The Knife Is Mine

"Also, before you brought these children back into the family, didn't you tell them not to damage the family's reputation and interests? Bullying someone before an important meeting at the Huo Household—is this the upbringing they want others to see from the Huo family?"

"And something similar already happened today. Did you remind the children what they should and shouldn't do? They're so young, yet they have the nerve to let dogs loose to bite people. They're utterly lawless."

"All these children will be expelled from the Huo Household. Since you failed to teach them what they should and shouldn't do, you'll also forfeit your dividends for the next two years, all of which will serve as compensation to the Shen Household."

The moment Huo Xi finished speaking, the man who doted on his only son could not accept it. He immediately said, "No! He's my only son! He did make a mistake this time, but can't you give him another chance? I won't ever let him come to the old residence again. Can you not expel him?"

Huo Xi looked at him and said coldly, "I thought you understood that what I said was a notification. Can't bear to part with your son? Then get out with him."

The daughters and wife in that family went mad. If he was expelled, what would happen to them? They had not liked that younger brother to begin with.

While they were tearing into one another over there, Huo Xi asked the great-uncle again, "Have you decided? Do you want that dog, or your status in the Huo Household?"

His sons, grandsons, daughters, and sons-in-law all rose to persuade him. In the end, he could only concede and say he would send the dog away.

After he spoke, the other side had also reached an agreement and said they would send that child away. As for the other children, they did not even try to argue. They had originally brought them back to gain a few benefits, only to cause trouble and suffer losses instead.

Huo Xi's words had been so harsh today that, whether or not they had been given business opportunities through Huo Xi's arrangements, no one dared argue any further.

"What about him? He brought a knife into the old residence. If it hadn't been today, who knows whether he'd been carrying a knife all along? Why did he bring it in? He even carried it on him." The great-uncle pointed at Huo Huan and questioned him.

Shen Zhuo looked at Huo Huan in surprise. A knife? Hadn't he been knocked unconscious by a rock? Then again, Shen Zhuo had thrown so many rocks and failed to knock him out.

How could Huo Huan have knocked him unconscious in one blow? How big would that rock have had to be? And how could there be such a rock on the Huo family's lawn?

As expected, they won't let the fruit knife issue go. Huo Huan might be in trouble. If they suspect his intentions, even his merits might not be enough to offset it.

But Huo Xi should be able to suppress those people's thoughts, right? I just wonder what impression Huo Xi has of Huo Huan. Will he be willing to take his side?

Shen Can silently thought, If he isn't willing, then we'll have to step in. He saved Shen Zhuo, after all. It wouldn't be right for us to just watch him get driven out.

"The knife was mine. My mother used it to cut fruit for me in the car, and I accidentally carried it with me when I got out." Shen Zhuo had been wondering what knife they meant when he heard his little uncle mention a fruit knife in his thoughts. He immediately took the matter upon himself.

Shen Can was shocked to hear Shen Zhuo's words. Their Shen Zhuo had actually learned to lie.

He had originally been thinking that, if it truly came to it, the entire Shen Household would treat Huo Huan as their benefactor. For the sake of appearances and their relationship with the Shen Household, the Huo family probably would not drive him away.

But that would mean the Shen Household was using its influence to pressure others. Their relationship with the Huo family would become more strained afterward, and Huo Huan would surely be collectively ostracized by the Huo family.

"It probably fell out when I tripped and rolled down the slope. Huo Huan must have seen it and used it." Shen Zhuo spoke each word clearly and firmly.

Huo Huan thought that if he did not know the knife was his, he might have believed Shen Zhuo's words.

Xu Qingqing looked at her son in her arms, gave a quiet hum, and said, "We did have a fruit knife in the car. I even cut fruit for him on the way here. Who knew he would accidentally bring it out with him?"

Huo Huan had saved her son, and she had to acknowledge that favor. Shen Yu also nodded in agreement. Although this child truly became terrifying later in the story, he had not done anything yet, and he had indeed saved Shen Zhuo.

The knife belonged to someone from the Shen Household and had not been deliberately brought in, so they could only accept it. Besides, when Huo Huan described what happened, he never said the knife was his. He only said he had injured the dog with a knife, then pulled Shen Zhuo up and carried him back.

"Since Huo Huan did not bring the knife, then this is entirely to his credit. Wrongdoings should be punished, and merits should be rewarded. Give him a house and a car, along with two bodyguards, one driver, and one housekeeper."

"He was frightened this time as well. His etiquette studies seem to be going well, so let him stay by my side for a while, until he starts school."

He had noticed that things seemed to happen around this child easily. Perhaps, like him and the Shen Household, it was because Huo Huan was a villain set by the plot, so incidents kept occurring to or around them.

After Huo Xi finished speaking, the other children who had been brought back into the family were wildly envious. This was practically the treatment given to a proper young master of the Huo family. Whether they could have such things in the future would depend entirely on their fathers' households.

But Huo Huan was different. He already had a car and a house now. Not only would he have freedom to travel, but he would also have his own people to use in the future.

And he could follow Huo Xi for a while. Wouldn't that mean he could enter the president's office at Huo Corporation headquarters? God, they wondered whether they would have a chance to see it later.

Once this matter was over, one of the Huo family elders said, "Since everyone is here, let's vote on that matter now. It's getting late. Once the vote is done, everyone can go home early."

They had matters to deal with as well. Ever since Huo Zhenyun made a fuss about bringing his daughter back into the family, there had been trouble every day, and they were sick of it.

They only felt that the Huo family had utterly lost face. If the Huo family had been a declining family, they would have been laughed to death already.

They did not know what everyone was thinking now, but at least no one dared show mockery in front of the Huo family.

The Huo family members needed to tighten up. They could not even manage themselves or their children, and all they did was make the Huo family lose face.

The Huo family elders counted and recorded the raised hands one by one. Half the people abstained from voting. Of those who voted, more supported allowing Zhou Jingxuan into Huo Corporation. There were more than fifteen votes more than those opposed.

Huo Huan also understood that Zhou Jingxuan was Huo Xi's enemy. When he saw that those who had just been reprimanded, along with some of their family members, had all voted in favor, he felt somewhat nervous, because he had caused that incident.

He wondered whether Huo Xi would be unhappy. Huo Xi had just rewarded him, but now Huo Xi had lost because of something related to him. How embarrassing was that?

Shen Mother and Xu Qingqing also felt somewhat embarrassed when they saw this. Although they did not believe they had done anything wrong in seeking justice, they still felt sorry for affecting Huo Xi.

Shen Yu and Shen Hong, however, found it strange. Huo Xi should not have been unprepared. Since he dared speak like that before the vote, how could he possibly have had no preparations? Or was this Huo Xi's plan?

This is called luring the enemy into a trap, isn't it? Half the people abstained. Huo Xi must have had his secretary and assistant give them some sort of hint. He deliberately wanted Zhou Jingxuan to enter the company.

Once Zhou Jingxuan gets in, it will be hard for him not to give Huo Xi something to use against him, because Zhou Jingxuan can't possibly refrain from stirring up trouble. If Huo Xi keeps him at Zhou Corporation and acts against him himself, he'll only seem cold-blooded and make things even more troublesome.

After all, if Zhou Jingxuan doesn't fight or contend for anything and Huo Xi still makes a move, who knows what some people will say?

People won't see things from Huo Xi's perspective anyway. They'll only criticize him for being ruthless. So he might as well let Zhou Jingxuan enter Huo Corporation. Doesn't he want to cause trouble? Huo Xi is giving them the chance.