Chapter 251 – Report to the CEO: Madam Has Run Away Again – Crisis (15)
Grandpa Gu’s proud boasting dealt a heavy blow to Fan Xiaonan.
“Well, that’s good,” she forced a smile. “More exercise, less anger—it’s good for your health.”
Although Fan Xiaonan was trying to smile, it looked very forced. Grandpa Gu chatted with her for a long while, and only when the doctors and nurses were about to take their lunch break did he finally leave with Bai Tang.
…
On the other side, Gu Yan returned to the company, only to find it in complete chaos. While the lower-level staff might not yet be fully aware of the company’s losses, the upper management was already in a panic, like ants on a hot pan.
Jiang Hongzhe had been parachuted into the company mid-way. Many people naturally resented being placed under someone who seemingly came out of nowhere. However, though Jiang Hongzhe had authority, he only managed Gu Yan’s investment team and never interfered with other departments, so the other managers generally kept their complaints to themselves.
But now that a crisis had broken out, they all turned their ire toward Jiang Hongzhe. After all, things had been going smoothly before. Under Gu Yan’s leadership, the company had been thriving and invincible. Yet the moment Jiang Hongzhe arrived, Gu Yan seemed to wash his hands of everything—and now, a major crisis had struck. Who was the mole? No one could say for sure, but it just might be Jiang Hongzhe.
Jiang Hongzhe’s footing in the Gu Group wasn’t very stable to begin with. Many people under him were unconvinced of his leadership. Even if he wanted to assert control, he couldn’t suppress their suspicions and doubts.
So when the department heads and managers saw Gu Yan return, it was like they had finally found their backbone. They rushed to report every urgent issue to him—most of which Jiang Hongzhe hadn’t even been aware of.
Because the subordinates refused to share information with him, even if Jiang Hongzhe had the capability to handle the problems, the best window for PR damage control had already passed.
Gu Yan felt a pounding headache as everyone spoke at once, each person more anxious than the last.
It wasn’t that the company didn’t have a public relations team—it did—but this time, it was clear the attack had been carefully premeditated.
Not only had past events between Gu Yan and the Bai family resurfaced in the public eye, but there were also recently taken photos of Gu Yan slumped on the street in a state of despair. Tabloids led with these dramatic images and spun wild stories based entirely on speculation. They even published photos of Bai Tang bloodied and bruised from his first mugging by a taxi driver, supported by Sha Yao, as well as one of Sha Yao wearing a Gu Group employee badge. Love, betrayal, corporate revenge—it was all playing out like a scandalous soap opera.
While rumors about Gu Group’s CEO wouldn’t normally cause a major stir in the stock market, this time was different. At a critical tipping point in the market, investors began dumping their shares. At the same time, confidential internal data from the company was leaked, and the stock was maliciously acquired. In just half a day, Gu Group lost nearly half a year’s worth of profits.
Gu Group, with its workforce of over ten thousand, was a corporate behemoth and a leader in its industry. If it collapsed, no one could say how many other businesses would go bankrupt in the fallout. To minimize their losses, shareholders rushed to sell their stakes, which were then bought up at rock-bottom prices. It was a vicious cycle—clearly, the other party’s goal was to bring Gu Group to its knees.
Gu Yan first instructed the PR team to suppress as many of the false rumors as possible.
He and Jiang Hongzhe were in the office discussing countermeasures. Meanwhile, someone had apparently been following Gu Yan and leaked news of his return to the company. In no time, journalists swarmed outside Gu Group headquarters like cats catching the scent of fish.
If it weren’t for the security guards keeping them at bay—and the threat of being sued for trespassing—they would’ve stormed into the building without hesitation.
Some of the more resourceful reporters realized that waiting outside Gu Group might not guarantee a glimpse of Gu Yan. But the news couldn’t wait. In hopes of getting first-hand information, they set their sights on Gu Dekang—Gu Group’s first chairman and Gu Yan’s grandfather. If they couldn’t speak to Gu Yan, perhaps they could dig something up from the elder Gu.
Though Grandpa Gu had moved into a residential community without broadcasting his identity, the persistent journalists eventually uncovered his address.
However, by the time they arrived, the apartment was already empty.
Grandpa Gu had just gotten into the car with Bai Tang to return to the main family estate.
“Tang Tang,” he said kindly, “the neighborhood was nice, but it was always a matter of time before we came home. Today I’m taking you back to see the family house. Let me tell you, when Gu Yan was little…”
Don’t be fooled by Grandpa Gu’s retirement—just because he spends his days playing chess with other elderly men and wandering the market doesn’t mean he’s out of touch.
In fact, he understands the industry better than most. Officially retired? Sure—but how could he completely let go? He and his late wife built Gu Group from the ground up. Now that she was gone, the company they poured their hearts into remained their shared legacy. Every time Grandpa Gu saw the company grow stronger, it felt as if she were still by his side.
Upon receiving the recent news, Grandpa Gu immediately sensed a deeper conspiracy at play.
It was all too coordinated. First, they attacked Gu Yan’s reputation, causing him to lose the trust of shareholders. A scandal-ridden CEO is hard to believe in. Then, just as shares were being dumped, someone began buying them up at low prices. Confidential data was leaked. One incident after another—who could believe this was all coincidence?
Grandpa Gu’s sharp, wise eyes sparkled. He knew exactly how these things worked. If they couldn’t get to Gu Yan, they’d target someone else involved. And the most obvious target… was Bai Tang.
Bai Tang was a good kid—pure-hearted and kind—but he might not be able to withstand such slander and end up going down a path of no return.
Grandpa Gu smiled calmly as he looked ahead and instructed the driver, Xiao Liu, to take a shortcut home. He couldn’t guarantee the reporters wouldn’t try to intercept them along the way. For the sake of first-hand information, some might be reckless enough to throw caution to the wind.
Grandpa Gu thought Bai Tang was completely in the dark, but in fact, Bai Tang knew everything. With Xiao A around, there was nothing that could be kept hidden—whether he knew something or not simply depended on whether Xiao A chose to tell him.
Ever since Bai Tang arrived in this world, misunderstandings kept piling up, accidents occurred frequently, and he was constantly on the verge of tears from frustration. It was bad for both his physical and mental health. He had even started thinking about giving up on his mission altogether.
To support the host’s well-being, Xiao A stopped keeping things from him and instead showed him the moments when Gu Yan had desperately searched for him like a madman.
Seeing those scenes, Bai Tang felt deeply guilty and his heart ached for the dejected, lifeless Gu Yan in the footage.
No matter how fast the reporters were, they couldn’t outpace Grandpa Gu’s shortcut. They finally made it back to the villa. Grandpa Gu gave Bai Tang a full tour, stopping in each room to point out and share embarrassing stories from Gu Yan’s childhood.
Bai Tang listened with great interest, following Grandpa Gu through every corner of the villa.
Eventually, Grandpa Gu told the butler to move Bai Tang’s clothes into Gu Yan’s room.
Bai Tang, naturally shy—especially in front of elders—protested gently, “Grandpa Gu, I can just stay in the guest room.”
The three-story villa had more than enough rooms; any of them would do. Why did it have to be Gu Yan’s?
Grandpa Gu teased him, leaving Bai Tang visibly embarrassed.
Catching the old master’s look, the usually stern-faced butler stepped in to explain, “The villa is old and needed renovation. Since Mr. Gu and the young master don’t live here often, I brought in a team to repaint and refurbish. All the other rooms are being worked on and smell heavily of paint. Only the old master’s and young master’s rooms are currently livable. Mine hasn’t been repainted yet either.”
Bai Tang looked at the pristine white walls and the ornate chandelier overhead—this didn’t look like a room in need of repair at all.
“I… is that so…” Bai Tang still seemed a little doubtful.
But looking at the old butler’s serious, unsmiling face, Bai Tang couldn’t help but feel that this wasn’t someone who would lie to or deceive him. After all, he didn’t have much to his name—unlike Gu Yan, he wasn’t rich—so there was nothing to gain by tricking him.
Half-convinced, Bai Tang watched as the butler directed the servants to move the luggage into the room.
“When did I ever have this much luggage?” Bai Tang asked in confusion as he stared at the bags of custom-branded clothing.
“These outfits were all custom-made by Mr. Gu for you. They happened to be delivered today,” the butler explained.
Doing a quick mental calculation, Bai Tang realized these clothes must have been ordered right after he moved in with Sha Yao and reunited with Gu Yan. So Gu Yan had already started planning for their future together that early on.
Each custom outfit came in two sizes—one in Bai Tang’s exact measurements, and the other slightly larger, clearly in Gu Yan’s size.
“Although the male lead made mistakes in the beginning, he’s not without redeeming qualities,” Xiao A commented, stroking its chin. “Lesson learned: thinking ahead can lead to surprising results.”
Bai Tang watched the servants hang the clothes—set after matching set—into the walk-in closet. One side was filled with Gu Yan’s clothes, and the other was now filled with his.
A sudden longing washed over him. He wanted to see Gu Yan. He wanted to be near him, to fall into his arms.
“Grandpa Gu, is there anything you’d like to eat? I can cook for you,” Bai Tang offered.
Grandpa Gu beamed. Where on earth could he find such a kind, thoughtful grandson-in-law?
He happily listed off several dishes, only to have Bai Tang veto nearly half of them.
“Those are all foods that can lead to high blood pressure, Grandpa Gu. You can’t eat them.”
Bai Tang had done his homework. For the sake of Grandpa Gu’s health, dietary restrictions had to be followed.
Grandpa Gu’s smile faded instantly. First Gu Yan wouldn’t let him eat what he wanted, then the butler refused to cook those dishes—and now, even the sweet, talented grandson-in-law who could actually cook had said no. Life was hard.
“My dear wife… I really wish I could taste your sweet and sour pork, braised lion’s head meatballs, and salt-baked prawns just one more time…” Grandpa Gu sighed wistfully as he gazed out the window.
Bai Tang felt a pang of sadness in his heart. Grandpa Gu must have loved Grandma Gu very much. But she had passed away so early—he must be terribly lonely.
In Grandpa Gu, he seemed to see a reflection of Gu Yan—lost and desolate, sitting on that street corner when he couldn’t find him. That kind of loneliness… it hurt to think about.
After a long moment of hesitation, Bai Tang whispered, “Then… just a little bit, okay?”
With his back still to Bai Tang, Grandpa Gu silently gave himself a celebratory “yeah!” in his mind.
“Thank you for going to all the trouble, Tang Tang,” he said warmly.
There was a quiet depth of emotion in the old man’s voice. He didn’t turn around, just kept gazing up at the sky, thinking of the wife who now watched over him from above.
The kitchen was fully equipped, and Grandpa Gu even asked the butler to hurry and order fresh ingredients. Tonight, he would finally get a proper feast.
Cooking wasn’t a challenge for Bai Tang. After two and a half hours, he had finished preparing every dish Grandpa Gu had requested. But before serving the food, Bai Tang packed half of each dish into insulated containers, leaving only enough on the table for Grandpa Gu, the butler, and the two maids.
Grandpa Gu was immediately dissatisfied.
“Tang Tang, why are you packing everything up?” he protested.
Author’s note:
Haha, bet you didn’t expect that—double update!