Chapter 3 Assembly Hall Upheaval

Chapter 3: Storm in the Assembly Hall

Shen Zongnian paid him no mind, coldly pushing him aside and heading straight to his study. Cooking had taken a considerable amount of time; if Tan Youming hadn't needed to eat, he would have simply grabbed a quick bite.

Past midnight, Shen Zongnian emerged from his study, massaging his tired temples. As he passed through the living room, he noticed Tan Youming’s door wasn’t fully closed. In the dim nightlight, Tan Youming’s hair was half-dry, a loose navy-blue robe draped over him, revealing a stretch of slender, well-proportioned calf. He seemed to be on the phone, his voice carrying a hint of languor as he drawled, “Nah, not my thing.”

Leaning against the window, he toyed with his belt and let out a soft laugh at something he heard.

“What time is it?” A cold voice abruptly cut through the darkness.

“Holy shit!” Tan Youming jumped, turning to complain, “How do you walk so quietly?!”

Shen Zongnian’s handsome face was shrouded in the midnight gloom, like a soulless specter.

Whether it was copying homework as kids or staying out late as adults, Shen Zongnian always appeared precisely when Tan Youming felt a pang of guilt.

“Planning to cut it close again tomorrow?”

Xu Enyi’s voice came through the phone: “What’s wrong?”

“...” Tan Youming didn’t answer.

Shen Zongnian turned and left without another word. Tan Youming quickly called out, “Hey, I’ll be right there—”

Shen Zongnian ignored him, returning to his room to shower before scanning several dark web messages, his expression growing increasingly grim. It wasn’t until a notification from the family group chat popped up that his thoughts were abruptly pulled back.

Streams of messages and memes scrolled by, but Shen Zongnian’s eyes lingered on the only link among them.

Tan Youming might generate hundreds of sensational headlines a year, though he never read any himself. But what he didn’t know was that someone read every single one.

The photo in the link wasn’t particularly clear, but even in its blurriness, one could discern the man’s dashing, imposing figure. His head was slightly lowered, a smile playing on his lips, and from that angle, the two appeared quite close, radiating an ambiguous intimacy in the twilight.

Exiting the webpage, his phone returned to the home screen, displaying a warm and happy family portrait of six.

The next day, the two were scheduled to attend the Bay Area’s second-half trade industry and anti-monopoly compliance guidance conference.

Tan Youming, who had only gotten about five hours of sleep the night before, appeared in the living room right on time, looking fresh and energetic.

“Morning!”

Shen Zongnian was checking work emails, and only Auntie Tang responded with a smile. Breakfast was quickly served as she called out, “Young Master, Young Master Zongnian, breakfast is ready.”

Auntie Tang was an old-timer from the Tan household, sent by Guan Kezhi to look after the two. “We’re having wonton noodles today, is that alright?”

“Of course,” Tan Youming chimed in eagerly.

The shrimp wontons were filled with crab roe, and the broth was simmered with old hen for a rich flavor.

Shen Zongnian ate while scrolling through work messages, issuing instructions: “Speed it up. Admiralty will be jammed.”

Tan Youming’s morning appetite was usually poor. After swallowing half a shrimp dumpling, he pushed his bowl forward. “I’m full. You have it.” Guan Kezhi had never tolerated wasting food since they were young, and Auntie Tang had watched them grow up. Tan Youming was afraid she might report back if he left too much.

Shen Zongnian had eaten Tan Youming’s leftovers countless times since childhood. Without looking up, he took the bowl, poured the remaining noodles into his own, and polished it off quickly. Grabbing his jacket, he said tersely, “Let’s go.”

The conference was held at the Fenlish Bay Hall, an hour’s drive away. The hall was originally a church built by British missionaries, with Victorian-style pillars, a spire, and a spacious tiered auditorium that could seat over two hundred people.

Even Tan Youming kept a low profile at such events, bringing no assistants or secretaries. However, their place cards were placed in the central front row.

Huantu of the Shen family, Minglong of the Zhao family, and Pinghai of the Tan family were arranged in order.

When Shen Zongnian and Tan Youming entered, Zhao Shengge had already arrived. The two automatically took their seats on either side of him.

The heir rarely made public appearances, but today’s conference was exceptional.

Zhao Shengge and Shen Zongnian were too unapproachable; while the two conversed quietly, no one dared interrupt. Instead, many struck up conversations with Tan Youming.

At the same time, the chairman of the Competition Law Tribunal read out formal warnings to nine major enterprises, demanding rectifications. He emphasized that the next focus would be strictly reviewing merger cases of platform companies in accordance with the law, urging all market participants to take note.

The warning effect of these cases was immediate, and the atmosphere in the venue quickly turned subtle. The faces in the audience, often seen on financial magazine covers, grew slightly more serious and cautious.

The three young faces in the center, however, remained impassive.

During the twenty-minute intermission, a tea break was provided.

Shen Zongnian stood up, and Tan Youming, who was talking to someone, turned around and said, “Shen Zongnian, I’ll come with you.”

They were separated by Zhao Shengge, who seemed to have mentally drifted to another galaxy and hadn’t moved.

“Zhao Shengge?” Tan Youming reminded him to make way.

Zhao Shengge finally turned to him, raised an eyebrow, and asked politely, “You’re going to the restroom together?”

“Yeah,” Tan Youming said with a deliberately mischievous grin, “We usually go hand in hand.”

Shen Zongnian’s face darkened. “Let’s go,” he said coldly.

Tan Youming strode alongside him, probing, “What were you and Zhao Shengge talking about earlier?” Back in their school days, Zhao Shengge often only invited Shen Zongnian to work on robots and model airplanes, dismissing Tan Youming and Zhuo Zhixuan as too restless to focus.

“Nothing.”

Tan Youming wanted to ask more, but his popularity meant he was constantly greeted by others along the way. Before he could take more than a few steps, he was delayed again, so Shen Zongnian went ahead alone.

Not many people remained in the venue.

Zhao Shengge sat with his legs crossed, absently watching his phone vibrate on the conference table. One ring, two rings—after it quieted down for a moment, he picked it up and sent a reply.

Noticing Shen Zongnian returning alone, Zhao Shengge asked pleasantly, “Weren’t you going hand in hand?”

Shen Zongnian lifted his eyes, glanced at the cat emoji that had popped up in Zhao Shengge’s chat window, and said coolly, “Zhao Shengge.”

“You’re so lame.”

“...”

The conference lasted until just past noon. Even using the internal passage, a large crowd of reporters had gathered outside.

Before long, the grand doors opened one after another, and three tall, handsome men stepped out—impressive in bearing and demeanor, outshining even the stained-glass windows of the church.

The men chatted among themselves, with Zhao Shengge always at the center, flanked by Shen Zongnian and Tan Youming. They walked with purpose, calm yet relaxed, as a tropical breeze swept through the hall, lightly lifting the hem of someone’s suit jacket.

Following an unspoken rule, no reporters aimed their cameras at the heir. Instead, they automatically cleared a path wide enough for one person, watching as Zhao Shengge left the venue.

Zhao Shengge, phone in hand, wandered confusedly around Century Square twice before finally spotting a long black sedan tucked away behind a Roman column under a large tree, nearly completely hidden from view.

“...”

He had originally envisioned being driven away amid camera flashes, but reality was harsh—the spot was quiet and deserted, without even a bird in the trees.

Zhao Shengge wasn't used to walking so far. He fell silent for a few seconds, then slowly strolled over, his expression blank as he opened the car door. A bouquet of peonies and hydrangeas lay on the back seat, behind which was a beautiful smiling face: "Zhao Shengge."

Zhao Shengge looked down his nose at the other man. Chen Wan gave an easygoing smile and extended his hand, saying, "You must be tired from the meeting."

Zhao Shengge was still somewhat displeased, but seeing the curved eyes and the beautiful bouquet, he still offered his hand.

Chen Wan wanted to show him the carefully selected etched salmon, but Zhao Shengge never let go of his hand, holding it tightly. Chen Wan let the idea drop.

As soon as Zhao Shengge left, the reporters, who had been lying in wait, swarmed forward, quickly surrounding Shen Zongnian and Tan Youming.

"Mr. Tan Youming, what impact do you think the signals and trends discussed in today’s meeting regarding resource allocation favoring small and medium-sized enterprises will have on leading companies like Pinghai?"

"Mr. Shen Zongnian, the meeting emphasized stricter reviews of platform enterprise mergers. In the last quarter, the merger of certain industries between Huantu and Pinghai surpassed Minglong’s market share for the first time. Does this signal the end of the three-way power balance in Haishi?"

"Mr. Shen Zongnian, how do you interpret the yellow-card cases cited by the Competition Law Tribunal judge? What is your response to the rumors about Huantu’s alleged involvement in such risks?"

Compared to Zhao Shengge, the "golden boy" from an esteemed family and its "legitimate heir," Shen Zongnian has never enjoyed a favorable reputation in Haishi’s media.

At eighteen, he rose to power over the bodies of his own kin with an iron fist.

By twenty-two, he had completed the transfer of power within Huantu, carrying out a bloody purge of the old guard.

At twenty-four, he seized full control of the family’s core assets, expelled his parents from the family trust, orchestrated a scheme that left his cousin drowning in gambling debts, and forced his uncles to sell their assets and flee Haishi, exiling them overseas for years, never to return.

Each of these actions was shocking. In Haishi’s "harmony brings wealth" business world, Shen Zongnian has always been notorious, labeled as someone who betrays his family and harms his own kin.

Even senior members of other established families close to the Shen family elders have insinuated that this young man acts too ruthlessly, questioning who would dare cooperate with someone so ambitious and untrustworthy.

Shen Zongnian himself remains indifferent, aloof and sparing with words: "No response needed. If Huantu has issues, the regulatory bureau will address the public."

The reporters fell silent for a moment before pressing further: "Does Huantu have plans to expand in the real estate sector this year? Is it true that Huantu avoids antitrust scrutiny due to being a major taxpayer?"

Shen Zongnian glanced at the aggressive reporter, his tone cold and sharp: "We have no plans to expand in real estate, but we are considering entering the media industry by acquiring several newspapers."

"..."

His reply was infuriating: "Then, may I ask if the U5 project series launched by Huantu and Pinghai to compete for the lower-tier market constitutes disorderly capital expansion?"

"Has it genuinely harmed the interests of small and medium-sized enterprises? Has it squeezed their survival space?"

The microphone was pushed closer. Shen Zongnian stared back calmly, making the reporter uneasy. Suddenly, a strikingly handsome face appeared in the camera frame: "Leading enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises are not opposing forces. A fair competitive market requires the active participation of all types of market entities." Tan Youming had, at some point, stepped in front of Shen Zongnian, casually pushing away the microphone that was nearly in his face.

He smiled at the camera, momentarily dazzling the reporter. However, Tan Youming’s smile did not reach his eyes as he said sternly, "As industry leaders, Huantu and Pinghai are also steadfast guardians of market order. The U5 project has strengthened talent, technology, and capital exchanges with small and medium-sized enterprises, unleashing synergies across the industrial chain and injecting new vitality into the market. It represents a new opportunity for both large and small enterprises."

Tan Youming is a regular feature in Haishi’s media, whether in serious financial reports or baseless gossip. He has grown accustomed to it, but he dislikes anyone photographing Shen Zongnian and cannot tolerate uninformed critics dissecting Shen Zongnian in the press, crucifying him with biased narratives.

Haishi’s media is notorious for being sensationalistic and lacking integrity. During the years when Shen Zongnian was at his most dominant and the storm of public opinion was fiercest, Tan Youming bought countless sensationalized reports about him and even acquired a newspaper that fed on scandal. The outlet had collaborated with Shen Zongnian’s uncles to sensationalize doubts about Grandfather Shen’s will. The team behind it never appeared in Haishi’s mainstream media again.

Tan Youming is not unsympathetic to those just trying to make a living—he understands everyone has to make a living. He is even willing to sacrifice some of his own reputation and privacy, using fabricated gossip about himself to fill the space that might otherwise be used to dig into Shen Zongnian’s past. But he will never tolerate outright slander.

Since then, Haishi’s media has adhered to an unspoken rule: fabricating gossip about Mr. Tan is one thing, but writing even a single false word about Mr. Shen is a death sentence.