Chapter 7

“Han Xu, have you forgotten? When my mother left me these eleven tea mountains, she knew I was too young to protect the family legacy, so she established a trust.”

I threw the file onto the coffee table with a heavy thud.

“This building, the land beneath it, and the Han’s Tea Maojian brand you’re so proud of—”

“All the core assets are under that trust’s management.”

I stood and walked up to the two of them, their faces rigid with shock.

“And I’m the trust’s sole beneficiary and the person with absolute control.”

Xiao bit her lower lip, and at last a crack appeared in the polished mask she wore.

But she still forced a smile.

“Little sister, don’t try to scare people with some outdated paperwork.”

“Our company has a long-term lease and a trademark licensing agreement with the trust.”

“As long as we pay the rent on time, you can’t just lock us out.”

She looked at Zhu Jingnian, her voice regaining its professional, no-nonsense edge.

“Director Zhu, ignore those lines of code. Get someone to break down the door.”

“Wait.”

At the other end of the hallway, legal director Liu Zhengming hurried over with two lawyers.

Liu Zhengming pushed up his glasses. He didn’t even look at Xiao; he went straight to me and respectfully offered a new packet of documents.

“Miss Shen, the notice of license termination is ready.”

I nodded and gestured for him to read it aloud for Han Xu.

Liu Zhengming turned toward Han Xu and Xiao and spoke in a formal tone.

“President Han, under the regulations of the Nanshan Eleven Mountains Trust, if a lessee acts against the interests of the trust’s beneficiary—for example…”

He paused, then read the key provision.

“Illegally depriving a beneficiary of profit distributions, or transferring trust assets without authorization…”

“The trustee may unilaterally terminate any license at any time and unconditionally reclaim all rights to use the assets.”

Liu Zhengming closed the document and looked at Han Xu, whose face had gone pale with anger.

“That means that from this moment on, you may no longer use this building.”

“You may no longer use the nationally acclaimed, gold-medal brand you built, either.”

The hallway seemed to freeze.

Only the air conditioner hummed softly from its vent.

Xiao took a deep breath and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

She remained elegant, but the tips of her fingers trembled beyond her control.

“Little sister, do you really have to take this all the way?”

Her voice was pained, as if I were beyond saving.

“Han Xu has lost countless nights of sleep for this brand. He’s drunk himself into stomach bleeding. You never saw any of that?”

“You’re using one rigid rule to wipe out more than ten years of his effort. How is that fair?”

She was trying to use morality to overpower me, just as she always had.

Looking at her face, full of grievance, I couldn’t help laughing.

“Fair?”

I turned toward Han Xu, who’d been silent the whole time.

“Han Xu, tell her how exactly you spent those sleepless nights.”

Han Xu’s throat moved, but he said nothing.

I pulled another stack of papers from my handbag and threw it at his chest.

The papers scattered across the carpet, revealing stamped bank statements.