Even as a "normie," I'm completely oblivious to it.

But his hints had no effect; the third brother continued his "eloquent speech."

But he said a couple more words and then shut up.

Because he heard a heavy, muffled sound—the sound of the tiger-head cane striking the ground.

The third brother looked in the direction of the sound and saw Qi Jiang, who had white hair. He tapped the ground twice with his cane and then stopped, as if it wasn't intentional.

This made Qi Yi's third brother turn pale, and he quickly sat back down without saying a word.

Qi Yi gave Qi Jiang a grateful look.

Then, addressing the group in the conference room, he said seriously, "As you all know, these are the advantages, but there are also disadvantages that are not shown in the PPT. Now I'm telling you all, the factory is indeed located in the suburbs of Xicheng, and because of this, it is close to a town in the suburbs."

“The factory and the town are not far apart, and the town is downwind of the factory. Not only the exhaust gas, but also the wastewater may affect the town’s residents through the river.”

"Therefore, I hope that everyone can also use these as evaluation criteria to discuss feasibility."

To be honest, Qi Yi never intended to bring this project to the meeting for discussion.

The benefits are enormous, but the damage to the surrounding environment is irreversible.

But I'm bringing it up again today for no other reason than this.

It was Qi Jiang standing beside him.

Qi Jiang found him a few days ago, put the project on his desk, and asked him to bring it up for discussion today. Then he left without listening to Qi Yi say anything more.

Although Qi Yi is the head of the family, he cannot directly deny the authority of the family elders.

Even when he wanted to deny it, he sometimes couldn't.

This project wasn't something Qi Yi discussed with the board of directors at all; it was something his uncle suddenly handed over to him.

After hearing Qi Yi's explanation of the drawbacks, everyone fell into deep thought once again.

Apart from the few who expressed strong agreement earlier, the expressions on their faces were all disdainful.

Others gradually began to voice their rational opinions.

"It's really not a good idea... If we have to sacrifice the environment, this factory can't be run."

"That's right. The reason why Fenghai City doesn't have any large factories is because the land prices in the city are too high, and the suburbs are mostly tourist spots and rural areas."

"Maybe we should just forget about it. We can't do something like that."

Bang!Bang!

The noise was interrupted once again.

This time, it was still the sound of Qi Jiang's tiger-head cane striking the ground.

This nearly eighty-year-old man showed no signs of impending death; instead, his eyes held an indescribable sharpness.

Seeing that the surroundings had quieted down, he placed his cane horizontally on the table and said slowly, "You guys... and Qi Yi too, how can you not understand the whole picture? Actually, I was the one who found this project. Naturally, after we complete it, we will add a series of purification equipment to the factory. These are already being purchased, and we can basically ensure that it will not affect the lives of the surrounding residents."

After these words were spoken, those who had been doubtful all fell silent.

Especially the third uncle, who had been talking a lot earlier, was overjoyed: "As expected of the eldest uncle, he's so thoughtful."

It's environmentally friendly and makes a lot of money, so why not?

Only Qi Yi remained with his brows furrowed.

He knew that Qi Jiang was lying.

This factory is too large. If we add purification equipment from scratch, it won't be profitable for several years.

Moreover, as the head of the family, he knew that the current expenditures did not include any expenses related to the factory, let alone purification equipment, which was unrealistic.

This isn't the first time. Qi Jiang's uncle made an excuse that he would add supporting facilities to some of the Qi family's polluting units, but in the end, he didn't. He doesn't know how those companies are still operating normally.

It's not just the polluting projects, but also the comic convention that was banned by the Su family last time. The organizer, which has now been replaced, was also arranged by my uncle.

The benefits are enormous, but the damage is also real.

But those projects are all relatively small-scale, so there's no need to argue with my uncle. But... today's project...

If implemented, it would cause enormous environmental damage!

"Uncle...please listen to me..."

Qi Yi had barely opened his mouth when Qi Jiang stretched out a hand and placed it in front of him.

And he spoke in a low voice, in a volume only he could hear.

"No need to say anything, Qi Yi, I know what you want to say, but what you need to do now is finish presiding over the meeting. That's your task right now. As for anything else, I'll talk to you personally after the meeting."

47. The mastermind behind the scenes

The meeting ended in a pleasant atmosphere.

Those who were unaware of the truth felt happy, while Qi Yi, who knew the truth, had a completely gloomy expression on his face.

Even after Qi Jiang finished speaking, Qi Yi, as the head of the family, had no mood to say another word except after the meeting adjourned.

The people in the meeting room left in an orderly fashion, all with smiles on their faces. They felt that they were about to make a lot of money again, and the company's future was bright.

Before leaving, Qi Yi's third brother made a point of going around to Qi Yi's front.

"cousin,

Everyone else is happy, why are you looking so gloomy? You're ruining the atmosphere!

Although we know that my third brother is a straightforward person, it's impossible for the rest of the family to know nothing about our eldest uncle's affairs.

In other words, he knew the harm this project was causing, yet he still made sarcastic remarks.

Qi Yi coldly replied, "If you have nothing else to do, go back early. I still have a lot to do here. Thanks to you, I have another boring project."

The third brother could hear the sarcasm in his words.

He glared at Qi Yi, flicked his arm, and turned to leave: "You're just like you were when you were a kid, so self-important. What others want to earn is considered noble and noble by you. Whatever."

Qi Yi watched his third brother walk out the door, his eyes filled with disdain.

He wasn't a person of lofty ideals or noble character; he simply had his own set of principles for dealing with people and situations.

Only after the meeting room door closed did Qi Yi force a smile.

He stood up and politely said to Qi Jiang, who was still sitting there, "Uncle, now that everyone's gone, let's talk about this issue. This project..."

"Wait a minute."

Qi Jiang raised his hand, stopping Qi Yi from speaking.

"If this old man's eyesight isn't failing, aren't there still people who haven't left?"

Qi Yi followed Qi Jiang's gaze.

In the innermost seat of the conference room, Qi Xinye remained seated, pen in hand, taking notes on a piece of paper.

Qi Yi knew perfectly well that her daughter hadn't left yet.

I was thinking that this was for the best. As long as Xiao Ye was here, her uncle wouldn't have the nerve to confront her directly, and there might still be room for maneuver in the implementation of this project.

But judging from what he just said, it seems that his uncle doesn't want to give Qi Yi any face at all today.

Seeing the current situation, Qi Yi had no choice but to call Qi Xinye over.

After Qi Xinye walked over, she stood next to Qi Yi, seemingly unaware of what her great-grandfather wanted to say to her.

Well, it seems so, but that's just a suggestion.

A week ago, Xiao Zhe told Qi Xinye his prediction: Qi Jiang was the mastermind, and her father was just a puppet.

At first, Qi Xinye couldn't believe it. Her great-grandfather was usually quiet and didn't have any great achievements in his life. He was also kind to the younger generation. How could he be the person in charge behind the scenes in the Qi family?

However, Qi Xinye had absolute trust in Yu Zhe. After looking at many project documents in her father's study, she became increasingly suspicious of her great-grandfather.

Let's return to the present.

Qi Jiang smiled broadly, and the wrinkles on his face became even more pronounced when he smiled.

He said in his usual kind tone, "Xiao Ye, what were you writing over there just now?"

Wow, don't say your eyesight is failing, you can see her writing from this far away, your eyesight seems pretty good.

Qi Xinye maintained her usual smile and placed the notebook in front of Qi Jiang so he could take a look.

"Grandpa, it's nothing. I just wanted to take notes on what was said at the meeting. After all, I want to make some progress as soon as possible. I can't just stay at home playing every day."

After carefully reviewing the notes in the notebook, Qi Jiang nodded in relief.

He also added a word of advice: "It's good to be ambitious, but Xiao Ye, remember what your great-grandfather said: family matters are family matters and have nothing to do with others. When you're in a meeting like this, be careful what you write down and don't let anyone outside the family see what you're writing down."

That sounds convoluted.

However, both Qi Xinye and Qi Yi understood the meaning clearly.

That means you can remember it, but don't tell the Su family.

Meeting Qi Jiang's unreadable gaze, Qi Xinye closed her notebook and said with a smile, "Okay, I understand, Grandpa. If there's nothing else, I'll head back now."

"Okay, go ahead. I also have something to say to your dad."

Qi Xinye took a few steps toward the door.

Just as he was about to step out the door, Qi Jiang's voice suddenly rang out: "Wait."

Qi Xinye stopped and turned around to stand still: "Is there anything else, Grandpa?"

Pushing the tiger-head cane on the table further in, Qi Jiang turned around and asked, "Xiao Ye, what are your thoughts on attending this meeting today?"

"Thoughts..." As Qi Xinye pondered this question, her gaze gradually turned cold, but it only lasted for a moment before returning to normal.

She realized that the person in front of her was likely the one who had given the order to kill Xiao Zhe five years ago and who had orchestrated the car accident.

Thinking of this, Qi Xinye felt a surge of anger, but she managed to control herself with her strong self-control.

At this point, she answered Qi Jiang's question: "My thoughts are simply that I should do what I should do, and I shouldn't do what I shouldn't do. That's all."

After hearing Qi Xinye's words, Qi Jiang's expression became complicated.

Does this girl really know nothing?

Not likely.

Qi Yi was also giving Qi Xinye a frantic look, signaling her not to talk nonsense, but Qi Xinye didn't seem to care.