Chapter 185: Chapter 185: Light and Shadow
Several people quietly waited for news. Due to the time difference between domestic and abroad, when it was noon domestically, it was just dawn overseas. Qin Tan’s surgery was scheduled to start at nine in the morning and would take about ten hours.
This meant that everyone waiting for news at home had to wait from afternoon until late at night.
Qin’s father also returned at noon, knowing well that his eldest son’s surgery was crucial. How could he stay at the company?
Moreover, with so many people watching outside, only by appearing relaxed could he give others a false signal, making them think he returned to the company just for fun...
Fortunately, with Qin Tan’s business management, the employees’ efficiency was high, and nothing happened even with Qin’s father’s absence for a day.
Especially Qin Tan’s assistant, Assistant Fang, who had been working as Qin Tan’s assistant for five years, was well versed in the company’s processes and Qin Tan’s management style.
With him around, during the period Qin’s father returned to the company to oversee operations, their cooperation was seamless.
Last time when Qin Tan went on a business trip, Assistant Fang also went. After the business was concluded, Qin Tan had him lead the team back to initiate the project, while he stayed with He Jie abroad for a few days before returning.
So, when the gunfight occurred, Assistant Fang had already returned with his team and luckily brought back the documents and contracts first, preventing the newly discussed cooperation from stalling.
After everyone had lunch, they began waiting for news. When Qin Xiao called back to say the surgery had started and Qin Tan was already in the operating room, Madam Zhen and Wen Xin left first.
They initially wanted to wait together, but since the surgery would end at midnight, they couldn’t stay and had to return home to wait for news.
If Madam Zhen waited until midnight before returning, Old Madam Zhen might get suspicious.
Furthermore, since they came to the Qin Family today, there would surely be people from other prominent families watching. If they stayed until late without returning home, those watching would likely become suspicious.
Since they had to leave, they chose to leave early. The longer they stayed at the Qin Family, the more suspicion they would attract, so once they received news, they left with smiles.
Even if worry was overwhelming their hearts as soon as they got in the car, on the walk to the car, they’d wear smiles without fail.
Time passed bit by bit, as the sun set in the west and the moon rose high in the sky, under everyone’s anxious wait, Qin Xiao’s call finally came.
The surgery was successful, but whether Qin Tan could wake up post-surgery, when he would wake up, and whether there would be any aftereffects, only time would tell.
But no matter what, the surgery’s success was the first step; only with this step could they talk about the future.
When they heard the news, Xiao Li squeezed He Jie’s hand, "Sister-in-law."
He Jie turned to look at her and immediately hugged her, crying silently.
But this time, her tears were tears of joy.
Ever since she learned that Qin Tan was rescued and severely injured, He Jie wanted to go abroad without hesitation. Although her body was in the country, her heart had flown away long ago.
If it had been possible, she would have gone long ago.
But she knew she couldn’t go!
After the incident with Qin Tan happened, although she was on the verge of collapse, she was still aware of her in-laws’ arrangements.
She knew that as time passed without Qin Tan appearing in front of others, people outside were becoming suspicious. She also knew there were many people watching the Qins, wanting to know where Qin Tan had gone.
As Qin Tan’s wife, the attention on her wouldn’t be less, so she couldn’t go abroad.
She knew all this, even without Qin’s father and mother having to tell her.
The Qin group, under Qin Tan’s leadership, was making progress, and He Jie knew how much Qin Tan had sacrificed for the company’s growth.
Don’t think that being a second-generation rich is easy; to gain, one must give.
If you only want to be a carefree, pleasure-seeking second-generation rich, eventually, even the largest family business will fall apart.
For Qin Tan, and for the Qin group’s reputation, He Jie didn’t move, even though she was eager to, she restrained herself from moving.
Initially, He Jie didn’t understand why Qin Tan and Qin Xiao, these two brothers, one had to be in the open, and the other had to be in the shadows?
Qin Xiao, in particular, showed no associations with the Qin group on the surface. People in the business circle, when mentioning Qin Xiao, might respectfully call him the second master of the Qin Family.
But few placed Qin Xiao in their eyes, only seeing him as a wealthy second young master doing scientific research with his father and brother’s backing.
Even during the last pandemic when Qin Xiao developed a new drug, those people didn’t give him much notice; in their eyes, as long as they had money, couldn’t they get anything they wanted?
Once, when He Jie and Qin Tan attended a banquet, several ladies belittled Xiao Li in her presence, saying that although they both married into the Qin Family, He Jie married a dragon, while Xiao Li married a worm.
Those ladies were married into families where brothers didn’t get along and were always fighting for power. Their favorite pastime was belittling their sisters-in-law.
They thought He Jie would enjoy hearing others belittle Xiao Li, to elevate herself, or to disparage her husband’s brother.
Little did they know how protective the Qin Family was.
Every time He Jie heard such comments, she would coldly retort, "So you see us Qins as nothing more than a worm!"
After saying this, He Jie would directly go find Qin Tan and tell him about it. Qin Tan immediately quarreled with those ladies’ husbands and left the banquet with He Jie.
On the way back, He Jie stood up for Qin Xiao, "Ah Tan, you often say that Ah Xiao is even more capable than you, that he graduated earlier from the clan academy. Why don’t you let him join the company? Why must he manage affairs behind the scenes?"
Qin Tan shook his head, "It’s precisely because he’s more capable than me that he must stay in the shadows.
The network in the shadows is no less important than the visible one and requires someone more capable to take charge.
Another point is that only in the shadows can others not focus on Ah Xiao.
This way, if an unexpected situation arises, Ah Xiao will be a good chess piece."
He Jie asked puzzled, "Why must the more capable one be in the dark?"
Qin Tan turned his gaze to He Jie and said earnestly, "Because the person in the dark must have the ability to replay the situation.
To give a simple example!
If one day, I suddenly can’t manage the company, then Ah Xiao can take over. With his capabilities stronger than mine, taking over the chessboard I’ve left won’t be a problem at all.
But if the roles were reversed, I in the shadows, Ah Xiao in the open, and if something happened to Ah Xiao requiring me to take over, and I couldn’t sustain the board due to lack of ability, then the decline would only accelerate."
At that time, He Jie listened to Qin Tan’s explanation but couldn’t fully grasp it, thinking they were planning too far ahead.
But with this incident, she understood the meaning behind the brothers’ arrangements.
Qin Xiao was in the shadows, without any connection to the company, and this time when he went abroad to rescue Qin Tan, he was gone for so long without anyone noticing him.
Everyone was fixated on Qin Tan on the surface.