Chapter 677 - 456: You Shut Up Too
Qi Yingchen frowned at the leader’s question, unable to hide his bewilderment.
Of course he knew who he’d had hit.
’The actual head of the Jiangg Company, that woman, was already locked up. And Jiangg Ruzheng, the coward who was supposed to be handling the aftermath, had washed her hands of the whole affair. So other than the eldest daughter of the Jiangg Family, who else could he have targeted?’
’Could they have hit the wrong person?’
That was impossible.
He trusted his assistant’s competence, and he had personally seen photos of the crash that same night.
To put it bluntly, Qi Yingchen had a hundred ways to warn the two Jiangg sisters. After so many years in the business world, he naturally had a stable of useful thugs on his payroll. The police would never be able to trace anything back to him.
But being called to account by the leader was another matter entirely.
𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖
He knew full well that the gaze of the powerful was far too sharp for a mere businessman like him to fathom.
For a brief moment, Qi Yingchen wasn’t thinking about the question itself, but rather trying to decipher the meaning behind it.
"How would the police know who hired them...?" he ventured quietly, watching the leader’s expression.
But in the next instant, he saw the leader’s eyelids instantly droop.
Qi Yingchen’s heart began to hammer in his chest.
"Could it be that the eldest Jiangg daughter is making a scene? Sir, rest assured, I can shut her up. Please forgive my mistake."
"You..." The leader lowered his voice, tapping his finger on the arm of his chair. "You think you’re quite the operator, don’t you?"
Qi Yingchen knew he’d said the wrong thing again. His expression turned grim, and he wisely fell silent.
"You’ve provoked someone you shouldn’t have... The Jiangg Family is insignificant, true, but do you know of the twin sisters’ connection to Mrs. Jiang?"
The leader turned his back, but his words only left Qi Yingchen more bewildered.
"Mrs. Jiang? Which Mrs. Jiang?"
But a moment later, his pupils contracted violently as an unbelievable answer surfaced in his mind.
As an energy superpower, Huaxia’s most formidable corporations were largely state-owned, dominating the annual business rankings. Ordinary private companies stood no chance against them. Only a select few managed to break into the top ranks as non-state-owned entities, representing the absolute pinnacle of what an entrepreneur could achieve.
The success of those private companies was built on timing, heritage, and policy.
Once established, they could lead their industries for centuries, operating in a league entirely separate from the common "business world."
Comparing them to the small companies in Mingzhu City was like comparing a fishing boat to an aircraft carrier.
"There is only one Mrs. Jiang," the leader said, looking at him, his eyes devoid of any emotion.
"I investigated the Jiangg Family’s connections before! How could they be involved with Mrs. Jiang...? Sir! I had no idea! If I had, I wouldn’t have dared to do this even if you gave me a hundred times the courage!"
It all happened in a flash.
The tall, imposing Qi Yingchen dropped from his bow straight to his knees.
There was a heavy THUD.
His knees slammed solidly onto the floor.
Yet the leader’s expression didn’t flicker at the sight of him kneeling.
"Too late," the leader said slowly. "Where were you before? I made a special trip to warn you, but you wouldn’t listen. Otherwise, what kind of favor do you think could possibly make me go back on my word at the eleventh hour? You must have secretly hated me for snatching a prize from your grasp and giving it to someone else, didn’t you?"
Hearing the leader’s cold snort, Qi Yingchen hurriedly tried to defend himself.
"Never, Sir! I’m nothing but your loyal dog. I do whatever you tell me. If it weren’t for you, I’d still be some worthless factory director in the development zone. How could I possibly dare to resent you?"
"Then why did you hire someone for a hit?"
"I... I wasn’t thinking straight, Sir. I’ll never do anything like this ever again."
Qi Yingchen shuffled forward on his knees, wanting to reach the leader, grab his leg, and weep uncontrollably to show the depths of his remorse.
He wasn’t faking it. He was no fool—otherwise, he never would have been able to build his company to its current size.
Qi Yingchen knew exactly what the consequences of his mistake would be.
Mrs. Jiang’s organization was a behemoth. A minor manager from her ranks would be a person of immense influence locally. It wasn’t just him; even the very leader he relied on would have to show them some deference.
Since they had already come calling, they clearly had no intention of letting him off easy.
Worse, they had gone directly to his patron.
If he didn’t cling to his patron’s leg for dear life, he didn’t dare imagine what would become of him.
"If it were anyone else, I might have been able to help you. But did you know that at the scene of the crash you orchestrated, Mrs. Jiang’s sole heir was present? You should thank your lucky stars he wasn’t in that car... Jiang Zhengfeng only has one son."
When the leader finished speaking, Qi Yingchen felt the hair on his arms stand on end, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
"I’ll make amends! I’ll do whatever it takes to make amends!" he said hastily.
"Very well. Come with me."
The leader said no more. He simply beckoned with his hand and started walking out alone.
Qi Yingchen remained stunned for a moment before scrambling to his feet and hurrying after him.
...
「Somewhere in Mingzhu City, in a quaint, antique courtyard.」
A round table was set in the courtyard, where several people sat together drinking tea. Pei Youwen, who hadn’t been seen for days, was among them, standing respectfully beside the table.
He looked at the young man whose back was to him—the current General Director of Mrs. Jiang’s northern region, Chen Yuan.
"Our city is flourishing, poised at the vanguard of a new era. This is a prime opportunity to advance the high-quality development of the private sector. We’ve reached a new level, but at the same time, countless eyes are upon us. This is both a pressure and a motivation... I was just recently considering how to better implement these initiatives..."