When Spring Burns - Chapter 23

In the quiet reception room, the figures of one tall and one short person were stretched long and thin by the sunlight.

Sheng Tingmian, using her fingertip through a handkerchief, rubbed against the prominent part of her sister’s wrist bone, vigorously wiping away the bright red bloodstain.

Hearing her sister’s question, she nodded in admission, she had only wanted to wipe the blood off the wall for her.

“Otherwise, if others saw it, they’d think Sister is a terrible person.”

He Jianxue froze, her throat suddenly tightening. “You don’t think I’m terrible?”

She had beaten someone so violently right in front of her.

Seeing that it was clean, Sheng Tingmian released her hand, looked up, the fear in her eyes having vanished completely the moment her sister said she would take her back. She gazed earnestly into He Jianxue’s pitch-black eyes. “But I think they’re worse.”

They had deceived He Xiu into an arranged marriage and even crippled her sister’s legs.

She couldn’t imagine how dark one’s heart had to be to do such things.

“I’m your sister, and I’ll always stand by your side.”

He Jianxue stood still for a long moment before pulling her into an embrace, her red lips pressed together in deep reassurance.

Such a good sister she was.

Sheng Tingmian didn’t react immediately, still somewhat stunned when she was dragged into the embrace. After a few seconds, she wrapped her arms around her sister’s waist, still holding the handkerchief.

They had to stand united against their enemies.

…

The shareholders’ meeting was about to commence.

Duan Yunzhi, dressed in a suit and tie, stepped out of his car, surrounded by a crowd of subordinates who bowed and scraped as they escorted him into the group.

The shareholders who supported him chatted and laughed with him.

“Chairman Duan, there’s no doubt you’ll be re-elected as chairman this time.”

“We’re counting on Chairman Duan to lead us to greater heights.”

“Once Chairman Duan secures this position, don’t forget about us little guys.”

Duan Yunzhi basked arrogantly in their flattery until Duan Ziheng approached him with a strange expression.

“Uncle, for some reason, I haven’t been able to reach my mom on the phone.”

Duan Yunzhi frowned. “Why can’t you reach her? Where did she go last night?”

Duan Ziheng: “She went to see He Jianxue and hasn’t returned since.”

Duan Yunzhi took out his phone and called her, but the call didn’t go through. He then tried calling He Jianxue, but that call also failed. Turning back to Duan Ziheng, he asked, “What did your mom go there for?”

Duan Ziheng explained that Duan Peiwen had gone to the He family as a mediator, urging He Jianxue to hand over the authority of the shareholders’ meeting to him. After hearing this, Duan Yunzhi fell silent.

“Your mom’s nature is never satisfied with taking advantage, she’s always stirring up trouble.” Duan Ziheng glanced at his uncle, nodding in agreement on the surface but sneering coldly inside. How dare Duan Yunzhi, a live-in son-in-law, say such things? The moment He Gulan died, he immediately seized the group and took a lover. Even as a father, he didn’t spare his own daughter. Who was the one never satisfied with taking advantage?

But he wasn’t foolish enough to say these words aloud. “Uncle, what should we do now?”

Duan Yunzhi glanced at his watch. “Forget about your mom. She might be stalling He Jianxue’s time, which could actually be good for us.”

Not all shareholders of the He Group were easily bought. Some stubborn ones refused to join his camp, insisting that Duan Yunzhi lacked the ability to manage the group properly.

Just because of a few failed projects that led to significant losses, these shareholders, who only cared about their dividends, immediately “took up arms” to criticize his actions and character.

At this shareholders’ meeting, these people were probably eager to replace him as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, he had already secured enough shareholders to vote for him, ensuring an overwhelming majority. Even if these people disliked Duan Yunzhi, they had no choice but to accept it.

The position of the new chairman was undoubtedly going to be his.

With this thought in mind, Duan Yunzhi steadied himself and strode confidently into the meeting room.

The room was already packed, and as soon as Duan Yunzhi appeared, everyone’s expressions shifted.

His supporters applauded enthusiastically, while those who disliked him preferred to sip water rather than spare him a single glance.

Duan Yunzhi took the stage and spoke grandly, with his secretary handing him various documents and outlining the company’s future development prospects.

He bluntly declared that he, Duan Yunzhi, would undoubtedly manage the group well and lead the He Group to global prominence.

When it came time to vote, Duan Ziheng chimed in from below. After all, they were in the same boat, his uncle consolidating power would only benefit him.

The other three candidates were competing for votes from other shareholders, but their chances were slim.

“Everyone, please cast your votes!”

After a round of murmurs, people began voting one after another. Duan Yunzhi watched as his supporters cast their votes in his favor, and the numbers under his name on the screen steadily increased.

It seemed the outcome of this chairman election was beyond doubt, it would fall into his hands. Duan Yunzhi smugly glanced at the shareholders who were hesitating to cast their votes and urged, “Mr. Chen, if you don’t cast your vote soon, it will be invalidated.”

Mr. Chen was fuming. He looked at Duan Yunzhi, then at the overwhelmingly high vote count on the screen. Whether he cast his vote or not, it wouldn’t affect Duan Yunzhi’s succession as chairman.

As the voting period drew to a close, Duan Yunzhi’s smile grew even wider. “It seems I, Duan, will continue to hold the chairman’s position.”

“Wait.”

Suddenly, a voice interrupted, and everyone turned to look at the door.

There, He Jianxue sat in a wheelchair, being pushed into the room.

“Surely, everyone hasn’t forgotten about me, He Jianxue.”

He Jianxue wheeled herself to the conference table, her expression cold, and interlaced her fingers as she surveyed the shareholders.

Sheng Tingmian stood beside the assistant, observing everyone.

When Duan Yunzhi saw the three of them enter, he exchanged a glance with Duan Ziheng, who shook his head in confusion, indicating he had no idea what was happening.

Duan Yunzhi pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth, his expression stern, and snapped, “Shouldn’t you be resting at home? What are you doing here?”

He Jianxue chuckled softly, fiddling with the ruby ring on her finger, and replied calmly, “I’m here, of course, to compete for the chairman’s position.”

“Nonsense!” Duan Yunzhi felt humiliated by his own daughter. The father and daughter competing for the same position would undoubtedly become industry gossip for years to come.

Duan Ziheng spoke up, “Cousin, you’re making everyone uncomfortable. Who would vote for you as chairman? If it were before, maybe, but now? You’re paralyzed, you can’t even walk. How are you going to manage the group? By eliciting pity from business partners?”

Sheng Tingmian, standing to the side, suddenly felt that these people’s words were incredibly harsh. Her hands, clasped in front of her, unconsciously tightened.

“So, my disability is your reason to attack me?”

Duan Ziheng met He Jianxue’s imposing gaze and faltered, “Isn’t that… the truth?”

He Jianxue smiled faintly, unfazed, and without turning to look at Duan Yunzhi standing behind her on the podium, asked, “Is that what you think too, Mr. Duan?”

Duan Yunzhi glanced at his secretary and signaled, “Get her out of here! This is a shareholders’ meeting.”

The secretary understood and was about to step forward when the assistant, Ah Tong, blocked his way with a warning.

Seeing this, Duan Yunzhi was fuming. “What are you, a woman with disabled legs, doing competing for the chairman position? Can you even take responsibility when your condition flares up?!”

At that moment, He Jianxue threw off the blanket and stood up in front of everyone.

“What if my legs aren’t disabled?”

Everyone gasped in shock. Duan Ziheng looked panicked as he glanced at Duan Yunzhi, who was equally stunned.

“Y-Your legs have recovered?” a shareholder asked.

He Jianxue suddenly turned around, her gaze coldly fixed on Duan Yunzhi, a faint smile curling her red lips. “Of course. Thanks to a miraculous doctor I encountered, the drugs that were injected into my legs were expelled, allowing me to recover.”

The explosive news left everyone in the conference room stunned and speechless.

After a long pause, someone finally asked, “Injected with drugs?!”

Duan Yunzhi and Duan Ziheng both flinched nervously, beads of cold sweat forming on their foreheads.

He Jianxue lazily flipped through the documents Duan Yunzhi had placed on the table before tossing them back.

“Are you all shocked?” He Jianxue’s tone was so calm it was as if she weren’t the one who had been injected with drugs. “I was just as surprised. Why don’t we ask Duan Yunzhi, Duan Peiwen, and Duan Ziheng why they did it?”

Duan Yunzhi reacted as if he had been stepped on. “What nonsense are you spouting?!”

Duan Ziheng immediately lashed out, “What evidence do you have?! Don’t make baseless accusations!”

He Jianxue had no interest in wasting words with them. She had no desire to expose her own scars to prove how pitiful she was. All she needed was for the shareholders to know that these individuals had committed crimes.

“Officers, please come in. These two are the ones I’m accusing.”

The next second, the conference room door swung open, and five or six police officers entered, promptly handcuffing Duan Yunzhi and Duan Ziheng.

The move caught everyone off guard. Duan Yunzhi and Duan Ziheng struggled, while the shareholders stood up, murmuring among themselves, watching as their prospective chairman and Duan Ziheng were taken away.

The act of turning in one’s own family sent a chill down the spines of some shareholders who had supported Duan Yunzhi. This woman was ruthless.

“Now that personal matters are settled, let’s discuss official business,” He Jianxue said, not even needing half a speech script. With one hand in her trouser pocket, she calmly summarized the profits and losses of all projects at the He Group over the past year, outlined the progress of phase goals, and detailed how to advance and strengthen various aspects, all without a single error.

Some shareholders were still reeling from the earlier incident, while others had already composed themselves, realizing she was competing for the position of new chairman.

“Duan Ziheng recently botched the international export trade cooperation in Nanzhang District, our group’s largest international trade project. How do you plan to handle it? The goods are still piled up in Nanzhang District with no one to take them over.”

He Jianxue was well-prepared. “I’ve already found someone to take over the backlog of goods in Nanzhang District. They’ll be sold at half the cost price to minimize losses and free up warehouse space.”

Someone was dissatisfied with this outcome. “Isn’t that still a loss?”

He Jianxue glanced over and smiled slightly. “I need everyone to be clear about one thing: this project didn’t fail because of me. I was the one who brought in the overseas partner and secured the cooperation agreement. It was Duan Ziheng who immediately offended the partner, causing them to reject the goods. If any of you had stopped Duan Yunzhi from pushing Duan Ziheng to manage the Nanzhang district operations back then, this project would have been profitable even with your eyes closed.”

The implication was clear, if they could recover even half the investment, they should consider themselves lucky and be grateful.

Her words left everyone speechless. This familiar, sharp retort felt like a return to the old days when He Jianxue had stepped in during He Gulan’s illness, eloquently silencing all opposition and bringing everyone to heel.

“Any other questions?”

After a long silence in the meeting room with no one speaking up, He Jianxue said, “Let’s take a vote. Decide whether you want me to return as chairperson or appoint someone else.”

The shareholders whispered among themselves. After all, their goal as shareholders was to maximize dividends. If someone could lead them to greater profits, there was no reason to oppose it.

In the end, after discussion, almost everyone voted for He Jianxue.

“Congratulations, Chairperson He. Well-deserved.”

Applause broke out in the room. Sheng Tingmian joined in, her eyes filled with admiration, sparkling like stars as she gazed at He Jianxue.

He Jianxue had anticipated this outcome. “Meeting adjourned.”

She left the conference room and headed to the chairman’s office. Before she entered, she had already arranged for Duan Yunzhi’s belongings to be removed, restoring everything to its original state.

“Brew me a coffee, no, make it two. One for my sister as well.”

He Jianxue turned to Sheng Tingmian. “What kind of coffee do you like?”

Caught off guard by the question, Sheng Tingmian hesitated, unsure of the coffee options since she didn’t usually drink it. “The same as you, sister.”

The assistant turned and left.

As soon as the door closed, Sheng Tingmian relaxed, hugging a blanket and gazing at He Jianxue with starry eyes. “Sister, you’re amazing!”

Those two had spoken so harshly, yet her sister had turned the situation around in an instant, having them taken away by the police, swift and decisive. It was incredibly satisfying!

Not only that, but she had also managed to make all those shareholders listen to her!

Whenever someone tried to challenge her with questions, her sister countered and struck back effortlessly.

“Is this what you call amazing?”

He Jianxue sat in the swivel chair, feeling somewhat dazed by the admiration in Sheng Tingmian’s eyes. It should have been a moment of triumph, yet she couldn’t fully rejoice.

She had regained control of the group. Barring any surprises, those three would be imprisoned for intentional injury, and she had purged the harmful elements from the company. She could now continue to deepen her mother’s legacy.

It felt as if everything had returned to how it was a year ago.

But… He Xiu would never come back.

She had truly failed.

Sheng Tingmian noticed the redness at the corners of He Jianxue’s eyes beneath her calm exterior and suddenly understood. “Sister, are you thinking about He Xiu?”

He Jianxue didn’t respond. Sheng Tingmian set the blanket aside, approached her, and since He Jianxue was seated, she thought to sit on her lap, wrapping her slender arms around He Jianxue’s neck. She rested her ear against He Jianxue’s collarbone, quietly closing her eyes and whispering in a voice only the two of them could hear:

“He Xiu would be so proud to see you recovered, to see you defeat the villains and become the chairperson.”

Sheng Tingmian rubbed her flushed ear and stray strands of hair against her chest. Thinking of Sister He Xiu’s troubled fate, she too felt sorrowful, a heavy, bitter ache settling in her chest.

“Sister, please don’t be sad anymore, alright? You still have me.”