Chapter 39: Crisis of Destruction, a Call to Save a Life
Seeing Jiang Chen walking toward her with unbridled audacity, Wen Ruoxuan felt as though she were sitting on pins and needles, worried that this man would act without regard for the consequences.
"Do you know what you are doing?" she demanded indignantly. "You are completely offending the Wen family, a powerhouse among the elite clans of Haidu! This is a super-family capable of crushing the Chu Group; it is not something a mere minor shareholder like you can stand against!"
If this man weren't a fool, he wouldn't let the Chu Group collapse, nor would he let the fifteen percent stake he held go to waste. She waited for him to come to his senses and apologize to her.
"I don’t even hold the Wen family in high regard, so why would I care about offending them?" Jiang Chen walked up to Wen Ruoxuan and looked down at her with condescension. "If you want to see the Chu Group fall, I will destroy you first. If you don't want to meet your end in Linzhou, get back to Haidu!"
Wen Ruoxuan was so furious that her proud figure seemed ready to burst through her clothes. This man was simply reckless and stupid, but fearing he might strike her again, she could only seethe, "I will make you regret everything you’ve done today!"
"You aren't worth the effort. Get off President Chu’s seat immediately, or don't force me to slap you into next week!" Jiang Chen said with an indifferent expression, kicking the chair to urge her to leave.
"You... just you wait!" Wen Ruoxuan gritted her teeth in rage, but she was forced to rise from the seat. "Jiang Chen, is it? I’ve remembered you! This isn't over!"
She turned and stormed out of the conference room, followed by the female assistant who had been slapped into a concussion by Jiang Chen.
"I’ve remembered you, too," Jiang Chen called out to her retreating back, offering a "kind" reminder. "Next time you want to bite me, remember to bring a dog that can actually take a beating; otherwise, it’s not worth the effort."
Wen Ruoxuan stumbled, nearly falling at the entrance of the conference room. What did he mean by "wanting to bite him"? Did he even know how to speak like a human being? The assistant was trembling with rage; this bastard had gone too far.
The other shareholders, Wang Zeyu and Zhang Qingbo, were shocked. Jiang Chen was far too ferocious; he had even managed to drive Wen Ruoxuan away. They wanted to curry favor with her, but they dared not speak while she was in such a rage.
Chu Yan, meanwhile, felt a sense of relief, though she knew that by offending Wen Ruoxuan so deeply, a bitter feud had been established. Wen Ruoxuan would undoubtedly seek harsh retaliation. In truth, she knew that even if Jiang Chen hadn't offended her, refusing to sell the Chu Group would have led to much the same result.
"Is there anyone else who wants to be Wen Ruoxuan’s dog? If so, hand over your shares in the Chu Group and get out!" Jiang Chen looked at Wang Zeyu, Zhang Qingbo, and the other shareholders, speaking without a shred of politeness. He had no use for shareholders with ulterior motives; he wouldn't mind acquiring all of their stakes.
"Jiang Chen, I don't know why the Chairman transferred his shares to you, but that is no excuse for you to run wild in this company!" Wang Zeyu bit back, turning the tables. "You’ve offended Miss Wen and put the Chu Group in danger of collapse. By stirring up internal strife, you are not just a sinner against the company, but the primary culprit!"
He knew Wen Ruoxuan would eventually swallow the Chu Group; he had no intention of selling his shares. Once the acquisition went through, the stock price would rise, and his stake would double in value.
"President Chu, I strongly suggest you report Jiang Chen’s offense against Miss Wen to the Chairman and have him revoke his shares. Our company absolutely does not need such a black sheep!" Zhang Qingbo, cut from the same cloth as Wang Zeyu, put on a righteous facade as he denounced Jiang Chen to Chu Yan.
"You are traitors selling out the company, and yet you have the nerve to judge others? Who is the real sinner, who is the black sheep—don't you have any self-awareness?" Chu Yan stared coldly at Wang Zeyu and Zhang Qingbo, invoking the authority of a president. "Ask yourselves: do you have a clear conscience, and are you worthy of my grandfather's trust?"
Wang Zeyu and Zhang Qingbo looked uneasy. Without the late Chairman Chu’s trust and cultivation, they would indeed be nothing today. But water flows downward and people seek higher ground; the Chairman was ill, the Chu Group was on the verge of collapse, and they saw no fault in defecting to Wen Ruoxuan. As the saying goes, a wise bird chooses its tree, and a wise subject chooses his lord. With Wen Ruoxuan being the daughter of a prestigious Haidu family, neither Chu Yan nor her grandfather could compare. To them, selling the Chu Group to her was a sound decision.
"President Chu, we have served this company with all our might, only to be slandered like this. It is truly disheartening! I hope you handle this crisis soon and give all the shareholders a satisfactory explanation." Wang Zeyu didn't mention his own betrayal, sighing and shifting the blame to Chu Yan to pressure her into accepting the acquisition. With that, he turned to leave.
"Did I say you could leave?" Jiang Chen’s gaze fell on Wang Zeyu, his voice ice-cold.
"What? Do you really think the Chu Group is your personal fiefdom? Do I need your permission to leave?" Wang Zeyu frowned, warning him, "You can barely save yourself; don't try to act tough in front of us. You should be thinking about how to survive Miss Wen’s wrath!"
Jiang Chen didn't speak; he walked straight toward Wang Zeyu.
"Jiang Chen, don't do anything, let him go!" Chu Yan called out, stopping him. Violence wouldn't solve the problem, even though she felt like hitting them herself.
Hearing Chu Yan, Wang Zeyu remembered that Wen Ruoxuan's assistant had been left bleeding by Jiang Chen's hand. Terrified, he hurried out of the conference room, with Zhang Qingbo and the other shareholders scrambling to follow.
"Bastard!" Chu Yan threw her file onto the table in frustration. Jiang Chen took out his phone and messaged Xiong Wuqiang, ordering an investigation into Wen Ruoxuan’s motives in Linzhou and the private dealings of Wang Zeyu and Zhang Qingbo.
After leaving the Chu Group, Wen Ruoxuan remained the picture of noble elegance until she was inside her car, where her fury erupted.
"Investigate this! I want to see what this Jiang Chen really is!" she shouted from the back seat. "He dares to look down on my Wen family? Even if he’s a dragon in Linzhou, I’ll break his claws!"
"Yes, Miss," her assistant replied respectfully from the driver's seat. She suspected that Jiang Chen must be a martial arts master; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to strike her so easily.
"Go to the Zhao family. Take the 'Heavenly Pavilion' estate," Wen Ruoxuan commanded. Since she had come to Linzhou to expand her influence, the city's finest mansion naturally belonged to her. Only the Heavenly Pavilion was worthy of her status as an heiress of a prestigious family. If the Zhao family hadn't been so deeply rooted in the city, she wouldn't have bothered with the Chu family. Since both were among the five great families of Linzhou and the Zhaos were even more powerful, she would simply start by swallowing the Chu Group first.
At that moment, Jiang Chen received a call on his way through the hallway of the Chu Group. It was from Zhao Tingshan, the head of the Zhao family.
"Mr. Zhao, what can I do for you?" Jiang Chen answered.
"Mr. Jiang, are you free right now? I would like to ask you to come to the Zhao residence to save someone!" Zhao Tingshan’s voice was filled with urgency.
"I’m on my way. Tell me the situation so we don't waste any time," Jiang Chen said, heading toward his car.
"Thank you, Mr. Jiang! Thank you!" Zhao Tingshan was deeply moved. He hadn't expected Jiang Chen to agree so quickly or to be so considerate. Gifting the Heavenly Pavilion to Jiang Chen to secure his favor had truly been the wisest choice!