Chapter 24
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Volume 1 + Chapter 24: The Approaching Conspiracy
“Lately, I don’t know what’s going on—my child won’t stop coughing.”
“Mine too.”
“Yours are still considered lucky. I heard my second uncle’s baby just turned a month old and had to be rushed to the hospital because of a lung infection.”
At that moment, in a small town near Xijiang City, several residents were sitting together chatting.
“Do you think it might have something to do with that boiler factory in town? Every time I pass by there lately, the smell is really pungent.”
“Who else could it be? They’re the only factory in town. I say those people definitely released some toxic and harmful substances into the air for their own benefit!”
“Those bastards are inhuman. If their wives and kids lived here, I bet they wouldn’t dare do such things!”
“Right, we can file a complaint with the environmental protection department and get that harmful factory shut down!”
“I’m with you! I’ll go too.” So the group of residents went to the relevant environmental department to lodge a complaint.
The environmental department, upon receiving the complaint, quickly reported the situation to their superiors. However—
“Are you guys looking to lose your jobs? Do you know whose turf Xijiang City and the surrounding areas belong to? That’s the Bai family’s area! Let me tell you, that boiler factory is a Bai family enterprise. If we investigate and shut it down today, we’ll all be out of a job tomorrow!”
A week later—
“What’s going on? Why hasn’t anyone come to investigate?” The residents were growing impatient.
“You idiots. Do you even know who’s backing that boiler factory? That’s the Bai family!” an elderly man sighed.
“Then what do we do? Just let them keep harming our health?”
“At this point, the only option is to petition higher authorities.” A middle-aged man nearby spoke. Petitioning refers to the act of bypassing lower-level state agencies and appealing directly to higher-level government bodies to report a problem and seek resolution.
On the other hand, as time passed, there was only one day left until the midterm exams. The atmosphere at Sakura Academy had become extremely tense. Even during self-study periods, everyone was studying with every second they had.
In Class 6 of Year One, however, the students had all put down their books and focused their attention on Ouyang Qianxue and Bai Yuxuan.
“Hey, look over there!”
“No way… the speed, Ouyang is solving those problems!”
Ouyang Qianxue was doing her workbook exercises like she was copying something—without the slightest hesitation.
“Yeah, she’s probably almost finished with the whole workbook. But wait, I don’t think the teacher’s even covered that part yet!”
“Oh my god, look at Bai Yuxuan now!”
Everyone turned to look at Bai Yuxuan. She was even more unbelievable—solving even complex problems mentally, then quickly copying the answers into her notebook. She flipped a page roughly every ten seconds, and in no time, she’d finished an entire thick workbook.
“So that’s what it means to be ranked first and second in the year?”
“They’re like monsters!”
“I almost feel embarrassed to be in the same classroom as them…”
Back at the Bai family residence, Bai Yuxuan’s father’s phone suddenly rang.
“Hello? Mayor Chen? What a surprise to get a call from you!”
“You have no idea—you’re in serious trouble this time. The higher-ups said they’re sending people to thoroughly investigate your boiler factory!”
“What?!” Bai Yuxuan’s father stood up in shock.
“I can only give you this heads-up. There’s nothing else I can do to help. You’re on your own.” With that, Mayor Chen hung up.
“Damn it!” Bai Yuxuan’s father slammed his fist onto the desk.
“Chairman, what should we do?” a man in a suit nearby asked.
“Tell them to immediately shut down all production over there and destroy as much evidence of pollution as possible.”
“But the inspectors from above aren’t so easy to fool. They’ll definitely find something.”
“I know. Just have the person in charge over there take full responsibility. This must not involve our family directly.”
“But that boiler factory is one of the Bai family’s biggest projects recently. If something goes wrong with it, the family will definitely hold you accountable. How do you plan to explain this slip-up?”
“Slip-up? Are you suggesting that I, the current head of the Bai family, would make a mistake?”
“No, but—”
“Silence! I am the current head of the Bai family. Every decision I make is flawless!”
Although he spoke confidently, sweat was pouring down his forehead. While he could shift the blame to the factory’s manager publicly, he knew this incident would bring serious reputational and financial damage to the Bai family.
And the other power-holders in the Bai family would definitely seize this opportunity. He knew all too well that his brothers had always coveted his position as head of the family. With such a major scandal now, they would surely trace the blame back to him—and then, his leadership would be at risk!
“Damn it! How could I have let this happen!” He angrily swept a teacup off the table, shattering it on the ground.
The sound of the shattering brought him a moment of clarity. He fell into deep thought, and after a long while, his eyes suddenly lit up.
“That’s it! As long as I wasn’t the one who made the mistake, it’ll be fine.” The cold man returned to his usual composed demeanor.
Meanwhile, after evening self-study, Bai Yuxuan returned to her apartment. Having to juggle company matters and her academic showdown with Ouyang Qianxue had clearly exhausted her. Suddenly, her phone rang.
“It’s Father! Why is he calling me at this hour?”
“Bai Yuxuan, return to the Bai residence immediately.” A cold command came through the phone before it hung up.
So Bai Yuxuan immediately returned home. Upon arrival, she found her father sitting in the living room, waiting for her.
“Father, you called for me…?”
“Bai Yuxuan, sit down.” Her father’s tone today seemed gentler than usual.
“Lately, you’ve been handling the company affairs with more and more confidence. So I’ve decided to entrust the project of Xijiang Boiler Co., Ltd. to you.”
“Really? I won’t let you down, Father!” Bai Yuxuan said excitedly. She had never felt so thrilled before. This boiler factory was one of her father’s biggest ventures. By giving it to her, it proved his trust and recognition of her abilities.
(Is Father finally starting to take me seriously?) Bai Yuxuan naively thought that perhaps her father really valued her now. She even began to imagine that this might be the turning point in their relationship—that she might finally receive fatherly love like other children.
Little did she know… a scheme was already closing in on her.
