Forcing the Palace

Mingzhu Company.

Conference room.

The sky outside the window was somewhat gloomy, making the atmosphere even more solemn and heavy.

A sense of oppression bore down on them.

A storm was brewing...

Li Ruobing's eyes held a trace of gravity as she looked at the shareholders seated in two rows on either side.

Twelve shareholders.

Fewer than half were in her camp.

To outsiders, she was the chief executive officer of Mingzhu Group, draped in glory, radiant and glamorous—a favored daughter of heaven. But only she knew how many eyes lurked in the darkness, silently watching her from that position, waiting for her to make a mistake.

How exhausting was all that scheming and infighting?

Those who had never experienced it would never know.

"All right, everyone's here!"

Among the shareholders below was a short, stout, greasy middle-aged man. Bald, potbellied, built somewhat like a certain livestock animal raised in a pen, and rather nauseating to look at.

He coughed lightly and looked toward Li Ruobing, seated at the head of the table. His smile was faintly teasing. "President Li, shouldn't we begin?"

Li Ruobing gave him an indifferent glance.

The greasy middle-aged man was Hu Guangyi, a vice president with real authority at Mingzhu Group and the Major Shareholder with the most shares besides Li Ruobing.

He held 9.8 percent of the shares.

His views had always clashed with Li Ruobing's, and he had publicly opposed her decisions many times.

"Let's begin," Li Ruobing said with a nod.

The meeting had to continue. Avoidance was not in her nature.

"Fine. This meeting is mainly to discuss the matter of the Qiantang New Store..." Hu Guangyi confidently opened a file placed before him and said slowly, "I believe everyone is concerned about this. The new store is about to open, yet the funds have still not arrived..."

"I'd like to ask the shareholders who strongly supported the new store's development back then: what should we do now?"

"Was the new store development project a mistake?"

Hu Guangyi spoke skillfully. He never mentioned Li Ruobing directly, instead directing his words at several shareholders under her banner.

But everyone knew that Li Ruobing had made the final call on opening the new store.

Though he appeared to be questioning the shareholders, the spearhead was actually aimed straight at Li Ruobing.

"Qiantang is an economic development zone. A new commercial center will soon be established there, so our decision to develop the new store was not wrong!" An Elder frowned. He was one of Li Ruobing's staunchest supporters and possessed a sharp eye for business investments. "Investing in the Qiantang Development Zone is guaranteed to turn a profit!"

Hu Guangyi chuckled and shook his head.

"Old Bai, let's not discuss Qiantang's future development for now. The problem before us is that the press release has already been issued, merchant lease agreements have been signed, and the construction site is waiting to be paid... but we have no money to pay them."

Rather than argue with Old Bai over the long-term benefits, Hu Guangyi went straight for the jugular and targeted the funding chain. "If the new store cannot open on time, we will have to compensate the merchants with breach-of-contract penalties as high as three hundred percent. More importantly, once the news is released and Mingzhu Company's new store fails to operate normally, it could draw widespread public attention. With the media fanning the flames, it could even affect the normal operations of the Old Store!"

"Who should bear that responsibility?"

Hu Guangyi's gaze was sinister as it swept across the crowd before finally settling on Li Ruobing.

Silence.

The conference room was deathly quiet.

"I'll take responsibility."

Li Ruobing spoke impassively as she opened the documents before her. "I've read the report. The new store needs roughly One Hundred eighty million in operating funds. I'll provide the money."

When Li Ruobing spoke, a triumphant smile appeared at the corner of Hu Guangyi's mouth.

Good. That was exactly what he wanted to hear!

"President Li, it's not that I don't believe you. But the Old Store's accounts can no longer spare money to support the new store, and as far as I know, several banks have already rejected your loan applications. Where exactly do you intend to get this money?" Hu Guangyi licked his lips, his expression growing aggressive. "If you're just stringing us along, we can't be left worrying for nothing, can we?"

"You have a vast family fortune and don't care about Mingzhu Company. Even if it collapses, you can rise again whenever you want. But we're different. Our shares in Mingzhu Company are our entire net worth..."

Li Ruobing remained expressionless and took out an asset appraisal report.

She slapped it onto the table.

"My two properties in the Bishui New Area have already been appraised. They are worth over One Hundred Million."

Hu Guangyi raised his brows, not expecting Li Ruobing to play that card.

For the descendant of a wealthy family to sell her properties for the company might seem humiliating to others.

But Li Ruobing did not seem to care.

"But... there's still nearly eighty million missing." Hu Guangyi's smile remained cold and grim. He had long known that Li Ruobing would not ask the Li family for help, which was why he was so brazen. "President Li, do you have any other way to get this money?"

Li Ruobing fell silent.

"Heh... President Li, how about this? Given the current situation, I believe you are no longer suitable to serve as chief executive officer. Let all shareholders vote and select someone capable of handling this crisis to become Mingzhu's new leader!"

The Dagger is Revealed.

Hu Guangyi had finally bared his fangs, openly exposing his ambition.

"Exactly! We can't all go bankrupt with Mingzhu..."

"If President Li can't handle it, then let someone else do it!"

"I opposed opening a new store in Qiantang from the beginning. And now look, something really did happen..."

Some of the shareholders echoed him.

Old Bai frowned and spoke. "Everyone, when President Li led us to make money, none of you offered even a word of thanks. Now that we've encountered a little risk, you're already Forcing the Palace! Search your consciences—without President Li, could any of you have earned the net worth you have today?"

Hu Guangyi blinked, leaned sideways against his chair, crossed his legs, and laughed exaggeratedly. "Old Bai, when you do business, profits come first. If we can make money, of course we support her. If we can't, there's no reason for us to gamble our entire fortunes and lives, is there?"

"If President Li is capable, we'll follow her lead."

"If President Li isn't capable, then she should step down and make way for someone better."

"Although Mingzhu was founded by President Li, it also belongs to us shareholders. Choosing the chief executive officer is our right."

The conference room was bustling with people.

Clearly, Hu Guangyi had done plenty of work with the shareholders before the meeting. The moment he spoke, he gained the support of most of them.

"I object!" Old Bai's attitude was extremely firm. He swept his cold gaze around the room, stared at Hu Guangyi, and sneered. "Old Hu, don't think I don't know what you're plotting! You want to take the position? You're nothing but a nouveau riche. Do you even know how to run a company? Do you have what it takes to get the company through this crisis?"

"Heh..." Hu Guangyi's eyes turned cold as he scratched his scalp. "I actually do... Let me tell you, if Mingzhu puts me in charge, I can produce One Hundred eighty million whenever I want!"

Hu Guangyi had made himself perfectly clear.

He had proposed today's Board of Directors meeting for one reason only: to seize power.

Li Ruobing certainly had ability.

But a shortfall of One Hundred eighty million was not something she could simply produce because she said she would.

"Let's have a show-of-hands vote..." Hu Guangyi said with a smile. He was confident and thoroughly prepared. "Those who agree to reselect the chief executive officer, please raise your hands!"

For a moment, seven shareholders showed their support.

Based on the share count, those seven shareholders held fifty-two percent of the shares, which meant...

The proposal passed!

"Wait! According to the Board of Directors regulations, the board has no authority to replace the company's chief executive officer unless she has committed a serious error!" Old Bai said in a deep voice, his face frighteningly dark. He had not expected Hu Guangyi's influence to reach so deep that shareholders holding more than half the shares would choose to support him.

"The funding chain has broken, the new store cannot operate normally, and it may even provoke public opinion. Isn't that a serious error?" Hu Guangyi laughed wildly. "Old Bai, I think you're getting old. Your eyes have grown dim, and you've even lost your most basic judgment!"

"Hahaha!"

The conference room erupted in laughter.

"The final deadline demanded by the construction site is six o'clock tonight." Li Ruobing suddenly spoke, staring coldly at Hu Guangyi. "I'll raise the money. When the time comes, if the funds have not arrived, I'll step down myself. But if the money arrives, you will pay a price for what you just said!"

As Li Ruobing stared at him, Hu Guangyi felt himself breaking out in a cold sweat.

This woman was indeed too domineering.

In the past, he had barely been able to muster the courage to speak loudly in front of her. Even though she had now been forced into a desperate situation, he still felt a trace of... fear.

But when he thought of the person behind him, he gathered his courage again.

With that person around, Li Ruobing would never be able to turn the situation around.

"President Li, why say such useless angry words?" Hu Guangyi licked his lips, seeming certain of victory. "Even if you sell your properties and cars, it will take time. There's only an hour and a half left until six!"

"You are Mingzhu's founder. We respect you and want you to leave with dignity. Why must you keep struggling and make yourself lose that dignity?"

"You dare speak to me like that. There must be someone backing you, right?" Li Ruobing said coldly. "Once the matter of the new store is over, I'll have a talk with you about what lies between us!"

Her tone was icy.

Hu Guangyi could not help shuddering, but he instantly regained his composure. "You should... solve the funding problem first. One Hundred eighty million, in an hour and a half! Those were your words!"

He was not worried in the slightest that Li Ruobing could reverse the situation at the last moment. As he had said before, selling properties and vehicles took time.

And even if she sold them, the money in her hands would still not be enough.

The shareholders who supported Li Ruobing might have wanted to help, but they had no money in their hands.

Li Ruobing remained expressionless as she opened her phone's Contact List and stared at one number for a long time.

In the end, she chose to call it.

She had made her decision.