Chapter Twenty-Four: Schemes in the Shadows

On the two frigid heads, the hardened expressions were filled with despair and shock. These two old men hadn’t even made it past the hotel entrance before Chen Mike had dispatched them so swiftly, their deaths had been colder than ice. For someone of Chen Mike’s skill, eliminating them was easier than eating a meal.

Even as he gazed at their slowly cooling corpses, Xiao Ye’s face remained impassive. “Not bad, but what I want is the entire Situ and Dongfang families.”

“Rest assured, King Xiao. The task will be completed within a day!” Chen Mike knelt before Xiao Ye, his face written with terror. He turned and strode out, continuing his mission to cleanse.

Watching Chen Mike disappear into the distance, Xiao Ye set down his wineglass, stood, and spoke to the Crimson Dragon behind him. “Let’s go. We should check in at the company.”

Handling the Situ and Dongfang families was but a trivial matter for Xiao Ye, a task that would take little time. Although the meeting today was expected to go smoothly, since this would be Qin Xue’er’s first time in five years managing the company independently, Xiao Ye still wished to hurry over.

...

At the Xiao Family Group, Crimson Dragon had just parked the car when Xiao Ye noticed something was amiss.

In front of the Xiao Corporation’s main entrance, not a soul could be seen. It was the start of the workday; even if it was a bit late, it was impossible not to see at least someone around! Only two corpulent security guards stood watch at the door.

“Aren’t we supposed to have a meeting today? Why does it look deserted?” Xiao Ye frowned, his tone tinged with suspicion.

“I’ll look into it right away!” Crimson Dragon replied.

“No need. It’s likely too late for that now. Since we’re here, I’ll check things myself.” Xiao Ye waved him off, then the two of them headed toward the company.

But just as Xiao Ye was about to step through the door, two hefty figures suddenly blocked his way.

“Hold on. No one is allowed in without permission!” the two security guards barked at Xiao Ye.

“Oh?” Hearing the harsh reprimand, Xiao Ye looked up to see the guards smirking coldly at him.

“Hey kid, you must be new here. Don’t even have an employee badge!” one sneered. “No one’s getting in today. Get lost!”

At their words, Xiao Ye’s face grew cold.

“Do you two have any idea who this is? This is our own company—why would he need a pass?” Crimson Dragon stepped forward, his expression severe.

“What? Your own company? You think you’re one of the Xiao family? Such wild boasting!” one guard scoffed. “If you’re from the Xiao family, then I’m the young master himself!”

The pair exchanged glances and burst out laughing.

“You two must have a death wish, daring to bar the door to the King with a different surname!” Crimson Dragon’s gaze grew chilly, though he didn’t make a move. Frankly, these two oafs weren’t worth the effort.

“Oh, so now he’s the King with a different surname?” one mocked. “If he is, then I’m the ruler of the universe!”

The two guards clutched their bellies, laughing even louder at Crimson Dragon’s claim. The King with a different surname was second only to the Dragon Lord in the country—an unrivaled figure! How could such a person appear at the Xiao Group? The very idea was laughable.

When Xiao Ye had dealt with the other families, these commoners had been none the wiser. How could people at their level know about such things?

The two guards eyed Xiao Ye with derision; clearly, they didn’t take him for anyone important. One of them looked Xiao Ye up and down, then sneered, “Honestly, not just you—even other employees aren’t allowed in today!”

“The higher-ups are making a move. They plan to get rid of the new general manager and seize the entire Xiao Group for themselves.”

“If you have no business here, beat it!” Their mocking gazes swept over Xiao Ye, unaware that the mention of “general manager” had already caused his fist to clench tightly.

Bang!

With a deafening crash, the two guards were sent flying through the entrance, smashing into the thick glass doors, shattering them to pieces.

The guards landed hard, and shards of glass pierced their flesh, sending pain shooting through their bodies. They immediately began to scream.

“My back!”

“My stomach—it’s bleeding!” They clutched at their wounds, glass embedded in their flesh, blood pouring from the gashes. In moments, the two of them were blood-soaked.

“What was it you just said?” Xiao Ye stepped through the door, crouched before the two guards, his gaze icy.

The severe blows left them gasping for breath. Staring at Xiao Ye, who had struck first, they mustered what little strength they had to shout, “You dare lay hands on us? You’re dead!”

“Do you know who we are? My brother-in-law works at the Inspection Office!” they yelled, eyes red with rage.

Seeing their bluster, Xiao Ye raised his foot. As his boot landed on their stomachs, agony made them spew bile from their mouths.

“Don’t! I’ll talk! Please, have mercy!” Feeling that Xiao Ye was unafraid of their threats and only growing more ruthless, their bravado collapsed instantly. There was murder in Xiao Ye’s eyes; the next second could be their last.

One guard hurriedly confessed, “I’ll tell you! The higher-ups made all employees leave today! They told us to keep everyone out, to stop any business from being done, so the stock price would crash!”

“We never thought someone like you would show up!” They whimpered, clutching their wounds, thinking if they’d known how dangerous he was, they wouldn’t have dared guard the door for a million lives.

“So, a corporate upheaval to force down the stock price and buy out the company on the cheap…” In that instant, Xiao Ye understood: this was a hostile takeover. If he hadn’t come, Qin Xue’er would truly be in danger.

“Crimson Dragon, I’ll leave the rest to you,” Xiao Ye said, striding toward the elevator.