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In the conference room at the Wu Group headquarters, Wu Dengke, dressed in a sharp suit with neat short hair, swept his sharp eyes over the executives present.

"Gentlemen, several companies have expressed interest in acquiring the Calponia mine." He then tapped on the documents on the table, abandoning his usual frivolous demeanor. "These include the Li Group, Nanyang Capital, and even several overseas funds."

CFO Liu Zhiming narrowed his eyes: "Chairman Wu, didn't you say before that you wanted to save the Wu Group? Why the sudden change..."

Wu Dengke sneered: "Director Liu, you know better than I do what's going on with the Wu Group right now. Banks are pressing for repayment, the stock price is plummeting. If we don't find a way to save ourselves, we'll all be waiting to be liquidated!"

There was dead silence in the conference room.

Vice President Zhang Mingyuan tentatively looked at Wu Dengke and asked, "Then... what about Kyushu Group? Aren't they interested in the Calponia mining area?"

Wu Dengke scoffed, "Suning? He's just looking for a bargain; his offer is ridiculously low!"

He stood up and straightened his cuffs. "I've already arranged to meet Wei Jinghai tomorrow. The Li Group is willing to pay at least a 20% premium."

The executives exchanged glances, none of them noticing the faint smile on Wu Dengke's lips as he turned away.

Wu Dengke now hates these Wu Group executives to the core. They keep talking about the Wu Group's sentiments, but secretly they are illicit and depraved men and women.

……

In the Li Group's reception room, Wei Jinghai personally poured Wu Dengke a cup of tea.

"Chairman Wu, I heard you've met with quite a few investors lately?" Wei Jinghai's smile was warm, but his eyes were sharp as knives.

Wu Dengke picked up his teacup, his expression calm: "Yes! Wu's Calponia mine is a hot commodity now, everyone wants a piece of it."

"Including Kyushu Group?"

"Hmph! Suning is too stingy. Their offer is far too low, and their arrogant attitude is really making me uncomfortable." Wu Dengke feigned dissatisfaction. "If President Wei is sincere, why not offer a price that satisfies me?"

Wei Jinghai stared at Wu Dengke for a few seconds, then suddenly burst into laughter: "Chairman Wu is indeed straightforward! However..."

He lowered his voice, "Are you sure Kyushu Group really hasn't made any moves? I've heard that someone is quietly acquiring Wu Group's shares in the market."

Woodenko's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't show it on his face: "Oh? Who's so bold?"

Wei Jinghai, failing to detect any flaws, changed the subject: "Perhaps they're just small investors! Come on, let's talk about the acquisition details..."

"it is good."

The negotiations between Wei Jinghai and Wu Dengke went very smoothly, but Wei Jinghai still felt that something was not quite right.

Feeling uneasy, Wei Jinghai sought out Cheng Jianjun, because Cheng Jianjun had always been his inside man.

"President Cheng, what's the deal with your chairman?"

"Childish! They felt Suning was too arrogant, so they turned around and replaced him in a fit of anger."

"Oh? It really isn't a trap set by the Kyushu Group?"

"Impossible! Mr. Wei, I can assure you that the Wu Group and the Kyushu Group have absolutely no connection."

"In that case, I can't agree too readily; I need to at least negotiate a better price."

"Uh? Mr. Wei, isn't this a bit inappropriate?"

"Don't worry, Mr. Cheng, you won't be shortchanged on any of the benefits you're entitled to."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Wei."

……

Late at night, at a private club.

Wu Dengke pushed a document to Suning: "President Su, this is another 3% stake we acquired today. We now secretly control 42%."

Suning flipped through the shareholder register and asked, "What about the shares held by executives like Cheng Jianjun, Liu Zhiming, and Zhang Mingyuan?"

"We've already arranged for someone to make contact, but their asking price is very high."

“It doesn’t matter.” Su Ning couldn’t help but sneer. “Once Kyushu Group officially announces the acquisition, their stock will plummet even further.”

"..." At this moment, Wu Dengke showed a complicated expression. After all, the Wu Group was his father's life's work.

Su Ning noticed Wu Dengke's unusual behavior: "Wu Dengke, are you really determined to let go completely?"

Wu Dengke looked out at the night sky and said softly, "The Wu family business that my father left behind has long been hollowed out by these people. Rather than letting it rot in my hands, I'd rather you and Kyushu carry out a major purge."

"That's impressive! You can come to me if you encounter any difficulties in the future."

"Thank you, Mr. Su."

……

On the top floor of the Kyushu Building, the secretary hurriedly entered Su Ning's office: "Mr. Su, Ms. Cai Yanzhi requests a meeting."

Su Ning raised an eyebrow: "Yang Qingdi's widow?"

He closed the acquisition documents for the Wu family. "Please invite her in."

"Yes, Mr. Su."

Cai Yanzhi's husband, Yang Qingdi, was a business tycoon in the south who built a vast business empire and was powerful in industries such as logistics, shipping and ports.

Once Yang Qingdi died, the vast commercial empire fell into the hands of Cai Yanzhi.

Cai Yanzhi walked in with a calm and composed gait, her aura no less impressive than that of any business tycoon.

"President Su, I've heard so much about you." She smiled slightly. "Please forgive my intrusion."

Su Ning gestured for her to sit down: "President Cai has come in person, surely not just for tea?"

Cai Yanzhi didn't beat around the bush: "President Su, I heard that Kyushu Group is acquiring the Wu family?"

Su Ning smiled but didn't answer, instead pouring her a cup of tea: "President Cai, are you also interested in mining?"

"No! I'm just asking for someone else."

"Be careful when making friends! Otherwise, it could be very dangerous."

Cai Yanzhi looked at Su Ning with a surprised expression and asked, "President Su, have you guessed who I'm helping?"

"Is it Wei Jinghai from the Li Group?" Su Ning asked dismissively, directly pointing out the mastermind behind the scenes.

"It seems that it's really impressive that you've built such a large business, Mr. Su."

"Wei Jinghai has been using the Li Group to his advantage, which is common knowledge. Only the Li family is foolish enough not to realize it."

The two exchanged words, seemingly casual conversation, but in reality, every sentence was a test.

Surprisingly, the conversation turned out to be surprisingly congenial.

Before leaving, Cai Yanzhi said meaningfully, "President Su, the business world is like a battlefield. Sometimes it's better to have one more friend than one more enemy."

Suning stood up to see him off: "President Cai is right. I hope we will have the opportunity to cooperate."

"Most definitely."

Three days later, the stock price of the Wu Group suddenly fluctuated, with a large number of buy orders flooding the market.

Wei Jinghai slammed down the phone: "Investigate! Find out immediately who's buying up all this stuff!"

At the same time, Wu Dengke received a call from Qi Dongcao: "Chairman Wu, President Su asked me to inform you that trading will be suspended tomorrow to announce the acquisition."

Wu Dengke breathed a sigh of relief and looked at his father's photo: "Dad, the Wu family... is finally saved, and it's a true rebirth."

At the Haicheng Wharf, Cai Yanzhi stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, listening to her subordinates report on the Wu family's unusual movements, and smiled slightly: "Su Ning, this underhanded move was truly brilliant."

……

Financial Headline: Kyushu Group Completes Acquisition of 68% Stake in Wu's Group, Officially Entering the Global Mining Market!

Wei Jinghai slammed the newspaper onto his desk, his face turning ashen.

"Suning! You fucking tricked me!"

He suddenly grabbed the teacup and smashed it against the wall, sending shards of porcelain flying everywhere.

The assistant stood nervously at the door, not daring to approach.

"President Wei, what should we do now? The Wu family's Calponia mine has already fallen to Kyushu, what about our plans..."

Wei Jinghai's eyes turned sinister: "Investigate! How did Kyushu Group manage to take over the Wu family in such a short time? And what exactly did that good-for-nothing Wu Dengke do with Suning?"

The assistant whispered, "I heard that... Woodenko and his mother secretly sold 35% of the shares to Suning a long time ago, and the remaining shares were acquired in batches through offshore companies."

Wei Jinghai clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking.

For the first time, he realized that Suning's methods were even more ruthless than Zhao Xin's!
……

Lakeside teahouse in Shanghai.

Cai Yanzhi skillfully prepared tea, and amidst the rising steam, she looked up at Su Ning across from her.

"President Su, congratulations on taking over the Wu family." She chuckled. "Well done."

Suning picked up his teacup and said calmly, "It's just business; there's no war involved."

Cai Yanzhi leaned forward slightly, her tone tentative: "President Su, are you interested in taking this further?"

"Oh? What advice does Mr. Cai have?"

“The Nanshan Chamber of Commerce is having a closed-door meeting next month, and I can recommend you to attend.” She parted her red lips slightly. “With the size of the Jiuzhou Group, entering the core circle of the financial industry is only a matter of time.”

The Nanshan Chamber of Commerce is China's top financial capital alliance, controlling trillions of yuan in capital flows. Its members are all business giants in the south.

However, Suning simply smiled and put down his teacup.

“Mr. Cai, I’m a businessman. I only do business that is permitted by policy.” He said calmly. “Let’s forget about forming cliques.”

A hint of surprise flashed in Cai Yanzhi's eyes: "President Su, in this industry, you can't go far by going it alone."

“Is that so?” Su Ning’s gaze was deep. “But I think that if you get involved in certain circles, you really won’t go far.”

Cai Yanzhi paused for a moment, then chuckled softly, "President Su is indeed extraordinary."

She said no more, but she already understood in her heart—Su Ning didn't not want to enter the circle, but rather she disdained it!

Or perhaps they have too deep an understanding of the traditional Chinese social hierarchy of "scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants," and their tendency to jump between different social classes always angers the real bigwigs.

……

The Li Group, late at night.

Wei Jinghai stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a confidential document in his hand.

"Since Suning wants to monopolize everything, then don't blame me for being ruthless!"

He dialed an overseas number: "Start 'Operation Shark Hunt,' I'm going to cut off Kyushu's funding chain overseas!"

A deep voice responded from the other end of the phone: "Mr. Wei, are you sure you want to do this? Suning is not someone to be trifled with."

"What's there to be afraid of?" Wei Jinghai sneered. "No matter how powerful he is, can he fight against international capital?"

After hanging up the phone, he turned to his assistant and ordered, "Contact the media and release the news that Kyushu's acquisition of the Wu family involved insider trading!"

Shanghai cruise terminal, private yacht. Cai Yanzhi leans against the railing, the sea breeze ruffling her long hair.

Behind him, a trusted subordinate whispered a report:
"President Cai, Wei Jinghai has already taken action. He has contacted foreign capital and is preparing to target Kyushu's overseas projects."

Cai Yanzhi narrowed her eyes: "As expected, you couldn't hold back."

Should we intervene?

She pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "No rush! Let's see how Suning responds first."

The subordinate hesitated, saying, "But if Kyushu Group collapses, Wei Jinghai's next target might be our dock business..."

"Fall?" Cai Yanzhi chuckled. "Do you think Suning will fall so easily?"

She gazed at the distant horizon where the sea and sky met, and murmured to herself:

"This man is much more difficult to deal with than Yang Qingdi..."

……

Shanghai, Chongming Island.

Cai Yanzhi pushed a list in front of Suning: "The main members of the Nanshan Chamber of Commerce are all here. If you want to gain a foothold in the financial field, Hangzhou is the best springboard."

Su Ning glanced at it and smiled faintly: "I'm a little flattered by President Cai's enthusiasm."

Cai Yanzhi took a sip of tea, her gaze deep and thoughtful: "I'm not helping you, I'm helping myself."

"Oh? What do you say?"

“Wei Jinghai has already started to make his move against you,” she said softly. “The disappearance of fifteen tons of cargo is just the beginning; he has bigger plans for the high seas.”

Su Ning's expression remained unchanged: "So, President Cai suggested that I go to Hangzhou because he wanted me to join forces with the Nanshan Chamber of Commerce?"

“No.” Cai Yanzhi shook her head. “I want you to see clearly who the real enemy is.”

"President Cai, as the saying goes, it is hardest to resist the kindness of a beautiful woman. I am very touched by your favor."

"Haha, little brother, you wouldn't be interested in someone as plain as me."

"How can you know the joy of a fish if you are not a fish?"

"..."

Faced with Suning's extremely aggressive gaze, even the strong woman couldn't help but feel overwhelmed.

Then, Cai Yanzhi not only tried her best to introduce the Nanshan Chamber of Commerce to Suning, but also recommended that Suning visit economic expert Jiang Zongxiang.

……

The ancient study at Shanghai Sanjiang College is filled with the fragrance of ink.

Despite his white hair, Jiang Zongxiang was still very energetic. He picked up a brush and wrote four large characters on the Xuan paper: "Uphold righteousness and seek innovation".

“Young man, finance is like a game of chess. It may seem ever-changing, but in reality, it all boils down to the same principle.” He handed the words to Su Ning. “It’s good that you can guard your own boundaries, but sometimes, you also need to use unconventional methods to win.”

Su Ning accepted the gift with both hands and said respectfully, "Thank you for your guidance, Elder Jiang."

Jiang Zongxiang suggested that Suning should make its mark in the financial field, since knowledge must always be gained through practice.

Jiang Zongxiang seemed to greatly admire Su Ning and was pleased that he adhered to his boundaries, so he took the initiative to write an inscription for him.

Just then, the study door was pushed open, and a young woman dressed in an elegant long dress walked in.

"Grandpa, I'm back." Her voice was cool, but she paused slightly when she saw Su Ning.

Jiang Zongxiang introduced with a smile: "This is my granddaughter, Jiang Tanle. Tanle, this is Suning from Kyushu Group."

Jiang Tanle's gaze was complex: "I've heard so much about you."

She currently works as an English teacher at Shanghai Sanjiang University, and naturally had long heard of the world-renowned Suning.

Su Ning nodded in acknowledgment and was about to take his leave when Jiang Zongxiang suddenly said, "Mr. Su, do you know how to play Go? Would you like to play a game with this old man?"

"it is good."

Seeing the close game between Su Ning and his grandfather Jiang Zongxiang, Jiang Tanle couldn't help but pay special attention to Su Ning.

……

In the dimly lit warehouse, Chen Zhuhe knelt on the ground, trembling all over.

"Mr. Wei, I really didn't steal the goods! I wouldn't dare even if I had ten lives!"

Wei Jinghai slowly picked up a hemp rope and dipped it into the alcohol barrel: "Fifteen tons of goods, worth three hundred million, someone has to take responsibility."

He lit the lighter, and the flame shot up the rope with a "whoosh" as he slowly handed it to Chen Zhuhe.

"Hold on tight."

Chen Zhuhe watched in horror as the flames approached his hand, finally breaking down in tears: "President Wei, spare me! I..."

"Chen Zhuhe, I can give you another chance, but you have to go and work on the next shipment! You'll have to stay on the high seas for three months!"

"No problem! Thank you, Mr. Wei! Thank you, Mr. Wei."

Wei Jinghai sneered and flung the rope away: "Remember! This time you will personally escort the 'Sea Dragon.' If there are any problems again..."

He didn't finish speaking, but Chen Zhuhe was already so frightened that he collapsed to the ground.

……

Late at night, at the Jiang family villa.

Jiang Tanle sat in front of the piano, his fingers unconsciously pressing the keys, but no sound was made.

"Are you really sure?" Jiang Zongxiang stood at the door, his brows furrowed.

"Hmm," Jiang Tanle said softly, "If he can even abandon his initial passion for chess, then what's the point of our marriage?"

Jiang Zongxiang sighed, "You're just too stubborn."

Jiang Tanle looked up, a determined glint in his eyes: "Grandpa, I want to ask Su Ning for help."

"Oh?"

"Tomorrow, I want him to play a game of chess with Lin Peng."

"what?"

It turns out that Jiang Tanle was unhappy that her boyfriend Lin Peng gave up being a chess player to pursue a career in finance, and their relationship was growing increasingly strained.

Despite Jiang Tanle's efforts to convince herself that Lin Peng was the most suitable marriage partner, she still felt that marriage could not exist without love, so he disappointed her by giving up chess for his career.

Despite Lin Peng's efforts to persuade him to stay, Jiang Tanle felt utterly exhausted and decided to make a bet with him.

Next, there will be a game of chess. If he wins, he will do his best to be a good wife; if she wins, they can only be friends.

After hearing Jiang Tanle's words, Lin Peng had no choice but to agree.

That's why Jiang Tanle took the initiative to find Su Ning and asked him to help him play chess with Lin Peng, telling him to do his best.

"Miss Jiang, why should I help you?"

"You...what do you want?"

"You should say what you can give me."

"..." The look in Su Ning's eyes naturally made Jiang Tanle understand Su Ning's intention.

"Sure! As long as you can defeat Lin Peng, I can grant your request."

"Three years!"

"what?"

"Within three years, you belong to me! After three years, you are free to come and go."

"Hmph! Don't you think you're being too greedy?"

"There's no other way! This is my only condition."

"..." At this moment, Jiang Tanle stared at Su Ning with a face full of anger, but in the end, he had no choice but to agree, "Okay! I agree."

Then, under Jiang Tanle's arrangement, Su Ning and Lin Peng chose a chess-playing website.

……

The following morning, a special match quietly began on the Go platform.

The viewing room was packed with chess enthusiasts. Everyone knew that this was a duel between Lin Peng, a rising star in the financial industry, and a mysterious master.

Lin Peng sat silently in front of the computer, feeling very sad. He felt that he had given his lover the best life, but in the end, he was abandoned by her. He couldn't understand why.

In the opening, Lin Peng launched a fierce attack, and Su Ning's white pieces were constantly restrained, causing the spectators to shake their heads in disapproval.
"The skill gap is just too big!"

"White is about to be killed!"

Jiang Tanle's best friend was broadcasting the game live, and she nervously gripped her phone: "Tanle, Lin Peng is leading by too much..."

Jiang Tanle simply looked out the window quietly and said softly, "Wait a little longer."

In the middle game, just as Black was about to secure the victory, Suning suddenly made a move...

"What... what kind of move is this?" The spectator room erupted in an uproar.

Lin Peng stared at the screen, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

The originally tight encirclement was torn open by this one move!
The most critical thing is that he has now lost his train of thought...

At this moment, his friend Mu Qingyuan frowned and reminded him, "Shoot out! Quickly!"

But Lin Peng slowly stood up and walked to the window.

He suddenly understood something.

"Qingyuan, finish this game for me."

After Mu Qingyuan took over, Black regained the upper hand, and victory seemed imminent...

In the endgame, Suning's white pieces suddenly retreated to advance, launching a series of ingenious counterattacks that trapped and killed the large black group!
The spectator room erupted in chaos:

"It's a comeback! White has won!"

"Who is this person?"

Mu Qingyuan asked in the chat box in shock, "Who are you, sir?"

A moment later, the other party replied:

"The master of picking up girls."

...(End of chapter)