Xue Yishan was not shocked on receiving the notification of his overseas posting.
During this period, Miss Wen had let him participate fully in the acquisition of the Li Corporation, and he could already guess her intentions. Moreover, there was no one else within the Wen Corporation who was more suitable than him to be sent to Harbor City.
He calmly accepted the transfer.
He recalled how he had taken the first opportunity to approach Miss Wen then and pledge his allegiance to her—and felt very lucky. In this world, not every fine steed could meet its very own Bole. It was his good fortune to have met Wen Xinya.
After their discussion, Wen Xinya patted his shoulder. “For the job at Harbor City, I will hand over complete authority of that side to you. Our headquarters here will do our best to accommodate your work at Harbor City. Don’t pressure yourself too much. Just do your best.”
Xue Yishan replied, “Please don’t worry, Miss Wen. I will not disappoint you and the Chairman.”
That day, Xue Yishan started the handover process of his current tasks, before flying over to Harbor City on the very next afternoon.
——
At the same time, the Wen Corporation had already completely taken over the Li Corporation at the China side. The Li Corporation situation was settled.
It was at this moment that Old Mr. Xiao was discharged from the hospital and held a press conference. He announced that the Xiao Family’s 29% of Xiao Corporation shares would be given to his daughter-in-law Lin Bingchan. From now on, the Xiao Family would completely withdraw from the power struggle for the Xiao Corporation.
This move by the Xiao Family father-son duo had everyone totally stunned.
But the one who was the most shocked was probably Chu Jingnan. The Xiao Family father-son duo’s action had utterly destroyed his campaign to further dilute the Xiao Corporation’s shares and increase his shareholdings of the company so that he could gain control.
He could only stand and watch as his dream, which had been just within his grasp, instantly burst. It was like his goal of controlling the Xiao Corporation had just been the reflection of the moon upon still waters. This dream had turned into a horrific nightmare now.
Xiao Zhiyuan walked slowly to stand in front of him, his eyes full of hatred. “My father wishes to see you.”
Xiao Zhiyuan had always felt rather sorry for Chu Jingnan. So, when the latter had been sent to Country M, Xiao Zhiyuan had instructed his friends over there to discreetly take care of him. Otherwise, how could Chu Jingnan have ascended to such a prestigious position on Country M’s Wall Street in such a short period of time?
It could not be denied that Chu Jingnan was capable and ambitious, but how many capable and ambitious young people traveled to Country M every year, in hopes of making something of themselves? And how many actually managed to succeed?
Apart from one’s own capabilities, a Country Z citizen needed outside resources in order to gain a stable foothold in Country M.
But he never expected for Chu Jingnan to be such an evil wolf in disguise. He coveted the Xiao Family business, caused Chengyu’s death and Old Mr. Xiao’s ill health, and drove the Xiao Family into such dire straits.
Chu Jingnan smiled scornfully. “Oh, so he finally wishes to see me!”
Previously, when he had been cast aside for being Xiao Zhiyuan’s illegitimate son, this pompous old man had refused to meet him.
Thereafter, when he had gotten ownership of those stocks and made his way into the Xiao Corporation, this legendary boss figure of the Xiao Family also refused to meet him.
All these years when he had been suppressing Xiao Zhiyuan and gathering power within the Xiao Corporation, this Old Mr. Xiao still refused to meet him.
Now that he was destined to fail, he was finally going to meet him.
How utterly ridiculous.
“Mr. Chu, I hope that you are well!”
Old Mr. Xiao was sitting in a wheelchair. Formerly in robust health, he was now haggard and frail after his heart-wrenching loss and the torment of illness. He gave off an aura of death.
“I wonder what Old Mr. Xiao wants with me?”
Chu Jingnan’s tone was rather impolite. This old man exuded authority and his gaze was full of oppression. It made Chu Jingnan feel very fretful.
He somewhat regretted coming over to meet him.
“I just wanted to meet the culprit behind the Xiao Family’s demise before I die.”
Old Mr. Xiao’s worn, murky eyes were fixed on Chu Jingnan. Even his drooping eyelids couldn’t mask the sharp light shooting right at Chu Jingnan. It was as if he could see right through him.
He had seen Chu Jingnan multiple times before.
But this was the first time he had requested to meet him.
Chu Jingnan looked grim. “What do you want?”
He never knew a person’s gaze could actually possess such a terrifying power and intensity. It was like a sharp knife that could deal a slow and lingering death. Chu Jingnan felt an unstoppable sense of dread and fear.
At the same time, he couldn’t deny that he had underestimated this Old Mr. Xiao and the entire Xiao Family all this while.
Old Mr. Xiao calmly retrieved his gaze and asked in a harsh voice, “My grandson Xiao Chengyu—were you the one who caused his death?”
In the blink of an eye, many years had passed since Chengyu’s death. All these years, he had never given up the investigation into his murderer. He wished to seek justice for Chengyu, but they failed to dredge out any leads.
By now, he had already reconciled himself to the fact that they would never know.
He was asking Chu Jingnan just to seek some kind of closure.
Chu Jingnan’s expression changed. His pupils narrowed and he went on high alert. “I think you must be going senile. The Xiao Family’s Young Master died in a car accident. What has that got to do with me?”
The back of Chu Jingnan’s shirt was now soaked through with sweat. He was extremely anxious and tightly wound up.
This verbal sparring with Old Mr. Xiao was very stressful for Chu Jingnan. When Old Mr. Xiao had asked about Xiao Chengyu’s death, the usually calm and collected Chu Jingnan nearly lost control and blurted out the truth.
Luckily he had quick reflexes and managed to suppress his rather unruly emotions.
But how could he hope to conceal his turbulent state of mind from this old man who had lived for over 80 years? Old Mr. Xiao shut his eyes, his face a cold, hard mask. “Whether or not it has anything to do with you, you yourself know best. My Chengyu died a wrongful death, but the heavens are just and I believe those who are responsible will receive their retribution one day.”
Old Mr. Xiao looked somewhat drained and dispirited at the end of his little speech.
Chu Jingnan smirked. “In that case, why did you ask me to come to meet you?”
Retribution?
Ha! The heavens only helped those who helped themselves.
All he wanted were the things that should have belonged to him in the first place. Where was the wrong in that?
He had indeed been involved with Xiao Chengyu’s death, but the one who had actually done the deed was Xia Ruya, not him.
Old Mr. Xiao smirked. “I asked you over to personally tell you that I built up the Xiao Corporation with my own two hands. The company will go to whoever I wish to give it to. For anyone else scheming to get his hands on the company, he will just end up with a handful of empty air.”
Chu Jingnan stood affixed to the ground in a daze. He watched on as Xiao Zhiyuan pushed his father away, their departing profile gradually going further and further away. His carefully concealed sense of inferiority was laughing at him now, mocking at how all his plotting and scheming had been for nothing.
