Chapter 118: He Jianhong

Lazy Cat listened intently.

From the earpiece, he could clearly hear the voices of He Jiansheng and Meng Yang.

A smile slowly crept onto Lazy Cat’s lips. The more he listened to their conversation, the more he felt these two were incredibly foolish—how could they still be thinking of turning the tables? Did they not realize that everything was unfolding exactly as the Young Emperor had calculated? They were following He Tian’s script, step by step. To still dream of a reversal in such circumstances… it was little more than wishful thinking.

“Alright, I must say, everything is proceeding as planned. Let’s begin the operation—the fish has taken the bait! Madman… you must admit, this kind of theft is far more exciting than your methods,” Lazy Cat changed the frequency and said with a laugh.

“Cat, I agree. But as for how it feels in the end, I can’t be sure yet. Perhaps this will bring me a revolutionary change,” Shen Feng’s voice came through, clear and crisp.

“Haha, I believe you will! But… Madman, what about your fifteen treasures? I’ve heard about them, always been curious and looking forward to seeing them!” Lazy Cat teased.

“Get lost… don’t mention that to me!” Shen Feng’s furious voice rang out, then silence followed.

“Cat, why do I love hearing you provoke Madman so much? Tonight, shall I come to your room?” Ruth’s voice sounded, causing Lazy Cat’s face to change instantly, his smile vanishing.

“I don’t welcome you,” Lazy Cat replied stiffly.

“Don’t be so heartless! Your refusal means consent—I know it!” Ruth giggled, then fell silent.

“Damn! Damn woman! What does she want? Is she trying to seduce me? But isn’t she interested in the Young Emperor? God, what’s going on here?” Lazy Cat howled in frustration… Women were his Achilles’ heel, and Ruth had him firmly in her grasp.

――――

Of course, He Jiansheng had no idea that not only were his actions under He Tian’s control, but even his conversation was being secretly monitored. It is often said that the business world is a battlefield—so if it’s war, all means are permitted. That’s exactly how He Tian operated. As for He Jiansheng… he remained utterly unaware, still imagining what it would be like to defeat He Tian.

One must admit, He Jiansheng was a man fond of dreaming, and of dreams that seemed grand and beautiful.

He Jiansheng’s face was still marked with indignation. No matter what counterattack he was planning, the humiliation inflicted by He Tian earlier was a stain he could not erase. Secretly, He Jiansheng vowed to return the shame in kind, to make He Tian taste the bitterness of being humiliated.

The ringing phone pulled He Jiansheng from his reverie. He glanced at the caller ID, tapped his forehead, his face showing a trace of anger and some anxiety. But there was no escaping the call—he had to answer.

――――

“Big brother!” He Jiansheng said honestly.

The call was from his elder brother, He Jianhong, who now managed the external affairs of the old He family. He Jianhong was also a talent in business. If He Jiansheng hadn’t been so favored by the old patriarch, he would never have been given control over the family’s external business.

During He Jiansheng’s tenure, the family’s enterprises were actually managed by He Jianhong. This explained why, despite He Jiansheng’s foolishness, arrogance, and dominance, he still contributed economically to the family… Well, knowing how to delegate is also a skill.

He Jiansheng admired his big brother. After losing his managerial position, the scale of his private business owed much to He Jianhong’s help. But all that was in the past. Since handing over the position, since He Jianhong took charge, He Jiansheng had felt the difference. He Jianhong’s stern presence, his contempt and disgust whenever they met, made it clear to He Jiansheng that he’d been deceived by his brother.

Now, He Jiansheng deeply hated He Jianhong. But their statuses had changed—no matter how much he hated, he dared not show it. Compared to a family manager, he was just a member with no contributions, so who was more valued was obvious.

Thus, He Jiansheng outwardly showed respect, calling him big brother, while inwardly grinding his teeth in anger.

“Jiansheng, have you heard about what just happened in Tianhai?” He Jianhong’s voice carried authority, the tone of a superior addressing a subordinate.

To be honest, He Jiansheng disliked this feeling.

“Big brother, I… just heard,” He Jiansheng replied softly.

He Jiansheng knew that the regulatory actions against those five were triggered by moves against He Tian, so responsibility would eventually fall on him. He was prepared for this.

“You just heard… what’s wrong with you! What were you thinking? Always fighting, fighting—you only know how to compete! Do you realize how much this will hurt our family’s influence in Tianhai? Do you know how much loss we’ll suffer?” He Jianhong raged, his voice loud enough that He Jiansheng had to hold the phone away from his ear.

“Big brother, I didn’t expect things would turn out like this! Besides, aren’t these methods rather common?” He Jiansheng muttered.

For someone at He Jiansheng’s level, leveraging family government connections was routine. Not just him—many did the same. Power, extended, sometimes needs a little real authority to supplement it.

He Jiansheng was just unlucky enough to stumble into a mess.

“Common! Common! Common my foot!” He Jianhong roared, beside himself with anger.

“Brother, anyway, things are already like this. What can I do?” He Jiansheng was fearless—what was done was done, at worst he’d be scolded a bit. What else could they do?

Strip him of his family identity? He Jiansheng knew that was impossible. No matter how unwelcome he became, it wouldn’t go that far. After all, his father was still alive, and his brothers too. He Jianhong couldn’t reach that far.

――――

“Fine! He Jiansheng, you’re something else! Clearly, I can’t talk sense into you. Let Second Uncle teach you a lesson!” He Jianhong snapped, then hung up angrily.

“What the hell!” He Jiansheng tossed the phone, feeling irritable.

“He Tian…” He Jiansheng ground out He Tian’s name through clenched teeth. At that moment, he longed to take a needle and stab He Tian’s photo again and again.

To He Jiansheng, all these troubles stemmed from He Tian. Naturally, his hatred for He Tian only deepened.

But as one call after another came in, He Jiansheng’s resentment was slowly forgotten, replaced by the endless need to respond and manage.

――――

Meng Yang quickly gathered the managers of Tongda Auto Repairs and Haisheng Supermarket.

Time was pressing.

He Tian’s forced acquisition notice might arrive at any moment, so Meng Yang got straight to the point: “Gentlemen, I must inform you—the Young Master intends to sell Tongda Auto and Haisheng Supermarket. Don’t ask why. I only want to know—do you have any buyers in mind?”

Qin Lin and Wang Tong exchanged glances.

They hadn’t expected Meng Yang, He Jiansheng’s right-hand man—the one notorious for being ruthless behind the scenes—to urgently summon them just to announce the sale of both companies.

As professional managers, they had little attachment to who owned the business, but given the choice, they’d gladly have a new boss. After all, ninety percent of the monthly profits were siphoned off by He Jiansheng, leaving them unable to expand or develop. Frustrated, they remained in these positions, sometimes even considering changing jobs.

Still, their compensation made them reluctant to leave.

“Meng—what’s going on? Why are both companies being sold all of a sudden?” Qin Lin, general manager of Tongda Auto, asked quietly. His competence was unquestioned, but the sudden news stirred his curiosity.

“Don’t ask the reason. I called you only to find out if you have any buyers in mind,” Meng Yang said, offering no explanation. How could he? Should he say their boss, He Jiansheng, had been humiliated and needed to raise funds for his pride?

Certainly not.

So, silence was best. Besides, managers like Qin Lin and Wang Tong didn’t need to know more.

“I actually have someone in mind, been asked several times recently, but I kept refusing,” Wang Tong replied, seeing Meng Yang didn’t intend to elaborate. Meng Yang had never respected them anyway, so Wang Tong simply answered his question.

Everything else would proceed as it must.

“Who? Do you have their contact info? Give it to me,” Meng Yang said, not intending to involve Qin Lin and Wang Tong. He had his own plans—to profit from the deal, and to guard against the possibility that, once acquired, these managers might side with the new owner.

Such precautions were necessary.

“It’s a foreigner, named Ruth. Here’s her card,” Wang Tong replied, handing over a business card to Meng Yang.