An entire morning passed in the blink of an eye.
Inside the Xiaomi factory, all was quiet and peaceful. In the production workshops, workers remained at their posts, guided by the highly paid technicians, completely undisturbed by external factors.
Outside the Xiaomi factory, however, the scene was entirely different.
The weather today was quite bad. It had been overcast since early morning, and by ten or eleven o'clock, a strong wind began to blow, kicking up dust everywhere.
Dozens of people gathered outside the main gate. No matter how much they shouted, no one from the Xiaomi factory paid them any mind, leaving them to swallow mouthfuls of cold wind for nothing.
By lunchtime, the strong wind had died down, but a continuous autumn rain began to fall.
During this period, many areas in northern China entered the rainy season, with persistent drizzle lasting for days.
Outside the factory, there wasn't even a place to shelter from the rain. In no time, many people's clothes were soaked. Many were both cold and hungry.
In contrast, inside the Xiaomi factory, it was already lunchtime. Workers were filing into the large mess hall, beginning to enjoy their meal.
Qin Chuan, along with Zheng Chengdao and Bai Xiaoguang, was also eating in the mess hall. On the wall opposite them, a television was playing the Longcheng TV midday news.
"We now interrupt with an urgent news bulletin. Mr. Yang Jingye, Chairman of Longcheng Jinmei Group, has just responded publicly to this morning's newspaper reports..."
Qin Chuan, who was concentrating on his meal, was suddenly drawn in by the anchor's words and quickly looked up.
At the same time, it wasn't just Qin Chuan who was captivated. Many people looked up, their gazes fixed intently on the television screen.
The image on the screen changed, showing many faces. From the footage, it appeared to be live.
Behind a long table sat several men and women. In the center was Yang Jingye, the chairman of Jinmei International.
"Regarding this morning's newspaper reports, I solemnly declare that everything stated is baseless. It is purely malicious slander and an attempt to tarnish our reputation."
"I have never met the boss of Xiaomi factory, nor has anyone within our company had any contact with them. The idea that the 'Avengers Alliance' organization was intentionally supported and founded by us at Jinmei International is even more preposterous."
"On behalf of Jinmei International, I hereby solemnly announce that we reserve the right to pursue legal action against anyone who slanders our company's image, regardless of who they are."
"Jinmei International is fortunate to be the leader in our province's coal industry. We have always acted with integrity over the years, diligently focusing on international markets, and doing our utmost to promote our domestic coal resources overseas. We will not tolerate anyone smearing this image."
"Hanshi Coal Industry is a cancer within our coal sector, having committed numerous wrongdoings over the years. Jinmei International is acting to eliminate this tumor for the people, thereby bringing clarity to our coal industry."
"As for the workers who have been innocently affected by this incident, we will ensure their return to work in the shortest possible time. Please remain patient."
The live news segment ended there. Although it lasted only a little over two minutes, its appearance caused a resounding cheer to erupt in the previously quiet mess hall.
All the employees applauded excitedly, while the leadership breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Yang Jingye's words directly dispelled many people's worries. They no longer had to fear the reporters and troublemakers outside.
Qin Chuan stood up, found Fang Rumei, and said directly, "Go and notify those reporters outside. Let them come in!"
Fang Rumei, with a beaming smile, sent someone to do as instructed.
As dusk approached, the day's demanding work finally allowed for some respite.
Just as Qin Chuan was about to head out after work, he received a phone call that made him extremely serious.
The call was from his elder brother-in-law, Yang Conglong, and the message was simple.
"Qin Chuan, my parents want to see you."
After receiving this call, Qin Chuan was stunned. Although he had anticipated such a day after yesterday's events, he hadn't expected it to come so quickly.
"Brother Long, is... is Xiao Mo also here?" Qin Chuan asked subconsciously.
"Of course, she is. I'll send you the address shortly. Be here at exactly eight o'clock tonight, don't be late."
With that, Yang Conglong hung up the phone, leaving Qin Chuan alone in his office, in a daze.
After a long period of stunned silence, Qin Chuan finally came back to his senses and glanced at the time, which was already six-thirty in the evening.
He quickly returned to his dormitory in the factory, where he had his own private room and kept his luggage and toiletries.
After a quick shower and changing into clean clothes, he also shaved his beard clean.
This was, strictly speaking, his first time meeting his future in-laws, and he naturally wanted to make a good impression.
Especially since Teacher Yang would also be there tonight, which made him even more excited.
Qin Chuan even felt grateful to those troublemaking reporters and the people behind them. Without them, he didn't know how long it would have taken him to meet Teacher Yang.
At seven-thirty, Qin Chuan drove alone to the agreed-upon location.
It was a private dining restaurant, luxuriously decorated, with luxury cars filling the parking area outside.
Qin Chuan scanned the parking lot and was surprised to spot two familiar license plates. Immediately, his mood became even more excited.
Teacher Yang had arrived early, along with his brother-in-law's flashy sports car.
He just wondered if his future in-laws had arrived yet...
Having lived two lives, Qin Chuan had never been so nervous as he was now. With a heart full of trepidation, he went up to the second floor and arrived at the door of the reserved private room.
Just as he was about to raise his hand to knock, the door of the private room opened from the inside, and a girl of unparalleled beauty was about to step out.
The two met face-to-face at the entrance, less than a foot apart.
Qin Chuan and Yang Zimo were both stunned, seemingly not expecting to meet in such a way.
Qin Chuan stared intently at the girl before him. He could clearly see that Teacher Yang had lost weight. While still as beautiful and exquisite as ever, the usual liveliness in her eyes was replaced by a hint of melancholy.
This made Qin Chuan's heart ache. He instinctively reached out, wanting to touch the face before him.
Just as his fingers were about to brush against Teacher Yang's face, a voice suddenly called out from inside the private room: "Xiao Mo, who is it?"
This voice caused Yang Zimo to quickly regain her senses. She flinched back, dodging Qin Chuan's hand. Seeing this, a flicker of disappointment crossed Qin Chuan's eyes.
Yang Zimo regained her composure, making no attempt to hide her dislike for a certain person: "Get out of the way, don't block the path!"
Qin Chuan replied with an "Oh," and quickly moved aside, a fawning smile unconsciously appearing on his face.
"Please, go ahead! Please!"
Yang Zimo let out a cold snort, walked past Qin Chuan, and then walked towards the depths of the corridor without looking back. Her light steps and the high ponytail tied at the back of her head swayed, like a dancing sprite.
Qin Chuan watched her dotingly until she disappeared from sight. Only then did he reluctantly withdraw his gaze.
Then, he let out a loud cough and strode into the private room, greeting his brother-in-law enthusiastically: "Brother Long, I'm here!"