SAG -Chapter 150 The Huo Family and the Huang Family’s New Year’s Eve Dinner

While Zhang Ran’s family was enjoying their New Year’s Eve feast, the rest of China was doing the same.

At the Huo family table, however, Huo Zhiyuan sat with a calm expression. Though it was New Year’s Eve, she showed no sign of happiness.

If Sun Guilan hadn’t practically blocked her doorway and threatened to make a scene, she would never have stepped into this house again.

Perhaps in the past, her confused heart had needed something to cling to. Even if that support was false and hypocritical, it had at least allowed her to deceive herself a little.

But now, she no longer needed it.

And she had already paid the price for relying on it.

“Grandpa! Grandma! Dad! Auntie! I’m back!”

At that moment, a bespectacled man in his thirties entered through the door.

“Oh, my precious grandson is home!” Sun Guilan exclaimed with delight. “Come here and let Grandma have a look at you. Was the trip tiring? Are you hungry?”

The returning man was Huo Jiaxiong.

Huo Zhiyuan merely glanced at him before continuing her meal. She had never been particularly close to this nephew.

“I’m fine, Grandma,” Huo Jiaxiong said with a smile.

After the usual round of concern and greetings, he sat down.

“Grandpa, Dad, Auntie.”

Huo Zhiyuan simply nodded.

“How long are you staying this year?” she asked casually.

“What do you mean, how long?” Sun Guilan immediately cut in. “Jiaxiong isn’t leaving this time.”

“That’s right. He’s staying,” Huo San added with emphasis.

Huo Zhiyuan frowned.

Before she could speak, Sun Guilan sighed dramatically.

“Your father and I are getting old. We don’t have many years left. You children are all busy with your careers, especially the third one—she hasn’t come home in years and only called once this year. We just want Jiaxiong to stay with us. Otherwise, by the time we die, our own grandson might not even be here to see us off.”

The mention of the third child immediately deepened Huo Zhiyuan’s frown.

Ever since studying abroad, her younger sister had rarely returned home.

Even after Huo Zhiyuan became enormously wealthy, she still kept her distance.

Huo Zhiyuan understood why.

The third daughter had always wanted to escape this family—preferably as far away as possible.

Seeing Huo Zhiyuan’s expression, Huo Li quickly signaled to Sun Guilan, who promptly changed the subject.

When dinner was nearly over and Huo Zhiyuan was preparing to leave, Huo San suddenly spoke.

“Second daughter, let Jiaxiong work at your company after the New Year.”

This time, Huo Zhiyuan’s expression hardened.

“Didn’t I already say he should study and gain experience for a few more years? There’s no suitable position for him in the company right now.”

“You—”

Huo San was about to explode, but stopped when he saw the utterly emotionless look in Huo Zhiyuan’s eyes.

Huo Li quickly intervened.

“Second Sister, here’s the thing. In a couple of years, I want to help Jiaxiong start his own company. Thanks to you, I’ve made quite a bit of money over the years. That way, Jiaxiong can stay close to our parents. But as you know, he lacks work experience. I was hoping he could train in your company first. Once he’s ready, I’ll fund his own venture.”

Huo Zhiyuan’s expression softened slightly, though her tone remained cold.

“When exactly do you plan to start this company?”

It was clearly a demand for a definite timetable.

Huo Li lowered his head, his eyes darkening.

At this moment, any lingering doubts he had about Su Yu’s revelation vanished completely.

Taking a deep breath, he forced a smile.

“One year. Just one year. I heard your company recently launched a new project. Let Jiaxiong join that team and learn.”

Huo Zhiyuan had no idea what scheme Huo Li was planning.

But since he had made such a promise, she chose not to refuse.

One year.

She would treat it as the final obligation she owed this family.

Meanwhile, in the capital, at the Huang family residence—

Huang Lin looked at his son and daughter and spoke slowly:

“Xunzeng, Xiaojing, after the New Year, both of you should resign from your positions at Huamei.”

The room fell silent.

Both Huang Xunzeng and Huang Jing stared at him in disbelief.

“Dad, are you running a fever?” Huang Jing blurted out. “You were the one who insisted I join Huamei, and now that I’ve finally achieved something, you want me to quit?”

“Watch your mouth,” Cheng Mei scolded. “This wasn’t just your father’s decision. We discussed it together.”

“What on earth is going on?” Huang Xunzeng asked.

“What’s wrong with supporting your entrepreneurial dreams?” Huang Lin replied.

“Xunzeng, haven’t you always wanted to work in the internet industry? Fine. I’ll give you five hundred million yuan to start your own business. Xiaojing, don’t you love traveling? I’ll give you one hundred million. Go wherever you want.”

Huang Xunzeng stroked his chin.

“I did notice you’ve been acting strangely these past few days. Like you’ve suddenly regained your youth. But now I think something’s off. Dad, are you sick? Actually, if you were seriously ill, shouldn’t you be preparing me to inherit everything?”

“Get lost!” Huang Lin laughed despite himself. “Stop cursing your father.”

“Then tell us what’s happening. Mom, you know too, don’t you?”

“Of course I do. Otherwise, why would I agree to this?”

Huang Lin became serious.

“Do you remember the rumors that circulated in the company years ago—that most of the Huang family’s shares didn’t actually belong to us?”

“I vaguely remember,” Huang Xunzeng said. “But those rumors disappeared years ago.”

“Because the old employees either retired or left. The people who knew the truth are gone.”

He paused.

“The truth is that seventy percent of our family’s shares never belonged to us. They belonged to someone else. When that person suddenly disappeared, we used certain methods to transfer those shares into our own names so the company could continue developing. And now…”

“That person has returned.”

The room went silent.

“So what are you going to do?” Huang Xunzeng asked quietly.

Huang Lin smiled.

“He may have returned, but I don’t intend to hand everything back so easily. I want to compete against him one more time. I lost to him back then. And I never accepted that defeat. I want to prove to him that I, Huang Lin, am no inferior to him.”

Though his words were simple, both of his children understood far more than what was being said.

Cheng Mei added matter-of-factly:

“Your father competed with that man once before.

He lost.

Badly.

So now he wants a rematch.”

The explanation was so straightforward that Huang Xunzeng almost laughed.

It sounded less like risking a corporate empire and more like settling an old score between friends.

“You don’t need to worry,” Huang Lin reassured them.

“The money I’m giving you was earned through my own hard work. It came from the shares that rightfully belonged to our family. Take it without concern.”

Of course, this wasn’t all of his wealth.

Some needed to remain as reserves.

Some would become the foundation for his children’s futures.

The siblings fell silent.

They could hear it in their father’s voice.

He wasn’t confident.

Otherwise, he would never have arranged matters in this way.

Who was this mysterious person who had not even made a move yet, and already placed such pressure upon their father?

And at the same time…

Awakened such fierce determination in him?

They had never seen their father like this before.

It was as if he had suddenly become young again.