After ninety-nine online romances, I finally met my ex in person when school started.

The night wind swirled up fallen leaves. The shadows of the four people were stretched long under the dim streetlights.

The tense, suffocating atmosphere, which had been thick with jealousy and rivalry, completely changed the mood the moment Zhu Xun Chuan unveiled his grand and arrogant business empire.

Gu Qinghan looked at the arrogant man in front of her. She knew this was extremely dangerous, but she couldn't suppress the intense tremor in her heart.

This man always possessed this overwhelming power, forcefully tearing apart all worldly rules to protect his woman behind him.

A bloodthirsty glint rekindled in Jiang Yao's eyes. Conquering the world—this was the rhythm she knew best.

Pei Yanyu looked at Zhu Xunchuan's tall and straight back, her eyes completely reddening, and she willingly gave up everything she had.

"Let's go." Zhu Xun Chuan raised his hand and straightened the collar of his dark gray shirt. "The three of you, come home with me tonight for a meeting. I need to see a complete action plan for taking over Guangying Media before dawn tomorrow."

With the most forceful approach, the battlefield was transformed into a strategic command center. Tonight, no one in Beijing will sleep.

The three women had no objections and each turned to walk towards the vehicle.

Just as the four were about to get into the car and leave.

Zhu Xun Chuan's hand, which was about to open the car door, suddenly stopped. He turned his head, his gaze piercing through the deep night, landing on the dense birch forest deep in the wetland park.

in the dark.

Bai He, dressed in a black, tight-fitting combat suit, hung upside down on the most concealed branch of the treetop.

Her gloved right hand tossed a tiny coin-shaped listening device into the air. She had casually snatched it from Gu Qinghan's clothes when he approached.

Noticing Zhu Xunchuan's gaze, Baihe stopped throwing the toss.

She forced a sweet smile onto her expressionless face, then extended her right thumb and drew a horizontal line across her slender neck.

That was a perfectly standard tactical code: kill.

It means that as long as Zhu Xun Chuan nods, she can quietly kill that troublesome woman with glasses over there and remove all obstacles for him.

Zhu Xun Chuan felt a throbbing sensation in his forehead.

This brat is extremely yandere; when she encounters a slightly stronger opponent, her first reaction is always to physically eliminate them.

Zhu Xun Chuan pointed towards the treetops and made a "go home" gesture with extreme restraint.

It seems that once this acquisition battle is over, I'll have to take some time to curb her occupational habit of wanting to kill at the drop of a hat. Otherwise, there will be bloodshed in our backyard sooner or later.

Nine o'clock in the morning.

Sunlight streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the long mahogany table in the living room. The tabletop was covered with various sketches and data reports.

Xia Wanying wore a champagne-colored silk robe, her long hair casually tied up. She held a red pen in her hand, quickly drawing lines on the balance sheet of Guangying Media. There were faint dark circles under her eyes, clearly indicating she hadn't slept all night.

Gu Qinghan sat opposite her. Gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, and his slender fingers flew across the keyboard of his laptop.

"This mess of underground casinos must be physically severed." Gu Qinghan pressed the enter key, his voice cold. "According to the city bureau's technical investigation, 20% of the funds flowed overseas. If we don't divest them, taking over will be like taking a landmine."

Xia Wanying picked up her now-cold coffee and took a sip.

"We'll package and restructure the assets, and divest ourselves of non-performing debts." Xia Wanying's eyes were sharp. "Dinghe Group will invest 3 billion yuan to have the overseas shell company buy out all of Guangying's publicity and distribution channels. What we want is net assets."

Jiang Yao sat cross-legged on the leather sofa, toying with a butterfly knife in her hand.

"Stop babbling." Jiang Yao snorted coldly. "I'm sending two hundred brothers from the Northern Territory to stand guard at the Light and Shadow Building. Anyone who dares to ask for money will have their hand chopped off."

Wearing an apron, Pei Yanyu brought out several bowls of steaming bird's nest soup from the kitchen. She carefully placed them beside each person, extremely sensible, completely shedding the aura of a Grand Slam Best Actress, so well-behaved that no one could find fault with her.

Zhu Xun Chuan walked out of the master bedroom, wearing a tailored black haute couture suit.

The four women stopped what they were doing at the same time.

"The plan is ready." Gu Qinghan pushed aside his laptop and took out a bound document. "This is just a preliminary acquisition plan. But the core issue isn't business; it's politics."

Xia Wanying stood up, walked to Zhu Xunchuan, and reached out to straighten his tie.

"It's not difficult for us to acquire Guangying Commercially. The real challenge lies with the Municipal Party Committee and the Shanghai Jiang Group." Xia Wanying tilted her head slightly, a hint of worry in her eyes. "You're going to see Fu Yuan; this is going to be a tough battle. What bargaining chips do you plan to offer him?"

Zhu Xun Chuan took the opportunity to put his arm around her waist and kissed her red lips.

"I'll leave the household to you." Zhu Xun Chuan picked up the documents from the table. "I'm going to meet with that top official of the municipal party committee."

10:00 AM. Municipal Party Committee Compound, Building No. 1, a small red brick building.

The armed special agents at the gate saw the black Range Rover but didn't stop it; they simply raised the barrier and let it pass. This was Fu Yuan's tacit approval.

Zhu Xunchuan stepped onto the wooden stairs and went up to the second floor.

I pushed open the heavy, carved solid wood door. There were no windows in the study. The air was thick with the strong smell of Zhonghua cigarettes.

Fu Yuan leaned back in his rosewood executive chair. On the table sat a folder about half a foot tall, the top one bearing the bold red characters "Liquidation and Restructuring Freeze Plan for Guangying Media's Assets."

Fu Yuan's expression was extremely grim.

"You were quite the big shot at the wetland park last night," Fu Yuan said, his voice not loud, but carrying the oppressive aura of someone in a position of power accumulated over many years.

Zhu Xunchuan closed the door, pulled out a chair, and sat down directly opposite him.

He picked up the purple clay teapot on the table, poured a cup of tea, and the water flowed in a thin stream.

"The municipal party committee has a wide network of informants." Zhu Xunchuan picked up his teacup and blew on it. "Even in wastelands like the wetland park, you have your keen ears."

"Those women under your command spent the whole night investigating the remnants of Guangying Media from top to bottom." Fu Yuan, with a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers, fixed his gaze on him. "The accounts that the Municipal Party Committee and the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission just sealed yesterday, and you're trying to seize them today. Zhao Tingzhi's blood is still fresh, and you dare to snatch food from a tiger's mouth. Your appetite is far too great."

"I've taken over the Zhao family business." Zhu Xun Chuan put down his teacup, looked directly at Fu Yuan, and said, "I handed you that knife. Now, I'll take my share of the meat that's been cut off; it's only fair."

"Guangying Media is the lifeblood of Beijing's entertainment industry, and also a massive intelligence and funding hub." Fu Yuan stubbed out his cigarette. "Meng Changjin's Shanghai Capital has already deployed troops on the border, ready to take it all over. You, a greenhorn with no official background, want to swallow it whole? Aren't you afraid of overdoing it?"

Zhu Xun Chuan leaned back in his chair and let out a short, cold laugh.

"Others may be afraid, but I am not." Zhu Xun Chuan's tone was calm, yet it revealed absolute arrogance. "I want to settle the situation in the Light and Shadow. On one hand, I will help Yan Yu and Mu Cheng rebuild their empire; on the other hand, it can also be considered a small betrothal gift I give to the Fu family."

Fu Yuan frowned.

"Xinghe is, after all, your daughter. She needs to stay home and rest during her pregnancy; these ten months are just passing the time anyway." Zhu Xun Chuan tapped his fingers on the table. "The feng shui of the Guangying Media building is quite good. I'll buy it and turn it into a postpartum recovery center for her, as a prenatal education fund. What does Secretary Fu think of this deal?"

That's shameless. They've twisted the seizure of officially sealed assets into a story of giving a betrothal gift to the daughter of the municipal party committee member.