C15 Kneeling down

Liu Xiong looked at Zhou Yali with contempt and said, "Boss Zhou, your son-in-law is completely out of line. Mr. Zhao is a good friend of mine, and yet he's spreading such rumors. Is he trying to say he no longer wishes to collaborate with me? If you're no longer interested in negotiating, just say so, and I'll take my leave."

Zhou Yali, upon hearing this, was thrown into a panic and sharply rebuked Du Chen, "You good-for-nothing, get out of here! Do you want to ruin me financially? And you two, security guards, what good are you?"

The security guards approached with insincere grins, one of them adding, "Mr. Du, please leave. Don't put us in a tough spot. Otherwise, we might have to rough you up, and that won't look good for anyone."

Off to the side, the female employees snickered, while others cast pitying glances at Lin Ying'er, wondering why such a stunning woman would marry such a loser.

Lin Ying'er, clearly embarrassed and increasingly irritated with Du Chen, demanded, "Leave, now! Today's negotiation is crucial. If you can't be of help, at least don't cause a disruption!"

Du Chen stood his ground and countered Lin Ying'er, "They're in cahoots to deceive you. Continuing this negotiation is pointless."

"Damn it, stop spouting lies! I... I genuinely want to purchase the jade!" Liu Xiong, sensitive to Du Chen's accusation, stood up and bellowed with a menacing tone.

"Freaking Liu Xiong, what a waste!" Zhao Sheng muttered under his breath before fixing a menacing stare on Du Chen, "You're the waste here, and I suggest you watch your mouth. You won't even see trouble coming. I came here with the best of intentions, and you accuse me of scamming? Fine, I'm washing my hands of this mess. If you think you can handle this multimillion-dollar deal on your own, be my guest! Aunt Zhou, you see what I'm dealing with here. It's not that I'm unwilling to help; it's that your son-in-law is beyond redemption."

Truth be told, Zhao Sheng did feel a flicker of fear when Du Chen accused them of deception. But he quickly reassured himself, considering Du Chen too inept to produce any real evidence of their deceit, and so he strategically chose to back off as a means to gain the upper hand.

As expected, Zhou Yali panicked. She shot up from her seat, hand raised to strike Du Chen, "Shut your mouth, you orphaned wretch! Isn't it enough that you've brought ruin upon my daughter? Now you want to crush me with debt too?!"

Du Chen swiftly stepped back, avoiding the slap, and gave Zhou Yali a chilling look.

That look sent a shiver down Zhou Yali's spine, and she instinctively recoiled, "What... what are you planning to do?"

Lin Ying'er held onto Du Chen firmly, her voice stern, "You need evidence to back up your claims. Spill everything you know!"

Lin Ying'er had sensed something was off for a while now. Liu Xiong was capricious, flip-flopping between wanting the goods and not wanting them, seemingly toying with them. And the clauses in the contract he signed were blatantly designed to trap people!

Yet, the issue at hand involved tens or even hundreds of millions, and Lin Ying'er hesitated to make a call.

It was a rare moment of synchrony between Du Chen and Lin Ying'er, both suspecting foul play. Lin Ying'er was both shocked and hopeful, eager for Du Chen to produce some evidence.

Du Chen observed the mix of anxiety, scorn, and anticipation in their eyes and said coolly, "I do have evidence. But considering how much my mother believes in Zhao Sheng, it's pointless to present it. Better to have him confess, don't you think, Ying'er?"

Zhao Sheng laughed heartily, "You claim to have evidence yet refuse to reveal it? What's the difference between that and having none? I thought you were capable of something, but turns out you're just garbage that's all talk and no substance. Du Chen, no offense, but I have zero respect for cowards like you!"

Liu Xiong also breathed a sigh of relief, sneering at Du Chen, "Damn, you gave me a scare. Boss Zhou, if you're still interested in negotiating, kick this fool out first!"

"Cut the crap and get out of here!" Zhou Yali was shaking with rage as she drenched Du Chen with a cup of water.

Du Chen, caught off guard, was left in a disheveled state.

Lin Ying'er, at a loss for what to do, gave Du Chen a look of disappointment before deciding to ignore him and quietly took her seat.

The security guards didn't hesitate to escort Du Chen out of the building.

Unperturbed, Du Chen stepped outside to light a cigarette, finding a spot where he could still observe the stir inside the shop.

He watched Zhao Sheng and Liu Xiong smirking inside, and Zhou Yali's meek demeanor, but he simply scoffed with detached amusement.

He knew the pink slip might be delayed, but it was inevitable.

As expected, in less than five minutes, a car sped up to the scene. A glamorous secretary emerged and strode into the shop, slamming a contract down in front of Zhao Sheng.

After the secretary exchanged a few words, Zhao Sheng's complexion went ghostly white, and the others around him were visibly shaken.

Seeing Zhao Sheng hesitate to sign, the secretary tossed the contract aside and left with an air of superiority.

Zhao Sheng stood frozen for a moment before it hit him. He scrambled to his feet and caught up to the departing secretary, pleading loudly, "On what grounds are you firing me?"

Du Chen overheard and chuckled to himself, "Any sensible company would do the same, wouldn't they?"

Under normal circumstances, Zhao Sheng would have lashed out at Du Chen, but now he was too desperate. He turned to the secretary with a beggar's eyes, "Please, I need to see the chairman. There must be some misunderstanding. I'm begging you, let me speak to him!"

The secretary, growing increasingly annoyed by his persistence, snapped back, "Are you blind? It's spelled out right there in the contract. The chairman has sold the company to Golden Age Entertainment Center. It's their boss who wants to fire you, not our chairman!"

Zhao Sheng was dumbfounded. "The company... sold? But it's worth over a hundred million! How could they not tell me?"

"You're nobody!" the secretary retorted coldly, ready to walk away, but then she paused and added with a hint of hesitation, "Oh, and the secretary from Golden Age Entertainment who handled the acquisition mentioned that you owe an apology to a Mr. Du Chen. Maybe, just maybe, you'll have a shot at redemption."

"What? Du Chen?" Zhao Sheng's face registered utter disbelief.

"Yes." The beautiful secretary dropped the bombshell and walked away.

Du Chen's brow furrowed slightly, suspecting Wang Xue was behind this. After all, he was only interested in acquiring the company.

Zhao Sheng stared at Du Chen, who was casually smoking, completely baffled. Why would the head of Golden Age Entertainment demand an apology to Du Chen?

Were they relatives, perhaps?

No, that couldn't be. If Du Chen had any ties to Golden Age, Zhou Yali wouldn't dare cross him.

Zhao Sheng's thoughts were a tangled mess; he couldn't make heads or tails of the situation.

Du Chen gave Zhao Sheng a chilling look and remarked, "I believe I've already warned you about your impending dismissal. It would have been wise to heed my advice sooner. Did you really think your dealings with Liu Xiong were a secret?"

Zhao Sheng shuddered, his voice laced with disbelief, "You know Lu Guang's real name?"

Lu Guang, the supposed supplier who conspired with Zhao Sheng and Liu Xiong to swindle Zhou Yali, had always interacted under an alias. Few knew his true identity.

The fact that Du Chen knew his real name meant he was well aware of their scheme.

"So, you're confessing to the scam you pulled on my mother-in-law? As a CEO, such actions could ruin your reputation. Who would hire you after this gets out?"

Thud!

Overwhelmed, Zhao Sheng's knees buckled, and he fell to the ground, pleading in terror, "Du... Mr. Du... Just who are you?"

Meanwhile, Zhou Yali and Liu Xiong were inside the shop, poring over the termination contract's authenticity. They looked up only to see Zhao Sheng prostrate before Du Chen, leaving them completely stunned.

What in the world was happening?