No One Else Will Do But You - Chapter 62

Recent news headlines had been dominated by the Jiang Group’s plummeting stock prices and a downturn in the real estate market, sparking significant public concern. Simultaneously, the Group’s partners—Vison Group and Ginza International—also saw their shares begin to slide.

“President Jiang, how could such a massive loophole in the company not be disclosed to the Board? Now that the crisis has hit, you come to us? Where were you before this happened?” Zhou Shen, who held a 5% stake in the Jiang Group and was a veteran from the old Guohong Technology days, voiced his outrage.

Jiang Qin was equally baffled. The overseas department’s latest investment should not have incurred losses in the hundreds of millions; the outcome was diametrically opposed to their projections. Consequently, Jiang Group Real Estate had been forced to slash housing prices in a desperate attempt to mitigate the crisis.

Having been with the company for over thirty years, Zhou Shen naturally resented the newly ascended Jiang Mu. However, he had little choice—Jiang Mu held the largest share of the company.

“Zhou Shen, don’t be so anxious. I believe Jiang Mu has a plan,” Jiang Qin replied. Though she defended him, she too was unsure why Jiang Mu hadn’t made a move yet. The market would open tomorrow, and she dreaded the prospect of witnessing a total market collapse.

“President Jiang, I trust your abilities, but Jiang Mu is too young. His resume isn’t deep enough. Some board members are already dissatisfied. The old Guohong was resurrected by your hands; we cannot let it backslide.”

Jiang Qin looked out the window, taking a deep breath. She couldn’t reveal that Jiang Mu was the one who had actually secured the enterprise in the first place—he had strictly requested she keep that secret. But with the current capital shortage, the situation was no longer a minor concern.

“Fine. I will give the Board an explanation. You may go now.”

A dark glint flashed in Zhou Shen’s eyes. He was merely waiting for tomorrow’s market opening. “Very well. I’ll await your news.”

Standing before the floor-to-ceiling window, Jiang Qin’s brow remained furrowed in deep thought.

At Vison Group —

“President Shu, what is our next move? Jiang Group opens tomorrow.”

Shu’s father sat at the center of the conference table. He was preparing for battle. Vison and the Jiang Group were now “grasshoppers on the same rope”—they had to advance or retreat together.

“Buy up the minority shares. As many as possible,” he commanded. This was exactly what Jiang Mu had instructed, using a private fund Jiang Mu had provided.

The situation was unique. This “play” had to be performed convincingly to flush out the traitor lurking in the shadows. The mastermind was hell-bent on sabotaging the Vison-Jiang partnership, and this crisis provided the perfect opportunity to draw them out.

Back in early 2012, both groups had invested in a real estate venture in the United States to take the Jiang brand international. The funding was in place and the marketing was flawless, yet the project suddenly went cold. Sales plummeted, resulting in a loss of over a billion dollars.

The business plan had been sound. Only upon investigation did the truth emerge: someone was sabotaging them from within. This, combined with the earlier kidnapping, was all part of a calculated scheme.

The Azure Dragon Gang was the force behind the curtain. In recent years, this gang had surged in power, possessing a terrifyingly vast intelligence network. They operated on the fringes of the law, often leaving the police powerless.

Lin Wenhui, the former head of the overseas department at the old Guohong, had been in charge of the American project. He was eventually arrested for the massive embezzlement of company funds. The sheer scale of his theft had compromised the engineering projects, which was where the trouble began.

He was sentenced to thirteen years. At fifty-seven, he would be an old man by the time he was released. Unable to bear the blow, his wife committed suicide. Their only son, Lin Kun—who was about to graduate from medical school—was consumed by a desire for revenge.

Knowing that Shu Luo was the “Crown Prince” of Vison Group and the adopted brother of the Jiang Group’s CEO, Lin Kun had used a filmed video to stir up a public relations nightmare. While the scandal damaged the reputations of both companies, it was only the beginning.

Lin Wenhui had long been weaving a net to help someone else take over the Jiang Group. Unfortunately for him, he had gone up against Jiang Mu. Now that Lin Kun was also sentenced to ten years for intentional assault, the Lin family was finished.

Yet, the matter was far from over. The Azure Dragon Gang had finally made its move.

Traffic in the city was, as always, congested. In the backseat of his car, Jiang Mu stared at his tablet, his face expressionless.

“Boss, President Shu replied. Everything is ready.”

“Good. Then we just wait for the show to begin,” Jiang Mu said. His tone was so flat it seemed as though he were discussing a trivial errand rather than a corporate war.

Xiao Fang, his assistant, was curious. “Boss, how did you know Zhou Shen was the one behind this?”

Jiang Mu looked up, the cold sharpness in his eyes exerting the heavy pressure of a true leader. “If you don’t want people to know what you’ve done, then don’t do it in the first place.”

Jiang Mu was well aware of Zhou Shen’s maneuvers; poor Lin Wenhui had merely been a pawn. Originally, Jiang Mu had secured 45% of the shares from Zhou Shen. Currently, Jiang Qin held 10%, Zhou Shen held 5% (reduced from 10%), two other directors held 5% and 10% respectively, and the rest were minority shares. Buying those shares at their current low price was a tactical necessity.

Zhou Shen was ambitious, but not nearly shrewd enough. Seeing the cold smirk on Jiang Mu’s face through the rearview mirror, Xiao Fang couldn’t help but shiver.

Tsk, tsk. You can provoke anyone, but never Boss Jiang. His mixed-race genes were clearly too powerful. There was a reason Xiao Fang, at twenty-five, was still working for a twenty-year-old.

Xiao Fang then remembered something. He reached for an item in the passenger seat. “Oh, right, Boss. Master Shu came by this morning and asked me to give this to you. You happened to be out.”

He handed a gift bag to the back. Upon hearing Shu Luo’s name, Jiang Mu’s expression instantly softened.

Master Shu truly is the universal cure, Xiao Fang thought. Boss has a dark face? Call Master Shu. Boss is angry? Call Master Shu.

Inside the bag was an exquisite box. Jiang Mu opened it to find a deep blue tie clip—simple, elegant, and tasteful. A card was tucked inside:

Bro, I found the key!

Jiang Mu didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh, but his eyes were overflowing with indulgence.

Ugh, goosebumps, Xiao Fang thought, sensing the “high-energy” romantic aura coming from the back seat.

Lately, Shu Luo had been living quite comfortably. Having escaped his father’s strict supervision, he had moved back into the apartment. Jiang Mu had justified it by saying, “This is the only way to ensure your complete safety.”

Shu’s father had nearly exploded with rage at the excuse.

However, Shu’s mother—who was kept in the dark about the romance—thought it was a fine idea. The school was far from home, and she trusted Jiang Mu to look after him. Since they had grown up together, she saw no issue.

Shu’s father had originally hoped to “rescue” the two from their relationship, but his plan was thwarted before it could even begin—mostly because his wife had found out about the kidnapping. Upon returning home, he was nearly forced to stand in the corner as punishment for keeping secrets. In their house, the wife’s word was law.

As for the two young men… he would deal with them later. For now, there were more pressing matters to attend to.

Back at school, Shu Luo was happily attending his anatomy class, though he was receiving some strange looks. Is anatomy really that fun? his classmates wondered.

Chen Cheng watched Shu Luo’s deft movements. After a month-long leave, Shu Luo looked radiant. “Shu Luo, what did you do during your leave?” Chen Cheng asked, curious.

Shu Luo gave a mysterious smile. “Take a guess.”

Chen Cheng hated that answer.

Suddenly, someone called out from the hallway, “Shu Luo! Someone’s here to see you.”

Shu Luo’s expression shifted. The previous incident had made him naturally cautious. Then, He Zeming appeared at the door.