Chapter 335 - Catastrophic News
Pengzhan spoke up just when Gubang was trying to understand the situation. “Alright everyone, settle down- let’s start the emergency shareholder meeting!”
“Chairman Chu- doesn’t this go against policy? The third shareholder Mister Xie Guangbo isn’t present!” Gubang countered directly. “He should have a representative at this meeting even if he’s unwell! I suspect that you’re excluding Mister Xie on purpose!”
As rash and impatient as Gubang was making himself look, there wasn’t much of a choice left for him- he had to break with Pengzhan right here and now before things started to spiral out of his control.
“Haha, please calm down, Mister Jin- I’m hosting this meeting precisely to discuss some matters regarding Xie Guangbo.” Pengzhan responded calmly with a nod towards Gubang.
The ineffectiveness of Gubang’s move hit him hard- he’d planned to dwell on Guangbo’s absence and hinder the meeting from beginning as Pengzhan avoided his question!
But the man reacted to his question directly, making it clear that the meeting was for discussing about Guangbo!
“Hopefully.” Gubang pushed his frustration down as he quieted down, curious what sort of trick Pengzhan had up his sleeve.
Would Pengzhan announce that Guangbo had consented to giving him full support? That didn’t seem possible- Pengzhan would never resort to such tasteless, immature tactics!
“Do take a seat, Mister Lin!” Pengzhan wouldn’t refer to Lin Yi as ‘Yi’ in an official setting, especially a shareholder meeting. After all, Lin Yi was now a shareholder in the company, no longer a minor in the presence of the other members!
Pengzhan was pointing at the chair Guangbo usually sat at- Lin Yi nodded and moved to the seat when Guangbo spoke up.
“Hold it! Kid, don’t sit yet!” Gubang turned to Pengzhan. “Chairman… What is the meaning of this? Are you implying that this kid can represent Mister Xie? I remember him as your daughter’s bodyguard, am I incorrect?”
The other shareholders all turned to look at Lin Yi, wondering about the truth to Gubang’s words.
“Bodyguard?” Pengzhan chuckled. “It’s true that Lin Yi is a close friend of my daughter Mengyao, but bodyguard is an inaccurate term. He’s her protector!”
Pengzhan’s explanation got to everyone instantly- he meant that Lin Yi was his daughter’s boyfriend! If that were the case, then Lin Yi could be understood as Mengyao’s bodyguard!
“Protector?” Gubang hmphed. “Bodyguard, protector- that doesn’t matter. I don’t care what the kid is supposed to be, but I do want to ask you, chairman- why is he present at this shareholder meeting, seating himself at Mister Xie’s seat, no less? Are you perhaps telling me that this is the wish of Mister Xie himself? Or is someone bringing his personal relations into official business?”
“Are you r.e.t.a.r.ded? Did you eat too much r.e.t.a.r.d pills as well? You’re no different from Xie Guangbo, aren’t you?” Lin Yi spoke up before Pengzhan could. “You ask why I’m sitting here? I wanna ask you why the h.e.l.l you’re sitting here, alright? Mister Xie’s wish? You think that idiot is enough to send me to do carry out any affair at all? He’s nothing, alright? He’s just a bit stronger than you, that’s it.”
“I- I… I’m a shareholder of Pengzhan Industries, one of the three largest! I have the full right to be seated here!” Gubang couldn’t believe what he was hearing from Lin Yi- when was the last time anyone dared to call him a r.e.t.a.r.d? Lin Yi was doing it in front of so many people, too, with no respect for him whatsoever! “Chairman Chu- I wanna ask why a person like this is at the shareholder table? What gives him this right- what gives him the right to insult a shareholder at the board? Security- where’s the security! Have this man hauled out immediately!”
The other shareholders were looking at Lin Yi as well, appalled. The kid shouldn’t be this full of himself even if he were Pengzhan’s son-in-law- insulting the second shareholder like this in a shareholder meeting? He had absolutely no right to do something that absurd!
He was just Pengzhan’s son-in-law, not Chu Pengzhan himself! Insulting Jin Gubang simply crossed the line- if even the second largest shareholder had to take s.h.i.t from him like this then what sort of position were the other smaller shareholders at when dealing with Lin Yi?
They were all looking at Lin Yi’s arrogance in disdain when Pengzhan spoke up. “Mister Jin- Mister Lin here is now officially a shareholder of Pengzhan Industries… The largest shareholder aside from you and me!”
Pengzhan’s words silenced everyone at the table- when had Lin Yi replaced Xie Guangbo as the third largest shareholder??
Gubang froze, looking at Pengzhan and then at Lin Yi. “Impossible. How is that possible? Chu Pengzhan!! What in the world are you playing at??”
Gubang was utterly shocked- he decided to not believe what Pengzhan was throwing at him. It was simply ridiculous.
“Can I stop wasting time on you? Here are the doc.u.ments, take a look for yourself.” Lin Yi tossed the share-transfer doc.u.ments out.
Gubang took the doc.u.ments and went through them, his eyes full of shock and suspicion. “Impossible. I don’t believe this- you must’ve forged this! Why would Xie Guangbo pa.s.s over the shares to you unconditionally? You think he’s r.e.t.a.r.ded?!”
Gubang himself decided to use the term ‘r.e.t.a.r.ded’.
“Why don’t you call him and see if he’s r.e.t.a.r.ded or not?” Lin Yi curled his lips at the crazed Gubang.
Gubang had always been a composed man- but what had taken place today was simply beyond his management! There was nothing he could do to counteract to the development, and thus there was no way he could handle the situation with composure! As far as he was concerned, this was leagues beyond common sense!!
Chapter 336 - Moments Away
“Impossible! Impossible!!!” Gubang kept on uttering to himself as he pulled his phone out- he didn’t think the doc.u.ments were forged, since he had long gotten familiar with Guangbo’s signature and print style… Pengzhan wouldn’t be doing something like that anyway- he’d lose all the advantage he’d gotten from this one meeting when Guangbo showed up, naturally ending all his plots that were based on a forgery!
It’d only brand Pengzhan a liar and cheat- the man would never risk his reputation on a plan as ridiculous as this.
Yet the fact that Guangbo had given Lin Yi all his shares? That was far more ridiculous than any plan based on a forgery! His son was still under mafia control overseas!! The only way to have his son survive was to get him home!
So why was Guangbo throwing away his shares to Lin Yi, the shares that he could use for a partnership with him? How was he supposed to get his son back if he just threw everything he had away?
Guangbo’s phone had been turned off, but Gubang was expecting that- the man always had his phone turned off the last couple days he was sick. He phoned Guangbo’s villa phone directly.
A stranger’s voice sounded from the other end- it was a man. “Hi, who is this?”
“I’m looking for Mister Xie Guangbo- is he home?” Gubang asked.
“Oh, my dad? Wait a sec, I’ll go get him……” It was Xie Jinbiao- his father was currently cooking him his favorite dishes to celebrate his return.
Guangbo no longer had any shares at Pengzhan Industries, but he still had other a.s.sets- there were more than ten units of housing under his ownership, and there were some antiques and treasures that he had in his possession as well. Selling those would yield him a couple dozens of millions to fund a smaller business- there was nothing to fret over.
He actually felt quite relieved, free- a life like this, starting a business with his son… This was an ideal life for him.
“Wait- Wait a minute… Xie Guangbo’s your father? Who… Who are you?” Gubang’s face froze in shock.
“I’m Xie JInbiao, his son. What’s wrong? Who are you?” Jinbiao wondered what was wrong with this guy. Didn’t he just tell him Guangbo was his dad?
“No… I… I’m a colleague of your father……” Gubang found everything to be quite out of place today- Guangbo’s son was back home safely, and his shares under Lin Yi’s name!
“My dad’s here, talk to him yourself!” Jinbiao tried his best to refrain from yelling at this colleague of his father’s- where were his manners?! Was it so hard to believe that he’d returned from capture?
“h.e.l.lo? I’m Xie Guangbo.”
“Old Xie! I’m Old Jin!!” Gubang forced on a smile. “Was that your son who picked up the phone? Is he back?”
“He’s back now. Do you need something?” Guangbo no longer had any pa.s.sion in his voice when dealing with Gubang. “I’m cooking for my son right now- I’m hanging up if it’s nothing important.”
“Wait. Chu Pengzhan’s hosting a shareholder meeting- are you aware of that?” Gubang couldn’t let Guangbo hang up now.
“That has nothing to do with me- the shares aren’t mine anymore.” Guangbo said a little impatiently. “Alright, I’m hanging up! Goodbye.”
Gubang blinked in silence and shock as Guangbo hung the phone up, breathing hard as he panicked. He… was supposed to become the chairman- he was moments away from that!!!
It was over.
There was no game left for him here… How was he supposed to become chairman when the first and third largest shareholders were in the same family?!!
There was no way the other shareholders would come to his side with how things stood! It was clear as day that the board was Pengzhan and Lin Yi’s playground from now on- Gubang had absolutely nothing against them!!
He was moments away! Moments away from becoming Chairman Jin!!
He didn’t care how Lin Yi had gotten those shares anymore- there wasn’t any point to that. His sole priority now was self-defense!
Gubang wasn’t expecting any mercy or holding back from Pengzhan- the chairman’s seat was now out of his reach completely. He’d be lucky to even maintain his current position on the board!
He slammed the phone onto the ground, shattering it with the impact!
He then stood up, leaving the conference room, his face dark.
Pengzhan wasn’t surprised at how Gubang was taking the news, but he found it quite pleasing. He was thinking of smashing his own phone when Guangbo and Gubang were teaming up in the meetings!
“In this shareholder meeting, I’d like to introduce to everyone our new third-largest shareholder- Mister Lin Yi!” Pengzhan said with a smile to the other shareholders.
The room exploded with applause- everyone understood Lin Yi’s existence at this point. He was the third largest shareholder at Pengzhan Industries, a man with an “intimate” relationship with Chu Pengzhan’s daughter! This wasn’t someone they’d ever want to cross.
n.o.body found Lin Yi’s scolding of Gubang distasteful anymore- the man had all the rights to do so, completely justified for his c.o.c.kiness at the board.
“I’ll be in your care!” Lin Yi stood up and nodded to everyone.
“I officially recommend Lin Yi as our new board member- let’s please carry out the voting.” Pengzhan said.
No one would p.i.s.s Pengzhan off when even Gubang retreated in defeat. There was no doubt here- Gubang’s vote had no meaning to anyone anymore now that Lin Yi was here.
“Ah… I’m a shareholder and board member, but Uncle Chu’s words represent mine- his decisions are my decisions!” Lin Yi wasn’t interested in joining these board meetings too often- he decided to give his rights to Pengzhan to handle.