Volume Three: The Tenfold Dao Chapter 75: Annihilation (2)

In the president’s office of Starsea Investment Group, Gong Hai’s face was clouded with worry. The air was thick with the scent of cigarette smoke, clinging to every corner of the room. He held a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers, oblivious to the fact that it was burning dangerously close to his hand.

The stock market had been eerily quiet in the morning, but nothing too alarming. By afternoon, however, the company’s main stocks collectively plunged, and in an instant, hundreds of millions vanished from their capital. As the trading day neared its end, a flood of their held stocks were released onto the market, but the number of buyers was far fewer than the sellers, causing prices to fall steeply. In the end, the surplus stocks found no buyers at all—a hidden signal that these stocks were now unwanted, the situation dire, and everyone was closing out their positions.

This outcome triggered a wave of panic among trend-followers, who scrambled to sell their holdings for fear of missing their chance and being left with unsellable shares.

Scarcity creates value; uniqueness is what makes assets meaningful.

The phone rang, its shrill sound jolting Gong Hai from his stupor. His eyes flashed, and he grabbed the receiver. “Hello!”

“Yes, thank you. If I can survive this ordeal, Gong Hai will certainly reward you generously.”

Qin Yang.

It was an ordinary name, but as it entered Gong Hai’s field of vision, he began investigating. He learned that Qin Yang had invested in YaoYao Beautification, had close ties with Wang Hao of the Grand Hotel Group, Ye Mei’er—the daughter-in-law of the Bai family—and Zhang Yiming of Carnival, all connected.

The final investigation revealed that the Feng family, once the dominant force in real estate, might have been destroyed due to this man.

Looking at the report in his hand, Gong Hai shuddered.

The conclusion: Qin Yang was targeting Starsea Investment Group to avenge his brother.

All this chaos, courtesy of his “good” son.

Grabbing his keys and phone, Gong Hai headed straight home.

Inside the villa, he found Gong Yun lounging on the sofa, watching TV with utter relaxation. Beside him sat a third-rate young model, massaging his shoulders, making the scene even more comfortable.

While his father was begging for help outside, Gong Yun was at home enjoying himself.

Gong Hai grabbed a water glass from the table and hurled it across the room.

Bang!

Gong Yun leapt to his feet, ready to rage, but when he saw his father, blood streaming from his head, he dared not move. He was terrified of this man.

“Dad, what’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” Gong Hai showed no restraint, kicking him hard. The young model, watching the father discipline the son, slipped away quickly, not daring to stay.

Gong Yun was knocked to the ground, utterly bewildered. He still couldn’t grasp what was happening.

“Do you know Qin Yang?” Gong Hai’s voice dropped, cold and menacing.

Gong Yun thought hard; he had never heard the name. Was this guy the reason his father was so furious, now taking it out on him?

“No idea.”

“What about Ma Bo?”

“Ma Bo?” The name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t recall. “It rings a bell, but I can’t remember. Dad, what’s going on?”

Hearing his son couldn’t remember, Gong Hai kicked him again.

“What about Wang Na?”

Gong Yun’s face changed suddenly. Now he remembered who Ma Bo was—the poor guy pursuing Wang Na.

His anger flared. So that brat had provoked his father. Just wait, he’d make them pay.

“Dad, did they cause trouble? I’ll have someone deal with them.”

Slap!

Gong Hai struck him across the face, leaving five red marks. He sank onto the sofa, his face full of despair. “I spoiled you, raised you to be arrogant and reckless. I thought you’d grow out of it, but now, you’re still the same.”

“Do you realize that today, someone attacked Starsea Investment in the stock market? We lost billions in just one day—all thanks to your handiwork.”

Gong Yun’s face turned pale with panic. “How could that happen?”

“Who has that much capital?”

Suddenly, he thought of someone—Ma Bo’s friend. He’d met him at the car dealership, even snatched a car from him. The man’s card had billions on it, an unimaginable amount. The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became.

“Could it be him?”

“You know who it is?” Gong Hai raised his brows, pressing him for an answer.

Now Gong Yun dared not hide anything, and spilled everything.

A normal card, holding billions. It had to be Qin Yang.

“I’m giving you one hour. Find Qin Yang and Ma Bo’s contact information and address. If you fail, you’ll have nothing to do with Starsea Investment ever again.”

Gong Yun wanted to protest that one hour wasn’t enough, but seeing his father’s murderous glare, he swallowed his words.

Clenching his teeth, he began making calls. It was just a phone call, but if Starsea Investment went bankrupt, he’d have to scavenge for scraps.

Thinking of this, his body trembled uncontrollably. He never expected that the young man’s threats would come true so quickly.

Scenery Garden Community.

Gong Hai arrived here, gazing at the ordinary residential buildings. He felt a wave of emotion; father and son had split up to tackle the crisis, and everything was urgent. If it dragged on, their stocks would become worthless paper.

Knock, knock, knock.

The sound of knocking echoed again. Qiu Zhiguo was puzzled—at this hour, who could be calling? Could it be YaoYao returning?

He opened the door to find a stranger, a middle-aged man, sweat glistening on his forehead despite the heavy snow and bitter cold outside. Had he run here?

“Is this Wu YaoYao’s home?”

“Yes!” Qiu Zhiguo nodded, unsure who this man was or why he was looking for YaoYao. Was he a business partner?

Wu’s father looked at Gong Hai, momentarily stunned. The man was a well-known figure in Bincheng’s business world; he certainly knew of him.

“Mr. Gong, president of Starsea Investment Group—what brings you here?”

Gong Hai was surprised to be recognized, but that made matters easier.

He composed himself, and Wu’s father ushered him inside, poured him a cup of tea, and asked, “What’s the matter?”

Starsea Investment Group and YaoYao Beautification were in entirely different fields, with little overlap. He’d watched the news—Starsea had suffered a devastating attack. Shouldn’t Gong Hai be at the company, preparing for battle? Why was he here?

His confusion deepened.

“Mr. Wu, my son offended your son-in-law through my own ignorance. Please, ask your son-in-law to spare Starsea Investment. I’m willing to pay a billion as compensation.”

The room fell silent. Wu’s father and mother, Qiu Zhiguo, and Wu Chun were all stunned.

Son-in-law?

Wu’s parents had only one daughter, Wu YaoYao, and no son-in-law.

“Mr. Gong, you must be mistaken,” Wu’s mother said quietly.

Gong Hai leapt to his feet, his mood agitated. “Impossible. How could I be mistaken? Isn’t Qin Yang your son-in-law?”

Qin Yang?

Starsea Investment Group’s crisis was linked to Qin Yang?

The young man they drove away midday had such power—able to mobilize billions and dominate the stock market? Was that true?

To think they once regarded him as a pauper and forced him out of their home—their faces burned with shame at the memory.