"I object!"
At those words, the entire venue fell into dead silence. Everyone's gaze focused on the young woman standing at the doorway, dressed in a black trench coat and exuding an overwhelming presence.
Behind her stood dozens of men in black, several of whom were particularly striking.
One was a giant over two meters tall, like a door god, his appearance incredibly intimidating.
There were also two cold-faced young men—one with his hands casually in his pockets, the other scanning the crowd in the meeting hall with sharp eyes, like a wolf spotting a flock of sheep.
Just these three alone gave off an aura of being an unstoppable force!
Zhou Yan froze for a moment. When he recognized the girl he had seen at the hospital a few days ago, he erupted in fury: "Miss Liu, this is an internal meeting of our chamber of commerce. Who allowed you to barge in here? Security! Where the hell are the security guards?"
Outside, the few guards originally stationed at the entrance were being pinned firmly against the wall by the men in black, unable to move.
Liu Yutong completely ignored Zhou Yan's roar. She walked straight in, reached the conference table, and fixed her gaze directly on Old Mr. Li, who was seated beside the head of the table.
"Old Li, Uncle Bai's body is still warm, and you're already rushing to elect a new president?"
Old Mr. Li's hand, resting on his cane, trembled slightly. "Who... who are you? This follows the chamber's bylaws. It seems to have nothing to do with an outsider like you, does it?"
"You say I'm an outsider? Heh..."
Liu Yutong let out a soft, crisp laugh. The sound was clear and pleasant, yet for some reason, it sent an inexplicable chill down everyone's spines.
She said nothing more and walked straight toward the head seat that had belonged to Bai Jingchen.
Yun Cheng immediately stepped forward and pulled out the chair for her.
Liu Yutong didn't even glance at him. She turned and sat down gracefully, crossing her legs in one smooth motion.
The action was so natural, as if she had always belonged in that seat.
Smack!
Zhou Yan slammed the table, his face dark as iron. "Liu Yutong, you're going too far! That's the president's seat. What gives you the right to sit there?"
The others in the hall began to stir.
"Too arrogant."
"Who is this girl, anyway?"
"Even Old Mr. Li hasn't sat in that chair, and she just takes it."
"Zhou Yan called her Liu Yutong. Who the hell is she? Has anyone heard of her?"
"..."
Although the crowd was unhappy with Liu Yutong's actions, no one dared to openly accuse her. After all, those bodyguards behind her and the swarm of men in black outside were too terrifying—just looking at them sent a chill down your spine.
Bai Shisui's mother, Zhou Meizhen, also had her expression gradually change.
She had originally felt some goodwill toward Liu Yutong, thinking this young woman was accomplished at an early age and someone her late husband had valued.
But what was unfolding before her now made her feel that Liu Yutong was too domineering and utterly lacking in manners.
"Miss Liu, this is an important chamber meeting. Is it really appropriate for you to be here? If you need to talk to Shisui, you can wait until after the meeting ends..."
Liu Yutong looked at Zhou Meizhen, her gaze calm as still water. "Mrs. Bai, I'm not here to see Shisui."
She paused, then added: "I'm here to settle some accounts."
Settle accounts?
Everyone was taken aback.
Could it be that someone owed her money?
"Damn, if someone owes money and doesn't pay, forcing the creditor to come knocking, that's the worst kind of scum," they cursed inwardly, glancing again at the men in black outside, who looked more like gangsters than actual gangsters.
Zhou Yan couldn't help but shout, "Settle what accounts? Who here owes you money? Liu Yutong, I'm warning you—don't make trouble here! This is the U.S.! A society governed by law! You're trespassing on a private meeting, and I can call the cops to have you arrested!"
Liu Yutong looked at him and made a "go ahead" gesture. "Be my guest! If you want to call the police, go right ahead."
Zhou Yan: "You..."
Old Mr. Li leaned on his cane and stood up. "Miss Liu, if anyone here owes you money, you can take it up with them privately. Please stop causing a disturbance here."
Liu Yutong uncrossed her long legs, sat up straight, and said seriously, "Old Li, you're wronging me. I'm not here to cause trouble. I really am here to attend this meeting."
Old Mr. Li: "But as far as I know, you don't seem to be a member of our chamber, so you..."
"Who says I'm not?" Liu Yutong cut him off.
At that, the crowd exchanged bewildered glances and shook their heads, as if none of them knew anything about Liu Yutong joining the chamber.
Liu Yutong didn't keep them in suspense and revealed the truth.
"Uncle Bai gave me thirty percent of the shares in the Bai Corporation before he died. That makes me the second-largest shareholder. So tell me—do I have the right to attend this meeting?"
Boom!
The hall erupted instantly.
"Thirty percent of the shares?"
"President Bai really gave shares to an outsider?"
"That can't be possible, right?"
"Sounds crazy. Thirty percent of the Bai Corporation is worth at least two billion dollars!"
"But look at the Bai family's faces—they don't look too good. Could it be true?"
"..."
All kinds of speculation broke out.
Zhou Yan's face turned completely dark. "Miss Liu, that agreement hasn't gone through final notarization and registration yet. Its legal validity is still open to question. Besides, what we're discussing now is the election of the chamber's president, not the equity issue of the Bai Corporation."
"Mr. Zhou, you seem to be misunderstanding something."
Liu Yutong tilted her head slightly, a strand of hair sliding across her cold, sharp profile. Her clear, beautiful eyes held an undeniable dominance.
"I'm sitting here to tell you the outcome, not to listen to your discussion!"
"Uncle Bai's matters—I have the final say! The future of the Bai Corporation—I have the final say! As for who has the final say in this chamber today..."
Her gaze slowly swept across the faces of everyone seated. Those whose eyes met hers instinctively lowered their heads.
"I have the final say!"
"Are we clear?"
The hall was dead silent. No one dared to make a sound; they could only think to themselves, This girl is way too domineering!
Zhou Yan's face had turned the color of pickled pork liver, practically trembling with rage.
So arrogant!
She completely disregarded them!
Seeing everyone's reaction, Liu Yutong seemed satisfied.
"Good. It looks like everyone understands."
"Before we elect a new president, let me share a piece of news with you. The Snakehead Gang, which murdered President Bai, has been completely wiped out by me."
"Of course, I'm not sure if you saw the news, so I'll just fill you in on the result."
At this, everyone was stunned. They couldn't believe their ears.
"What? The Snakehead Gang was taken down by Miss Liu?"
"But didn't the news say the police did it?"
"Wait... I think I heard from some underground connections that they pissed off a woman known as the Black Phoenix from the East. She brought along the Hell Giant, the Black and White Devils—those deadly enforcers—and bulldozed them all. The cops were just there to clean up the mess."
"Black Phoenix? Could it be..."
"..."
As they talked about these nicknames, someone unconsciously looked toward the door at the giant of a man standing there like a guardian spirit, wondering how he perfectly fit the description of that hellish giant.
Then, the crowd turned their terrified gazes to Liu Yutong, seated at the head of the table. Could she be…?
Zeng Jin’s expression shifted as well. He had indeed heard a rumor that the Snakehead Gang was actually wiped out by a person nicknamed the Black Phoenix, and the police had only come to clean up the mess.
The Snakehead Gang had entrenched itself in the United States for years. The Chamber of Commerce had tried to crack down on them and had reported them to the police, but they still thrived, growing even bolder—even daring to assassinate President Bai.
Now, that gang had been completely taken down in a single night.
If these rumors were true, then the woman before them possessed terrifying power!
Zhou Yan’s heart was pounding. He had heard this rumor too, and especially recalling the secret actions he had arranged, his fear intensified.
Still, he stiffened his spine and said, “Ridiculous! Miss Liu, are you making up this lie just to polish your own image? Do you think everyone here is a three-year-old? The Snakehead Gang has been entrenched in the U.S. for years; the police have raided them countless times and they still came out fine. And you, an outsider, claim you wiped them out overnight? Absolutely absurd!”
Liu Yutong chuckled lightly. “Whether it’s true or not, Mr. Zhou knows better than anyone in his heart.”
“Besides, now that the Snakehead Gang is gone, it’s a dead-end for evidence. Isn’t that right?”
Zhou Yan’s heart skipped another beat, but he feigned ignorance. “What are you talking about? I don’t understand. Are you suggesting I was in league with the Snakehead Gang?”
On the surface, he said this, but inside, he was panicking.
Could this woman have actually found something?
Impossible.
They had been extremely discreet; it shouldn’t have been exposed. She was just trying to bluff him.
Yes! That had to be it!
As the scene grew increasingly chaotic and loud, Old Man Li tapped his cane heavily on the floor and spoke again: “Miss Liu, you claim to hold thirty percent of the Bai Group’s shares. I really want to believe you, but without seeing the evidence, I must still ask you to leave—even if it costs me my life!”
The old man had backbone. Among the crowd, aside from a guilty Zhou Yan, he was the only one daring enough to confront her despite the black-suited men outside.
“Old Man Li wants evidence; then I’ll give you that courtesy.”
Liu Yutong sat down again, crossing her legs, and looked toward Bai Shisui.
“Sui Sui.”
Bai Shisui trembled. “Sister Yutong.”
“What’s your surname?” Liu Yutong asked.
“I… my surname is Bai,” Bai Shisui answered instinctively.
“Yes, the Bai of Bai Jingchen.”
Liu Yutong’s gaze swept over Zhou Yan and the two Zhou family executives beside him.
“In this room, besides you, who else truly carries the surname Bai?”
“Your father built the Bai Group from scratch, making it bear his name. Now that his body is barely cold, the people here clamoring to take over the company and the Chamber of Commerce—do any of them have the surname Bai?”
“Zhou Yan, Mr. General Manager, what’s your surname?”
“And you two—what are your surnames?”
She pointed her finger one by one at each person. Every time she pointed, the victims’ faces turned paler.
Finally, she looked at the grim-faced Zhou Meizhen, paused for a moment, but ultimately didn’t ask her.
Liu Yutong’s words were straightforward: she wanted to awaken Bai Shisui with this simple truth—she was the only one present who shared her father’s surname.
They were indeed blood relatives, but in reality, as long as the surname was different, they were ultimately outsiders!
Gradually, a terrifying thought that Bai Shisui had never dared to entertain emerged uncontrollably.
If her father were alive, the Bai Group would always carry the Bai name.
If he were gone, and power fell into her uncle’s hands, in a few years… would it still be surnamed Bai?
As for Liu Yutong, though she was also an outsider, Bai Shisui had already made enough profit from investing with her to almost buy thirty percent of the Bai Group’s shares.
From that perspective, Liu Yutong was far more trustworthy than the Zhou family.
Seeing the situation rapidly deteriorate, with Liu Yutong’s few words shaking Bai Shisui’s resolve, Zhou Yan knew that if Bai Shisui actually acknowledged the share transfer, things would become a huge mess.
With this woman around, they would only face endless trouble. He couldn’t let her keep talking!
“Liu Yutong, stop spreading your lies here and driving a wedge in our family relationships!”
“Sis! Sui Sui! Don’t listen to her! Sui Sui, I’m your own uncle—how could I harm you? Everything I do is to keep the Bai Group out of outsiders’ hands, for the sake of your and Sis’s future. This woman is the real outsider! She’s the one coveting the Bai family’s property!”
The two Zhou executives chimed in, “Mr. Zhou is right—she’s the outsider, the one with wolfish ambition!”
“…”
But no matter how much they tried to smear Liu Yutong, she acted as if she hadn’t heard, simply gazing quietly at Bai Shisui, waiting for her answer.
Bai Shisui took a deep breath, stood up, and looked at her mother and uncle. “Mom, Uncle, I believe in Dad’s choice.”
“Before he died, Dad did say he would transfer thirty percent of the Bai Group’s shares to Sister Yutong as the basis for our cooperation. The intent agreement and signed documents are all with my lawyer.”
Boom!
Those words exploded like thunder in the banquet hall.
“So there really is a share transfer—Miss Bai just admitted it herself!”
“No way! Shares worth two billion U.S. dollars, just given away like that? President Bai really trusted Miss Liu that much?”
“Then everything Miss Liu said is true. She really is the second-largest shareholder of the Bai Group!”
“That means she does qualify to participate in this meeting—even more so than Zhou Yan.”
“…”
Zhou Yan’s face went completely pale. He rushed forward and grabbed Bai Shisui’s arm. “Sui Sui, you’ve lost your mind! That’s thirty percent of the shares—worth two billion dollars! How could you admit to this? She’s an outsider, here to steal our Bai family’s assets!”
Bai Shisui shook him off forcefully. “Uncle, Sister Yutong is not an outsider! My father trusted her, and I trust her. Besides, it was my father’s decision. I have no right to deny it!”
“You!” Zhou Yan fumed, heartbroken.
Zhou Meizhen grew anxious too. “Sui Sui, listen to me—these shares cannot be given to an outsider. Your father must have been confused when he made that decision. We can simply refuse to acknowledge it!”
“Mom!”
Bai Shisui looked at her mother with disappointment in her eyes. “Dad discussed this with me before. He said Sister Yutong has the ability to lead the Bai Group further. And before this, any money I made investing with her had already nearly bought me these thirty percent of the shares. She had no need to deceive me!”
“You’re just a young girl. What do you know about investing? That was all luck,” Zhou Meizhen scoffed, refusing to believe it.
A nearby vice-director with the surname Zhou chimed in to back him up: “Shuisui, you can’t be fooled by outsiders. Your uncle truly has your best interests and the Bai Group at heart. Miss Liu probably just sweet-talked you to get you on her side, only to swallow up the entire Bai Group later.”
“Exactly! We’ve been loyal to Chairman Bai for years. You can’t let a stranger deceive you.”
Bai Shisui looked at these Zhou family members, their faces flushed with urgency, and suddenly felt a clarity dawn on her.
They kept saying it was for her and the Bai Group, but from start to finish, all they cared about was power and profit.
Her father had just passed away, and instead of focusing on his funeral arrangements properly, they were rushing to seize control. Now they were desperately trying to block the decisions he made before his death—ultimately, weren’t they just afraid that if she and Sister Yutong joined forces, it would cut off their revenue stream?
“Enough!”
Bai Shisui cut them off. “This was my father’s decision, and I won’t change it! Sister Yutong is a shareholder of the Bai Group, and no one can deny that!”
......
