gala just around the corner, along with the highly anticipated PK exhibition match.
The Federation Live Broadcast Company had invested immense manpower, material resources, and capital into it; they absolutely could not allow this massive annual event to be tainted by such a scandal.
Qian Xingxing proposed several solutions, one after another.
For example, they could have the branch head step forward directly. Or, after getting a full picture of the situation, the head office could issue an explanation, have their streamers share it, and then form a counter-narrative alliance... leveraging the power of their fans and streamers to clear their name.
These were all viable options.
He presented one feasible suggestion after another, but Qian Duoduo didnât say a word.
Little President Qianâs lips had gone dry. He chanced a glance at his father and saw the look in his eyes. A sense of unease suddenly washed over him.
"Dad?"
"Why arenât you saying anything?"
"Is there something wrong with my suggestions?"
The man in the main seat suddenly stood up. Qian Duoduo was a meter eighty tall. Despite being nearly a hundred years old, he was so well-preserved that he still possessed the air of a successful middle-aged man, appearing exceptionally refined.
He walked over to Qian Xingxingâs side and patted his shoulder. "Xingxing, youâve grown up."
"Your suggestions are all very good." Qian Duoduo smiled, his eyes filled with nostalgia. "You are truly growing into an excellent heir."
The atmosphere suddenly turned sentimental.
And yetâ
In that instant, Qian Xingxing felt that something was off.
As he listened to Qian Duoduo reminisce about his pastâabout what he was like when he was just a Little Douding, about when his grandfather was still alive and the Qian Family had three happy generations living under one roofâthat strange feeling only grew more pronounced.
Qian Xingxing stood his ground. "Dad, if you have something to say, just say it."
"When you act like this..." He gave a small laugh. "It makes me feel like something big is about to happen."
âHeâs right. It is.â