Chapter 154: To Court Disaster is to Court Death

Lifting her gaze to look at the magnificent skyscraper, Song Wanshuang felt a sudden wave of emotion. Back when she was first starting her business, she had dreamed of one day standing on the top floor of such an imposing building, looking down over the entire city. Now, though she had long possessed the ability to fulfill that wish, the enthusiasm had faded, and this was her very first time visiting the headquarters.

I wonder how Xiaorong is doing? she thought, suddenly feeling a strong sense of nostalgia for her former secretary.

"Brother An, let's go. Let's deal with Wei Hongru's matter first."

With that, the two of them led their group into the building with an imposing momentum. This time, they had given no prior notice to anyone; it was a pure, unannounced raid.

The ground-floor lobby was resplendent and luxurious, and the receptionists were youthful and pretty. The moment their group stepped inside, however, they were blocked by someone. "Hello, this is Xizi Company. Do you have an appointment?"

The person blocking their path was a heavily made-up woman who looked to be under thirty. Her lapel badge read "Front Desk Supervisor - Huang Meixi." She was holding an appointment roster, looking Song Wanshuang up and down, thinking to herself that she had never imagined such a breathtakingly beautiful woman actually existed in this world. It was enough to fill any woman with envy.

To be blocked by an employee upon returning to one's own company—who could make sense of such a thing? Before Song Wanshuang could speak, a voice suddenly rang out: "Huang Meixi! Are you blind? How dare you try to stop President Song?!"

Turning around, they saw a bespectacled young woman walking over briskly. Who else could it be but Xiaorong?

Song Wanshuang wore a smile, just about to take Xiaorong's hand, when she caught sight of Xiaorong's lapel badge, and her expression immediately turned frosty.

"What President Song or President anything? This is Xizi Company! Every two-bit president in the world wants to just walk in here, but without an appointment, absolutely not! Tang Xiaorong, you just worry about your Human Resources Department; this lobby is my territory, so get lost!" Huang Meixi said with her hands on her hips, her tone shrill and aggressive.

Xiaorong was almost driven to fury. She pointed at Huang Meixi, preparing to retort, but Huang Meixi didn't give her a single chance to speak. "It looks like you're trying to intercede for your personal connections, but I don't buy that routine! Who gets to see President Wei is up to me! Even if you gave me a fortune in bribes, I wouldn't care! Hurry up and leave, or I'll call the security guards!"

This arrogant display instantly drew the gaze of everyone in the lobby, while Huang Meixi looked thoroughly pleased with herself. At this, Song Wanshuang let out a cold laugh, gently holding back the furious Xiaorong, and said in a chilly voice, "Very well, let all the monsters and demons crawl out into the open. If you've got the guts, have the security guards throw me out!"

"Oh! You think I don't dare? Don't you know the head of security is my cousin?" Huang Meixi scoffed, then suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs, "Guards! Security! Come quick and throw these people out!"

With such a commotion going on, the security guards had already gathered around. Hearing Huang Meixi's call, several burly guards rolled up their sleeves with aggressive postures. Two of them even had fierce tattoos running up their arms—heaven knows where they had been recruited from—and they deliberately crowded close to Song Wanshuang, thinking that taking advantage of such a stunning beauty wouldn't be a bad way to pass the time.

Right as the guards were about to make a move, Xiaorong finally snapped. Reaching her breaking point, she marched right up and delivered a resounding slap across Huang Meixi's face, roaring, "Are you all out of your minds? You dare to block the company's chairperson? Have you lost your damn minds?!"

The Chairperson?!

The security guards froze instantly in their tracks, turning to look blankly at Huang Meixi. Having suddenly taken a fierce slap from Xiaorong, Huang Meixi felt a volcano of rage erupting inside her. Stunned for a second, she suddenly leaped into the air and shrieked, "Total nonsense! The biggest boss in this company is President Wei, and he's my cousin! There's no chairperson here! Beat them! Beat them to a pulp! If anything goes wrong, I'll take the responsibility!"

The onlookers were petrified on the spot. Where on earth did they recruit such an absolute specimen of ignorance? Everyone knew that Xizi was now a publicly listed company, with the Green Sea Group holding fifty-one percent of the shares, Song Wanshuang personally holding thirty percent, nine percent distributed among the four major elite families, and the remaining ten percent divided among others. Furthermore, the Green Sea Group was one hundred percent registered under Jiang An's name. In other words, Song Wanshuang held absolute, undisputed control over Xizi Company!

And yet this so-called front desk supervisor didn't even know the ownership structure of her own company. Truly, a talent rarely found in this world.

Fine, very well. Wei Hongru, I'd love to see just how many relatives and friends you've managed to plant in this company!

The calmer Song Wanshuang's face looked, the fiercer the storm of rage brewing inside her!

Over on Huang Meixi's side, there was finally someone with a bit of sense. They hurriedly pulled out their mobile phone, brought up the company's official website, tapped on the chairperson's official photograph, and shoved the screen right in front of her.

Huang Meixi looked down at the phone, then looked back up at Song Wanshuang standing right in front of her. The two images merged into one.

"President Song! So it was the Chairperson herself who came in person! After all this time, it turns out we're all family! Quick, everyone, line up and welcome our Chairperson!"

True to being a master of adaptability, Huang Meixi might not have had much education, but her "quick wits" were quite something. She instantly squeezed out those words, a smile blooming on her face brighter than a full-blown chrysanthemum.

Song Wanshuang had no intention of wasting her anger on a minor character like this and lowering her own status. Instead, she said coldly, "Where is Wei Hongru? Tell him to crawl out here and see me!"

Having been completely ignored, Huang Meixi didn't dare to bite back again. Wearing a ingratiating smile, she fawned, "Yes, yes, yes, President Wei should be coming right down. It's all just a misunderstanding, a total misunderstanding! Madam Chairperson, please have a seat first; I'll pour you a glass of water."

Ignoring her entirely, Song Wanshuang turned to Xiaorong and said, "I can't be bothered to go upstairs. Help me summon all the executives down here. There are some matters I intend to settle completely once and for all today!"

"Yes!" Xiaorong shot a triumphant, vindictive glance at Huang Meixi and immediately began making phone calls.

Within a single minute, every executive in the company rushed down to the ground floor in a panic, standing in formation before Song Wanshuang. Some wore secret looks of relief, while others had ashen, terrified expressions. If the executives were like this, ordinary employees were naturally even more subdued, rushing over obediently to await their reprimand. Not a single person dared to make a sound, the atmosphere heavy enough to suffocate, and Huang Meixi was drenched in nervous sweat.

Outsiders who had come to the building on business sensed something was terribly wrong and quickly crowded near the entrance to watch the spectacle. Finally, the other protagonist of the day, Wei Hongru, arrived fashionably late.

"Ah, the Chairperson has graced us with her presence! Perfect, President Zhang, come with me to greet our Chairperson."

A lavishly dressed man with thinning hair walked over with a broad smile—it was none of other than Wei Hongru. Following closely beside him was a pot-bellied middle-aged man.

As soon as he reached Song Wanshuang, Wei Hongru loudly announced, "President Zhang, this lady is none of other than our Chairperson, President Song. Chairperson, this is President Zhang, who has come all the way from the Northeast. After numerous rounds of negotiation, both sides have successfully finalized a massive deal worth 950 million yuan! Haha, President Zhang, when is the latest the payment can be wired over? Our company always requires full payment upon delivery. Since our Chairperson is right here today, give us your word so I can expedite your order and get the goods to you as quickly as possible."

Truth be told, judging by this impromptu performance alone, anyone would have taken Wei Hongru for a shrewd, capable, and highly articulate CEO.

"Hello, Madam Chairperson." President Zhang snapped out of his daze upon beholding Song Wanshuang's stunning appearance, extending a hand as he spoke. "I am Zhang Mao. I have long heard of your legendary reputation, and it is truly an honor to meet you in person today. As President Wei mentioned, he asked me to give my word—I can guarantee that all funds will be wired into your company's account by tomorrow without fail!"

950 million yuan—even for a large enterprise, this was a massive transaction.

Yet, Song Wanshuang remained seated without the slightest intention of extending her hand to shake Zhang Mao's. Glancing sideways at the man, she said, "I'm in a bad mood today, and I have no desire to do business with you. Please leave."

"Madam Chairperson, what did you just say?" Zhang Mao wondered if he was suffering from auditory hallucinations.

"I said, get lost," Song Wanshuang said, pronouncing each word with chilling clarity.

At that, Zhang Mao instantly blew his top, jumping up in fury on the spot. "Is this really how Xizi treats its guests?! To think I went out of my way to bring you a fortune, and you actually tell me to get lost? Fine! I'll put it right here: no matter how popular your products are, they will never sell a single unit in the Northeast!"

Wei Hongru panicked. He hurriedly grabbed Zhang Mao's arm, looking reproachful as he said, "Chairperson, you can't... President Zhang, President Zhang, please don't be angry. Everything is negotiable. Our Chairperson didn't mean it that way. Calm your anger, please."

Zhang Mao's chest heaved violently as he tried to calm himself down. Crossing his arms, he sneered, "Fine, President Wei. I'll give you face, but I demand an apology."

Wei Hongru put on a troubled expression, looking hesitatingly toward Song Wanshuang. "Chairperson, you see..."

Before Song Wanshuang could open her mouth, Jiang An, sitting beside her, raised a hand to cut him off. With an utterly placid tone, he spoke a single sentence: "This President Zhang seems quite influential in the Northeast. I wonder if he happens to know Qiao Ye?"

Zhang Mao froze instantly. Qiao Ye? Could it be the King of the Northeast Underground, the head of the Northern Marquis Qiao Clan, one of China's five great aristocratic families—Qiao Ye?!

"Judging by your expression, it seems you do know him." Jiang An turned his head and instructed Fan Jun, "Call Qiao Ye immediately. Didn't he send me a formal greeting card once before?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Mao trembled so violently he almost collapsed backward onto the floor. What status did Qiao Ye hold? Yet this young man spoke as if calling Qiao Ye was doing him a favor. No, it couldn't possibly be true!