"Director Lin, please don't make things difficult for me," President Fang insisted, refusing to budge. "Your issue can be resolved slowly, but I can't afford to wait. How about this? I'm not completely heartless. If you can transfer the money to me by tomorrow evening, I'll help stall for time on my end."
Hearing this, Aaron instantly understood that no matter what, President Fang was determined to force him into paying.
"Alright," Aaron agreed.
As soon as the call ended, Aaron slammed the phone to the ground in a fit of rage.
This was outrageous!
Aaron dialed several friends, but all he received were evasive responses—no one was willing to lend a hand.
Dalia walked into the study and noticed his gloomy expression. She cautiously asked, "Honey, it's time for lunch."
Aaron turned around, his cold gaze locking onto her, making her feel uneasy.
"Jianwen, call your brother and ask him how much liquid capital he has. I need some money—not much, just thirty million," Aaron demanded.
Dalia instinctively wanted to refuse, but noticing his expression, she reluctantly nodded.
"Alright. Honey, should I have someone bring your meal up here?"
Aaron waved his hand irritably.
Dalia didn't dare say more and quietly exited the study.
Half an hour later, Aaron appeared in the living room, but there was no one in sight. Hearing some noise from the dining room, he walked straight over.
As soon as he entered, he saw three people having lunch, laughing and chatting.
Aaron's face immediately darkened, and he walked over, barely containing his anger.
When the three of them saw him, the smiles on their faces vanished.
"Honey, you're here. Arianwen, fetch a bowl of rice," Dalia said.
Aaron looked at her and asked, "Did you ask him?"
Dalia's expression stiffened slightly, and she awkwardly replied, "No. I was going to ask after lunch."
At a time like this, she still had the appetite to eat?
Suddenly, Aaron swept the bowls and chopsticks in front of her to the ground. The clattering echoed in the now silent dining room, leaving everyone stunned.
"Honey, you—"
*Slap!*
Whatever Dalia was going to say was cut off by a slap.
Covering her face, she looked at him, full of grievance.
"Do you even know what time it is? All you do is eat, eat, eat! When Lin Group collapses, what will you have left to eat and use?"
All the anger, humiliation, and frustration that Aaron had been bottling up for days, unable to express in front of outsiders, erupted in that moment.
With a sweep of his hand, the entire table of food was knocked over.
Saira was terrified and instinctively hid behind Christian.
Seeing Saira's reaction, Christian, emboldened by his father's favoritism, spoke up, "Dad, what are you doing? If you're not eating, does that mean everyone has to go hungry?"
Aaron was enraged by his son's words.
This was his son!
Pointing a trembling finger at Christian, Aaron was so angry he couldn't speak.
"You, now, immediately, call your brother!" he finally shouted.
Dalia didn't dare delay and immediately called her brother, dialing five times in a row, but no one answered.
What did this mean?
Everyone present understood.
"Honey, don't worry. Brother is probably busy. I'll keep calling," Dalia reassured him.
But even by midnight, no one answered.
"You Qin family are something else. When the Qin family was on the brink of collapse, who helped them? And now, when we need a hand, they won't even pick up the phone. You're all ungrateful, backstabbing wretches."
"Honey, I'll go find Brother tomorrow," Dalia offered.
Aaron remained silent, which was as good as consent.
"Secretary Zhang, how much cash can the company still access?" Aaron asked over the phone.
"Director Lin, I had everyone work through the night to calculate it, and there's only five million left."
"What? Five million?!" Aaron could hardly believe his ears.
"Yes, that's correct. Just five million. During the audit, we discovered that large amounts of funds had been transferred by the second Director Lin to overseas accounts. The five million we have is what we managed to scrape together from various subsidiary companies."
"That bastard!" Aaron gritted his teeth in fury.
But what he didn't know was that this was just the beginning.
Early the next morning, several police officers arrived at Aaron's door. They walked up to him and solemnly said, "Are you Mr. Aaron?"
"Yes, that's me. Officers, what can I do for you?" Aaron asked.
"We've received a report that Lin Group is involved in tax evasion. Please come with us to assist in the investigation."
As Aaron was taken away, waiting reporters outside captured the moment. Just like that, Lin Group was back in the headlines.
With the bank demanding repayment, the company under scrutiny by authorities, and shareholders demanding explanations, Lin Group seemed to be cursed.
The charges of tax evasion and fraud were almost confirmed, making it nearly impossible for Aaron to get out anytime soon. As the sole heir of the Lin family, Christian was called to attend the shareholders' meeting.
On the way to Lin Group, Dalia urged, "Christian, those old foxes will definitely try to seize power. You can't let them succeed. Lin Group is the Lin family's lifeblood, built by your father over his lifetime. We absolutely can't lose it."
Christian's face was grim. "Don't worry, I won't let those vultures have their way. Lin Group will always belong to the Lin family. No one can take it."
Dalia patted his shoulder. "Christian, I know you can do it."
Though she said that, she still felt uneasy.
"Secretary Zhang will go in with you. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask him," Dalia reminded him.
"I got it," Christian replied dismissively.
Saira chimed in at the right moment, "Brother, you have to listen to Secretary Zhang. He has experience and knows those shareholders well."
Christian smiled. "Alright, I will."
The three of them entered the company building, and as they passed, the employees nodded and greeted them.
But after they walked by, whispers spread among the staff.
"I heard that this shareholders' meeting is going to push the Lin family out of the leadership."
"Does that mean Lin Group is going to change hands?"
"Looks like it."
"Director Lin used to be quite good, but not in the past couple of years. Many directors have been unhappy for a long time. Now that so much trouble has erupted, it's unlikely he'll be able to hold on to his position."
"The Lin family won't give up easily. I bet the meeting room will be a battlefield."
Just as the employees predicted, the atmosphere in the meeting room was tense and stiff.
Christian, cornered by the board members, was flushed with anger. Secretary Zhang, noticing that he was about to lose his temper, kept whispering in his ear.
"Young Master Lin, stay calm, stay calm, don't get angry."
Seeing that Christian remained silent, the board members grew bolder in their taunts.
"Young Master Lin, it's not that we doubt Director Lin's leadership, but just look at what he's been doing lately."
"He's getting on in years; it's time for him to step down and take care of his health. After all, those things do take a toll on the body."
As soon as the board member finished speaking, the room erupted in snickers.
"Bang!"
Christian slammed his fist heavily on the table, his fierce gaze sweeping across the room. "Have you said enough? Every single one of you, enjoying the benefits of the Lin family, yet turning around and cursing us. What kind of people are you? No matter how bad my father may be, he's still better than you despicable, shameless lot!"
"All these years, you've taken so much from Lin Corp in dividends and perks. When taking the money, you were all 'Mr. Lin' this and 'Mr. Lin' that, groveling like lapdogs. And now, you even want to bite the hand that feeds you."
The faces of the board members turned ashen, their expressions shifting between green and red.
"Young Master Lin, you certainly have a sharp tongue. If your skills were half as good as your words, you wouldn't have foolishly bought that useless piece of land at such a high price and dragged the Lin family down with you," an elder board member retorted with a cold sneer.
Christian wanted to argue but was stopped by Secretary Zhang.
"Directors, Chairman Lin is still under investigation. Whatever issues there are can wait until he is released."
"Secretary Zhang, how much longer do you want to wait? By the time Chairman Lin is out, Lin Corp will be finished. Today's shareholders' meeting is to elect someone capable and responsible to take charge and change Lin Corp's fate."
"Yes, that's right."
"We can't continue like this."
"As long as the old chairman doesn't quell the rumors, Lin Corp will be shamed forever. This is the greatest damage to the company."
The elder board member spoke up, "I propose we remove Aaron from all his positions."
"I second that."
"I agree."
"Me too."
"Support."
…
Those who supported or remained neutral stayed silent.
Seeing that these people were about to oust the Lin family, Christian jumped out again. "What right do you have? Our Lin family controls thirty-five percent of the shares, holding absolute controlling interest. If you think you can oust us, you're dreaming."
At this moment, the conference room door was pushed open.
Everyone was startled!
They turned their heads in unison, only to see a group of black-clad bodyguards filing in. Their movements were swift and orderly, exuding a strong, intimidating aura.
The shareholders were all stunned.
The black-clad bodyguards lined up on both sides, standing respectfully. From outside the door came the crisp sound of footsteps, 'click, click, click'. As the sound approached, the atmosphere in the conference room grew tense.
A cold voice came from outside the door.
"Absolute control? That might not be the case!"
The voice arrived before the person.
A tall, slender figure appeared before everyone, wearing a wine-red dress with a fitted cut that accentuated her perfect curves.
Her demeanor was as cold as ice, with an imposing presence.
Zuri removed her sunglasses, her sharp, icy gaze sweeping across the board members before finally landing on Christian, seated at the head of the table.
Christian and Dalia, along with others, were so shocked at the sight of her that their mouths hung open, wide enough to fit an egg.
Christian was the first to recover, "This is Lin Corp's shareholders' meeting, not a place where just any random cat or dog can come. You, get out of here immediately!"
Zuri scoffed, raising her hand slightly. Brayden, the lawyer beside her, placed a document in her palm.
With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the document right into the center of the table.
Brayden spoke, "This is the stock ownership certificate for Lin Corp. As a shareholder, my client has the right and qualification to attend Lin Corp's shareholders' meeting. You have no authority to expel her."
The last words were directed squarely at Christian.
Many shareholders present were surprised because they had no idea about this. But no one was more shocked than Christian and his associates.
Christian was utterly embarrassed, his face turning red with frustration.
"Shares? How could you possibly have shares?"
All the shareholders holding shares were present today. Where did she get any?
Director Ma, who had been silent, smiled and said, "Ah, my apologies, I forgot to mention. I've sold my shares to Miss Zuri."
Another director chimed in, "Coincidentally, I also sold my shares to Miss Zuri."
"It seems everyone did the same."
One after another, shareholders spoke up. Nearly half of those present had sold their shares to Zuri.
Only a few shareholders who were close to the Lin family or remained neutral were left in the dark.
A black-clad bodyguard pulled out the nearest chair, and Zuri gracefully sat down, resting her chin on her hands, her eyes leisurely scanning the room before finally settling on Christian.
"Your Lin family wants absolute control. Do you know how many shares you still have?"
Secretary Zhang, upon seeing Zuri's appearance, trembled in realization. He finally understood who the mysterious person behind the acquisition of the shares was.
Christian's expression grew as dark as it could get.
The Lin family held only thirty-five percent of the shares. With over half of the shareholders present selling their shares to her, it was clear that the shares in her hands far exceeded those of the Lin family.
Christian remained silent.
But Secretary Zhang spoke up, "Second Miss, since you hold more shares, and with Chairman Lin's shares combined, there's no need to continue this meeting."
Zuri raised her hand, interrupting his wishful thinking. "Secretary Zhang, don't call me 'Second Miss.' I can't bear it. I have nothing to do with the Lin family. If you really want to know, you can ask Mrs. Lin. She should be the one who knows best."
Though her words said nothing directly, it was clear to everyone that the relationship was far from pleasant. Otherwise, with Zuri quietly gaining control of the group's shares, how could the Lin family be completely unaware?
Secretary Zhang looked at Mrs. Lin. Dalia hesitated but eventually spoke, "Zuri, over the past year, you know how we've treated you. At a time like this, how can you turn your back on us? Chairman Lin has been nothing but good to you. How could you forget?"
Listening to her 'Saira-style' rhetoric, Zuri smiled silently, her grin filled with wickedness.
"Chairman Lin has indeed been kind to me. He even brought his two daughters along to Mr. Wang's yacht party. I've always remembered that favor. As it happens, Mr. Wang has also transferred his shares to me."
Mr. Wang, yacht…
Everyone present understood the implications behind those two words.
Her first statement revealed Aaron's despicable behavior, showing that he was not only willing to sell himself but also his daughters.
The latter statement hinted that Mr. Wang had suffered a great loss in her hands, indirectly telling everyone in the room that she had powerful backing.
Mr. Wang's success in the Jiangnan region was largely due to his strong connections.
Even with such strong backing, he still suffered losses to Zuri, which showed that her support was even more formidable.
The board members, all seasoned veterans, quickly grasped the deeper meaning.
Many of them cast their eyes on Saira. Their blatant stares made Saira feel both ashamed and furious, as if she were being stripped bare in public.
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