The small, soundproofed meeting room was as still as the surface of a pond before a typhoon. Gawin and Adisorn stepped inside to find Mingzhi and Wenjie already waiting. Even without Tum there to read the auras, their instincts screamed. The atmospheric pressure radiating from Mingzhi—the man who had just stepped out of the shadows to command the strategic front—was staggering.
"Mr. Gawin, Mr. Markrim... please, come in," Li Ming said, his smile as warm as a benevolent patriarch's. It was a performance of such seamless perfection it was almost beautiful.
"Allow me to introduce you officially... my son, Li Wenjie."
Wenjie's eyes were like shards of ice. He extended his hand with the mechanical grace of international protocol. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Markrim... Mr. Gawin."
As Adisorn's hand met the heir's, he felt a chilling coldness and a firm, crushing grip. He read the intent instantly: Using the heir as a ceremonial mask to intimidate us. Adisorn responded with a flat, unbothered smile. "The pleasure is mine, Mr. Wenjie." Gawin followed with a polite, measured handshake.
"And this is Mr. Mingzhi, our Senior Advisor," Li Ming gestured toward the veteran strategist.
Mingzhi offered a slight bow, his eyes devoid of emotion. "A pleasure," he murmured. The words were brief, but his gaze was a frozen lake hiding a thousand lethal schemes.
Once the introductions concluded, the group dispersed, leaving only Adisorn behind at the Chairman's request.
"Mr. Markrim..." Li Ming leaned back, his gaze unwavering. "Once the merger of KCC and CLS is complete... I want Wenjie to assume the Presidency of CLS, replacing Zhang Wei."
Adisorn smiled, unfazed. He had already seen this move on the chessboard of his mind. "I understand your vision, Chairman. ZX Capital's goal is to deliver a powerhouse to the new leadership."
Li Ming let out a hearty, satisfied laugh at Adisorn's apparent compliance. But beneath that polite veneer, Adisorn was rapidly decoding the Old Dragon's labyrinthine script.
The truth crystallized before him. This entire saga was a grand theater play written by Li Ming from the start. He had manufactured the crisis with VCC's oppressive terms to force the company into a corner. He had pulled in outsiders like Gawin and ZX Capital to build a facade of renewed confidence. And now, the final act: purging a bright, rising star like Zhang Wei from a high-growth business to pave a seamless, justified path for his own bloodline.
Gawin and Adisorn weren't just partners—they were the cleansing tools brought in to remove the thorns blocking the Prince's path.
Adisorn's smile remained polished, masking the cold realization in his heart. "As your M&A representative, I will ensure the merger is flawless... to guarantee that when Mr. Wenjie takes the throne, he inherits a company at its peak profitability."
He locked eyes with Li Ming one last time before turning to leave. The gaze of the game-reader who had seen through the plot clashed with the gaze of the puppet master awaiting his victory.
The true war had begun... and Adisorn now knew exactly who the real enemy was.