Sun Xiaohong sneered, "Susu, what's up with you? Why are you saying such idiotic words? Do you think our Cheng family can't afford to offend a family of fruit-sellers like the Jiang family?"
"Stop kidding!"
"Mom, Jiang Xiu isn't as simple as you think."
"You don't understand him!"
"No one understands him!"
"He is…"
She was on the verge of revealing it but couldn't continue. If she announced that Jiang Xiu was Mr. Jiang, though her family wouldn't rashly remove the engagement between them, this was also equal to setting down a death penalty for her. She would never break free from the devil known as Jiang Xiu.
She thought up a plan, "Just wait, let me make a call."
The entire family watched with bewilderment as Cheng Lingsu ran upstairs wearing her slippers then called Jiang Xiu. She wanted to know Jiang Xiu's intentions. Very soon, she heard Jiang Xiu's indifferent voice on the other end, "Why did you call this Deity?"
"My home's matter is settled."
Jiang Xiu felt quite astonished, "Oh, really?"
"Ye Wenchen's father, Deputy Mayor Ye is going to handle it. The projects will resume normal operation tomorrow. Only, he raised a condition…"
Cheng Lingsu felt her heart pound faster. She felt quite afraid of angering Jiang Xiu yet also looked forward to him getting angry.
"Deputy Mayor Ye wants me to marry Ye Wenchen."
"This Deity doesn't have any thoughts on that. Isn't the agreement to end our engagement already with you?"
"Is there anything else? If not, this Deity will end the call."
Cheng Lingsu only recovered her sense after hearing the beep sound. She couldn't believe that Jiang Xiu had let her off so quickly. She thought that this devil was plotting all this to obtain her so she couldn't believe he was letting her go.
Jiang Xiu's response was entirely out of her expectations.
"I'm free?"
Cheng Lingsu felt as if a meat pie had fallen from the sky, that she had broken free from him so effortlessly.
"Hahaha, I'm free."
She laughed happily yet for some reason, she felt an indescribable sense of loss.
After coming down the floor, Sun Xiaohong asked her, "Susu, what did you do after going up?"
"N-Nothing."
"This matter is settled then. Once the Cheng Conglomerate resumes normal operation, you will remove the engagement with Jiang Xiu then get engaged with Ye Wenchen…"
Cheng Hanlin slapped his thigh then stood up, "It's settled."
He turned around then returned to his bedroom after that. Sun Xiaohong cheerfully followed after him.
"Sister, what kind of person is Jiang Xiu in your impression?"
"What? Do you hate to part with him?" teased Cheng Lingran.
Cheng Lingsu rolled her eyes. Who would want to be with that devil? He's so tyrannical as well as condescending and would stoop down to any methods to gain what he wants.
Cheng Lingran ruffled her little sister's hair, "Sister only remembers how he was in his childhood. He was quite naughty then. However, he would always stand out to fight for us when we got bullied. Do you remember that your toy was snatched by a child once? He chased after that child for three streets then fought it back for you."
Cheng Lingsu commented, "That's the only good thing he has ever done."
"But now, he has changed…"
"He has become a demon."
"Fortunately, I don't need to get together with him now."
"Demon?" A scene flashed through Cheng Lingran's mind. That year, Jiang Xiu's family was going through a hard time. Not only the Jiang family but even their family also had it hard. Both the heads of the household had suffered, and her father had to even flee to Hong Kong so he couldn't take care of the family.
Standing in front of the store, she wanted to really eat the lollipop covered by the multi-colored wrapping, but she didn't have money so she could only look. She heard the store's boss yell then. She saw Jiang Xiu run over towards her with a lollipop in hand and pulled her as they made their escape together.
"Perhaps he isn't a good person, but he's always quite good to the people beside him."
The next day, the two pearls of the Cheng family accompanied the Cheng couple to the Cheng Conglomerate's building. Since this matter was so huge, there was no doubt that a board of directors meeting would convene as the board members would feel flustered.
"Director Cheng…"
"Director Cheng…"
All the board members stood up with worry when they saw Cheng Hanlin enter the meeting room. One of the old men on the left side of the table asked, "Hanlin, how can something like this happen? Have you thought up of a countermeasure to deal with this?"
"Yes, how can so many projects get shut down?"
Most of the board members had returned from various places after hearing the news.
"Everyone, please calm down!"
Cheng Hanlin came to his seat and said with a light tone, "Everyone must have already heard about the matter. Five of the ongoing, as well as a completed construction project, were shut down. The circumstances are quite grim."
"Only, please feel relieved. I've already solved the issue. Today, at 10 AM…" He looked at his wristwatch, "In 5 more minutes, the city hall will announce that we can resume our operations."
The board members were skeptical.
"Hanlin, why did such a grave thing happen?"
Cheng Hanlin still didn't know why this had happened, "The Cheng Conglomerate has grown so big that some people want a bite of it. This is my mistake. We cannot develop the group so radically in the future."
Working on six projects revealed that the Cheng Conglomerate's development was indeed quick and was soaring. Its market value kept rising, but the risk increased at the same time. They would be utterly powerless under this kind of attack.
If it was just 1-2 projects, the Cheng Conglomerate could still bear it. He could slowly handle it when meeting such circumstances as there were no issues with the project so the related department couldn't shut it down.
"Start the TV."
This matter made quite the buzz yesterday and had appeared on all the news channels. Today, Ye Zhengqiu would personally confront the media's questions and revitalize the confidence of the public in the Cheng Conglomerate's construction works.
However, everyone was dumbstruck after seeing the news on the TV.
The screen showed the front of the city hall. Flashes followed one after one, and Cheng Hanlin was mind blown after reading the headlines below - The provincial government has demoted the Deputy Mayor in-charge of Infrastructure.
"Hanlin, what's happening? Isn't that position Ye Zhengqiu's?"
"What happened to him?"
Cheng Hanlin's head buzzed.
"How is this possible?"
He immediately called Ye Zhengqiu, "Deputy Mayor Ye…"
Ye Zhengqiu said with frustration, "Brother Hanlin, I'm no longer the Deputy Mayor. I've been reassigned to my previous post as the District Chief. I can't help you."
"How did this happen?"
Ye Zhengqiu replied, "I also don't know. You will have to find some other means."
The reporters questioned the newly appointed Deputy Mayor about the violations that the Cheng Conglomerate had committed while constructing. "The case of the Cheng Conglomerate is still under investigation, but we will surely give a proper answer to everyone."
Cheng Hanlin's phone fell to the ground. He stayed paralyzed on the director's chair as if he had lost all his strength and soul, "We're done…"
"My Cheng Conglomerate is done for…"
He had found a savior with great difficulty, but even Ye Zhengqiu was taken down by the opponent. He naturally couldn't help now that he has lost his position, so there was also no point in selling his daughter now.
"Hanlin, quickly think of some method to solve this!"
Sun Xiaohong ranted with anxiety.
Cheng Lingsu was shivering all over, her face filled with alarm. It's him. It's definitely him. He must have done this.
She finally understood his words. He had successfully removed the engagement by using Ye Zhengqiu. "D-Devil…"
Cheng Lingsu felt extremely frightened in this moment. Jiang Xiu was too powerful. He could manipulate her fate as he wished. She couldn't escape his palms no matter what she did.
"This is too dreadful…"
He's so strong that he can decide the fate of someone of the Deputy Mayor rank?
Cheng Lingsu ran out then called Jiang Xiu.
"Why have you called this Deity?"
"Just what do you want?"
"Don't act too excessively."
A cold glint flashed through Jiang Xiu's eyes. Act excessively? Have I acted worse than the Cheng family? You think you can just throw away the engagement because you have no more use of it?
"Jiang Xiu, heed my words, I-I'm not afraid of you…"
"Afraid? This Deity doesn't need you to be afraid. Just think about it. How will a pampered princess like you live after the Cheng Conglomerate goes bankrupt?"
"You…"
Cheng Lingsu finally realized that this wasn't just a question of whether she could break free from Jiang Xiu. If the issue isn't settled, the Cheng Conglomerate will go bankrupt, and their entire family will be left on the roads then.