The Self-Cultivation of a Reborn Massage Therapist

Chapter 472 Confrontation
While a power struggle was unfolding at the headquarters of Deep Search, a more subtle "soft knife" was silently cutting into the newly established project team at the 45th Research Institute of China Electric Power Technology Corporation in Tianjin.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg of the numerous industrial upgrading projects initiated by Easy Slow Travel...

Holding the equipment procurement approval form, Wang Lei dragged his heavy steps back to the laboratory.

On that thin sheet of paper, the red stamp reading "Budget Approval Failed" was particularly glaring.

Seeing his listless appearance, the group members who had gathered around him instantly lost their composure.

Lin Han grabbed the form, glanced at it, and his temper flared up instantly:

"This is the third time! What exactly are those people trying to do?!"

He pointed to the pile of unopened luxury boxes in the corner, "The cost of just this batch of 'ergonomic chairs' is enough to buy the signal analyzer we desperately need! Are they playing dumb or are they really blind?!"

A heavy silence fell over the laboratory. Just then, Director Zhang, beaming, pushed open the office door and entered, followed by three smartly dressed young men.

"Everyone, please stop what you're doing for a moment! Let me introduce our new members!" Director Zhang clapped enthusiastically. "These three are highly valued by the institute and were specially recruited to supplement our project! Dr. Wang, Master Li, and Master Liu all have backgrounds from prestigious overseas universities!"

Lin Han's lips twitched. What overseas prestigious universities? Those are just "watered-down master's degrees" that you can get into just by paying money!
These three are just people with connections from the previous project team. Their professional level is so low that they can't even figure out how to adjust a damn oscilloscope.

Wang Lei didn't even lift his head; he seemed utterly dejected, as if his spine had been removed. He stared at the glaring pile of "ergonomic chair" packaging boxes on the ground, then glanced at the rejected purchase order in his hand, only one thought remaining in his mind:
"It's hopeless..."

"It's really hopeless..."

This time, not only Lin Han, but even Wang Lei, who was full of sentiment, fell into despair.

……

A deep exploration, in the headquarters lobby.

The tense atmosphere and standoff continued.

Several R&D staff members, who had just come down from the lab, with disheveled hair and dark circles under their eyes, stood helplessly to the side, their faces filled with bewilderment and confusion.

Their minds were still immersed in the world of code, completely baffled by the high-level power struggle over "equity" and "articles of association" before them. However, their unease made them subconsciously feel repulsed by Zhang Xuan, who had slicked-back hair and an arrogant demeanor.

The receptionist was so nervous that her face turned pale and her fingers were tightly clenched together.

Yu Xiaoning, caught in the eye of the storm, is in the most delicate situation. As the company's CEO, she should be the top manager; however, her appointment came from both sides in the confrontation.

This dual identity became her greatest constraint at this moment. So she could only suppress her anger and stand aside with a gloomy face.

In the lobby, only Ou Xiaokui's silence and Zhang Xuan's superior response remained.

The air seemed to freeze, and everyone's eyes were focused on the silent Ou Xiaokui.

She stood quietly for a long time, her gaze sweeping over Zhang Xuan's smug face. Finally, without a word, she took out her phone and dialed a number.

When the call connected, Ou Xiaokui's voice was calm and respectful:
"Mr. Zhou, it's me, Xiao Kui."

"On the Deep Exploration side, the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund sent a new shareholder representative, Zhang Xuan, to demand the forced establishment of a co-CEO, based on the emergency clause in Annex 4 of the investment agreement."

She gave a concise report of the situation and then listened quietly to the instructions from the other end of the phone.

Although the young Ou Xiaokui had independently taken charge of Smartisan Investment and was responsible for managing Zhao Xiaochui's personal assets, she was still under Zhou Yaqin's overall management. Zhang Xuan watched Ou Xiaokui put down the phone, a smile appearing on his face. He straightened his suit and tie and strode towards the elevator, looking every bit the part of someone about to take over the company.

"The meeting is over, everyone please proceed." He turned his head to gesture to his assistant behind him, completely ignoring everyone else present.

"stop."

Ou Xiaokui's voice wasn't loud; she moved sideways, blocking Zhang Xuan and the elevator.

“Until things are clear,” she said, glancing at Zhang Xuan and the two men behind him, “please wait in the rest area.”

"What do you mean by this?" Zhang Xuan's face instantly darkened. "I am the co-CEO appointed by headquarters, and I have the right to enter the office area!"

"That means it's invalid here until the 'appointment' at your headquarters is confirmed by the major shareholder." Ou Xiaokui didn't back down at all; she didn't even raise her voice, but simply raised her hand to indicate.

Several uniformed building security personnel immediately stepped forward, forming a human wall to block Zhang Xuan's path.

No matter how much Zhang Xuan raised his voice and quoted classical texts to emphasize his "legitimacy," Ou Xiaokui simply stood silently in place, looking at him expressionlessly.

The atmosphere in the lobby was tense, with an eerie silence and a side of furious shouting creating a stalemate.

……

Take your time and stroll through the single-story glass studio.

Zhou Yaqin sat quietly in the large office chair that Zhao Xiaochui often sat in, a bank card between her fingers, tapping the table lightly.

Her gaze fell on the bookshelf next to her.

The bookshelves, which were originally crammed full, now have several noticeable gaps.

Seeing this, she smiled with relief.

"This child never forgets to bring a few books with him when he goes out on business."

On the table, the phone screen was still lit, showing the call log between Ou Xiaokui and an important person after Ou Xiaokui's report.

This person in charge was specially sent by the government to coordinate project resources, and Zhou Yaqin could sense that he genuinely wanted to make this happen.

After working together for a while, she also recognized the director's competence.

But thinking of the conflicted, helpless, and anxious tone on the other end of the phone, she felt a pang of sympathy.
"President Zhou! If Mr. Zhao is alright, could you please have him show up and communicate with the leadership? If he does, I guarantee I'll chop off all those who tried to steal from us!"

This section chief was really desperate; he even forgot that he didn't have the authority to chop off someone's hand.

"Mr. Zhou, I've heard about what happened. Hasn't the mastermind been caught? And he's a big shot on the wealth list. That should be enough to get things done, right?"

"A slingshot to shoot down a van?" Zhou Yaqin's casual words silenced the other person.

Finally, the other party had no choice but to skip over this topic and cautiously probe further:
"Mr. Zhou, about the second payment... Don't worry! I'll definitely release the funds in installments this time, absolutely no..."

"We're out of funds," Zhou Yaqin interrupted abruptly.

(End of this chapter)