C13 Believe Me?

After Xia Qichao and Xia Hao were brought back by members of the Xia Family, Chen Zhong made another call to Chen Feng.

Chen Feng nodded in satisfaction. Chen Zhong had lived up to his expectations, successfully causing Xia Qichao and his son to lose all credibility.

Chen Feng was in high spirits, but the atmosphere was starkly different in the meeting room of Yunsheng Building, where the faces of the Xia Family were grim.

Upon regaining consciousness, Xia Qichao and Xia Hao received a series of slaps from an enraged Xia Yunsheng.

Xia Yunsheng had never imagined that sending the father and son duo would not only fail to secure a partnership with Dingfeng but would also provoke the ire of Dingfeng Corporation's head.

Now, the prospect of participating in the Mount Yuquan Resort project was the least of their worries; the Xia Family's very survival was at stake.

The family's sole source of income had been their engineering teams, but after Lin Zongwei's declaration, not a single company dared to employ the Xia Family's teams. With thousands of workers and no jobs lined up, the Xia Family was still obligated to pay their salaries.

This situation had backed the Xia Family into a corner.

"You pack of failures!" Xia Yunsheng was livid, pounding on the conference room table. Xia Qichao and Xia Hao didn't even dare to look up, knowing that Xia Yunsheng was too furious to hear any excuses.

"Dad, rather than pointing fingers at Big Brother, we need to figure out how to earn Lin Zongwei's forgiveness. I've just been informed that seven more companies have cut ties with us," Xia Zilan's father said, furrowing his brow.

In a family as large as the Xia's, no mistake was an individual's alone. The errors committed by Xia Qichao and his son were a burden that the entire family had to shoulder.

"Seriously, what was going through our uncle's mind, picking a fight on Dingfeng Corporation's turf with their CEO?"

"Now look at the state the Xia Family is in; I hope they're pleased with themselves," remarked several Xia Family relatives, voicing their intense dissatisfaction with Xia Qichao and his son.

Xia Qichao and his son were feeling aggrieved, unable to defend themselves. They weren't foolish enough to stir up trouble on someone else's turf. They were being framed by Lin Zongwei, yet no one would take their word for it.

"What makes you, Xia Qichao and your son, think you're important enough to be targeted by Lin Zongwei?"

Xia Yunsheng sat slumped in his chair, yearning for Lin Zongwei's forgiveness, but he was at a loss, not even knowing how the Xia Family had crossed Lin Zongwei in the first place.

Was he truly going to be the one to bring down the Xia Family, with its two millennia of history? The thought weighed heavily on Xia Yunsheng.

In the same meeting room, Xia Mengyao had no sympathy for Xia Qichao and Xia Hao. Yet, her attachment to the Xia Family lingered. Faced with an unprecedented crisis, her inability to do anything left her feeling utterly dejected.

Just then, Xia Mengyao's phone chimed with a new message.

"Do you trust me?"

It was a message from Chen Feng on WeChat.

Xia Mengyao paused, puzzled. Trust him? What did he mean by that?

"I trust you."

After a brief hesitation, she quickly typed her response. She didn't understand Chen Feng's motives, but she chose to trust him nonetheless.

"If you trust me, tell your grandfather that you can involve the Xia Family in the Mount Yuquan Resort project. But on one condition: once it's successful, Xia Qichao and his son must surrender all their engineering teams to you."

As Xia Mengyao read the lengthy message, she was dumbfounded. Had Chen Feng lost his mind? Why would he propose such a thing, especially when Xia Qichao and his son had been ousted by Dingfeng Corporation?

Xia Mengyao instinctively dismissed Chen Feng's words as absurd. Yet, she couldn't shake off his promise from the night before: "I will resolve this for you."

Could it be that Chen Feng was involved in the predicament of Xia Qichao and Xia Hao?

An unbelievable notion surfaced in Xia Mengyao's mind, but she quickly dismissed it. It was impossible for Chen Feng to wield such influence. She must be reading too much into it.

"Does anyone else have the courage to negotiate with Dingfeng Corporation? The Xia Family is willing to pay any price if Lin Zongwei agrees to forgive us." Xia Yunsheng's weary voice echoed, his words steeped in sorrow that weighed heavily on the hearts of the Xia Family members. It was hard to believe that the once revered elder had been brought so low, but it was clear—he was doing it all for the sake of the family.

Xia Mengyao felt a pang of sadness. She had her grievances against Xia Yunsheng, especially since he had backed Xia Qichao and his son just the day before. Yet, seeing him in this state, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for the old man who had always put the family first.

"I'll go," she declared, taking a deep breath and rising to her feet.

Despite finding Chen Feng's words almost too fantastical to believe, she chose to trust him just this once. It was, after all, the first time in their three-year marriage that he had shown such earnestness. Even if it turned out to be a wild goose chase, she was ready to take that chance for Chen Feng's sake.

Xia Mengyao standing up? The Xia Family members were stunned. Had she lost her mind? After Xia Qichao and his son had been expelled, from where did she draw such bravery?

Surprise etched itself onto Xia Yunsheng's face, but it was quickly replaced by a resigned sigh. Out of the nearly hundred-strong Xia Family, it was a young woman who stepped forward in their hour of need.

"Mengyao, do you really think you can do this?" Xia Yunsheng asked, his voice betraying his skepticism. He knew all too well that the odds of making amends were slim.

"How will we know unless we try?" Xia Mengyao responded calmly.

"How can you even consider trying? What if you end up angering President Lin just like your uncle did? Then what?" Xia Zilan muttered under her breath.

"Be quiet!" Xia Zhenguo shot Xia Zilan a cold glare, despairing at his daughter's lack of sense.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Xia Zilan retorted, her voice tinged with defiance.

"Then you give it a try," Xia Yunsheng challenged. "I'm not asking for much—just find a way to earn President Lin's forgiveness for the Xia Family." It seemed they had no choice but to place their hopes in Xia Mengyao's hands.

"Alright, but on one condition," Xia Mengyao nodded and stated.

"What's the condition?"

"Once we succeed, I want control over all the engineering teams from my uncle and Xia Hao!" Xia Mengyao declared, pointing to Xia Qichao and his son huddled in the corner.

The Xia Family members gasped, stunned by her audacity.

Where on earth did Xia Mengyao find such confidence?

"That's out of the question, Xia Mengyao. Don't even entertain the thought!"

Xia Hao was visibly agitated. Deep down, he was convinced that Xia Mengyao's chances of successfully negotiating with Lin Zongwei were nonexistent. But what if, just what if she managed to pull it off? Surrendering all the engineering teams he and his father controlled would strip him of his power.

"Then let someone else do it."

Without further argument, Xia Mengyao took her seat.

"Grandfather gives you his word. If you can secure Lin Zongwei's forgiveness for our family, all the engineering teams under Qi Chao and Hao's command will be yours," Xia Yunsheng declared.

"Grandfather, that's not fair!" protested Xia Hao.

Without a word, Xia Yunsheng delivered a sharp slap to Xia Hao's face and calmly asked, "Is it fair now?"

"Yes, Grandfather, it's fair."

Swallowing the bitter taste of humiliation, Xia Hao clenched his jaw. He wouldn't dare oppose Xia Yunsheng at this moment, but his resentment towards Xia Mengyao was reaching a boiling point.

"Mengyao, any other demands?" inquired Xia Yunsheng.

Xia Mengyao shook her head.

"Then the future of the Xia Family rests in your hands," Xia Yunsheng sighed with a heavy heart.

Subsequently, Xia Mengyao departed from Yunsheng Building, traveling light..