At 10:00 AM, the atmosphere in the conference room on the top floor of Yinfan headquarters was solemn and heavy. Board members and senior executives arrived one after another, with Duan Yiheng and the old man being the last to enter.
In truth, dealing with Zheng Jizhong didn't require a board meeting; the grandfather and grandson each had their own agendas. They were using Zheng Jizhong's case as a pretext to influence the group's interests and the company's operations and management, all to achieve their own goals.
Some of them knew the inside story and appeared relatively relaxed, while others were completely baffled. Zheng Jizhong sat upright next to Duan Zheng. Duan Yiheng sat opposite them, a seating arrangement that held deep meaning.
The board members automatically ignored Zheng Jizhong, viewing it as a father-son battle between Duan Zheng and Duan Yiheng. The old man sat at the head of the table, his expression cold and authoritative, his brows exuding an unyielding sense of pressure. He glanced at everyone in the conference room and said in a deep voice:
"Everyone is here. Let's begin." Duan Yiheng slightly turned his head and handed the prepared documents to the board secretary. As the evidence was displayed on the large screen, sweat beaded on Zheng Jizhong's forehead.
Zheng Jizhong's face was pale. He glanced instinctively at Duan Zheng, then stood up to defend himself: "This so-called evidence is all fabricated! I have never accepted any kickbacks! Someone is deliberately framing me!" Duan Yiheng sneered:
"You mean I'm framing you? Look at the accounts, transaction records, and witness testimonies from your subordinates—I've listed every single one for you, clearly and explicitly. If you want to argue, you can explain each piece of evidence one by one."
Zheng Jizhong suddenly stood up and said, "What can this little bit of document evidence prove? I could say it was fabricated by President Duan, but who knows if it's true or false?" "I also have a recording here," Duan Yiheng said. "Everyone, listen to it."
The conference room fell silent again. The recording contained Zheng Jizhong's voice, repeatedly mentioning the word "benefits," followed by detailed discussions about embezzling company funds through fraudulent contracts. Duan Yiheng pressed his advantage:
"I have the transaction records of your secret accounts with your partners. Over 5 million yuan has flowed into your overseas shell company. The company is registered overseas, and you are the actual controller." Zheng Jizhong suddenly fell silent.
The conference room erupted in commotion. The faces of several directors turned grim, especially Duan Zheng. Some even began to look at him with changed expressions. Duan Zheng frowned and turned to Zheng Jizhong, his eyes asking if it was true.
Zheng Jizhong tried to speak several times, but found himself unable to defend himself. His gaze swept over Duan Zheng, trying to find support, but Duan Zheng wasn't stupid and naturally wouldn't respond. The old man's eyes were piercing. He tapped the table, his voice deep and authoritative:
"Zheng Jizhong, what else do you have to say?" Zheng Jizhong slumped into his chair, his expression ashen. He stared blankly at the old man, not understanding how things had come to this.
They had clearly agreed that he would conceal Duan Yiheng's relationship with Lin Xi, and the old man would protect him. He hadn't initially expected the old man to be so ruthless, actually ordering Duan Yiheng to leave Yinfan Technology.
Even now, he couldn't understand why the old man had broken his promise. Wasn't he afraid that Duan Yiheng would expose the relationship between Lin Xi? Seeing that he seemed speechless, the old man turned directly to Duan Yiheng: "What do you plan to do?" Duan Yiheng said:
"Immediately remove Zheng Jizhong from his post and hand him over to the judicial authorities. At the same time, we need to conduct a comprehensive audit of the group to ensure there are no other similar problems."
After he finished speaking, the conference room was quiet for a moment. The directors exchanged glances and finally nodded. Duan Yiheng looked at Zheng Jizhong, knowing he was doomed. Finally, the old man glanced casually at Duan Zheng and said to Duan Yiheng:
"Do as you say." Duan Zheng was both shocked and frightened. Everyone present was a cunning old fox; they should all know that Zheng Jizhong was one of his men. Would this matter implicate him? Zheng Jizhong slammed his fist on the table, his anger barely contained, and accused, "You Duan family members are all untrustworthy scoundrels!"
Duan Yiheng glanced at him dismissively. "Save your words for the police. All you can do now is cooperate with the investigation." Zheng Jizhong suddenly burst into laughter, his eyes filled with a crazed, destructive glint.
"Duan Yiheng, you think you've won? Everyone should check their emails and see how our chairman's heir, whom he's been training since childhood, is having an affair with his own sister." What? Everyone present was shocked and frantically checked their phones.
Zheng Jizhong continued his frantic outburst: "If someone like this becomes the heir to Yinfan, the stock price will probably plummet, right?" Duan Zheng saw the intimate photos in his email and immediately stood up. "Duan Yiheng, is this real or fake?"
The old man's gaze instantly transformed into a knife, piercing directly at Duan Zheng. Duan Zheng understood his gaze and sat back down, stunned. Duan Yiheng, his face grim, slammed the legal documents he had prepared beforehand concerning the termination of Lin Xi's adoption with the Meng family onto the table.
"Lin Xi and I have no questionable relationship, neither blood-related nor legally. Do you think you can control me based on that?" one of the directors spoke up. "Regardless of whether you and Miss Lin have terminated your adoption, in the public eye, you are siblings."
"Yes, the news of the Lin couple's plane crash caused a huge uproar in China, and people are still following Lin Xi's life."
"Furthermore, your grandfather once publicly stated that he hoped Miss Lin and Young Master Duan would be together. The two are childhood sweethearts, and they have received a lot of teasing and support from netizens."
"If your relationship were exposed, some partners would inevitably use it..." The contract was terminated due to a demand for a reassessment of Yinfan's corporate image.
"And most importantly, the group's heir must enter into a marriage that conforms to social norms and public order; otherwise, the board of directors will jointly appoint a new heir." "What's the rush, everyone?" the old man suddenly spoke up. "Does Zheng Jizhong's word really mean everything?
I do have someone here who knows everything he's done, and my granddaughter is waiting outside because she's worried about my health. Why don't we call them in and confront each other?" Duan Yiheng's expression suddenly changed: "Grandpa." "Enough."
The old man's brows furrowed deeply, and he had someone open the conference room door. Lin Xi racked her brains but couldn't figure out why Chen Jingyi was there. There was no exchange between the two, but Chen Jingyi's gaze was very strange.
So strange that Lin Xi felt an urge to run away. Besides being there to expose Zheng Jizhong, she couldn't think of any other reason. But last time, Duan Yiheng had clearly rejected her. Thinking further was useless; the board secretary himself came to open the door.
Lin Xi nervously clenched her fingers as she and Chen Liangyi entered the conference room side by side.