Chapter 60: Cutting the Ground from Under

Chapter 60: Cutting the Ground from Under

The autumn sun wasn’t strong, but it was drying. The flowers Chen Wan hadn’t taken out of the car were left on the passenger seat, and under the sun, their edges quickly browned and curled.

The letter, along with the medicine box, was hastily shoved back into the glove compartment.

Chen Wan entered Taiji Building and waited in the lobby for nearly two hours. The receptionist, feeling somewhat embarrassed, offered him another cup of coffee: "We’re really sorry, Mr. Ge has been quite busy recently."

Chen Wan smiled kindly and said, "No problem."

Whether Ge Xi was truly busy or not, he didn’t know, but it was clear that he was being deliberately snubbed.

Chen Wan wasn’t angry; it was Song Qingmiao who was at fault first, having an affair with Meng Yuanxiong, the Ge family’s son-in-law.

After going through the photos Liao Quan emailed him, Chen Wan’s mind went blank for a moment.

The two were seen entering luxury stores on Queen’s Road, and some photos showed them drinking on a cruise ship, thinking they were being discreet, but it was all too obvious.

Chen Wan had been keeping a close eye on Song Qingmiao’s accounts and asset movements, tracking her and Xie Jiajian’s whereabouts, but he never expected it to be Meng Yuanxiong.

Xie Jiajian was a shareholder of Rongxin, but Meng Yuanxiong had never been on Chen Wan’s radar.

More importantly, Meng Yuanxiong was the husband of the eldest daughter of the Ge family at Taiji Group.

At this moment, Chen Wan finally realized that Song Qingmiao was not as naive as he had imagined; her shrewdness was all used against him, at least knowing how to throw him off track.

Thinking about it, their mother-son relationship was truly pitiful—Chen Wan had people watching Song Qingmiao, and Song Qingmiao treated Chen Wan like a paparazzo.

Before heading to Taiji, Chen Wan first met the person who had sent the email.

"I heard that the projects at Polly Bay Pier and the Offshore Oil Channel are planning to go public by the end of the year, and Chen Wan will also be in the roadshow team," Liao Quan said with a smile as he poured tea for him.

Chen Wan didn't touch it, leaned back in his chair, and said coldly, "Liao Quan, do you want your fingers cut again?"

Liao Quan sighed with emotion, "You haven't changed at all, your temper is exactly the same as when you were a child."

Chen Wan suppressed the nausea and disgust brought by those memories, lit a cigarette, and nodded, "Indeed, I do get rid of anyone who gets in my way."

"But when a child goes crazy, they just get locked up in Xiaolan Mountain for a few years. If they still go crazy when they grow up," Liao Quan threatened him bluntly, "then it's the investors watching for free the scandal of the mother of the main creative team member of their new project having an affair."

"A mistress and a social climber, cheating and adultery, family feuds, people nowadays can't get enough of this kind of gossip."

Chen Wan's gaze was as cold as a blade, but Liao Quan found it uniquely charming, "Chen Wan." His eyes were subtle, somewhere between a junior and a lover, scanning him up and down, "Do you look at Zhao Shengge with the same eyes?"

"Has he slept with you? How many times did it take to get this project? Using your looks to get what you want, you really surpassed your mother."

Chen Wan held the cigarette, pointing it straight at Liao Quan, just a few centimeters away from inserting the lit end into his nostril, "Watch your mouth!"

Liao Quan was startled, stepping back, raising his hands in surrender, shamelessly laughing, "Isn't that the truth? You're so untouchable, no one else can have you, only he can? Does Zhao Shengge know you were locked up in Xiaolan Mountain?"

Xiaolan Mountain is a psychiatric hospital in the city, housing patients with special identities, such as mistresses of officials, illegitimate children, and mentally unstable celebrities.

It's unclear how many are truly insane, how many are faking it, and how many went crazy after they got in.

It's called a psychiatric hospital, but people in the city speak of it with a rather subtle tone—a notorious hotbed for sexual scandals, filled with people who can't be seen in the light, adding a mysterious and ambiguous aura to this isolated island.

The bitter taste of the pills filled his mouth, but Chen Wan didn't lose his composure.

Liao Quan looked at him, still the same cold, unattainable figure from childhood, and rolled his eyes, "If the scandal about your mother hurts the IPO and roadshow for Polly Bay and the Offshore Oil Tunnel, do you think Zhao Shengge will still want you?"

"How is he going to explain this to the shareholders?"

Chen Wan remained calm, didn’t react further.

But Liao Quan insisted on breaking through his composed mask. Chen Wan had never shown him any other expression, not even an out-of-line emotion: "Oh, Meng Yuanxiong also gave your mother an antique pigeon’s blood ruby from the 17th century. It’s worth enough to buy a piece of land in Central. It was auctioned through a Swiss bank. How could he have so much money? When his wife, Ge Xi, starts investigating, how will you convince the investors and the authorities that your financial statements are clean?"

Chen Wan threw the photos onto the table, smirking dismissively: "With just these? What can a few photos prove?"

They weren’t even hotel nude photos, not a smoking gun, not definitive evidence.

"What’s there to prove? Just stirring up public opinion is enough," Liao Quan laughed. "Your mother’s reputation, you know it well. If these photos get out, your father will deal with her. Meng Yuanxiong’s wife is the eldest daughter of the Taiji Group. Ge Xi, you know her better than I do. When the time comes, Zhao Shengge’s project will be discredited by the scandal."

"A perfect three-for-one deal, this is enough."

Chen Wan didn’t bother wasting words with him and asked directly: "Is this your idea or the Chen family’s?"

Liao Quan didn’t expect him to think so quickly and narrowed his eyes: "Indeed, your father, Chen Bingxin, also wants to talk to you. But I got here first. I figured I had a bit more leverage than he does."

Chen Bingxin held Chen Wan’s weak spot, Song Qingmiao, but Liao Quan held Song Qingmiao’s weak spot.

Chen Wan tilted his head up defiantly: "What do you want?"

Liao Quan didn’t beat around the bush and laid it out: "I want to supply materials for your construction projects."

Recently, the infighting within the Chen family has become increasingly intense. The main branch has been tightening its grip on power, and their branch’s equity has been eroded, their status gradually marginalized. With the current economic downturn, the pie is already small. They can only expand resources externally, or they’ll be played to death by the main and third branches.

Minglong is the biggest ship in Haishi, and no matter what, he has to latch onto it.

Chen Wan sneered: "Keep dreaming."

"A Wan, you don’t need to pretend with me. You have the authority to manage their logistics and transportation, don’t you? Or is your pillow talk not working? And," Liao Quan leisurely poured him another cup of tea, "if I hadn’t come to you now, your father would be preparing to come to you soon."

Rongxin’s in deep trouble now, with nepotism, power struggles, and all show and no substance.

No matter how well the Ting Island matter is hidden, word will get out eventually. Chen Bingxin will find out that Chen Wan has connected with Zhao Shengge sooner or later.

"But he won’t give you anything. You know how he is. It’s better to cooperate with me, right?"

Chen Wan remained calm, unlike someone being threatened: "What do I get by cooperating with you?"

"I can guarantee that these photos are only in my hands. As long as we win the bid, I’ll destroy them immediately, no copies," Liao Quan persuaded him. "Moreover, the way to ensure this matter is completely suppressed is to bring me onto Zhao Shengge’s ship. We’re in this together—sink or swim. I wouldn’t ruin my own rice bowl, right?"

Chen Wan’s eyes were unreadable, neither refuting nor speaking, until the other couldn’t hold back and said: "What you’re offering isn’t worth that much."

Liao Quan’s expression darkened, and then he heard Chen Wan say: "I also want 6% of Rongxin’s publicly traded shares, no options."

"6%?!" Liao Quan’s voice rose. "What do you want shares for?" Chen Wan had always stayed on the periphery of the Chen family’s internal struggles, never showing any ambition for Rongxin.

"Wanting someone to do something without offering any benefits, what a ridiculous fantasy," Chen Wan extinguished his cigarette and said directly, "Photos and shares, if not, then forget it. Liao Quan, know your own worth. How much capability do you really have? Do you think you can stay out of trouble after releasing these things? If you affect Zhao Shengge’s project, he can destroy you with a snap of his fingers."

Liao Quan stared at him quietly. The young wolf had come into his own, his fangs and claws sharper than before. It was supposed to be him threatening Chen Wan, but every move was countered. After a moment, he said: "6% is too high. I don’t have that much capital. I can’t gather that many scattered shares."

"Then no deal." Chen Wan got up to leave. Liao Quan had been pulling strings on the board for years. If he really wanted to do it, he could.

Liao Quan urgently called out: "Wait."

Chen Wan grabbed his coat without a word.

"I can manage 4%."

Chen Wan looked at him, unmoved. Liao Quan conceded, "Five percent."

"Get it first," Chen Wan said as he passed by Liao Quan. Suddenly, he pressed the grip of his Beretta against Liao Quan's back. Chen Wan's fingertip rested on the emblem symbolizing Zhao Shengge. The gun was cold, but Chen Wan's hand was warm, as if held by another hand, continuously conveying strength and confidence.

He warned with a cold stare, "If you dare play any tricks with me, the bullet will pierce your back just like the scissors pierced your hand nineteen years ago."

Liao Quan broke out in a cold sweat, raised his hands, and repeatedly said, "I won't, I won't."

Chen Wan had become even more reckless than he was as a child, daring to pull out a gun in public and threaten someone. Liao Quan had no doubt that if he didn't agree, he would either be bleeding on the spot or found beheaded in the dead of night.

"I’ll... I’ll figure something out."

"The shares—I’ll figure something out."

Liao Quan seemed to be threatening Chen Wan, but in reality, he was desperate. Otherwise, who would dare touch Zhao Shengge's cake? But he didn't expect that Chen Wan would immediately head to Taiji to request a meeting with Ge Xi, the wife of Meng Yuanxiong.

Chen Wan patiently waited in the lobby for a long time, just to appease Ge Xi, until the front desk finally invited him upstairs.

Ge Xi, a powerful woman in her forties, didn’t continue to give him a hard time.

"Mr. Chen, if you insist on seeing me, it had better be for something extremely important."

Chen Wan respectfully placed the gift on her reception table: "I’d like to discuss acquiring Rongxin shares with you, Ms. Ge."

Ge Xi looked at him, her disdain giving way to a hint of seriousness: "Mr. Chen, what are you talking about? I don’t understand."

Chen Wan smiled.

Only someone as foolish as Liao Quan would truly believe that Song Qingmiao and Meng Yuanxiong's affair could be kept secret. Meng Yuanxiong, a man who lived off his wife’s wealth, wouldn't dare to directly send Song Qingmiao an expensive pigeon's blood ruby.

If Chen Wan wasn’t mistaken, Meng Yuanxiong was a hook deliberately set by Ge Xi, or at least tolerated by her. She had set her sights on Rongxin’s shares. The Chen family was embroiled in intense internal strife, and Song Qingmiao had become a good breakthrough point.

Song Qingmiao was no longer favored, but in the early days when Chen Bingxin pursued her, he had given her some shares. This was also why Song Qingmiao still believed she had a chance.

As far as Chen Wan knew, Ge Xi and Meng Yuanxiong's marriage had long been in name only. Ge Xi had many male companions outside, and she didn’t care about her incompetent husband. What she cared about was the Ge family's business empire.

But no matter what, this was Song Qingmiao's mistake.

So Chen Wan came to apologize, with a respectful attitude, but also with a veiled hint that he knew she was setting a trap and had ulterior motives, and wasn’t entirely "innocent": "The first collector of the opal pigeon's blood that Mr. Meng bought was a Swedish lady, Ms. Carmel, who once served as a tutor for the Ge family."

Ge Xi's tone was disdainful and suggestive: "Now it’s in your mother’s possession."

Even though Chen Wan had come fully prepared, he still felt a twinge of humiliation. Over the years, he had dealt with many of Song Qingmiao's messes—apologizing in person, paying off gambling debts, dealing with internal and external conflicts. He had become adept, and his mental toughness had been sharpened, but it was still nothing to be proud of. He was still a person with basic moral principles and a sense of shame.

"Yes, as a gesture of apology, Chen Wan is willing to assist Ms. Ge in any way he can."

Ge Xi scrutinized him. Song Qingmiao wasn’t very bright, but she had given birth to a smart and filial son: "Your purpose?"

Chen Wan looked at her and said, "I hope Ms. Ge can issue a report in Taiji's name before those photos are exposed, saying that you invited my mother to visit Taiji’s new flagship store and to celebrate on a cruise, with Mr. Meng accompanying."

The photos didn’t show anything explicit, and the more intimate ones could be explained as friendly and gentlemanly enthusiasm.

Strike first.

There are no walls without cracks. Chen Wan never trusted Liao Quan from the start. Even if he destroyed the evidence as promised, this matter could never be kept secret. The potential crisis had to be dismantled at its source. Only by striking first, whether it was visiting luxury stores or enjoying two nights of revelry in the city, could it be framed as friendly interactions among high-society women, with Meng Yuanxiong merely accompanying. If anything else were to be exposed later, the matter would already be defined and wouldn’t cause much of a stir, nor would it affect the project.

In such ambiguous situations, much depends on the attitude of the original spouse.

"Is that all?" Ge Xi didn’t think this condition was worth exchanging for Rongxin shares.

"That's it," Chen Wan said, unfazed by her scrutiny.

"You are indeed filial, but," Ge Xi said, smiling, "young man, you're not just trying to save your mother, are you? You're trying to use me to eliminate your enemies and reap the benefits."

Chen Wan didn’t deny it.

Anyone who dares to scheme against Zhao Shengge is as good as dead in Chen Wan’s book.

Ge Xi didn’t care: "But why should I trust you? You're not at the center of power in Rongxin." She hadn’t even heard of Chen Wan before; it was only recently, with rumors about Zhao Shengge in Ting Island, that his name started circulating.

"Because I’m more useful than Meng Yuanxiong," Chen Wan said, "I’m willing to hand over two points upfront to show my sincerity. Then, Madam Ge can decide whether to work with me."

Ge Xi, who has held her ground in the cutthroat Hai City for years, is no fool: "I’m a legitimate businesswoman; I don’t dabble in illegal activities."

Chen Wan replied, "Neither do I."

That’s Liao Quan’s problem, not his. He just needs to make sure Ge Xi stays neutral.

Ge Xi said, "You’ve got one week."

"Thank you, Madam Ge," Chen Wan replied.

By the time the seminar at Kexiang ended, it was already quitting time. Lately, Fang Jian has been assigning a lot of tasks; the more the project advances, the heavier the workload becomes.

Chen Wan stepped into Han Jin’s office and shut the door behind him.

"You’re pulling out of the partnership?!"

"Yes," Chen Wan said, handing him a cigarette, "it’s no big deal. I’ll still be involved in the research behind the scenes, just keep my name off the patents and project documents."

Han Jin stared at him, stunned.

Chen Wan explained, cigarette between his lips, his expression cold and ruthless, "Cutting ties is the safest move."

Han Jin waved him off: "Zhao Shengge runs Hai City; taking on these people isn’t—"

"Brother Jin, these projects involve state assets and public welfare. Money’s the least of it; public trust and reputation are what matter."

"And it’s not just about this time," Chen Wan said, tapping his cigarette, "These problems started because of me; it’s only fair I fix them."

It won’t be long before Chen Bingxin comes knocking too. Since he’s been dragged into this mess, no matter what Liao Quan promises or whether Ge Xi helps, Chen Wan can’t rest easy.

Chen Wan knows full well how powerful Zhao Shengge is; these cheap tricks are nothing to him. Even if Liao Quan causes a stir, whether any media outlet dares to cover it is another story.

But Chen Wan leaves no room for error or loopholes when it comes to Zhao Shengge.

The safest move is to cut ties completely. Before anything blows up, Chen Wan pulls out of the project, cutting all ties. Whatever happens next, it’s got nothing to do with Minglong or the project.

"In these uncertain times, I can’t afford any slip-ups."

"And," Chen Wan said, exhaling a smoke ring, his expression hidden behind the haze, "this time, I’m going to finish them for good."

Like pressing dead leaves into the mud, crushing ants underfoot, uprooting the grass, and exterminating them completely, only then can he be completely at ease.

Since they dared to threaten Chen Wan, there will be a next time. As long as Chen Wan still wants to pursue Zhao Shengge, still wants to be with Zhao Shengge, then anyone can take a bite out of Zhao Shengge, gnaw a piece of flesh, endlessly.

But once he withdraws from the partnership, he has nothing to lose. Whatever Chen Wan does, it has nothing to do with Kexiang, the Baoliwan project, or Zhao Shengge.

In Chen Wan's eyes, anyone who dares to mess with Zhao Shengge is beyond redemption, and their death would be no great loss.

"Brother Jin, I want to crush them," Chen Wan repeated softly, his eyes dark and unreadable.

Han Jin looked at his expression, secretly alarmed.

He knew Chen Wan's methods, but still disagreed: "Kexiang is the empire you built from the ground up, every brick laid by your own hands, all your blood, sweat, and tears. You know how difficult these years have been."

Chen Wan drank until he had a stomach hemorrhage for their first deal, rushed to four exhibitions in two days and suffered heatstroke to the point of collapse without going to the hospital, curried favor and smiled at clients who deliberately made things difficult, bore the humiliation from competitors who sought to crush them, and carved out a path step by step.

Seeing Han Jin so bitter and resentful, Chen Wan smiled helplessly: "Brother Jin, I'm just temporarily withdrawing, not giving up. Isn't it better to come back relaxed after solving these issues?"

Now these interests and entanglements have turned into vulnerabilities, giving the other party leverage over him.

Chen Wan is extremely stubborn and resolute, never listening to others' opinions when it comes to Zhao Shengge. After a long standoff with him, Han Jin could only say in a low voice: "Your position at Kexiang will always be waiting for you, and your dividends—though they can't be recorded officially—I'll ensure you receive every cent through other means."

"I appreciate the gesture, but it's unnecessary," Chen Wan, a master at skirting the edges of legality, reminded his soon-to-be ex-partner. "Don't mess with the books; stay on the right side of the law."

Han Jin fell silent, the weight of Chen Wan's words hanging in the air.