SABA Chapter 68

Chapter 68: “If this happens again in the future…”

Chapter 68: “If this happens again in the future…”

Huo Shen was originally going to find Jiang Tiao, but halfway there, he saw Chu Xu emerge from a shadowy corner. His expression was as dark as thunderclouds, as if a downpour was imminent.

Huo Shen glanced at him and continued forward as if he were invisible.

Being ignored was the most intolerable contempt for Chu Xu. The moment they brushed past each other, Chu Xu’s face turned extremely grim. He gritted his back molars, managing to control himself from stopping Huo Shen.

“The matter with Xingtu Information Technology was your doing, wasn’t it?” Chu Xu turned around furiously, his eyes burning with raging fire. “You brought the founder of Xingzhi Technology and the former technical director of Xingtu Technology, Wang Yuan, together and set up this trap targeting Xingtu!”

“Director Huo has remarkable methods, like a faint trail of a snake, a thousand miles in the making. It’s laughable that those people at Xingzhi Technology still consider you a just arbiter.”

Malicious competition was three years ago. If Huo Shen had genuinely wanted to help Xingzhi Technology, he could have presented the evidence three years ago. He held onto the evidence for a full three years, watched him expend all his energy and vast sums of money, and then delivered a fatal blow just as he was about to succeed, causing him immense losses. Chu Xu’s eyes were filled with anger. For three whole years, all his hard work, planning, and substantial capital were destroyed! How could he not be angry?! How could he not hate him?!

Huo Shen stopped and turned around, looking at the enraged and somewhat distorted Chu Xu with no particular expression.

What Chu Xu hated most was Huo Shen’s demeanor, as if he were coldly watching a mad dog barking, posing no threat to him.

In fact, anyone who understood the situation knew that presenting this evidence three years ago would have been meaningless. For online products, whoever could quickly seize the market would gain users. Xingzhi Technology was shut down and rectified; even with this evidence back then, it would have only shortened the review period slightly. Their first-mover advantage was lost, and their defeat was already sealed. Chu Xu, of course, was the one who most wished this evidence had been presented three years ago. Because at that time, he hadn’t yet tied himself to Xingtu Technology. Even if it was proven to be malicious competition by Xingtu Technology, for Chu Xu, it would have been nothing more than a negligible fine. It would have caused no damage to his reputation, and he could have quickly rebuilt.

Falling into an abyss overnight, his dreams shattered, Chu Xu was on the verge of a mental breakdown. He clenched his fists tightly, barely controlling himself from punching Huo Shen in the face. He gritted his teeth, his gaze dark and full of hatred, “Wang Yuan was also your man, wasn’t he? You set everything up from the beginning when Jiang Tiao forced you to invest in me. You placed him by my side, guiding me step by step into your trap.”

Helping him build his company, making him think the project was good, inducing him to keep investing, and finally delivering the fatal blow!

Huo Shen’s expression finally changed when he heard “Jiang Tiao” spoken by Chu Xu: “So what are you angry about? Didn’t you do those things yourself? Was it Wang Yuan’s idea for Xingzhi Technology?”

“No one forced you; they were all your own choices.”

Chu Xu angrily bit his back molars, “Yes, I’m not a good person. But are you any better? You watched Xingzhi Technology collapse and let them be grateful to you like you were their savior. Castle? Research is just an empty shell organization you control. You and Chu Qingchao colluded to short ELEGANT. He forced the board to stand by him. And you, you became the biggest winner tonight!”

Huo Shen seemed amused by Chu Xu’s angry demeanor, “It’s truly surprising. What gave you the illusion that I was ever a good person?”

Chu Xu was stunned.

Huo Shen took a step forward, his extremely dark pupils like a bottomless abyss, instilling a sense of fear and trembling in anyone who looked at them.

“I was never a good person, and I never minded using despicable methods against despicable people,” Huo Shen’s face was shrouded in a shadow like a night curtain, dim and oppressive, creating a sense of immense pressure. “I told you back then, my things are not so easily taken.”

“As for Xingzhi Technology, all they wanted was investment in new projects and to see your downfall. I provided the investment. And your downfall today is just the beginning.”

Chu Xu’s face was so grim it could drip water. He clenched his fists tightly, barely controlling his emotions. It didn’t matter, because he knew exactly where Huo Shen’s weakness lay, and he knew precisely how to use Huo Shen’s weakness to break through Huo Shen’s seemingly effortless composure.

“Heh heh, despicable? Was I the one begging Director Huo to invest in me back then? Director Huo is busy with his work and probably forgot. It was Jiang Tiao who forced you to invest in me, and your condition was just for him to have a meal with you. Hahahaha, over a billion yuan, exchanged for someone who discarded you like trash to have a meal with you. How pathetic.”

“Do you know how Jiang Tiao cried and begged me to accept your funds back then? I really should have recorded it for you to enjoy.”

“Ah—although I didn’t record that, I still have the video of Jiang Tiao slapping you for me back then…”

Chu Xu’s words were cut short. Before he could even react, Huo Shen grabbed him by the collar and lifted him from the ground. Huo Shen had always maintained a cold and indifferent demeanor; even when facing people he disliked or disdained like Chu Xu, he was usually too lazy to even give them a glance. Chu Xu had never seen such a sharp and imposing side to Huo Shen, like Mount Tai pressing down, making one tremble uncontrollably. He tried to pry open Huo Shen’s hand gripping his collar, but no matter how hard he tried, it wouldn’t budge. His neck was choked by the collar, his face turning slightly red from a slight lack of oxygen.

Chu Xu was startled but quickly recovered. Coughing, he laughed. This was the first time he had seen such a strong emotional reaction from Huo Shen. “Cough, haha, cough cough cough—What? Embarrassed and angered? How pathetic. Jiang Tiao treated you like that back then, and now, after just a little bit of favor, you’re eagerly licking up to him.”

Huo Shen’s face was as dark as the night, devoid of any expression, only his cold eyes inexplicably instilling a sense of fear. “How Huo Shen and Jiang Tiao are is between him and me. As for you, you should be grateful for the opportunity you had. Otherwise, with your clownish behavior, do you think you’re even qualified to catch my eye?”

Chu Xu’s pupils constricted sharply. The anger of being looked down upon exploded in his eyes like a nuclear bomb. He grabbed Huo Shen’s arm and struggled a few times, but couldn’t break free.

Familiar footsteps sounded in the distance. Huo Shen saw Jiang Tiao with his peripheral vision. His gaze flickered slightly…

Chu Xu, unaware of Huo Shen’s change, pushed him in anger and without strategy. To his surprise… he actually moved him?

Chu Xu was stunned and very surprised. He saw Huo Shen lean against the wall with a hint of pain, as if he had bumped into something from his push. Chu Xu was a bit confused. Had he just pushed Huo Shen? The law of action and reaction states that if he pushed Huo Shen, why didn’t he feel any counterforce at all? But if he hadn’t pushed Huo Shen, what was the current situation? For the first time, Chu Xu fell into self-doubt. However, before he could react, someone kicked him to the ground from the side.

“Are you looking for death?!”

Jiang Tiao’s eyes were filled with ferocity, his entire being as cold as an ice blade.

This was the first time Chu Xu had seen Jiang Tiao like this. A baseless fear arose from the depths of his heart. He looked at Huo Shen incredulously, finally realizing that Huo Shen had planned this.

Jiang Tiao saw Huo Shen frowning slightly, clearly enduring some discomfort. A fire erupted from the depths of Jiang Tiao’s heart like lava. Enraged, Jiang Tiao grabbed Chu Xu by the collar and pulled him up from the ground, “You dare to touch him.”

Chu Xu was almost choked with anger. Who had touched whom?! This was so unfair! Who would have thought that someone like Huo Shen, who seemed tough and cold, would resort to such a tactic! Even if he told a hundred people, a hundred people would think he was slandering him.

Jiang Tiao’s eyes were as cold as frost. He slammed Chu Xu onto the ground fiercely, his voice chilling, “I remember warning you to stay away from him.”

The impact on the marble floor made Chu Xu’s bones ache. Chu Xu found it unbelievable, “You’re hitting me for him?”

Jiang Tiao stepped on the hand Chu Xu had used to push Huo Shen, his eyes filled with daunting coldness. If killing were not illegal, Chu Xu had no doubt that Jiang Tiao would have wanted to hack him into a thousand pieces.

Chu Xu finally, belatedly, sensed that something was wrong. He stared at Huo Shen, his eyes filled with a fear he himself hadn’t noticed, and questioned through gritted teeth, “What did you do to him?”

An indescribable panic welled up in his heart, like a premonition of losing something, a strong sense of falling overwhelming him. No, he would not admit that he liked Jiang Tiao; he only treated Jiang Tiao as his last resort. Yes, he didn’t care about Jiang Tiao as a person, but about his identity, the value he could bring him.

Jiang Tiao kicked him several meters away. Chu Xu’s shoulder hit an ornate railing, the dull thud echoing in the corridor, a pain that seemed to emanate from the depths of his bones. “Get lost! Don’t make me say it a third time!”

Jiang Tiao clenched his fists tightly, suppressing the urge to beat him again.

Jiang Tiao grabbed Huo Shen’s arm, his face grim, his hands trembling with anger. He pulled Huo Shen through the corridor, across the hall, and only when they were near the parking lot did he turn back, angry and heartbroken, “He pushed you, and you just stood there and let him? Fight back, you’re not weaker than him!”

Huo Shen lowered his eyelids, deliberately pressing his hand on the shoulder Jiang Tiao was holding, a tiny crease appearing between his brows. If you didn’t observe closely, you wouldn’t notice. But it was this subtle hint of endurance that made it seem even more real.

Jiang Tiao immediately panicked. The anger in his eyes was instantly replaced by worry and concern. He quickly let go of the arm he had been roughly pulling all along.

“Did you hit somewhere? Does it hurt? Do you want to go to the hospital? I was so angry that I lost my mind. Did I hurt you when I pulled you?”

Huo Shen shook his head, then nodded. His long lashes cast a shadow over his eyes, giving him the appearance of being bullied. “A little.”

Jiang Tiao felt his heart clench. He dared not use any strength, and with a gentleness greater than handling tofu, he lightly checked the spot Huo Shen said hurt. His bones seemed fine, but he didn’t know if he had bruised it.

Seeing the overflowing care and concern in Jiang Tiao’s eyes, many of Huo Shen’s dark, unfair, and painful emotions seemed to be soothed. He lowered his gaze, his tone unreadable, “You told me before that if I made a move on him, you would hate me forever.”

“?! How could I have said such a thing?” Jiang Tiao couldn’t believe it. He looked at Huo Shen, who seemed to be wronged, and his reaction was more immediate than his thoughts. He tightly grasped Huo Shen’s hand, anxious to explain. However, he opened his mouth and found he couldn’t explain.

I definitely didn’t mean that? I definitely wasn’t serious? Since he doesn’t even remember the past, how can I guarantee whether I meant it sincerely or not when I said that?

Huo Shen’s eyes were like the lake water in a night forest, inexplicably evoking a sense of sadness, making Jiang Tiao’s heart almost break.

“No matter what I said to you over the past four years, can you please not take it seriously?”

Huo Shen smiled, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.

The past was past, but what about the future? Once bitten by a snake, ten years of fear of the well rope. Huo Shen couldn’t imagine if Jiang Tiao were to “disappear” again in the future, whether he could bear to lose what he had gained.

Jiang Tiao: “If this situation happens again in the future, then lock me up, don’t let me see anyone else.”

“Don’t say such things,” Huo Shen raised his hand, stroking Jiang Tiao’s bright and fervent eyes, quietly feeling the turbulent waves this sentence stirred in his heart. He suppressed the possessiveness surging like an undercurrent, his gaze obscure as he caressed Jiang Tiao’s warm jade-like cheek, “I will take it seriously.”

“Why wouldn’t I take it seriously? I’m serious,” Jiang Tiao said while sending a message to a lawyer. “I will sign a power of attorney and have it notarized. If one day I become unlike myself, I will be treated as a person with limited capacity for civil conduct, and everything I own will be under your full control.”

In this life, from birth to death, he only wanted to belong to Huo Shen.

…