Chapter 188: The First Round
“My surname is Liang.”
Liancheng remained motionless, Zhou Dazhi silently retreated. The moment the door closed, Liancheng’s voice, like jade striking ice, arrived, “Brother.”
Zhou Dazhi’s hand paused. The door, under momentum, pinched his fingers. He couldn’t hold back a cry.
Liancheng turned back, the door tightly shut.
Footsteps approached from the side, rapid and anxious, appearing at close range in an instant. Liancheng sidestepped, and in her breath, the piercing scent of ebony and cedarwood drifted.
Not even her eyebrows moved, she smiled faintly, “Brother, are you going to kick me out of the Liang family again?”
Liang Chaosu, unexpectedly, did not get angry. He gazed at her at close range. It was like seeing a vague shadow when having a high fever, and he had gained a few pounds. His black and white eyes, the small mole on his nose tip, his tense jaw.
The Liang Family’s secretary’s office attire was publicly recognized as having the finest tailoring and most aesthetically pleasing design in the industry.
He had a vague impression. The director of the secretary’s office had reported once that the budget started at fifty thousand per set. The overall style was elegant and dignified, with a noble temperament.
Liancheng, however, was colder, defensive, and hostile.
Liang Chaosu couldn’t recall anyone else wearing this professional outfit. At first glance, whether it was dignified and elegant, or noble and high-class, neither suited her as she stood there so vibrantly.
“It seems I don’t need to ask.” Liang Chaosu’s lips curved into a smile, doing his best to ignore the two “Brother”s. “Public opinion has reached its peak. You want to overturn all the speculation about us.”
Liancheng looked up at Liang Chaosu. Her high heels were only five centimeters, unable to make up for the twenty-three-centimeter difference.
He looked thinner by a circle. The lower half of his face held a smile, his eyes deep and not calm. Those two “Brother”s, he had endured them with great difficulty, restraining the barbs that grew inward, hooking his internal organs, making them fester and bleed, rushing to appear in his eyes.
Her malice was unconcealed, “Then will you make a public statement that you are my brother, and will always be my brother?”
Liang Chaosu’s smile could not be maintained, its arc faint.
He understood that Liancheng was cornering him. If he declared publicly that he was her brother, he would have to consider public opinion and competitors, and uphold the boundaries between a man and a woman.
Even between a man and woman’s tenderness and affection, there is still a strong and a weak, one indulgent and one permissive. When it shifts to disgust and resentment, the strong and weak become even more distinct, with swords and sabers entering the heart and lungs at all times.
Yet, these sword lights and shadows were something he had obtained with his life.
A knock sounded outside the door. Fan Dazhi pushed it open a crack, “Director Liang, all the directors are present. The meeting can begin.”
Liang Chaosu raised his wrist to check his watch. A Patek Philippe 5711, with a platinum dial, which was uncharacteristic of his past demeanor. After losing weight, wearing it gave him a refined air. “Good.”
He strode outwards, signaling to Liancheng, “Secretary Liang will also attend. Your seat has organized materials. Secretary Liang is welcome to offer opinions at any time during the meeting.”
Liancheng was startled.
She immediately followed.
Entering the large conference room, Liancheng realized belatedly that the overall feel of the Liang Family had changed.
Not only the Chairman’s office, but also the reception room and the pantry along the way, and even the layout of the office area, showed no trace of Director Liang’s father’s era.
The Chinese classical style remained, but it was colder, sharper, filled with Liang Chaosu’s piercing and aggressive personal style.
Since ancient times, there have been many proverbs proving that the environment influences people, but when a person becomes strong and imposing to a certain extent, they can influence the environment in return.
The deeper the influence on the environment, the more solidified the central position becomes. Liancheng only knew that Liang Chaosu had ascended to power, replacing her father. Now, from the speed of this environmental change, it was likely not just about ascending to power and seizing control, but that her father had been utterly defeated.
Liancheng’s emotions were in turmoil. In four years, how had Liang Chaosu grown so terrifyingly? It was difficult to resist.
The host of the meeting was Zhou Dazhi. Liancheng’s position was secretary, so by rights, she wasn’t qualified to sit at the conference table.
But Zhou Dazhi guided her to sit to the chairman’s right hand, which was Liang Chaosu’s usual position.
Liancheng scanned the room. Seated below her was the actual Vice Chairman of the group. He met her gaze and nodded kindly, showing no curiosity or objection.
Further down sat a group of directors, averaging around fifty to sixty years old, some smooth-talking, some serious. They met Liancheng’s gaze, nodding and smiling if they recognized her, and if they didn’t, they didn’t ask further questions or object.
Zhou Dazhi whispered in her ear, “Director Liang gave instructions in advance. From now on, this seat will be yours for all group meetings.”
Liancheng looked towards Liang Chaosu. He was at the head of the table, his back straight, but his posture was not stiff, exceptionally calm. The more he remained silent, the more he commanded the entire room.
She sat down.
Liang Chaosu visibly paused. Liancheng didn’t ask, didn’t decline, but accepted it openly, which made his prepared explanations unusable.
A smile bloomed in his eyes. He turned sideways and leaned closer to her. Liancheng didn’t like perfume; she preferred scented bath lotions. She used to use gardenia, but today she had changed. The scent didn’t last long, a faint aroma, likely osmanthus.
He couldn’t help but lean closer, “Secretary Liang, do you want to be the Vice Chairman?”
Liancheng gripped the pen on the table, pushed off the cap, its silver tip reflecting a sharp gleam, filled with threat, “Get any closer, and perhaps I can become the Chairman.”
Liang Chaosu sat back upright, cupped his fist against his nose tip, and chuckled softly, “It’s not impossible either.”
Liancheng just gave a cold laugh.
Some directors were easy to talk to, while others were difficult.
The directors had no objection to Liancheng attending. However, regarding the public opinion about Liancheng, they questioned it as a group.
“The public sentiment is severe. It has already affected the stock price. At the current trend of continuous decline, in another week, the person behind it will be ready to bottom-fish.”
“I’m afraid this is just the first step. There are rumors from the provincial level that some people suspect irregularities with large capital injections from abroad and want to hinder our investment.”
“Once a chain of attacks is launched, even a rabble will come to take a bite. Even an elephant fears many mice. If we don’t want to suffer losses, we must counterattack early.”
Liang Chaosu’s pen cap was not opened, and he tapped it rhythmically on the table.
His expression remained unchanged, his demeanor composed. As the directors finished their passionate speeches, they eventually calmed down. It was as if they had thrown down their burdens, and if the sky fell, Liang Chaosu would bear it.
Liancheng held her breath and waited.
She didn’t know if Liang Chaosu had guessed her purpose.
At that time, the two options under the gilded cage were for her to collect evidence of commercial crimes and sentence Liang Chaosu to life imprisonment.
But Liancheng wasn’t stupid. No matter how much she disliked Liang Chaosu, she couldn’t deny his achievements in business. To attack his strength with her weakness would be a sure defeat.
And Liang Chaosu’s need to retaliate for those four years was Liancheng’s strength.
She revealed scars one by one, preserving recordings, finding evidence that could be presented in court.
If the Liang Family’s Chairman were imprisoned on such charges, the scandal would spread far, attracting sharks from everywhere. The Liang Family would be devoured without her needing to lift a finger.
The first step to attracting sharks now was for Liang Chaosu to publicly declare and confirm their sibling relationship, preferably establishing that they would always be siblings.
Then, when the scandal was exposed in the future, public opinion would explode unprecedentedly.
However, Liancheng had little hope. Liang Chaosu’s ambition was unyielding; he was unlikely to plant a mine for himself.
Liang Chaosu’s pen tip lifted slightly, tapping a senior executive sitting in the guest seats, “You explain the counter-strategy.”
The executive stood up, holding a laptop connected to the projector screen. “In the early stages of public opinion, Director Liang had already instructed that the internet company he invested in would cooperate. We immediately formed a crisis management team internally to collect information, and we have now gathered evidence related to the instigator behind the scenes.”
“Next, we will make a public statement at the peak of public opinion, release the evidence, guide public opinion, and further promote the Liang Family by portraying their image as a victim.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, in the wave of internet live broadcasts, as long as the public becomes curious and sympathetic, it can be monetized. New quarters, new performance, new records, new glory. As long as Director Liang is here, all risks are opportunities.”
Victory arrived like a tidal wave, filling the room with relaxation and ease. Amidst the flushed faces, Liang Chaosu showed no ripple.
Liancheng’s fists clenched, “What public statement?”
Liang Chaosu’s expression changed. A crack appeared in his calm, with a somberness, a bitterness. “Siblings—”
The bitterness intensified, his Adam’s apple bobbed uncontrollably. After two seconds, he added, “We were not together.”
