CHAPTER 289: CHAPTER 289; CAREFUL TING CHENG

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While Huo Ting Cheng rested in the back of the car, Huo Qi approached and knocked lightly on the car window.

Ting Cheng opened the car door, and Huo Qi handed him a mobile phone. "It’s Secretary Li," he reported. "He says it’s for an important meeting, he had to hold urgently."

At the same moment, Huo Zhen came over, laptop in hand, and Ting Cheng received it.

He took both devices, dark eyes scanning the screens with calm efficiency, fully aware of the urgency, yet still seated comfortably in the car.

"Ah-Li, I gave you all the authority to decide on these things, not that I must attend the meetings! You should know this already..." He wasn’t in a bad, grumpy mood, but still, he was lazy and bored, not in the mood to do anything.

The entire boardroom full of directors, managers, and other people coiled back, they always felt it was better when he lashes out than being a good guy. He rarely attended the meetings and they were already used to his absence.

Secretary Li was used to his mood swings, "Actually, when is this parental leave of yours ending? It’s been five years already since you took it!" Secretary Li sarcastically muttered into the mobile phone.

Huo Ting Cheng’s dark blue eyes flicked to the phone, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Five years, huh?" he murmured, voice low, almost teasing. "Time flies when you aren’t running the empire, doesn’t it Ah-Li?"

Secretary Li’s voice crackled through the speaker again, sharp and teasing. "Ting Cheng, we have kept everything under control, but some of us are starting to wonder if you have forgotten how to show up to a meeting at all."

Huo Ting Cheng leaned back, fingers brushing the armrest lazily, the picture of effortless authority. "I never forget," he said smoothly. "I simply choose my appearances carefully. Efficiency, Ah-Li... not presence, is what counts. Whoever doesn’t want to work can leave." The company was soaring with or without his presence, and anyone who felt they couldn’t work under these schemes could leave.

Huo Qi and Huo Zhen exchanged a glance, both accustomed to this balance of teasing and command. Ting Cheng’s tone might sound casual, but they knew every word carried weight.

Secretary Li let out a low chuckle, "Careful, Ting Cheng. You make it sound like absence is a strategy for prosperity. The board might not find that as clever as you do."

Huo Ting Cheng’s smirk deepened, eyes darkening with that familiar edge. "Then they can leave my company," he knew they couldn’t dare to leave; the kind of incentives they received was enormous, and they were well protected. "The Mining Site Project at the Northern section A. Do you have reports?"

Immediately, the conversation shifted into serious business. Huo Qi tapped on the tablet he was holding, bringing up the detailed survey and projected timelines.

Huo Ting Cheng’s dark blue eyes scanned both devices with ease, taking in reports and updates as though he was reading a casual message.

The Electricity grids, oil shipments, fuel distribution, mining outputs, arms contracts, the empire sprawled across industries, and yet, everything ran smoothly under his fingertips.

"Ah-Li," he said, voice calm but authoritative, "give me a summary of all that. How are the mines performing this quarter? Any bottlenecks in supply chains? Any difficulties?"

Secretary Li’s voice came through the mobile, clipped and precise. "Mr President, the Northern mines are producing at ninety-five percent efficiency. Oil and fuel distribution remain stable, and the arms contracts with overseas partners are on schedule. The Empire continues to generate significant profits. As always, your shares are accruing good dividends. Year-end projections look very favorable."

Huo Ting Cheng let out a low hum, fingers tapping the dashboard lazily. "Good. Keep it that way. You know the drill, profits first, risks contained, and make sure no minor hiccup reaches me unless it’s unavoidable. You manage this empire as if it were your own, because, in a way, it is. But remember who owns it all."

Huo Qi and Huo Zhen exchanged glances, silently noting how effortless Ting Cheng made it look. While he appeared relaxed, lounging in the back of the car, the entire network of industries, contracts, and personnel responded to his command as if drawn by gravity.

Secretary Li gave a small laugh that was rich and amused, it’s not that he didn’t know, but for the fact that he had freedom to work with minimal supervision, "Ting Cheng, you make it sound effortless, five years of parental leave, and the empire carried on without a hitch. Don’t you think you need to give me my flowers?"

Ting Cheng’s smirk was faint but sharp. "Of course, I have planted enough in the backyard, and you can pluck them yourself, just don’t touch my wife’s favourite ones, and that’s why I have competent people running it for me, just like you, with good incentives. And competent people get rewarded accordingly as you have seen all along." Secretary Li had shares and earned a good amount of dividends at the end of the year, and about salary and allowances? That man earned better than any other person in the country.

Secretary Li’s tone carried a hint of satisfaction. "Yes, Ting Cheng. Not only your salary, but the dividends from shares we hold... the arrangement benefits everyone, as expected. No one dares to mismanage a single contract under your watch."

Huo Ting Cheng reclined further, his eyes closing for a fraction of a second, the picture of casual dominance. "Exactly. Now, give me the highlights of the Mining Site Project. Don’t waste my time with trivia things."

With that, the discussion shifted seamlessly into specifics, the Northern section of the mines, projected extraction schedules, environmental mitigation strategies, labor allocations, and investment forecasts, all flowing under Ting Cheng’s calm, controlled scrutiny.

Even in the back of a car, far from the boardroom, Huo Ting Cheng was the center of an empire. Calm, lazy, and seemingly unconcerned, but in reality, the economy bent quietly to his will.