Return to 88: Starting from Marrying My Sister-in-law

Lu Yang didn't need her gratitude.

Once it's done, it's done.

Regret? Regret is the most useless emotion. It only cloudes your mind, adds to your troubles, and does nothing to help you.

When Lu Yang acts, he always only cares about the purpose, not the process, and he never asks for unnecessary feedback.

Targeting her was a necessity at that time; letting her go for now is a strategy after weighing the pros and cons.

He has always held the initiative.

“Since we could target them before, and let them go now, then in the future…” Lu Yang’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked out at the clouds. His voice was deep and clear, as if stating a perfectly natural truth, “…we can naturally continue to do so.”

Yes, that's right.

It's like an invisible net that can be pulled in and out at will.

He decided to temporarily halt the crackdown on Pearl Media, allowing that wrecked ship to barely float on the surface and catch its breath. After making this decision, everything about that woman—whether she was truly on her deathbed or just putting on a convincing act—was completely stripped from the core of his thoughts.

After seeing Yin Mingyue off, Lu Yang returned to his office on the top floor of the Century Group, trying to refocus his attention on the daily operations of the vast empire.

Thick files, flickering screens, precise data—this was the battlefield he knew so well.

However, this focus did not last long.

Chief Secretary Lu Nini entered with a light step, her voice as efficient and pleasant as ever: "Chairman, news has come from the Luzhou wafer fab project team that the main structure of the first phase of the plant has been completed, and the construction progress of the internal cleanroom and supporting facilities is far ahead of expectations. It is expected to be fully completed and delivered by the end of next month. The secretary of the Luzhou Municipal Party Committee sent us a letter inquiring when our core process team and equipment installation and commissioning team can enter the site. They need to coordinate in advance."

"Oh?" Lu Yang raised his head, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

Luzhou, the new base that embodies his ambition to establish a high-end semiconductor manufacturing base in the country.

The progress was even faster than he had expected.

This is good news, but it also means that the window of opportunity is closing, and the formation and deployment of the core team is imminent.

He pondered for a moment, then lightly tapped his finger on the table, and a clear idea instantly took shape.

“Nini,” he instructed, “book me a flight to Singapore. The sooner the better.”

“Yes, Chairman.” Lu Nini agreed without hesitation. “Should we inform Singapore to arrange airport pickup?”

"Okay, inform General Manager Chen (Chen Wen) and General Manager Lin (Lin Chundong) that I will go directly to the company after I arrive," Lu Yang added.

The Singapore wafer fab is the first cornerstone of his semiconductor industry strategy, and it will also serve as the parent company and technological cradle for the future Luzhou wafer fab in mainland China.

Singapore.

Ostensibly, it was to finalize the core team for the soon-to-be-completed Luzhou factory.

The 8-inch wafer production line, which represents an investment of 3 billion yuan and embodies the local government's high expectations, cannot be built with just advanced lithography machines.

Without a core team of experienced and highly skilled personnel to lead, integrate, and tackle challenges, even the most magnificent factory is just a steel jungle, unable to produce chips that can change the landscape.

His plan was clear: a "backbone split" must be carried out from the existing mature team at the Singapore wafer fab.

Just like a strong, healthy tree, it needs a strong branch to be cut off and transplanted to new fertile soil to take root and sprout.

Chen Wen and Lin Chundong, two outstanding semiconductor talents whom he had recruited at great expense, needed one of them to step forward, take up the banner of returning to the mainland to start a business, and lead the spun-off elites to Luzhou to start anew in a relatively unfamiliar land.

Compensation? Lu Yang was never stingy.

As long as one dares to take responsibility, can fight tough battles, and achieves results, he has already prepared the original management shares and generous stock options incentives for the new Luzhou plant.

High-risk ventures must be matched with high returns.

However, this trip also had a very tender personal reason that only he knew.

In two days, it will be Feifei's first birthday.

Lu Feifei.

His daughter with Xu Siqi.

That little angel with bright, grape-like eyes, just learning to speak in the Singapore Garden Villa.

That year, he traveled between mainland China, Hong Kong, and North America like a spinning top, and the time he could actually fly over to be with his wife and daughter was very limited, only two or three times.

He was absent from most of his daughter's upbringing.

The milestone of the Luzhou project happened to coincide with Feifei's birthday, as if it were a little compensation from fate, allowing him to take this precious time out of his schedule.

The sense of responsibility of being a father and the expansion blueprint of a business empire intertwine at this moment.

The former is a warm current deep in my heart, while the latter is a journey that cannot be delayed.

After a flight of nearly 5 hours, Lu Yang appeared at Singapore Changi Airport.

The tropical atmosphere of early summer is palpable, carrying the scent of a moist sea breeze.

Chen Wen and Lin Chundong were already waiting at the exit.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the three drove straight to the Singapore wafer fab located in the Jurong Industrial Area.

In the bright and clean conference room, Lu Yang listened to a detailed report on the latest operational status of the Singapore plant and the preparation progress of the Luzhou plant in mainland China. He also had an in-depth discussion with Chen and Lin on the key principles, candidate pool, and preliminary timetable for the team split.

The conversation was pragmatic and focused on clear objectives, but both men's expressions betrayed a subtle weight and deliberation regarding the core issue of who should lead the team to the mainland.

Lu Yang did not put pressure on them on the spot, but instead offered an attractive incentive plan, leaving them room to digest and weigh it themselves.

With his official business temporarily concluded, Lu Yang returned to the garden villa on the east coast, surrounded by tropical plants.

"Husband!" Xu Siqi greeted him like a light butterfly, her face filled with pure joy, and the aroma of the carefully prepared dinner filled the air.

After a brief but passionate moment of intimacy, the two snuggled together on the soft sofa in the living room.

Xu Siqi gently rested her head on Lu Yang's shoulder, her fair fingers unconsciously tracing circles on his chest. Her voice held a hint of cautious probing: "Honey... I heard from the company's head in mainland China that Sister Zhu is very ill this time? She's even hospitalized, and it seems she also has other problems caused by depression..."

She looked up, her clear eyes gazing at Lu Yang: "How about... we just let things go with Sifei Media? The lawsuit... let's not fight it?"

Lu Yang lowered his eyes, looking at the docile and submissive woman in his arms, a half-smile curving his lips: "Are you really willing to just let it go like this?"

His tone was flat, as if he were confirming an interesting idea.

Xu Siqi immediately flashed a sweet smile, leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on Lu Yang's lips, her eyes crinkling.

"I'll do whatever you say, honey. If you say you'll hit me, then I'll hit you; if you say it's okay, then it's okay."

She displayed both gentleness and dependence perfectly.

Lu Yang patted her back, got up and walked upstairs to take a shower. His steps were steady, and his voice drifted back with his retreating figure: "You handle it. This matter... I don't care." Xu Siqi's smile froze for a moment after he turned away, and a complex thought flashed through her eyes.

Do what you think is best? Don't care?
This ambiguous answer left her somewhat puzzled.

Is dropping the lawsuit and letting Mingzhu Media go really a choice this man makes because he "doesn't care" at this moment?
Or... another kind of test?

Meanwhile, in Shanghai, a thousand miles away.

After seeing off Yin Mingyue, who had come on behalf of Lu Yang to "show harmony" and relieve pressure, Ma Xiulan stood outside the empty airport hall and let out a long sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off her shoulders.

Although her youngest daughter's "visit" terrified her over Mingzhu's reaction, at least on the surface things were satisfactory, and the employees' gossip seemed to have been temporarily suppressed.

She even felt a surge of excitement and planned to take advantage of the delicate "peace period" left by Mingzhu's hospitalization and Mingyue's departure to return to the company and make a big splash, and properly rectify the panicked situation.

With an almost mission-like enthusiasm, she rushed back to Mingzhu Media without stopping.

However, when she pushed open the company door and stepped into the administrative office area, her steps involuntarily slowed down.

The scene before her eyes was completely different from the dull, oppressive, and restless atmosphere she had left behind!

The keyboard clicked crisply and rhythmically, the phone rang and was quickly answered, and employees hurried past her, their eyes focused, discussing project details in hushed tones. A long-lost sense of efficient order permeated the entire office area.

The air was fresh, the windows were clean and bright, and everything was in perfect order, as if the difficulties and gloom of a few days ago had never occurred.

A sense of unreality and disorientation instantly gripped Ma Xiulan.

She instinctively walked towards the president's office.

Before I even got close, I sensed that there seemed to be someone behind that heavy door.

Yu Li, the assistant who had been silently following behind her, quickly stepped forward and whispered in her ear, "President Ma, it's President Wei. President Wei has returned."

"President Wei?" Ma Xiulan didn't react for a moment.

"It's the president," Yu Li whispered, "Sister Mingzhu."

Ma Xiulan's hand gripping the doorknob suddenly stiffened, and her whole body trembled violently!

She abruptly turned to look at Yu Li, her eyes widening in shock and unbelievable joy, her voice trembling: "Wh...what? Your Mingzhu sister? She...she's been discharged from the hospital?! My daughter's illness...she's cured?!"

"Yes." Yu Li also had a relieved smile on her face. "The president just finished the discharge procedures this afternoon and went straight back to the company."

Overwhelmed with joy, Ma Xiulan's defenses crumbled instantly. She was so excited that she almost burst into tears: "It's wonderful! It's wonderful! Thank God! My daughter is finally better!"

The previous ambitions and thoughts of reorganizing the company were instantly replaced by the ecstasy of regaining what was lost.

My daughter has recovered!
This is truly fantastic news!
She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her excited emotions, and quickly dismissed Yu Li: "Lili, you go ahead and do your thing! Great, I... I'll go in and talk to my daughter!"

As she spoke, she rubbed her stiff cheeks a few times, trying to erase any disappointment or fatigue that might have been on her face, and put on a pure expression of joy.

Taking another deep breath, Ma Xiulan smiled broadly, filled with excitement and relief, and carefully turned the doorknob of the president's office.

As the door opened, the afternoon sunlight streamed through the large French windows, illuminating the familiar figure behind the enormous desk.

Yin Mingzhu sat upright in a large black leather chair, wearing a well-tailored dark suit, her long hair neatly tied back.

She was looking down at the documents, her profile still clearly defined. Although she looked a little thin and pale from recovering from a serious illness, her cold aura of being in a high position had returned.

Ma Xiulan walked in with light steps, her voice filled with heartache and joy: "Daughter! You're discharged from the hospital! That's wonderful! Mom can finally rest easy now! This company still needs to be handed over to you to keep it stable!"

Yin Mingzhu raised her head upon hearing the sound, her gaze calmly falling on her mother's face. Her deep eyes revealed little emotion, only a faint trace of weariness.

She forced a slight smile, revealing a perfectly professional one, and her voice was clear and steady, showing no sign of weakness.
"Mom, thank you for everything these past few days."

This polite yet distant thank you made Ma Xiulan's heart clench slightly, but it was quickly overwhelmed by even greater guilt.

She quickly waved her hand, speaking rapidly, "It's not hard at all! What's so hard on Mom? It's Mom...it's Mom who's sorry!"

Her eyes instantly welled up with tears. "It's all my fault! I shouldn't have listened to those wicked people and done all that nonsense, causing you to suffer so much unnecessary injustice! I'm getting senile!"

She was referring to the incident where asking a feng shui master to "perform an exorcism" actually upset Mingzhu, and she felt extremely regretful about it now.

As Yin Mingzhu listened to her mother's confession, the professional smile on her face neither deepened nor disappeared. However, a very faint, almost imperceptible sneer seemed to flash across the depths of her eyes, so fleeting that it was impossible to catch.

She certainly didn't doubt that her mother's guilt at that moment was genuine; it was just that the damage caused by that foolishness had already left its mark.

“Daughter.” Ma Xiulan carefully observed her daughter’s expression, her voice tinged with a tentative tone and a barely perceptible hint of flattery, “Um… your sister Mingyue, she did come yesterday. Mom… Mom didn’t dare take her to the hospital to see you, afraid… afraid of upsetting you. So… I just brought her to the company for a look around. You… you’re not angry, are you?”

Yin Mingzhu's gaze returned to the document in her hand, as if she were browsing its contents. Her voice remained calm and expressionless, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

"Ah."

Then, as if she had just remembered something, she raised her head again, looked at her mother who was anxiously awaiting the verdict, and spoke in a calm tone as if she were stating a trivial matter unrelated to herself:

"I've thought it through, Mom. You're only doing this for my own good. It's okay."

"That's good! That's good!" Ma Xiulan felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She patted her chest vigorously and let out a long, heartfelt sigh of relief, as if the biggest boulder in her heart had finally been lifted off her feet.

Not only did her daughter recover from her illness and return to take charge, but she also seemed to have forgiven her for "taking matters into her own hands" by bringing Mingyue to the company. This wonderful news finally brought a relieved and relaxed smile to her face.

"Mom, is there anything else?"

Yin Mingzhu's voice rang out again, calm and clear, her gaze resting calmly on her mother's face, carrying a clear hint of dismissal.

Ma Xiulan's smile faltered slightly, and she quickly said, "Oh! It's nothing, it's nothing! You've just been discharged from the hospital, don't overexert yourself! Well... then Mom will go back now! Remember to come home for dinner tonight! Mom made your favorite matsutake and black chicken soup! Take good care of yourself!" As she spoke, she left the office quietly, with a satisfied and slightly cautious air, and gently closed the door behind her.

The heavy doors separated the inside from the outside world.

Silence returned to the office.

Yin Mingzhu withdrew her gaze from the closed door and returned it to the documents in her hands.

The sunlight illuminated half of her face, while the other half remained hidden in shadow.

The last trace of a professional smile on her face vanished without a trace, like a stone thrown into a deep pool.

Instead, there was a bottomless, cold calm.

She picked up the pen on the table, the nib hovering over the signature area of ​​the document.

The ink-black pen tip cast a small, heavy shadow on the paper.

In the empty office, only the distant hustle and bustle of the city outside the window and the faint metallic gleam of the pen cap on her fingertips could be heard.

Everything has returned to normal, but the storm seems to have only just subsided its surface ripples. (End of Chapter)