Chapter 307 — Gu Pengzhan's Predicament

To open his mouth now and demand a hundred million -- that was outright extortion! When had the Liu family ever swallowed such a loss? Even if he was a divine physician, a few million would have been the absolute ceiling. And yet he dared to ask for a hundred million. Hmph. Very well, then -- if you dare to ask for it, you had better be able to hold on to it!

Of course, if Liu Tianyi had known his own wife was so short-sighted and so selfish, he would likely have exploded with rage. A hundred million was no small sum, but to win the friendship of a divine physician by it -- what a bargain that was!

Won't there come a day when you are old and sick yourself? When that day comes, will you not have to beg Wei Zhao for help? What a brainless, money-wasting woman.

But plainly Liu Tianyi did not know this yet, so that when Wu Chengtian went off to make an enemy of Wei Zhao, it was already too late for him to stop it.

Gu Pengzhan was in a foul temper today. Jin Gubang had actually proposed convening a board meeting to re-elect the chairman!

Thinking of the relationship between Jin Gubang and Xie Guangbo the day before, Gu Pengzhan felt a chill run through his heart. For the first time, he felt this kind of helplessness -- he could no longer control the whole board.

Just yesterday, before the board meeting was convened, Gu Pengzhan had still been full of confidence, certain he could root out the worms in the company, whittle away Jin Gubang's power bit by bit, and finally drive him out of the company.

But now things had gone beyond his expectations. The company's second- and third-largest shareholders had actually joined forces; the shares in their hands already exceeded his own. United, they could make their move against him at the board meeting, and he would be powerless to respond.

When had the company come to this?

The company his father had founded -- was it, in his own hands, to be handed over to others just like that?

All along, Gu Pengzhan had never spoken to his father about company matters. Since his father had retired to enjoy his remaining years in peace, he did not want to disturb him with the affairs of the company.

Besides, in Gu Pengzhan's view, the company's affairs were nothing serious. So long as he held firmly to the shares in his grasp, even if a shareholder or two were a little greedy, a little selfish, he believed he was still capable of handling it.

But the shareholders' alliance was an accident he had never anticipated.

He was at his wit's end. Jin Gubang was determined to go through with the re-election of the chairman; he had already joined with Xie Guangbo to contact the other board members. There was no possibility of reconciliation whatsoever. Perhaps in a few days he would no longer be the company's chairman.

In his helplessness, Gu Pengzhan had no choice but to dial his father's number. Though he was unwilling to disturb him, matters had reached such a critical pass that he had to lay the company's situation before Old Master Chu.

Old Master Chu listened quietly to Gu Pengzhan's words without interrupting him. Only after he had finished did he fall silent for a moment.

"Father, what do you think..." Gu Pengzhan felt utterly worn out. With a third of the board won over by Jin Gubang, a board meeting could be called; even as chairman he could not stop that fact. And since Jin Gubang wanted to convene this meeting, it meant he was confident of replacing him as chairman!

"Actually, I saw the problems on the company's board long ago." Old Master Chu's voice was calm. "Pengzhan, you are too kind, too good-hearted. That may count as a virtue, but you must understand: the business world is a battlefield, and mercy to your enemy is cruelty to yourself. People are greedy, people are selfish. That the company's directors should band together to seize power is only to be expected."

"Then you mean..." Gu Pengzhan was startled. From his father's tone, it seemed he did not want to involve himself in the matter.

"Go find Wei Zhao." Old Master Chu sighed softly. "In this situation, perhaps he is the only one who can help you..."

"Him?" Gu Pengzhan was instantly astonished. "Father, when you say to bring him here, you don't mean for him and Yaoyao to..."

"Heh heh. He may have a way. Who can say?" Old Master Chu did not say it plainly, only smiled with a hint of reserve.

"Father, I understand." Gu Pengzhan hung up. He did not know why his father wanted him to seek out Wei Zhao -- he truly could not work out what Wei Zhao could possibly do in such a situation.

Wei Zhao was not a shareholder of the company, held no shares in it. When the company convened its board meeting, Wei Zhao had no way to intervene at all. But since the old master had named him and told him to go, Gu Pengzhan could only go with the attitude of giving it a try.

Gu Pengzhan truly had not expected that he, a business titan who bestrode the world, would be outmaneuvered by the son of his father's old friend. Had he really been too merciful before? Perhaps his father was right. If, when the first signs had appeared, he had cut through the tangled mess with a sharp blade without a second thought, then perhaps today's troubles would never have come.

Some shareholders might have criticized him for disregarding the old ties of their fathers' generation, but that would still have been far better than being reduced to this helpless pass today.

After a moment's hesitation, Gu Pengzhan said to Li Fu, who was driving, "To Yaoyao's villa."

"Very good, Mr. Gu." Uncle Qing sighed. "Mr. Gu, don't be too anxious. Since Old Master Chu says Wei Zhao has a way, then he must have a way."

"Let us hope so." Gu Pengzhan nodded.

Wei Zhao parked the car in front of Gu Mengyao's villa, only to see a Bentley turn in behind him. Looking closely, it was Uncle Qing's car.

Wei Zhao got out and did not go into the villa. He waited until Uncle Qing's car had parked, and then saw Gu Pengzhan climb out of it. "Xiaoyi?"

Gu Pengzhan had not expected Wei Zhao to have just returned as well. He glanced at the van Wei Zhao was driving with some surprise. "Your car?"

"Oh, I helped Qiu Lingshan catch a wanted criminal -- that Black Panther fellow." Wei Zhao did not conceal it. "The car was the one Black Panther drove. I just had Qiu Lingshan get the plates registered this afternoon."

Gu Pengzhan nodded. He had not expected that Wei Zhao, quietly and without fanfare, had already built up his own network in Songshan City. That he could keep this car from Qiu Lingshan's hands clearly showed the two shared no ordinary relationship.

"Xiaoyi, Uncle Chu has something he wants to discuss with you!" Gu Pengzhan did not linger on the matter of the car, but patted Wei Zhao on the shoulder and said.

"Oh? All right. Shall we go inside to talk?" Wei Zhao locked the van's door.

Gu Pengzhan hesitated a moment, then said, "Why don't we get in my car?"

Wei Zhao was slightly taken aback, then understood at once. He nodded. "All right."

Wei Zhao guessed that Gu Pengzhan had some words he did not want Gu Mengyao to hear, and so had chosen to speak with him inside the car.

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