In this cyberpunk era, why are you still playing the traditional villain?

"For example, team member Li Gan was absent from work multiple times, team member Ren Chong caused a small fire due to improper operation, and team member Zhang Shunfei's application for expenses did not match the actual amount... The relevant penalties have been decided by the human resources department. We cannot ignore these small problems just because the project is successful. A thousand-mile dike can be breached by an ant hole. We must be careful in everything we do."

"Of course, many people will say that this is due to the negligence of the person in charge, but I can understand. After all, Uncle Lin is getting old and it is probably inevitable that he is no longer able to do his job."

"So, Uncle Lin, you'll have to be more careful in the future, don't you agree?"

"..."

Lin Wenhua was speechless for a moment.

Because this isn't just annoying him, it's like stuffing a live fly into his mouth, without even adding salt.

He didn't hear a single word of praise from beginning to end, as if all the credit belonged to others, and he was even overshadowed by the personnel changes in the field operations department.

That would be one thing, but the little bastard even uses these trivial matters to hold himself accountable!

To be honest, what Xu Shi said is not a big problem at all. Which project doesn't have these kinds of minor issues? It's been like this for many years. As long as the product is made, that's all that matters.

The finished product of the second-generation chip is definitely not bad, so this kind of minor problem can be glossed over.

So he figured it out: Xu Shizhen was deliberately picking a fight. Although he didn't criticize directly, those who were named were all on his side. It was like hitting a cow from afar, but it was still a direct attack on his face.

Lin Wenhua was not entirely unprepared for this, but seeing that it was indeed the case still enraged him.

Especially when the results you've worked so hard to achieve seem to have been stolen by someone else... Anyone would be upset in that situation!

In the past, we always stole credit from others; no one ever stole our share!

The most crucial point is that even though Xu Shi said this, no one else reacted—Du Wei's situation, being the case before them, effectively mitigated this scene of being discarded after serving their purpose.

People aren't stupid; many know that there's a deep-seated feud between Chairman Xu and Lin Wenhua, so this might not be too surprising.

On the contrary, this comparison served as a wake-up call for them. Did they want to be Lin Wenhua or Du Wei? It was definitely the latter. After fighting for so long, it seemed that Lin Wenhua had never won... So they shouldn't go against Xu Shi and make trouble for themselves. There would be no good ending.

"Uncle Lin?"

Seeing that Lin Wenhua remained silent for a long time, Xu Shi pretended to urge him.

"...Chairman Xu is right. I have indeed become lax in my work over the years. Thank you for reminding me."

Lin Wenhua responded almost through gritted teeth.

Xu Shi saw this and couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

This is the effect you want.

This was already within his consideration, or rather, whether Lin Wenhua succeeded or not made no difference to him—it wasn't a matter of ability anymore. No matter how capable he was, he couldn't tolerate such a treacherous old man. He had even sent assassins to try and kill him before. This wasn't a problem that could be solved with a chip; it was a conflict that would last until death.

He would even be happier if Lin Wenhua succeeded, since it would allow him to take away some of his victory.

Imagine solving a difficult problem while working tirelessly day and night, only to have your credit stolen and then be subjected to further difficulties. You wouldn't be able to just laugh it off.

Shrimp and pork heart is quite an interesting dish.

This is basically a public showdown with Lin Wenhua in front of everyone. No matter what, I'm going to mess with you. There will be no shortage of similar situations in the future. Even if there's nothing wrong with you, I'll find something wrong with you.

So, whether you stay in the company and oppose me, or you voluntarily tuck your tail between your legs and leave, the choice is yours.

The commendation ceremony thus came to a close.

"Old Lin, no offense, but Xu Shi is really going too far!"

After the meeting, Lin Wenhua's supporters were naturally indignant.

Honestly, there aren't many die-hard fans left among the old guys. Everyone is walking on thin ice these days. They were hoping to warm things up a bit with this incident, but they didn't expect that Xu Shi was just after them. This can't even be called killing the donkey after it has served its purpose; it's more like treating people like donkeys to be played with.

Knowing that doing it or not would lead to the same result, I might as well just give up.

"Bullshit, what nonsense are you talking about?"

Lin Wenhua glared at him, "If you really do a perfunctory job, it won't be as simple as just being scolded."

Given the extent to which Xu Shi escalated the situation, he could very well take your life.

So now is indeed the time to make a decision. He can't win against those who disagree, he can't just wash his hands of things, and he's getting criticized even after he gets things done. He's really having a headache.

It seemed that he only had two paths ahead of him.

They could either sit and wait to die, or cut off their own heads and give them to Xu Shi to kick around like a football.

Alternatively, one must prepare for both possibilities before launching a full-scale attack at a certain time.

Lin Wenhua didn't really have much to hesitate about in terms of which choice to make.

"You little bastard, you want to fight me? Then let's fight to the end!"

I'm so frustrated! Twenty pulls and four gold items, four Horhyahs, and two hundred pulls and not a single limited item. This game is trash, even a dog wouldn't play it! I'm so angry!

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 152 Young Master Wants You to Get Moving!

A misstep becomes an eternal hate.

For Lin Wenhua now, this statement couldn't be more fitting.

Even before his good friend Xu Cheng passed away, he had already begun to manage the business. It's not that he didn't covet the board position of "Snake Ring," but rather that his wolfish ambitions were blatantly obvious.

Of course, he had his reasons—the prosperous empire built by the brothers was handed over to that good-for-nothing son, and it would be doomed if things continued like this!

Therefore, even though Xu Cheng didn't say anything about "he can be replaced" as his dying wish, Lin Wenhua took it as him saying that. They were all good brothers, and he understood what Xu Cheng meant even if Xu Cheng didn't say it.

But who would have thought that after a few years of being unreliable, this little bastard Xu Shi would turn out like this?

To reiterate, from the company's perspective, having a leader with both skill and vision is certainly not bad, but for Lin Wenhua, it's a matter that could cost him his life.

Especially considering the chip issue, this kid definitely won't tolerate him anymore, and he absolutely cannot sit idly by and wait for his doom.

At this juncture, perhaps the only option left is to try partnering with other conglomerates?

Lin Wenhua tapped the table, a sinister glint in his eyes.

His subordinates were also good at reading people, and seeing this, they guessed a little about his thoughts.

"I guess... there's no need for that, right?"

So some people started to back down, saying, "I feel it's actually not so bad. Mr. Lin, you've worked so hard and made so many contributions. You could talk to Chairman Xu and retire normally like Du Wei, right?"

They still wanted stability, after all, this wasn't a business job hopping; judging from Lin Wenhua's intentions, he was changing allegiances, and following him would be no small risk.

"There's no chance of that happening again."

Lin Wenhua gave a bitter smile. "That old bastard Du Wei is slippery. He's a weather vane who bends at the slightest breeze. How can he be the same as us?"

That's what he said, but he knew he had that opportunity before.

Even though he had a falling out with Xu Shi because of Jiang Fengshan, if he had stopped then, he could have lived a comfortable retirement with his wealth accumulated over the years.

The problem was that he later sent assassins out, and what was worse was that they not only failed, but Xu Shi caught them red-handed.

This was the beginning of the irreconcilable conflict between the two—even if one puts oneself in Xu Shi's shoes, if Xu Shi sent someone to assassinate him, he certainly wouldn't let it go.

If you can't forgive yourself, you shouldn't expect others to be lenient.

So instead of dwelling on regrets of the past, it's better to think about how to create a chance for yourself, or to put it more bluntly, who would be a better fit to switch to.

But upon closer examination, he discovered that the situation was far more complicated than he had imagined.

Second- or third-rate small companies and businesses were naturally not within his consideration. Given his status and position, only the six major conglomerates could catch his eye.

But here's the problem: where else can he go after leaving the "Snake Ring"? Upon closer inspection, he realized he didn't have many options.

"Prism" is actually a good choice. He also knows that Xie Qingyan may not necessarily be of one mind with Xu Shi just because of the so-called marriage contract.

But he didn't dare to gamble. After all, the two companies were in a honeymoon period of cooperation, and Lin Wenhua had to admit that he didn't have as many chips as Xu Shi. It was hard to guarantee that Xie Qingyan wouldn't hand him back to Xu Shi in order not to ruin the current cooperative relationship.

"Imaginary numbers" won't work either. Not to mention that he has no connection with the Qi family father and son, he also knows that Qi Maoyang received benefits from Xu Shi some time ago.

These two, father and son, are shrewd people; the chances of them taking on this hot potato are extremely slim.

There's no need to even consider the "quill pen" option. Given the grandfather-grandson relationship between Wen Shengkui and Xu Shi, and the subsequent conflict with Jiang Fengshan, asking him is equally unrealistic.

"Shark Tooth" is a decent company in terms of its nature, but the three members of the He family are unreliable. He Jiayuan is barely alive, and the eldest and third eldest are basically being used as puppets. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them branches of "Snake Ring" and "Prism". Hiring them is just sending them into Xu Shi's mouth... You can't rely on that insignificant second young lady, can you? He's not that confused.

After considering all the options, it seems that only "Dragon City" is left. Lin Wenhua is unaware of the subtle relationship between Xu Shi and Long Tianding. From his perspective, the two are still at the stage of disliking each other because of the "Disge" incident.

So... the enemy of my enemy is my friend?

To be honest, Long Tianding was no easy opponent, but when faced with two evils, he had to choose the lesser one, and this was the only path he could take.

"Or, the city hall?"

Someone tentatively suggested.

"Shut your dog mouth! Don't mention City Hall to me!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Wenhua seemed to have been stepped on, and glared at him, scolding, "Take your brain out of your heels and use it! Is Yue Chizheng someone we can count on?"

Speaking of this makes him angry. When things were peaceful before, Yue Chizheng took a lot of benefits from him, calling him "brother" all the time. But as soon as the trouble started, the old man ran away faster than anyone else. Lin Wenhua felt like tearing him to pieces.

Of course, this is also because the city hall lacks influence among the conglomerates—to be honest, even against the other five major conglomerates, Lin Wenhua wasn't confident that they could defeat Xu Shi with 100% certainty, let alone the city hall; it was impossible.

Not to mention that young woman from the inspection bureau, she seems to have some kind of ambiguous relationship with that little bastard...

Lin Wenhua never imagined that he would one day be forced into a dead end—there was no difference between having only one way to go and having no way to go at all, and thinking about it made him feel really bad.

"Bring me the samples and data of the second-generation chip, and I'll go talk to Long Tianding."

He sighed deeply, "Including some previously classified information, sorting it out might come in handy."

For him, this might be the only thing to be thankful for; at least he still has some valuable information, so seeking protection shouldn't be too difficult.

But we have to race against time, otherwise the value of the chip will be greatly reduced if it is not released to the market soon.

"As for you... choose your own path, I won't force you."

After saying that, he looked at his remaining supporters.

"...I swear to follow Elder Lin to the death."

After a moment's hesitation, his subordinates complied with his decision.

It's not necessarily that they were particularly loyal to Lin Wenhua, but unfortunately, the old man had a lot of dirt on them, and at this point, there was little chance for him to change his stance.

Even if they were forced to leave, would Xu Shi accept them? Li Gan, Ren Chong, and Zhang Shunfei are good examples. I'm afraid that even if they went, they would become chickens killed by Xu Shi as a warning to others.