The next day, the assistant discreetly glanced at the chilly Qin Lie beside him and then glanced at the drooping Zhouzhou through the rearview mirror. They didn't say a word, looking completely puzzled.
Weren't things fine yesterday? What happened today?
But he didn't dare to ask, only speculating silently in his heart.
Soon, the car stopped at the entrance of the hospital. Qin Lie got out of the car first, his long legs moving swiftly.
Zhouzhou quickly fumbled with her short legs and caught up, blocking his path. She grabbed his hand and looked up at him with a pleading expression, "Dad, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have stuck the Truth-Telling Talisman on you. Don't you like touching my head? Here, you can touch it."
As she spoke, she brought her bare little head closer to his hand and nudged against it.
But Qin Lie suddenly remembered what happened last night, and his face turned completely black. He ruthlessly pulled his hand away and strode forward.
Watching his retreating figure, Zhouzhou's shoulders slumped, and she looked dejected. She followed along, dragging her feet, occasionally glancing at him. She looked like an abandoned little puppy.
In the hospital room, Liao Jiang immediately noticed her and said, "Zhouzhou, what's wrong with you?" She looked so miserable.
Zhouzhou pitifully glanced at Qin Lie and quickly lowered her head without saying a word.
Noticing her gaze, Liao Jiang thought for a moment and glanced at Qin Lie. Then he smiled and said, "CEO Qin, you came just in time. I was about to look for you. Let's discuss the project together."
Qin Lie had the same intention of finding him today, so he nodded and went out with him.
Now, only Zhouzhou and Liao Yu, the two children, were left in the room.
Zhouzhou sat down on a chair, her hands supporting her cheeks. The chubby flesh on her face squeezed together, and she furrowed her brow, letting out a deep sigh.
Liao Yu was eating his meal and looked up when he heard her sigh. Curiously, he asked, "What's wrong with you?"
Zhouzhou sighed again and said with some frustration, "I made Dad angry. Dad is ignoring me."
So that's what happened.
Liao Yu suddenly realized, "It's okay. Just apologize to him. There shouldn't be any lingering grudges between a dad and daughter."
Zhouzhou furrowed her brows even tighter. "I apologized, but Dad is still ignoring me."
Liao Yu, with his experience, said, "Then he probably hasn't calmed down yet. It's alright. Apologize to him a few more times, or if it doesn't work, give him a gift. When I make my dad angry, that's what I do."
Thinking of how they hugged each other affectionately yesterday, Zhouzhou's ears perked up, and there was a glimmer in her eyes. She sat next to his bed, pulling a chair, and said, "For example? What gift should I give?"
"Anything will do, it depends on what your dad likes."
Hmm, Zhouzhou really didn't know about that.
She lightly tapped her head in frustration. "It's my fault. I didn't pay enough attention to Dad."
But it's not entirely her fault. After all, she had only known Qin Lie for less than two days.
"Then buy some generic gifts, like a razor, a tie, or clothes. They all work. Oh, by the way, do you have money? I can accompany you to buy them."
"No." Zhouzhou reached into her empty pockets, as empty as her face, which clearly said "poor kid."
She didn't have a penny on her, oh wait, that's not right, she had a few coins. It was the money her dad gave her on her card yesterday. She didn't know how much he gave her, but Ancestral Master left her with fifty cents.
"Big Brother, what can you buy with fifty cents?" she humbly asked for advice.
He didn't expect her to be so poor. Liao Yu looked at her sympathetically and said, "With fifty cents, you can only buy a lollipop."
And it had to be the cheapest kind.
"Are lollipops delicious?" Zhouzhou asked curiously.
"They're delicious, sweet, and they come in various flavors like strawberry, orange, grape..."
Zhouzhou had never tasted one, but her mouth watered as she listened.
If they were that delicious, her Dad probably wouldn't be mad at her if she gave him one. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. She looked up at Liao Yu with a bright smile and said, "Thank you, Big brother!"
Saying that, she jumped off the chair and ran outside. After taking a few steps, she suddenly turned her head and asked, "Oh, by the way, Big Brother, where can I buy that lollipop you mentioned?"
"Any convenience store will do. Why do you ask?"
"I want to buy the candy to make my Dad happy!" Zhouzhou said earnestly. After saying that, she hurriedly ran off without stopping, even though Liao Yu called her several times.
A few minutes later, Zhouzhou passed by a clothing store. At the counter, a man was checking out and confidently said, "Put it all on, swipe the card!"
The clerk smiled and took the card, providing attentive service throughout the process.
Watching this scene, Zhouzhou touched her chin and learned something!
She walked to a supermarket, glanced at the price tags, and then pointed at a lollipop priced at 2.5 yuan, saying, "Sister, pack this for me and swipe the card!"
The little girl, who was not even as tall as the counter, pointed at their cheapest lollipop but acted as if she was buying the entire store.
The salesclerk looked at the lollipop she was pointing at and was melted by her cuteness. Smiling, she asked, "How many do you want, little girl?"
Little Zhouzhou raised one finger with great momentum and said, "One!"
Then she took out two cards from her pocket and said, "Sister, swipe this one for 2 yuan and this one for 0.5 yuan, exactly 2.5 yuan."
The salesclerk resisted her laughter, took the cards, and hesitated for a moment.
She didn't recognize the black gold card, but this card didn't look ordinary. It didn't seem like something an average person could afford.
With some surprise, she looked at Zhouzhou and hesitated, "Little girl, is this card yours?"
"Yeah, Grandma and Uncle gave it to me."
Zhouzhou glanced at the time and urged, "Sister, please swipe the card quickly."
If her Dad and uncle finished their discussion and couldn't find her, they would start worrying again.
The salesclerk nodded and quickly swiped the card.
A minute later, Zhouzhou swiped two cards and scraped 2.5 yuan. She held the strawberry-flavored lollipop happily and ran towards the hospital. When she saw them still talking, she didn't go in but stood outside, waiting.
Qin Lie was discussing contract matters with Liao Jiang when he noticed a small figure constantly hovering at the door. The bareheaded little girl occasionally peeked inside. After scanning the contract, he signed his name, saying, "Mr. Liao, a pleasant cooperation."
"Pleasant cooperation." Liao Jiang also noticed the figure outside the door and smiled, "CEO Qin, Zhouzhou is so adorable. You must treasure her."
Qin Lie didn't say anything and walked outside.
Just as Zhouzhou poked her head out again, she saw him coming out and panicked, quickly standing upright.
Qin Lie glanced at her and noticed that she had her hands behind her back, as if she was hiding something. He asked in a low voice, "What are you holding in your hands?"
Zhouzhou looked up at him and presented the lollipop as if offering a treasure. She tiptoed and earnestly handed it to him, saying, "Dad, I'm giving you this sweet candy. Please don't be mad at me, okay?"
"I swear." She freed one hand and placed it next to her ear, solemnly saying, "I won't use the Truth-Telling Talisman on you anymore."
Qin Lie didn't respond and instead asked, "Where did this candy come from?"
Zhouzhou said, "I bought it. There were 2 yuan in Grandma's card and 0.5 yuan in Uncle's card, just enough to buy one lollipop. The little brother said it is delicious. Dad, please try it!"
Saying that, she stuffed the lollipop into his hand.
Qin Lie's attention was focused on another matter.
So, Zhouzhou saved Liao Jiang's son, and he gave her 0.5 yuan?
Liao Jiang happened to come out at this time and happened to hear this. He also had some doubts in his heart. Was the Qin family really so stingy, only giving the little girl 2 yuan as pocket money?
The two of them locked eyes, both dissatisfied with each other, and the same two words flashed through their minds.
Stingy person!
Wait, didn't he give her 10 million? Why is there only 0.5 yuan left?
Liao Jiang looked at Zhouzhou in confusion and asked, "Zhouzhou, where is your money? Who took it?"
As he spoke, he glanced at Qin Lie from the corner of his eye. Could it be that the Qin family transferred the child's money?
Seeing his gaze, Qin Lie was also puzzled. It was impossible for the black gold card to only have 0.5 yuan. He looked at Zhouzhou and waited for her answer.
Zhouzhou blinked her eyes and pointed her finger, saying, "He!"
Following her pointing finger, Qin Lie was stunned. He saw a figurine placed there, all dusty, with only one thumb made of gold, looking quite strange. A wooden carved figurine could take away money? He didn't believe it.
Seeing his doubt, Zhouzhou became anxious and was about to explain, but she noticed Liao Jiang out of the corner of her eye and swallowed her words. Her master said that the matter regarding Ancestral Master statue should not be casually disclosed unless it was someone very close. And her Dad was someone she could talk to.
Without further ado, she grabbed Qin Lie and pulled him back to the hotel room to tell him everything.
"Short of money?!" Qin Lie listened to the whole story and raised an eyebrow, repeating her words.
Inside the room, Zhouzhou obediently sat on a chair, sitting up straight with her Ancestral Master statue held in her arms, nodding.
Ancestral Master statue had a golden thumb, and there was a small golden dot on the index finger next to it. Unless you used a magnifying glass, you couldn't see it at all.
Qin Lie looked at Ancestral Master statue thoughtfully and asked, "Is your Ancestral Master statue surnamed Zhou?"
"Huh?" Zhouzhou was puzzled. "No, he's surnamed Guo, not Zhou."
"Oh, I thought his surname was Zhou, called Zhou Bapi," Qin Lie said expressionlessly.
He had billions on his black gold card, but he only left 2 yuan. Liao Jiang's 10 million also became just 0.5 yuan. And this little girl had to scrape together money just to buy a lollipop.
Bullying a child, that's something.
Thinking this, he glanced at Ancestral Master statue again, his eyes filled with accusation and disdain.
As if sensing something, Ancestral Master statue's beard moved lightly for a second before drooping down again.
Short of breath.
Feeling guilty.
Zhouzhou blinked and looked at them in confusion, not knowing what had happened. She glanced at him cautiously, then whispered, "Dad, Master said as long as I accumulate virtue, do good deeds, and earn more money, I can improve our shortage of money and won't burden you."
Upon hearing this, Qin Lie looked at her and realized the little girl seemed quite clever. She even dared to use the Truth-Telling Talisman on him. He didn't expect her to be nervous now.
He calmly withdrew his gaze and asked with a stern face, "Will you dare to use the talisman on me again in the future?"
"No, I won't dare, I won't dare," Zhouzhou shook her little head like a tambourine.
Qin Lie's expression softened a bit.
Zhouzhou had been observing his expression all along. As soon as she noticed the change, her ears stood up, she hopped off the chair, and ran to him, hugging his leg as she asked, "Dad, are you not angry anymore?"
The little girl looked up at him with her tender white face, full of expectation and eagerness. Her round, shining eyes were so pure and clear that it softened anyone's heart. How could he stay angry?
But Qin Lie definitely wouldn't say that. He glanced at her and said lightly, "Show me with your actions."
"Mhm!" Zhouzhou clenched her little fist. "I will definitely behave well!"
After speaking, she remembered something and quickly took out the lollipop from her pocket and handed it to him. "Dad, eat this!"
As she said that, she stole a glance and couldn't help but swallow her saliva quietly.
Seeing her expression, Qin Lie reached out and took it as he said, "Mhm."
Unable to see it anymore, Zhouzhou's gaze dimmed for a moment. She forced herself to look away, thinking to herself that giving gifts was indeed effective. So her dad liked to eat candy. In the future, she would earn a lot of money to buy him a candy house!
Just the thought of it made her feel happy, and her mouth started salivating even more.
She gave a little slurp, and her gaze fell on his face. Zhouzhou asked, "By the way, Dad, can you buy things like jade pendants?"
Qin Rui's situation hadn't been resolved yet, and she couldn't rest assured until he was taken care of.
"Mhm, they will be delivered shortly." After he finished speaking, the doorbell rang. He walked over and opened the door, and before long, he came back with a few boxes in his hand. "Take a look and choose which one you want."
Zhouzhou turned her head to look and couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow!" There were so many pieces of jade, and the spiritual energy on them was particularly strong!
She took a deep sniff and felt a sense of comfort throughout her body. But then she quickly covered her nose.
No, no, this spiritual energy was meant for her dad, she couldn't absorb it.
She held her breath and walked closer, choosing the piece with the most abundant spiritual energy. Then she thought for a moment and changed it to the worst one.
"This one will do. I'll add a gathering array, and it should be enough."
It was just to lure out that evil god. Using the best one would be too wasteful.
"Mhm." Qin Lie nodded and looked at the little girl. Suddenly, he raised his hand and hung the jade pendant she had initially picked up around her neck.
Her neck felt cool, and Zhouzhou instinctively touched it. She looked up at Qin Lie with a surprised expression and said, "Dad?"
"Consider it as a reward for helping me with this matter."
Oh, she understood.
Zhouzhou touched the jade pendant and shook her head. "No, it's too valuable. I can't accept it."
As she said that, she was about to take it off, but Qin Lie said, "I don't want things that others have worn."
Zhouzhou's hand paused. "Okay."
She looked up at him and said, "Then I'll earn money in the future to buy gifts for you!"
"Mhm," Qin Lie casually responded, not taking it to heart. He didn't expect a child to give him anything.
"What should we do next?”
"Just wait."
"Wait?"
Zhouzhou nodded. "Inviting gods is easy, but sending them away is difficult. Evil gods usually don't go out unless they can't receive offerings in that house. Only then will they possibly come out."
Now that Qin Rui couldn't steal Qin Lie's luck and the offerings were cut off, the evil god naturally wouldn't be happy. When the time comes, for the sake of offerings, it wouldn't have any scruples and could do anything.
-
Qin Corporation's subsidiary.
The manager looked at the list in his hand, his brow furrowed. "What's going on here? You reported the price of this red wine to the company as 18,888, but the wine I randomly checked is not from Mendoza at all. The customer even complained, accusing us of fraud. Assistant Manager Qin, I need an explanation from you."
Qin Rui glanced at the list in his hand, and his hand under his sleeve clenched involuntarily. He pretended to remain calm and said, "Manager, I suppose there was a mistake on the part of the person who made the purchase. I'll investigate immediately and find out who tampered with it. How dare they play such tricks under the name of Qin Corporation? If my elder brother finds out, he won't let them off easily."
Upon hearing him mention Old Master Qin, the manager hesitated.
Today's matter was actually quite simple. It was about taking kickbacks, and it had always been said that the procurement department was the most lucrative. Moreover, Qin Rui was introduced by the old chairman himself, and they were even relatives. Even if he had done something wrong, the old chairman probably wouldn't do anything to him.
Thinking this way, the manager raised his hand and said, "I think that might be the case. Assistant Manager Qin, please go and investigate what happened."
"Alright." Qin Rui smiled and nodded, pretending to be obedient and honest.
As soon as he left, the smile on his face instantly disappeared. He drove home at the fastest speed, went straight to his room upstairs, and looked at the evil god in the shrine, asking, "Wasn't it supposed to be fine? How did someone figure it out?"
It had been three years, and no one had ever discovered his kickbacks and falsifying accounts. What was happening now?
Moreover, there was no news about his promotion that was supposed to happen.
What was going on?
As one incident after another unfolded, he had an ominous premonition in his heart for some reason. And he had a strong intuition that this was just the beginning.
Thinking of this, he became even more panicked and quickly lit a joss stick for the evil god.
However, after he left, the incense suddenly snapped in the middle. The curtains in the room moved on their own, and the evil god's blood-red eyes grew deeper.
Luck, he needed luck!
These past two days, his luck had been interrupted, which made the evil god somewhat impatient. The residual fragrance drifted out through the door gap and reached Qin Rui's room.
Naturally, his luck was not as good as Qin Lie, the chosen one, but a portion of the stolen luck had fallen onto him. It was not as pure as the luck on Qin Lie, but it was better than nothing.
The evil god took a deep breath. Well, it would have to make do for now.
Immediately, it slowly drifted towards Qin Rui.
In his sleep, Qin Rui seemed to sense something. His brows furrowed suddenly, but no matter how he struggled, it was in vain. His luck in the center of his forehead instantly dissipated, replaced by a shroud of black malevolence.
At the same time, Zhouzhou in the hotel suddenly sat up, pinching her chubby little hand and calculating. She giggled.
The big villain was going to have a bad time.
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