My Virtual Girlfriend-Chapter 440 I Thought You Were Going to Confess (6000 words)
Chapter 440: Chapter 440 I Thought You Were Going to Confess (6000 words)
In the eyes of most financial institutions worldwide that were hemorrhaging money, it was like a glittering diamond. It had garnered the attention of most media in Hong Kong.
Moreover, it should be noted that the Hong Kong media had been keeping tabs on Chen Yan for quite some time.
From the time when the gold futures began to rise, they had been collecting and investigating information on Chen Yan.
At that time, they only considered him a financial whiz.
They wanted to add fuel to the fire and hype it up a bit to grab some eyeballs.
As a result, now that these impressive achievements had been made public, they didn’t need to exaggerate anymore; the results spoke for themselves.
So, that very day, various major media outlets in Hong Kong, from gossip channels to even TV stations, began to report Chen Yan’s accomplishments one after another.
And as the pioneers of eye-catching headlines in the new media era, the titles these Hong Kong media came up with were all exceptionally sensational and explosive.
For example,
"Mainland Entertainment Mogul Storms Hong Kong"
"Video Game Expert Takes You to the Lofty Realm of Gold Futures"
"Mainland Tycoon Racks Up Billions, Famous Actress Bows Down to Offer Her Peach in Return"
"Wealthy Entertainment Mogul Trades Gold by Day, Flutters Among Butterflies by Night, Never Tiring"
...
All of them were headlines that would instantly get the blood pumping and make people itch to click on the news article.
As for Chen Yan on Qin Island, when he first saw these headlines, he too felt an adrenaline rush.
Not because he was enticed by the headlines, but because the last few seemed to be alluding to Lu Man.
Chen Yan could afford to ignore them, but Lu Man was a female celebrity and could not afford to be associated with such scandalous news.
Therefore, he quickly checked the content of the articles.
After reading them... he realized that these unscrupulous media outlets could really make up anything.
The first one mentioned "storming Hong Kong," which to the uninformed sounded like Chen Yan was about to launch some kind of violent attack. It turned out to be about how Chen Yan had "cleansed" the financial circle of Hong Kong.
No need to talk about the second one; it was a typical headline that used lewd words to attract attention.
The third and fourth were what Chen Yan cared about the most.
But after reading them, he found they were nothing but baseless insinuations by the media, claiming that several female celebrities in Hong Kong were throwing themselves at him.
The fourth one even came with a cartoon.
During the day, Chen Yan, in a suit and with a cigar, was dealing with billions of dollars at a time.
At night, Chen Yan, in a bathrobe, was playing "Russian roulette" with a bunch of famous actresses from Hong Kong.
It had to be said, without the domestic censorship system, the cartoon was indeed thrilling to look at.
If it hadn’t been about himself, Chen Yan would surely have happily discussed the romantic escapades of other tycoons with friends.
The Hong Kong media’s strategy was just these three tricks: exaggeration, lewdness, and celebrity gossip.
So, after looking at a few more media magazines, Chen Yan lost interest.
However, news about him was currently the hot topic in Hong Kong.
And thanks to those unscrupulous media, his fortune was now close to a hundred billion, making him the number one person in the mainland entertainment industry.
However, Chen Yan felt that he could not just let the media have control over the narrative.
Thus, after much deliberation, he called He Mengxue.
Having gradually started to treat He Mengxue as one of his own, Chen Yan did not hold back when asking for her help.
After all, his network of contacts and relationships was not fully established, as he had only been in the business for a few years.
Faced with such a situation, he indeed felt somewhat powerless.
So, leveraging the resources of the He family to resolve this issue had become the simplest method.
After receiving Chen Yan’s call, He Mengxue was also very anxious, as she was well aware of what those unscrupulous media in Hong Kong were capable of.
They could twist the truth beyond recognition.
Even more problematic was that quite a few media outlets in the mainland could be influenced by the Hong Kong media.
If Chen Yan’s incident in Hong Kong fermented further and then spread back to the mainland, who knows what might happen.
Thus, after hanging up the phone, He Mengxue left the company and went directly to Wutong Group to meet her father.
Returning to Wutong Group, He Mengxue’s mindset was now completely different.
In the past, she was the future owner of this place, working here and developing here with a superior air innate to her.
And with her family’s protection, her smooth career progression made her even more condescending.
That was also the reason she had always presented a cold visage as the ice queen CEO in the company.
But when she left Wutong Group, without the family’s protection, venturing out on her own, He Mengxue realized just how friendly this place was and how cordial its people were.
Although she couldn’t really say she had lost anything, the contrast brought a change in her attitude.
It felt like a daughter who had married off was returning to her maternal home.
Therefore, arriving at Wutong Group, He Mengxue showed a change from her usual icy demeanor to a warm smile, responding cheerfully to the greetings from employees she encountered.
She even stopped to chat with a few people she knew.
With this new approach, she made her way to the chairman’s office.
Knocking on the door, the steady and authoritative voice of He Ruifeng from inside said, "Come in."
He Mengxue pushed the door open to see her father, He Ruifeng, practicing indoor golf, swinging his club.
His assistant stood by with a towel, standing straight and serving him.
He didn’t seem surprised to see He Mengxue arrive.
Hearing He Mengxue enter, while his gaze was still fixed on the line between the ball and the hole, He Ruifeng didn’t look up as he asked, "You’re back?"
He Mengxue nodded and said, "Dad, I have a favor to ask of you."
Having finished speaking, He Ruifeng merely grunted through his nose, then countered without a change in tone, "Is it about Chen Yan?"
He Mengxue was left speechless, opening her mouth as if to explain but, knowing her father’s personality, ultimately she replied truthfully, "Yes."
He Ruifeng, still gesturing with the golf club, casually asked, "The issue in Hong Kong?"
He Mengxue replied with another "Yes."
He Ruifeng chuckled then posed another question, "Are you sure you can really be with him?"
"Our young friend doesn’t seem like someone who likes to play it safe, does he?"
If it had been before, He Mengxue would have unhesitatingly stated her belief.
She believed that Chen Yan would eventually come to like her.
She also believed that she would ultimately win over Chen Yan.
But... having clashed several times, especially after seeing the capability of the women around Chen Yan, He Mengxue had actually lost much of her confidence.
However, if she retreated just like that, it certainly wouldn’t match Miss He’s personality.
So she replied without hesitation, "Whether I end up with him or not, I would still help with this matter."
He Ruifeng made a thoughtful "Oh?" sound.
He Mengxue continued, "After all, he is now my most important business partner. The projects we are working on together are already worth billions, and in the future, they could be worth tens or even hundreds of billions."
"If his image is tarnished, it could negatively affect the growth of the enterprise."
He Ruifeng swung his golf club gently.
There was a crisp "tap" as the golf ball went straight forward before slowly rolling into the hole.
He passed the club to his assistant and, grabbing the towel from him, began to wipe his hands as he pressed the issue, "If there are no personal feelings involved and his image is being damaged, which may impact the business..."
"Why haven’t you considered pushing him out and replacing him?"
He Mengxue was taken aback. She had never expected her father to make such a suggestion, especially from such an angle.
Caught unprepared, she stuttered, "That, that would be too unethical."
He Ruifeng returned to his desk and, looking for something in a drawer while asking, "Ethics?"
"What does this have to do with ethics?"
"You both are in a business partnership, and if he is causing a negative impact on the company, you can rightfully demand that he take responsibility, compensate, or even withdraw." ƒгeewebnovёl.com
"That’s normal business practice."
Reaching for what he had been searching—the document—he locked eyes with his daughter, speaking in a teasing tone, "Moreover, your company now holds a 10% stake in Headline Technology and a 35% stake in the ride-hailing service, the future value of which could very well be in the many billions."
"Capital seeks profit."
"Let’s not even discuss the difficulty of you ending up with him; even if you could handle him..."
"That’s billions. How many billions does our family have?"
"Over the years, how many people have fought to the bitter end over assets worth hundreds of millions or tens of billions?"
"Do you even grasp how much money that is..."
Hearing He Ruifeng’s words, He Mengxue found herself at a loss for words.
However, it wasn’t that she had never considered these things.
Even if there were hundreds of billions, what was the point if she couldn’t be with Chen Yan?
She was born with the right to inherit billions in assets.
But boyfriends or husbands weren’t something that came bundled with birth...
Of course, these were thoughts He Mengxue couldn’t share with her own father.
So she switched gears, coming up with a different excuse, and said, "Dad, it’s not about whether I want to do it or not."
"It’s about whether I can do it."
"With Chen Yan alone holding more than half of the company’s shares and I have only fifteen percent, I simply don’t have the capability to kick him out."
Hearing his daughter’s words, a more amused smile appeared on He Ruifeng’s face.
He finally seemed to locate the document he was looking for and pulled it out, closing the drawer.
Lifting his head toward He Mengxue, he proposed, "What if I told you that your share could reach over forty percent, giving you veto power and leverage to negotiate and divide shares with Chen Yan?"
Hearing her father’s words, He Mengxue was astonished beyond belief, and she blurted out without composure, "Impossible!"
"How could I possibly get over forty percent of the shares and veto power?"
He Ruifeng didn’t respond but simply tossed the document onto the table, tapping on it, "Take a look yourself."
After that, he nonchalantly opened the cigar box on his desk and began cutting a cigar.
He Mengxue swallowed hard, stepped forward, and picked up the document from the table.
Immediately upon reading it, she was taken aback.
For it was merely a notice of lawsuit.
The plaintiff was Zhao Group.
The defendants were Qin Island Dream Fund and Chen’s Investment Company.
Within the content of the lawsuit, the reason for the suit was set forth:
Zhao Group, after investigation, discovered that during Zhao Xuan’s tenure at Qin Island Zhao’s Limited Company, he had embezzled and siphoned off corporate funds totaling 1.8 billion, 1.5 billion of which was invested into the Qin Island Dream Fund.
Qin Island Dream Fund, in partnership with Chen Yan, founded Chen’s Investment Company.
During the establishment of Chen’s Investment Company, the pledged capital amounted to 2.2 billion. Chen Yan had claimed a 60% share of the company through technical investment.
Zhao Group harbored suspicions of criminal actions involving improper benefit transfers or collusion to embezzle company finances.
So, Zhao Group requested the court to temporarily freeze the assets of the Qin Island Dream Fund and Chen’s Investment.
And replace the actual control of Chen’s Investment.
Moreover, initiate an investigation on the personnel related to this case.
After reading the lawsuit, He Mengxue was a bit stunned and looked towards He Ruifeng.
He Ruifeng lit a cigar, looked at his daughter, and said slowly, "Zhao Group dares to sue, they probably really have found evidence of Zhao Xuan transferring funds."
"And Chen Yan’s technology shareholding indeed violates regulations."
"You know, although the law recognizes technology shareholding, the technology has to be evaluable and quantifiable."
"But foresight is not considered technology..."
At this point, He Ruifeng paused, "Even if it’s technology, holding 60% is exaggerated."
"The court will most likely determine there’s an issue with this shareholding."
"So, Zhao Group, this time, is indeed well-prepared."
"You all have been fooled by their covert scheme."
Hearing her father’s words, He Mengxue panicked.
She couldn’t help saying, "Then, what should we do!"
He Ruifeng looked at her deeply, deliberately misinterpreting her words, "Are you asking what we should do?"
He Ruifeng took a puff from his cigar, the smoke swirling.
He said, "The best thing for us is... to make up the 1.5 billion ourselves and turn the shares in Zhao Ying’s hands into our own."
"Then, to counter-sue Chen Yan."
"Request the court to re-evaluate the shares held due to his technology shareholding. Redistribute the shares. Force him to relinquish control of the company."
"Believe me, with this combination of punches, Chen’s Investment will be able to bear the He surname in the future."
"Our He family, also taking advantage of the opportunity with Chen’s Investment, will formally enter the internet and investment industries."
"And in a few years, we will have tens of billions more in assets."
Hearing her father’s words, He Mengxue couldn’t hold back anymore.
For the first time, she lost her temper at her father, "I won’t!"
"I don’t want to betray Chen Yan!"
Just as she wanted to continue, He Ruifeng slammed the table, interrupting her, "This is not betrayal!"
"He was careless in his actions! Someone caught him out!"
"Even if we don’t take him down, the Zhao family will!"
"Since that’s the case, why can’t it be the He family!"
"It’s purely a business move!"
At this point, He Ruifeng looked at He Mengxue again, persuading her, "Xiao Xue. Think about it. If Chen’s Investment changes hands, Chen Yan’s career is hindered, financial issues arise."
"He must rely on you even more!"
"Among all those women around him, is there any one of them who can offer him the kind of support you can at a time like this?"
He Ruifeng answered his own question, "There’s none."
"This way, wouldn’t you be able to be with him?"
Hearing her father’s words, He Mengxue was dumbfounded on the spot.
In her mind, it was as if an angel and a devil were fighting.
One side was saying, "This is betrayal, Chen Yan will never forgive you."
The other side was saying, "So what if it’s betrayal? That’s tens of billions, and you can even get Chen Yan. Even if you can’t win his heart, at least you’ve got him~!"
"Don’t forget, if you don’t betray him, you might not even get to be with him..."
The words of the two little figures seemed incomparable.
So, in just a moment, He Mengxue made her decision.
She looked at her father and said with resentment, "Dad! I really misjudged you!"
"I’ll tell you! I will never hurt the person I love like this in my life! Nor will I make money in such a way!"
"Even if Chen Yan doesn’t like me, doesn’t choose me! But I only want to stand by his side with integrity!"
"That’s right! I will tell Chen Yan about this matter!"
"I hope you think twice!"
After saying that, He Mengxue left the room furiously, not even glancing at her old father.
After all, in her heart, these two options indeed had no comparability.
No matter what was on the other side of the scale, "betraying Chen Yan" was something she could not accept...
...
And at this moment, in the chairman’s office behind He Mengxue, He Ruifeng fiddled with his cigar and sighed, "Ah. She’s so headstrong. So headstrong."
"For a man, to treat me, her old father, like this..."
His assistant, seeing this, comforted him, "Uncle, Xiao Xue is just angry. Once she cools down, she’ll realize you were just ascertaining her feelings. You didn’t really mean it."
He Ruifeng chuckled bitterly.
He set the cigar aside and then spoke with a complicated gaze,
"Do you think I’ve really never been moved?"
Halfway through his words, He Ruifeng did not continue.
He sighed again and then instructed his assistant, "Call Zhou Qixiong in Hong Kong, mention Chen Yan’s situation, tell him to help press down on it."
The assistant nodded, "Yes, uncle."
After agreeing, the assistant left the office.
And He Ruifeng sighed again, saying, "Ah. She’s so headstrong..."
He Mengxue, after returning to the company, became more and more angry.
Furthermore, she felt the issue was too significant.
The prosperity of Chen Group was not smooth sailing; there were two formidable enemies lurking outside: yes, she now considered her own He family as an enemy too.
So, after much thought, she finally decided to tell Chen Yan about this matter!
Thinking this, He Mengxue got herself together, then went up to the 18th floor, to the gaming company.
She arrived at the general manager’s office at the gaming company and knocked on the door.
Chen Yan inside did not respond.
He Mengxue curiously listened; it seemed like she could faintly hear Chen Yan’s voice coming from inside. But it was just his voice.
He Mengxue thought for a moment: Could it be he was on a phone call?
Indeed, after another two minutes, once the voice faded, He Mengxue knocked again, then Chen Yan’s voice came from inside, "Come in."
He Mengxue entered through the door and saw Chen Yan smiling as he hung up the phone.
After hanging up the phone, Chen Yan looked up at He Mengxue and immediately said with a smile, "Meng Xue, you’re here?"
"Come, sit down and let’s talk."
Seeing Chen Yan’s cheerful demeanor now hurt He Mengxue.
She always felt that if Chen Yan knew that the Zhao family and the He family were after him, he would be startled.
So, she looked at Chen Yan, considered her words, and then said, "Chen Yan, I have to tell you something. You must be mentally prepared."
Chen Yan, seeing her seriousness, was taken aback, then he smiled and said, "Okay, tell me."
He Mengxue took a deep breath, adjusted her mood, and then said, "The Zhao family has sued you, looking to obtain control of Chen’s Investment. Our He family is also scheming against you."
"You’re in a lot of trouble right now."
After finishing, He Mengxue kept watching Chen Yan’s expression, wanting to see if he would be greatly shocked.
Unexpectedly to her,
Upon hearing her words, Chen Yan looked bewildered for a moment, then burst into laughter, "I thought it was something serious. You were so solemn; I thought you were about to confess your love to me..."
He Mengxue: ?
The result was unexpected to her.
Upon hearing her words, Chen Yan looked bewildered for a moment, then burst into laughter, "I thought it was something serious. You were so solemn; I thought you were about to confess your love to me..."
