BF Chapter 33

Near the end of the workday, Xu Shen had a document that needed to be sent to Xu Ziren. His secretary was busy with something else, so he picked up the document and went upstairs to the CEO’s office himself.

Xu Ziren’s secretary wasn’t at her desk, and the office door was half open; Xu Ziren’s angry shouts and curses could be heard from inside.

“Zhuosheng again, time and time again. Is that bastard surnamed He determined to go against us? Are all of you dead? Why did no one tell me before that the Ma Family also held shares in CLP Power?!”

Xu Shen walked over and knocked on the door twice.

“Who is it?” Xu Ziren’s voice came from inside, extremely impatient.

Xu Shen pushed the door open and walked in.

Xu Ziren’s expression changed immediately when he saw him and asked gruffly, “What is it?”

“I came to deliver a department document for you to review, Second Brother.” Xu Shen calmly stepped forward.

The subordinates who had just endured Xu Ziren’s scolding for quite some time were shooed away by him, each of them looking miserable as they resigned themselves to their bad luck. Only his female secretary, Fiona, lost every trace of grievance on her face the moment she turned around, replaced by a hint of contempt as she calmly walked away in her high heels.

Xu Shen glanced at her, then strode forward silently to hand over the documents.

Xu Ziren accepted it and half-heartedly flipped through it. It was nothing more than an unimportant department document. He asked coldly, “You needed to deliver something like this in person?”

“Everyone else was working, and I had nothing to do anyway, so I came up myself,” Xu Shen said. “Second Brother, I heard that Zhuosheng has joined forces with Herong to buy up CLP Power’s shares. In addition to the shares the Ma Family already held, their holdings are almost on par with Zhaoqi’s now?”

Xu Ziren’s face darkened: “Did you come here specifically to see me make a fool of myself?”

Xu Shen said innocently, “I’m only concerned about the company. If CLP Power really gets taken away by them, I’m worried it’ll be difficult for you to explain things to the board, Second Brother. Especially Father—his health is already poor, he can’t afford to get angry and stressed again.”

“Cut the bullshit,” Xu Ziren glared at him sinisterly. “Don’t get too smug. Zhaoqi belongs to the Xu Family, and I’m the eldest legitimate son and grandson of the Xu Family. It’s not your turn, you bastard child. You can laugh at me now, but you’ll only be laughing for a while. As long as I’m here, the CEO position, and the chairman position in the future, will both be mine. As for you, don’t even think about it.”

Xu Shen had no intention of completely falling out with him right now: “Second Brother misunderstood. I’ve never dared to think that way.”

He really had come upstairs to see Xu Ziren make a fool of himself. This second brother of his had gone to great lengths to convince the board to approve the share reduction plan, only to end up shooting himself in the foot.

Zhaoqi had sold off nearly ten percentage points of its stake in CLP Power in total. After the share price fell, a company called Herong suddenly appeared and began aggressively buying up shares at the bottom. At first, Xu Ziren hadn’t paid much attention to it. A company of Herong’s size going up against Zhaoqi was no different from an egg striking a rock. They were merely taking advantage of the low price to buy shares and make some money, so it wasn’t a big deal.

However, with the entry of Zhuosheng and its alliance with Herong, the situation changed drastically. In just one month, they swept up a total of 21% of the shares in the market. Combined with the 5% indirectly held by the Ma Family, which had been acquired by Zhuosheng, the total number of shares was almost equal to that of Zhaoqi after the reduction of its holdings.

The outcome will either be a change of ownership for CLP Power, or a high-priced share buyback by Zhaoqi, causing their cash-out plan to fail while losing money on top of it. Either way, Xu Ziren had completely lost this round.

“Whether you’ve ever thought about it or not, you know that best yourself,” Xu Ziren directly ordered him to leave. “Get out.”

Xu Shen was too lazy to say anything more. Leaving behind a final suggestion, he walked away without a care: “Have someone make you some honeysuckle tea, it’ll help cool your temper.”

As he stepped out of the office, the sound of something being smashed came from behind him with a bang! Xu Shen ignored it and looked at Fiona, who had returned to her desk. The woman was slowly touching up her lipstick in a mirror, seemingly unaffected by her boss’s outburst.

Noticing his gaze, the woman glanced over, raised an eyebrow, and gave him a flirtatious wink. A hint of interest appeared in Xu Shen’s eyes, but he quickly looked away and strode off.

When he returned to his office, he packed up his things—it was already time to clock out.

Zhan Shili called to ask him out for dinner that evening. Xu Shen leaned back in his office chair, twirling his gold coin between his fingers: “How come you always ask me out on the same day as my godbrother?”

The voice on the other end paused, then continued: “Your godbrother asked you first again this time?”

“Yeah,” Xu Shen said, tossing the coin upward and catching it again. “Whatever, let’s go together. I’ll introduce you to him.”

Zhan Shili said indifferently, “Alright, see you in the underground parking lot in five minutes.”

The two of them ate dinner outside, and it wasn’t until after eight that they drove to Cai Lihao’s bar.

Halfway there, Zhan Shili suddenly asked, “Herong is your godbrother’s company, right?”

Xu Shen said, “You already know, so why ask?”

Zhan Shili reminded him, “Keep your relationship with him a secret. If the boss finds out you have this kind of connection with a triad boss and even joined forces with him to target Zhaoqi, the way you got into the Xu Family is the way you’ll be kicked out.”

“No one knows except you,” Xu Shen said without a care, then corrected him, “You’re wrong. My godbrother isn’t targeting Zhaoqi, I just introduced him to an opportunity to make money.”

Zhan Shili said, “He’s gotten involved with He Mingzheng of Zhuosheng, that makes it obvious enough that they’re targeting Zhaoqi.”

Xu Shen dismissed it: “That’s only because Xu Ziren was stupid enough to give them the opportunity.”

Perhaps Zhan Shili had been persuaded by him, because he didn’t pursue the subject.

Afterward, they got out of the car and entered the bar. When they pushed open the door to the private room. Cai Lihao’s gaze fell on them. He sized Zhan Shili up, whistled, and said to Xu Shen, “Now this is rare, you actually brought someone with you.”

Xu Shen brought Zhan Shili forward and introduced them: “My godbrother, Paul, the leader of the Heyi Association and chairman of Herong. This is Nic, my father’s assistant.”

Zhan Shili politely extended his hand toward Cai Lihao: “Mr. Cai, a pleasure to meet you”

Cai Lihao casually slapped his palm against his and gestured for them to sit: “Just call me Brother Paul.”

After they sat down, Cai Lihao had someone bring in drinks. While chatting casually with Xu Shen, he brought up their acquisition of CLP Power’s shares: “What does Zhaoqi plan to do next?”

Xu Shen gently swirled the wine in his glass. Thinking of Xu Ziren’s miserable appearance that afternoon, he smiled and said, “That second brother of mine is about to lose it. If he loses CLP Power, he’ll have no choice but to take responsibility and resign in front of the board. He’ll probably start increasing Zhaoqi’s holdings soon to compete with you.”

Cai Lihao smacked his lips, feeling a little disappointed.

Xu Shen asked him, “What does Zhuosheng think?”

Cai Lihao said, “That big boss He thinks the same as I do. Best case, we manage to snatch CLP Power away from Zhaoqi. If we can’t, we started with nothing anyway, so making some money and cashing out is fine too. You’re still the clever one, thinking of getting me to cooperate with Zhuosheng.”

After Xu Ziren proposed the share reduction plan, Xu Shen had notified Cai Lihao in advance to prepare and buy up the shares while prices were low, but Herong’s strength alone was still nowhere near enough to threaten Zhaoqi. Xu Shen had carefully studied Hong Kong Central Electric’s shareholding structure and discovered that the Ma Family had indirectly held 5% of CLP Power‘s shares through several roundabout means. Those shares had now fallen into Zhuosheng’s hands, and as long as Zhuosheng was willing to make a move, Xu Ziren would inevitably be thrown into disarray.

So he had Cai Lihao approach He Mingzheng. Just as he expected, He Mingzheng was indeed very interested in anything that could make Zhaoqi suffer.

“But I noticed something,” Cai Lihao said. “That big boss He seemed to be interested in CLP Power from the beginning. Even if I hadn’t approached him, he probably would’ve gone after Zhaoqi himself, and it seemed like he’d already made preparations beforehand.”

Xu Shen’s expression shifted upon hearing this: “Are you sure?”

Cai Lihao said confidently, “Judging from his confident demeanor, he definitely knows quite a bit of inside information.”

Xu Shen thought about the behavior of Xu Ziren’s female secretary and seemed to realize something. He turned to Zhan Shili and asked, “Nic, what do you think? Did Zhuosheng already get the news beforehand and make all these preparations in advance?”

Zhan Shili still had to drive later, so he was drinking juice. He held the glass between his fingers somewhat absentmindedly: “I don’t know.”

Xu Shen said, “I think Fiona is a little strange. You said the other day that she’s very capable, do you know her well?”

“Not really,” Zhan Shili said casually. “I’ve only heard people say that she’s been with the company for just over a year, but went from intern to Second Young Master’s secretary. The Second Young Master trusts her a lot, so if she didn’t have some real ability, relying on nothing but those tricks between men and women probably wouldn’t be enough. But just like you said, lust is a double-edged sword, and it can take one’s life at any moment.”

Xu Shen laughed and leaned toward him, whispering in his ear “Are you talking about yourself, or warning me?”

Zhan Shili said, “Same thing.”

He put down his glass and went to the restroom.

Cai Lihao observed the interaction between the two of them and asked Xu Shen, “This is the toy you mentioned?”

“What do you think?” Xu Shen didn’t deny it. “Hot enough?”

Cai Lihao rubbed his chin and commented, “He’s definitely better than the mediocre ones I have around here, but he looks pretty calculating. Are you sure you can beat him at his own game?”

“He’s best at pretending,” Xu Shen said, spinning his gold coin. After it landed tails several times in a row, he simply put it away: “I’m curious too. I want to see what exactly he wants.”

That day, Zhan Shili had promised him that once he got his hands on Zhaoqi, he would dump Xu Zikang, but…

If that was all there was to it, then what exactly was Zhan Shili after?

Cai Lihao shook his head, disagreeing with him: “You’d better be careful. ’Lust is a double-edged sword,‘ I think he was talking about you.”

“What does it matter?” Xu Shen slowly took a sip of his wine. “As long as our goals are aligned right now, that’s enough. He’s happy, I’m happy.”

By the time Zhan Shili came back, Xu Shen was already a little tipsy. Perhaps it was because the alcohol was too strong tonight, or perhaps it was because he had brought someone along and let himself go without restraint, overdoing it.

When he saw Zhan Shili return, Xu Shen patted the spot beside him. As soon as Zhan Shili sat down, he lay down and rested his head on his lap: “You talk to my godbrother, I’m going to sleep for a while. My head hurts.”

Zhan Shili lowered his head and looked at him: “Drunk?”

“Stop talking.” Xu Shen closed his eyes.

Cai Lihao laughed and asked Zhan Shili if he wanted a drink, saying he could have one of his underlings drive them home later.

Zhan Shili declined: “No need, thank you. Juice is fine.”

Cai Lihao said, “I’m actually pretty surprised he brought someone here. This kid has always been a loner since he was a child, you could be considered his first friend.”

“How did you and Seren meet?” Zhan Shili’s fingers ran through Xu Shen’s hair, gently massaging his scalp to make him feel more comfortable.

“When this kid was fourteen or fifteen,” Cai Lihao said as he drank, recalling the past, “my dad and I offended someone in New York and got attacked with machetes. He was small back then, but he had guts. He helped lure away the people chasing us, then risked himself by hiding us in his rented apartment and even contacted people to come get us. My dad said back then that the kid had balls, so he took him as his godson.”

Zhan Shili lowered his eyes. Xu Shen’s eyes were closed as he slept peacefully on his lap in the dimly lit private room. Asleep, his face truly looked innocent and harmless: “He dared to do all that when he was only fourteen or fifteen?”

“Yeah,” Cai Lihao said, pouring more alcohol into his mouth with great emotion. “Even I admire him! I understand why he did it. Sometimes you have to take a gamble, especially when you’ve already been pushed that far. Who would’ve thought he was actually Xu Shiji’s son? The son of one of Hong Kong’s ten richest men working under the table in New York’s Chinatown, who would believe that? Anyway, the first time he told me, I genuinely thought he was joking.”

The Xu Shen who said he was “afraid of the dark” and the Xu Shen who dared to kill, who risked his life to save Cai Lihao and his father in a street fight, were both him. When forced into a corner with no way out, he had always tried to seize a glimmer of hope.

Zhan Shili’s eyelids drooped, concealing the emotions in his eyes: “Does he trust you a lot?”

Cai Lihao thought about it and said, “This kid is smart and he can give me ideas about a lot of things. Come to think of it, I’m actually the one who trusts and relies on him more.”

Zhan Shili fell silent and didn’t ask anything else, his touch becoming gentler.

When Xu Shen woke up, his head was still resting on Zhan Shili’s lap, with Zhan Shili’s suit jacket draped over him. Zhan Shili was leaning against the back of the sofa with his eyes closed, resting, and the only light in the entire private room came from the projection screen ahead.

Xu Shen opened his eyes and quietly watched the man holding him for a while.

Zhan Shili noticed and opened his eyes: “Awake?”

“What time is it?” Xu Shen asked.

Zhan Shili glanced at his phone. It was almost midnight: “Your godbrother just took someone upstairs to have some fun, he told us to make ourselves at home.”

Xu Shen turned over and wrapped his arms around Zhan Shili’s waist.

Zhan Shili lowered his head and chuckled softly: “Young Master Shen, are you acting spoiled with me?”

Xu Shen stared at his smiling face for a moment: “I rarely see you smile.”

“Mn,” Zhan Shili looked into Xu Shen’s eyes. “You smile a lot though. I’m curious, if someone deceived you, would you cry?”

“Who would deceive me? You?” Xu Shen didn’t care in the slightest. “Forget it, I already know that you’re a liar.”

Zhan Shili gently pinched his earlobe: “Do you really know?”

“I know,” Xu Shen said. “But it doesn’t matter. As long as you keep me happy, I won’t care about the rest.”

Zhan Shili watched him silently. Perhaps because the atmosphere was too enchanting and the lighting too hazy, he felt as though he had gotten drunk along with Xu Shen despite not having drunk any alcohol at all.

“Seren,” Zhan Shili murmured Xu Shen’s name, paused, then repeated, “Seren.”

Xu Shen laughed for a while, then leaned close and asked, “What?”

Zhan Shili’s eyes darkened and his fingers slipped into Xu Shen’s hair again, lowering his head until their faces were nearly touching, remaining motionless for a long moment.

Xu Shen hugged Zhan Shili’s waist and muttered, “Baby, aren’t you the one acting spoiled with me?”

Zhan Shili said nothing and, with a rare tenderness, kissed him.

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