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PHWM Chapter 87.1

A week passed in the blink of an eye.

 

The “On the Road” program team was well-versed in the art of keeping viewers in suspense. The new episode switched perspectives, meticulously detailing the rare symptoms and manifestations in the young man.

 

Duan Ming had specifically contacted the program team to ask. The remaining finished footage was still being edited and produced, and it would take at least two to three more episodes before the mystery would be revealed and enter the educational phase.

 

“We’ve also told President Huo that Mr. Liang isn’t in the program, so there’s no need to watch it specifically.”

 

The butler rarely found an opportunity to call and report: “Mr. Liang’s drama is still airing, and President Huo hasn’t finished the problems yet, so he probably doesn’t have time to pay attention to much else.”

 

Duan Ming pressed his forehead, holding the phone, and made a few notes in his notebook: “Thank you for your hard work.”

 

The butler repeatedly said it was nothing, hesitated for a moment, but still couldn’t help asking softly: “Was it really Mr. Liang back then…”

 

The manager had suddenly called a week ago, asking them to help mediate. When the butler heard from the head of the bodyguards on Qingming Festival that it hadn’t rained that day, he already had a premonition and immediately guessed what had happened.

 

Both sides tacitly understood but didn’t clarify the matter, yet they had both guessed most of it.

 

The butler hadn’t dared to ask in detail these days, but the more he thought about it, the heavier his heart felt, and he ultimately couldn’t hold back.

 

Duan Ming no longer hid it from him and sighed: “Yes.”

 

Even though he was prepared, the butler’s heart still tightened: “How old was Mr. Liang at that time?”

 

Still just a half-grown child, with nowhere to turn, risking his life to save a friend, and in the end, not even daring to stay, taking his things and disappearing without a trace.

 

Those gossip accounts had been keen on digging up Liang Xiao’s past recently. President Huo didn’t allow them to hide it, and the butler had delivered to the study room twice, so he had seen some of it.

 

Liang Xiao didn’t even have a home at that time.

 

The butler wasn’t clear about the consequences of an omega forcibly enduring differentiation, but he had seen Liang Xiao’s medical examination reports over the years. The old ailments from back then were still severe enough not to be ignored.

 

Looking back ten years, it was almost impossible to imagine how little Liang Xiao, just after differentiation and covered in injuries and illnesses, had managed to survive alone in the capital.

 

Duan Ming had thought about these things when he first learned the truth, but Liang Xiao was tight-lipped and wouldn’t reveal a word about these matters, and he still couldn’t get any answers.

 

“That’s why,” Duan Ming said softly. “Liang Xiao wants to hide it from President Huo as much as possible… at least to have a buffer.”

 

“Yes.” The butler was in a dilemma and sighed after a long while. “It’s hard on Mr. Liang.”

 

The butler could almost imagine how wronged Liang Xiao felt keeping these things to himself: “We can’t come over for now, please help us comfort Mr. Liang more.”

 

Duan Ming looked back at Mr. Liang, who was roaming with the game: “…Alright.”

 

The butler grew increasingly worried: “Is Mr. Liang doing well these days?”

 

Duan Ming: “He’s fine.”

 

“That he’s made it to where he is today is all thanks to Mr. Liang himself.”

 

The butler was full of emotion: “In truth, it’s Huo Corporation that’s repaying the kindness… Mr. Liang has really had it tough.”

 

The half-hour was almost up. Liang Xiao had just wasted a life with particular difficulty and was about to lament when Duan Ming firmly covered his mouth: “Yes.”

 

The butler couldn’t help but ask with concern: “How is Mr. Liang now? Is there anything we can help with?”

 

Duan Ming released his hand, looked at Liang Xiao who was weakened by the youth anti-addiction time limit, and rubbed his temples, taking a deep breath.

 

Liang Xiao had lost his ideals, hugging the game console as he drifted to the edge of the bed and collapsed dejectedly.

 

Duan Ming: “…There is.”

 

The butler hadn’t expected there to be something he could help with and was almost delighted: “What is it?”

 

When Duan Ming first became a manager, he had some aspirations and ideals, with certain expectations for his future work content, but he never imagined he would reach this point today.

 

Duan Ming: “That game console… President Huo bought for him.”

 

The butler was taken aback: “Huh?”

 

Duan Ming sighed: “What’s the password for the anti-addiction setting?”

 

 

The butler used all his skills to extract the anti-addiction password from President Huo.

 

“Mr. Liang said there are actually answers on the back of the problems…”

 

The butler discreetly sent the password to the manager, put down the coffee, and reminded: “Don’t you want to take a look?”

 

President Huo frowned slightly and looked up at the butler.

 

The butler: “…You don’t want to look.”

 

“These are problems personally created by Mr. Liang.” President Huo was very dissatisfied with his attitude and said displeased: “I should face them wholeheartedly and shouldn’t take shortcuts.”

 

The butler thought to himself that he was being far too wholehearted, sighed, didn’t try to persuade him further, and carried away a stack of used calculation drafts.

 

No matter how good President Huo’s grades were back then, he had graduated many years ago, and things he had learned years ago that he hadn’t used were inevitably rusty.

 

If it hadn’t coincided with his susceptible period, it might have been even more difficult to catch up.

 

The butler tidied up his desk and added new walnuts to the drawer: “The workload has decreased a bit lately. Would you like to go see Mr. Liang?”

 

President Huo’s gaze moved slightly, and after a moment of silence: “No.”

 

The butler didn’t understand: “Why?”

 

President Huo was quiet for a while, pressed his forehead, closed his eyes to rest for a moment, and put down his pen.

 

President Huo didn’t touch the walnuts, took out a suppressant, unwrapped it, suppressed some of the restlessness of his pheromones, and closed his eyes again.

 

“Are you afraid you won’t be able to control yourself and will disrupt Mr. Liang’s work?”

 

The butler guessed, carefully preparing medicine that could slightly reduce the side effects, placing it on the table along with warm water: “Actually-”

 

“It’s just pheromones,” President Huo said calmly. “I can endure it.”

 

The butler was taken aback, thought about the situation over the years, and felt dejected: “Yes.”

 

The butler had been trying to hide it from him these days, but he inevitably thought of Liang Xiao himself. He sighed softly and said in a low voice: “Mr. Liang… can also endure it.”

 

President Huo frowned deeply and opened his eyes: “He shouldn’t have to endure.”

 

The butler was slightly taken aback.

 

“If Mr. Liang has any discomfort, tell me immediately.”

 

President Huo said in a deep voice: “If his pheromones fluctuate, I will go to him immediately.”

 

President Huo’s expression turned cold: “If anyone conceals information again, they need not continue working here.”

 

The butler hurriedly responded: “Yes, I’ll tell them.”

 

These days, the filming at the set involved high intensity and high risk. Mr. Liang had accumulated quite a few minor injuries, and the team hadn’t dared to conceal anything, reporting every single one.

 

The only exception was when Liang Xiao nearly had an accident while filming earlier, barely averting disaster thanks to his experience, and bruising his chest against a tree. The person in charge, seeing that the examination results showed no major issues, didn’t report it.

 

An artist nearly having an accident-President Huo only found out when the crew, following protocol, sent Xingguan a private letter of apology.

 

“It definitely won’t happen again.”

 

The butler assured him: “We’ve made it clear to them that everything must be reported, with no omissions, subjective or objective.”

 

The butler carefully observed President Huo’s expression and, seeing it soften slightly, hesitated before asking: “Wouldn’t this be a good time to go see Mr. Liang? The filming on Mr. Liang’s side has been quite dangerous lately-”

 

President Huo shook his head: “If I go, I’ll more likely distract him.”

 

The butler hadn’t thought of this and was taken aback. After careful consideration for a while: “Yes.”

 

Ordinary scenes would be fine, but high-risk scenes required complete focus without any distractions to respond promptly to unexpected situations.

 

Mr. Liang was easily distracted by President Huo even when memorizing lines. If they were together, no matter how hard they tried to concentrate, they would inevitably think about each other.

 

During that scene, if Liang Xiao had been even slightly less focused, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

 

The butler was convinced and nodded: “You truly understand Mr. Liang.”

 

“Besides,” President Huo closed his eyes and pressed his brow forcefully, “I wouldn’t be able to control myself.”

 

The butler was slightly stunned.

 

President Huo didn’t want to recall how he felt when he saw that report. His shoulders tensed for a while before he gradually forced himself to relax.

 

“This is the path Mr. Liang has chosen for himself.”

 

President Huo’s voice was very low, as if speaking to himself: “He wants to move forward… I can’t hold him back.”

 

The butler understood and suddenly felt a pang in his heart.

 

“You don’t want Mr. Liang to suffer, do you?”

 

The butler helped him put a sugar cube in his coffee, slowly stirring it, and said softly: “You care deeply for Mr. Liang. Even if Mr. Liang is doing what he wants to do and gets hurt accidentally, you can’t help but feel distressed.”

 

President Huo had never been able to express these things himself. Listening to the butler, whom he had respected as an elder since childhood, speak slowly and softly, he closed his eyes and gave a low “Mm.”

 

The butler put down the coffee spoon: “But you also know clearly… this is what Mr. Liang wants to do.”

 

“I know.” President Huo had been reminding himself of this repeatedly these days, trying to suppress his temper and not wanting to think about it further. “What’s the schedule for tomorrow?”

 

“Regular work.”

 

The butler hesitated for a moment: “There’s a video conference at 2 PM, and at 5 PM, the branch family has invited you over… to discuss cutting unprofitable companies and thoroughly investigating internal stock price shorting.”

 

President Huo nodded slightly, drank some coffee, and was about to take his computer to work when the butler carefully stopped him: “President Huo.”

 

President Huo looked up at him.

 

“You can understand clearly,” the butler hesitated for a while before asking softly. “This is what Mr. Liang wants to do, isn’t it?”

 

President Huo looked at him, his brows furrowing slightly, not immediately responding.

 

The butler didn’t ask further, helped him tidy up his things, turned on the work light, and quickly left the study.

 

 

The next day, the people sent by the branch family arrived at the Huo residence on time.

 

“See that presentable-looking old man?”

 

The head of the bodyguards led the newly arrived bodyguards to recognize people, hiding in the shadows and instructing in a low voice: “They are the branch family that was responsible for taking care of President Huo back then. He’s called Huo Cangxin, and he’s never done anything good.”

 

A group of bodyguards stood at attention and nodded, exuding murderous intent.

 

The head of the bodyguards had been quite upset with the branch family lately and spoke with irritation: “Many of the recent troubles were also stirred up by him behind the scenes.”

 

The bodyguards, full of murderous intent, flexed their muscles and reached for their batons.

 

“…” The head of the bodyguards promptly stopped the batons: “Not needed today.”

 

“They’re really out of options and have come to invite our President Huo over. Our President Huo has given them one last chance and agreed.”

 

The head of the bodyguards continued: “In the future, when you see them again, no matter what methods you use, don’t let them in the door.”

 

The bodyguards flexed their muscles, put away their batons, and stood at attention, responding affirmatively.

 

The head of the bodyguards had been in charge of the inner circle for a long time and hadn’t enjoyed such responsive obedience in a while. He spoke imposingly: “Whatever the enemy wants, we don’t give them. Whatever the enemy wants to do, we stop them…”

 

Before he could finish summarizing the third “whatever,” the butler had already pushed the door open, quickly entered, covered his mouth, and hurriedly pulled him out.

 

Having resolved the heart disease that was Long Tao, President Huo gradually freed up his hands and had begun to formally deal with the branch family’s affairs.

 

Over the years of depleting resources without replenishing them, the branch family had grown accustomed to easily taking money from Huo Corporation for personal gain. Now that the cash flow was repeatedly being cut, several branch families had sensed the crisis, leading to today’s invitation, which was unclear whether it was an admission of wrongdoing or a trap.

 

The butler was concerned about safety and specifically brought along the head of the bodyguards.

 

“Take your people and, no matter when, never let President Huo be alone.”

 

The butler emphasized in a low voice: “Don’t let President Huo leave your sight, don’t let President Huo fall into the branch family’s trap, and don’t let President Huo hear you speak.”

 

The head of the bodyguards could understand the first few conditions and also grew tense, nodding cautiously as if facing a great enemy: “Why can’t President Huo hear me speak?”

 

The butler: “Because President Huo doesn’t want to hear you speak.”

 

The head of the bodyguards: “?”

 

The butler patted him, gave him a mask, and got out of the car with the people in front.

 

Huo Cangxin, rarely returning to the Huo residence, was particularly emotional and had been chatting with President Huo the whole way.

 

According to the generational hierarchy, he should be President Huo’s uncle, though they were separated by several layers. In truth, their blood relation was already quite distant, requiring tracing back two generations to find a connection.

 

“It must be fate,” Huo Cangxin led him inside, smiling. “Back then, it happened to be me who took you out of the Huo residence.”

 

Huo Cangxin sighed lightly, his gaze benevolent: “You were so young then, and wouldn’t look back even once. Your father thought you were cold-hearted, but he didn’t know that you were squeezing my hand white at the time.”

 

President Huo lowered his gaze: “Thank you for your trouble.”

 

“It was my duty; we were originally one family.” Huo Cangxin smiled. “We…”

 

“Reminiscing can be postponed.”

 

President Huo glanced at the situation inside, interrupting coldly, and had the butler and his people remain outside: “If you have something to say, please speak directly.”

 

Huo Cangxin’s expression changed imperceptibly before he put on a smile again: “Alright, alright, come sit.”

 

The branch family had set up the appearance of a family banquet, yet all those who came were President Huo’s uncles or even elders of higher generations. President Huo didn’t show any deference to them, walked directly to the main seat, and sat down.

 

An elderly man with graying hair beside him couldn’t help but frown and began to scold him: “Everyone present is your elder, and they all took care of you back then. You-”


T/N: i hate long chapterss!!!!


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