Asking for the Throne

Xia Xiang became aware of the awkward atmosphere and quickly turned his face away. He wasn't trying to act noble; rather, his mind was racing. Seeing Xiao Jia in such a state, he knew she must have experienced a significant upheaval. If, in her anger, she were to call him a pervert, he would have no choice but to bear the bad name.

He had experienced Xiao Jia's temper before. She was like a small chili pepper, capable of choking you with her sharp words, leaving you both annoyed and angry, yet helpless.

Fortunately, Xiao Jia only stared at him for a while, her eyes empty, her expression blank. She stood motionless, tears streaming down her face, looking pitiful. If it were the old Xia Xiang, he might have pretended not to see, but the current Xia Xiang stood up, walked to Xiao Jia, and handed her a tissue, saying, "Wipe your face. Rainwater is bad for your eyes; it can make them hurt."

Xiao Jia took the tissue mechanically but didn't use it. Instead, she clutched it tightly in her hand, her white fingers turning blue with veins, revealing a kind of startling beauty.

She bit her lip and suddenly threw herself into Xia Xiang's arms, finally breaking down and crying like a child who had been wronged, her sobs filled with sorrow and relief.

Xia Xiang gently held Xiao Jia, stroking her back, but couldn't find the right words to comfort her. He could only feel the warmth and fragrance of her body, which, with each sob, moved against his chest, causing an uncomfortable itch.

After about five minutes, Xiao Jia gradually calmed down. Her pale face now had a sickly flush. Xia Xiang, alarmed, reached out to touch her forehead and found it burning hot. He turned and, supporting her right shoulder with his right hand and her arm with his left, half-carried, half-dragged her to the inner room. Since the company's staff had been reduced, the office had become much emptier, and one of the two inner offices had been converted into a temporary rest area.

Xia Xiang laid Xiao Jia on the bed. Seeing her dazed eyes, he knew she was seriously ill. "Mr. Li has some fever-reducing medicine. I'll go get it for you. If you have clean clothes, it's best to change. Wearing wet clothes can cause cold to enter your body and lead to lingering health issues."

Xiao Jia only nodded dumbly, burying her head in the pillow without another word.

Xia Xiang closed the door and went upstairs. He saw Li Dingshan sitting steadily behind a large desk, leaning back in a comfortable executive chair, his eyes closed.

Li Dingshan was 40 years old, of medium build, and slightly thin. His hairline was receding, and he tried to cover it with longer hair from the back, making him look older than his actual age.

Xia Xiang had intended to have a serious talk with him, but with Xiao Jia's sudden illness, he knew it couldn't wait. He asked Li Dingshan for the fever-reducing medicine. Without asking, Li Dingshan pulled a box of medicine from a drawer and tossed it to Xia Xiang.

Xia Xiang thanked Li Dingshan and hurried downstairs. When he entered the inner room, he found Xiao Jia already asleep, still in her wet clothes, without a blanket, her curves clearly visible. To any man, this would be a tempting sight, but Xia Xiang had no impure thoughts. Instead, he was troubled, unsure if he should wake her to take the medicine and change her clothes.

Finally, gritting his teeth, Xia Xiang decided he couldn't let her suffer. He shook her awake: "Xiao Jia, get up and take the medicine. If you sleep like this, your condition will only worsen."

Xiao Jia sat up, her eyes hazy. She looked at Xia Xiang, and suddenly, a flash of anger crossed her face. She slapped him: "Pervert! You were watching me sleep. All men are scum, always thinking of taking advantage of women!"

The slap angered Xia Xiang. He took out the medicine, grabbed Xiao Jia, and forced the pill into her mouth. He then pinched her nose and made her drink some water, saying harshly, "I try to help you, and this is what I get? I deserve it, don't I? If it weren't for our working relationship, whether you live or die is none of my business. The medicine is in you, and I've done my part. Whether you change your clothes and go back to sleep is up to you. Don't blame me if you get sicker."

Xia Xiang stormed out, leaving a stunned Xiao Jia staring after him.

Back upstairs, Li Dingshan was still lost in thought.

Xia Xiang returned the remaining medicine to Li Dingshan and sat down in a nearby chair, pondering how to start the conversation.

The layout of the second floor was slightly different from the first. Unlike the four or five rooms on the first floor, the second floor had only three rooms: a 30-square-meter living room, a hallway connecting two 10-square-meter rooms, and a bathroom and balcony.

In the living room, a thriving begonia, Li Dingshan's favorite plant, was placed.

"Xia, is something wrong?" Li Dingshan, coming out of his reverie, asked.

Xia Xiang straightened up: "Mr. Li, I have some immature ideas about the large outdoor LCD screen project for the train station square that I want to discuss with you."

In 1998, large outdoor LCD screens were a new concept. Yan City, as a developing urban area, was not considered advanced. At the time, there was only one simple two-color LED outdoor LCD screen, one meter wide and two meters long, in the bustling central Shanzhong Street. Despite its poor display quality, it had caused a sensation in Yan City.

Li Dingshan's project, for which he had invested 500,000 yuan, was a large outdoor LCD screen. His plan was to erect a massive 6x10 meter, 60-square-meter full-color LED screen in the busy train station square. It would be visible even in the brightest sunlight.

On either side of the screen, two 5x5 meter square columns would support the weight of the screen. These columns would also house offices for content recording and editing. This infrastructure part was where Xia Xiang could contribute, given his background in industrial and civil engineering.

Xia Xiang admired Li Dingshan's vision. In 1998, to think of building such a large video platform was impressive. If it were built and operational, with Li Dingshan's connections, it could attract local and provincial advertisements, potentially earning millions annually.

However, the project required a huge investment. The infrastructure cost less than 1 million yuan, but the key components of the screen needed to be imported, costing over 10 million yuan. Li Dingshan couldn't afford 10 million, but he had a plan. He was close to Li Kailin, the branch manager of a local Industrial and Commercial Bank. They agreed to use the land and the screen as collateral for a full loan, giving the bank 51% ownership. Li Dingshan would handle the planning and approvals, holding 49% ownership. Though he lost control, it was still a good deal considering his initial investment of less than 500,000 yuan.
In the 1990s, banks were allowed to participate in business operations through loans.

Currently, the bank agreement was in place, but the land approval for the train station square was delayed. Li Dingshan was worried. Gao Hai, the deputy secretary-general of the Yan City government, had promised it, but Mayor Chen Feng hadn't approved it, causing a three-month delay.

Gao Hai was Li Dingshan's classmate and a close friend.

Xia Xiang knew that in a month, the land approval would finally come through, but Li Kailin would be transferred to a powerless position in the city bank. The new branch manager would put the agreement on hold, and Li Dingshan's efforts to find another bank would be too late. National policy changes would prevent banks from participating in business operations, and the LCD screen project would fail, leaving Li Dingshan bankrupt.

Rumors were circulating about new national policies to control bank lending, but no official document had been issued. Li Dingshan, confident in the signed agreement, didn't worry. He didn't know that Li Kailin would be unexpectedly transferred.

"Mr. Li..." Xia Xiang, after much consideration, decided to cut to the chase. He needed to warn Li Dingshan because time was running out. In his memory, Song Chaodu's downfall was imminent, and if Li Dingshan didn't react in time, all plans would be ruined.

Song Chaodu, although still a member of the provincial party committee and secretary, would soon lose his position due to conflicts with the provincial party secretary. With strong backing in Beijing, the provincial party secretary would remove Song Chaodu from his post and transfer him to an unimportant department.

"The large LCD screen project at the train station, I believe, has a dim future."