Chapter 65 The Sinking Ship

Chapter 65 The Sinking Ship

Chen Wan did not receive a call from Zhao Shengge.

The banquet hall was filled with loud music and overwhelming chatter.

It was Chen Bingxin's 69th birthday, the last big birthday before turning seventy, and half of the notable figures in the city had gathered to honor him.

Chen Wan was finally allowed to attend a formal Chen family event for the first time, dressed in a low-key white suit, his hair slightly long, looking gentle and handsome.

Most of the city’s younger crowd had only caught whispers of Song Qingmiao’s late 20th-century scandals, with little deep understanding. Thus, Chen Wan’s sudden appearance seemed mysterious, and many approached him to chat. Chen Wan mingled effortlessly among the glittering crowd, until Liao Quan intercepted him behind the high fountain.

"Chen Wan, are you screwing with me?"

In just over half a month, Liao Quan looked visibly older, his face haggard and fierce.

Chen Wan ignored him, raising his glass to someone across the room before turning to look at him, silent.

Liao Quan glared, teeth clenched: "You convinced me to buy up the scattered shares, used the stock price drop to buy low, and colluded with market makers to rig the stock market."

"And the loan from North Trade, you lied to me about it being financing, but it was actually embezzlement and fund diversion."

Chen Wan set his glass down. He’d just gotten the final shares Chen Bingxin promised, and was in a good mood, with enough patience to humor this cast-off: "Got proof? You signed the papers, bought the shares, and transferred them yourself. I made the introduction, but Minglong’s choice was out of my hands. You’re responsible for your own choices."

Liao Quan’s chest rose and fell: "I’ll own up, but you’re not getting off either. You know North Trade’s tied to Black Nine, right? Yesterday, a dozen of them went to smash the Rongxin branch on Dunli Street, and even broke into my private vacation home!"

They even threatened to chop off his right hand if he didn’t pay up, and send it to his sister and brother-in-law, to show Chen Bingxin what a traitor he is.

Chen Wan gave a casual nod, indifferent: "Then I suggest Mr. Liao plugs that hole fast if he wants to keep that grubby hand."

Liao Quan was shocked: "You knew!" Then, a hint of fear appeared in his eyes, "You... you colluded with them, do you want me dead?"

A faint, pitying smile appeared in Chen Wan's eyes.

Liao Quan felt a chill down his spine. The other's vengefulness and grudge-holding far exceeded his imagination: "You still remember that time... I only touched your foot... I didn't really do anything to you."

"But this hand just disgusts me." Chen Wan tilted his head, his gaze calm but cold, his voice eerily soft, sending shivers down one's spine: "I can cut off one of your fingers, and I can have someone chop off your entire hand."

Liao Quan panicked: "Aren't you afraid I'll release those photos—"

"Go ahead," Chen Wan raised his wrist, checking his watch, "but before you do, I suggest you read today's 7 PM edition of 'Harbor Evening News.'"

Although it was a small section, those photos had already become duds.

Ge Xi, pleased with Chen Wan's efficiency and the additional share transfer, even invited Song Qingmiao to take some new photos for the section.

For her, men were far less important than money. Meng Yuanxiong was nothing in their Ge family.

"You played me!!"

Chen Wan looked at him calmly, as if watching a doomed man.

A belated sense of satisfaction surged in his heart.

He nodded calmly: "I told you to speak with evidence."

"You maliciously induced transactions, leaked trade secrets, and manipulated the stock market. Any one of these is enough to land you in hot water. Chen Wan, you're waiting for the SEC's penalty card!"

"No need to trouble yourself," Chen Wan said calmly, unperturbed, "I've already received their yellow card."

It doesn’t matter.

The burden of proof for crimes disrupting market economic order is too high. Chen Wan being invited for questioning isn’t his first time; he is well-versed in the gray areas and was absolutely certain he could emerge unscathed before taking this risk.

Chen Wan specifically sought out Zhuo Zhixuan to enlist his overseas classmates to help with the trading. As long as the transaction location isn’t within the country, it’s a gray area, and the Securities Commission couldn’t possibly find any substantive flaws or evidence, at most issuing a warning.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t just be a matter of being questioned.

Moreover, Chen Wan is working for Ge Xi. Even if Ge Xi doesn’t want to protect him, the newly acquired equity stakes are still in his hands.

Chen Wan is willing to go through the trouble of dealing with Liao Quan only to eliminate the Chen family root and branch.

Burning bridges, Chen Wan is outstanding, unmatched.

Liao Quan’s eyes were wide, his chest heaving, unable to speak. Chen Wan smiled slightly, turned elegantly, and put on a perfect mask of warmth, like a butterfly fluttering into the dazzling lights.

"Fourth Young Master, the master summons you."

Chen Bingxin hasn’t formally acknowledged Chen Wan’s identity, but those below are quick to adapt, even changing their address promptly.

Chen Wan walked over with a glass of wine. Chen Bingxin was supported by his first and second concubines on either side, followed by a group of nephews and nieces from the second and third branches.

These days, under Chen Wan’s behind-the-scenes maneuvering, Rongxin’s stock price has been continuously rising. Chen Bingxin is radiating satisfaction, completely unaware that a tempest is on the horizon.

Chen Wan coldly observed the scene of revelry, feeling an inexplicable thrill.

The last crucial element is in place. Soon, he will personally send this ship full of holes into the abyss of the sea. Those who have coveted Zhao Shengge will disappear one by one. Chen Wan feels a long-awaited sense of fulfillment.

The nephews and nieces from various branches came to flatter Chen Bingxin, saying many auspicious words. Some even put on a show to please, with Chen Baoying playing the violin and Chen Yu writing a long congratulatory speech. Only Chen Wan remained aloof.

Chen Bingxin had previously underestimated the capabilities of this long-neglected son. Now, dissatisfied with his lack of control, he tapped his cane and instructed, "Tonight’s guests are important. When the banquet starts, you go and toast Uncle Xu first, fill the glass to the brim."

Although Rongxin has been doing well recently, it lacks staying power. Chen Bingxin has always wanted to secure a steady source of income through the tobacco export trade, and Xu Jiming is a key figure that Chen Yu has been unable to handle.

Chen Wan looked over calmly, his eyes cold.

Xu Jiming’s preferences are well-known in Haishi. A man in his sixties, he recently took in a male concubine, a college student nearly forty years his junior.

This man is devious and manipulative, with unclear relationships with many high-level executives of various enterprises, hence holding considerable resources. Chen Bingxin’s intention in having Chen Wan toast him is obvious.

Xu Jiming likes Chen Wan’s type, and Chen Bingxin also harbors the intention of bringing Chen Wan to heel through this opportunity. Establishing one’s authority in a grand setting is an instinct of every middle-aged and elderly man. Moreover, with Chen Wan now involved in Rongxin’s affairs, if he becomes uncontrollable, the consequences would be dire.

The concubines cast subtle glances, and murmurs of contempt spread among the younger generation. These days, Chen Wan has stolen much of their limelight and taken many things from them, but in the end, he’s still just someone who relies on his appearance.

Just like his mother.

Chen Wan’s stomach churned, but he remained unmoved, mocking, "Has Rongxin really come to this? Then even if you have me sacrifice everything, it probably won’t bring it back to life."

"Nonsense!" Chen Bingxin scolded in a low voice. He dislikes people mentioning Rongxin’s setbacks, refusing to face the fact that the empire he built is now a diminishing legacy. His cane struck the corner of the table heavily, "It’s just a toast, a normal social interaction, and you’re bringing up these unspeakable, unseemly things."

The second concubine mediated the situation, "A Wan, today is your father’s birthday, don’t upset him. It’s just a drink. Your mother also drank with Uncle Xu when she was young," her refined face bore the shrewdness and malice unique to wealthy ladies of Haishi, her words half-spoken, deliberately inviting speculation, "Back then, it wasn’t just drinking—"

Those in the know smiled suggestively. Chen Wan’s heart felt as if it had been seared by flames.

Chen Wan thought his psychological resilience had been honed over the years, but at this moment, he felt as if he had been stripped naked in public.

These people shamelessly used disdainful tones and foul language to humiliate a woman in public.

Song Qingmiao wasn’t always like this. Her nature wasn’t so frivolous, but she had been pressed into the dye vat for too long, from struggling to numbness, gradually forgetting her original self and how to resist, finally blinded by the glamour, becoming a bubble at the center of the vortex of influence.

She was both innocent and pitiful, and the culprit was the man who pushed her into the abyss.

Men exploit women as pawns for their own gain, and in the end, the women are mocked as promiscuous. How cruel and absurd.

Chen Wan's icy, composed gaze swept across the room. At this point, there was no need to endure humiliation anymore. He spoke with calm confidence, each word striking like a hammer: "Madam, spare us the insinuations. My mother didn’t do those things willingly. It was your husband who lured and forced her into them. You know full well how much he’s profited from forcing my mother to socialize over the years. Without her socializing, mediating, and smiling at others, would he have achieved his current status? Second Madam, you’re just another one of his victims, just like my mother, both pawns. Why turn on each other? He traded women before, and now he’s trading his own children. Second Madam, you should be careful too. Chen Baoyi is sixteen this year. You should protect her well."

The Second Madam’s face turned pale. Chen Bingxin’s face flushed with anger, about to reprimand, when Xu Jiming walked over with a glass of wine.

Xu Jiming was gaunt and sickly, his face bloated. He said he came specifically to have a drink with Chen Bingxin, but his gaze lingered on Chen Wan several times.

Chen Wan’s poised demeanor was magnetic. Xu Jiming regretted that the Chen family had kept this son under wraps for so long, and now he had grown teeth and claws, no longer easily obtainable.

Chen Bingxin had several tobacco lines that needed Xu Jiming's help to pass through customs at the lowest tax rate. He raised his glass to Xu Jiming and said, "Back in the days when we came out of Kowloon Bay together, you were the one with the best drinking capacity. Time has flown by. In the future, Rongxin will also rely on your care, old brother."

Xu Jiming feigned reluctance, pushing his glass aside, and said with a fake smile, "Old Chen, you’re to blame here. Now that A Wan is back to help you, as a father, you still have to do it for him. How can you give young people the chance to train?"

He poured a full glass of strong liquor and handed it to Chen Wan, saying with a smile, "Come, A Wan, you drink with Uncle Xu. In the future, with Uncle Xu's protection, Rongxin's tobacco business will be secure. Foreign trade is tough these days. Inexperienced young people like you need the right guidance to avoid mistakes."

There was a mix of temptation and threat in his words, but Chen Wan stood his ground: "No need. In the future, the tobacco business won’t trouble Mr. Xu. Rongxin is moving in a different direction."

Tobacco raw material export was one of the few profitable sectors for Rongxin at the moment. It would be great if Xu Jiming no longer helped with connections.

Chen Bingxin was speechless, his face flushed with rage, and he slammed his cane: "Chen Wan, what nonsense are you talking!" He had just transferred the shares to Chen Wan, and now he felt a faint unease.

Chen Wan’s eyes gleamed with a mocking smile, feeling more and more at ease, adding fuel to the fire: "Oh, not just tobacco, but logistics as well." Rongxin was on the verge of collapse, what industry was there to speak of?

Xu Jiming, on the other hand, found it interesting, his slanted eyes narrowing slightly: "Old Chen, your fourth son is quite interesting. What about those ships at Qingwan Port that didn't pass inspection? Are they going back or—"

Before he could finish, Chen Wan interrupted loudly: "I think there's no need to go back. Mr. Xu, if you want to destroy them, it's fine."

Chen Bingxin was about to speak when suddenly, Chen Wan noticed that both he and Xu Jiming's expressions changed noticeably, very obviously.

He was somewhat puzzled, but soon, this subtle, complex, and obvious unease spread like ripples from their faces to the faces of the concubines, the side-room children, and everyone in the room.

Chen Wan frowned slightly, turned around, and his eyes suddenly widened.

Zhao Shengge, impeccably dressed in a suit, looked like he’d just stepped out of a formal event.

He walked steadily at the forefront, followed by Chen Yu, Chen Ying, and several other Chen family members, all bowing and nodding.

If Chen Yu hadn't seen Zhao Shengge once during the Chen family's most prosperous years, he would never have dared to say that the visitor was Zhao Shengge.

All major families in the city would send invitations to the Zhao family for various banquets, but only a few top families would receive replies in a year, and it wouldn't be Zhao Shengge himself who attended.

No one knew why he was here.

Zhao Shengge was tall and long-legged, with cold and aloof features, exuding an air of indifference. The people following him seemed slightly nervous and flustered.

Chen Yu, who was closest to him, tried several times to strike up a conversation with a flattering smile, but received no response. Zhao Shengge's gaze was disdainful, as if looking at ants, and he ignored all the various looks from the crowd, his expression remaining indifferent as he scanned every corner.

Only when he saw Chen Wan did his face show a barely noticeable change.