DASFAM_50

The ten-minute break passed in a flash.

The members of the project evaluation committee walked back up, but this time Sweet's figure was notably absent.

Bai Xu narrowed his eyes, "He's gone."

Xie Qi caught on, "Young Master Bai, you mean the one who was sitting second from the left just now?"

Kailing chimed in, "Sweet Bush, one of the key people Eaglet Film Industries sent to Singapore to oversee this bidding evaluation. I heard he carries considerable influence."

Bai Xu gestured with his eyes toward Chu Yuncheng's direction, "There was a brief eye contact between them just now. I keep feeling something is off."

Xie Qi and Kailing who heard this couldn't help but feel alarm bells going off. The latter lowered her voice, "Young Master Bai, you mean Chu Yuncheng might have resorted to bribery in order to win the bid?"

Xie Qi speculated, "Resorting to any means necessary to achieve his goal, it's not impossible."

Bai Xu remained fairly composed. He wasn't in a rush to verify his suspicion, "We're already at this critical point. Let's wait for the results first."

"Alright."

This kind of mutually willing 'transaction' was indeed not something they, as fellow competitors, could have prevented in advance.

Even if Sweet and Chu Yuncheng were engaged in the illegal act of bribery, sufficient evidence would still be needed to report it. At this stage, jumping out to make accusations based on mere speculation was clearly unwise.

Rather than that, it was better to wait for the results first.

At this moment, Chu Yuncheng had no mind to pay attention to the frequent glances Bai Xu and the others were sending his way. A hint of unease flickered faintly between his brows, "Where is Sweet?"

How could he not show up at such a critical moment?

The assistant beside him heard this and deliberately lowered his voice, "Mr. Chu, could he be going back on his word?"

Chu Yuncheng considered this possibility and clenched his back teeth, "Impossible!"

The two of them had hit it off wonderfully after meeting, and the money the other party had taken from him was no small sum!

The glance Sweet had sent him before stepping down from the stage had clearly told him to proceed according to plan—could something have gone wrong?

Chu Yuncheng quickly gave his instructions, "Xiao Ge, find a way to slip backstage and look for him. If Sweet dares to pull any tricks, I won't let him get away with it!"

Assistant Xiao Ge's expression shifted slightly. He responded swiftly, "Yes, Mr. Chu, I'll go right now!"

With that, he left his seat and quickly slipped out through the narrow aisle beside him.

Chu Yate, sitting in the back row, caught sight of the assistant's departing figure and lightly nudged Shang Yanxiao beside him with his elbow, "Mr. Shang, you're in for a good show in a bit."

Long before they had entered the venue, Shang Yanxiao had already sensed that Chu Yate had made separate 'arrangements,' only he hadn't said anything to him or Bai Xu.

Shang Yanxiao met his gaze, his calm voice carrying a trace of indifference, "As long as it doesn't affect Zhouye Investment, that show of yours can play out however it likes."

"Heh."

Chu Yate gave a scoffing laugh and shrugged, continuing in a low voice, "Whether Zhouye Investment wins the bid, that depends on your and Bai Xu's efforts and ability. As for Chu Yuncheng..."

Before he could finish, the speakers around the venue came to life, carrying the voice from the stage throughout the room.

"Thank you all for your attention to the 'Eaglet Cinema' project. After careful screening, review, and comprehensive consideration, I will be representing the evaluation committee, North America Eaglet Industries, and the relevant authorities to announce the results of this bidding."

The most crucial moment had finally arrived. Everyone present had their attention instantly drawn to that voice.

Perhaps it had been too long since he had taken part in a proper professional bid—Bai Xu, who had been composed for most of the day, found himself feeling a long-absent nervousness at this moment.

For a brief instant, emotion overrode reason, and he couldn't help but glance toward the audience seats in the back.

Shang Yanxiao was still sitting in that same spot. Unlike everyone around him, his gaze was never directed at the stage. It was on Bai Xu.

Their eyes collided like that, unexpectedly yet perfectly in sync. Nothing was said, and yet Bai Xu understood—

"You trust me, right?"

"Of course I trust you."

Even if the final result this time didn't go the way either of them hoped, the effort they should have put in, the energy they should have devoted, the trust they should have given—they had never once shortchanged each other on any of it.

That was enough.

On stage, the announcement reached its final phase, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

Chu Yuncheng made no attempt to conceal his overreaching competitive drive, his gaze burning as he fixed his eyes on the evaluation committee member at the podium.

"I hereby announce that the overall construction of the Singapore Eaglet Cinema large-scale theme park, including the internal resort area, for the next five years, will be entrusted to—" the evaluation committee member's gaze swept across the major companies below the stage one by one, his voice ringing out with weight and authority, "Zhouye Investment. Congratulations!"

The moment the final result was announced, the venue instantly erupted into heated discussion.

"My god, Zhouye Investment actually pulled it off?"

"What happened to the Chu Group? How could the entire project's bid price still fall short of a small company like this?"

"And it's not just the Chu Group. Two foreign-funded companies didn't beat them either!"

"Zhouye Investment is going to be the hottest thing around now!"

The construction of this major key project would span across all industries, and the relevant authorities would be providing key support on top of that. Once this news got out, Zhouye Investment's reputation was sure to shoot straight to the top like a rocket!

Xie Qi and Kailing cheered with joy, immediately sharing the good news in the company's project group chat.

The tension in Bai Xu's chest suddenly released. His gaze once again crossed the crowd toward Shang Yanxiao, and he smugly lifted his chin.

Shang Yanxiao caught that little flash of smugness. His soft laugh was muffled behind his mask, "We won."

Chu Yate laughed along, though his attention was elsewhere, "See that? Chu Yuncheng's back is practically stiff as a plank. Too bad. From this angle we can't see his expression."

Some rejoiced while others grieved.

In contrast to the excitement and commotion to the upper right, the Chu Group's project team fell into silence.

From the very beginning, they had carried themselves with full confidence, certain that "Eaglet Cinema" was already theirs for the taking.

And now?

It had instead been snatched up by the very Zhouye Investment they had looked down on the most. Could there be anything more humiliating than this?

Faced with a defeat he had never once imagined, Chu Yuncheng's expression turned utterly ugly. He held back the raging fury surging within him, his every breath heaving with barely contained anger, "How is this possible?"

How could he possibly have lost! Even if something had gone wrong on Sweet's end, what about the bid price?

Based on the pricing floor he had obtained beforehand, the Chu Group should not have lost to Bai Xu's Zhouye Investment!

"......"

The three employees who had come along exchanged glances with one another, none of them daring to provoke Chu Yuncheng at a moment like this.

No matter how unwilling they were, this project had already fallen to Zhouye Investment.

As the representative of Zhouye Investment, Bai Xu took the stage at the invitation of the evaluation committee, signing the letter of intent with the senior representatives of Eaglet Industries in front of everyone and taking commemorative photos.

Chu Yuncheng watched all of this with his own eyes, his eyes reddening with bitter reluctance.

Bai Xu stepped down from the stage and deliberately slowed his pace as he passed by their seats.

While it was true that one shouldn't be too showy after a victory, Chu Yuncheng had caused them trouble time and time again. Bai Xu had never thought of himself as a particularly magnanimous person, and naturally he was going to 'return' every bit of the aggravation that had been piling up!

"Mr. Chu, sorry about that. I won again."

"......"

That simple line landed like an invisible slap, stinging Chu Yuncheng's face with sharp pain.

Chu Yuncheng slammed the table and shot to his feet, "Bai Xu, stop flaunting yourself here!"

Bai Xu had no patience for him and no intention of indulging him, "Mr. Chu, there are so many people watching. You should at least mind your conduct. Don't go embarrassing the Chu Group out in public."

Chu Yuncheng forced out a retort through a strangled voice, "Bai Xu, who do you think you are? I don't need you lecturing me here!"

Mid-argument, he suddenly realized something, "No. Su Yang is someone you planted! You used him to deliberately set a trap and deceive me!"

From start to finish, what Su Yang had given him was fabricated bidding information!

It was just that the information had been crafted in such meticulous detail, and the other party's performance in the private room had been so convincing, that he had been taken in—mistakenly believing that the Chu Group's bid price would surely come out ahead of Zhouye Investment's.

With the bidding concluded, the crowd in the hall began to gradually disperse, though some had noticed the scene unfolding in the front rows and quietly lingered to watch.

"Mr. Chu, one ought to have evidence when making claims!"

Bai Xu raised his voice and turned the tables, "From what you're saying, it sounds like you tried to buy off one of my employees, and attempted to steal our bidding documents?"

"You..."

Chu Yuncheng choked.

He had indeed paid money to 'buy off' Su Yang, and had specifically instructed his assistant to use someone else's account to make the transfer—all in order to leave behind no traceable evidence.

And now look. His own cleverness had turned against him.

If this matter were to be exposed now, he would only invite ridicule.

Chu Yate watched Chu Yuncheng suffer that setback and laughed inwardly, "Shooting himself in the foot. What exactly happened with Su Yang? I remember he took Chu Yuncheng's money."

Shang Yanxiao caught the second half of that sentence, his gaze sharpening, "How do you know that?"

Chu Yate realized he had let something slip, but he wasn't flustered.

He raised an eyebrow with deliberate meaning, "These days, who doesn't have their own informants? Besides, I did tip you off in advance about Su Yang 'betraying' Zhouye Group."

But looking at the situation now—was Su Yang's betrayal a pretense, and setting a trap for Chu Yuncheng the real plan?

Shang Yanxiao set aside his suspicion of what Chu Yate had said and explained in a low voice—

Chu Yuncheng had played a clever scheme, but they were no pushovers either. They had prepared early on a set of altered documents with falsified, non-genuine bid figures.

Su Yang had gotten into a big fight with his girlfriend over the matter of their marital home, and that had given Chu Yuncheng—who had been secretly investigating—an opening to attempt to buy him off.

However, Su Yang couldn't bring himself to cross that final moral line or betray his professional integrity.

On that day, after leaving the office lobby, he had turned back at the last moment and, like someone pulling back from the edge of a cliff, laid out every truth to Bai Xu—which was how he ended up becoming their bait instead.

That evening in the private room, Su Yang had put on something of a performance, but he had also used the opportunity to see through Chu Yuncheng's true character—and felt all the more relieved that he hadn't let himself sink any deeper.

"......"

Faced with Bai Xu's pointed words, Chu Yuncheng in the front row couldn't manage to get out a single word in rebuttal.

"Mr. Chu, a loss is a loss. If the ability isn't there, it isn't there!" Bai Xu said with a cold laugh, piercing through his hollow shell, "Haven't you done enough targeting Zhouye Investment behind our backs? Don't think that leaning on family standing gives you the right to look down on others!"

"Today, in front of everyone, I'm putting this on the table—"

"Other companies may give you some face out of respect for the Chu Group, but I, Bai Xu, have no respect for you. Don't come causing trouble for Zhouye Investment again!"

"If there's one more time, I'll take one project right out of your hands, Chu Yuncheng. A second time, I'll take two!"

Listening to words that bordered on arrogance, yet at their core lay an extraordinarily powerful confidence.

Bai Xu calmly received the varied gazes cast by those around him, pressuring Chu Yuncheng with sheer presence alone, "Guess. Can I pull it off or not?"

"......"

Perhaps it was the humiliation of a crushing defeat that drove him to rage, Chu Yuncheng began lashing out wildly, "Bai Xu, what are you putting on here? You dare say Zhouye Investment didn't rig this bid?"

He had clearly bribed Sweet, yet he never received the promised winning result—and instead got snatched away by a small company like Zhouye Investment!

Chu Yuncheng looked at the representatives from other companies who had yet to leave, deliberately steering the conversation, "Even if our Chu Group couldn't get it, there are other companies present. Do you think everyone else is just furniture?"

Faced with this sudden mudslinging, Bai Xu's expression darkened sharply.

Xie Qi and Kailing, who had both poured genuine effort into this, could no longer stand to listen, "Mr. Chu, we're in a public setting. The least you could do is back your words with evidence!"

A representative from one of the bidding companies immediately spoke up, "Mr. Chu, some things really shouldn't be said carelessly. Losing is a shame, yes, but we should respect our opponents."

He looked toward Bai Xu, "Mr. Bai and his project team showed real capability. We accept the loss fair and square!"

Bai Xu offered a polite smile to the representative who had spoken up for him, then abruptly slammed both hands down on the table.

—Bang!

Bai Xu leaned in close to Chu Yuncheng, contempt fully unleashed, "A dog's mouth can't produce ivory. Doesn't your own breath disgust you?"

Having been dressed down by Bai Xu time and again, Chu Yuncheng could no longer contain his fury, "Bai Xu, you're dead!"

The instant he raised his hand, his wrist was caught without warning—gripped with a force powerful enough to crush bone on the spot.

Chu Yuncheng cried out immediately in pain, "Ah!"

He turned his head and met the gaze of Shang Yanxiao. That eyes so cold and sunken they resembled a bottomless pit, sending a shudder through his heart, "You– who are you?"

"......"

Shang Yanxiao did not answer. He simply wrenched the arm back with force and kicked Chu Yuncheng to the ground in front of everyone.

The employees of the Chu Group's project team were startled and rushed over to help, "Mr- Mr. Chu! Are you alright?"

The onlookers surrounding them were equally stunned:

Who was this person?

He actually dared to lay hands on Chu directly?

Was he really going to give the Chu Group no face whatsoever?

Shang Yanxiao glanced around with indifference, commanding the room with an innate air of authority, "Ladies and gentlemen. While the evaluation committee members haven't gone far, anyone with doubts about our Zhouye Investment is welcome to file a report right now."

Bai Xu hadn't expected Shang Yanxiao to step forward so directly, and stood frozen for several seconds.

It was only when he heard Shang Yanxiao's declaration—one that carried the weight of absolute confidence—that he broke into a laugh, "That's right. Everyone is welcome to file a report."

If you have what it takes, come tear the project away. If you don't, then shut up.

Chu Yuncheng's abdomen still throbbed with a dull ache. The humiliation unlike anything he had ever felt sent his hatred surging—and before he could even pick himself up off the floor, a team of enforcement officers walked in.

The one leading them called out loudly, "Where is Chu Yuncheng of the Chu Group?"

"......"

Without a word between them, everyone shifted their gaze in the same direction.

Xie Qi pushed up his glasses and pointed without an ounce of courtesy, "Right here."

Hearing that, the enforcement officers immediately stepped forward and looked toward Chu Yuncheng, who was shakily pulling himself to his feet.

After confirming they had the right person, the officer produced his credentials and spoke plainly, "Mr. Chu, someone has filed a report under their real name accusing you of offering a large bribe to a member of the evaluation committee in an attempt to secure the bid."

Chu Yuncheng's heart lurched. He still tried to argue, "Who filed the report? You must have the wrong person."

The officer gave him no room to push back and stated the ironclad facts, "Evaluation committee member Sweet has already come forward and confessed. Mr. Chu, please come with us and cooperate with the investigation."

"......"

All color drained from Chu Yuncheng's face in an instant. He was struck completely speechless.

No matter how he thought about it, he never could have anticipated that not only would he fail to win the bid—he would expose the entire affair in front of everyone.

Bai Xu had guessed who the mastermind behind all this was. He quietly moved closer to Shang Yanxiao and murmured under his breath, "Second Chu's doing?"

This had to be the show the other party had promised in advance.

Shang Yanxiao gave a slight nod, "We stay out of it."

Bai Xu understood perfectly and kept his silence at the right moment.

The internal power struggle within the Chu Group—as outsiders, the less they involved themselves, the better.

The onlookers, unaware of the calculations at play, watched as the situation escalated. The gazes they turned on Chu Yuncheng were a mix of shock and contempt.

"So after all that, it turns out he was the one knowingly breaking the law? And he had the nerve to slander Zhouye Investment."

"A company as big as the Chu Group, and they're pulling stunts like this behind the scenes... how disgraceful. How could Old Chairman Chu allow this?"

"I don't think Old Chairman Chu necessarily even knows about this!"

"Pfft, I always said it. This Eldest Young Master Chu is all bluster and no substance. If the Chu Group ever gets handed to him, it's only a matter of time before it collapses."

"This is already illegal. Is he going to jail?"

"......"

A falling wall is pushed down by everyone.

Wave after wave of commentary ground Chu Yuncheng's pride to dust. He stood with his back rigid, wishing he could find a hole in the ground to crawl into.

The enforcement officers had long since secured detailed physical and witness evidence—how could they possibly give him any chance to wriggle free?

One of the officers came around to his side, "Mr. Chu, let's go."

Chu Yuncheng stumbled as he was shoved forward. His unfocused gaze suddenly landed on Chu Yate in the crowd—and the other man's eyes were brimming with undisguised mockery.

In an instant, the fog cleared from Chu Yuncheng's mind. He charged forward without a second thought and screamed, "Chu Yate! It was you! You're the one who set me up!"

But his momentum was forcibly cut off by the alert enforcement officers, "Mr. Chu, don't do anything rash!"

Chu Yate put on a face of perfect innocence, "Brother, what are you talking about? Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough already?"

Goaded into complete loss of composure, Chu Yuncheng tore at his own throat with his voice, "Chu Yate! You backstabbing wretch– don't give me the chance, because I'll kill you!"

Seeing that things were getting out of hand, the enforcement officers exchanged a glance and forcibly removed the raving, out-of-control Chu Yuncheng from the scene.

A farce drew to a close in the most absurd way imaginable.

Bai Xu looked across the crowd at Chu Yate, and something subtle stirred in his chest.

In full public view, he had brought Chu Yuncheng to utter disgrace—without leaving him a shred of dignity.

From this day on, the whole affair would become fresh fodder for gossip in the circle, and the question of who would succeed as the next chairman of the Chu Group would never again come down to a choice between two.

...

Half an hour later, Bai Xu finished confirming the final matters with the project evaluation committee, and both parties settled on a separate date to formally sign the contract.

The weight that had been pressing down for days finally lifted, and even the seasoned Xie Qi and Kailing couldn't hold back their excitement.

Bai Xu noticed their mood and smiled as he made arrangements, "Head back to the company and treat the whole project team to a meal. Charge it to Mr. Shang's account."

Kailing heard this and couldn't help glancing over at Shang Yanxiao.

Shang Yanxiao removed the mask that had been in his way and gave a slight nod, "Sure, do as Young Master Bai says. Just run it through my account."

Xie Qi had long since stopped being surprised by any of this, "Understood."

They had secured such an important project—everyone, from top to bottom, deserved a proper reward.

Bai Xu continued generously, "Everyone has worked hard during this stretch. How about this, pass the word down; paid leave from Wednesday through Friday. Starting next Monday, our company is entering a whole new chapter."

"Kailing, we're still short on staff, so we need to keep expanding. The department divisions also need to be much clearer than they are now."

"Understood, Mr. Bai. I'll start drafting the relevant hiring details over the next couple of days and send them over for you both to review."

Bai Xu nodded, "Good. Let's leave it there for now then."

"Sure."

...

The elevator doors slid shut.

Bai Xu thought back to the scene that had just unfolded and felt a belated wave of concern, "You shouldn't have just charged out like that. What if someone had recognized you?"

"Why are you more worried than I am about my cover being blown?"

Shang Yanxiao gave a quiet laugh, yet had no regrets about his choice, "In a situation like that, I couldn't exactly stand there and watch Chu Yuncheng's fist land on you, could I?"

Bai Xu scoffed, "Don't underestimate me. I could have blocked him."

Shang Yanxiao caught the slight prickliness in his tone and played along, "You're right. It's just that I didn't want there to be even the slightest possibility of you getting hurt."

"......"

It landed like something out of a confession.

The tips of Bai Xu's ears suddenly burned. He made a show of glancing at the elevator still descending, "Right. Where did Second Chu go? He's disappeared again."

Shang Yanxiao saw through the change of subject, "After Chu Yuncheng was taken away, he slipped off to the restroom on some excuse."

Bai Xu furrowed his brows, turning it over without finding an answer, "How do you think he got hold of evidence of Chu Yuncheng's bribe, and had the nerve to file a report under his real name? Wasn't he afraid of the whole thing reaching Old Chairman Chu?"

One family member going after another—word getting out would never sound good regardless.

Shang Yanxiao speculated, "I'm not convinced it was Second Chu who filed the report in his own name. Even so, none of this unfolded without his involvement."

"Then who was it?"

The moment the question left his lips, a possibility flashed through Bai Xu's mind.

At the same time, Shang Yanxiao gave his own answer, "Haven't you noticed, Chu Yuncheng's assistant left and never came back?"

Bai Xu raised an eyebrow, the pieces clicking into place, "As I thought."

An executive assistant looked unremarkable on the surface, yet in a certain sense was the person in any company who understood their boss the most—holding a great deal that outsiders would never know.

Bai Xu marveled at it, "Second Chu even got to him?"

Shang Yanxiao's expression remained cool, entirely unsurprised, "What does a little scheming like this amount to in a wealthy family? If you really want to get into it, Chu Yuncheng was simply too incompetent."

Too foolish to even notice that the people around him had turned against him—someone who couldn't keep even that in check had no business trying to control everyone above and below him in a group that size.

The words had barely settled when the elevator doors opened.

The two had only just stepped out when they unexpectedly caught the sound of a conversation drifting from the stairwell next door.

"Second Young Master Chu, is there truly no way I can stay on at the Group?"

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