A few days later, Xu Shuming held a funeral for Su Hui.
Most of those who came to see her off were friends from her life. Su Ruiyi, dressed in black, sobbed uncontrollably beside Xu Shuming.
President Wang: "My condolences."
Mrs. Wang hugged Su Ruiyi tenderly.
Mrs. Wang: "Yiyi, listen to Auntie, don't cry. Perhaps this is a release for your mother who suffered from depression. If she were watching you from heaven, so heartbroken, she would be sad."
Su Ruiyi didn't believe Xu Shuming's fabricated story one bit – that her mother’s death was attributed to depression!
Wang Ziran: "Yiyi, you still have me. You can always come to me."
Mrs. Wang: "Yes, Yiyi, be strong. Ziran has been worried sick and hasn't eaten or drunk properly for days."
Su Ruiyi finally looked up at her good friend, who she had grown up with.
Wang Ziran looked extremely gaunt. He knew Su Ruiyi was going through a difficult time and had been silently by her side, fearing she might do something impulsive.
Su Ruiyi opened her arms and hugged Wang Ziran.
Su Ruiyi: "Thank you."
Wang Ziran took out a handkerchief to wipe away Su Ruiyi's tears and encouraged her to be strong. However, the line of mourners was long, and Wang Ziran had to move on with Mrs. Wang.
After shaking countless hands, nodding countless times, and bowing countless times, the funeral was finally over.
Yet, Su Ruiyi never saw Ou Yunchen arrive. She cast a final glance at the tombstone, surrounded by yellow and white chrysanthemums. Unbeknownst to her, a vibrant red rose had been placed in an inconspicuous corner at some point.
Xu Shuming: "Yiyi, let's go."
Su Ruiyi: "Do you know what my mother hated the most?"
Xu Shuming: "She hated me."
Su Ruiyi: "Did you ever do anything to make her not hate you?"
Xu Shuming: "It's all in the past."
Su Ruiyi: "It's not! How am I supposed to face you in the future? You might as well send me abroad again!"
Xu Shuming: "I told you it wasn't me!"
Su Ruiyi: "My mother is gone, and you don't even have the heart to repent at her grave?"
Xu Shuming: "Let's go home first, we'll talk about the rest later."
Su Ruiyi: "Have you ever been home? Isn't the Su family just a hotel to you? Can the woman you're keeping outside move in now?"
Xu Shuming: "Don't force me to hit you in a place like this!"
Su Ruiyi: "Go ahead and hit me. You hit me often enough when my mother was alive. Now that she's gone, you might as well be ruthless and kill me too. Then the Su family will be entirely yours."
Xu Shuming glared at Su Ruiyi and then turned to leave.
Butler: "Master, what about Miss?"
Xu Shuming: "No one is allowed to wait for her!"
The butler glanced at the gloomy sky, thrust an umbrella into Su Ruiyi’s hand, and instructed all the Su family servants to follow. He then left the cemetery with Xu Shuming.
It was late into the night, and Su Ruiyi had still not returned to the Su residence.
The butler and the housekeeper anxiously peered towards the main gate, hoping to see their young lady appear.
The butler rushed to Xu Shuming's bedroom several times.
Butler: "Master, it's getting dark outside..."
Butler: "Master, it's raining outside..."
Butler: "Master, the temperature has dropped outside..."
Xu Shuming: "What do you want!"
Butler: "Master, Miss hasn't returned. Should we send someone to look for her?"
Xu Shuming: "Don't bother me!"
The butler watched as Xu Shuming ransacked the bedroom, opening all the cabinets and drawers. He even laid out Su Hui's jewelry from the safe one by one on the bed.
It seemed Xu Shuming was eager to tally Su Hui's inheritance, to cash in anything that could be sold quickly, and perhaps to uncover more hidden assets!
The housekeeper saw the butler coming down from upstairs and quickly rushed over to ask: "How is it?"
The butler shook his head. Without Xu Shuming's orders, no one dared to go look for the young lady.
Housekeeper: "Let's call the police."
Butler: "It hasn't even been 24 hours yet, it's useless."
Housekeeper: "Poor Miss. After Mrs. Su passed away, she has no family left."
Butler: "She still has Master."
Housekeeper: "Him? He doesn't treat Miss like his daughter at all!"
Butler: "Stop talking nonsense. Find me an umbrella."
Housekeeper: "Where are you going?"
Butler: "To look for Miss!"
Housekeeper: "I'll go too."
At this moment, others also called out, wanting to go look for Miss.
The butler and housekeeper turned to see that the remaining servants in the house, even the cook from the kitchen, were holding umbrellas and wearing raincoats, ready to go.
The only indifferent person in this house was Xu Shuming, who was related by blood. He was even worse than the Su family's servants!
As a group of people rushed out frantically, they saw a figure walking in from the dark courtyard.
The housekeeper whispered: "Is that Miss?"
But the dark silhouette walked very slowly. By the time she approached from a distance, the housekeeper quickly draped her clothes over Su Ruiyi.
Su Ruiyi had never felt so pathetic. She was soaked to the bone, her shoes were gone, and she stood there with her head drooping, barefoot.
Everyone quickly held umbrellas for Miss and rushed back home to get shoes for Su Ruiyi.
However, no matter how the butler inquired, Su Ruiyi remained silent. She seemed to have lost her hearing and her voice.
The butler instructed the kitchen to heat up some food for Miss and told the housekeeper to prepare a bath for her. But after entering the house, Su Ruiyi went straight upstairs.
Xu Shuming: "You still know how to come back!"
Su Ruiyi didn't answer. But as she passed Xu Shuming, she saw the large suitcase he was holding and noticed he had taken off his wedding ring.
Butler: "Master, it's so late, where are you going?"
Xu Shuming didn't care about Su Ruiyi. As long as she hadn't died outside, it was good enough.
Xu Shuming: "I have something to do. Take good care of Miss."
When the butler turned around, Su Ruiyi had already gone upstairs and locked herself in her room again. This time, however, no one heard any hysterical crying.
***
Days turned into weeks, and Su Corporation was completely unaffected by Su Hui's tragic fall. Xu Shuming had already raised enough funds to proceed with the plan of listing a subsidiary.
As for Su Ruiyi, she seemed to be forgotten by the world. She never stepped out of the Su residence again.
Butler: "Miss, the weather is nice today. Would you like to exercise with everyone?"
There was still no response from inside the room. Apart from meal times when Su Ruiyi could be coaxed out, she had changed completely since that rainy night. She didn't cry, didn't make noise, and didn't speak. It was as if she couldn't hear anyone talking to her.
Housekeeper: "This won't do! Miss is acting so abnormally, something will surely happen!"
Butler: "What can I do? Mr. Emmanuel and Young Master Wang have visited several times but she wouldn't open the door. Should we bring in a psychologist to see Miss?"
Housekeeper: "Doesn't Miss like Ou Yunchen? Why don't you call him?"
Butler: "I don't have Mr. Ou's contact information. Besides, he's no longer working at ATL. How can I find him?"
Housekeeper: "Then you have to think of a way. Miss only has us now..."
Saying this, the housekeeper started to cry. They had watched Su Ruiyi grow up and had come to regard her as their own child.
Butler: "Stop crying. I'll go to ATL and inquire."
However, when the butler arrived at ATL, he couldn't even get through the door.
Receptionist: "Oh my, sir, please don't try to force your way in. You need to give me a name so I can help you contact them."
Butler: "I want to see Ou Yunchen."
Receptionist: "Sir, we don't have anyone named Ou here."
It was just a coincidence that ATL had recently hired a new receptionist who had no idea who Ou Yunchen was.
Butler: "Young lady, could you help me inquire if anyone knows Ou Yunchen?"
Receptionist: "Sir, you're making it difficult for me. Why don't you tell me what position he held, and I can find a manager to help you?"
Butler: "He used to be your boss here."
Receptionist: "I'm sorry, sir. Our boss's surname is Ma. Perhaps you could inquire elsewhere."
Butler: "Then I'll find her too."
The receptionist immediately stopped the butler. Seeing his determined demeanor, he looked like he was going to search inside himself, which would be breaking the rules.
Receptionist: "Do you have an appointment?"
Butler: "No."
Receptionist: "Then I cannot let you in."
Butler: "Young lady, I have an urgent matter. Please let me in."
The receptionist adamantly refused to let the butler in. Allowing outsiders into an investment company could lead to serious trouble from above, and a simple receptionist couldn't bear that responsibility.
Just then, Crystal handed a packaged delivery to the receptionist.
Crystal: "Mail this out, express delivery."
Receptionist: "Okay."
Crystal glanced at the old man who kept peering inside and quietly asked what was going on.
Receptionist: "He's looking for someone named Ou. I told him we don't have anyone like that here, but he insists on barging in and wants to see Ms. Ma."
Crystal: "Ou? Ou Yunchen?"
Receptionist: "Yes, yes, yes. We don't have anyone named Ou here, do we?"
Crystal pulled the butler aside.
Crystal: "Sir, are you looking for Ou Yunchen?"
The butler nodded quickly, as if finally, someone knew Ou Yunchen.
Crystal: "What is your relationship with Ou Yunchen?"
The butler also became a bit wary.
Crystal: "Why are you looking for him?"
Butler: "Young lady, do you know him?"
Crystal: "He was our former boss, but he doesn't work here anymore."
Butler: "I am the butler of the Su family. I have an urgent matter and must see him in person."
Crystal: "Su family?"
Butler: "Yes, young lady. If you know Ou Yunchen's contact information, please tell me."
Crystal: "I do, but you can't reach him right now."
Butler: "Why?"
Crystal: "How about this? I'll give you an address. You can try your luck."
The butler quickly jotted down an address. However, by the time he arrived, it was already dark.
***
Three months had passed since the first training session. All the trainees arrived at Bay University as scheduled.
This training session would last for ten days. Just like the first one, everyone had to surrender their mobile phones from the beginning of the training. To ensure the quality of teaching, no one was allowed to use their phones during class; there were no exceptions.
Yun Qingyang: "Alright, students, I have collected all your assignments. It's evident that everyone has been listening attentively. Continue to maintain this state."
Yun Qingyang reviewed them one by one, prolonging the class until ten o'clock at night. The entrepreneurs were unwilling to miss the opportunity to discuss their assignments privately with Yun Qingyang, and Ou Yunchen was no exception.
Yun Qingyang: "There's a saying I often use to teach my employees, and I want to share it with you today."
Yun Qingyang: "The success or failure of a small company depends on the people you hire. As for us, all of you here are bosses of large enterprises. Your success or failure depends on the people you will eventually fire."
When the class finally ended with applause, the final summary lesson of the ten-day session marked a perfect conclusion to the second training.