Adisorn stepped out of the conference room, his expression as unruffled as a mirrored lake, his sharp gaze steady despite the surrounding whirlwind of corporate chaos. He strode through the hallway, his footsteps muffled by the plush velvet carpet, heading toward the elevators. As the doors slid open, he came face-to-face with a man who had been waiting for this very moment: Lu Rong.
For a fleeting second, they crossed paths—two opposing magnetic poles repelling each other with immense force. Lu Rong halted, his scrutinizing eyes scanning the stranger from head to toe. He knew instantly, without introduction, that this man was A.P. Marcrim, the grim reaper from ZX Capital who had appeared in the leaked footage. Adisorn's broad shoulders and relaxed demeanor emitted a heat of pure ambition that Lu Rong could feel against his skin. Though not a word was exchanged, the static of mutual loathing crackled between these two rivals, making the very air thick and suffocating.
Lu Rong drew a sharp breath, forcing his face back into a stoic mask before entering the Chairman's private office.
"Chairman... I have finalized the arrangements with VCC. They will join the board meeting in two days, exactly as scheduled," Lu Rong reported evenly, his tone humble yet laced with a simmering hunger for power.
"Ah... thank you," Li Ming replied curtly, not even lifting his head from a thick stack of dossiers. His fountain pen scratched against the paper, the sound sharp and definitive in the heavy silence.
Lu Rong scanned the room with a practiced eye, his gaze lingering on a water glass that still bore a faint ring of condensation—proof of a recent guest. "The man I passed just now... he didn't appear to be one of our employees."
Li Ming's lip curled into a faint smirk, as if he had anticipated that a fox would always catch the scent of an interloper in its territory. "He is a senior executive from ZX Capital. We were discussing a financial partnership."
"ZX Capital?" Lu Rong narrowed his eyes, searching for a crack in the Chairman's calm facade. "Did they offer terms to assist with our liquidity? Perhaps I should review the details of our VCC debt with them to ensure the contracts are as airtight as possible."
Li Ming set his pen down slowly and looked Lu Rong directly in the eye.
"The terms he offered... are quite intriguing. However, I still need to deliberate," the Chairman answered with a subtle smile. "Wait and hear it with everyone else at the board meeting in two days. I'd like it to be a surprise for the entire room." With that, he lowered his head back to his documents.
Lu Rong felt as if he had been slapped across the face with a secret he had no right to access. He could do nothing but offer a brief nod before stepping closer to the desk to shift the focus. "Understood, sir... but there is a more pressing matter: the merger of KCC and CLS. Do you still intend to proceed with the execution immediately?"
He watched the Chairman's face, searching for a shred of hesitation. But all he found was a smile—one that was warm, yet as cold and sharp as a blade to the heart.
"My word is my bond. Immediately means swiftly and without error," Li Ming paused, his eyes boring into the flickering gaze of his CFO. "Why? Are you concerned that... your daughter's power will be diminished once her domain is merged with CLS?"
Lu Rong's face twitched for a fraction of a second, a vein at his temple throbbing uncontrollably. He forced a rigid, artificial smile. "You are joking, sir. We all agreed on this merger. I am merely concerned for the welfare of the employees."
"It brings me peace of mind to hear that. Thank you for understanding the company's vision," Li Ming dismissed him with a voice of ice, returning his attention to the papers as if Lu Rong no longer existed in the room.
Lu Rong stood in the frigid silence, struggling to hide his trembling, rage-filled hands beneath his sleeves. As he turned to leave, the fury churning in his chest threatened to erupt.
This merger was a calculated strike to cripple him. Li Ming was systematically pushing his daughter out of the CK Group's orbit. Fueling a deep-seated resentment, Lu Rong vowed in his heart that he would settle this score—using the lethal terms of VCC as a noose to strangle the Chairman until his final breath.