After I stopped trying, a rich woman trained me into a demon emperor.

Lin Qingxue lowered her head, remaining silent and without shedding a tear.

She simply clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms, using the pain to stay conscious.

She trusted Zhou Ran.

He will definitely come.

Chen Ya's hair was disheveled, with a few strands clinging awkwardly to her cheeks, but they couldn't hide the sharpness in her eyes.

Even as a prisoner, this business queen of Jiangcheng is still searching for a last glimmer of hope to break the deadlock.

"Mr. Song."

Chen Ya forced herself to keep her voice steady.

"We can talk."

Song Ren's hand, which was pouring tea, stopped in mid-air.

A mocking smile played on his lips, but he didn't turn around.

"I know the Song family's goal is control of Jiangcheng's business empire, and Zhou Ran's life."

Chen Ya's brain was working at high speed, weighing the pros and cons of every word.

"The Xiao family owns two deep-water ports in Jiangcheng, which are the gateways from the inland to the overseas."

"My Chen family controls 60% of the building materials market share in Jiang Province."

"As long as you release Hongli and Qingxue, I will immediately transfer everything to the Song family free of charge."

"I can even use my father's connections to smooth over all the messes of your operation."

This is a bargaining chip that would drive any financial giant crazy.

Chen Ya is gambling, gambling on the most fundamental greed in human nature.

Every business has a price.

"I can sign the contract right now."

Chen Ya stared at Song Ren's back, speaking slowly and deliberately, adding weight to her final decision.

"I'll try to persuade Zhou Ran."

"As long as you spare our lives, we'll admit defeat in this round."

Cut off a piece of flesh to feed a tiger, or cut off a tail to survive.

This was the only way out she could think of.

"Oh……"

A very soft laugh rang out in the oppressive room, sounding particularly jarring.

Song Ren put down the teapot, slowly picked up the teacup, and brought it to his nose to take a light sniff.

His posture of enjoyment suggested he wasn't savoring tea, but rather listening to the dying screams of his prey.

He finally turned around.

His weathered face held a condescending pity.

"Ms. Chen, have you spent too much time in the business world and come to think that everything in this world can be weighed on a scale?"

He took a sip of tea and looked at Chen Ya as if she were an innocent child.

"Ports? Market share? Relationships?"

Song Ren shook his head and let out a long sigh.

"You really are..."

They're so innocent that I can't bring myself to do it.

He stood up, his cloth shoes making a crisp "tap, tap" sound as they hit the floor.

Xiao Hongli gritted her teeth and stubbornly moved her body to stand in front of Lin Qingxue.

"Only children make choices."

Song Ren looked down at Chen Ya's face, which still held a glimmer of hope, his eyes now revealing undisguised greed and cruelty.

"Adults want it all!"

Snapped!

A crisp snap of the fingers.

The huge projection screen behind him glowed with a dim light.

The scene shows the No. 1 conference room of the Xiao Group!

Xiao Hongli's blood had congealed.

Dozens of group shareholders and executives knelt on the ground with their hands behind their heads, like livestock waiting to be slaughtered.

In the very center of the crowd, an elderly man with gray hair had his head firmly stomped on by a masked assassin.

That once powerful face was now pressed against the cold floor tiles in humiliation.

It's Xiao Zhenguo!

Her grandfather!

What made Chen Ya and Xiao Hongli feel even more suffocated was that behind each person kneeling, there stood a heavily armed mercenary, the dark muzzle of a gun pressed against the back of their heads.

"This is my way of negotiating."

Song Ren stood with his back to the screen, spreading his hands as if displaying a masterpiece.

"With just one thought, these so-called business elites, along with your grandfather, will turn into a pile of rotten flesh mixed with brains."

"As for the equity transfer you mentioned..."

In the scene, a bodyguard grabs Xiao Zhenguo's finger, dips it in ink, and roughly presses his blood-red fingerprint onto a series of documents.

Violence is the most efficient passport in the world.

"See, you don't need to make the decision."

Song Ren's smile was gentle, but his words were laced with deadly poison.

"I've already received it."

The color drained from Chen Ya's face.

All her resources and wisdom were crushed to dust in that moment.

"mean!"

Xiao Hongli's eyes were bloodshot and her voice was hoarse.

"Those are my family!"

"Isn't your Song family afraid of divine retribution?!"

"Divine retribution?"

Upon hearing this, Song Ren actually burst out laughing, laughing so hard he almost fell over.

"In this world, power is everything!"

He walked back to the coffee table and picked up the cup of tea prepared for Zhou Ran.

"Our tea ceremony emphasizes the concept of 'once in a lifetime.'"

He flipped his wrist.

The scalding hot tea was poured onto the ground, sending up a wisp of white steam.

"Miss Chen, there's no need to bother trying to persuade Zhou Ran."

Song Ren stared at the water stains on the ground with a cold look in his eyes.

"Li Cangtian has already set up the 'Spirit-Locking Killing Array' at the entrance of Jiangcheng, just waiting for him to walk into the trap."

"That idiot will rush back like a mad dog and be turned into a soulless, dried-up corpse."

He stuck out his tongue, licked his lips, and revealed a bloodthirsty smile.

"So, there's no need to talk anymore."

"I want the money."

"I want your life too."

His gaze lingered on the three women's bodies, sending chills down one's spine.

"And you three will serve as the perfect sacrifice, igniting the Song family's glory for the next century!"

......

Outside the window, dark clouds loomed over the city.

The air inside the conference room was more oppressive than the sea before a storm.

The images on the projection screen change.

The bloody scene at the Xiao Group disappeared, replaced by the cadre compound where the Chen family lived.

That place, a symbol of power in Jiangcheng, is now engulfed in flames.

The guards who usually stood watch were now lying dead at the entrance, their blood staining the solemn lintel.

A group of black-clad warriors wreaked havoc in the courtyard, their movements swift and deadly.

"dad……"

Chen Ya stared at the figure in the video, surrounded by three experts, covered in wounds yet still standing straight, and her breath caught in her throat.

That was her father, Chen Guodong.

The former pillar of stability in Jiangxi Province.

Yet, faced with such extraordinary power, the so-called elite forces appeared so fragile.

"it's useless."

Song Ren enjoyed the despair on Chen Ya's face, a look that suggested she was on the verge of collapse.

"You always think that if you have worldly power and money, you can rest easy."

"But little do they know that before true power, mortals are nothing but ants."

He walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window and looked down at the city that was about to change hands.

"After today, in Jiangcheng, only the Song family will remain."

"You're dreaming!"

Even though she was bound, Xiao Hongli still held her head high, her eyes filled with defiance.

"Governor Liu will absolutely not stand idly by!"

"You are rebelling!"

"rebel?"

Song Ren turned around and looked at her with an expression as if she were an idiot.

"Do you think we would act without preparation?"

He picked up the remote control and pressed a button lightly.

The screen display changed again.

It was an emergency news broadcast that was interrupting the program.