Chapter 884 - 884: Reply Not Granted
Ye Qing certainly wouldn't bother with Old Wang Ba; all of this was a fabrication to deceive Old Wang Ba. This old fellow often tricked others, so today he should have a taste of his own medicine.
In any case, Ye Qing went upstairs to sleep, whether or not Old Wang Ba could sleep tonight was not Ye Qing's concern. This sleep was particularly restful for Ye Qing.
Early the next morning, Ye Qing was awakened by a call from Liu Changping, informing him that the provincial committee meeting would be held today. Zhou Bolong had made the utmost effort and secured all the votes he could, but the final outcome was left to fate. This was because several key figures in the committee had not made their stances clear, and the outcome would depend on their attitudes.
Receiving this news, the tension and unease Ye Qing had felt over the past few days dissipated, replaced by a sense of relief. The event was like a judgment for him, and he had worried about it every day until today. Now that the day had finally arrived, he was not so anxious anymore. Whatever the outcome, Ye Qing had done his best; now all was left to fate. Regardless, even if the orphanage couldn't get provincial approval, Ye Qing would still do his best to arrange for the children to be transferred to the orphanages in Shenchuan City so he could still take care of them.
In the morning, Ye Qing first visited the orphanage, where construction continued. Although it was uncertain whether the orphanage would continue, there had been no stoppage in work for even a day. Because if the orphanage were approved, Ye Qing must complete the construction before the weather turned coldest, to provide a home for the children.
Principal Wu Yian also stood at the gate. He had quite a few friends in the province and knew that the meeting had started. His expression was very grave, as the outcome of this meeting would decide whether the orphanage could continue operating.
Seeing Ye Qing, Wu Yian sighed. He, who rarely smoked, unusually pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and offered one to Ye Qing. Ye Qing shook his head but didn't stop him, aware that Principal Wu Yian had poured even more heart and soul into this orphanage than he had. Although Ye Qing was the founder of the orphanage, for Wu Yian, it was as precious as life itself. If the orphanage couldn't gain approval, the most heartbroken wouldn't be Ye Qing, nor the naive children, but this old principal!
Wu Yian placed the cigarette to his lips and tried to light it with a lighter but failed due to trembling hands. Finally, with a soft sigh, he removed the cigarette and tucked it back into the packet, then turned to look back at the orphanage, whispering, "The kids don't know anything yet, I haven't told them about this."
"It's better this way!" Ye Qing nodded and said, "Today will decide everything. If we truly can't keep them, then there's nothing we can do. If we can keep them, then there's no need to worry them about this matter."
Wu Yian nodded in agreement. Having been here for such a long time, his attitude towards Ye Qing had changed from initial awe and fawning to current respect and acknowledgment. Initially, he thought Ye Qing was a gang leader with many followers, doing charity for peace of mind, and he approached Ye Qing merely to ride on his coattails for the children's education. However, after a long time here, his view of Ye Qing had changed a lot. This principal, who had never respected anyone in his life, held respect only for Ye Qing!
The two stood at the gate, watching the children playing together in the yard, no longer speaking. They were waiting for news from the province, as if waiting for the judgment of fate.
After standing at the gate for nearly two hours, Ye Qing's phone finally rang. Checking the caller ID, the person on the other end was Liu Changping.
A sense of dread filled Ye Qing's heart; he knew the results were in. And this phone call would declare the verdict for the orphanage. Or rather, it was the announcement of his own verdict.
Taking a deep breath, Ye Qing answered the phone, murmuring, "Uncle Liu."
There was no reply from the other end; Liu Changping seemed to be silent as well. This silence only increased Ye Qing's anxiety. The longer Liu Changping remained silent, the more dangerous the situation seemed.
After a long while, Liu Changping finally sighed and said softly, "The provincial committee's discussion results are out, the orphanage's approval did not go through!"
Ye Qing fell silent too, looking at the children playing in the yard and sinking into a state of despondency. Despite preparing for any possible outcome, actually receiving this news was still somewhat unbearable.
"Ye Qing, I know you've invested a lot into this. But now that the decision has been made, there's no need to dwell on it," consoled Liu Changping, knowing Ye Qing's feelings, "The province has decided to arrange the children's futures, and the person in charge is a friend of Old Zhou. I think the children will still be placed in the orphanages on the Shenchuan side, and you can visit them anytime."
Ye Qing nodded to the phone, seemingly forgetting that Liu Changping on the other end couldn't see him nodding.
"Ye Qing, are you still there? Can you hear me speaking?" Seeing Ye Qing not speaking, Liu Changping grew somewhat anxious and said, "Ye Qing, I know you've put so much effort into these children, and I also know how much you want to build the orphanage. But this is the provincial government's decision; the matter has been settled, and you shouldn't entertain other ideas. Now that the province has made a decision, please don't do anything foolish!"
"I know!" Finally, Ye Qing replied, his voice low with a hint of hoarseness and unwillingness, "Uncle Liu, thank you for this matter!"
Hearing the tone of Ye Qing's voice, Liu Changping also felt very heavy-hearted. He sighed and said, "The matter of starting a private orphanage really doesn't have a precedent in our country. However, regarding this incident, we will report it to our superiors. Maybe, after a few years, if the country permits the opening of such private orphanages, you will be able to take those children back once again. Either way, you've already done a lot for the children. In life, the most important thing is to be true to oneself; the outcome isn't the most important thing."
Ye Qing understood what Liu Changping was saying, but having adopted these children for so long, he had already developed a bond with them. Moreover, it was for these children's sake that he had come this far. How could it be easy for him to let go at this time?
Wu Yian watched Ye Qing nervously from the side, and although the expression on Ye Qing's face told him mostly what had transpired, without hearing it from Ye Qing himself, he was still unwilling to believe it, because he truly couldn't accept it!
Having waited with difficulty until Ye Qing put down the phone, Wu Yian grabbed Ye Qing's arm in a rush, asking urgently, "Boss Ye, what's the... what's the situation? Has there been a message from the province?"
Looking at the anxious expression on the old principal's face, Ye Qing didn't know how to respond. The orphanage had not received approval, and Principal Wu Yian was likely the most heartbroken. However, since the matter had already been decided, even if Ye Qing didn't answer, how long could it possibly be kept a secret?
Ye Qing slowly shook his head, and the color drained from Wu Yian's face—his original anxiousness and unwillingness gradually turned into an expression of near despair and sorrow. He retreated a few steps back in defeat, shaking his head while muttering to himself, "How could this be? How could this be? How could this be? We are doing good deeds, charitable deeds, so why won't the province allow others to do good? What has become of this society where criminals go unchecked, and yet someone trying to do good is prohibited?"
While muttering, Wu Yian continued to slowly retreat, looking almost hysterical.
Seeing him like this, Ye Qing grew concerned. He took a few steps forward, and said in a low voice, "Principal Wu, Principal Wu, what's wrong with you?"
Wu Yian seemed not to hear Ye Qing, continuing to retreat and muttering incessantly. At first, his words were logical, but as he went on, his speech became disordered, as if he were going mad.
Ye Qing was alarmed; clearly, Wu Yian was somewhat collapsing from the shock. He hurriedly ran over, attempting to intercept Wu Yian. However, before he could catch up, Wu Yian tripped over a stone and tumbled to the ground, falling hard and ending up lying there with a gash on the back of his head, bleeding profusely.
"Principal Wu!" Ye Qing shouted in alarm, rushing over to help Wu Yian up. However, Wu Yian had already passed out, with fresh blood oozing from the back of his head where it had split open.
"Principal Wu! Principal Wu!" Ye Qing called out in horror several times, but Wu Yian showed no sign of response. Without hesitation, Ye Qing placed his hands on the top and back of Wu Yian's head, channeling his Inner Strength into him. This method from the Acupoint Seeking Technique was recorded as being able to stimulate the Life Force and was very effective.
Previously, when Ye Qing was unable to perform Internal Energy Release, he was unable to do this. But now that he could channel Internal Energy Release, Ye Qing was able to use this method to stimulate the Life Force.
Under the flow of Ye Qing's Inner Strength, Wu Yian indeed slowly came to. However, his gaze became vacant and his entire person seemed to lose his spirit, just sitting on the ground with no response no matter how much Ye Qing called to him.
At that moment, the staff inside the orphanage also ran over and hurried to assist. Approximately twenty minutes later, an ambulance rushed to the scene and took Wu Yian to the hospital.
"Boss Ye, what happened to Principal Wu?" Huang Fulin stood next to Ye Qing, looking at the departing ambulance and asked in surprise, "Principal Wu is in good health, and just now he looked like he might have suffered a stroke. Was he shocked by something?"
Ye Qing sighed, Huang Fulin didn't know what had happened yet, and neither did those inside the orphanage; the orphanage was about to close down. But how should Ye Qing announce this to them?