Special Forces Medic

Third floor!

There's an open-air balcony in the opposite direction of Elder Xia's study. Xia Yusheng sat alone on the balcony, sipping tea, a habit he inherited from his father.

A small MP device was set on the tea table, connected to earphones.

"Listen to this first." Xia Yusheng didn't look at Xiao Lin; he gazed into the distance, his rare composure prompting Xiao Lin to also become serious.

From the earphones came the laughter and panting of a woman, causing Xiao Lin to frown. Was Xia Yusheng really having him listen to a woman's moans? Amidst the intermittent silence and noise, the theme emerged beneath the woman's screams.

Xiao Lin put down the earphones, starting to feel sympathy for the man whose efforts to protect something precious were so easily shattered by his family. He found it hard to console Xia Yusheng with words, knowing that Xia Yusheng couldn't handle things like he did. So, Xiao Lin just listened in silence.

"This is a bug I placed under the dining table." Xia Yusheng couldn't deny regretting what he did. If he hadn't done it, maybe he wouldn't have discovered his sister's dealings.

Xiao Lin wasn't completely sure if the woman was Xia Yuxuan, but he was sure the man was Fatty Wang. This was a heavy blow for Xia Yusheng.

The two men fell into a silent contemplation of different mindsets. Perhaps Xia Yusheng hadn't figured out how to deal with it yet. But for Xiao Lin, it wasn't a bad thing. Instead, it could be beneficial. But should he really take advantage of this situation? Thinking of Xia Xue, he decided against it.

"'Inone', I've decided to pull it out of all 'Rhine' locations and withdraw from the Xia Family's department stores," Xia Yusheng finally said, gazing at the distant greenery.

Family ties above everything, he couldn't cut them off entirely.

"That will incur quite a hefty breach of contract penalty." Xiao Lin reminded Xia Yusheng. "Demanding withdrawal without any reason is very disadvantageous for the Xia Family in the business world."

This reminder was well-intentioned. If they proceeded by legal means, based on product quality, 'Inone' wouldn't receive any compensation for the withdrawal. On the contrary, it would face retaliation from various fronts, which would be good for Xiao Lin but would inevitably implicate Xia Yuxuan from the merchandise department.

"I've already instructed you to calculate the breach of contract amount." Xia Yusheng rubbed his temples. Right now, he couldn't think of a better way to handle this delicate relationship. He couldn't directly confront Xia Yuxuan for clarification; growing up with traditional values, Xia Yusheng found it hard to voice out.

"It would be more prudent to consult Elder Xia first."

"You want me to have him listen to this?" Xia Yusheng tightly held the MP, wishing he could crush it into pieces.

"Uncle!"

"I've already faxed the termination explanation; it's decided."

Xiao Lin didn't expect Xia Yusheng to act so quickly; he didn't even have the chance to stop him. They could have waited. Such impulsive actions would definitely cause a bigger uproar. He believed Fatty Wang wouldn't agree so easily to the termination.

A phone started ringing. On the other end, Xia Yusheng remained silent. From the leaked sound of the receiver, the person seemed anxious.

"I understand the matter. Convene all senior departments for a meeting at two o'clock in the afternoon," he sternly said. The other end seemed to continue, but Xia Yusheng roared, "She must be there."

When he hung up, Xiao Lin moved his lips but swallowed his questions.

"The Wang Family refused the contract termination and threatened to report to the chamber of commerce for unfair treatment if 'Inone' was wronged. They would also withdraw all brands they introduced to 'Rhine', leaving the Xia Family to bear all consequences."

"Huh?" Xiao Lin was puzzled by the latter part.

"Damn it, how many stores does the Wang Family have in 'Rhine'?"

"Uncle!" Xiao Lin calmly thought for a moment before speaking to the agitated Xia Yusheng. "I suspect that Xia Yuxuan and Fatty Wang had plans before you took over 'Rhine'."

"I think so." Xia Yusheng sank into the wicker chair, closing his eyes. "Xiao Xiao, do you think I was a bit impulsive in handling the 'Inone' issue?" Xia Yusheng hadn't anticipated this outcome, and now he was in a precarious position.

"It was a bit impulsive, but the result isn't bad." Xiao Lin's easy response made Xia Yusheng sit up straight. He turned to Xiao Lin.

"Have you already thought of a way to respond?"

"No!" Those two words plunged Xia Yusheng back into disappointment. He had originally thought Xiao Lin would take some action, but it was clear that the latter had no intention of intervening. What initially was a problem meant to be solved with money had now evolved into the possibility of the entire 'Rhein' becoming a ghost town due to his impulsive decision.

"Uncle, you have another meeting this afternoon. If we leave now, we might arrive at the destination half an hour early," Xiao Lin checked his watch and reminded Xia Yusheng.

"We? You mean you'll be coming with me?"

"Yes, this concerns 'Rhein'. I don't want Xiaoxue's hard work to be lost before it even blooms."

"Thank you!"

"It's the least I can do."

As Xiao Lin expected, they arrived half an hour early at the 35th-floor office of 'Rhein'. With 15 minutes to go before the meeting, Xia Yusheng summoned his financial director and the head of the investment department.

Xiao Lin sat dutifully behind Xia Yusheng, and before the two people entered, he strongly urged Xia Yusheng not to offer any explanations to others about his presence, which could be regarded as dispensable. He predicted that Xia Yuxuan would appear on time at the two o'clock meeting today, for the simple reason that if she didn't, it would be a strong indication that she had a guilty conscience and was colluding with the Wang Family.

"Yuxuan is from the merchandise department. The businesses stationed at 'Rhein' fall under the investment department. They are not related." On the way there, Xia Yusheng questioned Xiao Lin's point.

"Uncle, do you think Xia Yuxuan could stir waves at 'Rhein' all by herself? She must have accomplices, buying off people she deems useful," Xiao Lin's lips curled with certainty.

After the two people sat down on the opposite sofa, Xia Yusheng quietly cleared his throat. "As significant upper-level departments of 'Rhein', before the meeting, I would like to hear your opinions on this 'inone' incident individually."

"I calculated overnight that the penalty for 'inone' breaking the contract this time would reach 300 million," Zhou Xinglin said with a sweaty brow. After consulting with the lawyers regarding the leap in the contract, the calculated amount made his heart race.

"300 million?" The figure almost made Xia Yusheng jump out of the sofa. "What's going on?" For the penalty to reach such high levels, there must be an issue with the contract; this was a conclusion he derived from experience.

"Chairman, according to the contract's calculations, that amount is indeed required, and after the result came out, I consulted our in-house lawyer to carefully examine every clause in the contract, and the result showed that there were no loopholes."

Zhou Xinglin was probably around fifty years old. He had previously been disqualified as a finance person due to involvement in an economic case. Elder Xia had used some means to bring him into the Xia Family as their in-house financial director. Xia Yusheng had no doubts about Zhou Xinglin, knowing him to be a meticulous person who wouldn't speak without repeated confirmation. Conversely, once he did speak, there was essentially no chance for reversal.

"Lao Liu!" Xia Yusheng rubbed his forehead, not bothering to look at Liu Sheng seated beside him. "'Inone' joining 'Rhein'—what's going on with your investment department? Where's the contract now?"

Xiao Lin noticed a detail about Liu Sheng. Although he sat upright on the sofa, his entire upper body maintained a ninety-degree upright position, without the habit of slouching like a normal person; his hands were placed properly on his thighs, and his eyes were constantly lowered; he seemed very tense.

"The contract for 'inone' was directly handed over to our investment department by the head of the merchandise department."

"Nonsense!" Xia Yusheng immediately roared upon hearing this, slamming the cup in his hand heavily onto the table. "Since when can the merchandise department manage the investment department's affairs? What exactly are you doing as a minister?"

Xiao Lin saw Xia Yusheng lose his temper for the first time and couldn't help but inwardly find it amusing.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Chairman, I had no choice, Minister Xia she..."

"Director Zhou, see what consequences it would have if we had to come up with 300 million."

"According to the current financial analysis, we only have 100 million in working capital; unless you liquidate fixed assets, it's impossible," Xiao Lin heard this amount and couldn't help but frown. How could such a large enterprise have so little working capital?

"Only one hundred million on the books?" Xia Yusheng couldn't help but feel puzzled about this figure. He looked at Zhou Xinglin, who simply shook his head slightly at him. "Let's discuss the matter after seeing the other party first."

"Lao Liu. 'Inone' is Wang Family's business, I bet you didn't know that either!" Lao Liu nodded continuously. "Are the other businesses stationed at 'Rhein' all handled by you?"

"This..." Liu Sheng hesitated to answer, lowering his eyes further, while the hands placed on his thighs began to intertwine, forming a fist-like position. "Most of them were handled by me."

"Hmph!" Xia Yusheng saw no need to ask any further, given the current situation. It's not the time for accountability. "How long would your investment department need to fill more than 70% of the vacant positions at 'Rhein'?"

"More than seventy percent?" A drop of sweat trickled down Liu Sheng's head. "It would probably take about three months." This was already the largest number; in the current economic downturn, introducing luxury brands to settle in is really a tough task.

Recommended reading for doctor-themed stories: "Urban Common Doctor"! It's an absolute top-notch reading experience! (To be continued. If you like this work, you're welcome to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)