Chapter 337 — Two Roads to Choose From

Jin Gubang stormed back to his office in a towering rage. Never in his life had he felt so thoroughly defeated—and today he had finally tasted it! All along, Jin Gubang had harbored the grand ambition of supplanting Gu Pengzhan, and once he had Xie Guangbo's support, he had felt like a tiger that had sprouted wings.

But the situation at today's shareholders' meeting had told Jin Gubang plainly that all of it was nothing but clouds and smoke! He had nothing left.

He had assumed that with Xie Guangbo's backing, his ascent to the chairman's seat was all but assured, and so he had torn off every last shred of pretense with Gu Pengzhan, burning his bridges beyond any hope of repair! Jin Gubang did not believe for a moment that Gu Pengzhan would let him off in the next round; the man would surely seize this chance to crush him utterly and leave him in ruins!

After a moment's hesitation, Jin Gubang nevertheless dialed Li Cihua's number. It was useless now to talk to Zhang Yuzhou about this; he could only consult Li Cihua...

"Hello? Deputy Chairman Jin? How did it go? Little Yuzhou tells me you're about to take control of the company's power?" Li Cihua said. "Young Master Bing is coming to Songshan City in a few days for a bit of fun. You've sent your gift right on time—you won't be shortchanged!"

"I'm sorry... Brother Cihua..." Jin Gubang said cautiously. "There's been a bit of a complication..."

"A complication?" Li Cihua was taken aback, and his voice immediately turned sinister. "What complication?"

"The director who was working with me—I don't know what happened, but he suddenly transferred all his shares to Wei Zhao..." Jin Gubang said. "Wei Zhao and that old fox Gu Pengzhan are in league together. I can no longer control the board's situation now. They may be about to move against me any moment..."

"So what you're saying is, the real estate company you promised Young Master Bing is going up in smoke?" Li Cihua's voice grew even colder.

"That... I'm afraid so..." Jin Gubang said with a forced, ingratiating smile.

"Damn it, are you playing me? I did all that work for you before, lost two Yellow-Rank experts over it, and now you want to tell me it's all off?" Li Cihua gave a cold snort. "Jin Gubang, do you have a death wish?"

"Brother Cihua... I'm sorry, please don't be angry..." Jin Gubang was startled. If anyone else had asked him whether he had a death wish, Jin Gubang would have scoffed, but for Li Cihua to want him dead was an easy enough thing! That was no joke—Li Cihua was fully capable of it, and besides, once he was dead, no one would step forward on his behalf!

"Not angry? *** why don't you think about how angry Young Master Bing is going to be?" Li Cihua cursed. "When Young Master Bing is angry, even I'm finished. I'm telling you, Jin Gubang, that real estate company—you'll hand it over whether you want to or not! Otherwise, you'll bear the consequences!"

"Brother Cihua..." Unfortunately, before Jin Gubang could finish, there was a bang on the other end as the call was cut off.

Jin Gubang was so furious that he shoved hard, and the desk phone crashed to the floor... Jin Gubang was seething inside too, but he did not dare vent it on Li Cihua! What sort of man was Li Cihua? A figure who straddled both the lawful and the underworld in Songshan City, with connections reaching to the very top, and behind him a boss whose hand covered the sky! A man like that was not someone Jin Gubang could afford to provoke.

"Gu Pengzhan, you're driving me to the end of my rope! Push me far enough and I'll drag you down with me—I'll grab a bomb and blow you to pieces!" Jin Gubang said viciously.

But it was only talk. In truth, Jin Gubang was terrified of dying! If Gu Pengzhan uncovered the *** he had embezzled from the company, the worst that awaited him was prison; but if Li Cihua was provoked, his life would be forfeit.

Jin Gubang had to come up with a countermeasure quickly, or his life really would end in tragedy...

Of course, his nightmare had only just begun. Before he could even think of a countermeasure, he was summoned for a talk with Gu Pengzhan.

Jin Gubang knew that Gu Pengzhan's summoning him could mean nothing good. He did not want to go, but he had no choice. For now he was under another's roof and had to bow his head; Jin Gubang could only sigh and shuffle his way to Gu Pengzhan's office.

Qing Bo stood smiling at the office door. Seeing Jin Gubang approach, his smile widened. "Deputy Chairman Jin, Mr. Gu is waiting for you inside."

"I know..." Jin Gubang waved his hand weakly and walked into Gu Pengzhan's office.

Originally, he had still hoped to use Li Cihua's help to turn things around, but now it appeared that if Li Cihua did not finish him off, that would already be a mercy—asking for his help? In his dreams.

"Deputy Chairman Jin, please, have a seat!" Gu Pengzhan gestured toward the sofa beside his desk and said to Jin Gubang.

Jin Gubang seemed to have aged more than ten years in an instant. He cast Gu Pengzhan a despondent glance, then plopped himself down on the sofa. "Gu Pengzhan, just say what you have to say. No need to beat around the bush!"

Jin Gubang could no longer be bothered to fence with Gu Pengzhan. There was no need for it now. Once he had dealt with Gu Pengzhan here, Li Cihua would still be waiting on the other side.

And besides, he was no match for Gu Pengzhan anymore. Why keep up the deadlock? Better to say plainly whatever there was to say, and see just what Gu Pengzhan wanted.

"Very well. Since Vice Chairman Jin puts it that way, I will speak plainly too." Gu Pengzhan nodded. "I'll give you two paths to choose from. The first: I will investigate exactly how much money you have skimmed from the company over the years, and then send you before a court."

"Ha... Gu Pengzhan, tell me the second." Jin Gubang was no fool. Hearing Gu Pengzhan speak, he knew at once this was not the path he was meant to choose, for it benefited no one.

"The second path: hand over the shares in your possession to me, and what is past shall be forgotten." Gu Pengzhan spoke mildly.

"Gu Pengzhan, don't push your luck! The shares in my hands are worth several hundred million at the very least! And you would just take them back like that?" Jin Gubang sprang to his feet at the words, glaring at Gu Pengzhan.

"The money you have skimmed from the company over these years must come to about that figure as well, no? Even if not several hundred million, a hundred or two million at the least." Gu Pengzhan smiled. "How many years in prison would two hundred million buy you? Weigh it against the shares, and choose for yourself."

"Give me another hundred million!" Jin Gubang hesitated a moment, then named his terms.

Gu Pengzhan had only been opening high to settle low. Hearing this, he gave a cold snort. "Fifty million."

"Eighty million!" said Jin Gubang.

"Agreed, then. Done." Gu Pengzhan's own mental price had been a compensation of roughly a hundred million; by comparison, eighty million was already a very low figure.