The Crazy Son-In-Law

“The conclusion we’ve reached is that the mass poisoning event in the village has nothing to do with Starline Bio,” Du Zhengde declared with conviction. Most of the time, their organizations would leave some room for revision in their statements, in case of unforeseen circumstances. After all, maintaining their reputation was crucial. Under normal circumstances, they might say that the villagers’ poisoning had no direct connection with Starline Bio, or that Starline Bio’s impact on the health of the nearby villagers was very limited.

“Has no direct connection,” “very limited impact,” these were the spaces they left for themselves. However, this time, it was clear that Du Zhengde was under some pressure, hence his definitive statement.

The room fell silent.

The villagers’ expressions were varied.

Shame, confusion, disappointment, rage…

But Yao Cen, Tang Shishi, Song Linger, and others, including Chu Hong at the press conference, heaved sighs of relief. Their hearts, which had been suspended, settled back in place, and their tightly clenched fists finally relaxed.

“Director Du, previous reports mentioned that several villagers were in shock and even in danger. Could you provide an update on the condition of the poisoned villagers?” a reporter asked.

The hospital had done a good job of keeping the situation confidential in recent days. If the poisoning was not caused by Starline Bio, it could potentially be a criminal poisoning case, hence the reporters knew very little about the situation inside the hospital.

“To the best of my knowledge, all patients currently receiving treatment in the hospital have been removed from danger and are recovering quickly,” answered an official sitting next to Du Zhengde, responsible for liaising with other units.

“If this poisoning incident has nothing to do with Starline Bio, what then poisoned the villagers? Could you please explain?”

Du Zhengde responded solemnly, “Regarding this matter, based on relevant regulations, we need to maintain confidentiality for now. The EPA does not have additional information to disclose at this time.”

“Was the EPA’s swift action this time influenced by pressure from any particular party?” A male reporter asked pointedly, a question that not only challenged the EPA but also expressed distrust in the results of the investigation.

“I’m not sure what you mean by that question,” responded Du Zhengde solemnly. “This matter involves the safety of the public and affects dozens of people. Of course, the EPA has made it a top priority. The investigation process was also handled with extreme caution. I can assure you the results of this investigation are absolutely open and fair. All aspects of the investigation will be detailed and publicized subsequently. If you’re interested, you can check our EPA official website.”

“Thank you for answering my question. I think I will have a look when I get back,” said the reporter. Sensing the skepticism, Du Zhengde felt slightly displeased and asked, “Do you have any other questions?”

“No, thank you,” replied the reporter. After a few more questions from other journalists, the press conference ended.

Xiao Shun turned off the television, his gaze piercing as he looked at the villagers in the hospital room. “As you all have seen, the poison you were exposed to has absolutely nothing to do with Starline Bio. This means, you have no relationship with me. I will not compensate you a single dime. The hospitalization and medical expenses that I’ve fronted, you will have to repay me in full!”

“And please sort out your subsequent expenses on your own.” Initially, he planned to not reclaim the costs he had fronted even if Starline Bio was not involved. But now, he decided to give these people a small lesson. Xiao Shun was no saint; he also had emotions, joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. Facing ingratitude and misunderstanding, he would get angry too.

“As for the fees for the acupuncture treatment I provided, I will not charge you. Consider it a small contribution I’ve made to society.” With that, Xiao Shun left the hospital room without looking back, leaving the villagers dumbfounded, unsure of how to react.

“Did we misunderstand a good person?”

“Who had the bad idea of asking for compensation? Now, we’re in a worse position than when we started.”

“What’s the use of saying this now? Regardless of who suggested it, didn’t we all agree?”

Just outside the hospital entrance, Xiao Shun bumped into Chu Hong, who had rushed over from the press conference. “Congratulations, Mr. Xiao,” she greeted him with a charming smile.

Dressed in a dark blue professional suit, her medium-length wavy hair gave off an air of both elegance and efficiency. Her demeanor embodied a gentle intelligence with a touch of casual indifference. Her wise eyes seemed to see right through people. She wasn’t the type to astonish at first glance, but she had a lasting charm.

“Thank you,” Xiao Shun replied with a smile.

“I was wondering if I could have the honor of inviting you for a coffee?” Chu Hong asked.

“If you’re inviting me, of course, I should give you this courtesy,” Xiao Shun replied with a smile. He had a good impression of this woman, and he had nothing else to do at the moment. Having suppressed his anger earlier, he thought it would be nice to cool down somewhere, and having a beauty for company wouldn’t hurt.

Most men were fond of women, and Xiao Shun was no exception. However, he simply enjoyed admiring their beauty. At least, that’s what he believed, even if it might have been just a noble excuse.

The two settled down in a coffee shop near the hospital. “Mr. Xiao, you don’t seem very happy,” Chu Hong said, noticing his somber expression. “The EPA has already cleared your name. Shouldn’t you be happy?”

“I am very happy,” Xiao Shun shrugged.

Chu Hong didn’t continue to probe further on this topic. She took a sip of her coffee and smiled, “Mr. Xiao, would you have time to accept an exclusive interview with me?”

“An interview?” Xiao Shun shook his head.

“I’m not a celebrity. Why would I need to be interviewed? Besides, I don’t want to become one.”

“You could consider it as a form of publicity for your company.”

“There’s no need. Good product reputation is the best publicity.” Xiao Shun chuckled.This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.

“Alright then,” Chu Hong said, not without a hint of disappointment. She continued to gaze at him intently.

Feeling uncomfortable under her scrutiny, Xiao Shun looked up and said, “Why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face?”

“No, it’s just that you’re hard to figure out. A prominent businessman with such advanced medical skills. You even managed to treat villagers whom even hospital specialists couldn’t help. Plus, you’re so young.”

She only said half of what was on her mind, the other half was about how he ended up being a son-in-law who lives with his wife’s family.

Chu Hong had probed into Xiao Shun’s background privately and knew that he had been a son-in-law in the Yao family for three years, and he wasn’t well received.

“Why do you need to see through everything? Isn’t having a sense of mystery between people a good thing? It can be attractive, just like between men and women,” Xiao Shun joked.

“Typical playboy talk,” Chu Hong retorted with a pout.

“I didn’t realize I had the potential to be a playboy.”

The two chatted in a disjointed manner for nearly an hour. After leaving the coffee shop, Xiao Shun returned to Starline Bio.