Chapter 592: Chapter 563: Met with Rejection

Zhao Feiyang felt somewhat displeased. What did Gu Houyi mean? Xu Chunliang has such big ambitions, does that mean mine are small? But today he needed something from him, so no matter how displeased he was, he had to endure it.

"Dean Gu, I came to talk to you because I hope you can have a good chat with him. After all, this matter happened so long ago, there’s no point in bringing it up again, and I wasn’t even in Changxing at the time."

Gu Houyi said, "Are you saying I should take responsibility for this matter?"

Zhao Feiyang quickly explained, "No, I didn’t mean that. What I meant was, if this matter is exposed, it would be bad for everyone in Changxing."

Gu Houyi retorted, "Is Changxing so great now?"

Zhao Feiyang was taken aback.

Gu Houyi said, "The path of private-public partnership is not easy. I’ve already retired. I admit that I have deep feelings for Changxing, but I no longer have any responsibility towards it. In the past, Changxing Hospital belonged to all of us employees. Now only twenty percent of it is state-owned, the rest eighty percent belongs to the Huayuan Group, which is Tang Jingwei’s. I haven’t taken a single penny from the Huayuan Group, and I have no obligation to do anything for them."

Zhao Feiyang realized he had come to the wrong place. Gu Houyi did not agree with his reforms in Changxing at all.

To Zhao Feiyang, the private-public partnership was a historic success, but for Gu Houyi, it was a complete denial of everything he had done at Changxing. If Gu Houyi could have chosen his successor, he wouldn’t have handed Changxing over to Zhao Feiyang.

Zhao Feiyang said, "Dean Gu, are you really willing to watch the Weishan Island Hospital that you painstakingly acquired get divided up again?"

Gu Houyi said, "A twisted melon is not sweet. If someone truly wants to leave, you can’t force them to stay. Do you know, when I discussed taking over Weishan Island Hospital with Secretary Lin, what did he say?"

He deliberately teased, took a sip of tea, and then slowly said, "I asked Secretary Lin, are you at ease handing over the management of Weishan Island Hospital to us? Secretary Lin said, of course, I am. Why wouldn’t I be? After all, the hospital is on Weishan Island, the land is on Weishan Island, even if you want to move it, you can’t."

Zhao Feiyang heard the subtle message in Gu Houyi’s words. The situation hadn’t changed at all. The hospital was still on Weishan Island, Changxing couldn’t move it. Even if they dragged it out for two or three years according to the contract, eventually the Hu Shan Town Government would take it back, unless they immediately invested in building an elderly care hospital.

Zhao Feiyang knew the financial state of the Huayuan Group very well. At least for now, they couldn’t afford to spend extra money on constructing a Healthy Elderly Care Hospital. From the start, the Huayuan Group hadn’t intended to deeply invest in Weishan Island; they had long considered converting Weishan Island Hospital into cash. But Hu Shan Town had already set several constraints that prevented them from succeeding.

Zhao Feiyang even suspected that when the transfer agreement was originally signed, Xu Chunliang and Mei Ru Xue had already planned a fallback.

Zhao Feiyang felt betrayed, and it was the second time within a short period—the first being Pei Lin, the second Xu Chunliang.

He didn’t achieve what he wanted at Gu Houyi’s place and ended up hitting a wall. On his way back to the hospital, passing by his new home, Zhao Feiyang decided to stop by to pick up some clothes.

Unexpectedly, Pei Lin was home.

This was also the first time they had been alone together since their marriage.

Pei Lin didn’t expect him to come back, was momentarily stunned, and hurried to get him slippers.

Zhao Feiyang said, "You don’t need to bother. I’m just grabbing a few changes of clothes and leaving."

Pei Lin nodded, put down the slippers, and stepped back a few paces.

Zhao Feiyang changed into the slippers, walked into the wardrobe, where he’d basically spent the last few days accompanying his mother, picked out a few clothes, put them into a tote bag, and returned to the living room to find Pei Lin still standing in the same spot.

"Got everything?"

Zhao Feiyang nodded, "I’m going to my mother’s place."

"Okay!" Pei Lin bit her lip.

When Zhao Feiyang opened the door, she said softly, "Feiyang, I want to terminate the pregnancy."

Zhao Feiyang’s hand paused on the doorknob, but he didn’t open the door immediately, speaking softly, "Why?"

Pei Lin said, "I don’t want to see you in pain. All your current pain is because of me. If we terminate this pregnancy, there won’t be any ties between us. If you want a divorce, I won’t object."

Zhao Feiyang pursed his lips. Although the police had confirmed the photos that appeared on the day of the wedding were all Photoshopped, the incident still stung like a thorn in his heart.

The true chasm was his father’s death; Zhao Feiyang felt he could never truly face Pei Lin again.

In a low voice, Zhao Feiyang said, "All the assets will be left to you." As he finished, he pushed the door open and left, without the slightest hesitation.

Pei Lin watched the closed door, a hateful gleam in her eyes. She hadn’t sincerely meant those words but had just wanted to gauge Zhao Feiyang’s reaction. It turned out that Zhao Feiyang had absolutely no lingering affection for her—all promises of eternal love were lies.

Zhao Feiyang and Yang Mufeng were essentially no different; they only desired her body. Once the novelty wore off, they discarded her like an old shoe, cold-heartedly indifferent.

Pei Lin felt a slight movement in her belly, her hand gently resting on it: "Baby, don’t be afraid, how could I abandon you? You are the only one I have in this world, and no one will take you from me!"

##

The Huannian Health and Elderly Care Hospital project had completely stopped. Ding Si’s Dingli Construction wasn’t much affected—it had settled the construction costs around the project start.

After Xu Chunliang’s two groundswell moves, Huayuan Group’s attitude was not as firm as before. They proposed a project transfer plan to transfer Weishan Island Hospital and the ongoing Healthy Elderly Care Hospital project, with a total package price starting at three hundred million.

However, their proposal was rejected by Qin Zhengyang. The situation at Huayuan Group is not optimistic; the longer the delay, the more problematic it becomes for them.

Xu Chunliang and Qin Zhengyang decided, after some discussion, to let the bullet fly a little longer, believing that Huayuan Group would be the one to lose patience eventually.

Huayuan Group wasn’t planning to sit idly by. Just as the negotiations reached a stalemate, a piece of news suddenly emerged from the capital market.

Equatorial Capital and Huayuan Group reached an agreement to take over the Huannian Health and Elderly Care Hospital project for a total price of 200 million.

This news came very unexpectedly. Before the agreement, Xu Chunliang hadn’t heard anything about it; Mo Han didn’t communicate with him about this.

Xu Chunliang was quite displeased with this move that bypassed him entirely, so he directly called Mo Han to ask if it was true.

Mo Han told him she was at the brewery hot spring, suggesting that if he had something to discuss, he should come by and talk face to face.

Xu Chunliang came to the brewery hot spring and saw Mo Han soaking her feet by the canal, her small feet immersed in the water, white and tender.

Xu Chunliang said, "Quite the enjoyment, huh? But just soaking your feet might not be thrilling enough. There’s a pool over there, you can give it a try."

Mo Han replied, "I wouldn’t touch anything you stinky men have used."

Xu Chunliang said, "The place where you’re soaking your feet, I’ve used it long ago."

Mo Han glanced at him and said no more. "Flowing water never gets stale and the door hinges never get worm-eaten." The hot spring water gurgled out, flowing along the canal into the pool ahead, unused by anyone here. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Xu Chunliang also took off his shoes and socks, intending to dip his big feet in.

Mo Han spat and said, "What do you think you’re doing?"

Xu Chunliang said, "The hot spring belongs to the nation; everyone is entitled to use it. Don’t be so domineering."

Mo Han pointed to her right, "You go down below me."

Xu Chunliang understood her meaning; Mo Han wanted him to move downstream in the canal. He sighed and said, "You really are overbearing. Whoever’s above and whoever’s below is the same after all, the water doesn’t lose a drop."

Mo Han glared at him, seemingly eager to swallow him whole.

Xu Chunliang dipped his feet into the hot spring water and closed his eyes, exaggeratedly expressing, "It’s so comfortable."

Mo Han said, "Aren’t you here to talk business with me?"

Xu Chunliang said, "Why didn’t you give me a heads-up before your negotiation with Huayuan Group?"

"Was it necessary?"

Xu Chunliang said, "Of course it was. It seems you’re not aware of the specifics. According to the contract signed between Hu Shan Town and Changxing Hospital, they have no right to transfer the Weishan Island Hospital site. Without our consent, they can’t bring in third-party investment either."

Mo Han laughed. Perhaps it was because she rarely did, but when she did, she actually attracted Xu Chunliang’s attention. He had to admit this girl looks really good when she smiles.

Mo Han said, "Which is bigger, Hu Shan Town or Weishan County?"

Xu Chunliang blinked, understanding her implication: they couldn’t interfere, as the transfer agreement between Equatorial Capital and Huayuan Group already had county support.

Xu Chunliang asked, "Why go to such lengths?"

Mo Han said, "Since Tong Guangsheng refused to cooperate, we had to find another way."

Xu Chunliang said, "Even if you were starting anew, shouldn’t you have given the landlord some notice first? I’ve never seen anyone as inconsiderate as you, completely bypassing us in Hu Shan Town."

Mo Han snorted, "Who told you not to help me solve the Xianhong Farm issue? Do you really think I can’t get anything done without your help?"

Xu Chunliang sighed, "I used to think you were pretty smart, but today I finally see you as a pig teammate."

"Who are you calling a pig teammate?"

Xu Chunliang said, "I had already forced them into a dead end, and could’ve taken back Weishan Island Hospital without spending a dime. But you went ahead and handed them 200 million."

Mo Han said, "With your petty tricks, you even conned Secretary Zhou’s son; there’s probably nothing you wouldn’t do."

Xu Chunliang said, "Stop spouting nonsense." This girl was sharp, seeing right through his tactics.

Mo Han said, "Xu Chunliang, you’ve got too many dirty tricks. At least you’re a local official, can you name one thing you’ve done that you can openly admit to?"

Xu Chunliang said, "As long as the goal is achieved, why care about the means? Aren’t you doing the same? The difference is you have more money than me; 200 million is pocket change for you. It’s a pity though, letting Huayuan benefit from it."