Page 7 of Worth Fighting For

Ma levels her gaze at me. “There is a reason that your father has managed to build a successful firm from the ground up, despite people like Richard Foreman trying their best to take him down at every turn, and you’d do well to remember that, Mulan. You don’t know everything. Do your due diligence, and do it with an open mind. Do not let Baba down.”

I lower my head, feeling chastened.

“I’m sorry,” Ma says, tucking a finger under my chin. “I didn’t mean to be so harsh on you. The thought of something happening to your father…”

Just then, the doors to the operating theater swing open and the surgeon walks out. We stand, clinging to each other.

“Mrs. Hua?” she says, slipping her mask down.

Ma nods. “How is he?”

“Stabilized,” the surgeon says.

It feels as though my limbs have turned to water. “Thank god.”

“But he did have a heart attack and we did have to perform an emergency angioplasty, so his recovery will take a while. And he really needs to take things easy from now on. No stress, seriously.” Though the surgeon can’t be older than forty, she looks so stern that we all nod like children being told off. “He’ll be taken to the ward in a bit. You’ll be able to see him then, but only for a short while. He needs to rest.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” I say, and turn to give Ma and Mushu a big hug.

Baba looks so painfully small and pale that I have to pinch the back of my thigh to keep from sobbing when I finally get to talk to him. “Ba.”

He looks up from Ma, and though his smile is tired, his eyes are as bright and twinkly as ever as he takes me in. “Hi, Baby Cheeks.” Baby Cheeks is a nickname he gave me when I was a toddler, and it stuck the moment I screamed,I’m not a baby and that’s a stupid name!

“Hi, old man.” I stand next to him and stroke his arm. “How’re you doing?”

“Oh, you know, pretty uneventful day. Had a bagel, followed by a heart attack, but I understand I’m about to be given some Jell-O, so all in all I’d say the day’s looking up.”

“Ba,” I groan.

“I have to say, Uncle,” Mushu pipes up, “for someone who’s just had heart surgery, you’re looking very perky.”

“And handsome, I hope?”

“Oh yeah, totally banging.”

I spot the look that Ma is giving me, and clear my throat. I need to reassure him quick, before the nurse throws us out of the room. “Hey, so, Ba, we need you to take things easy while you recover. So please don’t worry about work.”

He grimaces. “The meeting with Wutai Gold tomorrow—”

“I’ll handle it,” I say quickly. “Don’t worry about it.”

Ma gives me a small nod and raises her eyebrows, a clear indication for me to keep going.

“I’ll do the due diligence with them, and don’t worry, Ba, I will do it with an open mind. I know how much this buyout means to you. I promise you I won’t let my own bias get in the way.”

“No, don’t—”

Whatever Ba is about to say is interrupted by the arrival of the nurse, who says, “Hellooo! Time for you to rest, Mr. Hua. We’re under very strict doctor’s orders to minimize stress, so everyone out, please, thank you.” Though her tone is friendly, it’s also clear that there will be no discussion about staying another few minutes.

In the rush, it’s all I can do to plant a quick kiss on Ba’s forehead before I am ushered out of the room. We all stand in the hallway for a second, slightly stunned at how fast we’ve been thrown out.

“I was really hoping I’d be able to get a bit more info about Wutai Gold out of him before we were asked to leave,” I moan. At the expression on Ma’s face, I add, “I know, I know, no shoptalk.”

“Just go through his emails or something,” Mushu says.

Ma shrugs. “Not a bad idea. I don’t think your father would mind, especially since the meeting is tomorrow. The password is our wedding anniversary plus my birth date.”

“Aww, Auntie Li, that is the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard,” Mushu says. “But also the least secure email password. Anniversary and birth dates are the first things a hacker would try to break into your account. You guys really need a lesson on cybersecurity.”

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