The hearing is scheduled to take place in Europe in August, and there is a disagreement between Hengya Group and the EU over who should attend the hearing.
The EU's antitrust subcommittee insists that Hengya Group's Chairman Huo Zhenzhong or President Jason must attend the meeting.
Hengya, however, does not want either of them to attend, arguing that a senior executive responsible for European operations would be more suitable.
But Hengya Group was founded by Jason's family, with Huo Zhenzhong now serving as the chairman of the board, and Jason as the executive chairman.
After some negotiation, Jason emerged as the most suitable candidate to attend.
This was merely a game of give-and-take between the two sides. If Hengya Group had agreed to the EU's demands from the start, the EU would likely have insisted on Huo Zhenzhong's attendance.
Jason, on the other hand, was Hengya Group's choice.
Emma has been busy with visa arrangements these past few days, as she may need to accompany him to Europe at any time.
The situation with Wentang continues to escalate, and her rich second-generation boyfriend, Zhao Xingjie, has also become involved. It seems that no one in the world would turn down easy money; many cannot resist the temptation of a shortcut to wealth.
At this point, Wentang has not been arrested, but she has been suspended from work by the newspaper and is under investigation.
She doesn't want to go anywhere except home.
She tried calling Zhao Xingjie, but to her surprise, he was continuously on another call. After a while, she tried again, still getting the same result.
Wentang initially thought it was just a coincidence.
Now she has to face the reality that she has been blocked by Zhao Xingjie.
Still not giving up, Wentang got the number of the housekeeper and called Zhao Xingjie again, surprised that he actually answered.
However, Zhao Xingjie's tone was far from friendly: "Hello, who is this?"
He has been annoyed by the insider trading issue these past few days, with reporters calling non-stop and the investigation team starting their probe yesterday.
After his father learned about it, he slapped him hard on the spot.
He even declared that if Zhao Xingjie went to jail, he would not inherit the family fortune.
Although Zhao Xingjie is doted upon by his parents, he is not without siblings. Moreover, his mother was a concubine who rose to the position of wife, and he has an older brother and sister from his father's previous marriage.
They have always been watching him like hawks, and now that he's in trouble, they would love to crush him.
Zhao Xingjie is really fed up, and of course, his tone is not good when he answers the phone.
Until Wentang whispered, "Xingjie, it's me."
Upon hearing her voice, Zhao Xingjie's anger exploded. He could no longer control his temper and shouted, "How dare you still have the nerve to call me, Wentang. Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused me? What did you tell me before? That nothing would go wrong, and you've been playing this game so many times."
What's the result?
You can't walk by the river without getting your feet wet.
He's really down on his luck, getting dragged into the water the first time he tried, and now he's about to drown. How could Zhao Xingjie not be angry with Wentang?
People are like that, always blaming others when things go wrong.
He never thought that if it weren't for his own greed to make quick money, and Wentang didn't put a knife to his throat, why should he now blame all the responsibility on Wentang?
Wentang was already anxious and afraid, hoping to discuss a strategy with Zhao Xingjie, after all, his family has broader connections.
But as soon as the call connected, she was harshly scolded.
So Wentang couldn't take it anymore, and her (grievances) erupted: "What's the use of blaming me now? Will that change anything? The most important thing now is for us to come up with a plan together."
"Together? You want me to save you, don't you?" Zhao Xingjie sneered.
Just a few days ago, they were a loving couple, but now that trouble has arisen, they are not only fleeing on their own but also mercilessly attacking each other.
Zhao Xingjie mercilessly ridiculed Wentang.
His family's connections are indeed wide enough; perhaps his father really can get him out of this, but he has no intention of saving Wentang. In fact, when it comes to the most critical moment, he might even push all the blame onto Wentang.
But Wentang is not an easy pushover either.
She did intend to coax Zhao Xingjie with sweet words; if he was willing to work together, that would be fine, but if not, then he shouldn't blame her.
As Zhao Xingjie was about to hang up the phone, she spoke up first.
Wentang spoke softly, "Xingjie, we're in the same boat now. The boat is leaking; do you really think that by pushing me overboard, you'll be saved?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xingjie became even angrier and stopped trying to hide his frustration, cursing directly, "What the hell do you want?"
"I just don't want to go to jail," Wentang finally admitted, not daring to be defiant to the end.
What Wentang didn't dare to tell Zhao Xingjie was that this matter also involved Emma. Zhao Xingjie had warned her repeatedly not to provoke Emma, but she hadn't heeded his advice.
Now that she had provoked her, she planned to see it through to the end.
Yes, she was now mired in trouble, and no one dared to get close, but she wasn't the only one who hated Emma.
Wentang looked at the phone number on her cell phone, which she had obtained from someone else.
After a long while, Wentang still dialed the number.
"Miss Su, hello," she said.
Emma learned from a private detective that Liu Hui had disappeared. Since Wentang's incident, she hadn't looked for Liu Hui again. As a result, the private detective had let his guard down, not expecting Liu Hui to vanish one evening.
Now, finding her in Shanghai was like finding a needle in a haystack.
Emma didn't worry too much about it; without Wentang, Liu Hui couldn't cause much of a stir. Moreover, Jason's trip to Europe was scheduled, with the hearing set for early September.
They would arrive a few days early to prepare.
However, before that, she and Jason, along with Tang Mi and Xiao Yichen, attended the opening of Ni Pingsen's porridge shop.
Emma and Jason earnestly presented a floral basket and even participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Originally, Ni Pingsen had invited her and Jason to cut the ribbon together, but upon reflection, it seemed too ostentatious, after all, a small porridge shop's opening ceremony involving the CEO of Hengya Group to cut the ribbon.
It was as if they wanted everyone to know that this was not an ordinary porridge shop.
In the end, the ribbon-cutting was done by Emma and Ni Pingsen's daughter.
Unexpectedly, Shen Qiqi and Han Zhao, whom they hadn't seen recently, also arrived together.
Seeing the awkwardness between the two, Xiao Yichen couldn't help but sigh, "Are you two still in elementary school? You've been arguing and haven't made up yet."
Shen Qiqi retorted, "Who wants to make up with him?"
Han Zhao simply said, "It's over."
They answered almost simultaneously, but their responses were completely different, drawing everyone's attention to them.
Finally, Xiao Yichen couldn't stand it and said, "Han Zhao, are you really into elementary school students? That's illegal."
Shen Qiqi slammed her hand on the table, "Who's an elementary school student?"
Xiao Yichen snorted lightly and reached out as usual to give her a knuckle sandwich, but as soon as he lifted his hand, Han Zhao also raised his hand, pulling Shen Qiqi's head over and whispering, "Apologize to Brother Yichen."
Seeing Han Zhao's action, Xiao Yichen secretly smiled, thinking he was protective now.
Shen Qiqi realized her behavior was disrespectful and hung her head, apologizing in a low voice, "I'm sorry, Brother Yichen, I was wrong."
Seeing her sincere apology, Xiao Yichen smiled and said, "This time, I'll forgive you because your Brother Han Zhao pleaded for you."
He deliberately emphasized the words "Brother Han Zhao" to tease.
This made Han Zhao glance at him.
Because it was the first day of the porridge shop's opening, all food was sold at half price, and the shop was extremely busy with many customers and even more takeout orders.
Emma wanted to help, but Ni Pingsen sent her back to her seat.
The shop offered more than thirty varieties of porridge, and everyone ordered different types.
When the porridge arrived, it was accompanied by the shop's noodles and snacks.
Tang Mi took a few bites and praised, "If my company wasn't so far from here, I'd love to come for lunch every day."
Previously, Ni Pingsen had been troubled about what kind of restaurant to open. After getting advice from Emma, he finally decided on a porridge shop, adopting a strategy of low profit margins but high sales volume.
During the meal, Emma noticed Shen Qiqi across from her constantly trying to move away, only to be pulled back by Han Zhao after just a few steps. The couple thought their little maneuvers were unnoticed by the world, but in reality, everyone at the table was well aware.
Throughout the meal, Emma not only enjoyed the delicious food but also witnessed a tangy love story unfold. On their way back, Jason noticed Emma sitting in the passenger seat, chuckling and texting. He asked softly, "What's so funny?"
"I'm chatting with Qiqi," Emma replied with a smile.
"Is she telling you jokes?" Jason inquired, as Emma was usually quiet and rarely laughed and texted like this.
Hearing this, Emma laughed even harder and said, "Don't you think Qiqi and Han Zhao are acting strangely?"
"Strange?" Jason pondered for a moment. "You mean Han Zhao's fondness for Qiqi?"
Emma was surprised that even Jason had noticed, and she turned to look at him with a shocked expression just as the traffic light turned red and Jason stopped the car. Seeing her expression, he reached out and pinched her cheek, "A man looks at the woman he likes differently."
Curious, Emma pressed on, "What should it be like?"
The next moment, Jason's gaze fell on her cheek, his eyes filled with an emotion as deep and unyielding as ink. When the green light came on, he turned to look ahead but with a smile playing on his lips, he said, "Like mine."
Deep feelings that cannot be dissolved.
*
A few days later, Emma accompanied Jason to Brussels, where the hearing was confirmed to take place in the capital of Belgium, also home to the EU headquarters. Before they left, Jason had assured Emma countless times that their chances of winning were high.
Knowing her worries were futile, Emma decided to act relaxed and carefree; she wasn't there to be a burden.
After a long flight, they finally arrived. For the entire duration of the hearing, they wouldn't stay in a hotel; Hengya Group had already arranged a standalone villa for them to live in, with other staff members staying nearby for convenience.
The next day, as they were still adjusting to the time difference, Jason glanced outside at the weather and pulled Emma up from the sofa, "Let's go."
Emma was taken aback, "Where to?"
"Since we're in Brussels, how can we not visit the Grand Place? It's known as the most beautiful square in Europe," Jason said lightly.
Emma looked at him in disbelief, "Are we really going out to play now?"
They were there on official business, facing a significant corporate crisis for Hengya Group, and Emma suddenly felt like she truly had the potential of Bao Si or Da Ji.
Seeing her hesitant expression, Jason nodded calmly, "Yes, I'm willing to give up everything for you."
Hearing his teasing tone, Emma hummed.
Jason reached out and rubbed her long hair, whispering, "We have a couple of hours to spare. Now I'm taking you to the Grand Place, and then I'll be very busy and won't be able to accompany you."
Upon hearing about the two hours, Emma almost instinctively grabbed his arm.
"Alright, don't waste time. Let's go."
Jason watched her eagerly pulling him towards the door and couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle.
Just as Jason had said, after their leisurely time at the Grand Place, he quickly became immersed in his work. At the hearing, he would face questioning from many people, so every word he uttered had to be carefully crafted.
This time, Emma truly saw the shadow of a massive multinational corporation. The villa next door had also been booked for the staff's use. Emma watched people of various skin colors and ethnicities coming and going, listening to English spoken with different accents.
Suddenly, she felt like she was back in Israel. At that time, war correspondents from various countries would gather together like this, and even speaking the same English, their different accents would easily distinguish them.
Time flew by, and finally, the day of the hearing arrived. The hearing venue was strictly confidential, but since the time had been announced, journalists from various countries had already stationed themselves at the EU gates early in the morning, waiting for the Hengya Group delegation to arrive.
When their car pulled up, as soon as it stopped, journalists rushed towards them. Fortunately, their bodyguards had already anticipated this and held the journalists back. After Jason got out of the car, he stood by the door for a few seconds, then reached out and helped Emma out of the car.
As they stood side by side, holding hands, the flashbulbs turned the somewhat gloomy sky into a silvery brightness.
The voices of many reporters had already reached them, knowing full well that Jason wouldn't answer any questions, yet they still clung to hope and pressed on with their inquiries.
Members of the antitrust organization had also arrived, and it seemed that European groups of all kinds were endless.
Despite the bodyguards' best efforts to block them, the swarm of reporters grew larger, and they finally managed to break through and enter the building.
Emma did not attend the hearing but waited in a designated lounge.
After an unknown amount of time, the first day of the hearing finally concluded.
The moment the door to the lounge opened, Emma stood up. Jason, looking sharp in his suit, stood at the door. Even after such an intense round of questioning, he remained upright and composed.
She quickly approached him, wrapped her arms around him, and whispered, "You must be tired."
Jason's face was extremely cold, and even after enduring such questioning, he was annoyed by the arrogance and recklessness of the Europeans.
But when she spoke those three words, the irritation in his heart seemed to be soothed.
Soon, they left the headquarters building.
However, they didn't expect that not only had the reporters not left, but their numbers had increased, and even the antitrust organization members, who were not many in the morning, had now gathered dozens of people.
Their numbers were almost surpassing those of the reporters.
As they emerged from the building, everyone swarmed around them like zombies, making it difficult for Jason and Emma to move.
Fortunately, they quickly reached the car, and as the door opened, they were about to get in and leave.
Suddenly, a bearded white man squeezed in from the side, wildly swinging his fists and shouting, "You disgusting Asian, you've taken our job opportunities. Take your company and get out of Europe."
As he spoke, he pushed through the reporters and charged forward.
At that moment, the bodyguard tried to grab him but was skillfully shaken off.
Seeing him about to rush over, Jason wanted to protect Emma and step back, letting the bodyguard handle the situation, as he couldn't afford to make a move with so many cameras around.
But to his surprise, the girl he was holding suddenly lifted her foot with lightning speed.
In the instant the bearded man charged, she kicked out with her pointed shoe, mercilessly striking his shin.
The man, under the watchful eyes of everyone, suddenly dropped to his knees.
"Get away, stay away from my husband," Emma glared at the man on the ground, her eyes fierce and her tone harsh.
There was a deathly silence around them.
Until the next second, when the sound of camera shutters clicked again.
Jason almost half-carried Emma into the car, and once they were driving away, Emma quietly looked ahead and softly asked, "I must have been caught on camera just now, right?"
With so many cameras around, it was inevitable.
Emma nodded, resigned: "Definitely caught on camera."
Now the whole world should know that Jason's wife is a shrew?
Jason said nothing, just quietly looked at her. Emma's sudden outburst had surprised him, even more so than the day she said she would stay by his side.
Emma turned her head and noticed Jason hadn't spoken either, and she couldn't help but sigh and softly ask, "Did I scare you?"
She had been so fierce...
But as soon as she finished speaking, Jason took her hand, gently lifted it, and kissed her fingertips.
So tenderly.
Emma understood his meaning and couldn't help but smile, whispering, "Anyone who bullies you in the future, I'll beat them up."
Emma's kick catapulted her onto the global headlines, especially the expression captured at the moment she lifted her foot, fierce yet cool.
So much so that many media outlets featured the incident on their front pages, almost overshadowing the Hengya Group's hearing that day.
Previously, she had made global news as a journalist, with that LIVE broadcast making her famous.
Foreign media hadn't paid much attention to her private life, but domestically, she had made the news trending list several times with Jason.
This was their first public appearance as a married couple.
During the Hengya Group hearing, Emma stood by Jason's side, and even though she wasn't trying to win media favor, public opinion of her soared to great heights.
She was even praised as a role model for women, able to balance career and family.
Her LIVE broadcast had been confirmed for nomination for the World Press Photo in the Netherlands.
Now, in her husband's toughest times, she unhesitatingly paused her work to support him by his side.
Countless media began to praise her.
However, the world will never have just one voice; where there is praise, there is also doubt. When the media released a short video from the scene, a Weibo post on domestic social media was forwarded over 20,000 times.
Qian Duoduo is not a Lemon Tree: [Wow, can this foreigner understand Chinese?]
The comments below were nothing short of spectacular.
"Yeah, I always said Emma loves hype, but she has too many water armies."
"The foreigner being kicked looks confused: What is she saying?"
"Poor foreigner, maybe he was just verbally protesting. Emma, to hype her own image, was so violent to him. I support the foreigner suing her."
This Weibo post became a trending topic, and Tang Mi was furious when she saw it.
These people calling them "lemon spirits" insult the lovely appearance of lemons; they should be called "sour spirits."
Most ridiculous was their questioning of Emma's English abilities when she urgently spoke Chinese to the reporter.
Tang Mi felt like an idiot if she went out to refute it.
She didn't expect the incident to actually escalate.
Because a nosy fan actually went to Instagram and asked everyone on Emma's follow list.
When Emma saw the screenshot sent by Tang Mi, she was accompanied by Tang Mi's uncontrollable laughter.
Tang Mi: "I am so impressed by your fans, they are truly talented. Now it's true that there's nothing that can't be done if you can think of it."
This fan was quite amazing; she directly found English-speaking foreigners on Emma's list, especially those whose mother tongue is English, and asked if there was any communication barrier with Emma.
The person who replied to this fan was American journalist Kevin.
Emma had interviewed with him multiple times in Israel, and they were quite familiar with each other. When he learned that the question was due to someone doubting Emma's English communication skills, Kevin sent a few laughing emojis.
Kevin replied, "Trust me, I understand every word Emma says, including her dry jokes."
This fan posted the screenshot on Weibo, which was also forwarded tens of thousands of times.
"The war correspondent who worked in Israel before, can't speak English? Do you think you're the only one who hasn't been abroad?"
"So the malice women have towards other women is really huge."
Emma chuckled, "Quite cute."
Who would have thought that as soon as she finished speaking, a voice came from the side: "What's quite cute?"
Emma turned around and saw Jason coming in from outside. He had been in meetings the whole time; the hearing had been going on for three days, and tomorrow was the last day. The final hearing results would not be made public for several months.
Therefore, both Emma and Jason would return to their home country.
Upon hearing Jason's voice, Tang Mi awkwardly said, "I'll hang up now."
Jason sat down on the sofa next to her, reached out and put his arm around her shoulders, "Who were you saying is cute?"
"My fans," Emma said with a slight lift of her chin, a hint of pride in her voice.
"Nice, you've got fans now," Jason chuckled softly, leaning in slightly, his lips naturally sticking to hers, and after a kiss, he mumbled, "I should reward you."
No one else could make taking advantage sound so pure and refined.
After Jason released her, he whispered, "Don't mind the comments online, I'll have it taken care of."
Emma smiled, her expression relaxed and indifferent, "Did you forget I'm a journalist? My job is to discuss others, so I can't exactly stop others from discussing me."
"I don't like it," Jason's voice slightly deepened, showing a hint of displeasure.
He was impervious to everything, with only one Achilles' heel.
That was Emma.
Emma smiled, cupped his face with her hand, and said earnestly, "Jason, I'm afraid if you keep this up, you'll really be the object of universal resentment."
Jason's eyebrows lifted slightly.
"Because you spoil me too much, you'll spoil me rotten," Emma murmured, her cheek gently rubbing against his nose.
Jason was warmed by her words and smiled.
This girl was really something else.
When she wanted to coax you, it was really too easy.
Two days later, the hearing concluded, but Hengya Group did not disclose any specific details about it to the public.
Before boarding the plane, Emma made a special trip to the duty-free shop to buy some gifts for friends back home.
However, instead of returning to their home country, they first made a detour to Germany, where Jason had some business to attend to. Emma took it as an opportunity for a leisurely trip.
Upon landing and getting into the car that came to pick them up, Emma was completely disoriented by the journey. They stayed locally for the night, and the next day Emma was taken on another car ride.
As they drove, Emma finally couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you planning to sell me off somewhere?"
Jason was amused by her concern, "Selling you wouldn't be cost-effective; it's better to keep you as my little slave."
Seeing his smiling face, Emma refrained from making any more unfunny jokes.
It wasn't until Emma noticed the changing scenery along the road, with mountains appearing in the distance and snow-capped peaks that looked like a fairy tale setting, that she began to feel excited. Soon, they passed by azure lakes and breathtaking landscapes.
When she saw a white castle in the distance, with its round towers and snow-white walls resembling a fairy tale castle, even Emma, who wasn't particularly girly, couldn't help but roll down the car window.
Her eyes were fixed on the distant castle, a place that held dreams and fairy tales.
"Are we going there?" Emma asked excitedly.
Jason smiled, "Do you like it?"
Emma raised her chin slightly, "Aren't you going to say next that it's a gift for me?"
After a moment of silence, Jason replied with a smile, "Sorry, it's not for sale."
Emma's eyes widened in surprise, wondering if he was serious.
It wasn't until she got out of the car that she realized they were at the famous Neuschwanstein Castle, the inspiration for Disney movies. She noticed a team of people not far away and looked at Jason questioningly.
He took her hand and whispered, "For a wedding, we'd need wedding photos, right?"
Emma instinctively wanted to say that they had already taken wedding photos, but she remembered the last-minute canceled wedding and kept quiet.
They never spoke about that wedding, and now they were moving forward, so retaking their wedding photos seemed necessary.
However, Emma's voice rose in panic, "Why didn't you tell me earlier? I didn't use a face mask last night, and I haven't been working out recently."
But all her words stopped the next moment as Jason made a picture-taking gesture with his hands and clicked an imaginary photo of her cheek.
"Nothing else matters; you will always be the most beautiful bride," he said.
Under the sweet words, Emma resolutely began posing for the photos. It was then that she realized how well-prepared Jason had been. When the wedding team opened the car they brought, Emma felt like she was seeing the most wedding dresses one could fit in a car in her lifetime.
What she wore or even the scenery didn't matter; the most important thing was the person by her side.
Their wedding photo shoot delayed their trip back home by two days, and it wasn't until a few days later that they finally flew back to their country.