Gu Zhaoye stared blankly at the glaring red exclamation mark.
He watched a long string of text linger on the screen, unable to be sent.
Gu Zhaoye’s emotions choked in his throat, neither rising nor falling.
Liang Zhiwei didn’t give him the chance for one last bout of self-pity.
She’d long wanted to kick him into the Huangpu River.
Gu Zhaoye, who’d always been fawned over by women eager to join his social circle and get his contact info, was blacklisted for the first time in his life.
Liang Zhiwei hadn’t even left him a final chance!
He felt a twisted, excruciating pain, as if he saw his life completely unravel in that moment.
And he didn’t know why.
The Gu Group rarely held shareholders’ meetings, and though it was quietly notified, it still sent shockwaves among the shareholders.
Everyone was uneasy, unsure what would happen.
But with the recent public outcry, they had a faint guess—most likely, it was about Gu Zhaoye.
The Gu Group was about to face a reckoning.
Compared to the shareholders’ anxiety, Gu Kaichang, who was among the last to be informed, seemed thrilled.
He was stunned at first, but after grasping the situation, he slapped his thigh and laughed,
“Gu Zhaoye, what goes around comes around! Strutting around like the heir all the time—looks like you’re doomed this time!”
But his laughter faded halfway.
He suddenly realized that even if Gu Zhaoye was punished, it wouldn’t benefit him in the slightest.
His earlier stunt at the summit went unpunished by the old man only because he’d cleverly betrayed Gu Zhaoye at the last moment.
The smile on Gu Kaichang’s face gradually vanished, replaced by a heavier expression, his mind gripped by an even more unbelievable, terrifying thought.
If Gu Zhaoye was taken down…who would take over?
Who could take over?
Surely not him.
Gu Kaichang couldn’t laugh anymore.
Especially after barging into the summit and seeing Gu Zhaoping on stage, so commanding and strategic, it left a deep psychological shadow.
He couldn’t stop thinking about what it’d be like if Gu Zhaoping took over the responsibilities from Gu Zhaoye’s hands.
The more he thought, the more uneasy he became.
Based on his basic sense of his own luck, the things he feared most always seemed to happen.
He’d been caught by the old man countless times scheming against his siblings.
But could the Gu family really have a female heir?
The thought of “heir” made him shudder.
Surely it wouldn’t come to that.
But even if she wasn’t the heir, giving Gu Zhaoping significant power was already mind-boggling.
Gu Zhaoping was too uncanny.
He could still trip up Gu Zhaoye, but against her, none of his tricks seemed to work.
She neutralized everything.
The second and third branches of the Gu family rarely gathered together, and when they saw each other getting out of their cars, they avoided eye contact.
Of course, the first branch had the most to avoid.
Old Master Gu had nearly fainted from anger countless times these days.
With news lagging domestically, they didn’t know why Gu Zhaoye was so distraught when he mentioned Gu Zhaoping.
Only later did they learn he’d nearly caused Liang Zhiwei’s death!
From that moment, Old Master Gu felt like he’d been hit with a sledgehammer to the head.
For the first time, he sincerely reflected on how much he’d indulged Gu Zhaoye over the years. How could he be so reckless, so irresponsible!
In other families that blindly doted on their young, they might try to suppress the issue and reconcile with Liang Zhiwei.
But they knew the old man wouldn’t do that. He had a scale in his heart—if Gu Zhaoye had gone too far and might bring greater risks to the Gu family, the old man wouldn’t protect him.
He had plenty of other grandchildren.
Outside the meeting room at Gu Group headquarters, a pale-faced Madam Hua and Old Master Gu ran straight into the old man.
They froze, then noticed the old man was being supported by Gu Zhaoping.
Both of them choked.
Gu Zhaoping looked up and saw them.
They realized how tall she was, dressed in a crisp white suit, escorting the old man from across the way, exuding an aura that felt slightly oppressive.
The couple’s hearts trembled, suddenly feeling that Gu Zhaoping was no longer under their wing.
What was Gu Zhaoping doing?
They had no idea.
These days, even online netizens knew more about her than they did—when did she master jujitsu, or learn all that business knowledge?
They had no clue.
Now, looking into her calm eyes, they vaguely realized—had she, during her years studying abroad without their high expectations, taken on the responsibility herself, believing she carried the same duty as the rest of the Gu family?
Only when she displayed this ability and ambition did they gradually see that Gu Zhaoping might actually have the potential to be the heir.
Perhaps even more than the others.
“Mom.”
Gu Zhaoping greeted Madam Hua.
It was their first meeting since the storm, and after hearing this, Madam Hua’s heart skipped a beat.
In the past, when Gu Zhaoping called her that, it was either to complain about being controlled too much or not being helped, or to act coy and admit fault—always as her daughter.
But this time, it was so formal.
Gu Zhaoping then looked at Old Master Gu, nodding politely, “Dad,” without further words.
Neither knew what to say, just staring at her awkwardly, unable to find words.
They took their seats in the meeting room one by one.
The shareholders who’d arrived stood to adjust their clothes in respect when they saw the old man enter, then froze when they saw Gu Zhaoping beside him, though they quickly suppressed their reactions.
They’d all seen her speech at the summit and had no objections to raise—it was the old man’s decision.
But it made them even more certain about the agenda of this shareholders’ meeting.
When Gu Kaichang and the second branch entered and saw Gu Zhaoping with the old man, they were startled.
Gu Kaichang’s face darkened, his lips muttering something as he quietly slipped to a corner, cautiously pulling out a chair to sit.
Gu Yingjie stayed silent too.
He’d only figured out why Gu Kaichang had suddenly called to yell at him when he saw Gu Zhaoping in the live broadcast.
This time, they sat so quietly that not one dared to make a sound.
It was a stark contrast to the defiant Gu Zhaoping they’d seen at the sanatorium last time.
When most people had arrived, the old man sat motionless, hands clasped, as if merely there to oversee.
The shareholders sat quietly for a moment until a throat-clearing broke the silence, instantly settling the room.
“Since all the shareholders of the Gu Group are here today, let me briefly address the public opinion crisis facing the Gu Group, which I’m sure you’re all aware of.”
Gu Zhaoping stood, hands braced on the table, exuding an undeniable presence.
The shareholders below had varied expressions.
Gu Zhaoye wasn’t even here yet, and she said everyone was present—did that mean this was really about punishing him?
Even more shocking was that Gu Zhaoye, despite his past prominence, had never been able to command the rhythm of a shareholders’ meeting like this.
Now, it was Gu Zhaoping doing so, and not a single person objected.
The old man sat quietly, hands resting on his knees, looking down at the room, seemingly entrusting everything to Gu Zhaoping.
This was a signal.
After a moment, someone suddenly spoke up,
“We’ll follow the young lady’s lead.”
Gu Zhaoping nodded.
“Gu Zhaoye’s actions this time have caused too severe an impact. For the sake of the bigger picture, the Gu Group must respond quickly, giving an explanation to the public and to Miss Liang Zhiwei.”
She scanned the room and continued,
“Moreover, I’ve investigated Yuanqi Tech’s financial data and contract records from recent years and found that Gu Zhaoye is highly likely to have violated corporate law.”
She held up a USB drive, and everyone below froze, stunned.
What?
They thought this was just about the recent public backlash, but there were other issues?
Had Gu Zhaoping come prepared?
How could she produce evidence so quickly, as if she’d been ready all along?
At that moment, everyone stared at the USB drive in her hand, hearts pounding, wondering what evidence it contained.
Gu Kaichang was dumbfounded, gripping the armrests of his chair, unable to stand.
Gu Zhaoye had done this?
Was Gu Zhaoping making it up, or was it real?
Both seemed equally plausible!
“Gu Zhaoye is suspected of embezzlement and concealing debts. I’ve reported this to the regulatory authorities and initiated an internal investigation.”