Li Lanxiang pushed up the gold-rimmed glasses on her nose. The gesture made her look refined, but her words were anything but tactful.
"Xiaoliang, Dahuang, I'm really sorry." Her voice was dry. "Now that Zhou Qiang is gone, there are a lot of things... I have to think further ahead for me and my two children."
What did she mean, Zhou Qiang was gone? Wang Xiaoliang found that extremely unpleasant to hear. Was my brother dead? What an awful thing to say!
Was this really the high-level player Liu Xinyu had described?
Her words also sounded rehearsed, explaining why the mother and daughter were taking this attitude.
The smile on Huang Xueli's face froze for a moment, but he immediately broadened it. He leaned forward and waved a hand.
"Oh, Lanxiang, don't put it like that! I understand. I completely understand! Anyone in your position would have to do the same!"
He changed tack, his tone as light as if he were chatting about the lovely weather.
"Speaking of which, all I did back then was throw out an idea. Xiaoliang and Zhou thought highly enough of me that they insisted I join them. I was thick-skinned enough to take a whole year's profit shares for nothing, and it's been bothering me for ages. Now that the shop's on track, it makes no difference whether I'm here or not. I think it's time I bowed out."
As Huang Xueli spoke, his gaze settled steadily on Wang Xiaoliang.
"I won't get involved in what comes next. You can discuss the details with Xiaoliang."
Li Lanxiang immediately replied, "Dahuang, what are you doing? You make it sound like I'm driving you away. I don't understand business, but my mother does. She's blunt, so please bear with her if anything she says makes