Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Xi Siyan drove the car and dropped Chen Mo and Yuan Hao off at the New Edge Company building.

Yuan Hao huddled alone in the back seat, clutching the file bag and not daring to look around. As soon as the car stopped, he whispered to Chen Mo, "Master, I'll get out and wait for you."

Then he opened the door and quickly jumped out.

Chen Mo sat in the passenger seat, speechless as he looked at the person next to him: "Why did you scare him?"

"When did I scare him?" the person replied calmly, "I didn't say a word."

"You're scary enough even without saying anything." Chen Mo spoke frankly, "Yuan Hao is someone Su Qianran and I managed to recruit from a pile of interviewees. He's very promising. He's just a kid fresh out of university, still needs some mental training. Aren't you ashamed?"

Xi Siyan chuckled and rubbed his forehead, "Chen Mo, are you sure he's a kid?"

"At least to me, he is." Chen Mo brushed Xi Siyan's shoulder, "Also, please call me President Chen at the company entrance. Thank you, President Xi."

Chen Mo opened the car door, "Thank you for the ride."

As he was about to close the door, he remembered something and leaned back in, asking, "By the way, I forgot to ask you yesterday. At the wedding, you said you'd introduce me to someone. Who was it?"

Xi Siyan looked over.

After two seconds, "Zhu Zhengtao."

"President Zhu?" Chen Mo was surprised, "Is he okay now?"

Xi Siyan: "The investigation against him is ongoing, but there shouldn't be any major issues with the headquarters. This time he secretly returned to the country. He has been responsible for risk control and assessment at Huanshang. I specifically asked him to come back for the UA matter. I thought you might want to meet him."

Chen Mo thought for a moment and said, "Since it's a secret return, I'll pretend I don't know. Please thank him on my behalf."

"Thank him?" Xi Siyan raised an eyebrow.

Chen Mo paused for two seconds, "Okay, I should thank you. I know that three years ago, President Zhu chose to cooperate with New Edge largely because of you."

Xi Siyan suddenly leaned closer.

Serious: "Chen Mo, I admit I facilitated the connection, but I never interfered with the final outcome. Because I believe in you."

With the proximity, the atmosphere paused slightly.

Chen Mo reacted first and stepped back, "Okay, got it."

"Hold on." Xi Siyan called him back.

Chen Mo turned around, "What is it?"

"Let me remind you, your so-called little friend seems to like you." Xi Siyan glanced at the person waiting ten meters away, then looked back, raising an eyebrow: "In the workplace, this is a big no-no, right President Chen? He's your subordinate. As a leader, you need to act like one and keep your distance."

Chen Mo rolled his eyes heavenward.

He firmly closed the door.

He walked towards the company.

Yuan Hao caught up from the side.

"Master, wait for me." Yuan Hao called out.

Chen Mo waited a few seconds until Yuan Hao caught up before continuing forward.

Yuan Hao resumed his usual demeanor in front of Chen Mo, chatty yet nervous, "Master, did President Xi from CM stay at your place last night? Why do I feel like he looks at me with hostility? Does he have a problem with me?"

Chen Mo pushed open the revolving glass door, "Don't overthink it. He has a problem with me."

"Ah?" Yuan Hao was confused, "Aren't you old classmates? Why does he have a problem with you?"

Chen Mo stopped inside the building.

He turned to look at Yuan Hao.

Yuan Hao touched his face, puzzled, "What's wrong, Master?"

"Not just classmates," Chen Mo suddenly said, "Ex-boyfriend."

"Ex...?!!"

Yuan Hao stood there stunned, unable to recover.

His Master was wearing a long black trench coat. He rarely wore formal attire unless going to the lab or attending social events. So despite knowing he was his boss, Yuan Hao had always harbored a faint hope.

He had considered the possibility that Chen Mo was gay.

When Xi Siyan appeared, he wondered if the man had feelings for his Master like himself.

But he never imagined they were once in a relationship.

Ex-boyfriend? That meant they dated before. What was his Master like when he was dating?

Yuan Hao found it hard to stop his mind from wandering.

And why did his Master suddenly tell him this? Did he notice something?

Yuan Hao felt uneasy all morning.

But by mid-morning, he realized he was overthinking. Apart from reminding him not to tell anyone else when entering the company, everything was as usual.

He scolded him mercilessly as always.

When it came to guidance, he never hesitated.

The entire office was in perfect order, which made Yuan Hao, who believed he carried a great secret about Master, even more convinced that Chen Mo trusted him. He was determined not to betray that trust.

Chen Mo had no idea that his casual remark would have such a significant impact on his "little apprentice."

More importantly, he didn't have the energy to pay attention to it.

His grandfather was in a long-term coma, and whether he would regain consciousness was uncertain.

During lunchtime, someone heard Chen Mo talking on the phone before his office door closed. They vaguely heard him mention a name, which seemed to be Yang Zhi.

Anyone who bothered to check would discover that Yang Zhi was indeed the CEO of the Yang Group, the one who married their own CEO.

Those who wanted to listen further found the office door closing.

Two days later.

News broke that the Yang Group was embroiled in an "internal equity struggle," and the situation quickly escalated.

First, many noticed that under the guise of "social capital control," several branch leaders of the Yang family were expelled from the board, leading some to speculate that this was Yang Zhi's method of internal cleansing.

However, within two days, news spread that the Yang family patriarch was gravely ill, and the Yang Group once again faced a battle over proxy voting rights.

Yang Shule, the adopted son of the Yang family, stepped into the limelight.

He led a faction of shareholders against Yang Zhi, using debt as a reason to seize control of the company's shares.

Some also uncovered that UA Group had repurchased 31% of the Yang Group's shares. If combined with the 20% Yang Shule might obtain, this could lead to a change in ownership of the Yang Group.

Various analyses flooded the media, all predicting that Yang Zhi would lose.

The industry buzzed with speculation.

Those who didn't understand the intricacies still saw the drama, and the heat of the discussion was just as intense.

"Can only say, impressive. Who is this Yang Shule? Anyone care to analyze?"

"Isn't he the adopted son of the Yang family?"

"Inheritance disputes aren't rare, but it's surprising that a non-blood-related son can be so brazen in claiming assets."

"Got a bit of insider info: this adopted son of the Yang family has close ties with UA's Lunaer. Some say he was frequently seen entering and leaving Lunaer's villa during his time abroad, and if you look at her social media, she's been cursing him out quite viciously."

"This drama keeps getting harder to swallow."

"I just feel sorry for the current CEO Yang. Is he being betrayed by his own brother, working with outsiders to bring him down?"

"The Yangs just got married to the Sus; it won't be easy to take him down, right?"

"You don't get it. The Sus can hardly intervene in this battle. I dare say, unless a miracle happens, the Yang Group is finished."

"Agreed +1."

Inside the Yang Group, these past few days had been filled with anxiety.

The lower-level employees had no idea what the upper echelons were fighting over, but rumors of a change in leadership had everyone worried about their jobs.

Yet the name that kept coming up—Yang Shule, the boss's brother—had yet to appear.

Instead, on this day, a man arrived at the company reception.

He carried a briefcase, alone, handsome, tall, and composed.

The receptionist asked, "Sir, may I ask whom you're here to see?"

"Yang Zhi." He called the CEO by his full name and added, "I don't have an appointment, but please inform him. My name is Chen Mo."

Without much thought, the receptionist made a call to the secretary's office, which then relayed the message to the CEO's office.

The response came back.

"Let him up. And remember, this is the CEO's brother. No need to announce him in the future."

The two receptionists stared in disbelief.

Even after escorting the visitor away, they remained puzzled.

Didn't the CEO's brother's name used to be Yang Shule? This person is named Chen Mo.

Then they remembered—the Yang family did have a real son who was mistakenly switched at birth. Could this be him?

Weren't they estranged? Hadn't he severed ties with the Yang family long ago?

What's going on?

The CEO's biological brother had arrived. This news spread quickly within the Yang Group.

Unfortunately, no one except the receptionists had seen him in person.

Because Chen Mo was escorted through the VIP channel directly to the top floor.

In the top-floor office of the Yang Group.

"I thought you wouldn't want to come here," Yang Zhi said, pouring him a glass of water.

Chen Mo stood by the window, looking around at the familiar surroundings. His feelings were complex as he spoke, "If it weren't for the details, I wouldn't have come."

Chen Mo recalled the years he spent competing with Yang Zhi.

At that time, standing in this position symbolized the power he had obtained and a life fully under his control.

Now, standing here, he only felt the emptiness of being at the top and the weariness of constant struggle.

After Yang Zhi transferred his shares to Yang Shule, Chen Mo implemented his plan for upheaval. At that time, he thought, if he couldn't have it, why should they?

Now, however, he was about to help him, to save the Yang family. Surprisingly, there was neither unwillingness nor willingness in his heart.

Chen Mo turned and took the water cup from Yang Zhi's hand, saying, "Don't waste time. I still need to go back and work overtime tonight. Let's start."

Yang Zhi didn't waste any words either.

He walked back to the table, lowered the screen on the wall, and turned on the projector.

The first thing that appeared on the screen was a long conference table.

Most of the people around the table were Western faces in suits.

The person in the center seat was familiar to Yang Zhi.

"Mr. Xi," Yang Zhi nodded, as if the Xi and Yang families had no private connections.

"Yesterday, I had to return to CM headquarters to handle some matters. Sorry, but we had to conduct the meeting this way." Xi Siyan's gaze locked onto the person sitting on the sofa in the screen, as if confirming something, then quickly moved away. "The current situation is indeed developing as we expected, but once CM takes over..."

The meeting alternated between Chinese and English, making Chen Mo feel like he was in the past.

He focused, occasionally offering opinions or raising doubts.

The situation was complex, with the opposing side coming aggressively. As the apparent defender, it was crucial to clarify advantages and disadvantages, determine strategies, and decide the timing of entry.

Unconsciously, three hours passed.

The meeting ended, and the people on Xi Siyan's side began to disperse.

Before hanging up, the person on the screen stood up and said to Yang Zhi, "Big Brother, while I'm not in the country, Chen Mo is not only the legal heir of the Yang family's shares; he is also CM's representative. If there's an emergency and we can't reach you, he can issue any instructions on behalf of CM."

Yang Zhi paused in packing up his things and looked at the person flipping through documents on the sofa without any reaction.

He smiled bitterly, "What do you take me for?"

"Not exactly a good guy," Chen Mo suddenly interjected.

In Yang Zhi's barely contained expression, Chen Mo closed the documents and stood up from the sofa.

"Let's go," he said.

Taking a few steps, he paused and looked at the screen, "When did I become CM's representative?"

On the screen, Xi Siyan rolled up his sleeves after unbuttoning them, paused, and looked up, "Whenever you want, anytime, as long as you're willing."

Yang Zhi held his forehead.

"We have a formal cooperation agreement with a tripartite contract. If my subordinates hear this conversation, they might think they're about to lose their jobs. And Mr. Xi, your tone doesn't sound like giving him representative authority; it sounds more like proposing marriage."

Chen Mo looked at Yang Zhi in disbelief, "…Are you out of your mind?"

When did this person become like this?

In the past, when he vaguely realized he was gay, Yang Zhi's reactions were nothing but ridicule and dissatisfaction.

"Finding a man—do you think the Yang family will look up to you even more?"

"Escaping the fate of marriage and children—this is your reason for being irresponsible and reckless?"

Chen Mo once suspected that Yang Zhi was unhappy in his marriage and deliberately finding fault with him.

That day.

Yang Zhi's younger brother suddenly appeared at the company, spreading throughout the Yang family.

Someone revealed that they saw Yang Zhi personally escorting him downstairs, and there seemed to be no bad blood between them. They only heard Chen Mo say, seemingly unable to tolerate it anymore, "He hasn't done anything to me. How many times do I need to say it?! Does your wife know about these questions?"

Everyone was confused.

"What was Yang Zhi asking about?"

"What question is inappropriate for Mrs. Su to know?"

Someone raised their hand, "Based on my years of experience, if you need to hide it from your wife and it involves 'he' or 'she,' it's either emotional cheating or already happened and can't be mentioned."

Yang Zhi, who had just returned, was speechless.

The employees facing their boss were equally speechless.

They thought, "This is it. Yang Zhi's expression is indescribable. It looks like the Yang family really is going bankrupt."