BF Chapter 55

Zhan Shili resigned from Zhaoqi and left cleanly and decisively. After that, he never returned to the Zhaoqi building again.

Three days later, he met with He Mingzheng at the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

When Zhan Shili entered, He Mingzheng had just finished watching a horse race. His horse had won first place, a good omen.

He Mingzheng was chatting and laughing with several friends. Only after seeing them off did he seem to notice Zhan Shili, who had been waiting beside him for quite a while, and gestured: “Why are you still standing? Sit.”

Zhan Shili didn’t care about his arrogant attitude and walked over to sit down, glancing at the racetrack beyond the glass wall. This was He Mingzheng’s private VIP box at the Jockey Club, a place for him to indulge himself.

He Mingzheng leaned back into the sofa and lit a cigar, looking thoroughly at ease: “Do you know how much I made from that race just now?”

Zhan Shili said flatly, “Can’t guess.”

He Mingzheng clicked his tongue: “You brat, still the same as ever. You never give me any face.”

“No,” Zhan Shili said. “I genuinely can’t guess.”

He Mingzheng casually held up a few fingers to show a number. It was only a few million, no more than the cost of a meal to him, yet he was especially pleased. Money was just a number, but he liked to be the best in everything. Beating Xu Shiji and taking over Zhaoqi was his lifelong dream, and now he finally had the chance.

He tossed a cigar to Zhan Shili, who caught it but didn’t light it.

He Mingzheng asked, “What? Don’t like it?”

Zhan Shili said, “I don’t like the smell of smoke.”

“You’re just like your father, full of annoying habits.” He Mingzheng sneered. “But you’re still more capable than your father. At least your temperament is far stronger than his. If you hadn’t been inside Zhaoqi all these years, working with me from within, we wouldn’t have made it this far. Unlike your father; he ran into a little trouble and immediately backed down. Closed his eyes and jumped, and suddenly everything was no longer his problem, leaving the mess behind for everyone else.”

He Mingzheng had never avoided talking about these things in front of Zhan Shili. Back when Zhuosheng’s predecessor, Taiheng Properties, was still only a small company, he and Zhan Shili’s father, Zhan Hongyuan, had both been founders, with Zhan Hongyuan in charge. Zhan Hongyuan was capable and had decent vision, but he was too proper and conservative. In that era of vicious competition, their Taiheng was nothing more than a small pebble drifting along with the current, easily swallowed by the tide of time.

At the time, they had already secured a real estate project, only for Zhaoqi, which was already one of Hong Kong’s giants then, to snatch it away using underhanded means. Taiheng was pushed to the brink of bankruptcy and unable to withstand the blow, Zhan Hongyuan and his wife jumped.

He Mingzheng couldn’t stand Zhaoqi or Xu Shiji either, but in his view, dying was utterly meaningless. Xu Shiji had done too many similar things and would turn around without even remembering who they were. Back then, Taiheng wasn’t worth mentioning at all in the eyes of someone like Xu Shiji, so He Mingzheng swallowed that resentment, reorganized Taiheng, renamed it Zhuosheng, and kept going until today. He wanted Xu Shiji and Zhaoqi to truly bow their heads before him.

Zhan Shili didn’t respond. Mingzheng probably also felt it was pointless, so he changed the subject: “Now that you’ve left Zhaoqi, can our plan still proceed smoothly?”

Zhan Shili didn’t answer immediately. He Mingzheng tapped the ash from his cigar: “What? You seem hesitant. Seeing that you were always with that Young Master Shen before, don’t tell me you actually developed feelings?”

After an extended period of silence, Zhan Shili finally said, “It can.”

He Mingzheng laughed: “Very good.”

Zhan Shili directly stated his request: “I hope Uncle He can honor the promise made before and let me join Zhuosheng’s board of directors.”

His father had been one of Taiheng’s original shareholders, and Zhuosheng had been developed from Taiheng. Passing through round after round of financing and share dilution over the years, the small amount of shares his father had left behind had been reduced to less than one percent, but as long as He Mingzheng agreed, he would be qualified to join Zhuosheng’s board.

He Mingzheng’s gaze deepened slightly, but he didn’t immediately respond. Zhan Shili looked at him and waited patiently for him to nod.

“Let’s talk about it after we take Zhaoqi,” He Mingzheng said.

“I don’t want to wait.” Zhan Shili refused to give up. If he really waited until they had taken Zhaoqi, He Mingzheng would no longer need him, and he would have no leverage left to negotiate with. “I worked at Zhaoqi for eight years. I have enough experience. I hope Uncle He can give me a chance.”

He Mingzheng only asked, “Are you confident you can consume Zhaoqi?”

Zhan Shili suggested: “Zhaoqi has been plagued by trouble lately. Its share price only barely stabilized, and investors are all still watching from the side. The slightest disturbance will send it fluctuating again, so as long as we release some negative news and wait for the share price to fall, we can buy in at the lowest price and take as much shares as we can.

“Zhaoqi’s current market value is over 320 billion. Swallowing it whole in one go won’t be easy. We only need to sweep up more than twenty percent of the shares, force Xu Shiji out of the chairman’s seat on Zhaoqi’s board, and then slowly eat away at them afterward.”

“Twenty percent is enough?” He Mingzheng asked. “Xu Shiji alone holds twenty-five percent of Zhaoqi’s shares, doesn’t he?”

Zhan Shili said, “His sons have already turned against each other. Xu Shen is Zhaoqi’s acting chairman as of now, representing Xu Shiji’s interests, but Xu Ziren and Xu Zikang both refuse to accept him. As long as we can win over those two, we have a chance to beat Xu Shiji.

“Xu Ziren is in a correctional facility right now and can’t stir up much trouble. By the time he gets out, Zhaoqi will already have changed hands. As for Xu Zikang, he’s a cripple who knows nothing about company affairs, making the perfect puppet.”

He Mingzheng listened with great interest: “They’d be willing to support Zhuosheng?”

Zhan Shili said, “I can persuade Xu Zikang, then have Xu Zikang persuade Xu Ziren. The chances of success are very high.”

He Mingzheng understood. If he wanted to secure Xu Ziren and Xu Zikang’s support, especially Xu Zikang’s, it seemed he could only do it through Zhan Shili.

That was why Zhan Shili had the confidence to demand a seat on Zhuosheng’s board as the price of the exchange.

He Mingzheng finally gave way: “As long as you can get those two Xu brothers to promise to join forces with us, I’ll submit a proposal to the board and have you enter the company’s board of directors.”

Zhan Shili remained as composed as ever, unmoved by favor or humiliation: “Thank you, Uncle He.”

Seeing that Zhan Shili had no interest in lingering, He Mingzheng had his secretary escort him out.

Secretary Chen had nothing pleasant to say, his tone dripping with ridicule: “Assistant Zhan really has quite the nerve, even daring to talk to the boss like that. From now on, when I see you, should I address you as Director Zhan?”

He had always been responsible for contacting Zhan Shili before and considered himself more valued by He Mingzheng. Now that he had heard He Mingzheng agree to let Zhan Shili join Zhuosheng’s board, he was quite jealous.

Seeing that Zhan Shili gave no reaction, he couldn’t resist another jab: “Then again, I suppose after enduring humiliation and serving as a dog at Zhaoqi for so many years, it was worth it.”

Zhan Shili originally had no intention of paying him any attention, but suddenly remembered what Xu Shen had said that day—“even when beating a dog, you have to look at its owner”—and responded coldly: “We’re both dogs, but you’re a dog that will never have a chance to join the board of directors.” Then, without caring how ugly the other man’s expression became, he walked away.

On the way back, Xu Zikang called. Zhan Shili glanced at the screen and deliberately let it ring several times before answering.

Xu Zikang’s voice was anxious: “Nic, you finally answered my call. Are you okay? Where are you now?”

Over the past three days, Xu Zikang had called him countless times and sent countless messages, all of which Zhan Shili had ignored. The more he did that, the more worried and anxious Xu Zikang became, afraid something had happened to him, afraid he might do something rash, though of course, that was impossible. With Zhan Shili’s personality, the least likely thing in the world was for him to do something rash.

“Nothing’s wrong. I’m just driving around,” Zhan Shili said. “I just reached the Victoria Harbour pier.”

“Can I come find you?” Xu Zikang asked. “Wait twenty minutes for me, I’ll be there soon.”

Zhan Shili replied absent-mindedly, “Mn.”

He parked beside the pier, leaning back in his seat. As dusk approached, large swaths of sunset clouds floated across the sky, slowly enveloping the metropolis.

Zhan Shili watched quietly and suddenly remembered the first time he had driven Xu Shen here. Back then, Xu Shen had climbed onto him and confronted him; they had tested and challenged each other, parting on bad terms.

It wasn’t a good memory, but it was unforgettable regardless.

When Xu Zikang’s car stopped beside his, Zhan Shili pulled himself back from his daze and opened the door to get out.

Xu Zikang also had the driver help him out and into his wheelchair. He told the driver to leave first, then studied Zhan Shili’s expression and asked, “Why haven’t you answered my calls or replied to my messages these past few days? I’ve been really worried about you. Are you okay?”

“It’s nothing,” Zhan Shili stood with both hands in his pockets, leaning against the car door exuding an air of indifference. “Third Young Master, what your Second Sister-in-law said at the meeting that day was all true. I really was planted in the company by He Mingzheng, and my motives weren’t pure. Now that everything has been exposed and I’ve been driven out of Zhaoqi, you still haven’t given up on me?”

Xu Zikang’s gaze wavered, and after struggling for a moment, he said, “I don’t care. I only care about you. I don’t care about anything else. I’m different from everyone else. The only thing I want most is you.”

“Really?” Zhan Shili met his eyes, trying his best to endure despite being thoroughly sick of pretending. “You really don’t care about anything except me?”

Xu Zikang nodded hard: “Really.”

“Even if being with a traitor like me makes your father angry too, you still won’t care?”

Zhan Shili pressed him step by step, the subtle pressure in his eyes leaving Xu Zikang’s thoughts a little chaotic. He barely managed to steady himself, with only one thought in his mind: if his answer disappointed Zhan Shili, then there truly would be no possibility left between them, and Zhan Shili would abandon him without hesitation.

“I don’t care. Or rather, my father is seriously ill now, and I can’t even see him. Every time I go to the hospital, the people there always come up with all kinds of reasons to stop me from seeing him. It’s been like this ever since something happened to my Second Brother. I suspect Xu Shen ordered all of it. He’s the one truly harboring malicious intentions. He has the right to exercise my father’s shares now, and I don’t know what exactly he’s trying…”

“Since you know that,” Zhan Shili said, “have you thought about how to change the situation?”

Xu Zikang looked embarrassed: “I can’t think of anything… I’m inferior to him in every way. Even my Second Brother couldn’t beat him. What can I do?”

“You can borrow outside strength. He Mingzheng wants to acquire Zhaoqi shares and replace the chairman of Zhaoqi’s board. Your Fourth Brother only holds the right to exercise your father’s shares. Once your father is removed, he’ll inevitably have to step down as acting chairman too, perhaps even leave Zhaoqi altogether. Do you want to cooperate with us?” Zhan Shili asked directly.

“Cooperate?” Xu Zikang froze. Even if he wasn’t clever, he still understood what Zhan Shili meant. He Mingzheng’s true goal was to swallow Zhaoqi. “But I’m a member of the Xu Family. He Mingzheng is still an outsider. How can I cooperate with him…”

Zhan Shili’s voice turned cold: “You said it yourself; your Fourth Brother is the one harboring malicious intentions. I helped him rise to power, and the moment I no longer had any value to him, he immediately used your Second Sister-in-law to drive me out of Zhaoqi. Your Second Brother is in prison, and you can’t even see your dad. Is the Zhaoqi of today still the Xu Family’s Zhaoqi, or has it become your Fourth Brother’s Zhaoqi alone? Only by putting someone else in the chairman’s seat can we turn the tables.”

Xu Zikang hesitated: “But I only have eleven percent of the shares. What can I do?”

“You can also persuade your Second Brother,” Zhan Shili said. “The shares in your two brothers’ hands add up to nearly twenty percent. As long as you’re willing to cooperate with Zhuosheng and drive out your Fourth Brother, you can take the chairman’s seat yourself. That way, Zhaoqi’s chairman would still be a member of the Xu Family, so there’d be much less resistance. Your Second Brother should be happy to see that too.”

Xu Zikang looked shocked and uncertain: “…Me? I can be Zhaoqi’s chairman?”

“Third Young Master.” Zhan Shili softened his voice to coax him. “If other people can do it, you can too. I don’t like weak people. Are you willing to make that change and become stronger?”

After eating dinner outside, Zhan Shili drove Xu Zikang back to the Xu Family estate.

The car stopped at the entrance. Zhan Shili helped Xu Zikang out: “Go in by yourself. I won’t take you inside. See you next time.”

Xu Zikang didn’t insist, but he was still reluctant to let him leave just like that: “Nic, I…”

Before he could finish, a car approached from behind, its headlights glaring.

It was Xu Shen’s car.

Xu Shen saw them too. He had the driver stop and lowered the window, directly ignoring Xu Zikang as he asked Zhan Shili, “Can we talk for a few minutes?”

Zhan Shili lowered his head and told Xu Zikang to go back and rest early, telling him to go inside first.

Seeing Xu Shen made Xu Zikang uneasy, worried that Zhan Shili might change his mind. He squeezed Zhan Shili’s hand and said, “Nic, I agree to what you said. I definitely do.”

Zhan Shili nodded: “Okay.”

Xu Zikang went inside, looking back every few steps. Zhan Shili straightened up and turned toward Xu Shen, asking without much emotion: “Where do you want to talk?”

Xu Shen opened the door and got out, telling the driver to take the car inside: “In your car.”

After getting in, the first thing Xu Shen saw was the butterfly air freshener he had given Zhan Shili sitting on the dashboard. Withdrawing his gaze, he asked, “What did you coax Xu Zikang into agreeing to this time?”

“No comment,” Zhan Shili’s voice was cold, as though they had returned to the very beginning, when every question Xu Shen asked was answered with “No comment.”

Xu Shen didn’t understand and looked at him: “Nic, are you angry? What are you angry about? I’m not even angry, so what right do you have to be angry?”

“You once asked me whether playing with people’s hearts was one of the methods I used to achieve my goals.” Zhan Shili turned his head and looked directly into Xu Shen’s eyes: “But what about you? Is playing with people’s hearts also one of the methods you use to achieve your goals? Seren, watching me slowly fall hopelessly in love with you, hesitating and struggling, unable to let go of even while betraying you, is it really that addictive?”

Understanding dawned on Xu Shen: “You eavesdropped on me talking to my godbrother? So you really did go to my godbrother’s bar that night. When those guys told me, I thought they’d seen the wrong person.”

“So what exactly am I to you?” Zhan Shili asked in a deep voice. “From beginning to end, did you ever have even a little sincerity?”

Xu Shen laughed when he heard that, one that was borderline sarcastic: “Nic, I just said, what right do you have to be angry? I was playing with you, but weren’t you playing with me too? How much sincerity was there in your own act? Even now, you’re ambiguously involved with Xu Zikang. What position are you in to accuse me so self-righteously?”

Zhan Shili saw the scorn in his eyes and tasted wave after wave of bitterness rising in his throat, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down.

He truly was in no position and had no right. He was a liar, but then, wasn’t Xu Shen one too? He was simply unwilling to accept it. Xu Shen’s acting had been too convincing, and in the end, the only one who had truly fallen in was him.

“Are you very disappointed in me?” 

After throwing out the question, Xu Shen no longer had any desire to continue talking to him. Before pushing open the car door, he reconsidered and said one last thing: “Nic, it’s the same for me. I’m very disappointed in you too.”

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t/n: Advance chapters up to ch 68 are up on kofi shop~ ^^ (Oh yeah, also failed to keep my promise… vv sorry, got into reading smth instead TT)

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Continue Reading Ch. 56-68: click me <3