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The middle-aged man turned to look at Shawn Young and was surprised to see how handsome he was. Though Shawn wore simple casual clothes, his figure was tall and imposing, and there was a natural aura of authority in his brows—an aura that ordinary people simply didn’t possess. Instantly, the man's tense expression softened considerably. He asked Shawn coldly, "Kid, I’m Sylvia’s father, Simon Soo. What are you doing here? How do you know my daughter?"
"Uh—well—" Shawn’s face flushed red, and for a moment he didn’t know how to explain. After all, the way he met Sylvia Snow was just too bizarre. If he told the truth, her father Simon Soo would probably be shocked out of his mind.
"Dad—how can you interrogate people like that!" Sylvia Snow, standing nearby, saw Shawn’s awkward look and anxiously spoke up.
"Sylvia, don’t butt in. I’m asking this kid some questions!" Simon Soo snapped coldly at Sylvia, secretly sighing to himself—"Girls really do side with outsiders!"
"Oh—hello, Uncle. I’m Shawn Young, a student from the History Department at Southern University in Nanning City—" With no other choice, Shawn decided to honestly share a bit about his background.
"Oh—Southern University in Nanning City, huh! Heh—no wonder you had a chance to meet Sylvia. Kid, I’m a straightforward man, so let me be blunt: If you don’t have any real skills or a strong background, don’t even think about chasing after my daughter! Got it?" Simon Soo said directly, knowing that if Shawn lacked confidence, he’d probably back off after hearing this.
"Dad—how can you say that! That’s not fair—you’re bullying him! Shawn’s just a college student. He might not meet your standards now, but he’s young—anything’s possible! How can you expect him to have everything right away? Didn’t you ever struggle and face setbacks yourself?" Before Shawn could reply, Sylvia already jumped in anxiously, knowing her father was pressuring Shawn to come clean! She didn’t really know much about Shawn’s background; to her, he was just an ordinary student, totally unaware of his recent incredible luck and the powerful background he’d quickly built up!
"Hmph—Sylvia, stay out of this. It’s a matter between men!" Simon Soo barked at Sylvia, making her body tremble and tears well up in her eyes.
Simon Soo continued coldly to Shawn, "Kid, don’t blame me for being harsh. You should know, Sylvia is my only precious daughter. Her mother passed away early, and I’ve worked hard to raise her. Of course I want her to live a safe and happy life. Our family made its fortune in business—outsiders think it’s all glamorous, but business is a battlefield. Without ability and connections, you’ll fail miserably, and there won’t be any chance to turn things around!"
"Mm-hmm—I understand!" Shawn Young nodded in agreement with Simon Soo’s point. After all he’d been through, he understood exactly what Simon meant.
"Good! Kid, love is wonderful, but love without bread won’t last. To be honest, my big business project is in serious trouble—money’s tight and our finances are in crisis. Only a powerful cash injection can turn things around! I’ve found a partner willing to help, but he wants a family marriage alliance as part of the deal. His son, Damian Zeng, has his eye on Sylvia! To keep my company from collapsing and to make sure Sylvia never has to suffer, I had no choice but to agree!" Simon Soo suddenly revealed.
"Dad, how could you—how could you trade my happiness for a business deal!" Sylvia Snow shouted angrily when she heard this.
"Sylvia—I don’t want this either, but business is just too tough right now. I’ve tried talking to several banks, hoping for a loan to save us, but because we still owe so much, not a single bank is willing to take the risk. Sylvia, do you really want to watch the Soo family’s company, built over generations, go bankrupt? Do you want to see me ruined, a laughingstock, with nothing left? If that happens, we’ll never have a good life again! When the walls collapse, everyone pushes—and without the Soo family’s protection, we’ll be mocked and avoided by everyone. Do you want that to happen?" Simon Soo said, his voice full of sorrow.
Sylvia Snow was stunned by her father’s words. She’d thought he was just facing some temporary trouble, but she never imagined it was such a huge crisis. Her voice trembling, she asked, "Uh—Dad, just how big is our company’s deficit?"
"Two hundred million! A full two hundred million! Ugh—such a huge sum, it’s killing me! Sylvia, if we can’t fill this hole, we’re both finished—" Simon Soo sighed in utter defeat.
"What—two hundred million?! Oh my god—" Sylvia Snow’s beautiful face went completely pale with shock.
"So, Sylvia, for your birthday party next week, I’ve secretly arranged for Damian Zeng from Grandtech Corporation to attend, along with other VIPs. I’ll announce your engagement to him at the party." Simon Soo said with a sigh.
"What—Dad, you mean Damian Zeng?!" Sylvia Snow cried out in shock.
"That's right, it's him—Damian Zeng, the son of Grandtech Corporation's boss Gordon Zeng! After meeting you at the last party, he hasn't been able to forget you. This time, I went to his father for help, and Damian happened to be there. Since he's Grandtech's only heir, he made this one condition!" Simon Soo explained, his face clouded with worry.
"Ugh—Dad, you must've heard about Damian Zeng—he's a total jerk, a pervert, a creep! At St. Paul's College, he's gotten several girls pregnant, even took scandalous photos of them! I—I don't want to marry that creep!" Sylvia Snow shook her head furiously.
"Sigh—Sylvia, I know all about Damian Zeng’s bad reputation. He really is a jerk. But right now, only Grandtech Corporation's money can save us. Do we have any other options?" Simon Soo said, his face full of pain and frustration.
"Waa—doesn’t that mean there’s no other way? Dad, I really don’t want to marry Damian Zeng!" Sylvia Snow was so anxious she started crying.
Seeing this, Shawn Young felt a wave of emotion—and a pang of heartache. He stepped forward and put his arm around Sylvia Snow’s shoulders to comfort her. "Sylvia, don’t worry, there’ll be a way out!"
"A way out? Kid, don’t just talk big! I don’t want Sylvia to marry Damian Zeng either—but who’s going to save the Soo family? Can you? If you can do it, and you want Sylvia to be with you, I won’t object! But if you can’t, let go of her—right now!" Simon Soo said, deeply frustrated.
"Mr. Soo—honestly, I’m not a fan of your mercenary attitude, but I get why you’re doing this. When people are desperate, they make tough choices. I don’t blame you! You want Sylvia to have a good life and save your business—it’s understandable. Sylvia’s lucky to be born into a family like this, but it’s also her misfortune!" Shawn Young said calmly, holding Sylvia’s hand tightly.
"Kid, I admit I’m mercenary, and you’re right. But—I just want to solve this urgent crisis! The bank loan deadline is almost here, and if I can’t fill this massive hole, I’ll be a beggar! Do you get it?" Simon Soo said coldly to Shawn Young.
"Oh—I get it now! Mr. Soo, don’t worry, there’ll definitely be a way to fix this!" Shawn Young replied calmly.
"A way? You have a way? You must be joking! Kid, if you really can solve the Soo family’s problem, you can ask me for anything! But if you can’t, then please disappear from Sylvia’s world!" Simon Soo didn’t believe Shawn for a second.
Shawn Young’s mind heated up—he was just about to blurt out that he’d take on Simon Soo’s mess, but then he spotted Oxhead Gu Changdong searching along Temple Street for him. Not wanting to reveal too many secrets, he changed his answer: "Mr. Soo, I said I’ll solve your family’s problem, and I mean it!"
"Hmph—let’s see you do it! Next week is Sylvia’s birthday—if you’ve got what it takes, show up! If not, sorry, I’ll just have to break up you lovebirds today! Sylvia, come with me—" Simon Soo said, grabbing Sylvia’s hand and heading for the street.
"Shawn—I—I—" Sylvia Snow turned back to look at Shawn, tears in her eyes, but Simon Soo dragged her away.
"Don’t worry, Sylvia—next week at your birthday party, I’ll be there!" Shawn Young knew there was no point saying more, so he just waved at Sylvia, confident he could solve the Soo family’s crisis.
"Mm-hmm—I’ll wait for you—" Sylvia Snow clung to Shawn’s promise like a lifeline, but she was quickly pulled away by Simon Soo.