MY WIFE IS A BEAUTIFUL CEO

Chapter 701 - Chapter 710

Chapter 701 - Xi Shi

Ning Guangyao quickly stuffed the photo back into the drawer as he replied, "Cuishan, I'm inside."

Luo Cuishan gently pushed the door open with a teacup in hand, before she lovingly smiled at Ning Guangyao and said, "Why are you shutting yourself inside right after work? I bet the past few days must've been hectic for you. Here, I got you some American ginseng tea."

Ning Guangyao was a little touched by her attentiveness, as he received the tea from her. He replied, "You must be pretty well worn yourself. Remember to take care of yourself as well."

Luo Cuishan smiled as she shook her head. Her line of sight however coincidentally peeked on the monitor display. What she saw stunned her.

Ning Guangyao sipped from the cup before he noticed that Luo Cuishan was engrossed on his computer display. He awkwardly shifted the topic as he said, "Oh yeah, is Guodong still unwilling to come back?"

"Yeah." Luo Cuishan turned back to look at him, smiling helplessly. "That kid is in it for the long run. And you too, why do you have to push him that far? Regardless of what he has done, he is still our one and only son. You should give him a chance."

"Huh, a tiny setback and he's this defeated? How then can I expect him to take over the clan? When I was young I had nothing. Everything I have now was the result of my blood, sweat, and tears. The kid managed to get himself an executive position at such a young age. What more does he want? I believe it was my mistake for pampering him this much. He thinks everyone should be awed at his presence. He has to understand that it was his own misjudgment towards the Yang clan that has led to his pitfall," Ning Guangyao said unwaveringly.

Luo Cuishan nodded. "Well, that's undeniable. Since Grandfather's death, while we're still the center of attraction, our power is still all in all very debatable. We can't go head on with the two elders of the Yang and Li clans."

Ning Guangyao sighed as he emphasized, "Taking everything into consideration, you should advise him sparingly to admit to his mistakes. Otherwise, I would have no other choice than to send him to the bottom of the hierarchy to teach him a lesson."

Luo Cuishan was terrified at his proclamation as she probed, "Are you sending him outstation? Others only do that for their résumé. Is—is that even necessary given the status of our clan? Where better to hone his skills than Beijing? Guangyao, you have to think this through. Our son might be naive and brash, but he has never disappointed us when it comes to work!"

Ning Guangyao humphed. He had no intention of arguing with his wife.

Luo Cuishan, filled with uncertainty, mumbled, "You... are concerned about Xue Zijing's daughter, aren't you?"

Ning Guangyao's hand shivered as he barely held onto his teacup, staring at Luo Cuishan in a daze. "Why... are you..."

Lu Cuishan looked disappointed as she replied, "I know you have a history with Xue Zijing back in the days. No surprise there. She later went on to marry into the Lin family and give birth to Lin Ruoxi, and we had our child. From that day forth we had been stable and joyful, which is why I never brought that up."

Ning Guangyao secretly let out a breath of relief as he diffidently smiled. "Nevertheless, she is the daughter of an old acquaintance. Now that neither of her parents is around, I feel responsible for what happens to her. Not to mention Yu Lei International is the key adhesion to the financial prowess within Beijing. I genuinely wish for them to prevail through."

A glimpse of discontent flashed through Luo Cuishan's eyes before she lifted her head. "Seeing how busy you are these days, just put this matter aside. Since I'm coincidentally heading to Zhonghai tomorrow for site inspection, why don't you let me take this over and mediate connection over there in your stead? I believe it would be better for them if I could assist them physically."

"Are... you serious?" Ning Guangyao was in slight disbelief.

Luo Cuishan rolled her eyes as she emphasized, "Do you really think I'd hate her daughter just because you had a past with Xue Zijing? The child is innocent. Besides, I am doing this for the wellbeing of our country's economy."

Feeling touched, Ning Guangyao stood up and held his wife by the hand. "All these years going through thick and thin, I am so grateful for your presence. But now I finally got to see how compassionate you truly are and it makes me guilty that I've never treated you better. To be honest with you, I was expecting you to be infuriated for my care towards the child. But for you to take the initiative to step up and help her is really something else."

Luo Cuishan shook her head as she gave a sincere smile, "All I have in mind is to support you on the things you do."

Ning Guangyao lovingly stared at his wife, his pupils gradually becoming watery before he ultimately embraced her with all his might.

Meanwhile, the headquarters of Yu Lei International were well lit. It was deep into midnight, but no one had left the company.

Several off-duty employees took the initiative to return to the office, as they switched positions with the ones at work, providing them with a much-needed break.

In accordance to Lin Ruoxi's proposed strategy, every 10 minutes, accountants within the company would separately purchase small amounts of the company stocks, while the other departments would play the role in convincing investors to retain trust towards the company.

In the main conference hall, Liu Mingyu and a few other executive officers were discussing other possible methods to remedy the situation. Lin Ruoxi sat right at her commanding seat, attentively observing the constantly updating financial data on display.

Right at that moment, the conference room door was opened. It didn't take long until everyone noticed the aroma of spices, causing all eyes to be focused on the door.

"Haha, you all have a great sense of smell, don't you?" Yang Chen held multiple bags of different sizes as he jovially proceeded to leave them on the conference table, directly above some documents.

If it was before the incident, many would have been displeased by Yang Chen's erratic interruption, but now that he was known as the CEO's husband, no one would risk picking a bone with him.

"Director Yang, what are these?" A high-ranked executive broke the ice.

Lin Ruoxi, indifferent, shifted her focus over to Yang Chen.

"What else could it be? It's supper," Yang Chen replied as he retrieved the food inside the plastic bags. It didn't take long before the table was placed with mala skewers, fried rice cakes, deep-fried loin and an array of assorted night market snacks.

The employees hadn't had a proper meal since lunch, and now that it was late at night, the common delicacies that were usually disregarded were now a sight for sore eyes.

But they held back their urges and stared at Lin Ruoxi with intense gazes, waiting for her permission.

"Well don't look at me, eat." Lin Ruoxi nodded as she gave permission.

The employees happily went towards the snacks as they each grabbed something before gobbling away.

Yang Chen handed Liu Mingyu a bowl of beef noodles before he grabbed a few sticks of mutton skewers and brought it over to Lin Ruoxi. "Here, open your mouth!"

Lin Ruoxi frowned as she whispered, "Why does Mingyu get to have the beef noodles but I can only have mutton skewers?"

Despite whispering, Liu Mingyu on the near corner heard everything she said as she scanned around the room and noticed that she was undoubtedly the only one with noodles, but she ultimately phased out as she lowered her head, pretending not to notice the anomaly.

Yang Chen chuckled as he brought himself close to Lin Ruoxi's ears before he said, "Mingyu has her dad to watch after her. It's not the end of the world if she loses her job at Yu Lei. Her dad can still take good care of her. As for you, when you're not CEO anymore you will have to come to sell mutton skewers with me. So now would be the best time for you to get used to the flavor. I managed to borrow a stall's equipment for a bit to grill these myself!"

Lin Ruoxi was embarrassed as she agitatedly stared at him. "Is it very funny? I don't need time to get used to it!"

Yang Chen shrugged as he taunted, "Well if you're not eating then I'll just pass these to Mingyu as well. What a pity, I spent a long time to roast these..."

Lin Ruoxi immediately replied, "Wait! I—I haven't eaten dinner yet as well."

"I thought you just said you didn't need to get used to it? Wifey, how could you change your mind so quickly?" Yang Chen asked innocently.

"Well, that's what women do. I can fill my stomach with these, can't i?" Lin Ruoxi did not hesitate as she took them off Yang Chen's hands and started nibbling away.

The executives binged on the snacks while blabbering with one another. Despite the chaos of the company, they found it refreshing to watch their CEO eat mutton skewers.

Yang Chen meanwhile placed the rest of the mutton skewers in front of Lin Ruoxi. There were at least twenty of them. Turning around, he said to the others, "Nobody's allowed to take any of my wife's mutton skewers! If I catch you, I'll kick you off the building!"

"Huh? Understood!"

The executives present were stupefied by his remark, but they ultimately agreed in unison. After all, it wasn't as if anyone would fight with their CEO for food.

Lin Ruoxi lifted her leg and lightly kicked Yang Chen on the calf. Her face was as red as a tomato, visibly embarrassed by Yang Chen's actions.

Yang Chen was proudly giggling, with no sign of embarrassment as he went ahead and tidied up the plastic bags, ready to leave the room.

Lin Ruoxi asked, "Are you going over to Qianni's?"

Yang Chen halted his footsteps and replied with a smirk on his face, "My wife is indeed smart."

"Hmph." Lin Ruoxi was not having it. "How considerate of you."

Yang Chen sighed, "Well it cannot be helped, I'm a busy man, after Qianni I still have to deliver to An Xin too."

"An Xin?" This time even Liu Mingyu was in all ears, as she wiped on her lips dripped with beef noodle broth. "An Xin is still here?"

"Of course," Yang Chen continued with a smug. "If not for her, I couldn't have gone out to buy supper. This is what I call teamwork."

"Well, it sounds to me that you're just finding an excuse to laze about." Lin Ruoxi agitatedly bit the meat off the stick, disgusted to even look at this thick-skinned brat any longer.

Right at this moment, Yang Chen shifted his course and dashed towards Lin Ruoxi, before bending down and giving her a tight smooch on the face.

That sound instantly caught everybody's attention in the room.

Lin Ruoxi was stupefied as she caressed the side of her face which got damp as a result. She nearly suffocated from the sudden public affection.

Yang Chen winked as he declared, "Whatever it is, just relax. No matter the outcome, I will be there to bear it."

Lin Ruoxi dreamily gawked at her husband, before she finally caught on to her senses and nodded.

"Fret not! In the legends, there's Xi Shi the femme fatale, whose beauty brought the nation to prosperity. You can always be the Xi Shi to my mutton skewer stand!" Yang Chen proudly announced while beating his chest.

Just a while ago she was touched by his words, but now she felt nothing but annoyance. "Get out!"

Yang Chen instantly darted out of the conference room, while at the same time boastfully waving goodbye to the executives present, which prompted them to all roll their eyes.

Lin Mingyu tried her best not to break into laughter as she continued slurping on the noodles. She then remembered something. "Boss Lin, if I remember correctly, there will be three major land auctions tomorrow over at Zhangzhou. We were previously keen on bidding. But now that our cards are on the table, should we proceed as planned?"

Lin Ruoxi, upon hearing information regarding business, instantly transformed back to her stern and stoical self. "Of course we'll continue. But this time I'll delegate someone else in your stead, I need you around to lead the public relations department."

"But Boss Lin, I don't think that's appropriate." Another executive interrupted their discussion. "Our share price has dropped for thirty percent already! If we proceed with the auction of such astronomical amounts, especially when our opponents are all on offense, aren't we basically committing suicide?"

"Yeah, Boss Lin, it'll only lead us to a point of no return!"

Lin Ruoxi was visibly unhappy as she replied, "I'm deeply aware of the consequences, but if we turn it down we'd basically be declaring to the world that we're defeated. Our employees would completely lose their confidence too."

Hearing her reasoning, they found it rather reasonable. It is most terrifying should one lose their spirit to battle.

At this moment, a temporary assistant came running into the conference room as he hurriedly said, "Boss Lin, devastating news. A few of our major shareholders are threatening to change the CEO, or they'll sell their shares at filthy-low prices!"

Chapter 702 - Eat Something

Everyone present in the room was taken aback by the sudden revelation of this news.

"At such a critical moment, why would anyone want to change the CEO?"

"Sigh... they've bought our shares for hundreds of millions. Now that the value has fallen for thirty plus percent, they've easily lost tens of millions! It's normal that they're getting anxious."

Lin Ruoxi stoically replied to that assistant, "Notify them that they can sell their shares if they want. There's nothing they can do to make me succumb to their whims and fancies."

The assistant was terrified as he put up a face of dejection. "Boss Lin, are we really going against them head on?"

"Yeah, unless you want me to resign instead?"

One of the executives decided to voice his opinion. "Boss Lin, why don't you let me negotiate with them? If they toss out all thirty percent of our company's stocks that they possess, we would be virtually destroyed."

Lin Ruoxi sneered, "Let them do what they will. Just do as I say. They bought the stocks at double the current price. What makes you think that they would just throw them all away?"

The executives eyed one another as they could only sigh in disappointment, hoping that the CEO's decision was right. Above all, the CEO herself was the largest shareholder of the company.

The one that was most at risk was the CEO herself. What more could they say?

The night slipped through the hectic schedules and a restless rollercoaster of events.

The sun eventually took its place high in the sky, warm and uplifting in contrast to the atmosphere in Yu Lei.

In the mansion by the coast on the second floor, the curtains were gradually opened as rays of sunlight sipped in. The warmth that followed was paired with a gentle fragrance in the air.

On the king-sized bed, under the fluffy white blankets was the fatigue-ridden Wu Yue as she forced her eyes open.

As she gazed around her surroundings, she mended her puffy hair before lifting her body into a seated position.

After the ruckus from last night, she eventually succumbed to fatigue as she dozed off, only to find herself awake on the bed.

At this moment, the bedroom door was pushed open. Li Minghe came in with both hands holding onto a tray. On it was little plates of diced vegetables and a bowl of white porridge as the aroma engulfed the room.

As he came towards Wu Yue's side of the bed. Li Minghe gently assented with a smile, "Oh did I wake you? I'm not exactly a good cook but I made you something to eat. You haven't eaten since last night so I thought this porridge would do the trick. Have some."

Wu Yue stared at the well-prepared breakfast, and the warm smile on Li Minghe's face as she mumbled, "If you don't let me go, I'd rather starve."

Li Minghe's smile instantly became forced as he held on to his rage, trying his best to mediate the situation in the most composed way possible. "Yue'er, you know I can't do that. The safest place for you to be is right here. I'm very sure they would have figured out that I was the culprit behind the leak. If you return, you'll be arrested as an accomplice. I won't let that happen to you. I'll promise you, once the tides die down you can go anywhere you want."

Wu Yue forced her head away from him. "Get out, I'm not eating."

"You have to." Li Minghe raised his voice with his teeth clenched. "Think about the child in your belly. Even if you don't want to, you can't let our child starve, can you?"

Wu Yue trembled as tears gathered around her pupils, visibly emotional.

Li Minghe gave a long sigh. "No matter what happens between us, the child is innocent."

Wu Yue turned back towards him with conflicted emotions...

Li Minghe saw that Wu Yue was not resisting. He grabbed the ladle and scooped some porridge, filling it into a bowl. Blowing it a little, he delivered the porridge to Wu Yue's mouth. "I'll feed you. Just take it as a plea of mine. Please eat something, will you?"

Wu Yue placed her quivering hand on her belly as she took a deep, long breath before ultimately opening her mouth to eat.

Amidst the closing of the stock market, the employees of Yu Lei International finally got their well-deserved break. Many went back to rest while some had other commitments to uphold.

As for Lin Ruoxi, she was forcefully brought home by Yang Chen.

After all, she had gone a full day without any proper rest, in spite of the stressful nature of her position. Other employees might have others to cover for them, but she was all on her own.

Hence, despite her defiance towards Yang Chen taking her home, she almost immediately dozed off upon getting into the car.

They eventually reached home. Yang Chen held her hand and led the drowsy Lin Ruoxi into the house.

Wang Ma and Guo Xuehua who were worried all night were awaiting their return in the living room. Zhenxiu, on the other hand, was out in preparation for her finals.

"Oh my, why do you look so pale?" Guo Xuehua went up to Lin Ruoxi and held her hand tight as she distressingly questioned. "Go and catch up on your sleep. Oh my, no matter the situation over at the company, you still have to prioritize your health!"

Wang Ma meanwhile was teary-eyed, unable to speak.

Lin Ruoxi forced a smile. "Mother, Wang Ma, I'm fine. I'll go up now."

Guo Xuehua nodded and instantaneously ordered Yang Chen, "Send her up. She can't even walk straight now. Don't let her fall!"

"I might as well help her shower too." Yang Chen cracked a joke shamelessly.

"Little punk! It's not the time to joke around now." Guo Xuehua pinched her son on the arm before she anxiously pushed him to quickly accompany Lin Ruoxi upstairs.

Yang Chen might be joking, but the chilling gaze from the fatigue-ridden Lin Ruoxi still managed to terrify him.

As they went hand in hand to her room, Yang Chen noticed the jasmine fragrance in the air, causing him to lick his lips.

If he didn't cherish this opportunity, who knows when the next would arise.

As he assisted her onto the bed, Yang Chen stayed back as he sat right next to Lin Ruoxi.

Lin Ruoxi remained alert as she half-whispered, "What... do you want?"

Yang Chen smiled faintly. "Don't overthink it. I won't do anything to you when you're this drained out. I always keep the woman's cooperation during the process in mind."

Lin Ruoxi was already dozing off, which prompted a reply that paled in comparison to her usual rebukes. "Well then go out, I need to sleep."

Yang Chen remained silent as he held onto Lin Ruoxi's supple palm before channeling a stream of True Yuan into her body...

Lin Ruoxi felt rather confused when the warmth entered her body when an invigorating flow of vitality engulfed every corner of her body.

Gradually, she felt her vision sharpen and her fatigue leave her body.

Lin Ruoxi instantly noticed the peculiarity with the scenario. He had this trick in his sleeve the whole time, which was exactly what she felt when he cured her poisoning.

"You... If you could let me recover so quickly, why didn't you do so just now in the office?!" Lin Ruoxi asked, displeased.

Yang Chen let go of her hand before he sneered, "If I did that at the company you wouldn't have come home, would you?"

"Do you know how many things were put on hold at the company? Do you think it's the right time to come home?!" Lin Ruoxi furiously frowned.

Yang Chen unwaveringly replied, "Even so you still need to come back. Look at how worried Wang Ma and Mom were about you. The media have been filled with news concerning Yu Lei's crisis. Do you know how distressed they must've been?"

Lin Ruoxi zoned out for a moment before she proclaimed, "Now that I'm refreshed and rejuvenated, and both of them have seen me, can I go back now?"

Yang Chen smiled mysteriously and asked, "Do you really want to go back?"

Lin Ruoxi was skeptical but nonetheless nodded. "Yes. I'll just drive myself if you're not free. You're not going to be doing much at the company anyway."

"No that is not going to happen." Yang Chen stood up and said, "I'll drive you drive. And we'll stop to get some food while we're at it."

Lin Ruoxi noticed the weird expression in his eyes but couldn't quite decipher what he was having in mind, which prompted her to ultimately nod in agreement. At a time of crisis, it was in her instincts to have someone that she could lean on for support.

Although Wang Ma and Guo Xuehua were surprised that Lin Ruoxi came downstairs energetically, they didn't ask much nor did they stop her from leaving. All they did was inform Yang Chen to look after her.

In the car on the front passenger seat, Lin Ruoxi found it weirder the more she thought about it, so she tested the waters. "You're just taking me out for a ride, aren't you? You hadn't intended to let me rest since the start. Otherwise, there was no reason for you to rejuvenate me so soon right after reaching home."

Yang Chen sinisterly grinned. "That's not important. This trip I am taking you on is to prove my theory that certain people in the company have ulterior motives."

Lin Ruoxi was dumbfounded before Yang Chen abruptly took a turn and went off the highway onto an unpaved road.

"Why are you taking this route? If you want food, you could've gone to the town..."

Before Lin Ruoxi finished speaking, a huge cargo truck that had been tailing them all this while instantly accelerated as the sounds of its bulky parts were clearly heard by them both!

Like a beast of steel, the truck went exuded a terrifying aura as it sped forward. In the blink of an eye, it was inches away from crushing the Bentley in front!

Lin Ruoxi was unable to react—she was stupefied!

Meanwhile, the bright-red Bentley under Yang Chen's control instantly picked up in speed as well!

Before the truck managed to accelerate earlier, Yang Chen had ingeniously switched the gears to manual conduct, which he then lowered, in anticipation for this sudden acceleration!

The cargo truck was within millimeters of contact but that ultimately was as close as it got.

Yang Chen snorted disdainfully as he drove out the highway and instantaneously took a sharp, 180-degree turn before coming to a stop by the side of the road!

Chapter 703 - Backup Plans

The overwhelming inertia of the cargo truck made it unable to stop on time, which resulted in it tumbling several feet before flipping over the rail.

Thum! Thum! Thum!

After a series of loud thuds, the truck was firmly planted into the mud by the road. The yellow dust that was stirred up had left the drivers passing by in a daze.

Lin Ruoxi was still trembling from the incident. She witnessed the close encounter with the cargo truck before its eventual demise but was however not too excited about the turn of events. She quickly calmed herself down and turned towards Yang Chen who exhibited his satisfaction with the outcome with a grin. "You knew somebody was going after me, didn't you?"

Yang Chen pouted and replied, "That wasn't just to harm you. It was also partially aimed at me. Their original plan was to finish you off by poison. But you were immediately discharged which undoubtedly thwarted their plans. They couldn't find a decent opportunity for execution, which was why we were unscathed on the trip from the hospital back to the company.

"Now that our enemies have reorganized their game plan, they knew it would leave traces behind if they conducted the plans over at the headquarters, which was why it seemed like a golden opportunity when we diverted our route to a more remote location."

"You mean the both of us?" Lin Ruoxi was connecting the dots. "Killing me was something that I foresaw. After all, Li Minghe's grand plan was to see my demise. But my concern is how you have been roped into this with me. What did you do to gain his hatred?"

Yang Chen had a change in emotion before he cracked a smile. "Who knows. Maybe it was to prevent remandments once and for all."

Lin Ruoxi was however unconvinced but decided to stop asking questions. She coyly pouted and said, "So that's why you insisted on fetching me to the headquarters. You knew it since the start but you didn't even bother to tell me. I know you wouldn't find it perplexing just from an amateur scheme like this one. But would it kill you to give me a heads up?"

Yang Chen kept his silence as he started the engine and went on the road, before he solemnly asked, "Ruoxi, do you hate Li Minghe now?"

Lin Ruoxi was dumbfounded as she stared at Yang Chen, curious about his sudden change in tone.

"Not to that level, but definitely not one I'd favor. After all, I'm not even sure why he went through so much trouble to see me fail. And to see me lose my life..."

Yang Chen frowned as he continued, "He has already come so close to murdering you on multiple occasions but you still don't hate him? In my opinion, he deserves to die."

Lin Ruoxi sighed. "I know you are worried about me. But I somehow still believe in the rule of law. If we slaughter him in cold blood for his attempted murders, wouldn't that make us just like him?"

"How are you still talking about justice and the rule of law when that imbecile had continuously plotted to see you dead?!" Yang Chen was not having any of it.

Lin Ruoxi bit on her lip and replied, "I'm not like you. I can watch my rivals in business lose over and over again, or even watch them go bankrupt in the process. But taking lives is something that I cannot do, regardless of how indirect my involvement is. I'm just a businesswoman. I can't soak my hands in blood. I know I sound all sappy right now, and you can be impatient with me, but I just can't do it."

Yang Chen gave a bitter smile as he shook his head. "Both are women. But if this were to happen to Rose, she would've sent a legion of men to make sure his head was on a silver platter, with or without me. Hehe..."

Lin Ruoxi glared at him. "Don't you dare to use Rose to trigger me. I will not deal with this the way she would. If you're that great, why isn't Li Minghe behind bars yet?"

Yang Chen sighed and answered, "If he is still alive, placing him anywhere doesn't really matter all that much. You must understand that it would be a better plan to set the trap and lure in the big fish. Look, don't worry about this. Your safety is my responsibility."

The couple once again fell back into silence as both were left with nothing to say.

As they approached an alleyway lined with eateries, Yang Chen went down from the car and bought Lin Ruoxi a box of glutinous rice balls.

As she stared at the box of her favorite snack in her hands, she shifted her gaze to the grumpy man by her side. She mumbled, "Yang Chen... do you think I'm a useless person? Always bossy... always a burden to you?"

Yang Chen smiled casually. "Stop overthinking this. If you can bear with a thick-skinned playboy as your husband then I surely can appreciate the fact that my wife is overtly gracious towards certain matters. After all isn't that what marriage is all about? Respect and acceptance of one another, am I right?"

A faint yet bright smile cracked on Lin Ruoxi's mesmerizing face before she nodded...

It was afternoon. In a fitting pantsuit, filled with elegance and grace was Luo Cuishan. Accompanied by several personal assistance, she entered the conference room of a certain building in Zhonghai's central business district.

The executives of several major banks who had been waiting for a while instantly stood up and gave their salutations. They were all honored by the presence of the premier's wife, not to mention her role as a highly ranked minister as well.

Luo Cuishan casually shook their hands, and each took a seat before she went straight to the point. "How are things going regarding the incident at Yu Lei International?"

A grizzled old executive replied with a smile, "Thanks for asking, Madam Luo. Yu Lei International's share price has fallen below the threshold of thirty-five percent. Their situation is not a favorable one, for the leaked information was a nail to the coffin for the corporation."

Luo Cuishan solemnly proclaimed, "To all executives present, with your ample experience in the field of finance, I would like to inquire, in regards to Yu Lei International's current crisis, what is the likelihood of them staying afloat?"

"Sigh..." An executive said, "No offense, but anyone with slight knowledge about the sector would be aware that at their current pace. Yu Lei's share price will very likely fall more than fifty percent. At that point, only the heavens would be able to save them. Under my calculations, unless they possess 40 billion in reserves and are willing to invest it all into the stock market, there is nearly zero chance of a turnaround. But nevertheless, if they really had that amount they would have already taken the shot, which says a lot about their current condition."

The other executives all agreed in unison. Even if they agreed to provide financial support, it was only a matter of time that Yu Lei International went bankrupt.

Luo Cuishan appeared conflicted as she declared, "If that is the case, I would suggest everyone present to refrain from needlessly conducting the so-called investments."

Everyone present was stupefied by her remark. They exchanged glances with each other, unknowing what to expect.

Skeptical, the elderly executive asked, "Chief Luo, you've come today to talk to us about helping Yu Lei International, haven't you? But why..."

Luo Cuishan solemnly explained, "The premier himself is mostly in Beijing, thus his lack of familiarity this region. He's just concerned about large businesses in this country. In spite of that, from all of your professional advice, I believe it is very much unwise should we provide financial aid to a failing corporation. Since it was I who have given the order, the consequences will fall into my hands instead of yours. But to maintain the reputation of my husband, I would like to plead for everyone here to keep it a secret from him. You will all lend a hand, won't you?"

The executives within the room felt the uneasiness resonated throughout the venue.

"Well, since Chief Luo has made the decision, I believe it is only right for us to obey. By avoiding unnecessary investments, we will henceforth void all financial support towards Yu Lei International..."

All the other executives unanimously agreed.

Luo Cuishan gave a smile of relief as she announced, "Well, once again thank you all for coming. The duration of my visit here is limited so I will have to skip the lunch event. But I'll ensure you all that my next visit will be with the premier and the drinks will be on us!"

The ones present instantaneously stood up and bowed as Luo Cuishan left the office with no sign of obstruction.

After leaving the conference room and entering the elevator, Luo Cuishan instantly kept her fake smile. She ordered one of the assistants by her tail, "About the thing I told you to prepare, is it ready?"

The assistant instantly replied, "Yes ma'am, it is ready and the information is all neat and organized. It shall be delivered to the hands of Lin Ruoxi upon your request."

Luo Cuishan praised her and asked, "Is that idiot still loyal?"

The personal assistant gave a sinister grin. "Yes, ma'am. He is still at the mansion with the woman he previously manipulated."

"This is the final leg. Make sure all arrangements including the ones abroad are in place. Just to be safe, the backup plans must not go wrong as well," Luo Cuishan ordered.

"Yes!"

Right at that moment, the elevator bell rang as they arrived at the ground floor.

A calm and polite smile once again graced the face of Luo Cuishan before she proudly came out of the elevator.

Chapter 704 - Best Attribute

Meanwhile at a beachside mansion on a sunny afternoon, Li Minghe was seated on the couch closely following the news about Yu Lei's condition while gloomily listening to a phone call.

"The set-up was perfect, yet you dared to tell me that you weren't able to get your hands on them. Are they gods? How then are they able to predict your every move?!" Li Minghe gritted his teeth in fury while demanding for an answer.

"I deeply apologize Mr Li. Our team have never met someone like Mr Yang in our whole lives. He seems to control a team of men by his side to nullify anything disadvantageous towards him. However, he has never once initiated a counterattack against our forces. This seems slightly odd given his capabilities." The man across the line was discontented.

Li Minghe winced his eyes as he continued, "If that's the case, don't conduct anything brash at the moment. Backup is on the way."

"Thank you, Mr Li, for your generosity!"

"Hmph," he said before ending the call.

He then stood up and looked out the mansion gate. "Yue'er, where do you think you're going?"

Standing by the gate was Wu Yue, who was close in sneaking out the mansion.

Panicked, Wu Yue stared back at him as she bit her lip. She quickly flung the door open and made a mad dash for the gate.

But before she managed to get to the gate, two heavily armed men immediately sprung up from nowhere to escort her back to the house.

Wu Yue retreated back into the house as she slammed the door shut. Still trembling from the incident, she asked, "Li Minghe, are you trying to imprison me against my will?"

Li Minghe went towards Wu Yue and gently caressed her face. "You are now the mother of my future child. I will make sure to treat you well. Right now the situation outside of where we are is a little unstable. I need you to be by my side, so I can protect you."

Wu Yue aggressively rebuked, "I'm sick of you giving me appalling excuses. You called for the assassination of Boss Lin and her husband, didn't you? I won't let you do that, I'm telling her!"

Li Minghe shook his head as he smiled. "Yue'er, you must really be so naive to think that the two of them had no idea it was me who sent people to murder them. They knew it was me all along, but so what? It doesn't matter if they die or not. Once the company goes bankrupt, Lin Ruoxi will have to abandon her position as CEO. By hook or by crook, Yu Lei International will fall into my hands."

"Why would it be you? You're just an outsider. Even if she resigns, the position is not going to you!"

"Outsider? Haha, it's about time I revealed my true identity." Li Minghe pinched Wu Yue by the chin. "Lin Ruoxi is nothing but a child born out of wedlock. She has had her fair share of the limelight, which is already generous given her accidental existence. I will make you see what kind of person she really is. The CEO you respect and love."

Before Wu Yue could continue, Li Minghe muffled her mouth with his hand.

"Stop it. Anger is bad for the baby." Li Minghe held her in his arm as he escorted her inside. "Come, I'll take you upstairs. You should get some rest. I got someone to prepare some food for you. I will do my best in making a healthy meal for this pregnant woman in my arms. All I need you to do is to not worry about things you shouldn't even be worrying about."

Wu Yue was distressed but she ultimately couldn't resist. She eventually did exactly as her man made her do.

After he sent Wu Yue back into her room, Li Minghe went downstairs and heard the main door open.

His soul froze at the instance as he cautiously stared at the uninvited guest, before feeling an inconceivable sense of relief. With a hint of false laughter, he welcomed the guest in.

"May I ask the purpose of your visit, ma'am?" Li Minghe greeted as he walked forward.

In an elegant and graceful attire, Li Minghe was visited by none other than Luo Cuishan.

Luo Cuishan glanced around the interior setting of the mansion. "By staying here I believe you are free from the troubles this has caused you."

Li Minghe hurriedly followed up. "Thank you for your care, and all the protection that you offered."

"If you really want to repay my goodwill then make sure there aren't any loose ends hanging around. I hope that the time I spent nurturing you will not go to waste." Luo Cuishan side-eyed that man as she strolled around the living room. "I put faith in you because I know you are a more enlightened man than your father was, if you know what I mean."

Li Minghe saw a change in expression. "I have never once doubted you, ma'am. I've always hated Lin Ruoxi. That has been my sole motive since day one. I will not disappoint you."

Luo Cuishan turned around as she ridiculed, "You know what I respect most about you?"

Li Minghe shook his head.

"Your hypocrisy." Luo Cuishan sneered, "You really think I'd believe that you don't hate me? I'm aware if given the opportunity you wouldn't hesitate to put me six feet under. But do you know what your best attribute is? You have a strong perspective towards superficial achievements, and you would risk everything to obtain those. Your morality means nothing in front of money and power, isn't that right?"

Li Minghe's facial expression went stiff as he forced an atrociously ingenuine smile. "You are absolutely right."

"Haha," Luo Cuishan sinisterly chuckled. "So how's the situation over at Yu Lei at the moment?"

Li Minghe quickly organized his emotions as he solemnly answered, "Lin Ruoxi appears to be confident in Yu Lei's abilities to pull through. There were a few land auctions that were held over at Zhangzhou, and Yu Lei participated as usual. With their plans exposed to the world, even the media know that they are only digging a bigger hole for themselves. Not only will they lose the biddings on all the land bids, but it would also be the final straw of confidence among the shareholders. When the stock market opens tonight it will conclusively be the collapse of Yu Lei International."

"And how did the planned assassination go?"

Li Minghe unwillingly replied, "Yang Chen was a much more complicated opponent than expected. All attempts have failed so far."

Luo Cuishan was visibly displeased. "Even though we couldn't conclude on Yang Chen's detailed background, based on what we know, that fellow is extremely well off. Otherwise, the old crack over at the Yang clan would never have to treasure him the way he does right now. It was however rather unfortunate that we never managed to encrypt information from the Li clan. I am genuinely intrigued as to where this rascal popped up from."

"If we continue this streak we..." Li Minghe was seemingly worried as he stared at Luo Cuishan.

Luo Cuishan unwaveringly taunted, "What is the matter? Once Yu Lei falls, her faithful associates would abandon her in a heartbeat. You, with my support and the government's participation, would ensure her continuous demise. With your qualifications, you are more than capable of taking her place. With some slight adjustments to the company's structure, Yu Lei would return to its former glory in no more than two years."

Li Minghe excitedly replied, "I will give my all."

"Just a little treat got you this excited. What a pathetic excuse of a human being." Luo Cuishan disdainfully glanced at him before turning away. "Stripping her off her prized possession Yu Lei is just the first step. Xue Zijing's daughter... there's still more to come."

Li Minghe sneakily lifted his head to Luo Cuishan's back, terrified by her ominous words.

That evening, as the New York Stock Exchange opened, Yu Lei's share price unsurprisingly experienced an uncompromising drop.

Over at Yu Lei's headquarters in Zhonghai, the employees witnessed the huge amounts of company stocks thrown out at despicable prices on the monitors. This made them even more terrified than they already were.

In the conference room, other than Yang Chen who was seemingly invisible as he napped on a row of chairs, Mo Qianni, Liu Mingyu, and the other executives were on edge as they were worried for the future of the company given the recent price drops.

If that were to go on, even if the financial reserves within the company could sustain the corporation for a short duration, any collaborating company would evade Yu Lei at all costs. They will be detached from all stages of manufacturing, from materials to development, in which point the company would be disconnected from all sectors of production.

"Boss Lin, our major shareholders are making their moves now. Our current stock value has plummeted to only forty percent of its original price," the executive of the accounting department dispiritedly proclaimed.

"It was all because of those bastard executives from the major banks who made a vow to provide financial aid canceled at the eleventh hour. They cited moronic reasons like a shortage of money. They were clearly just adding fuel to the fire!"

Lin Ruoxi that was at her commanding seat had yet to utter a single word since, as she ignored the heated discussions and went straight to her mobile phone on the table to dial a certain number.

"Start now..."

Lin Ruoxi stoically dropped those words like none of that mattered.

The executives in the conference room glanced at one another, trying to figure out the exact meaning or her words.

The young leader that had headed the company all this while was like the snow caps, cold, heartless, stoic. Whether it was the personal space she held dearly or her quiet and reserved personality, it prompted most to even avoid staring her directly in the eye.

But at desperate times involving the fate of the company, the executives were unable to withhold their emotions.

"Boss Lin, you cannot hesitate any longer. No matter the outcome, we have to fight until the end. Only then can we declare bankruptcy. If we remain still we might be able to sustain our stocks but we will stand no chance against the joint bombardment of our competitors!"

"Now it's obvious that nobody is buying our stocks, there's no way we can save the situation!"

"Or we can abandon some of our less-profitable assets and focus on pushing our main sectors to catch up on lost time. Only then can we start looking at other viable options at sustaining the business."

Right at that moment, Mo Qianni who was silent all this while pointed at the monitor screen, "All of you stop. Look at this."

The restless executives stared towards the stock market display board, only to witness an event of extraordinary circumstances.

Chapter 705 - Speckless

"What happened? Weren't the stocks just dumped at low prices moments ago?"

"It appears that we have an anonymous buyer."

On the display was the rapid purchase of Yu Lei's stocks. Stocks were bought in bulk and separately, instantly after they were dumped.

This rapid fire of acquisition caught everyone present off-guard. Who in the right mind would splurge on a failing business?

Liu Mingyu meanwhile seemed to have noticed something as she turned to Lin Ruoxi before asking, "Is this the result of your phone call?"

The board was intrigued as everyone turned towards her, awaiting an explanation. Even if it was her who had ordered the purchase, what good would that do for the company?

Lin Ruoxi went straight to the point. "I made the Athena team acquire all the stocks on the market as fast as possible"

"But Boss Lin, even if you are willing to spend billions to purchase all the available stocks, it's not going to make any difference given the rapid depreciation of their value," a high-ranked employee distraughtly explained. The others were still in silent contemplation of a possible explanation for her actions.

Yang Chen who was still lying on a row of chairs, opened one eye to check up on the situation before resuming his nap.

Lin Ruoxi, however, did not explicitly explain the reasoning behind her actions. Instead, she reached towards an envelope by her side and withdrew a thin document copy. She then tossed it towards the center of the conference table.

Liu Mingyu noticed something peculiar about the document. "Is that a notice for successful bidding?"

"A successful bid? For which segment?" A few executives gathered around the document as they flipped through its contents, which prompted faces of astonishment among them.

One of them stared the notice, unwilling to believe his eyes. "Boss Lin, did we win the bids for the three plots of land over at Zhangzhou today?!"

"Are you illiterate? Read it!" another executive yelled, unable to hold back his excitement.

"Am I seeing it right? Is this real? Is that actually the notice from today?"

"Can't you differentiate legitimate documents from a fake? You've got to be joking."

"But the brutal truth was that our bidding strategies were already out there. There's no way our competitors would've given up on such an opportunity."

The executives were more confused than ever by the revelation.

Mo Qianni and Liu Mingyu stared towards the stone-cold Lin Ruoxi, equally in doubt as they shared a gaze before seemingly understanding the reason nearly in unison.

Yang Chen opened his eyelids as he silently gazed at the cool and calm woman by the opposite side of the room. The expression in his eyes was unreadable.

Lin Ruoxi eventually broke her silence as she gave an order to Liu Mingyu. "Mingyu, I need you to publicize the news of our successful bid on every network. After doing so, retrieve all the documents from my safe. The code is exactly the same as yours. Go now."

Liu Mingyu remained silent as she instantly stood up and went straight to fulfill the orders.

... ...

Ten minutes later, Li Minghe allowed Wu Yue to come downstairs only after Luo Cuishan left. Currently, Wu Yue was filled with rage and hatred but she ultimately sat down with him as they focused upon the breaking news.

Li Minghe held onto his wine glass as he taunted, "Look at Lin Ruoxi. She's desperately trying to salvage the situation by purchasing back her stocks. Tsk, how pathetic."

Wu Yue was anxious the whole time this was going on. She wanted to believe in Lin Ruoxi and her capabilities to rebound. But it would seem like all hope was lost this time around.

Right at that moment, the financial news host was seen receiving breaking news. Yu Lei International won the biddings of three mega locations at Zhangzhou.

Attached on the display were the details of the notice regarding the winning bid. With confirmation from the auction organizer, it appeared that Yu Lei International had indeed won the final biddings for all three plots.

The news left Li Minghe in shock. He was aware of the significance of the auction to Yu Lei's plans. But the real puzzle for him was figuring out how Yu Lei had managed to win the auction despite their plans being out in the open.

A glimpse of hope appeared on Wu Yue's face. It was the first good news Yu Lei International had had in two days!

Before the tides were settled, another wave of breaking news quickly followed through. Yu Lei International would hold an emergency press conference with the aim of clarifying that the leak was, in fact, fake news!

After the news was released, it came as a shock to Zhonghai and the rest of the world watching.

Fake news? That evidently genuine information that was leaked all this while turned out to be fake? How was that possible?

The wine glass slipped from Li Minghe's hands as it fell straight on the carpet. His facial expressions went stiff as he failed to utter a single word.

The phone rang right at that instant. The dumbfounded man went ahead to pick it up, only to be greeted with rants and curses from Luo Cuishan.

"What's happening, you bloody idiot?!"

Li Minghe clenched on his chest as his breathing became irregularly hasty. "Please calm down Ma'am. I am convinced that Lin Ruoxi is just putting on a show for the public. All the documents were accumulated month after month. It is not possible for everything to have been faked."

"You better be right. I'm still here in Zhonghai, you better make sure I'm in a decent mood before I return to Beijing."

Luo Cuishan furiously hung up on Li Minghe. His hands trembled uncontrollably before letting the phone slip through the cracks of his fingers.

Minutes before that, Liu Mingyu, accompanied by a few assistants, came back to the conference room with a heap of documents and brought them to the conference table.

Liu Mingyu's face was covered with excitement as she nodded at Lin Ruoxi. "Boss Lin, everything you requested for is here."

"Good." Lin Ruoxi took her time as she stood up and declared to everyone present, "Here are all the original documents of the allegedly stolen information. Please, take a look."

The executives glanced at one another, unsure if they misheard her words. The original documents? Does that mean... the stolen ones were all fake?

Some of them brought themselves towards the files and started having a look. It did not take long before they were all left stupefied.

"These are the real blueprints of the material purchases. When was this signed?"

"Over here are the same documents, but these are the budget estimation for the next month. It is slightly different than the ones leaked..."

"The European and American regional headquarters too. They contrast with the one that we discussed the last meeting."

As they filtered through the files one by one, it was certain that the documents exhibited were the actual blueprints and strategies for the second half of the year. Even though certain parts of the document were actually leaked, most of the private and confidential ones were still wholly intact. Any immediate improvisation might be less secure, but nonetheless could be mended and utilized with minimal repercussions.

Lin Ruoxi, however, contrasted starkly with the rest in the room as she stoically gave a set of instructions to Mo Qianni. "Qianni, go inform the mass media that we will hold a press conference later today to clarify that our core confidential business information for the second half of the year is still largely intact."

Mo Qianni eventually recovered from the astonishment she felt. She was certain that this time they were up for an ultimate rebound despite her feelings for the past two days.

"I'm not too convinced with my ability to handle the media so I need you to go in my place. As the company's representative and vice president, you are more than worthy to stand in my place." Lin Ruoxi gave her clear orders.

"Understood." Mo Qianni instantly hopped on her feet and rushed out of the room.

Lin Ruoxi subsequently faced Liu Mingyu and the remaining executives. "I know all of you must be burning with questions in regards to how I pulled it off. It will all be explained in due time. I will need all of you to return to your departments and update your employees on our current situation. When proceeding with your operations, refer to the proposals here and act accordingly. Mingyu, take note. Pay extra attention to our international branches, major business partners, and significant collaborators. Make sure that we explain to them well. If required, give them some benefits to calm them down."

The masses were wholeheartedly impressed with the woman on the reins as she solemnly distributed their individual roles. Even those in the business for decades were left amazed by her leadership prowess.

They might not have connected the dots on when and how Lin Ruoxi had formulated these strategies, but under current circumstances, it was a conversation best saved for later.

As the executives gradually left the conference room with their departmental documents, the noise progressively faded away.

At that moment, Yang Chen who had largely been ignored finally got up from the chairs and leisurely made his way towards Lin Ruoxi. He then climbed onto the conference table and sat right on it before he asked, "When did it start?"

Lin Ruoxi avoided his gaze as she kept her silence for a while. She then cleared her throat. "That's not important. What's crucial is that we've made it through safe and sound."

"Of course it is, I ought to know. You tricked everyone, even me."

Lin Ruoxi lifted her head with a tinge of frustration. "Do not talk to me with that tone. I never planned to fool anyone. I've only been doing my job."

"Oopsy. I am truly amazed at your acting Ms Lin. You should've been nominated for the Oscars. Anyway, when was this speckless setup put into position? I just want to fulfill my curiosity, that's all. Is that fine, my magnificent wife?" Yang Chen drawled.

Chapter 706 - Unfamiliarity

Lin Ruoxi bit her lip gently as she glanced over at Yang Chen. She then said, "I've made preparations ever since Li Minghe started to pursue Wu Yue."

Yang Chen was stunned. He knew Lin Ruoxi liked to have contingency plans. But he never expected for her preparations to be so thorough. How much planning must've been undertaken to be able to devise such an ingenious plan?!

"Why?" Yang Chen frowned as he said, "Li Minghe was handpicked by Li Muhua into Yu Lei International. What about him has set you off?"

"I went through Li Minghe's background prior to this job. He was born and raised in America before moving over to Hong Kong to join Muyun Corporation. However, just a few short years after that, they sent him over to handle such a significant collaboration between both our corporations. Turns out Li Muhua didn't agree to that move, but it was a clear majority of shareholders that sanctioned the act. This prompted Li Muhua to accept him against his personal will in the thought of keeping the major shareholders pleased. That's why I kept my guard up the whole time.

"Furthermore, despite his position in the company, he has had no interest in any other woman except Wu Yue. It is noteworthy to say that he has eventually developed genuine feelings for her, but generally speaking, a man born and raised in the States would not have been that romantically inclined towards the frail and skinny Wu Yue."

Yang Chen smirked upon her statement and interrupted, "Wow, the way you describe your assistant is depressing to say the least. But then again it doesn't correlate with you predicting that he would be stealing confidential information."

Lin Ruoxi smirked ever so slightly. "I never actually guessed that theft would be a problem for us."

"Then why would you have alternate strategy proposals?" Yang Chen was even more perplexed at her rationale.

Lin Ruoxi teasingly answered, "Why do you think I'm paying tens of millions yearly to keep the Athena team? They don't just assist me on financial matters, do they?"

Yang Chen was dumbfounded. "Wait, what you're trying to say is that you have already involved the Athena team in all your strategy planning since the beginning? And you made them make two versions?"

"Two is an understatement." Lin Ruoxi's pupils brightened as she continued, "To be honest with you, every single time I let Wu Yue make a copy of confidential information, I would modify certain vital sections of the documents. I carry out the same practice with everyone else, which means every copy Mingyu or any other departmental executives have would be modified or generally wrong. Unless anyone decides to check the document word for word, no one would be aware of its legitimacy but me.

"Everyone in the company is required to bring their copy over to my office for evaluation and review before submission or implementation. It has been a mandatory regulation since my inauguration. Every time a copy is to be submitted to me, I will redirect it back to the original version. If anyone were to refer to the documents, they would be looking at false information."

Yang Chen was deeply confounded. No wonder she seems to have a never-ending workload on her hands. Does she even rest?

In other words, that would mean all major decisions made within the company, besides Lin Ruoxi herself at the helm, no other person would know the true direction of the company!

Lin Ruoxi seemed to have found joy from Yang Chen's response. She continued, "You should understand by now, that the information Li Minghe stole from us had all been modified by me. This means that even in the absence of the Athena team, the leak would not have done much damage to the company anyway. After all, what good would fake news be to my competitors?

"The only reason I had exposed the Athena team's proposals, was to ensure that everyone in the company was convinced that I have been honest to them."

After her speech, Yang Chen stared blankly at that gorgeous, mesmerizing smile, while his mind flickered between blank and overloaded.

He recalled the incidents that had recently occurred in sequence when Lin Ruoxi ordered the accounting department to sparingly purchase the company stocks, to her reaction towards the threats of the major shareholders. Followed by the intentional exclusion of the auction bidding from Mo Qianni and the other executives. And her desperate decisions of remaining in command from the headquarters. All that just to fabricate a scenario of weakness and defeat, and ultimately directed the plot towards her goal.

A feeling of distance and unfamiliarity subconsciously rose in Yang Chen's mind. The woman before him was closer to a stranger than family.

Approximately an hour after the revelation, Yu Lei International's press conference was held with enthusiastic responses from the media.

Mo Qianni announced according to the orders of Lin Ruoxi, as she briefly went through the summary of the company's direction for the second half of the year, before giving the most relevant example of their circumstances.

The media and the critics were left in a commotion. None of them had predicted that the leaked documents were in fact fake.

And in accordance with the Athena team's strategy planning, every department resumed back on course. As the roles and responsibilities were allocated, the suspicion from external perspectives instantly dissipated.

The series of shocking revelations left the entire Zhonghai in a daze.

Far away in the United States, with the reputation of Yu Lei International cleared from rumors and invalidation, the market stocks experienced an unprecedented soar in prices.

Furthermore, what devastated their direct competitors was that they overwhelmingly believed the leaked strategies to be true, and based their plans on that, which eventually led to substantial losses in their part.

As a result, the gap between them and Yu Lei International had been cracked wide open. The companies who decided to play it underhanded suffered the most while the ones who refrained weren't significantly affected.

As for many of the major shareholders of Yu Lei International, they could not resist smashing their heads through the walls after severe losses from their brash actions of dumping the stocks at substantially lower prices. All they could do was watch helplessly as the stocks returned into the hands of Lin Ruoxi.

Meanwhile, the stocks were flipped multiple times the original value, moments away from exceeding its previous record. It was predicted that their share price would reach new heights.

Consequently, Lin Ruoxi raked in thirty-five percent of the total market share at low prices, while at the same time rocketing herself to an additional thirty percent in net worth. She was now holding ninety percent of the company's ownership.

The media, reporters, economists, entrepreneurs, and all other professions within the sector across the globe were in full acknowledgment of this event. It was an impeccable act of counter-infiltration that triumphs even the likes of blockbuster movies.

The young female entrepreneur who had led her company to cruise through two seemingly inevitable demises only to achieve new heights had now once again displayed the unthinkable.

Even the likes of Times magazine had nominated Lin Ruoxi as a potential Top 3 among the 'People of the Year'.

But like every good story, there is a loser for every winner.

Over at the beachside mansion, with all channels on the television in all praise for the brilliant mind of Lin Ruoxi, was Li Minghe pale and devastated.

"That's impossible. It's not possible..."

Li Minghe wobbled as he stood, ultimately losing his footing as he kneeled on the ground.

Crawling towards the television, his eyes were wide open as if he had suffered from extreme shock.

Wu Yue who was filled with hatred softened at the sight of her man. She embraced him as if he was dead. She was still in tears as she comforted him by saying, "Minghe, don't do this. It's going to be fine. You're frightening me..."

Li Minghe stiffly turned to his back and abruptly grabbed her by the arms before violently shaking her as he ranted, "It's not! And you know it! Were you even watching the whole situation unfold? That bitch has been using me since the beginning! She used me as a tool to rake in more money for herself and left me with literally nothing!"

Wu Yue wept as she shook her head but ultimately remained silent.

"Stop crying! All you ever do is to cry! You must be the reason she found out my motive, you stupid woman!"

As he yelled, his mind was succumbed by rage, causing him to slap her hard on the cheek!

Wu Yue was flung to a corner as she held on tightly to her consciousness. Her face was swollen red as she wailed even louder than before.

After that violent slap, he seemed to have gotten a grip on his actions. He suddenly remembered that the woman he mistreated was bearing his child, which prompted him to panic.

Li Minghe ran towards her and held her in his arms, his voice trembled as he realized his misconduct. "Yue'er... I'm so sorry. I—I didn't mean to hurt you. I..."

Li Minghe couldn't seem to phrase his words correctly as his mind went blank.

Bang!

The door was slammed open by a dominating force.

Luo Cuishan, with a handbag hung by her shoulder, came crashing in as her heels clicked into the house. She was visibly enraged.

After she barged in, all she saw was the couple cuddled together on the couch, which further infuriated her. "Bloody idiot, I would compare you to a swine but I would just be praising you that way. At such a time like this one, you're here weeping with that woman. Take a look at what've you become, you pathetic idiot!"

Li Minghe sluggishly stared up with his soulless eyes, before he broke into haunting laughter. "Haha... you're absolutely right. I am an idiot, there's no denying that."

Luo Cuishan's lips twitched as killing intent surfaced in her eyes. "Well, look at you. I guess the world could do with one less idiot running around."

As she spoke, she drew out a silver pistol and aimed right at Li Minghe's brains.

Li Minghe was finally aware of the situation he was in. His pupils enlarged at the sight of the endless gun chamber.

A little more than ten minutes ago, in Lin Ruoxi's office, Yang Chen accompanied her to the couch as they watched the live broadcast of the ongoing press conference.

The reporters' bombardment of questions, paired with the absence of Lin Ruoxi on site kept the majority of reporters planted at their seats.

On Lin Ruoxi's lap was the box of glutinous rice balls that Yang Chen had bought that noon. It was left unopened until now. Only when the incident pretty much settled itself could she eat in peace.

Yang Chen meanwhile was slightly frustrated as he kept his silence. The ambiance in the office was rather awkward.

Right then, Yang Chen's phone started ringing. When he picked up the call, it was Adeline on the opposite end of the line.

"Your Majesty Pluto, Madam Luo has stopped by the mansion twice. It would seem like the condition is pretty much clear now. Should we take action?"

Yang Chen sneaked a peek on Lin Ruoxi by his side, before he replied in Italian, "Stay put for now. I think it is about time I intervene."

"Okay."

As he hung up, he informed Lin Ruoxi what he was about to do. "I need to go out for a bit. Don't wait for my return."

Lin Ruoxi stopped chewing as she put the glutinous balls aside, with unclear enunciation she mumbled, "I know you're going to meet Li Minghe. Leave him to the police if possible. If Wu Yue is there, please don't mistreat her. She has no affiliations to the plot whatsoever."

Yang Chen replied, "You sure you have no intention of tagging along?"

Lin Ruoxi shook her head and answered, "I trust you. You've promised me that you wouldn't kill at will. As for the others, I don't really mind."

Yang Chen relaxedly smiled before pinching one of the glutinous balls from her takeaway box, stuffing it into his own mouth, and going towards the exit.

Lin Ruoxi frustratedly watched her husband go. She then looked back into her box before pouting dejectedly.

About a minute later, someone knocked on the door of her office. "Boss Lin, there's a parcel for you."

Shocked, Lin Ruoxi hurriedly hid the box of rice balls under a pillow before she straightened her posture and responded, "Bring it in."

An anxious temporary assistant came in and brought the folder right in front of her, before instantly making her way out the room.

Chapter 707 - Clutching at Straws

After the assistant shut the door of her office, Lin Ruoxi made sure there was no one else outside before she carefully took her takeaway box of glutinous rice balls out. She started to munch on one as she tore open the envelope.

Receiving an envelope like this one was nothing new for her at this point. Being the head of a huge corporation, there were many people trying to get their voices heard.

Lin Ruoxi opened it as a pastime before withdrawing a thick stack of information from within.

She frowned while scanning through the cover page. It was a personal information booklet, one that had recorded an individual's noteworthy moments of their lives since young.

As Lin Ruoxi flipped to the first page, an old photo caught her attention and made her facial expressions flicker back and forth. Right in the center of the picture were a man and a woman.

She was caught in a spectrum of thoughts and was only brought back to the present when the rice ball she had in her mouth hit the carpet.

Lin Ruoxi had an array of conflicting emotions as she held her hand over her rapidly beating heart. Her lips turned pale as her previous moment of serenity had instantly dissipated.

With her trembling right hand, she managed to bring herself onto the next page.

In the spacious office, the woman sat alone on the fluffy coach as she felt into a series of haunting flashbacks.

Meanwhile, in the living room of the beachside mansion, the environment was tense.

"Ahh!"

Wu Yue who was still in Li Minghe's embrace quickly reacted towards the gun pointed at the both of them. Due to her feeble physical capabilities and the mental stress she had experienced for the past few days, she immediately passed out after her scream.

That deafening scream, however, acted as a wakeup call for the dejected Li Minghe. His pupils were fixated upon the gun by his forehead as his heartbeat galloped.

"Please don't kill me, I beg you..."

Li Minghe curled his head in a defeated position, with no priority given to the woman fainted in his embrace, staring at Luo Cuishan in shock and hysteria.

He had not given up just yet, but he was fully aware that he stood no chance against her. So he instinctively surrendered in self-preservation.

Luo Cuishan pulled out the safety pin of the pistol as she sneered, "You're just a worthless pile of shit. You were destined to crash and burn. I gave you the opportunity of a lifetime to succeed, but you instead became Lin Ruoxi's stepping stone. Since you must wish you were dead, I wouldn't mind assisting you one last time. After all, what is the world really going to lose?"

She played with the trigger while taunting him with her words. The only reason she had yet to shoot was that she enjoyed the desperation in his eyes.

However, Li Minghe seemed to have thought of something as he yelled, "Wait, I have something to say!"

Li Minghe whilst yelling let go of Wu Yue as he kneeled in front of Luo Cuishan. He could not have degraded himself any lower than this.

Disgusted, Luo Cuishan taunted, "Are you trying to buy time? Do you think anyone would save you?"

"No." Li Minghe lifted his head as he anxiously replied, "I know a secret, one that can leave the Yang clan in ruins. It will tear them down with no mercy. I'm offering it to you in return for my life!"

Luo Cuishan seemed to be interested in the cards he was about the play. "Oh, is that so? Now how would you expect to convince me to accept it? I know the Yang clan's capabilities far better than the likes of you. Don't challenge my patience."

"Don't you worry, you know too ma'am, that my great-grandfather was once a trusty general under the Yang clan's predecessor Yang Ye. I once peeked into his memoirs and discovered a staggering revelation about the Yang clan. It was so significant that my great-grandfather made sure I carried it to my grave. He even went to the extent of burning his memoir, once again proving how significant this secret is."

Luo Cuishan seemed to be in consideration. She then said, "Alright if there really is something of worth, spit it out now. In exchange, I promise to keep you alive. But the condition is that you have to tell me right here right now. Or else, I'll take it as your final play to waste my time and end you right here."

Li Minghe was deeply conflicted until he saw that stern gaze from Luo Cuishan before he gulped and gave in. "Alright, I'll tell you. But only because I believe a noble person like you would keep your promise."

Upon finishing his sentence, Li Minghe stood up and brought himself by her ear as he rambled.

Even when they were the only ones in the villa, excluding Wu Yue who was still passed out, Li Minghe nonetheless acted cautiously, in hopes that Luo Cuishan would value himself more.

After she heard all he had to say, a glimpse of excitement flashed through her stoic face.

"You swear that it is the truth?" Luo Cuishan squinted her eyes.

Li Minghe rigorously nodded. "Given your means, it shouldn't be too difficult to prove the validity of that statement. All you need is to track down the old maids of the Yang clan, or the soldiers led by Marshal Yang Ye during his time. I'm sure some of them are still alive. You can even pay his previous opponents a visit. You'll certainly find clues!

"Besides, now that the technology is so advanced, looking for Marshal Yang Ye's remains and making some tests shouldn't be too difficult..."

Luo Cuishan glanced at Li Minghe before she let our a charming smile. "Li Minghe... oops my bad, it's Xue Minghe from now on. You really are a cunning one, aren't you? When the day comes that the Yang clan loses its place among the four dominant clans, I will surely reward you nicely."

Excited, Xue Minghe replied, "No no, all I want is for you to leave me with a backup route. That's all I need, I can live like a pet to you ma'am!"

"Oh no, that's not fair for someone who has just exposed a phenomenal revelation, isn't it?" Luo Cuishan took two steps back before she turned and offered, "Say, what would you like as a reward?"

Xue Minghe hesitated a little and looked at Wu Yue who was still unconscious. Softly, he demanded, "Can you send the both of us off to America? She now bears my child. I just wish for us to settle down in the States. For now, all I need is to disappear..."

"Oh, this woman has your child?" Luo Cuishan strangely glanced over at Wu Yue. "Have you given up on taking everything off your cousin sister? The things you always thought you deserved?"

Xue Minghe clenched his teeth and replied, "She's not my cousin. She's just a daughter of that wrench born out of wedlock. I am who I am today because those bitches made me this way. Right now I want to hide from the storm. Once the child is born, I will return to claim what is rightfully mine."

"Hahaha..."

Luo Cuishan screeched as she laughed, "Xue Minghe, you truly are the carbon copy of your father, a loser. At least your father realized how useless he was, which prompted him to make his way out. But you, always so boastful, with your ability you are absolutely no match to that little wrench and Yang Chen!"

Upon finishing, Luo Cuishan once again lifted her gun and pointed it right at Xue Minghe.

Xue Minghe collapsed as he wept. "You... you promised didn't you? You told me you would let me go."

Luo Cuishan sneered, "Your naivety alone has already put you inferior to your cousin. Even a child would know that the sheep are worthless in the eyes of a wolf."

Xue Minghe could only stare as Luo Cuishan pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The sound of a deafening blast came from the doors of the mansion being shattered open!

Amidst the darkness of the night, a silhouette with both hands in his pocket leisurely strolled into the mansion.

The 'guest of honor' was none other than the man teleported from Yu Lei International just a moment ago. It was Yang Chen!

Since the villa was located within urban grounds, Yang Chen could track it down in a blink of an eye. But since most of the villas in the area were roughly similar in their layout and looks, it was down to Yang Chen to make an individual search.

As soon as he found Luo Cuishan and Xue Minghe, Yang Chen instantly came down towards the entrance of the beachside mansion, maimed the guards patrolling around it, and slammed down the door down with a kick.

"Just in time." Yang Chen side-glanced Wu Yue on the ground, before looking over at the grumpy Luo Cuishan, and eventually over the stupefied Xue Minghe. He then let out a small chuckle. "Oh the premier's wife, you seem to be really busy these days. I just met you in Beijing recently and now you're here babbling in Zhonghai. Why are you always doing things that piss me off? Is it because you think that I won't kill you?"

Chapter 708 - Stubbornness

Luo Cuishan watched as Yang Chen broke in the mansion. She, however, was not too surprised as she seemed to have anticipated his arrival. "Oh look who's already here. You've found this place much earlier than I expected."

Xue Minghe was instantly relieved now that Luo Cuishan wasn't threatening his life. He quickly scrambled to a corner to observe the turn of events.

Yang Chen brought himself to the center of the living room, as he stoically stared at Xue Minghe. "What makes you think hiding in a corner will absolve you from all liability? Stand up. I promised Ruoxi that I wouldn't take your life for now, but I want you to go to the police station and turn yourself in."

Xue Minghe despised the idea that Lin Ruoxi was forgiving him as he grunted, "Hmph! I don't need that woman's sympathy! She is just as wicked as her mother! Kill me if you must. I will not live by the so-called grace of my enemy!"

"I thought you were begging and pleading like a pet towards this woman just a moment ago." Yang Chen frowned. "You'd rather die than to accept her sympathy. How deep exactly is your hatred towards her?"

Xue Minghe sneered loudly before he turned towards the far corner with an unyielding display of resolution.

Luo Cuishan had been listening to their conversation. At this point, she laughed sinisterly. "It seems that you aren't too sure about what had happened back then. Are you really unaware of what your mother-in-law Xue Zijing did?"

"What do you mean?" Yang Chen was stone-faced. His lack of knowledge about the incident years ago was the reason he hadn't taken action there yet.

Sea Eagles, despite having an international intelligence network, had to spend quite some effort to uncover the fact that Li Minghe was actually from the Xue family who had moved from Beijing to America back then. However, much of Xue Minghe's background, including his work and the official amendment of his name, were all overseen by a mysterious party. It was kept so securely that no mere person would be able to access the information. All Yang Chen knew was that Xue Minghe and Lin Ruoxi were actually cousins, and that the Xue family were supported by the Yang clan's former clan master Yang Ye.

Luo Cuishan played around with the handle of the pistol, exhibiting the fact she was an adept shooter despite being an elegant woman involved in politics.

"Since the situation has gotten to this extent, I don't mind filling in the gaps in your knowledge. Do what you will with this information." Luo Cuishan leisurely sat on the couch and crossed her legs. "Are you aware of the true founder of Yu Lei International?"

Yang Chen was not expecting an opening of this manner. "Are you saying that it wasn't Ruoxi's grandmother who had founded the corporation after she returned from her studies abroad?"

Luo Cuishan shook her finger as she replied, "Nope."

All of a sudden, Xue Minghe who was still shriveled up in the corner yelled with agony, "Yu Lei International belongs to us from the Xue family!!!"

Yang Chen was caught off-guard for a slight moment, but he soon recalled that it was Wang Ma who had explained the background of Yu Lei International to him. According to Wang Ma, in an attempt to gain influence and protect Lin Kun, the Old CEO took advantage of Lin Zhiguo's power to grow the company. But if that was the case, wouldn't it mean that Wang Ma lied?

Luo Cuishan smirked as she continued, "No one would publicly announce their tainted past, especially when it's something that the public wouldn't be informed of..."

Gradually, Luo Cuishan went into narrative mode as she cracked open a series of events that was kept from the world since the previous generation...

Decades ago, the Xue family was just like every other family. Nothing stood out about them amongst the others in Beijing. But their eldest son became a close affiliate to Marshal Yang Ye of the Yang clan. And for his stellar performances in defending against the Japanese and American armies, he was highly valued among his ranks. As a result, he gained unyielding support by the Yang clan and had gradually improved in reputation and fame over time.

Nonetheless, the Xue family ultimately chose to halt any progress within the military sector, which aligned with Marshal Yang Ye's belief that saturation of his close allies would attract unwanted attention and scrutiny towards the Yang clan.

Henceforth, the Xue family began developing businesses in regions outside Beijing while keeping a low profile. Yu Lei International, which was based in Zhonghai, was without a doubt their biggest success.

And Lin Ruoxi's grandmother, with her intellectual prowess from studying abroad and the business relationship between her clan and Yu Lei International, soon started working for the company.

With her impressive business mentality, she quickly rose up the ranks and soon became the CEO's right hand. There she became close with the previous CEO, Xue Zijing's mother.

The outreach and development of the Xue family initially progressed smoothly as planned, until the untimely death of Marshal Yang Ye did everything go south. His successor as the clan master was Yang Gongming, and as a result of his strive for political power, many families and clans dependent on the Yang clan lived a tough life.

It was around this time, however, that Xue Zijing of the Xue family and the playboy-esque Ning Guangyao from the Ning clan fell madly in love and decided to elope once and for all.

However, since the Xue family held no influence, along with their exclusion from military politics, it did not take long before the Ning clan discovered this scandal.

The Ning clan wanted Ning Guangyao to marry a noble, and if anything less of members from the four dominant clans, only the ones from the upper class. They were namely the Lin's, Luo's, Zeng's, and Yan's. These were the only clans who were worthy of a bond to their clan. Thus, Luo Cuishan of the Luo clan, who was Ning Guangyao's schoolmate became the perfect candidate.

Luo Cuishan was raised with elegance and grace, along with her sensibility in the realm of politics. This would rapidly improve Ning Guangyao's progress through the ranks. The Ning clan was not willing to let go of such an opportunity.

And fortunately for them, Luo Cuishan was willing to marry Ning Guangyao for all he was worth. Luo Cuishan was young and confident, and in her eyes, she believed that any relationship would water down through the tides of time.

Despite his resistance, the trials and pressure put on Ning Guangyao's already-heavy back soon made him succumb to the decision.

A choice between an ordinary woman and the candidacy of being among the leaders of China, being affiliated with the noblest of families, being surrounded by fame and fortune aplenty. It was such a clear decision it would be damned if Ning Guangyao would choose the prior, in which his relationship unsurprisingly stood in the way.

And when the day came for the wedding arrangement to be announced to the masses, the Xue family's presence in Beijing naturally stood out like a sore thumb.

There was no doubt that every clan in Beijing was aware that Ning Guangyao's true love was for the Xue family's daughter. If the scandal continued to circulate, it would devastate his bright future. Furthermore, the Luo clan were wary that their daughter would have to deal with the aftermath of her husband's ill-fated relationship, knowing that if Ning Guangyao was to meet Xue Zijing in secret, they were unable to do anything to him.

So it was obvious that only when the Xue family left Beijing, or even from China would it be most appropriate!

The Xue family had only one allegiance to back them up, which was the failing Yang clan. But finding themselves in a dire situation, it went without saying that they had received no support. Under such strenuous circumstances, they were unwillingly forced out of Beijing almost immediately. To add salt to the wound, the Luo clan's elders made sure all of the Xue family's resources were detained within the country in a faithful attempt to diminish them once and for all.

But despite all that, Xue Zijing was headstrong about her decision to stay in the country. She would rather have died than left the country and her love.

And under such unjustifiable circumstances, Lin Zhiguo, with an attempt to push his lover to higher ranks, discussed several inequitable terms with the Xue family which resulted in them leaving the last of their wealth, Yu Lei International, into the hands of Lin Ruoxi's grandmother.

Lin Ruoxi's grandmother already had close ties with the Xue family, so much so that external sources presumed that they were of the same extended family. In addition her outstanding capabilities, the company managed to progress smoothly for many years to come.

However, one of the crucial conditions for Xue family to hand over the rights of Yu Lei was to ensure that their only daughter would live in China safe and sound, one that was insisted upon by the former head of the Xue family.

Despite the fact that they were one extended family, the huge majority of the Xue family despised Xue Zijing for her stubborn and selfish antics. It resulted in them shunning her from all family relations. Despite all that, however, the former master of the family insisted on defending his own daughter.

This was why Lin Ruoxi's grandmother and Lin Zhiguo decided to send Xue Zijing off to marry the bastard son of Lin Zhiguo, Lin Kun. This act would remove her from all the drama in Beijing and ensure her safety, providing her a chance for a decent living in Zhonghai for a while longer.

... ...

Upon the shocking revelation, Yang Chen felt the tremor that had led to a ripple effect within him.

From Luo Cuishan's tone, Yang Chen could feel the immense hatred she had towards the woman Ning Guangyao loved, Xue Zijing.

Nonetheless, it unraveled the dubiety that had been loitering in Yang Chen's mind all this while.

Back then when Xue Zijing had been staying in Beijing, why would she suddenly up and marry Lin Kun in Zhonghai? That was certainly not something foreseeable, not to mention the Old CEO's senseless decision. There was no reason for her to go all the way to Beijing in search of the lone Xue Zijing to become her daughter-in-law!

Furthermore, the outstanding growth of Yu Lei International much exceeded the reputation of the Old CEO's family. It would not have made sense for her to have such an enormous budget to start with. It all made sense if the Xue clan were the ones who had laid the foundation.

It was understandable that Lin Ruoxi and her mother Xue Zijing had no ties with the Xue clan who had moved abroad entirely. It was clear how that would not have sat well with most within the clan.

Nevertheless, it truly amused Yang Chen the personality of his mother-in-law Xue Zijing, one that would sacrifice the world for a man that would eventually leave her. The stubbornness, for better or for worse, was evident in her daughter Lin Ruoxi too.

Chapter 709 - I Beg You

Back then when Wang Ma narrated the story, there were a few key parts to the story that even she was unsure about—things like how the Old CEO had discovered Xue Zijing.

Those were dark times for members of any major clans. And so, it was kept a secret deep underground by both the Ning and Luo clans.

Yang Chen took a deep breath as he smiled bitterly. Slowly but surely, decades upon decades of events started to reveal themselves, leaving him in a constant dumbfounded state.

Xue Minghe was filled with fury and hatred as he clenched his teeth. "I guess you finally found out that Yu Lei International belongs to us! It belongs to the Xue clan! It was that betraying woman that cost us our clan, Yu Lei, and everything else! Your clan chose not to step up when we needed you the most. Not to mention that the Lin clan was adding fuel to the fire with that daylight robbery. I will bring this strife to my grave! Lin Ruoxi is a bitch like her mother. Even hell would be too merciful for them!"

Yang Chen raised his eyebrows, as he stoically replied, "There is still one thing, however, that confuses me. You're aware that it was the Ning and Luo clans that forced your clan to a dead-end along with all the misery that came along with it, and yet you're here loyal to this woman to plot against your own cousin."

Xue Minghe was instantly left speechless as he turned away from Yang Chen, only replying with a snort.

Luo Cuishan meanwhile chuckled and replied, "Well I can safely say that I was not involved in the desperate plottings and schemes but it was instead the elders within our clans. Blame me if you wish. Besides, if it wasn't for me, this idiot would have already been dead in a prison cell over at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania a long time ago."

Yang Chen quickly took a glance at Xue Minghe, which at the mention reminded him of the documents he had read through. It did mention about Xue Minghe's felony past, but it was shrouded with plot holes. Ever since his release, Xue Minghe's life took a complete U-turn, from his name change to Li Minghe and his transfer into Muyun Group in Hong Kong.

Xue Minghe upon hearing the mention of the prison instantly went pale as he was sweltering in cold sweat, seemingly recalling dark times in distant memory.

Luo Cuishan saw that Yang Chen appeared slightly disjointed as she boastfully taunted, "Well it looks like I did a pretty great job keeping these events secret all these years. Speaking of which, aren't you curious about what happened that year?"

Before Yang Chen could speak, Luo Cuishan put her finger by her lips as she taunted, "Shh... let me explain."

... ...

Upon their expulsion from the country, due to insufficient funds within the Xue clan, in addition to the series of unfortunate events, the clan was led to its inevitable fragmentation.

Distant relatives parted ways to chart their own path. Ultimately, only a few loyal members stayed by the clan leader's side.

In a foreign land with extremely limited funds, they decided to settle down on the suburbs of Philadelphia's Chinatown. With the little savings they had, they started small businesses, modest eateries, and in hard labor.

A clan once amassing wealth and assets aplenty, had to settle for scraps to survive amongst the trenches of society!

Xue Minghe was still young and immature when they went from riches to rags, which caused him to build and fester on the hatred that he had carried on all these years.

A few years went by before they finally found their place in society, but it was nowhere near where they once were.

Many within the Xue clan soon lost contact with one another, and their settlement in America solidified their presence in one's mind only as a forgotten past.

Xue Minghe was brought up in that environment as his urge for revenge grew.

During his high school years, he was surrounded by people who were mostly uninterested in studies, spending most of their time loitering, drug dealing, and involving in robbery and prostitution.

However, Xue Minghe knew that for him to make his way back to the upper class, education was an important stepping stone to take back everything that was rightfully his.

However, during his time in high school, he was accused as a drug dealer by a lot of his schoolmates at once!

That had ruined Xue Minghe's entire life! He was subsequently arrested, and due to the modest financial condition of his family, they could only watch as he was innocently sent to a juvenile rehabilitation center.

Those months in prison were constant torture to Xue Minghe's mind, body, and soul!

His earnest and nerdy appearance did not help him against the violent criminals who resided with him.

In a prison without a female presence, a young and fresh adolescent was easily the target of choice as their preferred pastime.

Xue Minghe's life was flipped upside down as he lived in what could be referred to as 'hell on earth'.

And after months of physical and mental abuse, someone was willing to pay his ransom in full. That person was none other than Luo Cuishan!

Luo Cuishan was thorough and always a few steps ahead. All these years she followed the Xue clan closely, in part to make sure they could never bounce back, while at the same time carefully monitoring as they stumbled in the trenches of society.

When she was assured that the Xue clan's chapter in her life was put to an end, she discovered that her husband Ning Guangyao had been assisting Lin Ruoxi in all her drawbacks right under her nose!

That unexpected discovery added to her unfathomable hatred towards Xue Zijing's daughter!

It was then that Luo Cuishan recalled Xue Minghe was in a cell, which prompted her to wonder, what if she decided to pick a youth from the dirt and offer him a chance to fulfill his vengeance. How far would he go for revenge?

As he was also blood-related to Lin Ruoxi as cousins, if they were to be in deep confrontation, Lin Ruoxi would suffer mentally regardless if she won or lost!

As a result, Xue Minghe was subsequently freed, and under the assistance and funding of Luo Cuishan, cleared his accusations, enrolled in an elite school and was officially lifted back into the fringes of nobility. He adopted a new last name as he made his return to China by his recruitment into Muyun Group in Hong Kong.

What Luo Cuishan initially had in mind was for Xue Minghe to progress through the ranks within Muyun Group before competing with Lin Ruoxi as business competitors. Never would she have thought that a golden opportunity would fall right into her hands—Muyun Group had put in a request to send an employee to Yu Lei International!

With her role as the clanswoman of the Ning clan and a member the Luo clan, she played her cards under the table to allow for Xue Minghe's transfer to Yu Lei. Li Muhua, Muyun Group's chairman, was not too concerned about that. After all, it was not a transfer of significant importance.

As Luo Cuishan blissfully narrated Xue Minghe's backstory, Yang Chen was focused, keeping his silence.

Luo Cuishan might have hidden most of her true intentions from the narration, but Yang Chen figured out that she was on a certain degree acting in retaliation to her husband's actions, the target, however, unfortunately, was Xue Zijing and her clan.

Xue Minghe was still engulfed by the harrowing flashbacks induced by Luo Cuishan's narration, notably his time served in prison, as he was visibly pale and petrified.

For a decent man, that was undoubtedly a suicidal experience that would traumatize one for a lifetime. If not for the burning hatred fueling his fire, Xue Minghe would not have lasted until this day.

He knew clear and well that Luo Cuishan was using him as a tool for her master plan. He was also aware that her family spearheaded the downfall of his family. But now that he was gifted with a quick exit from that living hell, he could only obey as she wished, and to first retrieve Yu Lei International.

The schemes ultimately went sideways when Lin Ruoxi used him as a jump board from the events that he initiated.

"What a pity, I was expecting a family feud with the result of them ending each other off." Luo Cuishan sighed as she stood up. "Alright, I told you everything I need to say. It was my fault to have even the slightest expectations for this dimwit. Now that the cat is out of the bag, I'm going to take my leave. As for that idiot, you can do whatever you want with him. He has served his only purpose in life."

Luo Cuishan ended with a smirk and headed towards the door.

Yang Chen that was quiet all this while, stretched out his leg and tapped ever so slightly on the plywood right in front of Luo Cuishan.

Crick! Crack!

A chain of loud shattering sounds were heard as the pinewood tiles appeared to be blown from within, a crack of a meter wide emerged out of thin air!

Luo Cuishan abruptly halted her footsteps as her expressions changed ever so slightly. "What? You aren't actually thinking of killing me, are you? Need I remind you, I am the clanswoman of the Ning clan and the first lady of the coutry? Our clan alone is leagues ahead of the Zeng clan that you decimated. If you so much as touch me, I will make sure the entire China would be on for your head!"

Yang Chen stoically emphasized, "What I am contemplating right now is not if whether you'll die, but how you die. As for the consequences, well I do believe you will have a hard time communicating it from six feet under."

Luo Cuishan felt a crippling chill as she was aware then, that Yang Chen was in no way joking!

And right that moment, she instantly drew out her handgun and aimed right at Yang Chen's brains. Despite being just inches away from him, her hands were trembling in terror!

"Do you think I'm afraid of you? Do you really think I have not thought this through? I warn you, you'd best be double checking with that little bitch Lin Ruoxi." Luo Cuishan gave a sinister laugh.

Yang Chen felt an unsettling premonition. "What did you do to her?"

Before he could finish, his phone started vibrating.

Yang Chen ignored the gun pointed at his face as he checked his phone, only to see that it was indeed Lin Ruoxi!

Luo Cuishan's smirk grew broader as she knew she had the upper hand.

"Is everything alright?" Yang Chen picked up the call.

On the opposite side of the line was Lin Ruoxi in a faint and stuttering tone, with hints indicating that she had been crying. "Yang Chen... please... don't hurt her."

Yang Chen was confused as he lowered his voice. "I've got no idea what you're talking about, I know exactly how to handle this."

"No!" Lin Ruoxi was at the verge of breaking down as she pleaded, "I know who you're facing right now, she's sent me all of it. All of the documents... just... I beg you, please don't hurt her..."

Chapter 710 - To Tell You The Truth

Beg?!

Yang Chen's mind went into overdrive. The distress in Lin Ruoxi's voice was clear despite the static call. It made his stomach knot up and uneasy.

To this day, he could count on one hand the number of times Lin Ruoxi was submissive. Yet here she was, breaking down over Luo Cuishan and desperately begging Yang Chen not to take any action despite everything Luo Cuishan had done.

When Lin Ruoxi didn't hear his answer, she said with added distress, "The family that she kidnapped in the States, the Xue clan, include my uncle and his family. If anything happens to her, they'll die." She sobbed and continued, "My mom and I owe his family too much as of now. I can't sit here and watch idly as they die for me."

Yang Chen's heart was burning with turmoil, seeing the typically upbeat and cheerful Ruoxi's being reduced to such a pitiful state, and even his eyes were red-rimmed.

Despite Lin Ruoxi's pained voice sounding out through the call, he still felt an unknown force winding up all his rage into a tight ball in his chest, making it impossible for him to release his pent-up fury.

Luo Cuishan casually packed her things into her handbag and twirled some stray curls of her hair with her finger. "See, your darling wife requested so sweetly for you to spare my life. She's right, you know. It would be wise for you to think this through beforehand. If you want to be the head of the Yang clan, your actions must be based on rational thinking and not impulse. Understood?"

With that, she turned and moved past the cracked ground, sauntering back where she came from.

Yang Chen's face was unreadable but he made no attempt to stop her from leaving. Instead, he directed his next question towards Lin Ruoxi who was still on the line. "Do their lives really matter that much to you?"

Lin Ruoxi audibly choked back her tears, but forced out, "Being threatened is no excuse to sacrifice innocent lives."

"I understand," he muttered and ended the call abruptly.

At that same moment, Lin Ruoxi was still in her office. She listlessly slid down from the sofa to the ground to rest on the floor next to the coffee table and gazed at the yellowed photograph on her work desk.

The photograph was a portrait shot of a man and a woman with attractive features. The man looked to be slightly older, with rather unusual features and the woman in the photo was none other than her own mother, Xue Zijing.

Written finely on the bottom corner of the photo were the words 'Siblings Zifeng and Zijing of the Xue clan'.

Lin Ruoxi laughed self-mockingly and muttered out loud, "Mom, I'm so tired. If only you had left the country back then when you were supposed to..."

The room was empty and dark with the exception of the scenes flashing across the television screen that illuminated a small corner of the room.

At this point in time, Luo Cuishan was just about to leave the villa. However, before she could even take a single step outside, she felt an immense power pulling her body back to the living hall.

She let out a shout of surprise at being lifted up into the air then dropped right onto a coffee table. She was fuming at her treatment but in mild terror at the fact that Yang Chen had somehow managed to do all that without even lifting a finger. She got up and furiously demanded, "What are you doing? Are you trying to get your wife's family killed?!"

Yang Chen wordlessly approached her and reached out his arm to deliver a slap! The sheer force of his open palm against her cheek knocked her back down into the carpet.

Confused and still reeling from the sting of his slap, she couldn't wrap her mind around the situation. Has he gone insane? Is he really going to let the Xue clan die out?

He simply gave her a bland glance and turned his attention to Xue Minghe who was hiding in a corner and scared out of his wits. "Your family, where are they now? Are they still in Philadelphia?"

Xue Minghe gulped and even though he didn't understand why Yang Chen would ask such a question, he shook his head and answered, "N—not anymo—more..."

"Well, where are they now?"

"They moved to Baltimore, Maryland, in the States two years ago." Xue Minghe couldn't even make eye contact with Yang Chen as he spoke because his aura was too oppressive.

Yang Chen reached for his phone and dialed a number without acknowledging Xue Minghe and Luo Cuishan's confusion.

Once the call went through, Sauron's voice could be heard over the phone.

"Your Majesty Pluto, this is sudden. Do you have an order?" asked Sauron, his voice heavily laced with respect.

"Who's the closest agent to Baltimore, Maryland that can be dispatched?" Yang Chen asked in English.

Sauron paused to gather his thoughts and replied, "For that area, the tactical team on land is made up of retired American soldiers from the Delta Force and the Navy SEALs. Together, they form the elite 'DSEAL' mercenaries for hire. They are estimated to be around a hundred or so in numbers. Baltimore is also a port city so if needed, we can use the secret transport route spanning countries like Canada and Norway codenamed 'maple #039'. On such short notice, we can still deploy at least three destroyers and more than ten Apache attack helicopters."

Yang Chen muttered to himself, "DSEAL are ours too? When were they added to our payroll?"

"Since last year. But you told us to not bother you with trivial things so I have never gotten the chance to tell you," Sauron replied.

Yang Chen didn't even remember what he told Sauron. "Well, whatever. Ask them to collect information on the Xue clan from Sea Eagles. The clan members are currently still in Baltimore and have either been kidnapped or covertly surrounded. I need you to resolve this as soon as possible, so as long as the clan's safety isn't compromised. The team can make as much of a racket as possible. You have half an hour. I will not tolerate any longer than that."

"Copy that." Sauron immediately carried out his orders without questioning.

Yang Chen ended the call and gazed directly at Luo Cuishan.

Luo Cuishan understood English well enough that even though she was clueless about certain unique terms that Yang Chen used, she could still figure out that he was sending out people to rescue the Xue clan.

"You know, you made two foolish assumptions." Yang Chen smiled breezily and raised his index finger. "The first mistake was risking your own safety for the clan's lives. That is to say, as long as any news of your demise doesn't reach your men, they won't take any immediate action."

Luo Cuishan's eyes widened, panicked. She realized what Yang Chen was up to!

Indeed, as long as she was within the villa, she couldn't notify anyone outside. Even if she had people nearby, they wouldn't be able to receive the orders in time.

Yang Chen lifted another finger and continued sagely, "The second mistake was the most foolish one of all. Of all the fights to pick, you chose to have your fight abroad. Here, you might still possess some measure of influence, but outside of this country, you're worth less than trash."

Luo Cuishan was mad to the point where her lips turned purple, but she couldn't even open her mouth because of Yang Chen's oppressive power.

Yang Chen laughed again and patted himself on the chest. "To tell you the truth, I can absolutely destroy the entire world even if it is the White House, with the exception of the very earth beneath my feet now!"

The aura was so oppressive that even a Xiantian cultivator could resist. So even though he only released a sliver of it, Luo Cuishan was struggling to remain conscious!

The dark and terrifying energy alone emanating from Yang Chen was enough to dissolve all of her pride and arrogance into nothing. Suddenly, her face twisted, tears rolling down her face as she let out a pained cry.

Xue Minghe who had been watching everything unfold from the corner of the room was astonished as well. On closer look, he noticed that on the carpet that Luo Cuishan was seated on, a small but noticeable water stain was slowly growing larger.

Did the woman get so terrified that she wet her pants?!

Ten minutes later, it was afternoon at Baltimore where the sun was blazing hot.

At the side of a road leading into a residential neighborhood was a Chevrolet sedan. Seated inside and was a hulking Caucasian man talking into his phone, while two other gangly boys were typing rapidly on their computers, searching for something.

"D37, your targets' numbers are 235 and 214 on the third floor. D48, your targets are number 387 and 552 on the fifth floor. Radio in once you have assumed your positions," ordered the man on the front passenger seat in an authoritative voice.

"D37 in position."

"D48 in position."

"Roger. Landon, can you confirm any enemy activity?" asked the man.

One of the boys in the backseat paused in his typing to reply, "Captain, D55 and D21 apprehended an enemy on the street and D21 proceeded to disguise themselves as them. The plan is going without a hitch. There are five hostiles in total and the remaining four will be taken care of soon."

The captain held up his communication device and ordered, "Strike team, get ready to lock in on the remaining hostiles. I want a clean take out. D55 and D21, you two are in charge of cleanup. Engage in twenty seconds."

"Yes sir!" answered the team in unision before the burly man hung up the line. He reached for a can of Red Bull and chugged it down in one go then said to one of the boys in the backseat, "Plan an escape route now and make sure to cut all the lines to the police or any other authorities."

"Roger that, Captain. This mission is way below our paygrade. The hostiles were not even able to take on a single one of our agents, what a piece of cake," one of them said offhandedly.

"Shut up!" the captain urged. "We have to take all missions seriously. Besides, it's our first time working under that young hotshot's orders, so we better keep this clean and quick. If we don't finish the mission in time, then we're all dead men."

The young agent quickly went back to his work without another word.

Just a few minutes later, two muffled sniper shots rang out and screams could be heard from the previously peaceful neighborhood.