The Sweetest Marriage Ch.364

Chapter 364 – Diversionary Tactics

At this moment, the old man Wei Zhenxiong had mentioned earlier, who should have been retired by now, hadn’t fallen asleep yet. He remained alone in the study, playing chess.

Housekeeper Zhang knocked and entered, saying, “Sir, it’s getting late. It’s time to rest.”

Old Master Wei didn’t respond, continuing the game. Only when the black chess pieces cornered the red ones did he lift his gaze from the board.

“Old Zhang, why do some people refuse advice?” Old Master Wei asked. “I’ve already advised him that there’s no way forward, so why rush blindly ahead and be misled by others?”

Housekeeper Zhang assisted the old master to rise, saying, “Perhaps he doesn’t know his own capabilities, thinking he can make it to the end.”

Old Master Wei fell silent, sighing, and returned to his room with Housekeeper Zhang.

The long night passed in the blink of an eye.

Wei Zhenxiong woke up early, having prepared for this day. He had a custom suit made for the occasion.

He dressed in the suit early in the morning, tied his tie, polished his shoes, slicked his hair back with gel, giving his whole appearance a radiant sheen.

Old Master Wei wore traditional Tang clothing, maintaining his dignified demeanor.

When Wei Zhenxiong saw the old man coming down, he eagerly went to greet him, unable to hide his smug smile.

“Dad, why don’t you ride in my car today?” Wei Zhenxiong suggested.

Old Master Wei glanced at Wei Zhenxiong indifferently, waving his hand. “Old Wang is already waiting outside. I’ll go by myself.”

Wei Zhenxiong didn’t insist, saying, “Then I’ll go ahead.”

He couldn’t wait to see what would unfold. After today, the Wei family’s power would be his. Watching Wei Zhenxiong’s eager figure, Old Master Wei shook his head in disappointment.

Some people cannot be helped; they are doomed to their fate. Even if Wei Zhenxiong continued like this, he would only be digging his own grave.

But what could he do? He had already given the advice he could. Wei Zhenxiong refused to listen and continued to seek gains from a tiger. What else could be done?

In the current situation, he was powerless. He could only watch as Wei Zhenxiong led the Wei family into a dark path.

Old Master Wei sighed, as if aging a dozen years in an instant, his eyelids drooping.

“Old Zhang, let’s go,” Old Master Wei said. With Housekeeper Zhang’s support, he walked towards the door.

At the doorstep, his driver, Old Wang, waited to take him to a meeting whose outcome had already been sealed.

Housekeeper Zhang helped the old master into the car, feeling the weight of his despair.

Shaking his head, Housekeeper Zhang, too, felt the overwhelming sense of helplessness.

A year ago, who would have thought that even the prestigious Wei family, with a century-old legacy in the renowned city, would one day face such a devastating crisis of internal collapse? Even now, the outside world remained unaware of the imminent peril confronting the Wei family.

*

Wei Yan stood outside the headquarters of Wei Corporation, watching the bustling activities within the building with a complex expression. Despite seeing Wei Zhenxiong and the old master entering, he chose not to follow suit and instead got into his car.

He dialed Wei Chen, and the call was quickly answered.

“Ayan,” Wei Chen spoke, “What’s up?”

Glancing once more at the Wei Corporation building through the car window, Wei Yan said, “Today is the shareholders’ meeting at Wei Corporation.”

There was a prolonged silence on the other end of the line, so long that Wei Yan almost thought Wei Chen had left the phone before he finally spoke, “I know.”

“The situation isn’t optimistic,” Wei Yan’s tone grew heavy. “Wei Zhenxiong has rallied a significant number of shareholders to his side. About half are in support, and with the aid of the Chen family, he’s gained nine percent of the shares. Adding his own, his stake is estimated to be around 40%.”

“There’s another 13%,” Wei Chen added coldly.

“What? Where’s this additional 13% from?” Wei Yan was puzzled. He had meticulously calculated Wei Zhenxiong’s holdings and the supporting shareholders. Where did this extra 13% come from?

In an icy tone, Wei Chen replied, “My mother held 13%, now in Wei Zhenxiong’s hands.”

Wei Yan was surprised but didn’t forget to inquire, “Is Aunt Fang okay?”

Fang Yun couldn’t have willingly handed over her shares to Wei Zhenxiong, so it was likely that he resorted to some unscrupulous means to acquire them.

“She’s fine, just a minor injury,” Wei Chen responded.

Wei Yan breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, it was only a minor injury.

However, with this additional 13% in Wei Zhenxiong’s possession, the situation was not just pessimistic—it left no room for reversal.

Wei Yan’s gaze grew solemn. “Achen, are you really going to give up?”

“Yeah,” Wei Chen’s voice sounded strained. “I’ve exhausted all possible options. This is all I can do.”

“Alright.” Wei Yan also conceded.

In this game, they were ultimately the losers. He ended the call with Wei Chen, sighed, and drove towards the Wei Corporation building. This building might soon cease to belong to the Wei family.

After ending the call with Wei Yan, Wei Chen rubbed his temples. If possible, he wouldn’t give up Wei Corporation or make such a choice. But the Chen family was too cunning. The onslaught of online attacks wasn’t truly aimed at Chen Li but at Wei Corp.

The Chen family’s diversion tactics were slick. They used the online attacks to divert Wei Chen’s attention towards aiding Chen Li, preventing him from focusing on the developments in Shanghai. To further distract Wei Chen and Jiang Ye, they even exposed themselves in Beijing, ensuring Wei Chen and Jiang Ye took the bait.

While Wei Chen and Jiang Ye’s faction set up an elaborate trap to catch a big fish, the Chen family quietly acquired shares of Wei Corporation in Shanghai, making moves behind the scenes, swiftly allowing Wei Zhenxiong to gain control as the major shareholder.

This left Wei Corporation in an irredeemable predicament. Of course, the Chen family hadn’t anticipated that their intentional exposure would lead Wei Chen and Jiang Ye to catch them, striking back at the Chen family. It could be said that both sides suffered losses in this confrontation.

However, for Wei Chen, whose initial goal was to protect the Wei family and Wei Corporation, he had failed. Investigations continued, the suspensions of the Chen family members remained, but the scapegoats were ready. Soon, all blame would be directed at these scapegoats, allowing the Chen family to remain untouched.

However, there was a tinge of regret among the Chen family members. After all, this scapegoat was one of their trusted aides. Losing them would be like losing a vital part of their operation.

Yet, there was no choice. For the survival of the Chen family, this limb had to be sacrificed. At this stage, they could only sacrifice a pawn to protect the king.

Still, being suspended and under investigation meant leisure for the Chen family members. Chen Yuntang and Chen Yunqi sat together, the television on, though they weren’t paying attention to what was playing.

“Wei Corporation held its shareholders’ meeting today,” Chen Yuntang said. He was a soldier; even at home, his posture remained upright, but beneath the Chen family’s corrupt influence, his heart had turned completely dark.

Chen Yunqi offered a faint smile, yet his eyes held an infinite coldness. “There’s no need to worry about the current situation at Wei Corporation. If Wei Zhenxiong can’t handle this situation, then he truly is worthless.”

“Yes,” Chen Yuntang chuckled as well. They practically handed Wei Corporation over to Wei Zhenxiong. If he couldn’t take control, he would indeed be worthless. It wasn’t surprising that the Wei family’s patriarch had designated Wei Chen as the heir early on.

Yet, it was also the Wei family’s own fault for pushing the capable heir, Wei Chen, so far away. If they hadn’t distanced themselves from Wei Chen, things wouldn’t have gone as smoothly for them now.

“As long as Wei Zhenxiong secures Wei Corporation, that port will be under our control. We can make up for the long-standing losses through that port,” Chen Yuntang remarked.

This was why they were willing to expose their tail to Jiang Ye and the others. Once they had control of the Wei family’s port, it was akin to obtaining a treasure trove, nullifying all previous losses.

They had targeted this port long ago. Unfortunately, the Wei family had Wei Chen. Even if he wasn’t in Shanghai, he could still contend with them, forcing them to resort to such strategies.

“After today, whether it’s the Sheng family, Jiang Ye, or even Wei Chen, they shouldn’t be our main concern. Developing that port should be our top priority,” Chen Yunqi narrowed his eyes and said.

Afterward, the brothers devised plans for the port’s development, feeling a bright future ahead. The predicament the Chen family currently faced was about to come to an end.

*

Shanghai, Wei Corporation.

As the time for the shareholders’ meeting arrived, the shareholders of Wei Corporation took their seats. The Wei family’s patriarch, dressed in traditional Tang clothing, sat at the head, emanating an air of authority, revealing no emotions.

Wei Zhenxiong sat at the lower end of the table, legs crossed, occasionally running his fingers through his sleek, shiny hair. He wore a constant smile since entering the meeting room, eyes drifting frequently towards the position where Old Master Wei sat, as if the next moment he would be occupying that spot.

Other shareholders remained in their respective seats, no exchanges among them, sitting in meditative silence, resembling monks in deep contemplation.

The entire meeting room was quiet, yet the air was charged with a sense of an impending storm.

Time passed quietly; as Old Master Wei didn’t speak, neither did the others. They all awaited his cue for the meeting to commence.

Wei Zhenxiong grew restless, shifting in his seat a few times. Seeing Old Master Wei remained silent, he coughed, intending to take charge of the meeting himself. Since he held the most shares, he believed he had the authority to lead.

But as Wei Zhenxiong opened his mouth, Old Master Wei’s gaze locked onto him.

That look contained multitudes, sharp and commanding. For a moment, Wei Zhenxiong forgot what he intended to say, quietly sitting back down, relinquishing the control of the meeting to Old Master Wei.

Old Master Wei surveyed the room, finally resting his gaze on the emblem of Wei Corporation displayed on the wall opposite the meeting table—a symbol of the family’s century-old legacy and constant evolution.

Yet, in the near future, this legacy would end under his watch.

He was not just Wei Corporation’s culprit but also the Wei family’s.

Closing his eyes briefly, he sighed deeply before slowly speaking.

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