Back to the teenage years

Chapter 606 Unwavering Through Nine Deaths
The rain was pouring down.

The dust settled, and the world was clear and bright.

Zhang Yunqi got up early as usual.

Rainy nights are good for sleeping, and he slept soundly last night. He got up, stretched, and opened the French windows. Outside, Yuelu Mountain was shrouded in rain, with distant mountains and nearby trees, their layers distinct and their shades varied.

Ji Ling spent the night at his place last night. This auntie stayed up too late painting at school last night and didn't want to go back to her home in Hedong. The guest room door wasn't closed properly, and she was still curled up in bed, fast asleep.

Zhang Yunqi made two simple breakfasts and called out to Ji Ling. After a while, Ji Ling finally came downstairs, rubbing her eyes. Her hair was messy. After brushing her teeth, she sat opposite him and quietly ate her fried eggs and bread.

As Zhang Yunqi ate his breakfast, he suddenly used his knuckles to gently wipe a crumb of bread from the corner of her mouth. Ji Ling didn't flinch; she simply raised her hazy eyes and wrinkled her delicate nose at him.

After breakfast, the rain still hadn't stopped.

Water cascaded down the windowpane, blurring the world outside. Ji Ling sat cross-legged on the sofa, snacking and flipping through picture books. Zhang Yunqi flipped through various recent newspapers from Lijin until Wang Guibing sent him a message. Only then did he get up and go back to his room to change into a black suit and white shirt.

As they went downstairs, Ji Ling put down the sketchbook, walked to his side, tilted her head to look him up and down, and suddenly said, "Why are you dressed up so handsomely today?"

Zhang Yunqi smiled and said, "It's a blind date."

Ji Ling rolled her eyes: "What kind of young lady would be so foolish as to do this?"

Zhang Yunqi laughed and said, "Just kidding, I have something to do." After a pause, he added, "Zhao Yihan will be over later. If I'm not back by 11 o'clock, don't wait for me for lunch."

He didn't say anything more, turned around and left.

Xiao Wu was already waiting outside the door, holding a large black umbrella.

He got into the car.

The Mercedes sped through the puddles and drove away from the tranquil courtyard.

Starting from the foot of Yuelu Mountain and heading east, passing through the scholarly Erliban, and crossing the Orange Isle Bridge, the Xiangjiang River on both sides of the bridge surges and churns under the torrential rain.

In the distance, Orange Isle is only a dark blue outline in the misty rain, but the Wentian Terrace at the front of the isle is still clearly visible.

The phrase "问天台" comes from the poem "沁园春·里津".

In 1925, the ostracized young man returned to his hometown of Shaoshan to recuperate. His hometown was suffering from a severe drought; the fields cracked, and the crops withered. Meanwhile, the landlords took advantage of the situation, hoarding grain and driving up prices. He organized a campaign to stabilize grain prices, leading the people to the landlords' granaries to buy grain at the fair price. This angered the warlord Zhao Hengti, who issued an arrest warrant for him. He was forced to leave Shaoshan once again and flee to Lijin.

Passing along the banks of the Xiang River, the young people were filled with countless anxieties about saving the nation, and wrote the famous poem "Qinyuanchun: Lijin," posing one of the most thought-provoking questions of 20th-century China:
"Gazing at the vast expanse, I ask this boundless earth, who controls destiny?"

Zhang Yunqi withdrew his gaze.

Ahead, Huangxing South Road is in sight.

Further ahead, there were flashing police lights and a dense crowd.

The car sped through the torrential rain, like a black sword cleaving through the thick curtain of rain. In no time, it arrived at the intersection of Huangxing South Road and Qingwu Street. When Zhang Yunqi got out of the car, the rain was even heavier.

The street corner has been cordoned off by several police cars.

Xu Kai stood with his hands behind his back in front of the police car, his body ramrod straight, raindrops rolling down his motionless shoulders, his face ashen. Beside him, Liao Zhiguo, the director of the Tiannan branch, was slightly turned to the side, speaking in a low voice.

Dozens of people from both the United Times Group and Jinzhao Industrial were squatting in two rows under the eaves of the shops facing the street. They were all soaked to the bone and looked disheveled. Several of them had bruises on their faces and hands, covered in blood. A few others, who were probably the ones who started the fight and caused the most trouble, had their wrists handcuffed and their heads hanging down.

Wang Guibing had clearly completed his mission.

Looking along the street, Zhang Yunqi saw that the roller shutters of many of the designated shops were now all fitted with brand-new stainless steel locks of the same model, and a notice with an official seal was affixed to the inside of each glass door.

The media reporters, who always love a good show, had all crowded under the eaves, their cameras and microphones pointed at Lu Yuanzhou, the person involved.

Lu Yuanzhou's white suit was soaked through and clung to his body, his shirt collar was open, and rainwater streamed down his hair. At this moment, he was trying his best to communicate with the media reporters: "Dear reporters, we must first understand the essence of this matter. The so-called security operation that took place on Qingwu Street today is essentially a carefully planned encroachment and media manipulation."

A reporter immediately followed up with, "Is your statement based on solid evidence or mere speculation?"

Lu Yuanzhou said, "The evidence is right in front of everyone. Mr. Zhang Yunqi, the chairman of United Times and a new shareholder of Jinzhao Industrial Company, openly instructed people to break and change locks and forcibly take control of the company's sold assets without a board resolution or legal authorization. This has seriously violated the Company Law and the company's articles of association and is suspected of provoking trouble and intentionally damaging property!"

Another reporter pressed further: "But Zhang Yunqi's side presented a court order for property preservation and alleged that the shop was involved in an unusually low-priced transaction. How do you respond to these specific allegations?"

A hint of offense flashed across Lu Yuanzhou's face: "The court's ruling was based on an emergency application made on one side of the story, and the so-called low-price transaction is nothing but malicious speculation taken out of context. Our Xiongsen Group and Jinzhao Industry have always adhered to the principles of legality, compliance, and win-win cooperation..."

His voice abruptly stopped halfway through his speech.

Lu Yuanzhou slowly turned his head and watched Zhang Yunqi, who had suddenly appeared, walk towards him step by step through the rain.

Their eyes met in the air.

For a moment, the air seemed to freeze.

The reporters' cameras seemed to have sensitively captured Lu Yuanzhou's subtle pause and change in expression, and they all turned to the other protagonist walking out of the rain.

A reporter immediately asked, "Are you Mr. Zhang Yunqi?" Zhang Yunqi nodded.

The group of reporters swarmed around him in a flurry: "Mr. Zhang, can you give a reasonable response to the accusations that Mr. Lu Yuanzhou just made?"

Zhang Yunqi met Lu Yuanzhou's gaze and nodded again.

He then walked to the front of a shop, reached out and tore down a notice that was wet with rain, and turned to face the dense array of cameras: "Dear reporters, before explaining today's matter, let me give a brief self-introduction. My name is Zhang Yunqi, chairman of United Times Group, and also a 50% shareholder of Jinzhao Industrial Company."

He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over everyone present: "I must admit that things have escalated to this point, and the impact is very negative. I was forced by circumstances, and it was not my wish. I sincerely apologize to everyone affected by this matter. Regarding the accusations made by President Lu Yuanzhou just now, I have three points to clarify."

He raised his first finger, his voice piercing through the rain: "First, as a shareholder of Jinzhao Industrial, I should have the right to know, supervise, and benefit from the operations of Qingwu Commercial Pedestrian Street. However, since taking over Mr. Liu Mingde's shares, I have repeatedly requested to review the company's accounts and shop sales records, but have received no substantive response to date. On the contrary, through market visits and independent investigations, I discovered that a large number of shops located in prime locations have been abnormally sold by the company at one or two tenths of the market price. This means that someone is plundering the rights that should belong to all shareholders in a manner that is almost outright robbery!"

These words caused a stir among the crowd.

Zhang Yunqi continued, “Secondly, Mr. Lu just said that without legal authorization, I openly instructed personnel to break and change locks, forcibly taking control of company assets, which is a serious violation of the Company Law and the company's articles of association. I would like to say that, according to Article 12 of Chapter 5 of Jinzhao Industrial Company's articles of association, shareholders holding more than 10% of the shares have the right to take temporary preservation measures when the company's assets face a significant risk of loss. I hold 50% of the shares and am currently facing the risk that hundreds of millions of assets may be illegally transferred. I need to, and must, exercise the rights granted to me by the articles of association within the legal framework!”

Zhang Yunqi added, “Third, the district court has already issued a ‘Property Preservation Ruling.’ The 66 shops we applied to preserve are suspected of being transferred at a low price by the major shareholder, Mr. Lu Yuanzhou, through related-party transactions. The reasons are sufficient and the procedures are legal. As a private enterprise, we certainly do not have law enforcement power and cannot put up seals, but changing the locks and posting notices are indeed public and necessary rights assertions forced upon us by the shareholder to protect his and the company's legitimate rights and interests when the assets face a significant risk of loss!”

"Nonsense!" Lu Yuanzhou's expression turned extremely cold upon hearing Zhang Yunqi's statement: "Mr. Zhang's claims about transferring assets at a low price are completely false information and malicious speculation! All sales activities of the Qingwu Street project were conducted within the framework of the joint venture's articles of association, through collective decision-making by the management, and in accordance with laws and regulations."

Lu Yuanzhou looked at the reporter and said, "Some shareholders have resorted to such extreme measures to disrupt the progress of key projects because their personal interests have not been satisfied. This not only damages the interests of all shareholders, but also the business image and development opportunities of the entire Lijin!"

As soon as Lu Yuanzhou finished speaking, Zhang Yunqi laughed and said, "President Lu, you seem to be in a hurry, but don't worry, because you'll be even more anxious later."

Zhang Yunqi reached out and took a document from Xiao Wu, then spread it out in front of the reporters' cameras and microphones: "Dear reporters, as I mentioned before, Jinzhao Industrial's accounts are currently in Mr. Lu's hands. I certainly can't obtain all the shop sales records and bank statements, but before Mr. Liu Mingde transferred his shares to me, he also kept some shop sales data and bank statements. The market average price for shops of the same size and in the same location is 18,000 yuan per square meter, but according to the documents, Jinzhao Industrial sold to this company called Xinghong Trading Company for 2,000 yuan per square meter! As for its authenticity, I won't explain; you can take photos of the original documents to verify it."

These words were like a boulder thrown into boiling water, causing an uproar. Words were no substitute for evidence; the clamor from the crowd grew louder and louder: "Damn it! Sixteen thousand yuan per square meter? That's faster than robbing a bank!"

"No wonder those good shops are all closed and not renovated. They buy them and immediately resell them. It's like they're just passing the money around and making a profit. They're so greedy!"

"Investigate! We must investigate thoroughly! There's definitely something fishy going on here!"

The reporters seemed to have completely gone mad.

The long lenses and short lenses were practically poking into the document.

The sound of camera shutters was more frequent and frantic than the torrential rain, and the flashes created a blinding white blur. A reporter, disregarding the rain, chased after Lu Yuanzhou, shouting, "Mr. Lu! What is your explanation for this?"

"What is the background of Xinghong Trading? What is your relationship with it? Does such a price difference comply with the regulations on the transfer of state-owned assets? With such a low price for the shops, how can you guarantee that you have sufficient funds to promote the smooth commencement of the second phase of the Qingwu Street project? How will the rights and interests of those relocated residents be protected?"

Lu Yuanzhou stood there, rain streaming down his face.

Under the flash of the lights, his face had taken on an unnatural bluish-gray hue.

Faced with a barrage of questions, he opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to immediately refute that it was a fabrication, but his throat felt as if it were being choked by an invisible hand. He could feel Xu Kai's gaze, which was almost burning him, fixed on his back.

At this moment, Xu Kai was even angrier than Lu Yuanzhou.

Zhang Yunqi's actions have created a fait accompli and immense public pressure, meaning that Qingwu Street is absolutely impossible to open in the short term!
His painstakingly managed project was ruined in an instant, and his eyes were practically spitting fire. He turned to Liao Zhiguo and said, "Director Liao, Zhang Yunqi arranged for people to forcibly break into shops, cause trouble, and deliberately damage property. The facts are clear, and the impact is egregious. I suggest that we immediately take coercive measures to control the ringleaders and restore order."

Liao Zhiguo's face was solemn. His gaze swept over Zhang Yunqi. Rain dripped down the brim of his hat, but his feet seemed rooted to the spot, and he didn't move an inch.

The others are one thing, but why take Zhang Yunqi away?

Ji Zhongneng could cripple him outright!

In this suffocating stalemate, Xu Kai's face had become extremely pale. Liao Zhiguo's hesitation was like a resounding slap across his face.

“Director Liao, you don’t need to be in a difficult position. Cooperating with the investigation is the duty of every law-abiding citizen.” Surrounded by reporters, Zhang Yunqi broke the silence: “Since Mayor Xu accused me of violating the law on the spot, and the evidence is conclusive, then let’s proceed according to procedure.”

He carefully folded the soaking wet notice and put it in his suit's inner pocket: "Want some handcuffs? Here you go."

Liao Zhiguo's Adam's apple bobbed.

Now that Zhang Yunqi had the words on his lips, and with Xu Kai's gaze from behind like a knife, he could only bite the bullet and say, "Mr. Zhang, this... we don't need it for now."

Zhang Yun nodded and turned to walk towards the Santana with its red and blue police lights flashing.

Before opening the car door, he stopped, turned his head, glanced at Xu Kai, whose face was ashen, and Lu Yuanzhou, whose eyes were cold, and then swept his gaze over the dozens of pairs of eyes staring at him and the dark camera lenses.

The rain is still falling.

Zhang Yunqi's voice was unusually clear: "Everyone, I would like to say one last thing."

He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping across the camera: "I, Zhang Yunqi, am a businessman. What you are seeing today is indeed a dispute of interests between shareholders. But what I want to say more is that this Qingwu Commercial Pedestrian Street on Huangxing South Road involves assets worth billions of yuan, affects the employment and livelihoods of countless ordinary people, and is related to the development of Tianjin's consumer service industry for decades to come. Today, if my stay in this police station is fortunate enough to give me the opportunity to thoroughly investigate the truth, it is really nothing."

After saying that, he bent down and got into the police car.

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