Sun Yuqiong first stared steadily at Ji Hanxing. He did not avoid her gaze, and she then tugged at the stiff corners of her mouth.
"President Ji, show mercy where you can. Our Yushan was your classmate, after all. Couldn't you spare a thought for that bond?"
"Today really was a misunderstanding. He must have had too much to drink. He really knows he was wrong."
Ji Hanxing glanced at the defiant Sun Yushan. "I don't see any remorse in him."
"As for our bond as classmates, I don't see him showing any regard for it either."
"Besides, drinking isn't an excuse to escape punishment. It's a fact that he intentionally injured someone, and even attempted to kill them."
Ji Hanxing turned to the police officers. "Am I right, officers?"
The officers nodded. "Yes."
Sun Yuqiong's expression darkened further. It was just a fight. Why drag attempted murder into it? If Sun Yushan had beaten up someone else, this would not even have been an issue. They would simply have paid to settle it privately.
In truth, this also depended on whether Ji Hanxing wanted to pursue the matter. If he did not press charges and was willing to accept mediation and a private settlement, it could be put behind them. But Ji Hanxing did not lack money, and Sun Yuqiong was no fool. How could she fail to see that Sun Yushan, that idiot, had offended him beyond repair?
For a moment, Sun Yuqiong truly wanted to wash her hands of the matter. Why care whether Sun Yushan lived or died? But however worthless he was, he was still a descendant of the Sun Family. If this could not be resolved amicably, Sun Yushan's actions would definitely tarnish the Sun Family's reputation and might even trigger a public backlash affecting the Sun Group's stock.
"President Ji, you know I've come to speak with you in all sincerity. We're bound to run into each other in City A, and the Ji Family and the Sun Family have known each other for decades. There's really no need to let things become so strained."
Ji Hanxing raised his eyes. "Then shouldn't you show me your sincerity, President Sun?"
"And don't try to fob me off with medical expenses. Those are what Sun Yushan owes me."
After speaking so much, his throat began to ache faintly again. Ji Hanxing instinctively reached up to touch it, but the instant his hand made contact, Yan Jinyue caught his wrist.
"Don't touch it. It could get infected."
Ji Hanxing gave Yan Jinyue a guilty look and nodded, looking perfectly obedient.
Sun Yuqiong took in their interaction. She was deeply hesitant. The Ji Group was not the only force behind Ji Hanxing.
Just then, Yan Jinyue suddenly spoke. "President Sun, since you want to offer compensation, you'll have to show us your sincerity too."
If she wanted them not to pursue the matter or press charges, she needed to show genuine sincerity in settling it privately.
Fu Fangxi also invited the officers to wait in the room next door, giving them some space to negotiate privately.
Once they had left, Sun Yuqiong gritted her teeth. "President Yan is right." She looked at Ji Hanxing again. "President Ji, we'll pay all the compensation required under the regulations."
"On top of that, we have a row of storefronts in the central district by the east gate. We'll give those to you as an apology too."
"As for Sun Yushan..." Sun Yuqiong paused here, her eyes turning toward Sun Yuqiong, who was staring at her with wide eyes. She closed her eyes. "I'll send Sun Yushan abroad."
Ji Hanxing restrained his hands, which were trembling with excitement. A whole row of storefronts! They really did have money to burn! He was satisfied with the first two terms, but the last one...
"President Sun, if you send Sun Yushan abroad and he lives there carefree, that isn't a punishment. It's a reward."
Sun Yuqiong opened her eyes and fixed them on Ji Hanxing. "Rest assured on that point, President Ji. I've already thought it through. I'll send Sun Yushan to South Africa to oversee our mining operations in Africa."
At those words, even Ji Hanxing's mouth fell open in surprise. President Sun really was ruthless. Sun Yushan shrieked outright, "I'm not going!"
"I'm not going to South Africa!"
"If you're sending me to South Africa, I might as well die!"
Sun Yuqiong turned and strode over to Sun Yushan in her high heels. Her gaze was icy as she enunciated every word. "If you won't go to South Africa, you can go to prison."
"I'll issue a statement saying that from this day forward, you have absolutely nothing to do with the Sun Family. The Sun Family doesn't need a stain like you."
The threat in her words brought Sun Yushan's shouting to an abrupt halt.
Even a fool knew which choice to make. Though South Africa would be hard, he would still be the Sun Family's second young master. Sun Yushan glared at Ji Hanxing with bloodshot eyes, filled with resentment and jealousy.
Ji Hanxing took in every bit of Sun Yushan's gaze, then turned to Sun Yuqiong. "I agree to what you just proposed, President Sun, but I have one more condition."
"Have Sun Yushan apologize to me in person, write an apology letter, and publish it in the newspaper."
Ji Hanxing's move struck right where it hurt. He knew what would break Sun Yushan most.
To Sun Yuqiong, however, this demand was of little consequence. She had already given away so many tangible benefits. This was merely an apology statement.
"All right."
"Ah!"
Sun Yushan screamed, "I will never apologize to Ji Hanxing!"
"I did nothing wrong!"
He stared at Ji Hanxing with scarlet eyes, his eyes nearly bursting with rage. "What gives you the right?"
As he spoke, Sun Yushan tried to lunge at Ji Hanxing, but two officers reacted swiftly and restrained him.
He glared viciously at Ji Hanxing, roaring at the top of his lungs, "What gives you the right?"
"What are you pretending for?"
"When we were at school, our families forced all of us to learn to socialize. We flattered those young masters from more powerful families and maintained our relationships with the people around us."
"Why act so high and mighty?"
Sun Yushan truly was jealous. He and his friends had been forced by their families to socialize from an early age, to learn to be smooth and flattering, and to build good relationships with the young masters of those higher-ranking families.
Only Ji Hanxing had been different. Back then, the Ji Family had clearly been worse off than the Sun Family, yet he never attended anything. Gatherings, social engagements-he went to none of them.
Later, Sun Yushan went abroad for university. After returning, he heard that Ji Hanxing had joined the Ji Group while still at university. Several projects he had invested in had been major successes, multiplying the Ji Group's market value several times over. He had firmly established himself within the Ji Group and made a name for himself in City A's business circles.
Sun Yushan seethed with jealousy. Why should someone who could barely get a few words out receive so much? And when he learned that even after entering the business world, Ji Hanxing still did as he pleased and never attended any unnecessary banquets or social engagements, Sun Yushan felt even more aggrieved.
Society was full of social obligations and conventions. They struggled beneath these worldly rules, numbing themselves and fitting perfectly into the established conventions and ways of operating.
Why did Ji Hanxing get to be so aloof?
Sun Yushan pointed at Yan Jinyue. "Ji Hanxing, didn't you disdain all this?"
"Then why are you sucking up to him now?"
There was something else he had not said: how could someone like Ji Hanxing, who could not speak well and had no emotional intelligence, manage to latch onto the Yan Family?
And the relationships he had worked so hard to maintain all these years seemed like nothing but a joke in the face of all this!
"Heh."
A soft chuckle drew everyone's attention.
Yan Jinyue looked at Sun Yushan with an indifferent gaze. "I think you've got one thing wrong. I begged Ji Hanxing to come to this banquet."