Chapter 115: Provoking He Jiansheng

He Tian sat calmly at one end of the long conference table. Beside him were Ouyang Bingbing and the lawyer he had specifically hired. Every move had been perfectly prepared. After all this time spent in careful planning, the moment for He Tian’s counterattack had finally arrived. Now, he was truly looking forward to the expression on He Jiansheng’s face when he saw him—a spectacle he could hardly wait to witness.

Ouyang Bingbing, too, wore an air of serenity. Yet, from the subtle arch of her brows, He Tian could still discern her excitement and thrill. Reflecting on Ouyang Bingbing’s recent performance, He Tian had to admit—she was a true prodigy, a genius in the world of capital. It would be a mistake to confine her talents solely to the stock market.

Admittedly, in this acquisition, Ouyang Bingbing’s official role was mainly to observe and learn, yet some of her maneuvers and advice had left even the seasoned veterans He Tian had brought in utterly impressed—especially during the targeted acquisitions outside the stock market. Ouyang Bingbing’s approach to secrecy and skill was dazzling, and now the results spoke for themselves.

At this moment, apart from the thirty-seven percent stake still held by He Jiansheng, only a single minor shareholder, who owned seven percent, remained unconvinced. Yet, there was little need to concern himself with that seven percent, since He Tian already held an overwhelming majority—enough to forcefully acquire He Jiansheng’s shares.

“Take your time, there’s no need to rush,” He Tian said softly to Ouyang Bingbing. “You’re familiar with the procedures and the rules. Just do things as you see fit.”

In truth, what impressed He Tian most about Ouyang Bingbing was not her talent or ability, but the strength hidden beneath her delicate exterior. That unyielding heart was the true core of her potential success.

Ouyang Bingbing nodded gently. She had been genuinely happy these past days. Only after accepting He Tian’s forceful arrangement had she discovered how much she liked this way of doing things. Even more delightful was the fact that she now had more opportunities to spend time alone with He Tian. This brought her great joy, even though the rational part of her mind warned that it was unfair to Wang Xinyou. But she could not restrain herself—her feelings eclipsed reason. She liked being with He Tian, so she no longer cared about anything else.

Still, Ouyang Bingbing kept herself in check, never confessing her feelings to He Tian. In her mind, this was not a betrayal of Wang Xinyou. Secretly, she questioned herself—why had she fallen for He Tian? Yet every answer her heart offered seemed to trace back to that moment when He Tian had seen her fully exposed.

There’s no denying it—sometimes, a woman’s thoughts are truly impossible to fathom.

“I believe you can do it,” He Tian smiled.

Ouyang Bingbing was still inexperienced, but that didn’t stop He Tian from putting her in charge of everything that followed. It was a rare and valuable opportunity for her to grow.

Just then, the conference room doors swung open. He Jiansheng stormed in, accompanied by Meng Yang and Manager Liu, his stride forceful, his mood furious. But when He Jiansheng saw He Tian in the room, his face changed color entirely.

“Haha! Young Master He, we meet again!” He Tian stood up and extended his hand with elegant courtesy.

“He Tian, what are you doing here?” He Jiansheng ignored the outstretched hand, glaring at He Tian with barely contained rage. He had already guessed what was happening, but he refused to believe it.

“Attorney Li!” He Tian snapped his fingers. The bespectacled and genteel lawyer immediately handed He Tian a document, which he pushed toward He Jiansheng, smiling. “Young Master He, I’m sorry to trouble you, but please have a look at this. Unless I’m mistaken, I now possess fifty-six percent of the shares in Qiyuan Grand Hotel, making me the absolute controlling shareholder.”

He Jiansheng picked up the document and, as he read, the muscles in his face involuntarily tightened. It was true—the paperwork showed that He Tian now owned fifty-six percent of the shares, with all the formalities in perfect order. He Jiansheng could hardly believe it.

He had done his homework on Mengrou Fashion Group. Though they had assets of around five billion, their cash reserves were certainly less than three hundred million, with an additional eight hundred million in bank loans still unpaid. Where had He Tian found the funds for this acquisition? Buying fifty-six percent of Qiyuan Grand Hotel, especially in a secret acquisition, would have cost at least twelve hundred million—a premium over market value. Where had He Tian found so much money?

He Jiansheng could not comprehend it. But regardless of his confusion, the predicament before him was real and urgent. If he didn’t understand by now the strategy behind He Tian’s actions, he would have to be a fool. First, He Tian had severed the support from the old He family behind He Jiansheng. Then, he had targeted the Qiyuan Grand Hotel, which He Jiansheng valued so highly. And now, by appearing in person, he sought to humiliate him even further.

Faced with such a situation, what was He Jiansheng to do?

“He Tian!” He Jiansheng put the document down, gritting his teeth.

“Is there something you’d like to say, Young Master He?” He Tian grinned. “Surely you’re not here to praise me? Please don’t—flattery is the one thing I can’t stand. Besides, compared to your own actions, mine are nothing but forced responses. I hope you won’t hold it against me.”

He Jiansheng glared at He Tian, finding him insufferable. Just seeing that smile made him feel sick.

“What do you want?” He Jiansheng asked in a low voice.

“Don’t be impatient. We’re still waiting for another shareholder, aren’t we? The shareholders’ meeting can’t begin until everyone’s arrived. There’s no need to be so anxious,” He Tian replied, his smile growing even wider. “Let’s have a chat—it’s all in good fun.”

“I have nothing to say to you!” He Jiansheng stood abruptly, seething.

He was completely thrown off balance, uncertain what to do next. By now, he understood He Tian’s intentions and was desperate not to let him succeed. But there was nothing he could do to stop it. Even if he brought in the final seven percent of shares, it would not give him the majority. The power remained firmly in He Tian’s hands.

“Come now, Young Master He, we’re friends, aren’t we? Besides, look how fate has brought us together—both of us share the same surname. If we don’t get closer, wouldn’t that be a joke?” He Tian rose and approached He Jiansheng, smiling.

He Jiansheng was at a loss for words, refusing to respond.

“Oh, Tianhai—what a beautiful view! The scenery here is magnificent. Pity, Young Master He, you probably won’t be able to stand in this position and enjoy it much longer.” He Tian shook his head, that infuriating smile never leaving his face since the moment He Jiansheng had entered.

“Do you really think Qiyuan Grand Hotel belongs to you now?” He Jiansheng finally couldn’t bear He Tian’s attitude any longer and snapped coldly.

“Are you still hoping for a comeback? Shouldn’t you be worrying about more important matters by now? Has the higher-up called yet? If they find out what a mess you’ve made, I wonder how they’ll react?” He Tian shrugged and grinned, “I’m sure it’ll be quite the scene.”

“He Tian, you’re despicable!” The thought of the He family’s impending wrath made He Jiansheng tremble all over. Since the old master’s passing, he had completely lost their favor. Now, having caused such a disaster, he risked bringing ruin to the He family’s entire presence in Tianhai. This was a burden he would have to bear. In his eyes, He Tian was truly vile for bringing this about.

To turn the accusation of vileness back on He Tian was perfectly in keeping with He Jiansheng’s character.

“Young Master He, that’s not fair! Who’s really been despicable here? You know the answer better than anyone. Without a cause, there can be no effect. Without a premise, there can be no consequence.” He Tian leaned in and whispered, “You wanted to beat me, but you overestimated yourself. The people you recruited are all tainted. You should have found someone with a clean background. That way, even if I wanted to retaliate, it would have been much harder to strike.”

He Tian was simply goading him now. If He Jiansheng really had used someone clean, He Tian wouldn’t have minded dirtying them himself. He didn’t follow the usual rules. To go against someone like He Tian with ordinary methods was a mistake from the start.

“You—” A murderous glint flashed across He Jiansheng’s face. He Tian’s words had struck him to his core.

“Can’t accept it? It doesn’t matter—these are facts now.” He Tian smiled calmly.

“Don’t think you’ll get away with this! According to the rules, if you forcefully acquire my shares, you’ll have to pay the market price. I’ll make sure you pay dearly for it!” He Jiansheng retorted coldly, then turned and stormed out. He could no longer bear the sight of He Tian’s smile. It was simply intolerable.