The entire room fell silent in an instant.
No one had expected that this seemingly indecisive young woman would so firmly defend an outsider, even going against her mother and the relatives from her maternal uncle's family.
Upon hearing this, Old Master Li said in a deep voice, "Since Miss Bai has personally acknowledged it, I recognize Miss Liu's status as a shareholder. According to the chamber of commerce's bylaws, the Bai Group, as a core enterprise of the chamber, and its second-largest shareholder are entitled to participate in chamber affairs. Miss Liu, you may stay."
With Old Master Li's approval, the other directors nodded in agreement one after another.
"Old Li is right; Miss Liu is qualified to stay."
"Since it's President Bai's decision, we respect it."
"Now we should properly discuss the candidate for president."
"........"
Liu Yutong, seated in the main chair, looked at Bai Shisui with a hint of relief in her eyes.
This girl still had some judgment, able to discern who truly had her best interests at heart and stood by her side.
Zeng Jin, the vice president, immediately seized the opportunity and said, "Director Liu keeps a low profile—I admire that. President Bai has a keen eye for talent; it seems the Bai Group's future is bright."
He directly addressed her as Director Liu, his sudden shift in attitude drawing everyone's attention.
Zhou Yan and the Zhou family members beside him looked extremely grim.
To be honest, if it weren't for the presence of those fierce-looking men in black, they would never have let this slide.
A faint smile curled at the corner of Liu Yutong's mouth. This was exactly the effect she wanted—Bai Shisui had to stand up on her own to truly protect Bai Jingchen's hard work.
"Since everyone acknowledges my status, let me say a few words. Regarding the selection of the chamber's president, I still hold the same view: Miss Bai Shisui is President Bai's only daughter and the heiress of the Bai Group. It is only fitting that she serve as the interim president."
Zhou Yan stepped forward to object again: "Shisui is too young; she's not capable of managing the chamber!"
Liu Yutong: "Whether she's capable isn't for you to decide! And more importantly, you are the least qualified person here to voice an opinion!"
Zhou Yan: "You..."
Liu Yutong: "Shut up!"
"That's settled. Who agrees, and who opposes?"
No one dared to respond.
Liu Yutong's assertiveness was unmistakable, and with the intimidating men in black she had brought, no one wanted to court trouble.
"Alright, since no one opposes, it's passed."
Liu Yutong didn't give them time to hesitate; she made the decision on the spot: "From now on, Miss Bai Shisui will serve as the interim president of the chamber, overseeing all its affairs."
Then she turned to Zhou Meizhen: "Mrs. Bai, the rest of the meeting has nothing to do with you. It's inconvenient for you to stay here, so please excuse yourself first."
"You... you're kicking me out?"
Zhou Meizhen looked at Liu Yutong in disbelief, then turned to her daughter: "Shisui! Are you just going to let her treat your mother like this?"
Although Bai Shisui didn't know why Liu Yutong was doing this, she understood Liu Yutong's style—she never acted without reason.
Suddenly asking her mother to leave must mean there was important business to discuss, and it was not appropriate for her mother to know.
With this in mind, she hardened her heart and said, "Mom, please go rest. With me and Sister Yutong here, that's enough."
Yun Cheng walked over to Zhou Meizhen and made a polite gesture to escort her out, his demeanor courteous yet carrying an undeniable force.
Zhou Meizhen looked at her daughter's resolute profile, her heart sinking like ashes. Accompanied by Yun Cheng, she silently left the conference room.
The door closed again, and the atmosphere in the room grew even heavier.
Everyone could sense that the real climax was about to come.
Liu Yutong became the absolute focus once more. She lightly tapped the table with one hand, drawing everyone's attention back.
"Alright, now that the outsiders are gone, we can talk about serious matters."
Her icy gaze locked onto Zhou Yan, who was trying to appear calm.
"Mr. Zhou, it's time for us to settle some accounts."
Zhou Yan's heart skipped a beat, a sense of foreboding washing over him: "You... what do you want now?"
"What do I want?"
Liu Yutong let out a cold laugh and said, "Zhou Yan, do you think that just because the Snakehead Gang has been wiped out, there's no evidence left? Do you think you can hide your secret collusion with the Snakehead Gang to murder President Bai forever?"
This statement landed like a bombshell, sending shockwaves through the room!
"What? Zhou Yan colluded with the Snakehead Gang?"
"He killed President Bai?"
"Is it true or false? This is too horrifying!"
"No wonder he was so eager to seize power—he was afraid of being exposed."
"President Bai treated his Zhou family so well, and yet he could commit such an ungrateful act!"
"........"
Zeng Jin shot to his feet and stared at Zhou Yan: "Zhou Yan, is what Miss Liu said true? Did you really collude with the Snakehead Gang to kill President Bai?"
Old Master Li also looked at him in disbelief: "Zhou Yan, explain this clearly to me!"
Cold sweat broke out on Zhou Yan's forehead, his mind screaming that it was impossible!
But on the surface, he shook his head frantically in denial: "No! I didn't! Liu Yutong, you're slandering me! You're just trying to frame me so you can seize control of the Bai Group!"
Liu Yutong: "You say I'm framing you? Then let me ask you—who is Chen Ming?"
Chen Ming?
Zhou Yan's body stiffened, panic flashing in his eyes.
"Chen Ming... I don't know him!"
"Don't know him?"
Liu Yutong sneered: "He's the husband of your Zhou family's niece, and also the deputy director of the logistics department at the Bai Group. Are you telling me you don't know him?"
"You... how do you know all this?" Zhou Yan's voice was filled with fear.
"I know far more than you imagine."
Liu Yutong's tone turned ice-cold: "Chen Ming used multiple fake identities to contact the Snakehead Gang through an intermediary, promising them rewards to eliminate President Bai. Given the bad blood between the Snakehead Gang and President Bai, none of you here would have suspected the Zhou family of being behind it. The plan was clever enough, but his method of covering his tracks was sloppy. It didn't take much effort for me to track him down."
"After the Snakehead Gang was destroyed, I already sent people to arrest him. Care to guess who he might implicate when he talks?"
"No! That's not true!"
Zhou Yan was still fighting for his life: "You're lying! You... you're fabricating this! Chen Ming is crazy! He must have been bribed by you!"
"Bai Jingchen was my brother-in-law! Why would I harm him!"
"Evidence! Yes, evidence! If you have the guts, show me the proof, or let Chen Ming confront me face to face!"
Liu Yutong snorted coldly: "Still trying to argue even at death's door!"
The truth was, she didn't have solid evidence yet, but once Chen Ming was caught, everything would come to light.
But whether she had evidence or not didn't matter to her. As long as she was sure the Zhou family was behind it, that was enough.
"Shisui, it's your call on what to do next."
Bai Shisui's mind was spinning, her world tilting.
She had guessed that Liu Yutong would announce something major, which was why she had sent her mother away.
But she never expected the truth Liu Yutong revealed to be this brutal.
Liu Yutong hadn't produced any evidence, but when she saw her uncle's reaction, she figured the truth was probably close enough.
How could her uncles and aunts be so ruthless as to harm their own family in a bid for inheritance?
How dared they?
At that moment, everyone's attention turned to Bai Shisui.
This was her first decision as acting chairperson, a trial of her resolve, or rather, a test of how much she truly trusted Liu Yutong.
After all, Liu Yutong had accused Zhou Yan and the Zhou family of conspiring with the Snakehead Gang to murder Chairman Bai, but without solid proof, many remained skeptical.
So, the power of choice now rested with Bai Shisui.
Only she was truly qualified to judge the truth of the matter.
Slowly, Bai Shisui pulled herself back from the depths of extreme grief. Though she wanted nothing more than to go home, sleep, and cry her eyes out, the image of her father's brutal death kept her going.
In a daze, she recalled a line her father had once said to her: "Don't trust your mother's family too much. They're not like us—father and daughter."
She had never understood what was so different about them. After all, they were her own uncles from her mother's side.
Now, she finally grasped the meaning behind her father's words.
Raising her eyes, Bai Shisui fixed a cold, hate-filled gaze on Zhou Yan.
"Uncle, do you have anything to say?"
Zhou Yan's face twisted in panic. "Shishui! Shishui, listen to me! That woman has ulterior motives—she wants to swallow up the Bai family's assets! Don't be fooled by her! You know how I've treated you, your mother, and your father all these years! How could I possibly harm my own family? You have to believe me!"
"Shut up!"
Bai Shisui suddenly exploded. "You're not worthy of mentioning my father!"
Zhou Yan: "You'd rather trust an outsider than your own uncle?"
The two other Zhou family executives also chimed in, their voices choked with emotion.
"That's right! We watched you grow up!"
"Shishui, you have to trust us!"
"..."
"How can I trust you?"
Bai Shisui's voice trembled. "My father taught me to judge people by their actions, not their words. You know what you've done. Are you still going to argue?"
"I..." Zhou Yan was about to continue his denial.
But Bai Shisui cut him off. "I, as the interim head of the Bai Corporation and acting chairperson of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, hereby announce that, effective immediately, Zhou Yan is relieved of all his positions within the Bai Corporation. All his accounts and permissions related to the company are frozen."
"At the same time, I authorize Ms. Liu Yutong and her team to conduct a full investigation into the attack on my father."
"Anyone who obstructs this investigation, regardless of their status, will be treated as an accomplice!"
Her words echoed through the room, shocking everyone present.
The crowd looked at this girl, who seemed to have transformed overnight. They could faintly see the shadow of Chairman Bai in her.
Then again, considering what she had been through, they understood.
When faced with such a situation, people usually had two outcomes: either completely collapse and choose to escape, or grow tough and cold-blooded.
Clearly, Bai Shisui was tougher than they had imagined.
Or rather, her hatred had taken absolute control.
Zhou Yan staggered back as if struck by lightning, bumping into the back of a chair. "You... Bai Shisui! How dare you! I'm your own uncle! Your mother won't stand for this!"
"I'll explain things to my mother."
Bai Shisui's face was expressionless. In that moment, she seemed to have shed all her innocence overnight, her eyes icy cold. "As for you... Brother Yun Cheng."
She turned to Yun Cheng, who had been standing guard behind Liu Yutong.
Yun Cheng stepped forward. "Please give your orders, Miss Bai."
Bai Shisui took a deep breath. "Brother Yun Cheng, please arrest them and deal with them according to the methods of the Wanlong Society."
"Yes!"
"Seize them! Execute justice on the spot!"
Yun Cheng waved his hand, and a group of men in black burst in from outside, rushing straight toward Zhou Yan and the two Zhou family executives he had brought with him, restraining them.
"What are you doing! Let me go! This is illegal detention! I want to call the police! I want a lawyer!" Zhou Yan struggled wildly, but it was futile. He was completely overpowered and dragged out.
Once he was hauled outside by two men in black, he completely lost his composure, screaming like a fishwife.
"Let me go! You bastards! Bai Shisui! You little wretch! You're just like your deadbeat father—a traitor who helps outsiders screw over your own family!"
"Liu Yutong! You witch! You're a curse! You'll die a horrible death! All of you in the Wanlong Society are a bunch of thugs! Don't think I don't know your dirty secrets! You're a gang! You're not good people at all!"
"Murderers! Kidnapping and detaining people in broad daylight! Lawless!"
"They can do this to me today, and they'll do it to you tomorrow! Bai Shisui, you've invited wolves into your home! You'll regret this! The Bai family will be picked clean by that witch sooner or later, down to... uh?"
Zhou Yan's cursing came to an abrupt halt. Not because he wanted to stop, but because he had run into a wall... a human-shaped one.
It was Ji Yu.
Ji Yu had been standing by the wall, snoring, until Zhou Yan's insults woke him up. When he heard the man cursing the young lady, his simple, sleepy face turned grim.
He stepped right in front of Zhou Yan and growled, "You... cursing the young lady?"
Zhou Yan, intimidated by the terrifying sight of the huge man looming over him up close, felt like he might pass out. But still, he persisted, "So what if I curse her? She's a witch! And you're all her dogs! Freaks! You're all lawless gangsters..."
Despite Ji Yu's slow wit, he could tell that this man was really cursing the young lady—and fiercely at that.
He remembered what Brother Yun Cheng had told him about making bad guys face justice. That meant making them pay for their wrongs. But as long as he didn't actually send the guy to join great-grandma, it should be fine.
If this guy was cursing the young lady, he must be a bad guy, right?
So, could he just make him see his ancestors?
Just as Ji Yu was struggling to process this with his big head, Zhou Yan kept on ranting without stopping.
Ji Yu looked at the face in front of him and suddenly felt annoyed. This guy was messing with his thinking!
It was like a fly buzzing in his ear—noisy and annoying.
So, instinctively, he raised his right hand, which was bigger than an average person's entire head. With a casual motion, as if trying to swat a fly, he swung it toward Zhou Yan's face.
Whoosh!
The wind from his palm was so strong that it lifted the hair of the men in black who were holding Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan's pupils shrank in terror as he watched that giant hand fly toward his face, covering his view.
Smack!!!
A sharp, thunderous sound exploded in the hallway.
Zhou Yan’s head snapped violently to the side at a grotesque angle, his twisted expression freezing instantly as it warped. His cheekbone visibly caved in, his mouth twisted askew, and several bloody teeth flew out along with a spray of saliva...
His entire body looked as if he had been hit square-on by a sledgehammer. His feet left the ground, and he was sent flying sideways, slamming heavily into the wall three or four meters away. Then, he slid down limply and collapsed onto the floor, motionless.
Both inside and outside the room, a deathly silence fell!
The two black-clad men responsible for escorting Zhou Yan swallowed hard, staring at Ji Yu with awe.
Holy crap, that was brutal!
Ji Yu, however, awkwardly lowered his head, glanced at his own palm, then looked at Zhou Yan lying crumpled in the distance, and muttered under his breath, “Hmm… maybe I used a bit too much force?”
He scratched his head and asked the black-clad brother beside him uncertainly.
“He’s still breathing, right?”
The black-clad men: “...”
