Chapter 418 - Disappearing Wife
"Once completed, please place your pens down." Li Xuan announced and right on cue, many of the pens were placed onto the table.
He exchanged glances with Zhao Moyao who nodded his head.
Once the last pen was placed down, he began to walk around and collect the papers individually. A team of people accompanied him. One passed the notes along while another did the calculations and the last placed the information into the spreadsheet. Minutes trickled by and soon, they had reached the last person: Zhao Moyao.
Zhao Moyao smiled upon seeing his determined granddaughter. He could see the turmoil inside her had finally settled down and she had come to a decision. He finished writing her name onto the paper before passing it to Li Xuan.
Another minute passed by and the calculations were complete. Li Xuan began to type everything into the powerpoint, his face blank and neutral. He had already expected this outcome long before Zhao Lifei walked into the office.
The screen flickered on and every pair of eyes snapped to it.
1. Zhao Lifei
2. Wu Yuntai
3. Zhao Jing
Zhao Jing opened and closed his mouth. He turned to Zhao Xingxing, expecting her to say something. "Jing-ge, it's going to be alright." She gently comforted him, understanding it was in his nature to not lash out. When most of his family members were feeding him compliments, she was the only one who wasn't afraid of saying things as they were.
"You knew this would be the outcome. I told you to prepare for it. Please don't argue and embarrass yourself. Grandfather would be furious if you turn this place into a mess."
Zhao Jing let out a tired sigh. "Gee, thanks for rubbing it in my face that you're right yet again." He wanted to bury his head into his hands and hide in there for a while, but that was too cowardly.
"You don't have any experience in the position. She does. You would only become a puppet to our relatives if you became the CEO." Zhao Xingxing didn't miss the chance to subtly hint that he was a mama's boy. His parents dictated his life and it was especially obvious when he chose to hurriedly return to his parents instead of visiting Zhao Moyao and gifting him more than just a fruit basket when he was at the hospital.
"She will give justice to the company. Our fortune is in good hands. And besides, your father has never wronged her before. She won't unjustly ruin you. Who knows, maybe she'll give you a position on the Board of Directors. I can tell she's going to change a lot of the older and borderline senile members." Zhao Xingxing gave his shoulders a firm pat.
"Well, you've seen the results. And since no one wants to stay in this suffocating, windowless room any longer, the meeting is adjourned." Zhao Moyao stood up with the help of his cane. He had lost a few pounds, further illustrating the effect of his illness on him. It was time for him to retire and he was glad he did it at the right time.
- - - - -
Every family member crowded Zhao Lifei in hopes of congratulating her and beginning the bootlicking stage early. For the sake of maintaining peace, she patiently listened to their congratulations. It was amusing because these were the very aunts and uncles who plotted to sabotage her so long ago. When she was disowned by her parents, none of them had offered her a helping hand, even when she swallowed her pride to reach out to them.
The only ones missing were Zhao Jing and Zhao Xingxing. She calmly responded and thanked everyone for their "support" and time, before slowly making her escape from her backstabbing relatives. She didn't need them in her life.
"Xiao Fei, accompany me to the office." Zhao Moyao's thundering voice parted the crowd of relatives.
"Father, how is your health recently?"
"We heard of the hospitalization, are you alright now?"
"Perhaps you would like a more sturdy person to help you with the cane?"
A round of superficial questions were asked, but Zhao Moyao waved them all away with disinterest. He frowned as if he had tasted something bad.
Zhao Lifei nodded her head and followed him down the hallways. She knew if she offered to support him instead of using a cane, he might've hit her with the stick.
"Is it a boy?" Zhao Moyao asked, turning to eye her stomach and then her heels, but chose not to comment. He knew some bickering must've occurred, but in the end, they were able to compromise. Her heels weren't that high and were more of a pump than a thin death-trap.
"I would prefer if it was a girl." He added on, walking out of the elevator with her beside him. "And for the love of everything holy, I hope your genes are strong enough to beat Yang Heng's." He shuddered at the thought of seeing a miniature little girl running around with a brooding and eerily calm expression.
"What if it was both?" Zhao Lifei casually said, ignoring the baffled look on her grandfather's face. She wondered if Fan Jielan and Yang Qianlu had received the hint she had given them last time. At the visit, she brought two different colored boxes, both of which contained small presents. Inside the boxes, there was nothing that hinted of her pregnancy.
"I-is it both?" Zhao Moyao's glum mood heightened at her hopeful words.
"Well, my appetite is too large for it to all go into one massive baby, so I guessed it might've been two." Zhao Lifei answered, opening the office doors for him. Her eyes widened a bit when she saw how… empty it looked. It was as if he had already packed and resigned yesterday. "I plan on having an ultrasound in the afternoon to confirm it before I inform Yang Feng's parents."
"Are you going to have a wedding ceremony during the pregnancy or after?" Zhao Moyao asked her, watching as she shut the door behind her. He resisted the urge to smile at a mental image of Yang Feng panicking from the news of his disappearing wife.
"It would be risky to wear my ideal wedding dress with a pregnant stomach. I think it would be nice if my children were present at the wedding. Perhaps they could be a flower girl and ring bearer, don't you think so?" Zhao Lifei glanced at the only bookshelf which wasn't empty. She could tell they were files but must've not been that important for it to have not been stored away already.
Zhao Moyao paused at the idea before smiling. That would be an adorable idea to which he would heavily look forward to.
From the corner of her eye, something caught Zhao Lifei's attention, "Grandfather, you forgot your desk plaque…" The words died in her throat when she walked closer and saw it was a completely different design.
A large Swarovski crystal desk plaque was resting at the edge of the desk. The backing was made of polished obsidian which made the golden letters "Zhao Lifei, President" pop even more.
"You knew I was going to be President all along." Zhao Lifei let out a small chuckle. It would take at least a day or two to get this made and shipped. The decision was only made today.
"I had no doubt you would." Zhao Moyao mused, walking to stand beside her. "I figured if I was going to give you a congratulatory gift, it would be this."
"Thank you…" Zhao Lifei murmured, "For everything."
"Not quite everything." Zhao Moyao raised a hand and gently patted her on the shoulder. "There is no one more qualified for this position than you." He glanced at the door where Li Xuan was presumably waiting outside.
"However, I do hope you will not replace the current Vice President." Zhao Moyao chuckled, turning his head back to the desk. "And you will need a secretary, but it will not be Li Xuan."
"Wu Yuntai is a suitable Vice President. Why would I ever have the need to replace him?" Zhao Lifei thought about her next words. "I have a secretary in mind, but I'm not sure if they're up for the position."
Zhao Moyao scoffed, "then that person would be a fool."
Zhao Lifei opened her mouth and closed it when her phone buzzed and a familiar name made its way onto the screen. "Perhaps not."