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The sorrowful rain, like silver threads, slanted across the sky above the cemetery; perhaps even the heavens felt sorry for Fan Longquan.

This also indirectly shows that good people can't get by in the business world; sooner or later, they will be swallowed up by the greed of others.

For example, will the desires of the executives at Fanlong Group be truly satisfied?

Just like Xiao Liu, who was a driver, was appointed as General Manager Liu by Fan Longquan, but would this General Manager Liu really be loyal to Fan Longquan?

Therefore, Fan Longquan and Zhao Xin are two extremes. Zhao Xin has mastered the art of manipulating human nature and scheming, while Fan Longquan is overly idealistic and naive.

Cai Yanzhi stood in front of Fan Longquan's tombstone, holding a plain black umbrella.

Water droplets condensed on the bluish-gray stone tablet meandered down, much like the tears that man had never shed in his life.

"Brother Fan, you were a good man. I hope you have a safe journey! Su Ning will definitely take good care of your wife and children." She traced the inscription on the tombstone with her fingertips, but suddenly froze when she heard footsteps behind her.

The figure of Li Minxian, with his white hair and holding a white chrysanthemum, emerged from the rain and mist.

Their eyes met across the distance, and the water droplets dripping from the edge of the umbrellas exploded into tiny splashes on the bluestone slab.

"You...you are Yang Qingdi's betrothed?"

"A wife is a wife! Whether she's married into the family or not is not important."

"..." Li Minxian placed the bouquet in front of Fan Longquan's tomb, with half of a mutton fat jade bracelet showing from the cuff of his suit sleeve.

Cai Yanzhi looked at that dazzling white and suddenly chuckled: "President Li, you're starting to reminisce about the past now? But back when Qingdi knelt in your office, you didn't even let him finish a cup of tea, did you?"

The umbrella ribs were suddenly whipped about by a gust of wind, and Li Minxian's face was obscured in the swaying shadows.

"Ms. Cai, I won't explain the past too much, but I have a clear conscience."

"Really? Take Fan Longquan, who's lying here right now, for example. Wasn't it you who deliberately stirred up conflict between Wei Jinghai and him?"

"..."

"Chairman Li, don't treat everyone like fools."

"I heard you have a good relationship with Suning of Kyushu Group. Could you please pass on a message to him for me? As long as we can reach an agreement, I am willing to agree to his demands as much as possible."

"Speaking of which, I've been lucky in my life! First I met Yang Qingdi, and now I've met Su Ning. I am indeed Su Ning's woman now, but he will not give up his revenge on the Nanshan Chamber of Commerce."

“Ms. Cai, our Nanshan Chamber of Commerce is not without backers. Tell Suning not to go too far.”

"Haha, that's hilarious! With the Kyushu Group's current meteoric rise in the high-tech field, even a fool wouldn't dare to step forward at this time, right?"

"This……"

"President Li, there is actually a way. Your granddaughter, Li Zhijin, is a rare beauty. If our two families could form a marriage alliance, would these problems still be problems?"

"..." At this moment, Li Minxian and the butler beside him were both stunned.

"Ms. Cai, as far as we know, if Su Ning hadn't been in the car accident, he would have married Qi Dongcao."

"So, you don't have much time left."

"..."

When Yang Qingdi was desperate as an illegitimate son of the Chen family, he sought the support of Li Minxian, but was suppressed by him at every turn.

After Yang Qingdi achieved success in his career, the Chen family, which had long since fallen into decline, tried to get him to acknowledge his ancestors and return to the family line.

At this time, Li Minxian acted out of character, treating Emperor Yang Qing as an honored guest.

Therefore, Cai Yanzhi deeply resented Li Minxian's hypocritical behavior, believing that he was a hypocrite who appeared benevolent and righteous on the surface but harbored malicious intentions in reality.

However, considering the vast industries and markets controlled by the Li Group, if it were to be swallowed up by the Kyushu Group, it would definitely allow my man's career to reach a new level.

Cai Yanzhi has now devoted all her attention to Suning and believes that Suning will treat her and her child well, so she has been trying her best to help Suning.

Of course, Cai Yanzhi was still a little jealous of Qi Dongcao. If she could facilitate a marriage between Su Ning and Li Zhijin's families, that would be true fairness in her eyes.

……

Li Zhijin secretly investigated the background of the driver who caused the accident and went to the breakfast shop run by his family.

She learned from a neighbor that the driver was a gambling addict with heavy debts and had not returned home for several days at a time. However, he suddenly returned home the night before the incident and had a happy dinner with his family. The tragedy occurred the next day.

Li Zhijin's fingers trembled slightly as she held the investigation materials.

At the "Hao Zai Lai" breakfast stall owned by Wang Jianjun, the driver who caused the accident, there are still certificates of merit for outstanding students pasted on the oil-stained walls, and the woman behind the counter is mechanically wiping the steamer that can never be cleaned properly.

"I'd like a bowl of congee with preserved egg and lean pork." She heard her own voice sound a little weak.

"Okay! Please wait a moment." As the proprietress turned around, the brown soy sauce stains on her apron resembled dried blood.

The owner of the hardware store next door chimed in, "Jianjun's wife has it tough! That gambler suddenly came back for a peaceful meal, but the very next day..."

The conversation abruptly ended when they saw the police car at the door.

Two uniformed police officers waded through the puddles, their shiny leather shoes cracking the cockroach egg cases hidden in the cracks between the floor tiles.

Li Zhijin stared at the oil film that had formed on the surface of the porridge and suddenly remembered Su Ning's accusations against Wei Jinghai.

Li Zhijin, who had investigated the truth, was also filled with mixed feelings. She hadn't expected that Su Ning's suspicions were true, and she began to question Wei Jinghai as well.

……

In contrast, Suning invited Zhu Fengping to drink at a roadside stall, where Zhu Fengping recounted his past experiences following Fan Longquan in starting a business.

Because Fan Longquan valued his reputation and so-called loyalty too much, even someone like Liu Xin, who started as a driver, was able to rise to a senior management position and eventually become "General Manager Liu".

The neon lights of the night market cast a dancing red glow in Zhu Fengping's eyes.

The veins on his hand, gripping the metal skewers, bulged as if he were holding the same machete he used to fight alongside Fan Longquan ten years ago.

"President Su, do you know why Lao Fan insisted on promoting Liu Xin?" Beer foam spilled over his cracked lips. "During the 1998 Asian financial crisis, that kid was the only one in the entire company who dared to use his money for a house to pay for goods!"

Suning's hand, which was swirling the wine glass, suddenly stopped.

Ice beads slid down the side of the cup, leaving dark stains on the greasy plastic sheet.

"Before he left, he told me..." The young man opposite Zhu Fengping lowered his voice. In the distance, a high-speed train roared past on the overpass, the wind whipping up the plastic bags hanging from the treetops by the stall owner, "'No matter how tall the Li family's buildings are, their foundations are full of slaves. We, the people of Fanlong, must all be men who eat standing up.'"

Zhu Fengping suddenly smashed the wine bottle on the curb.

Amidst the shards of glass, his bloodshot eyes shone like two burning embers that refused to go out.

In fact, Suning believes that Fan Longquan possesses both the business acumen of a businessman and the conscience and courage of a chivalrous person. He is always committed to revitalizing national industries, vowing to share wealth with his followers, and to show the backbone of Chinese enterprises on the international stage. This spirit is invaluable.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Fengping burst into tears, as if Fan Longquan's voice and appearance had reappeared, and fell into a long silence.

"Mr. Zhu, if you assist me in completing the acquisition of Fanlong Group, I can appoint you as Fanlong's professional manager."

"What about Shen Yulan?"

"Don't worry! I would never bully them, a widow and her children. I will make sure they have a good life and everything is taken care of."

"Thank you! Kyushu Group has a larger platform, and it is an honor for me, Zhu Fengping, to join it."

“I know you’ve always wanted to be your own boss, but being a top-paid employee is more suitable for you. Real capital isn’t as glamorous as it seems on the surface.”

"..."

The following day, the election results for Fanlong Group were announced, and Wei Jinghai's scheme completely failed.

Zhu Fengping suddenly announced his withdrawal from the election, and Shen Yulan was elected as the new chairman with a unanimous vote. She then sold all the operating rights of the Calponia mining area to the Kyushu Group.

As Shen Yulan smoothed out the wrinkles in her suit skirt and stood up, the rising sun pierced through the clouds outside the floor-to-ceiling windows of the conference room.

The words "Kalponia Mining Area Equity Transfer Agreement" on the projection screen behind her were edged in gold, making Wei Jinghai, who had lost his left hand, squint.

"Thank you for your trust." The new chairman's voice was like a thin blade. "Effective immediately, all cooperation with the Li Group on underground passages will be terminated."

……

The dramatic changes at Fanlong Group caught Li's Group and Nanshan Chamber of Commerce off guard, making Nanshan Chamber of Commerce feel like a leaky, dilapidated ship.

Immediately afterwards, the Nanshan Chamber of Commerce held a meeting at Pengcheng Hall, with Li Minxian, Wei Jinghai, and others all present. Zhu Fengping and Shen Yulan publicly exposed the evidence of his collusion with purchasing manager Chen Zhuhe in smuggling and embezzling company assets.

They presented recordings and detailed information that Fan Longquan had kept before his death. Although Wei Jinghai's voice was not present, the evidence against Chen Zhuhe was conclusive.

Wei Jinghai naturally denied it outright, while Li Minxian remained silent.

Therefore, Zhu Fengping reminded Li Minxian that if protecting Wei Jinghai caused damage to the Chamber of Commerce's reputation, the consequences would be unimaginable.

After Zhu Fengping and Shen Yulan left, Wei Jinghai proposed to negotiate with the Fan family personally.

Li Minxian, however, directly announced that he would personally take charge of the audit and arrange for the audit team to thoroughly investigate the accounts of the old mining area.

At this point, Wei Jinghai realized that the situation was out of control.

If Chen Zhuhe, acting as a front man in this crime, is arrested, a large amount of evidence, including ledgers and customer information, will be exposed.

This immediately brought Wei Jinghai's underground activities to a standstill...

The Li family mansion was filled with the scent of pine and sandalwood after the rain. Li Minxian stood by the study window, his fingertips caressing the string of mutton fat jade beads.

The floor-to-ceiling windows reflected his graying temples, as well as the painting "Han Xizai's Night Banquet" on the wall behind him, a gift from his good friend Wei Mingyi twenty years ago for his fortieth birthday.

"President, President Wei has arrived," the butler whispered from outside the door.

Li Minxian didn't turn around, but simply spun the bracelet a little faster.

Amidst the crisp sound of jade beads clashing, he heard Wei Jinghai's familiar footsteps stop in front of the mahogany desk.

That deliberately light but undeniably sharp pace was exactly the same as when he first joined the company twenty years ago.

"Sit down." Li Minxian finally turned around and pointed to the official's hat chair next to the tea table.

The rosewood armrest is carved with a Pixiu pattern, which Wei Jinghai bought from an auction last year as a gift to him.

Wei Jinghai didn't move.

He was wearing an iron-gray three-piece suit today, and the black diamonds on his tie clip gleamed coldly in the twilight.

"Uncle Li, I heard the board meeting just ended? Shen Yulan is acting faster than expected."

“Xiao Hai, someone needs to be stationed at the Calponia mine.” Li Minxian took a gold-embossed folder from the drawer and pushed it across the table. “The technical team will be going with you on next Wednesday’s flight.”

The folder made a soft scraping sound as it slid across the mahogany table.

Wei Jinghai stared at the gold-embossed Li Group logo on the cover and suddenly laughed: "No return to the country without a summons? Uncle Li, are you trying to exile me?"

The last rays of the setting sun pierced through the clouds outside the window, casting a crimson glow on half of Li Minxian's face.

The old man's hand, holding the teacup, was as steady as a rock: "When you messed with Fan Longquan, you should have thought about giving an explanation."

The golden buds floating on the surface of the tea soup swirl in the light and shadow.

Wei Jinghai remembers that this is ancient tree tea from Yunnan in 2016. That year, they had just opened up the transportation line to Myanmar, and Li Minxian personally poured tea for everyone at the celebration banquet.

“Uncle Li, I can marry Zhijin.” Wei Jinghai suddenly knelt on one knee, his knee hitting the marble floor with a dull thud. “As long as the Li family and I form an alliance through marriage, those underhanded tricks of Su Ning…”

"boom!"

The teacup slammed heavily onto the table.

The jade bracelet on Li Minxian's wrist suddenly straightened, and the eighteen jade beads vibrated violently on the silk thread.

"Do you think I'm senile?" The old man's voice was like sandpaper scraping against metal. "Who instigated the Burmese miners' riot? Do you really think I don't know what you've been doing all these years?"

Wei Jinghai's pupils suddenly contracted.

He slowly stood up, tiny quartz particles clinging to the knees of his suit trousers. "Uncle Li has a really good memory."

He reached out and dusted himself off. "Do you remember which window my father, Wei Mingyi, jumped from on September 14, 2003?"

The study fell into a deathly silence.

The gilded clock in the corner suddenly struck the hour, startling a flock of white doves outside the window.

Li Minxian unconsciously touched his left wrist with his right hand, where there was a scar from thirty years ago, a burn he sustained while developing a new type of ore beneficiation machine with Wei Mingyi.

"Technology patents, customer lists, and the key to the Myanmar route." Wei Jinghai pulled a USB drive from his inner pocket and placed it on the tea tray. "Guess how many copies I made? If I take all of these, what will the Li Group have left?"

“You…” Li Minxian’s breathing suddenly became heavy.

Li Minxian had not expected his ambitions to be so great, but he firmly believed that even if he lost Wei Jinghai, the Li Group would still stand strong, simply because he had a clear conscience.

Upon hearing this, Wei Jinghai immediately sneered, revealing that Li Minxian had used Wei Mingyi's ideas and skills back then, but demoted him from a partner to a subordinate, ultimately leading to Wei Mingyi being driven to suicide by creditors and causing him to lose his closest relatives at a young age.

"Your father..." The old man's Adam's apple bobbed, "...gave his entire fortune to speculate on futures..."

"Because someone switched the experimental data!" Wei Jinghai abruptly overturned the tea tray, the purple clay teapot bursting into dark brown patterns on the Persian carpet. "Sixteen years of friendship? When you changed him from partner to technical director, there was no mention of friendship in the equity dilution agreement!"

The jade bracelet suddenly broke.

The jade beads rolled onto the marble floor, like a string of frozen teardrops.

Li Minxian bent down to pick it up, and the bulging veins on the back of his neck were clearly visible under his loose skin.

When he looked up again, his face had turned a deep purplish-red.

"Medicine... medicine..." The old man clutched his suit jacket to his chest with his left hand and reached for the drawer with his right.

Wei Jinghai stood still, watching the hand covered in age spots drift further and further away from the nitroglycerin.

The pigeons outside the window flew back and left a few feathers on the windowsill.

As Li Minxian collapsed to the ground, Wei Jinghai crouched down and took out his cell phone from the inside pocket of his suit jacket.

The lock screen photo is a family photo from last year's Chamber of Commerce dinner, with Li Zhijin wearing an apricot-colored dress standing between him and Li Minxian.

Wei Jinghai watched his retreating figure, a cold glint in his eyes, thinking to himself that the real show was just beginning.

……

Suning stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window on the top floor of the Kyushu Building, overlooking the city's neon-lit night view.

His fingertips tapped lightly on the glass, reflecting a cold and sharp gaze.

"Notify all branches under the Kyushu Group..." he began slowly, his voice low yet imposing, "From today onwards, completely block all business activities of the Li Group and the Nanshan Chamber of Commerce."

The assistant quickly took notes, but Suning's next sentence shook the entire business world...

"The e-commerce platform Jiuzhoufang has removed all products from the Li Group and Nanshan Chamber of Commerce and has formally sent letters to other e-commerce platforms, citing 'business ethics risks,' suggesting that they reassess their cooperation."

The assistant looked up slightly: "Wouldn't that be too direct?"

Suning smiled slightly: "The business world is like a battlefield. Since they dared to mess with me, they should know the consequences."

The following morning, the brands under the Nanshan Chamber of Commerce received a notice: "Effective immediately, Jiuzhou Plaza will terminate its cooperation with all brands under the Nanshan Chamber of Commerce, and the merchants who have already moved in must vacate the premises within a specified period."

The mall manager stood at the entrance, expressionless, overseeing the removal of the counter.

Several leaders of the Nanshan Chamber of Commerce angrily questioned, "On what grounds? We signed a contract!"

The manager simply handed over a document: "According to Article 17 of the contract, Kyushu Group has the right to terminate the cooperation based on 'ethical hazard'."

At the same time, the legal team of Jiuzhou Group has submitted a formal complaint to the State Administration for Market Regulation alleging that the Nanshan Chamber of Commerce is suspected of monopolistic practices, along with a large amount of evidence.

This includes internal emails from Wei Jinghai manipulating mining prices and suppressing competitors, as well as audio recordings of Chen Zhuhe embezzling public funds.

The most fatal blow came from the Kyushu Group's withdrawal of investment from the mining area under the Nanshan Chamber of Commerce.

"Jiuzhou Mining is terminating its cooperation with all mining areas under the Nanshan Chamber of Commerce, effective immediately, and withdrawing all its technical personnel."

This news directly led to the paralysis of several major mines controlled by the Nanshan Chamber of Commerce, and their stock prices plummeted.

Wei Jinghai smashed a teacup in his office and roared, "Suning is trying to kill us!"

Jiao Ye stood to the side, his face grim: "Should we have someone take care of him?"

Wei Jinghai sneered: "Taking action now will only make the police keep a closer eye on us."

Meanwhile, the police reopened the investigation into the case of Wang Jianjun, the "driver who caused the accident".

But Wei Jinghai was prepared. He had Jiao Ye find a scapegoat, a gambler who owed high-interest loans, to "surrender" and confess, claiming that he had hired Wang Jianjun to fake drunk driving.

Although the police had suspicions, the chain of evidence was deliberately broken, and the case could only be closed as a traffic accident.

However, Suning did not give up.

Wei Jinghai discovered that wherever he went, someone was watching him.

His car was tampered with and almost went out of control on the highway; his private phone was tapped, and even his home security system was hacked.

What terrified him most was that one night when he returned to the villa, he found a photograph on his desk.

The photo shows a bouquet of fresh white chrysanthemums placed in front of Fan Longquan's tombstone, with a note underneath:
"You're next."

Wei Jinghai clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

He knew that Suning's revenge had only just begun.

Within a week, the Nanshan Chamber of Commerce's business empire was completely blocked by the Kyushu Group, its stock price plummeted by 40%, multiple banks began demanding loan repayments, and partners withdrew their investments one after another.

Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Li Group building, looking down at the reporters and suppliers demanding payment, Wei Jinghai finally realized...

Suning isn't playing a business game; it's seeking revenge.

...(End of chapter)