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Soon, the negotiations between Suning and Li Zhijin came to a conclusion, mainly because the Li Group could no longer hold on.

When the logo of the Lee Group was slowly removed from the headquarters building and replaced with the logo of the Kyushu Group, the entire city seemed to hold its breath.

Li Zhijin stood in front of the building, looking up at the workers dismantling the last letter.

The sunlight was blinding, but she didn't blink, as if she wanted to imprint this moment in her memory with her gaze.

"Do you regret it?" Su Ning appeared behind her at some point, his black suit making him look tall and straight.

Li Zhijin didn't turn around: "If regret were useful, my grandfather wouldn't be lying in the hospital."

"There's nothing we can do! Blame it on your grandfather for being too lenient with Wei Jinghai. For so many years, he's been scheming to hollow out the Li Group."

"My grandfather was also deceived."

"Is that possible? He's just burying his head in the sand."

"You...you're so awful! Is it really meaningful to ridicule my grandfather like this?"

Su Ning chuckled and handed her a document: "Take a look at this."

The gold lettering on the document cover stung her eyes: "Five-Year Development Plan for the Kyushu Business Empire".

Turning to the first page, one is immediately struck by a map of a logistics network spanning Asia and Europe, with the core hub located in what was once the port that the Li Group was most proud of.

"You had this planned all along." She closed the file, her voice eerily calm.

“That’s right!” Su Ning looked into the distance. “The Li Group’s most valuable assets are too tempting. As a qualified businessperson, I can’t help but be tempted.”

"Hmph! And what about me? You don't need to drag me into hell, do you?"

"Li Zhijin, do you believe that you will soon put aside your pride?"

"Idiot's dream."

"Then we'll see."

On the wedding day, roses from the Shangri-La Hotel covered the entire red carpet.

Lee Min-hyun sat in a wheelchair and was pushed by a nurse through the corridor.

His thin fingers gripped the armrest tightly as his gaze swept over the guests—Zhu Fengping, Shen Yulan, Cai Yanzhi…

These people, who were once trampled underfoot by the Li Group, are now dressed in fine clothes to witness the downfall of the Li family.

"Old Li, it's been a long time." His arch-rival Zhao Xin walked over with a glass of champagne, his smile carrying a deeper meaning.

A sharp glint flashed in Li Minxian's cloudy eyes: "It's truly enviable that Boss Zhao has a son like Su Ning."

"Haha, only I know my own situation! I was defeated by my own son too."

"Zhao Sanjin, have you been secretly grooming Su Ning all along?"

"No! He really is missing, but now it seems that his disappearance is not necessarily a bad thing."

"That's true! With your methods, you really couldn't cultivate such talent."

The armrests of the wheelchair creaked under the strain.

In the dressing room, Li Zhijin looked at herself in the mirror.

A snow-white wedding dress, a diamond crown—it was as beautiful as a dream.

Cai Yanzhi put the necklace on her, the cool platinum against her skin: "Remember, this marriage is your armor. From now on, the Kyushu Group will also be your kingdom."

“I know.” Li Zhijin stroked the sapphire on the necklace, the last unsold asset of the Li Group. “From today onwards, I am the mistress of Kyushu.”

As she turned around, the hem of her skirt swept the glass off the dressing table.

The flying debris resembled the collapse of the Li family's empire.

Su Ning stood on the banquet hall terrace. She had already signed a prenuptial agreement with Li Zhijin, and if she divorced him, she would have nothing.

"President Su, you really have some tricks up your sleeve." Shen Yulan appeared behind him at some point. "You actually married your rival's granddaughter and swallowed up their business."

Su Ning smiled dismissively and reminded him, "President Shen, you should think about your future as soon as possible. You don't have much time left."

"..."

In the distance, bells rang out, and the wedding march played melodiously.

As the newlyweds exchanged rings, a financial channel was broadcasting live the surge in the stock price of Kyushu Group.

In the studio, the analyst excitedly announced:

"After completing its acquisition of the Li family, Jiuzhou Group's market value exceeded one trillion, making it the first commercial empire to unify the markets across China!"

The camera pans across the wedding scene, then focuses on Lee Min-hyun, who is in a wheelchair.

As the old man watched the newlyweds embracing, he suddenly coughed violently, and a glaring red stain appeared on his handkerchief.

The nurse rushed forward, but he waved her away.

“It’s alright.” He laughed hoarsely. “This is… the best ending.”

Late at night, the wedding banquet ended.

Li Zhijin stood by the bedroom window, her wedding dress still on.

Su Ning wrapped his arms around her from behind, his breath tickling her ear:

"Hate me?"

She looked at their reflections in the glass and slowly curled the corners of her lips into a smile: "How could this be? I am..."

"The person who personally destroyed the Li family."

"If you really hate me, then give me a few more sons."

"Hmph! Is this a reward?"

"Li Zhijin, now I'm going to show you why the women around me are so crazy."

"..."

Outside the window, the first snow of 2010 fell quietly.

The city was covered in pure white, like the smoke of battle that had just ended on a commercial battlefield.

In a secluded corner of the city, unseen by anyone, Zhao Xin was making a cross-border call:
"We're getting ready to launch 'Project Nirvana'! We're also going to enter the high-tech industry."

"Understood! We have made contact with ASML."

"That's good! Perhaps our era of rough and tumble has truly come to an end."

The snow is falling heavier and heavier.

……

Kyushu Science Park, 2011.

A giant holographic projection rotates in the center of the laboratory, displaying the design blueprints of the latest generation of semiconductor chips.

Suning stood in the middle of the technical team, and with a light tap of his finger, the projection immediately decomposed into hundreds of nanoscale structures.

"Within three years, we will achieve independent mass production of 7nm process." His voice was particularly clear in the quiet laboratory. "Jiuzhou's chips will never be subject to others."

Where did the technology come from?

"Of course, it was developed by our Kyushu Group itself."

"That's unlikely! Even ASML in the Netherlands can't do the whole industry chain."

"Just because they can't do it doesn't mean we can't. Kyushu Group has its own industrial chain."

"..." At this moment, Li Zhijin realized that the Kyushu Group was definitely not as simple as it seemed on the surface.

Outside the window, construction machinery is expanding the third phase of the factory.

This place will become Asia's largest chip manufacturing base, and its code name is "Project Dragon's Roar".

Li Zhijin was flipping through the financial report when she suddenly looked up and asked, "Suning, are you really not going to acknowledge the Zhao family?"

Suning smiled slightly: "No need! Actually, calling me Suning is quite appropriate."

"..."

As Li Zhijin's understanding of Suning deepened, she discovered that Suning was a great mystery.

Just when she finally manages to unravel one mystery, another new one immediately appears, always leaving her unable to resist this man.

……

Lujiazui, Shanghai, 2012.

The flag of Kyushu Real Estate flutters 460 meters above the clouds.

This skyscraper, which broke Asian records, took only 18 months from land acquisition to topping out.

"President Su, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development just had a meeting with us about our leverage ratio." The CFO was sweating profusely.

Looking down at the swarm of prospective homebuyers below, Su Ning casually signed the last document: "Tell the bank to use the mining rights to the lithium mine in Myanmar as collateral."

"clear."

Meanwhile, Li Zhijin was hosting a banquet for the heads of local government investment companies.

After a few rounds of drinks, she gently swirled her wine glass: "Suning, I heard everyone's been working on new districts lately? Kyushu Group is willing to take on all the supporting commercial projects."

"President Li is indeed very generous! I wonder what President Su's opinion is?"

"Don't worry! Without our CEO Su's permission, I can't make any promises to you."

"Then I wish us a pleasant cooperation."

"Pleasant to work with."

As she put down her wine glass, seven property ownership certificates were quietly pushed under the table.

This is an open secret in the business world that everyone talks about, and it all boils down to nothing more than profit.

Whether they are shareholders or company executives, their starting point is always their own interests.

Today, Kyushu Real Estate continues its frenzied expansion because Suning knows there is still nearly a decade of golden opportunity ahead.

However, once the real estate market reached a certain level of development, Suning gradually slowed down its expansion and sold off some less important assets.

Therefore, the focus of Kyushu Group's development remains high technology and high-end manufacturing, which has always been Kyushu Group's principle.

2013, Gulf of Guinea. Kyushu Energy's exploration vessel cuts through the heatwave of the equatorial sea.

On the deck, Zhu Fengping, wearing a safety helmet, heard Su Ning's voice coming through the satellite phone:

"Mr. Zhu, have the oil field reserves been confirmed?"

"The reserves are enough for China to use for three years." Zhu Fengping wiped the oil off his face. "But ExxonMobil is on the drilling platform next door."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone: "Send over that Boss Jiao's security team."

"understand!"

After Wei Jinghai was frightened by Su Ning and fled China, Su Ning did not exterminate Jiao Ye's forces. Instead, he arranged for them to go to overseas mining areas.

You have to understand that foreigners don't understand the voice of civilization at all; it's guns and barbarity that can make them fear.

Moreover, over the years, Master Jiao has been like a dragon entering the sea, helping Kyushu Mining solve many problems.

That night, a military coup suddenly broke out in Guinea.

The newly appointed Minister of Energy is a student who was sponsored by Kyushu Mining.

Chicago Board of Trade, 2014.

When soybean prices suddenly plummeted, Kyushu Grain & Oil's chief trader was frantically buying contracts.

"Mr. Su, ADM and Bunge have started selling off their shares!"

In the video, Suning is signing documents: "Keep buying! Take that batch of genetically modified corn from the Brazilian port too."

"Yes, Mr. Su."

Three days later, China suddenly announced an adjustment to its grain import quotas.

The 2000 million tons of soybeans controlled by Kyushu Grain and Oil instantly became the country's strategic reserve.

Looking at the soaring stock price, Li Zhijin smiled and said to the leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture, "Food security is the inescapable responsibility of China."

Strait of Malacca, 2015.

The cargo ship "Jiuzhou Mingzhu" sounded its horn and entered the newly built deep-water port.

This port, controlled by Kyushu Marine, already handles one-third of Singapore's throughput.

In the captain's cabin, Zhu Fengping stared at several flashing red dots on the radar: "The Indian Navy is tracking us again."

"What's there to be afraid of?" Jiao Ye, cigar in mouth, opened the weapons cabinet. "The ship is registered in Panama, and the crew are all retired Russian submariners. If they dare to come, we'll make sure they don't leave alive."

That night, an Indian patrol boat "unexpectedly" lost power.

Meanwhile, the Kyushu fleet's containers were filled with precision machine tools destined for Iran.

This shipment of goods made Kyushu Logistics a fortune, and all the procedures had nothing to do with the Kyushu Group.

So, does Kyushu Group not only want to make money, but also ensure its own safety?

The Champs-Élysées in Paris, 2016.

The gilded signboard of "Jiuzhou Youxuan" stands out prominently in the luxury store.

Chinese tourists were pleasantly surprised to find that they could actually use "Jiuzhou Pay" to buy discounted LV items here.

"President Su, the negotiations to acquire Carrefour have broken down," the European president reported urgently.

During the video conference, Suning was changing a newborn's diaper: "Then let their fresh food supply chain be cut off."

"clear."

A week later, Carrefour's cold chain system in France experienced a series of "malfunctions," and local media outlets affiliated with Kyushu Holdings began reporting on meat safety issues.

As expected, Carrefour's board of directors recognized Kyushu Group's strength and ultimately had no choice but to agree to Kyushu Group's acquisition.

Of course, they did consider rebelling, but their strength was no match for the powerful and mysterious Kyushu.

On New Year's Eve 2017, the top-level annual meeting of Kyushu Group was held.

As executives from global branches raised their glasses, Li Zhijin suddenly fainted next to the champagne tower.

After the ambulance sped away, Su Ning opened her private safe...

Inside were transfer records from Swiss banks, with all the recipients being former members of the Lee family. It was clear that Lee Chi-kam had never forgotten to rebuild the Lee Group.

"What a pity." He stroked the fetal heart rate chart on the pregnancy test report. "Our child could have inherited the entire Kyushu Empire."

Outside the window, fireworks illuminated the giant "2017" on the glass curtain wall of the Kyushu Building.

In the reflection, Zhao Xin was playing with a USB drive containing a document recently declassified by the Pentagon: "National Security Risk Assessment in Cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions of Huaxia Jiuzhou Group".

……

Bangkok slums, 2018.

Wei Jinghai huddled in the damp wooden house, his right eye covered with a dirty gauze, and only three fingers remained on his left hand.

Outside the window, a torrential downpour was pouring down, and rainwater seeped in through the cracks in the tin roof, dripping into the moldy rice bowl in front of him.

He trembled as he reached for the half-eaten bread in his pocket, only to hear footsteps outside the door...

Click.

It was the sound of leather shoes snapping tree branches.

Wei Jinghai froze, his tattered clothes soaked with cold sweat.

“No…it can’t be…” he muttered to himself, “I’ve already run far enough away…”

The door was slowly pushed open, and a man in a black suit stood in the rain, toying with a butterfly knife in his hand.

"Mr. Wei," the man smiled, "Mr. Su asked me to ask you, now that you've lost your right eye, are you getting used to your left eye?"

Three months ago, at the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai.

Wei Jinghai is still living in a suite at a five-star hotel. Although he has lost the protection of the Li Group, he still has a last bit of dirty money hidden in his account.

He was adjusting his tie in front of the mirror when he suddenly noticed a crack in the mirror...

The next second, the glass shattered!

A dark figure swung in through the window, and military boots kicked him hard in the chest.

Wei Jinghai knocked over the coffee table, spilling expensive red wine all over the floor.

"Who are you?!" he struggled to back away. "I have money! I can give you more!"

The man in black didn't speak, but simply pressed his earpiece: "Target confirmed, proceed with 'parts recovery'."

Before Wei Jinghai could react, his left little finger and ring finger were severed by the pliers.

Amid screams, the man in black placed two bloody fingers into a glass bottle and labeled it:
"Fan Longquan's interest, third installment."

Bangkok streets, 2019.

Wei Jinghai knelt beside the trash can, using his remaining three fingers to rummage through the rotting food.

His right eye was hollow, his left eye was bloodshot, and his once expensive suit was now dirtier than a rag.

A passing child threw stones at him, laughing and shouting, "One-eyed beggar! One-eyed beggar!"

Suddenly, a black Mercedes pulled up to the side of the road.

The car window rolled down, revealing Zhao Xin's face, which had a half-smile.

"Mr. Wei, would you like a ride?"

Wei Jinghai trembled violently as he desperately crawled backward, yelling, "Get out of my way! What else do you want?!"

Zhao Xin sighed and tossed down a piece of paper...

The paper is filled with stories of pitiful people whose families were destroyed and whose lives were ruined by Wei Jinghai.

Zhao Xin closed the window and whispered, "Now I finally understand Su Ning's intentions! The feeling of begging is worse than jumping off a building, isn't it?"

"..."

Late at night, Wei Jinghai huddled under the overpass, counting the coins he had begged for that day.

Suddenly, a woman in a cheongsam emerged from the shadows—Shen Yulan.

“Wei Jinghai,” she looked down at him, her voice icy, “do you know why Su Ning didn’t just kill you directly?”

Wei Jinghai shook his head frantically, saliva mixed with blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

Cai Yanzhi crouched down and stuffed a specially made commemorative coin into his tattered pocket:

"Because the dead don't feel pain."

As she got up to leave, two dark figures approached from both sides of the bridge arch.

Wei Jinghai's desperate scream pierced the night sky, but was quickly swallowed up by the bustling neon lights of Bangkok.

The next morning, the cleaner found a beggar without a tongue lying under the overpass.

His left ear was missing, but in his right palm, he was tightly clutching a bloodstained coin...

The front features the Kyushu Group logo, while the back is engraved with "Interest Paid".

On the top floor of the Kyushu Building, Suning was reviewing documents.

The assistant reported quietly, "Mr. Su, things in Bangkok... are all settled."

Suning's pen continued writing: "What does he have left?"

"Apart from the heart, there are no other vital parts left."

The pen drew long lines of ink on the paper, and Suning looked up at the rising sun outside the window:

"Then let your heart beat for a few more years."

“After all,” he closed the folder, “the best punishment for him would be to live and watch Kyushu dominate the world.”

In the distance, an airplane streaks across the blue sky.

That was Kyushu Airlines' new route, flying to Wei Jinghai's hometown, a place he could never return to.

...(End of chapter)