The Possessive Villain Is Too Clingy [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 40

To the astonishment of Ye Zhixia and Chu Ning, the first to collapse was actually Dasheng.

Dasheng Group, which had risen to prominence through real estate and built its empire upon it, now found itself besieged by creditors and laborers demanding unpaid wages across multiple cities. The reason? A cascade of real estate project failures and management teams absconding with funds.

As Chu Ning watched the news in the airport lounge, she had anticipated Dasheng’s troubles, but she still raised an eyebrow when she saw the headlines about Feng Yiqun and Feng Tianming being taken away by regulators.

Hadn’t the Feng family prepared contingency plans for every scenario?

Turns out, they were just paper tigers.

But she had no time to worry about others. The real estate projects under the Chu Group were also facing a slew of issues, and the company’s stock had plummeted along with the broader market.

For real estate developers, the entire process—from land acquisition to construction—is an investment phase. Only when sales are completed and all funds are recouped does a full transaction conclude.

The drop in Chu Group’s stock was one problem, but the bigger issue was the frozen capital in real estate, leading to a severe cash flow crunch.

In stark contrast, Zhulin, the small company Chu Ning had founded, stood out against the two bloated conglomerates that had recklessly expanded, ignoring policy shifts and market demands.

Zhulin’s performance had grown rapidly over the years, with Cloud Dragon Valley dominating the gaming industry’s revenue charts. Though its overall earnings couldn’t rival those of the giants, its private status shielded it from the stock market turmoil.

As she waited for her flight, Chu Ning pondered whether this modest venture could be her lifeline.

Just before boarding, her younger brother, Chu Hui, called.

“Sis, I’m sorry. I’ve been in training these past few days and didn’t have my phone with me,” he said, his tone both apologetic and conflicted. “And this selection only happens once a year—I really didn’t want to miss it.”

“I’ll hold down the fort at home for now,” Chu Ning replied affectionately. “But if things get dire, you can’t keep dodging responsibility.”

Chu Hui perked up instantly. “You’re the best, sis! Once I pass this selection, it’ll be easier to take leave for training later. I promise I’ll listen to you!”

The last time Chu Ning had visited home, she’d noticed her brother’s muscular calves and realized why he’d been so determined to get into Beijing Institute of Technology.

But who didn’t have dreams?

Rebelling against expectations to chase their passions seemed to be the fate of the two siblings.

–

In the Q Entertainment office, Chu Xiao lounged in his chair, legs crossed, his face brimming with smug satisfaction.

“Cousin, to what do I owe this unexpected visit?” he asked, feigning ignorance.

Feng Hang, who had abandoned his signature purple suit for a plain polo shirt and jeans, looked disheveled and defeated. Gone was his usual arrogance as he forced a smile.

“Cousin, we’re family—why so formal?”

“Before everything went south, my father made sure to transfer Q Entertainment’s shares under Dasheng to you. We’re in this together, for better or worse.”

Chu Xiao’s gaze darkened with meaning as he uncrossed his legs and fixed Feng Hang with a stare that made the latter’s hair stand on end.

When Chu Xiao had rebranded Q Entertainment as an entertainment company, he’d approached both the Chu Group and Dasheng to buy out their shares.

At that time, Secretary Jiang happened to leave the Chu Corporation. Old Master Chu, feeling soft-hearted, not only gave Secretary Jiang a sum of money but also transferred all his shares in Qinbao to Chu Xiao.

Chu Xiao had assumed that since negotiations with the Chu Corporation had gone so smoothly, dealing with Dasheng should pose no problem.

But who was Feng Tianming? How could he possibly pass up any opportunity to spite Chu Tianheng?

Although Qinbao was worthless to the Feng family at the time, he had no intention of letting Chu Xiao operate independently. So he stubbornly refused to budge, firmly holding onto his 30% stake in Qinbao.

Relying on Chu Xiao’s industry connections, Qinbao grew rapidly, and its top artist, Xu Miaomiao, rose to second-tier fame thanks to the success of Love Across a Millennium.

Dasheng wasn’t short on money, but they had no qualms about profiting off Chu Xiao.

Then, just before the real estate industry collapsed, the Feng family tried to flee the country—only to find themselves barred from leaving.

Knowing they were at a dead end, the Fengs scrambled to transfer their assets to Feng Hang’s offshore accounts, clinging to one last hope of a comeback.

Seizing the opportunity, Chu Xiao bought Qinbao’s shares from Feng Tianming.

“Transfer? These shares were bought with my own hard-earned money, cousin. You’d better watch your words,” Chu Xiao coldly exposed Feng Hang’s lie.

Feng Hang lowered his voice, pleading, “Yes, yes, you bought them, but didn’t my father give you a friendly price? We’re all descendants of the Feng family—when the family is in trouble, we have a duty to help!”

Chu Xiao suddenly leaned forward and tapped the nameplate on the desk. “Take a good look—Chu Xiao. My grandfather still carries the surname Jiang to this day. He hasn’t even earned the right to enter the Feng family ancestral hall. What ‘descendants of the Feng family’ are you talking about?”

Feng Hang was well aware of how Secretary Jiang and Chu Tianheng had repeatedly argued for recognition as part of the Feng family, only to be brushed off with excuses by Feng Yiqun and Feng Tianming.

If illegitimate children were officially acknowledged, the family’s assets would have to be divided with them—why would their branch willingly take the loss?

But times had changed. Without a proper channel, Feng Hang’s offshore funds couldn’t legally enter the country, leaving no way to save the Feng family from disaster. Chu Xiao was their only hope.

“Don’t you have a company overseas? Why come to me?” Chu Xiao mocked.

Back then, they had used that very company to swindle 6% of the Chu Corporation’s shares—something Chu Xiao had never forgotten. “Keep buying. Maybe you’ll take over the Chu Corporation next.”

Feng Hang knew Chu Xiao was mocking him. He was the only member of the Feng family who hadn’t been detained, and he thought he still had room to maneuver.

But after several failed attempts—buying plane tickets only to be denied boarding under various pretexts—he realized escape was impossible.

Fortunately, he had already arranged for the delegation of his shares in the Chu Corporation.

Otherwise, if he were to appear in the country now as the owner of an offshore company, the first issue would be his nationality. Then, the source of the company’s funds would be investigated, and the whole family would end up neatly reunited—in prison.

“Cousin, give me two days. I’ll get it done immediately!” Feng Hang stood up, making a promise to Chu Xiao. “Wait for my news. I’ll make sure Uncle and Second Grandfather are satisfied!”

With that, he hurried out of the office.

Xu Miaomiao swayed her way out of the adjoining lounge. “Xiao, what’s he planning to do?”

Chu Xiao pulled Xu Miaomiao, who was wearing a silk nightgown, into his arms. “Who cares what he’s up to? In the end, he’ll still come begging us. That money of his will have to be handed over for us to use anyway.”

No sooner had he spoken than he planted a loud kiss on Xu Miaomiao’s cheek.

“Ugh, you’re so annoying!” Xu Miaomiao cooed playfully before tugging Chu Xiao into the lounge.

–

When Chu Ning returned home, she saw that her grandfather’s hair had turned completely gray, and he no longer carried the vigor he once had.

Seizing the moment, she dutifully positioned herself by the old man’s side, meticulously tending to his daily needs. She also began accompanying him to the company, attending meetings both big and small.

Touched by her filial devotion, the elder Chu softened toward her considerably.

Finally, after two weeks, Chu Ning secured a seat at the conference table.

This was a management meeting, primarily focused on the recent turbulence in the real estate sector and its impact on the company.

The executives, directors, and shareholders in attendance all wore grave expressions.

The stock price remained stagnant at a low, showing no signs of recovery. Construction projects across the board had ground to a halt, cash flow was disrupted, and laborers were gathering en masse to demand unpaid wages—dragging the entire Chu Group into the quagmire of the real estate crisis.

“Chen Jianhua! Speak up! Back then, you swore up and down that the real estate industry was paved with gold bars, that stepping into it was like picking up free money!” a shareholder snapped angrily.

Chen Jianhua, still impeccably dressed in his suit, replied with effortless elegance, “I wasn’t lying. Everyone did make a fortune in real estate. This is just a minor hiccup—no need for such hysteria.”

The head of the general office massaged his temples. “Deputy General Manager Chen must have a strong back to stand there and talk so breezily. Why don’t you try dealing with the wage protesters on behalf of our office?”

“These people rely on that money to survive. We’re already in the wrong—calling the police won’t help! Maybe you should ask them why they’re so ‘hysterical’?”

The finance manager chimed in, “There’s only so much money in the accounts. Every project is clamoring for funds, and the payment plans change daily. Deputy General Manager Chen, why don’t you tell us exactly how we should allocate the payments?”

Chen Jianhua’s capitalist smirk didn’t waver. “Just delay. Stall for as long as possible. Is it really so hard to string them along?”

Chu Ning listened to Chen Jianhua’s remarks and glanced at her grandfather, curious to see his reaction to such a cold-blooded, irresponsible statement.

But the elder Chu had been in poor spirits lately, his thoughts seemingly unable to keep up with the meeting’s pace. He remained silent for a long while.

“They’re blocking the entrance to our office—how am I supposed to ‘string them along’?” The general office head let out a bitter laugh. “Oh, and by the way, the protesters found the freight elevator today. Deputy General Manager Chen, you’d better be good at stalling!”

Only then did the elder Chu finally speak, his voice slow and weary. “Jianhua, you need to figure something out. At least arrange the most urgent payments first.”

Hearing that even the last hidden exit had been blocked by the protesters, Chen Jianhua finally grew nervous.

He immediately suggested, “Chairman Chu, don’t you have a security company? We must deploy force immediately to drive away these illegal protesters. Otherwise, the Chu Group’s reputation will suffer irreparable damage!”

The finance manager scoffed. “They’ve been blocking us for a week, and Deputy General Manager Chen didn’t think the damage was bad enough. Now that he can’t escape, suddenly it’s time to ‘drive them away.’”

Chu Ning was utterly stunned by Chen Jianhua’s terrible idea. She turned to Old Master Chu beside her and said in a gentle voice, “Grandpa, I heard the government recently introduced new regulations to ensure the payment of labor wages.”

“If they haven’t escalated things to the authorities yet, forcibly driving them away could blow up into a major problem.”

Old Master Chu looked at Chu Ning with skepticism.

Playing innocent, Chu Ning knew the old man disliked being lectured by younger generations, so she feigned naivety and scratched her head. “I don’t remember the details clearly. Maybe Grandpa should ask the legal and finance departments?”

Li Xia, seated at the far end of the long conference table, had been about to stand and explain the newly enacted administrative regulations.

But the furious finance manager beat her to it. “That’s right! The government just passed regulations legally guaranteeing wage payments. If Vice President Chen drives away workers demanding their pay and this hits the news, our company will instantly become a cautionary tale!”

The business manager, a smooth-talking, rotund man, saw the finance manager invoking laws and figured the debate was already decided.

With a placating grin, he chimed in, “I’ve also heard that labor wages are now paid through government-supervised bank accounts. It’s clear the state takes this seriously.”

The minor shareholder who had earlier challenged Chen Jianhua now grasped the stakes and grew even angrier. “Chen Jianhua, you bastard! You’re still trying to ruin us!”

If not for the secretaries holding him back, he would have lunged at Chen Jianhua.

Li Xia, who had been quiet for a long time, finally couldn’t hold back. “I heard several shareholders and executives from Dasheng were summoned by the regulators for questioning…”

Working in the industry, she knew exactly how many real estate transactions skirted legal boundaries.

When business was booming, everything stayed under the radar. But with the market in turmoil, old skeletons were far more likely to tumble out.

The agitated minor shareholder immediately stood up. “Even if I haven’t broken any laws, could I still be taken in?”

Li Xia frowned. “I’m just raising a risk warning. Being questioned doesn’t necessarily mean guilt—you might just be a witness. We should notify shareholders and directors to prepare in advance, authorizing trusted representatives to act on their behalf if needed.”

The irate shareholder rushed to Li Xia’s side. “Director Li, help me get this set up ASAP! More options mean more ways out!”

Old Master Chu’s secretary leaned in to ask if he wanted to arrange a power of attorney.

The old man glared. “I, Chu Zhenhua, have lived a spotless life! I don’t need any of this flashy nonsense!”

Chen Jianhua couldn’t help but smirk at the old man’s words—a reaction Chu Ning caught while pretending to be clueless.

–

When Ye Zhixia called Chu Ning, she was drafting authorization agreements with Li Xia.

After their intimate moment in the backseat during the Spring Festival, the two had reverted to their previous polite distance.

Ye Zhixia didn’t know how to face Chu Ning. She always seemed unable to resist Chu Ning’s advances, only to end up crossing lines. Meanwhile, Chu Ning was growing rapidly—no longer satisfied with simple kisses and embraces, she wanted more.

But right now, Ye Zhixia had something very important to hand over to Chu Ning.

Ye Zhixia arrived at Li Xia’s home according to the location Chu Ning had provided.

Chu Ning and Li Xia watched the little golden retriever run off to play alone in the garden, then exchanged puzzled glances as they turned back to look at Ye Zhixia in the living room.

The golden retriever was usually a social butterfly—why had it suddenly decided to play by itself in the garden the moment Ye Zhixia arrived?

Ye Zhixia, however, didn’t seem bothered by the puppy’s indifference. Instead, she occasionally glanced into the garden, amused by Xiao Mi’s impressive dog-walking skills.

Surveying the stack of licensing agreements on the coffee table, Ye Zhixia nodded approvingly. “It’s a shame the Feng Group doesn’t even need licensing anymore. Their fixed assets will probably all be seized to pay off debts.”

“Ningning, I don’t know how much you really understand about the Chu Group after all these years,” Ye Zhixia said with a sigh.

“Do you know about Chen Jianhua…?” she asked hesitantly, watching Chu Ning’s reaction.

At the mention of “Chen Jianhua,” it was Li Xia who burst out laughing first.

Chu Ning smirked and shook her head. “Who doesn’t know Chen Jianhua’s infamous reputation these days? He dragged the mighty Chu Group into the real estate cage like a trapped beast.”

Relieved that Chu Ning was aware Chen Jianhua was playing the wolf in sheep’s clothing, Ye Zhixia relaxed slightly.

“All the surveillance records of Chen Jianhua’s bribery are on this disc,” Ye Zhixia said, handing a USB drive and a burned CD to Li Xia and Chu Ning.

Chu Ning’s eyes lit up. If what Ye Zhixia said was true, the evidence in her hands would be more than enough to send Chen Jianhua to prison.

But after taking the evidence, she immediately passed it to Li Xia. “Auntie, you keep this. No one is better at securing files than you.”

Watching her entrust the evidence to Li Xia, Ye Zhixia was surprised. “Aren’t you going to report this to the police right away?”

Chu Ning replied coolly, “Strike the snake at its head. If we take down Chen Jianhua now, how do we lure out the mastermind behind him?”

Realizing that the current Chu Ning was no longer the naive eighteen-year-old girl from years ago, Ye Zhixia voiced her own doubts. “I originally thought Chen Jianhua was working with Dasheng to target the Chu Group, but I never expected Dasheng to collapse faster than anyone else.”

“Chen Jianhua couldn’t have acted alone. Without some kind of incentive, he wouldn’t have been so determined to lead the Chu Group astray,” she asserted firmly.

Chu Ning smiled faintly, her voice crisp and clear. “Dasheng may have fallen, but the Feng family hasn’t been completely defeated. Aren’t there still a few people outside prison, jumping around with the leftover money?”

At that moment, both Ye Zhixia and Li Xia felt a chill run down their spines.

This young woman in front of them had a crystal-clear understanding of the Feng family’s situation from start to finish.

Ye Zhixia gave her a probing look. “Ningning, who do you think Chen Jianhua’s collaborator is?”

Chu Ning glanced at Li Xia first. “Chen Jianhua has a deep understanding of the real estate market’s trends. He’s been sharp in business since childhood.”

Li Xia nodded in agreement.

Chu Ning continued, “But Dasheng is an old-school conglomerate. They’ve always operated on a ‘last-place elimination’ system—nothing like the Chu Group, which struggles with talent shortages. Chen Jianhua couldn’t have gotten close to Feng Yiqun or Feng Tianming.”

“However, ‘last-place elimination’ is just another term for early retirement—out of sight, out of mind. Smart people don’t care about their boss’s survival; they just focus on making as much money as possible in the shortest time. So, in Dasheng’s final days, the employees wouldn’t warn the Feng family to run—they’d grab the money and flee themselves.”

Ye Zhixia and Li Xia nodded along. Many mid-level managers from Dasheng’s real estate division had escaped with their fortunes intact, while the Feng family itself had been left behind—which was why everyone had been so shocked.

“The Chu Corporation operates on seniority, with top management lacking ambition. Led astray by a smooth-talker like Chen Jianhua, isn’t it inevitable they’d lose even their initial capital?” Chu Ning’s voice dripped with dissatisfaction and sarcasm.

“As for who’s collaborating with Chen Jianhua, you’ll find out soon enough. The priority now is to secure my position at Zhulin,” Chu Ning instructed Ye Zhixia.

Ye Zhixia knew Zhulin’s cash flow was strong, but compared to the Chu Corporation, it was merely a drop in the bucket.

If Chu Ning planned to use Zhulin for a comeback after the Chu Corporation’s downfall, that would be fine. But she felt the Chu Corporation could still be salvaged.

“Ningning, the Chu Corporation still has a future…” Ye Zhixia reminded her.

Chu Ning curled her lips into a smile. “Of course. Otherwise, why would Auntie and I go through all this trouble?”

–

Once again, Chu Ning pretended she hadn’t driven and had Ye Zhixia take her home.

Before parting, she deliberately pulled Ye Zhixia in for a deep kiss in the passenger seat, right in front of the Chu family’s security personnel.

As if afraid no one would notice, she prolonged the kiss.

While most farewell kisses were fleeting, hers lingered—lips brushing, then parting slightly to gently suck on Ye Zhixia’s lower lip, rhythmically teasing it with her tongue.

Ye Zhixia couldn’t suppress her emotions any longer. She tilted her head and tangled her tongue with Chu Ning’s.

The two security guards at the entrance, there to greet them, froze awkwardly, unsure whether to approach or retreat.

Xiao Mi, sitting by the steering wheel, shook her head at the scene outside the window, sighing at the guards’ lack of composure.

Back home, Chu Ning found her grandfather waiting in the living room.

Lately, the old man had grown dependent on her—perhaps sensing he’d been deceived by someone he trusted yet unwilling to admit it. Now, desperate for reassurance, he clung to Chu Ning, who had just put her studies on hold to stay by his side.

Hearing the commotion at the door, the old man turned slowly. “Ningning, you’re back? Where have you been all this time?”

Chu Ning smiled warmly, her demeanor gentle and refined.

She set down her bag and pulled out a file. “Grandfather, I just visited Auntie’s place to prepare some documents.”

Then she placed the power of attorney on the coffee table.

The old man’s expression darkened the moment he saw the title. “I told you I don’t need to sign these things!”

His anger seemed disproportionate—whether from pride or something else.

But Chu Ning didn’t falter. Still smiling, she handed him the document. “Grandfather, read it first before deciding.”

Fuming, the old man was about to tear it up, but her soft approach left him no room to lash out.

Glaring at the contents, his eyes landed on the trustee’s name: Chu Hui.

His rage vanished instantly, replaced by approval and relief. “Ningning, I misjudged you.”

Chu Ning felt as though a knife had been plunged into her heart. She knew his initial refusal to sign was out of fear she’d seize control.

But her dear grandfather had just outright admitted it—clearly a warning.

Every day, he accepted her meticulous care without a second thought, yet in his heart, he was always guarding against her and Chu Hui fighting over the Chu Corporation.

Chu Ning straightened her expression, her eyes brimming with sincerity: “Everything I’ve done is to assist my younger brother and protect our Chu family.”

“If anything unexpected happens, I’ll immediately summon my brother back!”

Old Master Chu carefully reviewed several pages of the power of attorney agreements, confirming that Chu Ning’s name appeared nowhere as a trustee, before picking up the fountain pen placed nearby.

The pen tip glided swiftly across the paper, leaving behind Old Master Chu’s flamboyant signature.

–

The investigation team arrived at the CEO’s office of the Chu Corporation three days later.

The officials stood with an air of solemn righteousness, their voices firm and resolute: “Mr. Chu Zhenhua, hello. We are investigators from the Haicheng Discipline Inspection Commission. There is a bribery case in Tangcheng that requires your cooperation in the investigation. We kindly ask you to come with us.”

With that, they presented their credentials and the official notice for assistance in the investigation.

The secretary and Chen Jianhua now stood on either side.

Old Man Chu, who had been in a daze for some time, suddenly turned to Chen Jianhua: “Back then, you said Tangcheng was your hometown, and you were in charge of all the projects there!”

Chen Jianhua wore an innocent expression, spreading his hands: “Mr. Chu, don’t wrong me. I had no involvement in the Tangcheng projects at all. You need evidence to back up your words!”

The secretary, witnessing the disciplinary commission’s arrest for the first time, was too frightened to move. She was just an employee—how could she possibly make sense of this drama?

Looking out through the floor-to-ceiling window, Chen Jianhua watched as Old Man Chu was escorted into the commission’s car. Then, he plopped himself into the CEO’s chair, swiveling it around, resting his hands behind his head as he gazed down at the bustling cityscape of Haicheng.

“You can leave now,” Chen Jianhua coolly ordered the stunned secretary.

The secretary hastily exited the office.

Though Chen Jianhua was only the deputy president of the operations department, the truth was that the senior executives of the Chu Group were all figureheads—long-time employees with no real influence over company affairs.

For example, the president of the operations department was a man in his sixties who spent his days traveling abroad, a complete idler.

So once Old Man Chu was gone, Chen Jianhua became the highest authority in management.

Picking up his phone, Chen Jianhua dialed a number.

“Hello? Young Master Chu, the old man’s been taken in. Your plan can begin now.”

“Don’t worry about how I handle things. Once he’s in there, it’ll be at least two months, maybe even several years.”

“Not at all, it’s all thanks to your help, Young Master Chu.”

“Pleasure doing business!”

Hanging up, Chen Jianhua tilted his head to feel the autumn sunlight.

“Why is it still so glaring, even in autumn?” he muttered to himself.

Support