Media reporters were broadcasting live, and Zhang Qiang was arrested right after coming out, so there was no chance for interviews. Hearing the various charges being read out, people were shocked.
No matter which charge it was, Zhang Qiang was looking at a prison sentence of more than ten years, especially the attempted murder charge, which could potentially result in a life sentence if the judgment went in the severe direction.
The media reporters were at a loss for how to proceed. They had been waiting to profit from interviewing Zhang Qiang, but now they were like headless flies, not knowing where to go.
Some individuals were trying to set the narrative, suggesting conspiracy theories like whether Shang Industries had plotted against Zhang Qiang. In reality, those with malicious capitalist motives found it simpler to crush an ordinary person than squashing an ant. Zhang Qiang must have been framed to be arrested.
People were buzzing about it online, and Shang Industries’ market value and stock prices plummeted once again. The public relations department activated the highest emergency plan to control the direction of public opinion.
Inside Shang Industries’ headquarters, in the conference room, shareholders and senior executives gathered.
Shang Lu sat at the central position of the table, with directors and shareholders on both sides. Shang’s father and Shang Jingyao sat on the left side.
The atmosphere in the conference room was tense. The senior executives had serious expressions, while the managers either sweated nervously and lowered their heads or stared at the table. It seemed like they were coming together to resolve the company’s crisis, but in reality, it was a power struggle.
The shareholders, led by Shang’s father, stared at Shang Lu, their words sharp, accusing him of selfishly endangering the company and causing many projects to be halted.
Shang’s father had a stern expression as he said, “Shang Lu, because of your actions, the company’s market value has evaporated by over a hundred billion. The impact has been severe. We have unanimously decided to remove you from the board of directors.”
Shang Lu’s facial expression remained cool and composed as he glanced around the room, and those who met his gaze seemed to lower their heads out of unease.
Many of the company’s senior executives didn’t want to get involved in the internal power struggle, but due to the ongoing crisis, they were compelled to participate in the meeting initiated by Shang’s father to vote on Shang Lu’s removal.
The conference room erupted into heated arguments. Many of the senior executives who had been following Shang Lu’s lead stood firmly by his side. On the other hand, the newly appointed managers sided with Shang’s father in supporting Shang Jingyao’s ascendancy. The crafty individuals chose to adopt a wait-and-see approach since both Shang Lu and Shang Jingyao were potential heirs to Shang Industries. Offending either of them wouldn’t bode well for their future.
In the two months since Shang Lu’s return to the company, with the support of Shang’s father, he had quickly gained a strong foothold and won over several high-ranking executives. Fate seemed to be on his side as the nanny incident hadn’t caused any public scandal. Shang Lu wouldn’t be pushed into a corner so quickly. He had held control of Shang Industries for far too long, and it was time for a change.
Shang Jingyao’s expression remained icy as he said, “Shang Lu, today has arrived at the time you agreed upon with Grandfather. If you can’t resolve this matter today, you must honor your agreement and step down from Shang Industries.”
Shang Lu replied calmly, “Today is not over yet. Why are you in such a hurry?”
“Shang Lu, you will step down sooner or later. Delaying the inevitable won’t help,” Shang’s father asserted.
Having already spoken privately with various directors and shareholders, Shang’s father was confident that they could force Shang Lu to step down today. He continued, “Let the shareholders and senior executives decide.”
“Those in favor of Shang Lu stepping down, please raise your hands.”
Shang’s father led the way, and one after another, people raised their hands in the conference room. This included about half of the attendees, including Shang Jingyao, who had ambitions clearly reflected in his eyes.
Some individuals hesitated. They feared Shang Lu’s authority and reputation. After all, they knew that attempts to challenge his authority in the past had been met with swift and decisive action from Shang Lu.
This time, Shang Lu was deeply embroiled in a public relations crisis, and with Shang’s father and Shang Jingyao joining forces, his situation was indeed precarious.
The senior executives sweated on their foreheads and constantly observed Shang Lu’s expression. They were genuinely fearful because standing on the wrong side could potentially ruin their careers.
Shang Lu had a cold and retaliatory personality. If someone offended him, their fate would undoubtedly be extremely miserable.
“Is there no one else?” Shang’s father, seeing that only half of the votes were in favor of the decision to remove Shang Lu, raised his voice and threatened, “You better think carefully about whether the company or following Shang Lu is more important.”
The conference room fell into a silent pause.
As some people hesitantly raised their hands, Zhou, the special assistant, entered the room.
“Mr. Shang, it’s time for your meeting with the editor-in-chief of the New Day newspaper. The marketing accounts deliberately tarnishing the company’s image have all been dealt with.”
The fact that the editor-in-chief of the New Day newspaper had come personally to interview Shang Lu indicated that Shang Lu had enough evidence to counter the crisis.
Shang Lu wasn’t pushed into a corner with no means to fight back. As the central figure in the struggle for control, he now seemed to overlook those beneath him, like a god observing the antics of clowns.
When the time was up, he began to reveal his hand.
Those who had their hands half-raised were frozen in place, their expressions comical.
Shang Lu, his hands resting on the wheelchair’s armrest, his black eyes cold, said, “Would you mind waiting for me for another half an hour?”
The room fell silent.
The veteran shareholders who supported Shang’s father and Shang Jingyao wore extremely unpleasant expressions, and cold sweat appeared on their foreheads.
“Mr. Shang…”
Shang Lu remained expressionless, slowly passing by them from behind.
Suddenly, Shang Jingyao stood up, and his chair fell down with the force of his movement. He tensely shouted, “Shang Lu, was all of this part of your calculations?”
Shang Lu gave Shang Jingyao a glance and left the conference room.
Shang’s father and Shang Jingyao wore extremely grim expressions, and they understood in their hearts that they had lost this battle.
When Shang Lu said they had to wait for another half an hour, everyone in the conference room felt like they were waiting on death row, their emotions filled with anxiety and fear.
Shang Jingyao checked his phone and saw discussions among employees in the company’s group chat. With the authoritative news and strong evidence presented, the accusations against Zhang Qiang and his mother for theft, attempted murder, defamation, and other charges were all refuted, silencing the online rumors.
The internet was not a lawless place, and many malicious accounts that were manipulating the narrative had all received court summonses.
The police issued a statement, informing the public that Zhang Qiang had been detained and was awaiting a life sentence, and the mastermind behind the scenes, Zhu, would also face appropriate punishment.
A series of actions turned the situation around, resolving the crisis for the company and restoring its reputation, while also generating a surge of interest.
Shang Lu’s patience had been paving the way for this day. The losses the company incurred in the first half of the month were insignificant in comparison. After the truth was revealed, the company’s stock price skyrocketed by hundreds of billions, with a trend of continued growth.
Seizing this opportunity, Shang Lu could also use it to eliminate those within the company who had hidden agendas and solidify his position completely.
The high-level executives who had believed in the benefits promised by Shang’s father were filled with deep regret. They wished they could kneel before Shang Lu and beg for forgiveness. They had been completely deluded, thinking that the lion who had led Shang Industries through the financial storm and battles would turn into a sick cat.
…
After finishing her dance practice, Su Banxia lay on the floor to rest. As soon as she picked up her phone, she saw a series of news notifications with explosive headlines, all related to Shang Lu’s clarifications.
Financial news, trending topics on various platforms, and many people posting about their views on the matter of Shang Lu being falsely accused by the nanny.
How could they view it? They watched it while standing, and while lying down, of course.
Su Banxia clicked into the interview by New Daily. Little Lu, unlike his previous low-profile demeanor, had surprisingly allowed New Daily to take a half-body photo. His side profile was sharp, his eyes slightly lowered against the backlight, and he looked incredibly handsome.
When she saw another piece of news, she furrowed her brows. Her initial speculation had been correct. Behind Zhang Qiang, there was an instigator, and that instigator turned out to be Zhu, the peacock from the Zhu family.
It must have been due to their previous humiliation at Zhu’s house, where they lost the real estate bidding. Zhu Yuejin had been nursing a grudge and wanted to bring Shang Lu down, ruining his reputation and standing.
It must have been due to their previous humiliation at Zhu’s house, where they lost the real estate bidding. Zhu Yuejin had been nursing a grudge and wanted to bring Shang Lu down, ruining his reputation and standing.
Su Banxia gritted her teeth in anger and opened the system app. She went to the in-game store and exchanged for a linguistic magic item. Although she could only speak five words, it was enough to punish the other party.
“Zhu Yuejin, break your legs.”
Zhu Yuejin had mocked Shang Lu’s disability in the past, so now he could experience what it was like to live with broken legs.
At the same time, Zhu Yuejin, who was spending time with a woman, heard the news that the police were coming to arrest him. He hastily put on his pants and ran out of the hotel suite, fleeing down the corridor in a panic.
Suddenly, Zhu Yuejin stepped into thin air and fell down the corridor, letting out a painful scream that echoed through the hallway.
The police officers in pursuit heard the sound and rushed to the scene. They saw Zhu Yuejin with his pants caught around his legs, crying and wailing, begging, “My legs, please help me check my legs.”
“The linguistic magic has been implemented,” the childish voice of the system reminded.
Su Banxia looked at the small round ball that suddenly appeared and beckoned, “Ao Bai, come here quickly.”
The small round ball flew to her and was gently stroked in her hand, emitting a series of mixed sounds.
“Master, it tickles, don’t touch it, hehehe, hahaha, wuwuwu.”
Su Banxia stopped her hand, “So you have a sense of touch too. How about this?”
She applied a bit more pressure, and Ao Bai made a comfortable sound as if enjoying being petted, “Comfortable~”
A smile appeared on Su Banxia’s face. It seemed that no matter the species, they all liked to be gently petted. She continued to stroke while holding her phone, looking at various data on the interface.
In fact, a few days ago, she received a big surprise. However, this surprise was rather embarrassing. After she slept with Shang Lu, she was shocked to find that her luck value had skyrocketed.
After sleeping a few times, three luck value stars shone brightly, and she had reclaimed 60% of her luck value. She began to suspect that she was the rumored “fox spirit” who gained luck value by sleeping with Shang Lu. It was quite embarrassing.
…
Time passed quickly.
In the days that followed, Su Banxia focused on her dance practice, and Shang Lu didn’t disturb her. After finishing his work, he would sneak a few glances at the entrance of the dance studio.
For her upcoming stage performance, Su Banxia needed a custom dance costume. Shang Lu introduced her to a designer, and a tailor-made silk dance dress was created for her. Two days before the competition, she received the dress through delivery.
Opening the package and taking out the dress from the box, her eyes sparkled like stars.
It was incredibly beautiful, stunningly so!
The design of the dance dress was uniquely exquisite. Holding it in her hands felt like cradling a piece of the galaxy. The elegant and beautiful dress was mesmerizing.
Su Banxia turned to look at Shang Lu and exclaimed excitedly, “I’m going to try it on to show you!”
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