Chapter 156: The Calculations Were Wrong
“Don’t be impulsive—Old Ghost, don’t be impulsive—”
Shen Lichuan was somewhat incoherent. He hesitated for a long while on the spot, organizing his thoughts.
“The gang members know you. If you rashly try to guide Father Liang’s people, you’ll inevitably fall into the gang’s sight. It’s not worth the loss.”
Old Ghost said, “If I don’t guide them, how long will it take that group of losers to discover the truth? What if they can’t find anything and directly reply to the old man that there are no problems? Wouldn’t that be a great opportunity for them to fight amongst themselves while we steal the stronghold?”
Shen Lichuan’s voice was hoarse and dry, “The Liang family members are all suspicious and not easily fooled. It’s difficult to gain their trust with just a reply; solid evidence is needed, such as photographs, videos, or reports.”
Old Ghost cursed, “They’re cunning and wicked. Their hearts are full of malice. The old and the young are all scoundrels.”
Shen Lichuan comforted him, “The most important thing for you now is to determine Liancheng’s location. Once Father Liang realizes that group is useless, he’ll naturally increase his manpower. We also need to find new helpers. The premise of benefiting from others’ conflict is that we are fully prepared and qualified.”
Old Ghost thought this made sense. If Liancheng’s location wasn’t confirmed and the opportunity wasn’t seized correctly, he was too weak. If he truly had a chance to take Liancheng away, it would be a foolish dream to hold onto.
After hanging up the phone, Old Ghost drove away from the alley. He hadn’t driven two blocks before he unexpectedly saw the vice-leader’s silver car again.
The car was parked temporarily on the roadside, its taillights on, and the engine running. The driver’s window was open, and a hand extended out, holding a cigarette and flicking away ash.
Old Ghost stopped his car and furtively circled into the store directly opposite the car.
The store sold hardware. The owner was an elderly man with a white beard, whose service attitude was “take it or leave it.”
Old Ghost now liked this kind of indifferent service attitude. He pretended to be browsing for tools and observed the driver through the window.
It was the vice-leader himself, holding his mobile phone and making a call.
Old Ghost didn’t possess advanced lip-reading skills. He held his breath and waited for two to three minutes. The vice-leader hung up and drove away.
Old Ghost was puzzled. When did gangsters abroad start obeying traffic rules and know not to use their phones while driving?
He looked up and saw, in the window of a gray-and-white residential building on the opposite side, on the second floor, a face he recognized, one he absolutely wouldn’t have expected.
………………………
On the calendar, Nan Province had also entered a new year.
After New Year’s Day, the Liang Corporation held another board meeting.
Father Liang, in a targeted move, launched a fierce counterattack against Liang Chaosu’s previous underhanded tactic. Compared to their past contests, this time it was utterly ruthless, striking at the vital points, as if aiming for a fatal blow.
In the vast conference room, the directors, no longer in their usual pre-vote discussions, were silent like statues of indecisive and anxious wax figures, motionless. Nearly half abstained from voting and did not express their stance.
Father Liang sat at the head, neither pleased nor angry. He had lost his usual refined demeanor of strategizing, and watched coldly, awaiting the voting results.
At this moment, chaotic footsteps approached the door. Amidst the confused male and female voices, a cough suddenly broke out, sounding particularly muffled and hoarse from beyond the door.
The nearly half of the directors who had been silently resisting were invigorated. After exchanging glances, they looked up expectantly.
Father Liang also looked over.
The dark gray double doors were pushed open from the outside. Two young secretaries, one on each side, held the door open completely.
Surrounded by a group of subordinates in suits and leather shoes, Liang Chaosu wore a hospital gown. An indwelling needle was embedded in his left arm near his wrist, and his hand was bruised purple, making his face appear even paler and bloodless.
Su Chenghuai helped him to a seat to Father Liang’s left and below. He took a document from a secretary behind him and said, “Vice Chairman, the minutes from the first half of the meeting.”
Liang Chaosu nodded.
Su Chenghuai stepped back and signaled for the meeting to continue.
This time, the silence seemed to be a great sheet of shame, torn apart by the agitated directors.
Amidst the room filled with red-faced arguments, Father Liang’s face darkened, his gaze fixed on Liang Chaosu, and he said chillingly, “You spoke harsh words to your mother. Has today’s predicament been smoothed over?”
Liang Chaosu felt an uncontrollable itch in his throat. He clenched his fist against his lips, but some of it still leaked out, “From the moment you decided to take her life, this life can never be smoothed over.”
Before his words were out, the itch in his throat became uncontrollable, and he coughed violently, his veins bulging on his forehead, his fist trembling.
Su Chenghuai rushed forward, patted his back to help him breathe, and handed him a water cup.
Father Liang’s jaw tightened repeatedly. His fists, hidden under the table, trembled as he clenched them. He managed to say, “Her current fate is not the responsibility of your mother and me; it’s because you were stubborn and insisted on your own way.”
Liang Chaosu pushed Su Chenghuai’s hand away, his demeanor utterly cold and intimidating, “Then, according to your logic, the current situation is not my responsibility either. It’s because you are corrupt and stubborn, and have lost your mind.”
Su Chenghuai silently took another step back.
He was stable in temperament and never gossiped about his superior behind his back, but Xiao Da was different; Xiao Da always gossiped.
In the past, gossiping about the Liang father and son was a perfect reflection of the book “Only the Paranoid Survive” by Intel’s former CEO, Andy Grove 《.
In the ebb and flow of the business world, ruthlessness, ambition, almost perverted persistence, and always sticking to one’s convictions, daring to take huge risks for a mere 10% chance of success.
That is why the Liang family, with its vast fortune, stood tall and unyielding.
Yet, unexpectedly, with Miss Lian Cheng, this father and son duo were equally obsessive and crazy.
If fault were to be assigned, Su Chenghuai felt Father Liang bore great responsibility. Killing someone crossed the line of humanity at any time.
Xiao Da speculated with him that perhaps because abroad it was a capitalist society where money could move mountains, and with mercenaries involved, Father Liang had become bolder and decided to settle it once and for all.
“Rumors from the Shen Corporation indicate that subsequent investment may be difficult to sustain. Liang Gu’s precarious situation remains unresolved. You supporting Gu Zhoushan and undermining the Vice Chairman is no different from burning your own money and accelerating it into a crematorium. If the Vice Chairman falters, the Liang Corporation will be hard-pressed to survive, and everyone will be begging for food this year.”
“If the Vice Chairman falters, there’s still the Chairman. Seventy percent of the Liang Corporation’s foundation was laid by the Chairman. Have you all gotten so foolish from riding the internet wave that you’ve forgotten who made you rich?”
As the clamor reached his ears, Father Liang’s eyes dimmed, a layer of ice forming within them.
“We were having internal strife, and it attracted a young pup to put on a show. You first supported me and Gu Zhoushan to control you. After you returned to the country, you backstabbed me. It was a well-calculated plan.”
After a series of coughs, Liang Chaosu’s voice was weak, but his words were extremely forceful, “You brought this upon yourself.”
Father Liang’s chest swelled intensely for a moment, due to his unfilial words and even more so his disrespectful attitude. After a deep breath, he suddenly said, “He can’t make the decisions for the Shen Corporation yet, but he has gone to such lengths for Liancheng. If Liancheng were dead, he would actually be able to say ‘calm as the sea’.”
Upon mentioning the word “dead,” a chilling coldness surged into Liang Chaosu’s eyes.
Father Liang placed his arm on the table and leaned his upper body closer to Liang Chaosu, “That’s why the people I sent to Iceland were a decoy. The truly useful people are by his side. He helped me verify that Liancheng is still alive and is being kept by you in a residential house near the hospital.”
Liang Chaosu’s sternness flowed from his eyes, fixing intensely on Father Liang’s well-maintained face.
For a full minute as their eyes met, Father Liang waited, waiting for a sign of surrender.
He hadn’t expected the butler to betray him. The one-corpse-two-lives incident was almost common knowledge, and he had naturally failed. But then again, since Liancheng wasn’t dead, Liang Chaosu’s hatred towards him wouldn’t be justified.
Conversely, with Liang Chaosu having exhausted all his backup plans in Iceland, Liancheng would soon fall into his hands, as would the Liang Corporation. The initiative would entirely shift to him.
Liancheng could live, but the child could not be born. If Liang Chaosu wanted Liancheng to be well, he would have to obey him.
The next second, Father Liang’s calculations were wrong.
Liang Chaosu slowly stood up. A nearby director noticed his action and immediately stopped arguing with a solemn expression, subtly signaling to the directors beside him.
As silence spread in pockets, there was no need for further notification; the conference room fell completely silent.
Liang Chaosu stood straight, his gaze sweeping across the room, and raised his hand to signal the large conference screen.
Su Chenghuai was already standing nearby, plugging in the HDMI cable to connect to the computer.
“Distinguished Directors, I will now present to you an investment plan—”
