"Of course I'm certain."
Chen Fan nodded confidently. As the third-largest shareholder of Tengfei Group, he was more than capable of handling this matter.
"Give me half a day. I'll take care of it for President Xia."
The executive wanted to say more, but Xia Ruoshui stopped him.
"Thank you so much, President Chen..."
She looked at Chen Fan with deep gratitude in her eyes.
"It's nothing."
Chen Fan replied calmly, then took out his phone and called Zheng Xingde, the president of Tengfei Group, inviting him to dinner that evening.
"Dinner tonight—does that work for you?"
"No problem," Zheng replied immediately.
"Let's meet at Wangjiang Pavilion at six."Wangjiang Pavilion—Jiangzhou's most prestigious fine-dining restaurant, bar none.
"Sounds good."The meeting was set.
By 6:00 p.m., Chen Fan arrived at Wangjiang Pavilion.
Looking at the sprawling, classically elegant restaurant, Chen Fan couldn't help but feel a bit emotional. Even when he was part of the prestigious Chen family, he'd never set foot in a place like this. Ironically, it was only after severing ties with them that he finally dined here.
At Wangjiang Pavilion, the base price per person—excluding drinks—ran into tens of thousands. With alcohol, a single meal could easily exceed a hundred thousand or more. Even many wealthy individuals wouldn't dare eat here regularly.
As soon as Chen Fan sat down, Zheng Xingde entered hurriedly with two Tengfei Group vice presidents.
Upon seeing Chen Fan, all three were visibly stunned—none of them had expected someone so young.
After a moment's pause, they all greeted him warmly:
"President Chen.""President Chen, such talent at such a young age!"
After a few polite exchanges over appetizers, Chen Fan got straight to the point.
"I'd like Tengfei Group to partner with Xia Group."
Though a little surprised, Zheng smiled and nodded:"Sure. Working with Xia Group is a win-win for us. I see no reason to refuse."
The Xia Group was well-known in Jiangzhou, and partnering with them was certainly advantageous.
But just as Zheng was about to agree, the vice president seated to his left, Zhu Yunjie, leaned in and whispered:
"President Zheng, you absolutely can't approve this."
Zhu Yunjie was the very same vice president who had previously rejected Xia Group's offer.
"Why not?"
Zheng asked in confusion.
"Because Director Feng personally ordered us not to work with Xia Group."
Feng was the second-largest shareholder in Tengfei Group—ranking above Chen Fan in stake and influence.
"What?"
Zheng's eyes narrowed. So now both the second- and third-largest shareholders were involved?
Suddenly, Zheng was put in a tight spot.If he agreed, he'd offend Director Feng.If he refused, he'd offend Chen Fan.Either way, he couldn't win.
Chen Fan, sensing something was off, asked coldly:
"Vice President Zhu, is there a reason you can't say this in front of everyone?"
"Apologies, President Chen—but the group can't agree to your request."
Zhu Yunjie didn't mince words, directly opposing Chen Fan.
As Director Feng's loyal man, he didn't fear Chen Fan in the slightest.
"Whether the group can or can't agree isn't really your call, is it?"
Chen Fan shot back coldly.
Zheng tried to smooth things over, but Zhu Yunjie added with a hint of threat:
"President Zheng, don't forget—Director Feng's shares are nearly equal to Chairman Jiang's. If he acquires just a bit more, he could become the majority shareholder. In comparison... well, this young President Chen—"
"Sigh..."
Zheng Xingde sighed in frustration.
What Zhu said was true. It left him with no choice but to offend Chen Fan.
Seeing this, Zhu Yunjie revealed a smug smile.
But before Zheng could speak, a sudden voice called out:
"President Chen—you're here too!"
Everyone turned to see a chubby middle-aged man walking over quickly, grinning obsequiously as he shook Chen Fan's hand.
When Zheng, Zhu, and the other VP saw who it was, their expressions instantly changed.
"Zhao Linyong?""What's he doing here?"
This was the same domineering man Chen Fan had encountered while walking near his villa—walking his dog without a leash.
Upon confirming his identity, all three stood up respectfully.
"President Zhao.""Good evening, President Zhao..."
But Zhao Linyong ignored them completely, continuing his overly friendly chatter with Chen Fan.
Even though he was being blatantly rude, the three executives didn't dare utter a single word of complaint.
Because Zhao Linyong wasn't just anyone—he was the brother-in-law of Jiangzhou's top powerbroker, Sun Yongtai. Even on his own, Zhao was someone they couldn't afford to offend.
Watching the once-arrogant Zhao Linyong behaving like a tame puppy in front of Chen Fan, all three executives were stunned.
Was this the same Zhao they knew—Jiangzhou's infamously aggressive businessman?
Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable.
Then a terrifying thought crossed their minds:If Zhao Linyong acts like this in front of Chen Fan, what kind of power must Chen Fan wield behind the scenes?
The more they thought about it, the more unnerved they became.
"President Chen, the partnership with Xia Group is approved. No matter who objects, it won't be stopped!"
Zheng Xingde quickly made a clear and firm decision, throwing a meaningful glance at Zhu Yunjie.
After witnessing Zhao's attitude, and recalling how Chen Fan had acquired over a billion's worth of Tengfei shares at such a young age, Zheng became even more convinced—Chen Fan was no ordinary figure.
Instantly, Zhu Yunjie froze in place, visibly uneasy.
"Vice President Zhu, our branch office in the south has been underperforming. You'll be heading there to oversee operations."
As a sign of sincerity and loyalty to Chen Fan, Zheng reassigned Zhu Yunjie to an out-of-town division—a polite way to say: you're done here.
Compared to President Chen, what was Director Feng worth?
Even Feng himself would have to bow before Zhao Linyong.
Thud.Zhu Yunjie's legs gave out, and he collapsed into his chair, pale and shaken.His career was over.
"Decisive move, President Zheng."
Chen Fan nodded in satisfaction.
The issue was resolved.
Afterward, he sent a message to Xia Ruoshui, instructing her to immediately dispatch a team to sign the contract with Tengfei Group.
Back at Xia Group, Xia Ruoshui waited anxiously in her office.
"President Xia, don't get your hopes up. It's highly unlikely Tengfei will agree."
The same executive from before spoke again.
"This whole thing was orchestrated by Baisheng Group. There's no way that young President Chen can break through it so easily."
"His chances of succeeding are less than 1%."
"Is that so?"Xia Ruoshui replied coolly. Unlike the others, she believed in Chen Fan.
Just as her voice trailed off, a message from Chen Fan arrived.