Yu Jianhua was unexpectedly not asking for reasons upon hearing his eldest son's words, but instead seriously pondering the matter.
These days, he had been recuperating in the hospital, partly to avoid certain people and partly to personally investigate whether that smuggling channel had truly been reactivated at its overseas source. Although he had already uncovered some clues, he still couldn’t confirm it entirely.
Yu Jianhua genuinely didn’t want Yu Corporation to be dragged into this affair again.
If they got entangled once more, not to mention others, even he himself wouldn’t escape unscathed.
"Fine, then I’ll go out for a while and take a proper break. But during this time, you must remember—whatever you do, proceed with extreme caution. Don’t act recklessly."
"I’ll keep that in mind, Dad," Yu Mo quickly responded. "I’ll be very careful."
The Ten Thousand Dragons Society was inherently cautious in its operations. Though he hadn’t fully mastered their methods yet, he had people to guide him.
However, Yu Jianhua felt uneasy upon hearing his son’s reply.
"I know you’ve just joined the Asset Management Department and aren’t familiar with many things. Plenty of people in the department don’t respect you yet. If you’re short on manpower, just tell me—I’ll find you an assistant," Yu Jianhua said.
"No need, Dad. I have people," Yu Mo replied.
Yu Jianhua was surprised. "You have people? Who are they?"
A thought seemed to cross his mind, and his brow furrowed slightly. "Let me remind you—don’t get too close to those underworld types. It won’t do you any good."
He had previously ordered an investigation into the Ten Thousand Dragons Society, and most of the information uncovered was negative.
Things like being the largest underground syndicate in the university district, having close ties with local law enforcement, and even orchestrating a massive brawl involving hundreds of people—an incident so notorious it shocked the entire university district and the city—wiping out all the small-time gangsters in the surrounding area in one fell swoop.
Honestly, in an era where the rule of law was increasingly reinforced, the Ten Thousand Dragons Society was practically the only group bold enough to act so brazenly.
Over half a year ago, when the leader of the Righteous Union Society died unexpectedly and the organization fell into chaos, even they hadn’t caused such a stir.
Because everyone knew—the bigger the commotion, the more likely they’d become a prime target for the police.
Yet under these circumstances, the Ten Thousand Dragons Society had charged forward like reckless fools.
Not only had they done it, but they’d also managed to stay out of trouble so far.
Of course, in Yu Jianhua’s eyes, this only meant they had connections and backing. But if they kept refusing to lay low, even those connections wouldn’t save them from eventually falling.
That’s why he felt the need to warn Yu Mo.
Yu Mo nodded. "Dad, I understand."
Yu Jianhua continued, "Also, Yu Corporation is a legitimate business. We absolutely cannot engage in any cooperation with shady companies."
From the very beginning, when he had arranged for Yu Mo to enter the Asset Management Department and assigned him his tasks—aside from reclaiming the No. 33 plot in the northern district—the core objective had always been to identify and completely eradicate the illicit dealings within the corporation.
Any business leader with strategic foresight would do the same. Regardless of whether they had dabbled in gray areas before, they had to go straight in the future—otherwise, they’d face retribution sooner or later.
So the sooner they cut ties, the better.
Yu Jianhua had started working on this many years ago and had nearly completed the process.
But to his surprise, the problem had resurfaced now.
This time, he was determined to cut out the cancer from Yu Corporation for good.
Even if it meant implicating some relatives, he wouldn’t hold back.
What he wanted was the long-term prosperity of Yu Corporation—or rather, the Yu family—not a fleeting moment of glory before collapse.
In short, whether for his own sake or the future of Yu Corporation, he had to do this.
However, Yu Jianhua’s words took on a completely different meaning in Yu Mo’s ears.
Once again, the Ten Thousand Dragons Society’s mantra echoed in his mind: "The Ten Thousand Dragons Society is a legitimate company."
Rumor had it that this slogan had been passed down by their young mistress, Liu Yutong, and she had indeed been practicing what she preached.
For example, the standardized uniforms for core members, the comprehensive social insurance and housing fund, and all sorts of employee benefits.
Let’s be real—80% of companies nowadays couldn’t even provide basic social insurance for their employees, and standardized uniforms were usually only seen in assembly-line factories—nowhere near as sharp as the Ten Thousand Dragons Society’s.
Even Yu Corporation wasn’t as "legitimate" as the Ten Thousand Dragons Society.
For instance, many of Yu Corporation’s projects were outsourced to labor contractors. Using the Ten Thousand Dragons Society’s hierarchy, those people would be considered peripheral members.
But in the Ten Thousand Dragons Society, even peripheral members or regular employees were covered by social insurance—only short-term part-timers were excluded.
By comparison, the Ten Thousand Dragons Society was about as legitimate as it got.
Thinking of this, Yu Mo confidently reassured his father, "Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll strictly follow your instructions when choosing business partners. I’ll make sure they’re all aboveboard."
After their conversation ended,
Secretary Yu Chen escorted Yu Mo all the way to the hospital entrance. Only after seeing a group of men in black disperse from near his car did he finally let out a sigh of relief.
Earlier, he had lied—claiming he’d reviewed all the documents when in reality, he’d only seen the one the chairman had looked at.
What else could he do? The young master had suddenly shown up with a group of very… socially intimidating men, insisting on having tea at his place. If he said he wasn’t nervous, he’d be lying.
Besides, he knew he’d have to pick a side eventually. This was just his way of currying favor with the young master.
…………
The news of Yu Jianhua suddenly leaving Bright Pearl City for overseas recuperation sent shockwaves through Yu Corporation.
The chairman rarely traveled abroad, and his departure during such a critical time for the company was highly unusual.
Almost immediately, rumors began swirling within the corporation. The most prevalent one suggested that the chairman was paving the way for his eldest son, Yu Mo.
Otherwise, it was too much of a coincidence—how could the previously sidelined young master suddenly be placed in the Asset Management Department?
The Asset Management Department controlled many of the corporation’s core assets and investment operations—its importance was undeniable.
There were even whispers that the chairman had granted Yu Mo special privileges, allowing him to bypass general manager Yu Tianxiang in decision-making—such as directly authorizing layoffs.
Normally, while the chairman held the highest authority as the corporation’s leader, day-to-day operations were handled by the general manager (or in some companies, the president or CEO).
In short, it was rare for anyone to override the general manager’s authority.
Now, with this news spreading internally, even Yu Tianxiang, the general manager, couldn’t stay seated.
Wasn’t this a blatant attempt to undermine his power?
Whether it was just a rumor or not, he felt he couldn’t sit back and do nothing. If his nephew dared to humiliate him like this, where would he even hide his dignity?
Moreover, Yu Mo had already hired an external audit team to investigate the Asset Management Department. If the auditors uncovered any shady dealings, given Yu Jianhua’s ruthless approach, Yu Tianxiang knew he wouldn’t get off lightly.
Yu Tianxiang understood his elder brother’s methods and temperament all too well.
Yu Jianhua was the epitome of an iron-fisted businessman—a traditional family enterprise patriarch who embodied authority, cold pragmatism, and an unshakable commitment to profit above all else.
A man like him didn’t care what others thought of him. His only concern was ensuring Yu Corporation thrived under his rules.
Anyone who dared to harm the company’s interests—whether it was his own brother or even his own son—would face his merciless retaliation.
There had long been whispers that Yu Jianhua’s first wife had been cast aside because she stood in his way, only to later die in a car accident. Some even speculated her death wasn’t an accident at all—that Yu Jianhua himself might have orchestrated it.
Of course, these were just rumors. No one but Yu Jianhua knew the truth of what really happened back then.
Because of that incident, neither Yu Tianxiang nor Yu Jianhua’s current wife had ever believed he would allow Yu Mo to take over the family business. After all, the rift between father and son ran deep.
But now, it seemed that no grudge was too great when the corporation’s survival was at stake. If Yu Jianhua believed Yu Mo was the right man to steer Yu Corporation through the crisis, he wouldn’t hesitate to bring his estranged son back into the fold—even to the point of naming him successor.
Yu Jianhua was like Vito Corleone from The Godfather, only colder. Or like Emperor Yongzheng from The Yongzheng Dynasty—unyielding and autocratic.
