That evening, Ou Yunchen arrived at Lan Gongzi. Colin was returning tonight, not only for a welcome dinner but also to discuss extremely important matters.
Colin: "Xu Shuming seems to have set his sights on Emmanuel. But the way he's flattering Emmanuel is quite amusing."
Ou Yunchen: "If you hadn't rejected him so carelessly when he asked for help, Emmanuel wouldn't have gotten involved. Now it's difficult to extricate him."
It was true. Xu Shuming used Su Hui's suicide to clear Emmanuel's name. In return, Emmanuel agreed to pledge his shares to Xu Shuming, making him the third-largest shareholder of the Su Corporation.
Maggie: "But fortunately, Emmanuel doesn't have controlling power, so it's essentially like lending money to Xu Shuming."
Colin: "Look at your long faces. Isn't that what I'm back for?"
Ou Yunchen didn't want to entertain this pervert who kept sending suggestive glances; even making eye contact felt like a waste.
Jin Datong: "However, I've noticed something recently. Xu Shuming seems to think money comes too easily and isn't very interested in stock market operations anymore."
Colin: "What do you mean?"
Jin Datong: "According to our original plan, this should be the time when Xu Shuming is actively spinning tales and creating a facade of prosperity for his subsidiaries."
Jin Datong continued with a headache, "But with Emmanuel's money in Xu Shuming's pocket, he's no longer inclined to push forward with the fully automated factory."
Maggie: "I've thought about that too."
"Although Emmanuel lent money to Xu Shuming, he didn't intend to charge interest. After all, it was to save his life and his reputation. This is equivalent to him receiving interest."
Jin Datong: "Exactly. So, that money sitting in the bank is also a significant amount of interest earned. Plus, the overall market environment is very poor, and Xu Shuming has no motivation to operate in the capital market."
Colin: "Could it be because he's grieving for his dead wife? Hahahaha!"
Colin laughed to himself, but no one present found it funny. The pervert's awkward laughter eventually stopped.
Ou Yunchen: "We need to find a way to keep the plan moving forward."
Colin leaned closer to Ou Yunchen, wagging his tail excitedly like a dog.
Colin: "What do you want me to do? Should I seduce that old guy?"
Ou Yunchen: "Get lost."
Colin: "Why don't we buy back the shares from Emmanuel?"
Ou Yunchen: "You refused Xu Shuming when he approached you. Now, if you buy them back from Emmanuel, how will you explain it?"
Colin: "I enjoy taking things. I don't care for things that are handed to me."
Ou Yunchen glared at the pervert, who then pressed his face close.
Colin: "But why hasn't that sickly Emmanuel died yet? I heard he's extremely infatuated with your girlfriend and has been living at the Su residence for a long time."
Ou Yunchen: "You don't need to worry about it..."
Colin: "Do you want me to 'take care of him'?"
Ou Yunchen jabbed Colin hard in the stomach with his elbow, causing him to nearly collapse.
Maggie's high heel kicked Colin squarely in the face. She had intended to push him away, but the pervert remained a pervert and instead picked up Maggie's foot and kissed it.
Ou Yunchen: "If Emmanuel dies, what will happen to Su Corporation's shares?"
Maggie: "They'll either be sold or retained, assuming his family doesn't care about that small amount of money."
Ou Yunchen's gaze then shifted to Colin, who was kneeling and kissing Maggie's calf. Maggie looked at Colin, and Jin Datong, though confused, also watched Colin amusing himself.
Colin: "You all talk amongst yourselves. Don't mind me."
After a moment of silence, Colin looked up at everyone.
Ou Yunchen grabbed the unreliable fellow and placed him back on the chair.
Colin: "So ruthless. I was just getting into the mood."
Ou Yunchen: "We need a new company."
Maggie: "To do what?"
Ou Yunchen: "Xu Shuming's current complacency stems from his lack of crisis awareness..."
"If we can get the automation up and running before him, it might spur him on. With a competitor, he'll make crushing rivals his new goal."
Jin Datong: "I think that could work."
Maggie: "But what if that still doesn't ignite Xu Shuming's competitive spirit?"
Ou Yunchen's gaze fell on Colin again, who felt the familiar sense of impending doom.
Ou Yunchen: "Eliminate Emmanuel."
Hearing such words from Ou Yunchen's mouth didn't surprise Colin at all; it was exactly what he expected from the adopted son of those years. The fastest and most direct way to remove an obstacle was to make them disappear completely, a perfect adopted son would leave no trace.
Colin: "Now that's the 'O' I know."
With a bang, Maggie opened a new bottle of champagne, and their welcome dinner truly began.
But during the feast, Ou Yunchen left the private room alone.
Sister Lan took the cigarette from Ou Yunchen and offered him a cigar.
Sister Lan: "Colin gave it to me, but I don't like it. Here, for you."
Ou Yunchen sniffed it under his nose. It had a sweet aroma. This was a cigar blend most suitable for women, with Maduro being the most typical.
Sister Lan took out a cigar cutter, trimmed the head of the cigar for Ou Yunchen, and placed it in the lighter, waiting for the richer tobacco leaves to release their fermented, toasted bread-like scent.
Ou Yunchen: "I haven't seen your fanboy around lately."
Sister Lan: "You mean the one surnamed Tong?"
Ou Yunchen nodded.
Sister Lan: "He went abroad for treatment."
Ou Yunchen: "He's sick?"
Sister Lan: "What do you think? Who could withstand two shocks from you without falling ill?"
Ou Yunchen finally understood. Tong Zekai's "lifeblood" was ruined, and it seemed he would never recover.
Sister Lan: "Aren't you going to Ah Cai's birthday party?"
Ou Yunchen: "I've sent the gift. Besides, their nightlife consists of drinking and clubbing. At my age, it would be pointless for me to go."
Sister Lan burst into laughter, as if she had heard the coldest joke in the world. Others might believe him, but Sister Lan couldn't. Had he forgotten what Ou Yunchen used to do? A top bartender saying that kind of nightlife was meaningless?!
Seeing Sister Lan laugh, Ou Yunchen also gave a helpless smile. He didn't even believe it himself! In his heart, apart from marveling at how fast time flew, he had almost forgotten those glorious years and how women had been madly infatuated with his youthful charm.
Sister Lan: "Have you ever thought about giving up on revenge and finding a nice girl to settle down with?"
Ou Yunchen: "No. If I'm still alive, it's because I'm on the path of revenge. How could a woman accompany me on this road?"
Sister Lan: "How is my sister doing?"
Ou Yunchen: "She's doing very well."
Sister Lan: "I want to see her."
Ou Yunchen: "You will, eventually."
Sister Lan: "I've helped you so much. Besides showing me a photo of my sister alive, I know nothing else about her."
Ou Yunchen: "Have you forgotten that you begged me to join Colin's team? We are all here to take down Axe and dismantle the Tang Empire, aren't we?"
Sister Lan: "But my sister..."
Ou Yunchen: "Don't think that finding your sister will bring you peace. You've embarked on this path, and you must see it through."
"If you have even a shred of regret, I will shoot you myself. If you don't want to die, wait until our objective is achieved, then go find your sister."
Ou Yunchen threw his cigar down and crushed it on the ground. It was a luxurious waste to discard a cigar that wasn't even half-smoked.
Sister Lan: "At least let me speak to her."
Ou Yunchen pried Sister Lan's hand open. He regretted telling her his sister's whereabouts. If he had never said anything, this woman would have continued to strive. But now, she was wavering, and her once captivating, ruthless aura was gone.
Ou Yunchen: "Now, your sacrifice is needed to ensure your sister's peaceful life."
Ou Yunchen left Lan Gongzi without waiting for the welcome dinner to end. In the car, he took one last look at Sister Lan standing dejectedly at the entrance. She seemed less enchanting than when he first met her.