scapegoat

Lang Zhongming got up earlier than usual today, hurried to the company to take care of urgent matters, and then drove to the new location of E University.

The new campus covers a large area, and the architectural design is more beautiful and novel. In addition, the greenery in the suburbs is much better than that in the downtown area. The current E University has a feeling of a tourist scenic spot.

Lang Zhongming has always known about the relocation of E University, but he has never been back to see it. It is rare to come here today, and he is also a little emotional.

Although no one wants to go back to the student days, but in retrospect, I still miss it.

After inquiring about the office where the doorman, Mr. Liu Fan, Lang Zhongming straightened his tie and sleeves, straightened his back and walked into the teaching building.

Liu Fan was preparing lessons alone in the office at the moment, Lang Zhongming knocked on the open door symbolically, Liu Fan raised his head, and immediately guessed who was coming.

"Mr. Ling, please come in."

Liu Fan got up to greet him, neither flattering nor overly hostile, with a kind of faint intellectual temperament.

Lang Zhongming is a person who is used to fighting between fake smiles and real interests. He has no combat experience when facing this kind of person with the word "demeanor" painted all over his body, so he couldn't hold it back for a while, and said a few words bitterly.

"I heard that Mr. Liu is very handsome. It seems that he is really easy to attract restless students."

Liu Fan was taken aback for a moment, and then said with a serious expression: "Mr. Ling, don't talk nonsense with your own guesses, people's words are scary."

Lang Zhongming also knew that he overreacted: "I'm sorry, I just think it's inappropriate for the teacher to put the photos of past students on the table alone."

Knowing that he was referring to Xiao Yang's photo, Liu Fan closed the office door and pulled out a chair: "Mr. Ling, sit down. Since you're here, I've held back some words for many years, and I can't spit them out."

Lang Zhongming frowned: "Many years?"

Liu Fan nodded: "I did a special project before, which was aimed at young students committing crimes. Xiao Yang is my research object."

Liu Fan handed Lang Zhongming a cup of tea, and continued, "At that time, I actually found a high-level executive named Lin in Jufeng. I think Mr. Lang should still remember him."

Lang Zhongming was taken aback.

The only executive with the surname Lin in Jufeng was the one he knew—the manager Lin who received the confidential documents he secretly handed over.

Liu Fan saw that Lang Zhongming's face had changed, and knew that he was probably right to blame this President Ling: "So I went to the prison to find Xiao Yang, and asked him personally why he had to take the blame for others."

Lang Zhongming asked dryly, "What did he say?"

Liu Fan looked at the photos on the table, and his gaze passed through the young face in the paper, as if seeing the scene when he first met Xiao Yang again.

"He said that Lang Dewen was his benefactor, and he had to agree."

Lang Zhongming's face was ashen, and he clenched his fists and pressed his knees tightly, so as not to lose control of his emotions for a while.

Liu Fan smiled lightly: "At that time, I was full of ambitions, and I only wanted to save the 'missing youth'. I thought his sacrifice was too much and not worth it, and it was easy to make the real criminals worse. But he has always been very clear and tough. tell me..."

"He's already like this, and he doesn't want to waste all his efforts, let alone me, an outsider who intervenes, causing this incident to become complicated."

Lang Zhongming listened silently with his head bowed.

Liu Fan: "I left his photo on the table to warn myself not to get carried away. There are many people in the world who have their own difficulties and persistence. They have the right to choose. I am not a vigilante policeman, and I must never be like this. people."

Liu Fan paused, and took a deep breath: "There are many grievances that you don't want to be addressed. Unless you intervene at the beginning, it's better to ignore them. But Mr. Ling, you are the person involved. I'm glad you went the right way later. Lu, but shouldn't you be more responsible for what happened back then?"

Lang Zhongming raised his head: "Mr. Liu, you want me to put aside the interests of everyone in Hongsheng and stand up and admit my mistakes?"

Liu Fan took a sip of tea: "This is what you should have done back then. Now that you have a heavy burden on your shoulders, you can't do it, but I hope that before Xiao Yang can live independently, your family can take responsibility to the end."

Lang Zhongming raised his head: "Of course, don't bother the teacher."

Liu Fan sighed: "You are not a soft-boned dandy, why didn't you want to stand up and take the blame? In the end, you did it, so you are not to blame for that, right?"

Lang Zhongming clenched his fists even harder: "I didn't let Xiao Yang go! He and Grandpa made their own decisions!"

Liu Fan asked coldly: "Then why didn't you stop him?"

Lang Zhongming insisted: "I stopped him, he insisted on going!"

Liu Fan shook his head: "Your grandfather didn't tie you up, and secondly, he didn't control you. If you really want to stop it, Xiao Yang will definitely not be the last person standing in the dock."

Lang Zhongming stared at Liu Fan, seeing the persistence of the scholar from the face of this gentle university teacher.

This is something that is rarely seen in the business world. It is not about profit, but about principles.

At this moment, he already knew that he had misunderstood the relationship between Xiao Yang and Liu Fan, and he didn't know what was wrong with him. At that time, he thought it was wrong when he heard that kid say that.

And what Liu Fan said...he agrees in his heart, but he has his own position, and some things can only be admitted in his heart.

Seeing that he was wavering, Liu Fan simply pointed out Lang Zhongming's nature: "You are the kind of person who only chooses ideas that are beneficial to you to consider and arrange things, so you are suitable to be a leader, plus your personal ability and thunderous means It is also very powerful to bring Hongsheng to the level it is today."

"But you didn't know that you got all these achievements by stepping on someone? Or did you ignore it on purpose? Your golden ten years have been full of glory, and you have realized your social value and dignity while working hard. But Xiao Yang What? He went to jail for you, and what did he get?"

"Ten years! The most precious ten years! Have you ever thought about what Xiao Yang would be doing now if you hadn't done those things back then, or if you had stood up and shouldered all these things yourself?"

The more Liu Fan spoke, the more excited he became. Lang Zhongming remained expressionless, but his fists were clenched tighter and tighter.

He really didn't think about it, not because he didn't think about it, but because he didn't dare to think about it.

In the end, he was afraid that one day Xiao Yang would tell him that he "liked" him again, or settle accounts with him, which would put him in an embarrassing dilemma.

Even if the head of the family is single and loitering all his life, he still can't really have anything with a man.

But Xiao Yang's repeated reactions made him unable to understand.

On the one hand, it is a cold verbal response, and on the other hand, it is an eager physical feedback... Xiao Yang told Liu Fan that he was willing to be the scapegoat in order to repay his kindness. Then, in this repayment, is there any feeling for Lang Zhongming...

He didn't know, and didn't dare to think about it.

In this closed office environment, facing Liu Fan who was like a judge, Lang Zhongming said in a low voice: "I'm afraid of being locked up, going to prison, and leaving ugly things on my resume..."

Liu Fan looked at him, there was no sarcasm or understanding on his face, he just looked at him lightly.

Lang Zhongming also seemed to have found a good listener, shaking out all the things that were suppressed in his heart.

"I'm also afraid of Xiao Yang, afraid that he will list all the things he has done for me... for our family, afraid that he will control me..."

"My grandfather is old, my father is gone, my younger brother doesn't know how to do business, and he doesn't like being a businessman... I am the only one in the Ling family who can support the family's business... So I am afraid of many things... When I was young, I thought I could shameless, I stood up for my friends, and then... I became more and more afraid..."

"I wanted too many things, so I was even more restrained... When I was reported by Hongsheng's old shareholders, my heart was like freezing...I...I even thought about killing people...I just didn't dare to stand up Come out and admit that I did these things... Later Xiao Yang stood up for me, and I didn't want him to do this, and I didn't dare to pull him back and stand up by myself..."

"I know that when he comes out ten years later, the problems between us will be more serious. If he wants me to pay what he wants for this, I really dare not pay... I think too much and worry too much. There is no way to give him everything he wants. So I thought at that time, take it easy for a while, and talk about it in ten years, the bridge will be straight from the bow of the ship..."

Lang Zhongming talked a lot, raised his head to look at Xiao Yang's young appearance in the photo, suddenly lost the strength to continue, and sighed inexplicably: "His face...it's a pity..."

Liu Fan didn't know what his last sentence meant, and he didn't want to know Xiao Yang's recent situation, so that he wouldn't be too old to be stimulated.

After all, everyone has something to fear in their hearts, and when they can escape, they will automatically skip it.

Lang Zhongming suddenly stood up.

He had a decision in his heart.

As long as Xiao Yang didn't insist on emotional matters, he wouldn't make things difficult for him.

Lang Zhongming drove back to Hongsheng, Liu Fan continued to stay there to prepare lessons, and the photo on the desk was still reminding him to be careful.

It's just that he is nosy again today, and he doesn't know if it's good or bad.

Lang Zhongming couldn't concentrate all day long, and stayed in the office for a long time after work, only to rush back slowly when he received news from his younger brother urging him to go back for dinner.

When driving the car into the backyard, Xiaofeng was picking up the garbage there, muttering to himself: "Damn Xiao Yang! It's only an MB! What's the big deal! He wants me to help him take out the garbage! He pays me or what? ? Fuck!”

Lang Zhongming frowned, knowing that Xiaofeng and Gong Butler had some prejudice against Xiao Yang because of his overt and secret actions, so he could only stop him: "Xiaofeng."

Xiaofeng saw that Lang Zhongming had returned, and immediately greeted him with a smile on his face, and sweetly called "Master".

Lang Zhongming put on a serious face: "I can say that kind of thing just now but you can't. If I hear it later, I will deduct your bonus."

Xiaofeng is quite sensible, knowing that he was wrong, he just curled his lips to admit his mistake.

Lang Zhongming looked at the child's unwilling apology, but he still couldn't bear it, "chucked" and laughed: "Okay, okay, you should go to the house to rest early, it's been cold these days, why don't you come out to take out the trash Wear more."

Xiaofeng shook his head happily: "Obey!"

Lang Zhongming entered the room with a smile. Lang Zhongjin, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately pulled him to sit down: "Let's eat! I'm going to starve to death!"

After dinner, Lang Zhongming came to the old man's room.

Lang Dewen has never been close to this eldest grandson. At this time, it was not Lang Zhongjin who came in, so he was a little surprised: "What? Is there something wrong in Hongsheng?"

Lang Zhongming didn't know when, the relationship between him and his father became the relationship between him and his grandfather.

The same indifference, only Hongsheng is left as a link.

He's not sure if he's not sitting as general manager anymore, he's still Lang Dewen's grandson.

Just like if he wasn't the person in charge of Hongsheng Future back then, wouldn't he still be considered Lang Quan's son.

Lang Zhongming: "Grandpa, regarding the incident ten years ago, I want to clear Xiao Yang of his crimes."

Lang Dewen froze, then asked in a low voice, "How do you plan to wash?"

Lang Zhongming shook his head: "I haven't thought about it yet, but I promise not to harm Hongsheng..."

Lang Dewen hit the ground hard with his cane: "Shut up!"

Lang Zhongming shut his mouth, and old man Lang Dewen continued to knock on the floor with his cane: "Do you really think I might agree? You are so stupid! If you don't endanger Hongsheng yourself, someone will come to pierce the basket for you! Do you think that Hongsheng has been too peaceful for a long time!?"

Lang Zhongming still wanted to insist: "Grandpa—"

Ying Dewen blushed with anger: "No! If I say no, I won't! No!"

After the old man finished yelling, his chest suddenly heaved violently, the old man firmly supported the crutches with his old hands, and he fell forward all of a sudden.

Lang Zhongming was startled, and hurried to help, and other members of the family also came after hearing the news.

Xiao Yang stood far away, watching the old man who took him in back then unconscious surrounded by a group of juniors.

A man who was once indomitable will also grow old and decay. No matter how important the past is, it will always return to ashes.

What's ahead, just live and wait slowly.