As the recess bell faded, the air in the boardroom curdled into a suffocating tension. The executive board had fractured into two distinct camps: one side was visibly seduced by Gawin's predatory ambition, while the other remained huddle in the long, cold shadow of Lu Rong's established power.
Dr. Li Ming reclined in his leather chair with the practiced calm of a veteran who had survived a thousand corporate wars. He watched the board's confusion with a clinical detachment, inwardly savoring the way Gawin had just publicly humiliated Lu Rong. It wasn't just a disruption of the CFO's rhythm; it was a masterclass in power dynamics that Li Ming found immensely entertaining.
The Chairman leaned forward, his sharp gaze instantly silencing the room's nervous whispers.
"Members of the board..." Li Ming's voice was a resonant boom that brooked no interference. "I have made my decision. I am accepting Wonder Package's proposal."
The announcement sent a shockwave through Lu Rong's faction, while the younger executives offered subtle, triumphant nods. Lu Rong's face twisted into a derisive sneer, as if he were listening to a particularly tasteless joke.
"So, the Chairman finally decides to dance to the tune of this green-eared CEO?" Lu Rong countered instantly, his voice dripping with barely-contained venom. "He admitted his own lack of experience, and his company is far too small to anchor a mega-project of this scale. Are you truly prepared to gamble the future of the CK Group on a series of groundless fantasies?"
Li Ming stared Lu Rong down, his eyes turning glacial. "I am dancing to no one's tune... but I see something far more valuable than a long resume: I see a network and a trajectory for this Hydrogen Project that you have deliberately chosen to ignore."
Li Ming scanned the board members, holding each of their gazes in turn. "Modern business isn't measured by who sat in their chair the longest. It is measured by who has the courage to drag an organization out of its comfort zone—and I see that courage in Mr. Gawin. I see an ASEAN logistics network that is a tangible, multi-million-dollar asset."
Lu Rong's jaw tightened until the bone protruded, but he still held the ultimate leverage: the noose of debt tightening around the group's neck.
"Chairman..." Lu Rong lowered his voice, reclaiming the room with a tone of impending doom. "I respect your decision. But do not allow your enthusiasm to blind you to the fact that we face a total liquidity collapse in exactly three weeks."
He leaned in, his posture a physical threat. "Gawin's money might patch a few holes in the Hydrogen Project for a short time, but the CK Group's cash requirements for the VCC debt and the maturing bonds are a ticking time bomb." The CFO, a master of psychological warfare, turned his attention to the board members who were still basking in Gawin's vision. "And let us not forget the root cause of this crisis... why the CK Group is standing on the edge of a precipice in the first place." He exhaled slowly, locking eyes with Li Ming. "It was this very Hydrogen Project."
Li Ming's expression hardened. He felt a surge of fury toward the CFO, recognizing the game Lu Rong was playing—using the group's debt as a bludgeon to force a surrender to VCC's debt-to-equity conversion. It was a play for total control, and Li Ming refused to let him hold the high card.
"I have never lost sight of the problem," Dr. Li Ming replied with a chilling composure. "In that case... why don't you arrange a negotiation with VCC for two days from now?"
Lu Rong allowed a triumphant smirk to surface. He was confident that his secret ties within VCC would ensure no leniency was granted. This would be the final nail in Li Ming's coffin.
"If the negotiation fails... you know exactly what the consequences will be," the CFO concluded, his tone bordering on arrogant.
Li Ming smiled back, his eyes harboring a depth of intent that was impossible to decipher. "I am well aware... and we shall see just how 'flexible' VCC can be. I am prepared to sit at that table and do whatever is necessary to ensure the CK Group survives this storm."