Who's going to be the female lead's simp? Aren't the supporting female characters mor

The morning sunlight was cut into neat patches by the blinds, spilling onto the carpet in the top-floor office of the Bai Group.

The atmosphere, however, was as cold as an icebox.

"Mr. Bai, please cooperate with our work."

A middle-aged man in uniform stood in front of the desk, his badge hanging around his neck. His eyes were cold and businesslike, even with a hint of barely perceptible contempt. "According to the report, the Bai Group is suspected of major financial fraud and illegal transfer of assets. From now on, we will seal all financial accounts and freeze the company's working capital account."

Behind him, seven or eight auditors had already turned on their computers, like a group of sharks smelling blood, ready to tear apart their prey.

Chen Mo stood to the side, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, his eyes behind his glasses fixed on the group of people.

"Director Li, right?"

Bai Jingyou sat in his executive chair, holding a freshly brewed cup of hot coffee. His expression was as calm as if he were watching the morning news, showing no panic whatsoever that he was about to face a major disaster.

He gently blew away the foam and took a sip.

"The coffee is good, Chen Mo. Pour a cup for Director Li too."

Director Li frowned and raised his hand to interrupt: "President Bai, don't try this. The higher-ups are taking this very seriously. If you try to stall for time, you'll only make things worse."

"procrastination?"

Bai Jingyou put down his coffee cup, the porcelain saucer clinking softly. He stood up, slowly straightened his suit and tie, a playful smile curving his lips.

"Director Li has misunderstood. Since someone has reported it, then investigate. The more thorough the investigation, the better; it would be best to dig up those old, messy accounts and expose them to the light of day."

Bai Jingyou walked up to Director Li, patted his stiff shoulder, and whispered, "After all, I also want to know how many parasites the Chu family has planted in this company, using false accounts to line their own pockets."

Director Li's expression changed slightly.

This script is wrong.

Logically, business owners whose funding has been cut off should be crying and begging for mercy, or hysterically making phone calls to try and find connections.

But Bai Jingyou was too steady.

It was so stable that it made him uneasy.

"Chen Mo, give them the keys." Bai Jingyou didn't even glance at the panicked executives, and strode towards the elevator. "Also, notify the public relations department to issue a statement saying that the Bai Group is actively cooperating with the regulatory investigation and has suspended all non-essential expenditures."

The elevator doors closed, shutting out the noise in the room.

Chen Mo pressed the button for the basement level and finally couldn't help but speak up: "Boss, freezing the accounts is too ruthless. Although the advance payment from Polaris can last for a while, what about the stock market..."

Bai Jingyou took out his phone, and the screen showed a red downward curve.

Within ten minutes of the market opening, Bai's Group's stock price hit the daily limit down.

"Go ahead and fall." Bai Jingyou put away his phone, looking at his reflection in the elevator wall. "The harder I fall, the more that arrogant guy Shen Zhuo will think I'm doomed. If he didn't think I was doomed, why would he give himself away?"

In the original novel, Shen Zhuo is extremely arrogant. He has a habit of watching his prey struggle in despair before delivering the final blow. This twisted pleasure is his greatest weakness.

"So, tonight's summit..."

"I'll go." Bai Jingyou straightened his cuffs. "They've practically handed me an invitation; wouldn't it be impolite of me not to go?"

……

As night falls, the lights are on.

The Golden Autumn Business Summit was held at the Peninsula Hotel, the most luxurious hotel in Haicheng.

Luxury cars gathered, and elegantly dressed people mingled.

This is not just a business gathering, but also a microcosm of the world of fame and fortune in Haicheng.

Tonight's topic revolves around only one thing—the Bai family, which is on the verge of collapse.

"Have you heard? The Bai Group's accounts were seized today, and its stock price hit the daily limit down."

"Old Master Chu is truly determined to kill this time; he's even brought back Young Master Shen from the capital."

"It's a pity about that young man, Bai Jingyou. He was just starting to make progress, and now he's about to suffer a crushing defeat."

Amidst the murmurs, a black Maybach slowly came to a stop at the end of the red carpet.

The car door opened, and Bai Jingyou, dressed in a well-tailored dark suit, calmly stepped out of the car, arm in arm with Jiang Mengyao, who was wearing a light blue evening dress.

The spotlights flashed wildly.

Jiang Mengyao's fingers gripped Bai Jingyou's arm tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white.

"Don't be afraid." Bai Jingyou sensed her nervousness and placed his large hand on the back of her cold hand, the warmth of his palm passing through her skin. "I'm here."

Jiang Mengyao took a deep breath and forced a polite smile: "I just received a call from my father... The bank has started pressing for loan repayments, and several suppliers are also threatening to terminate their contracts. Jingyou, if you need money, I can transfer some of my shares..."

"Silly girl," Bai Jingyou interrupted her, his eyes filled with a mixture of affection and helplessness. "That's your dowry. Keep it to buy candy. Your husband hasn't fallen so low as to live off a woman."

The two entered the banquet hall.

The previously noisy hall fell silent for a few seconds.

Countless gazes were cast upon him, some with sympathy, some with schadenfreude, and most with indifference as if he were a dead man.

In the center of the hall, Chu Cang, dressed in a Tang suit, was playing with walnuts in his hand, chatting and laughing with a young man beside him.

The young man was probably around thirty years old, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and was refined and elegant. He was swirling a glass of red wine in his hand, and his every move exuded the arrogance of someone in a superior position.

Shen Zhuo.

Seeing Bai Jingyou enter, Shen Zhuo's smile deepened.

He whispered something to Chu Cang, then, holding his wine glass, walked straight toward Bai Jingyou.

The crowd automatically parted to make way.

"Young Master Bai, I've heard so much about you." Shen Zhuo stopped three steps away from Bai Jingyou, his gaze brazenly sweeping over the couple before finally settling on Jiang Mengyao's pale face. "Miss Jiang is here too? Perfect timing. I just heard someone mention that President Jiang's financial chain seems to have run into some minor problems. Would you like me to introduce you to a few bridge loan companies? As for the interest rate, it's negotiable."

This is a blatant threat.

Jiang Mengyao trembled, and just as she was about to speak, Bai Jingyou blocked her from behind.

"Young Master Shen's reach is quite extensive." Bai Jingyou had a faint smile on his face, but his eyes were as cold as a knife. "He's only just returned to the country and he's already so concerned about Haicheng's lending business. Anyone who didn't know better would think that Young Master Shen couldn't make it on Wall Street and came back to switch to loan sharking."

A collective gasp of astonishment rippled through the crowd.

Has Bai Jingyou gone mad? How dare he speak to Shen Zhuo like that when he's about to die?

Shen Zhuo's eye muscles twitched slightly, then he resumed his effeminate expression: "Young Master Bai, you're quite the joker. I was just kindly reminding you that the Bai Group is currently struggling to survive and probably doesn't have the energy to care about the fate of its in-laws. I heard today's audit was quite interesting? I wonder if Young Master Bai will still be able to sit here and talk to me tomorrow."

"You don't need to worry about that, Young Master Shen."

Bai Jingyou stepped forward and said softly, in a voice only the two of them could hear, "As for you, Young Master Shen, instead of worrying about my accounts, you should pay more attention to your acquisition in New York. If I remember correctly, that project called Bluebird is still under antitrust investigation, isn't it?"

Shen Zhuo's hand holding the wine glass suddenly stiffened, and his pupils contracted sharply.

This is top secret!

Apart from him and a few core partners, nobody knew about it!

How could Bai Jingyou know?

[In the original novel, Shen Zhuo's rush back to China to help Chu Cang was actually to divert funds from China to cover the financial hole in New York. That acquisition was a huge time bomb; if it was found to be illegal, Shen Zhuo would not only lose everything but also spend his entire life in jail.]

"You…" A crack finally appeared in Shen Zhuo's composure, his voice turning icy, "What nonsense are you spouting?"

"Whether I'm lying or not, Young Master Shen knows perfectly well." Bai Jingyou took a step back, his voice returning to normal volume, even carrying a hint of concern. "Young Master Shen doesn't look too good. Are you jet-lagged? Or... is this the price of doing something wrong?"

Shen Zhuo stared intently at Bai Jingyou, his eyes like those of a venomous snake.

He underestimated his opponent.

This is not a lamb to the slaughter at all, but a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out at the entrance of the banquet hall.

"President Ye is here!"

Ye Lingqing, dressed in a red, tight-fitting long dress, walked into the hall like a blazing fire.

She wore her signature charming smile, but held a blue folder in her hand.

Her gaze swept across the entire room, finally settling on Bai Jingyou and Shen Zhuo, who were facing off.

"Oh, it's so lively here?" Ye Lingqing walked over in high heels, her fragrance wafting through the air. "Looks like I've arrived just in time."

Chu Cang's expression softened slightly when he saw Ye Lingqing: "Lingqing, you've come at the right time. This kid is arrogant and ignorant. As an elder, you should teach him some manners."

To everyone else, although the Ye family had a partnership with the Bai family, in this life-or-death moment, the shrewd Ye Lingqing would definitely choose to side with the powerful Shen family and the Chu family.

After all, when a wall falls, everyone pushes it down.

Ye Lingqing walked to Bai Jingyou's side, glanced at Shen Zhuo's ashen face, and suddenly chuckled.

"Teaching rules?"

She casually slapped the folder onto Shen Zhuo's chest. "Young Master Shen, before you start teaching others manners, clean up your own mess first. This is the cooperation agreement we are withdrawing from. Also... given that Young Master Shen's credit rating overseas has suddenly been downgraded to junk status, the Ye family has decided to terminate all financial dealings with the Shen family."

boom!

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

That slap was deafening.

Shen Zhuo stared at Ye Lingqing in disbelief, then at the document, his hands trembling: "Ye Lingqing, are you crazy? You dare offend me for this dying man?"

"A dying man?"

Bai Jingyou slowly took out his phone from his pocket, turned on the screen, and showed it to everyone.

A financial news notification that had just popped up was displayed on the screen.

[Breaking News: Polaris Heavy Industry announced an additional strategic investment of 5 billion yuan in the Baishi Group and the joint establishment of the Far East Energy Settlement Center. The first batch of funds arrived five minutes ago.]

Bai Jingyou looked at Shen Zhuo, whose face was ashen, and a cruel smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Excuse me, Mr. Shen."

"My account is unfrozen. But it seems like your backyard is on fire."

He turned around, took the hand of the stunned Jiang Mengyao, and left everyone with an unfathomable back view.

"Chen Mo, prepare the car. We're going to the Jiang family to talk to my father-in-law about the acquisition... oh no, I mean the investment."