Chapter 392: Ah, I'm fainting again

Lu Zhixin had been in Shenghai for two days, during which the expected power struggle had not occurred. It could be said that the mode of interaction between she, Hu Chen and He Yutan was one of mutual recognition and respect.

Both of these elders greatly admired and thought highly of this young girl who was rumoured to be keeping Hucheng stable and mighty on her own.

Moreover, she had even come with people from the Xu family's Happy Shoppers which was said to belong to Xu Tingsheng's father. Thus, the rumour that Lu Zhixin was the Xu family's future daughter in-law seemed not to be unfounded.

There was not much resistance as Lu Zhixin came to understand the current state of Xingchen Technologies and Xu Tingsheng's intended developmental pace, the thoughts of Hu Chen and He Yutan included.

Lu Zhixin was rather joyful as she looked at the two financial sheets in her hand. The situation was even 'better' than she had thought. Of course, this referred to how Weibo was really very good at 'burning money'.

Also, it was most crucial that Weibo's 'money-burning prospects' seemed to be bright indeed.

Xingchen Technologies was currently still on the most simplified version of Weibo as they were still in the initial phase of the plan that Xu Tingsheng had shown to Hu Chen and He Yutan. It was also limited to computers for the time being as Xu Tingsheng tried his best to lower the costs needed to create and maintain it.

Also, ever since the first wave of advertising, Xu Tingsheng had virtually been cutting corners all throughout as he had been as thrifty as Scrooge.

All this indicated that the financial pressure on him was great.

At this point in time, setting aside the initial investment amount, just considering daily operations over the past few months alone, Xingchen Technologies had already lost more than ten million.

If they were to simultaneously upgrade Weibo and promote it on a larger scale, their rate of burning money would increase exponentially.

Also, Hu Chen and He Yutan deeply desired to see these two steps finally being implemented. Having previously argued with Xu Tingsheng over this many times before, they mentioned it to Lu Zhixin again now.

Lu Zhixin simply had to yield to the flow of the current and proceed.

"Xingchen Technologies, Zhicheng Real Estate. Where did his money come from? …There's only one possibility, which is that he used Hucheng's funds. He thinks of Hucheng like his own family too much, making use of its funds like he's borrowing money from his family, thinking that it'll all be fine if he returns it later."

The 'extraordinary genius' Xu Tingsheng who was known to be deeply proficient in innovating and analysing situations in the eyes of others was but a greenhorn in terms of corporate rules.

This deduction caused Lu Zhixin to feel as if she was clutching the 'Heaven Reliant Sword'. Xu Tingsheng had once joked that Lu Zhixin resembled Abbess Miejue, to which she had retorted…

"If I had the Heaven Reliant Sword, I'd hack you dead in one blow."

"A single strike, fast and true…"

Within Lu Zhixin's mind immediately arose the face of the comatose Xu Tingsheng as various scenes from the past flashed by…her steeled resolve softened for just an instant…but no more than that.

"If you hand it to me, it's actually no different from it still being yours. We can still be like how we were before, working hard together. It's just that you'll stop all that messing around. Don't blame me for this."

'Forced abdication' could not be performed by she herself.

The most ideal borrowed blade would be Tianyi.

The only question was when she did so.

It would be best if this could occur when a monetary crisis befell Hucheng, when funds could still not be drawn out from Zhicheng. The former required Lu Zhixin to carve out an opportunity while the latter was like a deadline.

Along with that, it would be best if Weibo was in a precarious state due to its business competitors and burning money at a greater rate, its value decreasing…that was ideal.

As soon as Hucheng had no choice but to seek a large scale inflow of investment funds.

Old Wai and Li Linlin would almost certainly be helpless and simply able to watch as their percentage of the shares was diminished.

There was also at least a fifty percent chance that Fang Chen and Fang Yuqing would give up their chance.

The chances that the middle and higher echelon employees were either incapable of or dared not risk investing more money into Hucheng were over seventy percent.

How might the Xu family deal with this?

With their chain of funds broken and a massive deficiency existing, if they were dead set on preserving Xu Tingsheng's position as Hucheng's majority shareholder, it would be like this.

The first step: They would have no choice but to sell Mr Xu's Happy Shoppers' to remedy their deficiency of funds.

The second step: Stuck between a rock and a hard place, they would have to give up Xingchen Technologies and their Weibo venture at a comparatively low price.

All their funds and areas of development would return to Hucheng. Their debt crisis would have been caused by Hucheng's powerful development. Thus, things would end with a hegemonic, unrivalled Hucheng, the empire that they had spent two years building together with all their blood, sweat and tears.

Everything which belonged to the Xu family and Xu Tingsheng would return to Hucheng.

Meanwhile, facing Tianyi's forced abdication, Xu Tingsheng should feel safer in leaving Hucheng in the hands of her, Lu Zhixin.

"Should I be hoping that he wakes up a bit earlier or later?"

Her handphone rang.

She answered the call.

"You've worked hard, Zhixin."

"Uncle Xu, is there anything…"

"Tingsheng's woken up."

"…That's good then."

The instant Xu Tingsheng woke up, the environment of howling gales, sandstorms and gloomy skies with dark clouds looming overhead…seemed to dissipate with the forceful emergence of the sun to vanquish all darkness.

Yet, the repressed winds and rains as well as thunder and lightning that had still yet to erupt inevitably remained.

The storm was brewing, this being but a lull.

Lu Zhixin pondered for a while before having a short discussion with Hu Chen and He Yutan and setting off back for Yanzhou.

……

Just half an hour ago, the day after Fang Chen had delivered that 300-year-old ginseng over, with Xu Tingsheng having been in a coma for yet another two days.

Mrs Xu was arguing with the specialists over at the doorway.

Mrs Xu's opinion was that this aged ginseng was like a 'heavenly elixir' and had to be downed.

The specialists patiently and earnestly tried to persuade her against it, saying that the ginseng and its medicinal effects were really too mythical. With Xu Tingsheng's current state, really…he should not just be given any random thing. They were already being very careful with whatever medications they were giving him.

"You people get my son to wake up then…"

"We’ve really never seen a case like his before. That's why we have to be even more cautious here…"

"I'll stew it for him and pour it down his throat."

"You have to respect science. You…"

Mr Xu went over to mediate.

A voice resounded from behind him, "Dad."

It was just like when his son had been in twelfth grade, when he had returned home that day and he had rushed over wanting to hug him. It was that kind of tone…

"Oh," Mr Xu responded reflexively.

He turned.

He hurriedly turned back around again. Hmm, it was better not to look right now.

Xu Tingsheng was hugging Little Xiang Ning who was clearly smiling yet had tears streaming down her face. He leaned in and kissed her.

Seeing his son acting in so 'beastly' a manner, Mr Xu felt it to be very awkward indeed.

Xu Tingsheng had awoken. With his bodily functions having recovered to a certain extent, however much he wished to repress it with his consciousness and his will, however much he was fearful and unwilling, he would simply naturally wake up just like that.

Previously, as the sensation of pain had returned, coursing through his body, Xu Tingsheng had repressed himself from awakening due to fear.

He remembered the intense pain that had come with the car crash. He had been afraid that not having died from the resultant impact, he had simply had a very long dream during his coma.

In that dream, his father was still alive, spirited and at his peak. Xiang Ning had never waited alone for three years, never been hurt with her hopes dashed and turned into despair. With her sixteen, they had met again, fallen in love again…they had gone through some hard times and experienced much happiness together as they were soon to be entering a relationship proper…

As for everyone else, everything was also going all well and good because of Xu Tingsheng.

Therefore, he was afraid of waking up, afraid that he would find himself impoverished and wasted, helpless to change anything, with his father gone and Xiang Ning far away too. He might also have suffered grave injuries which would cause his mother and younger sister to suffer for the rest of their lives.

When his vitality could finally no longer be suppressed, at that moment when Xu Tingsheng awoke, what first entered his field of vision were two figures, those of Mr Xu and Xiang Ning.

Seeing his father's broad, straight back right there before him, Xu Tingsheng called out 'Dad'.

The sixteen-year-old Little Xiang Ning was right by his side, looking at him, smiling while also crying. Xu Tingsheng leaned in and kissed her.

"Hey, you…"

Little Xiang Ning who was unable to keep herself from smiling and similarly unable to hold back her tears covered her face with one hand, speaking shyly as she looked over at Mr and Mrs Xu.

The next instant, those who had originally been outside the sick ward began streaming into the room. Xu Tingsheng saw Huang Yaming and the other guys, his little sister…woah, Apple was there too…and his junior…

"Ah, I'm fainting again!" Xu Tingsheng exclaimed loudly, and he went back to playing dead.