Gu Zhaoye stared blankly at that glaring, eye-catching red exclamation mark.
He watched helplessly as a long string of text remained frozen on the screen, unable to be sent.
All the emotions churning within Gu Zhaoye were now stuck in his throat, a breath that could neither rise nor fall.
Liang Zhiwei hadn't given him this final chance for sentimental melancholy at all.
She had long been ready to kick him straight into the Huangpu River.
Throughout his life, Gu Zhaoye had always been pursued by various women, all eager to join his social circle and obtain his contact information. This was the first time he had ever been blocked.
Liang Zhiwei hadn't even planned to leave him this last opportunity!
He felt a kind of excruciating, twisted pain, as if in that moment he saw his entire life warping beyond recognition.
And he didn't know the reason why.
It was rare for the Gu Corporation to convene a shareholders' meeting. Although notified privately and discreetly, it still caused quite a stir among the various shareholders.
Everyone felt somewhat uneasy, unsure of what was about to happen. However, given the recent overwhelming tide of public opinion, they all had their own vague suspicions—it was most likely related to Gu Zhaoye.
The Gu Corporation was probably about to see a major shake-up.
Compared to the shareholders' anxiety, Gu Kaichang, who was almost the last to be notified, appeared much more excited.
He was stunned for a moment at first, but after understanding the situation, he slapped his thigh and burst into loud laughter: "Gu Zhaoye, you reap what you sow! Serves you right for always putting on that heir's airs. This time, I'd say you're probably doomed!"
But after laughing for a long while, Gu Kaichang suddenly stopped.
It suddenly dawned on him that even if Gu Zhaoye were to be punished, it wouldn't necessarily bring him any benefit.
His previous incident of barging into the summit hadn't been reprimanded by Grandpa Gu, solely because he had managed to stab Gu Zhaoye in the back at the last moment.
The smile on Gu Kaichang's face gradually faded again, replaced by an even more solemn expression. An even more unbelievable, more terrifying conjecture arose in his heart.
If Gu Zhaoye were to be stripped of his position... who would take over? Who could take over?
It couldn't be him, could it?
Gu Kaichang couldn't laugh anymore.
Especially after barging into the summit venue and seeing Gu Zhaoping standing on stage, looking so spirited and confident, seemingly commanding the situation with ease—it had left a powerful psychological scar on him.
More than once, he couldn't help but imagine: what would it be like if Gu Zhaoping took over the responsibilities currently held by Gu Zhaoye?
The more he thought about it, the more unsettled he became. Because Gu Kaichang had a basic prediction about his own luck. The things he feared the most were the most likely to happen. In the past, this was exactly how Grandpa Gu had caught him countless times secretly scheming against his other brothers.
But could their Gu family really be about to produce a female heir? Just the thought of the word "heir" made him shudder.
Surely it couldn't come to that.
But even if not the official heir, the mere idea of Gu Zhaoping holding significant power was enough to boggle his mind.
Yet, Gu Zhaoping was just too unnerving. When dealing with Gu Zhaoye before, he still had ways to trip him up. But facing Gu Zhaoping, it seemed like none of his tactics worked.
She would resolve them all.
The second and third branches of the Gu family also gathered rarely. When they got out of their cars and saw each other, there was a hint of avoidance in their demeanor.
Of course, the ones who needed to avoid the most were the main branch.
Old Mr. Gu had nearly fainted from anger countless times these past days.
Being domestically based and with delayed information, they hadn't initially understood why Gu Zhaoye had been so distraught, telling them about Gu Zhaoping's affairs.
It was only later they found out—he had nearly killed that Liang Zhiwei!
It was the moment he learned this news that Old Mr. Gu felt as if his mind had been struck by a heavy hammer.
For the first time, he began to sincerely reflect: what kind of indulgence had he shown Gu Zhaoye over all these years? How could he be so irresponsible, acting so willfully!
In other families lacking sense and overly doting on their younger generations, they might choose to suppress such a matter and seek reconciliation with Liang Zhiwei.
But they knew Grandpa Gu wouldn't do that. Grandpa Gu had his own set of scales. If Gu Zhaoye's actions were truly too excessive, potentially bringing even greater risks to the Gu family in the future, then Grandpa Gu wouldn't protect him—because he had so many other grandchildren.
Outside the conference hall at the Gu Corporation headquarters, the pale-faced Ms. Hua and Old Mr. Gu ran straight into Grandpa Gu.
They were both taken aback, only then noticing that Grandpa Gu was being supported by Gu Zhaoping.
Both of them were momentarily speechless.
Gu Zhaoping lifted her eyes and saw them.
They realized how tall Gu Zhaoping was. Dressed in a pristine white suit, supporting Grandpa Gu as they walked from the opposite direction, she now carried a presence that even they felt was slightly imposing.
Suddenly, a tremor ran through the couple's hearts—a strong sense that Gu Zhaoping had long since moved beyond the shelter of their wings.
What had Gu Zhaoping been doing? They knew nothing.
These past days, even random netizens online knew more about Gu Zhaoping than they did. When had she become so proficient in those martial arts? When had she studied those business subjects? They had no idea.
Now, looking into Gu Zhaoping's calm eyes, they vaguely began to realize: during all those years studying abroad, when they hadn't placed high hopes on her, had she herself taken on that responsibility? Did she, like the others in the Gu family, believe she shouldered a duty?
Only now, after she had already demonstrated these abilities and ambitions, were they gradually discovering that Gu Zhaoping also had the potential to become the heir.
Perhaps even more so than the others.
"Mom," Gu Zhaoping greeted Ms. Hua. This was the first time they had met since the turmoil began. Upon hearing this address, Ms. Hua's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
In the past, when Gu Zhaoping called her that, it was either with resentment—complaining she controlled too much, complaining she didn't help her—or it was to show weakness, act coy, or admit a mistake. In short, it was always from the stance of her daughter.
But this time, the attitude was so formal.
Gu Zhaoping then looked at Old Mr. Gu, gave a polite nod, and called him "Dad," offering no further words.
Neither of them knew what to say either, just staring at her awkwardly, feeling all words were difficult to utter.
The group took their seats in the conference room one by one.
The shareholders who had already arrived saw Grandpa Gu enter and stood up, straightening their clothes as a sign of respect. When they noticed Gu Zhaoping beside him, they were momentarily stunned, but quickly suppressed their reaction.
After all, they had all witnessed Gu Zhaoping's speech at the summit and knew there was no room for objection. This was clearly Grandpa Gu's intention.
It just made them even more certain about the agenda of this shareholders' meeting.
When Gu Kaichang and the rest of the second branch entered and saw Gu Zhaoping accompanying Grandpa Gu, they were startled. Gu Kaichang's face then turned ugly, his lips moving silently as if muttering something, as he quietly moved to a corner, carefully pulled out a chair, and sat down.
Gu Yingjie didn't make a sound either. It wasn't until he saw Gu Zhaoping appear on the live video feed that he understood why Gu Kaichang had suddenly called to berate him that one time.
This time when they sat down, it was so quiet that not a single person dared to make another sound.
It was completely different from the defiant, unruly appearance Gu Zhaoping had shown when they last met at the sanatorium.
With almost everyone present, Grandpa Gu sat motionless, hands clasped, seeming to be there merely to preside over the proceedings.
The shareholders quieted down for a moment, until a sudden sound of someone clearing their throat instantly made the entire room sink into silence.
"Now that all shareholders of Gu Corporation are here today, I'll briefly outline the situation. I believe everyone is already aware of the public relations crisis facing Gu Corporation."
Gu Zhaoping stood up, positioned herself at the head of the table, hands braced on the surface, adopting a posture that brooked no refusal.
The shareholders below wore varied expressions. Wasn't Gu Zhaoye not here yet? By saying everyone was present, did she mean this meeting was truly about disciplining Gu Zhaoye?
What was more alarming was that even Gu Zhaoye, at the height of his influence, had never been able to control the rhythm of a shareholders' meeting like this.
Now, it was Gu Zhaoping doing so, and without a single objection.
Grandpa Gu also sat quietly, hands on his knees, watching the scene below, seemingly having fully delegated authority to Gu Zhaoping.
This was a signal.
A moment later, someone suddenly spoke up, "We'll follow the Eldest Miss's lead."
Gu Zhaoping nodded.
"The impact caused by Gu Zhaoye this time is far too severe. For the sake of the overall situation, our Gu Corporation must respond swiftly, giving both the public and Ms. Liang Zhiwei an explanation."
Then, she swept her gaze across the room and said, "Furthermore, upon investigating the financial data and contract records of Yuanqi Tech in recent years, I discovered that Gu Zhaoye may also have potentially violated corporate law."
She raised a USB drive in her hand. Everyone seated below was stunned, momentarily frozen.
What?
They thought it was only about the recent public opinion issue, but there were other problems?
Had Gu Zhaoping been prepared all along?
If she hadn't been prepared, how could she produce evidence so quickly, as if she had come fully armed?
At that moment, everyone stared at the USB drive in her hand, their hearts tightening, unsure what evidence it contained.
Gu Kaichang was also dumbfounded; he couldn't even manage to stand up, his hands gripping the armrests.
Gu Zhaoye was involved in something like this? Was this something Gu Zhaoping fabricated, or was it true? He felt both possibilities seemed equally likely.
"Gu Zhaoye is suspected of embezzlement and concealing debts. I have already reported this to the regulatory authorities and initiated an internal investigation procedure."
"I've called everyone here today to bear witness, and also because there is an important item to be voted on in this shareholders' meeting."
As these words fell, the entire room fell silent.
Then, an uproar erupted!
Suspected embezzlement? Gu Zhaoye misappropriated funds from Yuanqi Tech??
That's impossible. When has Gu Zhaoye ever lacked money? Even if he wanted to spend on something, he wouldn't need to use Yuanqi Tech's funds. His personal assets alone are more than sufficient!
What could possibly compel him to go to such lengths to embezzle company funds?
Gu Zhaoye doesn't have any vices; he doesn't gamble or indulge in drugs or illicit activities. Moreover, as the promising heir of the Gu family with a bright future ahead, how could he possibly do something so self-destructive?
Just as the shareholders were looking at each other in shocked disbelief.
Heavy footsteps sounded outside the conference hall. Everyone gradually turned to see the door pushed open—it was Gu Zhaoye's assistant.
He opened the door, and only then did Gu Zhaoye follow him in.
He walked in at that moment with a somber, weary expression, his face grim, yet still maintaining his original domineering CEO demeanor. No matter the circumstances, he couldn't afford to lose his imposing presence.
After entering, Gu Zhaoye ignored the gazes of others, went straight to a seat, and sat down.
After pulling out the chair and sitting, he looked directly at Gu Zhaoping and said, "Whatever you have to say, go ahead."
The shareholders fell silent.
Having just heard Gu Zhaoping's statements, Gu Zhaoye's appearance now left them unsure whether to feel shocked or to see him as a mere clown.
Seriously, after making such a huge mistake, how could Gu Zhaoye still sit here so calmly, with an attitude that practically dared her to come at him??
Didn't he know he was very likely about to be removed?
After entering, Gu Zhaoye sat down composedly. He only glanced at Gu Zhaoping before looking away, partly to maintain his aura, and partly because he didn't want to make eye contact with her.
Although reluctant to admit it, when he did meet Gu Zhaoping's gaze, he genuinely felt a bit of pressure and a twinge of guilt in his heart; he even found it hard to withstand her stare.
Gu Zhaoping, holding the USB drive, paused briefly as he interrupted her, then looked at Gu Zhaoye with a somewhat amused expression.
"Want to plead your case?"
Her tone was completely that of a judge pronouncing judgment on a criminal. Gu Zhaoye's displeasure and irritation deepened. He furrowed his brows tightly, suppressing his hostility as he said, "I admit I was wrong about what happened before, but I've already taken steps to remedy it."
"And there are more important matters at hand. I just hope this issue can be resolved quickly, settled once and for all."
Only then did Gu Zhaoye tilt his head slightly to look at Gu Zhaoping and say, "Oh, by the way, Sis, you might not know yet, but the Gien Group just proposed a cooperation invitation to Yuanqi Tech. Their representative has already arrived in the country. After this shareholders' meeting concludes, I'm busy closing this deal, so I'd appreciate it if we could wrap this up even faster."
Gu Zhaoye leaned back, shifted to a more comfortable position, and crossed his legs, his expression calm.
It was at this moment that the other shareholders were taken aback, realizing why he was so confident.
The Gien Group is arguably the most powerful energy conglomerate in the world.
How did Gu Zhaoye inexplicably secure a cooperation deal, and with their representative already having flown over?
Some then realized that if this were true, then Gu Zhaoping's earlier proposal to discipline and remove Gu Zhaoye might have to be postponed.
After all, if Gu Zhaoye were removed, who else could liaise with the Gien Group for this cooperation?
At that point, someone couldn't help but ask, "Gu Zhaoye, is what you're saying true? They want to cooperate with Yuanqi Tech? What kind of deal is it?"
Gu Zhaoye gave a cold laugh. Originally, he didn't want to explain much, but at this moment, with everyone looking at him, the resentment in his heart surged up. He just said lightly, "New energy batteries. What about them?"
"Everyone knows this direction is currently a major trend. Their group holds multiple patents. With Yuanqi Technology's foundation, cooperating with them can significantly reduce costs and improve efficiency. Moreover, they are very sincere and have already proposed a profit-sharing plan for this collaboration."
Speaking of this matter, Gu Zhaoye quickly regained his previously confident and spirited tone.
He couldn't help but secretly sigh at how timely this cooperation was. Just yesterday, he had been filled with anxiety and even despair, but today President Lin said his plane had already landed. With this deal in hand, his chances of turning the tables had increased greatly.
He was certain that Grandpa Gu understood the importance of this cooperation and would at least give him a chance to prove himself.
Gu Zhaoye finally felt a bit more confident again. His posture was casual, but his hands were secretly clenched.
It was good that he had come during this time. The old master probably hadn't announced the final decision yet; he still had a chance to reverse the situation.
But the very next second after Gu Zhaoye had this thought, he turned to look at the shareholders present and saw an odd expression on their faces.
Gu Zhaoye paused, a sense of bewilderment and unease rising in his heart.
What did this mean? Their faces showed no shock, not even surprise, but rather they seemed to be looking at him with this strange expression.
However, Gu Zhaoping just watched Gu Zhaoye quietly without speaking, so none of them opened their mouths either.
After a long while, it was finally the second uncle from the Gu family's second branch who cleared his throat and spoke, "Zhaoye, your arrival is rather sudden. Perhaps you should first let your sister finish what she has to say."
Gu Zhaoye's heart skipped a beat.
Why, even after he had proposed this cooperation, did the others still act as if it was unimportant? They still wanted to hear Gu Zhaoping finish?
What had Gu Zhaoping already said before he arrived? Did they not even care that he wasn't present?
Only then did Gu Zhaoye slowly turn to look at her, noticing for the first time the USB drive in Gu Zhaoping's hand.
"Before Gien Group finalizes any cooperation with you, perhaps you should take a look at this first, Gu Zhaoye."
Hearing her casual tone, his heart gave a slight lurch.
Then he watched as she inserted the USB drive, and a PowerPoint presentation began playing on the large screen behind her.
This scene was all too similar to the time at Yuanqi Technology when Gu Zhaoping went up and caused his financing to fail. Gu Zhaoye's heart pounded wildly, and an extremely ominous premonition rapidly took root!
Then his eyes widened as he saw dozens of pieces of various evidence flash onto the screen!
Each item was clearly organized and logically presented. The shareholders all stared wide-eyed at the screen, realizing now that Gu Zhaoping had been holding back earlier!
What did she mean by 'suspecting Gu Zhaoye might be involved in misappropriating and concealing debts'? This was outright solid evidence!
The moment Gu Zhaoye saw this information appear, his eyes widened in shock. He didn't even process what it was at first. After he understood, distant memories suddenly rushed back to his mind, and his heart began to race wildly!
Wait, this couldn't be...
How could these things be in Gu Zhaoping's hands? How did Gu Zhaoping even think to investigate this?
Wasn't Yuanqi Technology an ironclad unit under his control??
Why did Gu Zhaoping possess these contract proofs?
"After Gu Zhaoye's financing failed last time, he shut himself away in anger, and I was the one handling the financial issues at Yuanqi Technology. Taking this opportunity, I also discovered many procedural loopholes within Yuanqi Tech, and more importantly, identified numerous suspicious transactions."
Gu Zhaoping said coldly, "Why did you embezzle company funds to invest in Ruan Nian's movie?"
Looking at the transaction records she had compiled, Gu Zhaoye suddenly felt his mind go blank.
These weren't even vivid in his own memory. He didn't know how Gu Zhaoping had dug them up, but seeing them now, he suddenly realized, yes, this seemed to be true.
It was a few years ago. It seemed Ruan Nian had a project that ran into problems, its funding chain broke, and at the time, Ruan Nian asked him if he could take over and continue investing to keep the project going. Gu Zhaoye didn't know how it happened, but he ended up investing.
It was really strange. He clearly hadn't planned to do it, so why did he ultimately decide to invest? That project wasn't a small one.
Even if Gu Zhaoye wanted to secure the position of primary investor, it would require a significant outlay.
In his memory, he remembered feeling somewhat impatient with Ruan Nian's pleas and not wanting to agree, but later, somehow, he still consented.
In the end, he never quite figured out how he managed to allocate a sum of money for the investment, but Ruan Nian was very grateful to him, and their relationship progressed a step further.
Later, the matter was never brought up again. Ruan Nian's show made no splash, fading away silently, and no one ever mentioned it.
Gu Zhaoye himself seemed to have forgotten about it too.
And now, it was as if everyone had been struck hard on the head, suddenly feeling incredulous.
What? He really did misappropriate that money? Why would he make such a decision? Was he crazy? He actually embezzled company funds for Ruan Nian???
Gu Zhaoye looked at Gu Zhaoping before him, his lips parting, his mind completely blank.
"As you can all see, Gu Zhaoye's recent behavior has far exceeded the tolerance limits of our Gu Group. On one hand, as a descendant of the Gu family, he shows no sense of social responsibility, disregarding human life and safety. On the other hand, as the CEO of Yuanqi Technology, he has embezzled company funds and concealed accounts. Now, on behalf of the Gu family, I propose to the shareholders."
Gu Zhaoping paused, "To apply for Gu Zhaoye's removal, freeze his accounts, apply for asset preservation, and most importantly, file a lawsuit against him."
Before anyone could react, Gu Zhaoping had finished speaking, and the consequences she outlined were even more severe than anyone had imagined, leaving them utterly stunned!
"For the coming period, as proposed by Grandpa, I will temporarily take over the management of Yuanqi Technology and adjust the development plan. Probably everyone is unaware, but we have already reached a cooperation intent with Aurora Green Energy Group. We can sign the contract and establish a research team any day now."
Gu Zhaoping swept her cold gaze across the room and said, "This proposal requires the agreement of more than two-thirds of the shareholders to pass. Shareholders, please vote."
Gu Zhaoye's face was filled with astonishment!
He didn't even have time to fully consider how severe the consequences Gu Zhaoping mentioned were!
What does she mean by removing him? Has Gu Zhaoping truly lost her mind, daring to propose this? Is she disregarding the cooperation with the Gien Group altogether?
He blurted it out, unable to believe it: "Gu Zhaoping, do you have any idea how crucial the cooperation with the Gien Group is at this moment! And you're proposing to remove me?"
Gu Zhaoping looked at him and suddenly let out a light laugh, asking, "The one from Gien Group who contacted you was President Lin, right?"
Her tone was calm. "Gu Zhaoye, would you like to guess how he managed to find you?"
