C13 Chapter 13

Gu Zongyue’s patient, fatherly mask nearly cracked—this was Lijue, all right. In front of everyone, he went straight for the other man’s most vulnerable, fatal weak spot, showing no mercy. Zongyue looked like he’d gladly stomp whatever family bond they had into dust just to watch him slip off his pedestal and plunge into the abyss, shattered beyond repair.

“Lijue!” Zongyue’s voice slipped out of control for a split second before he forced himself to take a deep breath.

“Putting Europe’s executive authority aside for now—your marriage has been the board’s biggest concern for a long time. You’ve kept dodging the topic, always using Miss Mo as your reason. But now you’re fooling around with a woman you can’t even bring into the light, and it’s turned into this ridiculous spectacle—your celebrity girlfriend catching you in bed. Do you really think the board will keep trusting your judgment the way they always have?” Zongyue finally delivered the lines he’d been sitting on.

“At the very least, the charitable medical program launched under Chiwei’s name will become a laughingstock.”

“No one is going to leak what happened tonight!” Lijue cut him off again. But this time, Nuochu could hear it—there was urgency behind it. Lijue narrowed his eyes, and the pressure in the room spiked, impossible to resist. “Or rather—no one will be alive to leak it.”

At Lijue’s lowered voice, every reporter present felt a chill rake the back of their neck. The thrill of landing a bombshell vanished instantly. They wished they’d never joined the scramble for a scoop in the first place—at least then they’d still feel safe.

“But the most important thing isn’t whether the public finds out,” Zongyue said. “It’s whether the board’s old guard finds out.”

In Zongyue’s shadowed eyes burned an excitement so sharp it looked ready to bore straight through steel. If Lijue showed even a hint of panic, it would be enough to send him over the edge with satisfaction.

Anyone who made it into the company’s old-guard ranks had real power. And if Zongyue decided to push this forward, then no matter how badly Lijue wanted to erase what happened from their view, it wouldn’t be possible.

“So what’s Second Young Master Gu thinking?” Gu Lijue asked without hesitation.

“If Lijue keeps the European operating authority in my hands, then the board won’t have to lose sleep over who controls Europe anymore—and they won’t have to worry about Lijue’s marriage, either.” Gu Zongyue offered the suggestion with practiced tact. Seeing Gu Lijue’s expression darken, he added, “Oh, and while we’re at it, have the board assign the group’s newly developed Americas market to me as well.”

Gu Lijue’s brow shot up. Zongyue had his eye on the Americas division too—the one Gu Lijue had built from the ground up and pushed relentlessly these past two years. If both Europe and the Americas ended up in Gu Zongyue’s hands, he’d have enough leverage to stand toe-to-toe with Gu’s.

“After all, personally driving Miss Mo’s charity initiative will take a lot out of you, Lijue,” Gu Zongyue added, not too lightly and not too heavily. “As your brother, I’m willing to share the load.”

Gu Lijue was armored in steel—untouchable, unstoppable. His only weak spot was Mo Chiwei.

And if this farce ever reached the board, the charity project—never meant to turn a profit—would lose its backing. Chiwei’s dream would be forced to grind to a complete halt.

Half of Gu’s—he’d hand it over whether he wanted to or not.

The air felt thick and heavy. Even the reporters, usually buzzing with energy, seemed to struggle to breathe. For once, the scoop-hungry crowd didn’t want to know—and didn’t dare to know—what it meant for Gu’s operating authority to overlap under circumstances like these.

“The old guard really won’t need to worry about my marriage anymore,” Gu Lijue said suddenly.

Gu Zongyue’s smile turned smug. Success came from planning, expansion, and takeover after takeover. Put your foot on the fiercest beast’s throat and make it cough up the meat it fought for—that was the highest form of strategy.

“Because the woman in my arms isn’t some shameful secret,” Gu Lijue continued. “She’s Gu’s Young Madam.”

What?! This woman is the one Lijue picked?