Chapter 9

The moment Han Xu finished speaking, the hallway turned ice-cold.

Xiao seized on his words like a lifeline and immediately backed him up.

She forced a crooked smile and adjusted her qipao.

“Little sister, Han Xu is right. Business isn’t a family game.”

“You think locking a door means you’ve won?”

“Our newly established company has received an initial investment of thirty million U.S. dollars from Dingxin Venture Capital.”

She lifted her chin, reclaiming some of the arrogance of a woman who’d studied abroad.

“With that money and Han Xu’s connections, we can build another nationally acclaimed, gold-medal brand in three months at most.”

“Then your eleven ruined tea mountains will rot in your hands. You won’t even be able to pay the tea-picking workers.”

Listening to her confidently sketch out a glorious future, I wasn’t angry. I almost felt sorry for her.

This must be what happens when someone doesn’t know her place in the world.

I ignored her taunts and took out my phone.

I unlocked the screen and dialed a number.

Then I switched on speakerphone and set the phone on the marble coffee table.

It rang only once before someone answered.

“Miss Shen, you finally decided to call me.”

A deep, powerful male voice came through, unmistakably deferential.

At the sound of it, Xiao’s pupils widened, and Han Xu’s face turned even paler.

The speaker was Lu Ze, a partner at Dingxin Venture Capital and the person directly in charge of their investment.

I leaned back against the sofa, my tone calm.

“Mr. Lu, I hear you’ve just invested thirty million U.S. dollars in a newly established tea company?”

On the other end, Lu Ze instantly picked up the chill in my voice and began explaining.

“Miss Shen, this is a misunderstanding.”

“In the business plan President Han submitted, it clearly stated that they held exclusive supply rights from the eleven core tea mountains registered to you.”

“As you know, Dingxin wasn’t interested in a new brand. We were interested in the rare Maojian varietal found only on those eleven mountains.”

Lu Ze’s voice turned unusually serious.

“Without your authorization, that business plan is just a worthless piece of paper.”

I tapped a finger lightly on the table.

“Then let me make this official: the Nanshan Eleven Mountains Trust has never granted them those rights. We’re preparing to sue them for commercial fraud.”

The other end didn’t hesitate for even a second.

“Understood, Miss Shen.”

Lu Ze’s voice turned cold as a machine.

“Dingxin Venture Capital will immediately begin the withdrawal process and report the fraud to the economic-crimes police so Han Xu and everyone involved can be held legally responsible.”

“I’ll also send a warning to investors across the industry.”

“From now on, Han Xu and Xiao won’t get another cent from venture capital.”

A beep sounded, and the call ended.

The hallway was terrifyingly quiet.

Xiao staggered and had to brace herself against the wall to stay on her feet.

The financial backing she’d been so proud of had vanished after a single phone call from me.

“Impossible… This can’t be…”

She muttered, her carefully applied makeup looking almost ridiculous against her white face.

“Why was Lu Ze so deferential to you? You’re only…”