Radiant with smug triumph, they gloated.
"Wenqian, don't blame your parents. Sacrificing you alone to preserve the entire Chen Family is nothing more than your due responsibility and obligation!"
"This is precisely what a daughter-in-law of the Chen Family ought to do!"
Yet that was not all.
They intended to use this opportunity to drive Ye Lingtian away as well.
"Wenqian, at a critical juncture like this, you might as well kick Ye Lingtian out too! Our own Chen Family can barely protect itself—how could we possibly look after outsiders?"
Wang Lixiu chimed in.
"No way! Tian'er is my godson, and he stays with me!"
He Wenqian's attitude remained unyielding.
Ever since Ye Lingtian had been driven out last time, she had sworn that such a thing would never happen again.
"Then you get out of the Chen Family as well! Either he leaves, or both of you leave! Make your choice!"
The entire Chen Family adopted a hardline stance.
In the past, when He Wenqian held absolute power and possessed the ancient formula, they had not dared to act.
But now, they seized the chance to eliminate this thorn in their side and flesh-bound barb.
Since they were going to do it, they would do it thoroughly!
"He Wenqian, all the real estate and vehicles under your name are now completely frozen! Even this Grand Court Villa is registered to you! Someone will be coming to take possession of it very shortly!"
"If you refuse to let Ye Lingtian leave, you won't even have a street corner to sleep on!"
He Wenqian let out a cold laugh.
To think the Chen Family would target her to such an extreme extent?
She saw right through them now.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Chen Family had stripped her of her authority and the ancient formula, and now they wanted to drive Ye Lingtian away as well.
No sooner had the Chen family members departed than another group arrived.
"Miss He Wenqian, the Grand Court Villa has already been used as collateral for a debt! You are ordered to pack up and vacate the premises within one hour!"
"Furthermore, all the real estate and vehicles under your name have been fully mortgaged! They no longer belong to you!"
Bank staff had arrived to repossess her houses and cars.
Now, she truly did not even have a place to live.
She understood that her husband and daughter had consistently failed to show up because they had tacitly consented to this entire affair.
They were simply forcing her to drive Ye Lingtian away.
This was what the father and daughter had wanted all along, or else they would push her to a dead end.
Next, major hotels and inns throughout Jiangcheng would likely issue a ban against them—refusing to take them in!
On top of that, not a single acquaintance she knew would offer her shelter.
The only way out was for her to submit and agree to the Chen Family's demand to expel Ye Lingtian.
Yet she would never do it!
Even if she had to sleep on the streets, she would never chase Ye Lingtian away!
Looking apologetically at Ye Lingtian, He Wenqian said, "Tian'er, I'm so sorry for dragging you into this suffering! Your godmother is useless—she doesn't even have a roof to offer you!"
Showing a resolute spirit of her own, she added, "Tian'er, just make do with godmother for one night, and I'll slowly figure something out!"
Ye Lingtian smiled faintly and said, "Who says we don't have a place to stay? I'll get you a much better residence! Come with me!"
"Huh?"
He Wenqian looked at Ye Lingtian with a mixture of disbelief.
"Alright, the car is here! We'll talk once we arrive!"
At that moment, a luxury van pulled up.
In a daze, He Wenqian followed Ye Lingtian into the vehicle.
She was full of doubts—what kind of place could Ye Lingtian possibly have?
The car drove straight toward Baolong Mountain.
Its destination—Jiuzhoutai Villa!
Chapter 53: Getting a Better Villa!
Chapter 53: Getting a Better Villa!
"This seems to be heading toward Baolong Mountain, doesn't it? But Baolong Mountain is private property, and there are no residential areas there at all!"
He Wenqian asked in confusion.
How could she ever dare to associate this with Jiuzhoutai Villa?
"You'll see when we get there!"
Ye Lingtian smiled.
At the same time, he gave instructions to Qi Shanhai to preserve the Chen Family villa, as his godmother would eventually return there, and it would still prove useful to him.
Depressed in spirit and with night already having fallen, He Wenqian had no idea where they were going.
Before long, the car drove straight to the peak of Baolong Mountain, pulling directly up to Jiuzhoutai Villa.
"We've arrived. Let's get out!"
He Wenqian followed Ye Lingtian out of the vehicle.
"Where is this?"
He Wenqian asked doubtfully, casting her gaze all around.
An extremely luxurious villa came into full view right before her eyes!
She froze in her tracks!
This was the most lavish villa she had ever laid eyes on in Jiangcheng.
"This, this, this..."
He Wenqian was too astonished to speak.
"This... Is this the number one villa in Jiangcheng? Jiuzhoutai?"
She gasped aloud.
"It really is Jiuzhoutai Villa!"
At the same time, He Wenqian felt a wave of nervousness wash over her.
Knowing that Ye Lingtian had brought her to Jiuzhoutai Villa, she wouldn't have dared to come here even if her life depended on it.
However, two rows of servants were standing respectfully at the villa's entrance, appearing as if they were welcoming guests.
The head butler bowed and invited them in, saying, "Welcome, Madam He!"
"Boom!!!"
He Wenqian felt as though she had been struck by lightning.
Could it really be true???
Stunned, He Wenqian looked over at Ye Lingtian.
Could he possibly be the mysterious person who had moved into Jiuzhoutai Villa?
This...
Could everything Ye Lingtian said earlier have been the truth?
"Why are you staring at me? Go on inside!"
Ye Lingtian smiled.
Never in her wildest dreams had He Wenqian imagined that not only would she avoid ending up on the streets, but she would actually move into an even better place.
It was utterly unbelievable!
With trembling legs, she followed the butler into the villa.
To her amazement, absolutely no one stopped them!
"Is this real? I wasn't qualified when I was at the absolute peak of my success, yet here I am moving in during my most destitute moment!"
He Wenqian was filled with curiosity about everything inside the villa.
"Godmother, you can stay here for the time being! It's getting late, so go get some rest, and we'll talk tomorrow!"
Ye Lingtian said.
Even at that moment, He Wenqian still felt as though she were living in a dream.
She hardly dared to settle down comfortably here.
If she accidentally offended Qi Shanhai again, their path to survival would be completely cut off.
"President He!"
A resounding voice echoed through the space.
Qi Shanhai had arrived.
"King of Real Estate! Why are you here?"
He Wenqian hurried forward to greet him.
Qi Shanhai laughed heartily. "President He truly commands my utmost admiration!"
"Ah? You flatter me, King of Real Estate!"
"Just rest easy here! You can stay as long as you like!"
"At the same time, I will do everything in my power to help you make a comeback!"
Qi Shanhai declared.
First, she was able to move into Jiuzhoutai Villa, and now the King of Real Estate himself had come to show his support?
Why on earth was this happening?
"Big Boss!"
As Qi Shanhai turned to leave, he called out respectfully to Ye Lingtian.
Ye Lingtian gave a slight nod.
He Wenqian was struck with profound shock.
This...
"Godmother, go get some rest with peace of mind! I've got everything handled!"
Moving forward, Ye Lingtian intended to help his godmother rise to prominence.
That night, although He Wenqian slept in the most luxurious mansion, she tossed and turned, completely unable to fall asleep.
In her estimation, all of this had to be connected to Ye Zangsheng!
The King of Real Estate must have known Tian'er's true identity.
Otherwise, how could the King of Real Estate possibly help her?
"No way! He Wenqian and Ye Lingtian seem to have vanished into thin air! They're completely untraceable!"
"We just checked every single hotel and inn in Jiangcheng, and there's no sign of the two of them anywhere."
"And absolutely no one in Jiangcheng would dare to take them in! We gave everyone fair warning beforehand!"
......
Bizarre!
What baffled the Chen family members was that the two of them had simply vanished.
They had been searching for a day and a night, yet they couldn't find a trace of them.
Chapter 54: Bullying My Godmother? Not on My Watch!
Chapter 54: Bullying My Godmother? Not on My Watch!
"You don't think they've already left Jiangcheng, do you?"
Chen Xiaoran said with a look of worry.
She had merely wanted to use this opportunity to drive Ye Lingtian away.
She had never expected her mother to be so stubborn, preferring to sleep on the streets rather than abandon her protection of Ye Lingtian.
"Probably not! You don't know Wenqian; she's extremely stubborn! Should I go bring her back? What if we stop trying to drive Ye Lingtian out?"
Chen Guiyuan still felt a lingering sense of unease.
Chen Guofeng and Wang Lixiu immediately chimed in. "You have to risk a sprat to catch a herring! You must hold your ground! Once Wenqian can't take it anymore, she'll come crawling back on her own! This is the absolute best opportunity to get rid of Ye Lingtian!"
Even so, Chen Guiyuan still sent people out to look for her.
As for the Chen Family, the situation had stabilized.
Shang Hongwei had just acquired eighty percent of Chen's Pharmaceuticals' shares, which was more than enough to give him a severe headache.
No matter how powerful he was, his stomach only had a limited capacity.
Now, the medical landscape in Jiangcheng was roughly stable: Shang's Pharmaceuticals stood alone at the top, while the ruined Chen's Pharmaceuticals, having absorbed He's Pharmaceuticals, ranked second.
Faced with such a situation, it didn't really matter to He Wenqian anymore.
However, how could Ye Lingtian swallow this bitter pill?
Bullying his godmother?
Not on his watch!
Standing before him were Qi Shanhai, Li San, and others.
Xu Yourong stood right behind him, dutifully massaging his shoulders.
"My plan is very simple! We are going to build a brand new Medicine King—and my godmother will be the one to head it!"
"As for the funding, the Black Gold Consortium will arrange it!"
"The herbs, supply channels, and sales—those will be handled by you!"
Ye Lingtian concisely divided the tasks among them.
He even produced several medicinal formulas: "One is an improved formula for the Scar Removal Ointment; another is an improved version of the Spirit-Nourishing Pill; and the third is the formula for the Black Ginseng Jade Bone Ointment! Go find all the medicinal ingredients required—I want as much of them as you can possibly get!"
Qi Shanhai and the others nodded in unison.
"Furthermore, since my godmother has suffered, I have no intention of letting the Chen Family live in peace and comfort!"
Ye Lingtian's tone suddenly turned icy cold.
Xu Yourong trembled with fright.
"Understood, Master!"
At the Chen Family estate, the atmosphere was quite lively.
After all, this time around, the overall impact on the Chen Family had been minimal.
Their capital chain was even stronger than before.
Chen Guofeng and the others were grinning from ear to ear.
Chen Guiyuan, however, still felt guilty toward his wife, not only for breaking the promise he made back then, but also for driving her to a desperate path.
Dissatisfied, Chen Guofeng said, "Third brother, you've always been way too soft on your wife! Remember, you're a businessman, and in business, you have to use whatever means necessary! Besides, she's your wife anyway! What difference does it make which of you holds the power?"
"In our Chen Family, men have always been the masters of the house. How did someone as spineless as you turn out? Sharing the household power with your wife, of all people!"
While they talked like that on the surface, they secretly loathed the idea of ever seeing He Wenqian hold power again.
At that moment, Chen Xiaoran had just finished her workday and was preparing to leave.
Xu Yourong, accompanied by a group of senior corporate executives, blocked her path. "Xiaoran! I'm coming home with you! There's a matter I need to discuss with the Chen Family!"
This left Chen Xiaoran both startled and delighted, and she immediately agreed while sending a message to her family.
"Hurry up! Everyone get ready to welcome President Xu, the Dragon Country General Manager of the Black Gold Consortium! Quick, quick, quick!"
Upon learning the news, Chen Guofeng hurriedly rallied all the members of the Chen Family, lining them up at the entrance to welcome her.
Chen Guiyuan didn't dare to be careless either, seeing as the Black Gold Consortium was tied to whether he could reclaim his position as the Medicine King.
Before long, Chen Xiaoran, Xu Yourong, and the others arrived at the Chen Family estate.
"President Xu!"
Chen Guofeng and the others immediately stepped forward to greet her.
Chen Xiaoran enthusiastically introduced her family members to Xu Yourong.
Chen Guofeng showered Xu Yourong with compliments.
The rest of the Chen family were equally dazzled by Xu Yourong's presence.
Chen Shihao and the others stared in a daze.
To think there existed a woman so peerless and magnificent?
Only Chen Guiyuan felt that something was amiss.
Xu Yourong and the other executives all wore cold, displeased expressions.
Chapter 55: Fifty Billion Investment Withdrawn!
Chapter 55: Fifty Billion Investment Withdrawn!
"President Xu, please come in! Please, come in!"
Chen Guofeng invited her warmly.
Xu Yourong waved a hand dismissively. "There's no need! I'm only here to state one thing!"
"Please speak, President Xu!"
"I hereby announce—the fifty billion investment made by the Black Gold Consortium into He's Pharmaceuticals is officially withdrawn! Please return the funds as soon as possible!"
"What?"
Her words were startlingly direct, and the moment they dropped, the entire courtyard erupted in chaos.
"Withdraw fifty billion in investments?"
Chen Guofeng asked in utter disbelief.
Right now, the Chen Family's greatest source of confidence—
Wasn't He's Pharmaceuticals, nor was it the ancient formula for the Spirit-Nourishing Pill; it was this fifty billion.
Although Shang's Pharmaceuticals' Black Ginseng Jade Bone Ointment was worth at least one hundred billion, that value was still far from being fully realized.
The Chen Family, on the other hand, possessed a full fifty billion in cash flow.
This was precisely why Shang's Pharmaceuticals hadn't dared to make another move against them.
If Chen Guiyuan drove them to a desperate fight to the death, even if Shang's Pharmaceuticals managed to win, they would be stripped of a layer of skin in the process.
Yet now, the Black Gold Consortium actually wanted to cancel this fifty billion?
The assistant behind Xu Yourong immediately stepped forward and handed the contract documents over to the Chen Family.
Chen Guofeng immediately tried to argue his case. "President Xu, isn't this a bit unreasonable? The Black Gold Consortium has clearly already invested the money, and we've already spent a portion of it. Is there any justification for withdrawing an investment like this?"
"Besides, if you suddenly pull out your funding like this, aren't you in breach of contract?"
"That's right, everything we do has to abide by the contract."
The brothers Chen Guichuan and Chen Guihai chimed in as well.
Xu Yourong let out a cold laugh. "Contract? Rules? Those are usually just things used to bind the weak! Even if my Black Gold Consortium is in breach of contract, do you have the guts to hold us accountable? Do you dare to demand compensation for damages?"
As soon as those words were spoken, everyone in the Chen Family was struck dumb.
That's right.
Contracts and rules were merely tools to restrain the weak!
If they dared to demand liquidated damages from the Black Gold Consortium, the Chen Family wouldn't survive past midnight.
The Black Gold Consortium was far more terrifying than Shang's Pharmaceuticals.
Xu Yourong glanced sideways at Chen Guiyuan. "Secondly, you are the ones who breached the contract first!"
"Ah? How could that be?"
Even Chen Guiyuan was stunned.
Xu Yourong tossed the contract forward. "Go ahead and take a good look at the investment agreement! There is a clear clause in it stating that the investor recognized by my Black Gold Consortium is none other than Madam He Wenqian! None of the rest of you can represent her!"
When the Chen Family checked, sure enough, it was true!
Previously, they had simply assumed that He's Pharmaceuticals and He Wenqian were one and the same.
Now, it was clear that this fifty billion investment belonged exclusively to He Wenqian as an individual.
Xu Yourong and her entourage turned and left.
Left behind, everyone in the Chen Family stood frozen in place.
Chen Xiaoran wore a look of utter disbelief; she had thought this would turn out to be good news, only for it to end like this.
"Boom..."
Chen Guofeng and Wang Lixiu nearly passed out on the spot.
Wails of despair echoed throughout the Chen Family.
The fifty billion was gone, and the Chen Family's last lifeline of survival was about to be snapped.
"Wenqian! Wenqian is the key! Find Wenqian, right now!"
Old Master Chen Guofeng shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Third brother, what are you standing around for? Call Wenqian! The crux of this whole matter lies with her!"
Chen Guichuan and his brother urged frantically.
With no other choice, Chen Guiyuan dialed He Wenqian's number.
He Wenqian, who was currently sunbathing leisurely at Jiuzhoutai Villa, saw the incoming call and hesitated for a moment before finally picking up. "Hello, what is it?"
"Wenqian, where are you? I'll come pick you up! I owe you an apology, and I need to explain everything properly!"
"Lingtian can come back too! We won't try to drive him away anymore!"
Chen Guiyuan said in a fluster.
"Huh?"
This caught He Wenqian slightly off guard, but right as she began to waver, Ye Lingtian appeared behind her.
"Godmother, don't!"
Coming to her senses, He Wenqian immediately declared, "There's no need for you to know where I am, and whatever happens to me has nothing to do with you!"
With that, the line went dead with a series of busy tones, leaving Chen Guiyuan dumbfounded.
Chapter 56: You Ask Me What Gives Me the Right? My Right Is a Slap!
Chapter 56: You Ask Me What Gives Me the Right? My Right Is a Slap!
"I think I heard Ye Lingtian's voice! It was him who made Mom hang up! Detestable! It's all his fault!"
Chen Xiaoran immediately cried out.
"That bastard Ye Lingtian! He's cutting off the Chen Family's financial lifeline!"
The entire Chen Family was furious.
When they tried calling He Wenqian's number again, it was already turned off.
"Search! You must find Wenqian! We cannot let this fifty billion investment just vanish like this!"
The Chen Family intensified their search efforts, scouring the entire city of Jiangcheng for any trace of the two of them.
Inside Jiuzhoutai Villa.
"Godmother! The reason they're reaching out to you is very simple: the Black Gold Consortium has pulled its funding!"
A single sentence from Ye Lingtian caused He Wenqian's mind to clear up instantly.
No wonder!
She saw right through them now!
"Godmother, just rest well here for the next few days; consider it a vacation! I'll give you a surprise very soon!"
"I am going to make the entire Chen Family beg you to return! I'll make them apologize to you one by one!"
When Ye Lingtian said these words, He Wenqian was utterly astounded.
There was an aura of an peerless overlord hidden within this young man!
She really had misjudged him in the past!
Ye Lingtian's layout had already been set into motion.
However, it soon encountered resistance.
Li San brought back word: "Big Boss, none of the medicinal herbs can be purchased! Right now, all the large and small herb suppliers in Jiangcheng have been completely monopolized by Shang's Pharmaceuticals! They refuse to sell herbs to anyone else!"
Ye Lingtian's expression shifted slightly. "I'll go take a look myself!"
Shengtian Pharmaceuticals, the largest herb supplier in Jiangcheng, controlled a full third of the medicinal herb market.
They had also previously been He's Pharmaceuticals' biggest supplier.
Inside the chairman's office of Shengtian Pharmaceuticals.
Wang Sheng had his legs crossed on the desk, holding a wine glass in one hand while gripping a cigar in the other.
At that moment, the office door pushed open.
"I already said I'm not seeing anyone today..."
However, the person who walked in was not his secretary, but Ye Lingtian.
"Who are you?"
Wang Sheng demanded.
"He Wenqian is my godmother!"
Wang Sheng's expression shifted. "Audacious! You must be Ye Lingtian! The Chen Family is trying to throw you out, yet you still dare to show your face here?"
Ye Lingtian stated bluntly, "I'm simply here to tell you one thing: I want every single one of your medicinal herbs!"
"Hahaha... Nobody else is ever going to buy herbs from me, let alone He Wenqian! You can kiss that dream goodbye!"
Wang Sheng sneered.
"And what if I insist?"
A fierce glint flashed deep within Ye Lingtian's eyes.
"Then tell me, what gives you the right?"
Without a word, Ye Lingtian brought his palm down in a slap against the desk.
"Crack!"
The heavy desk shattered instantly, disintegrating on the spot and being pulverized into fine powder!
Simple and brutal!
Wang Sheng's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
The desk right before him had literally turned to dust and vanished.
What was even more terrifying was that when he looked down at the floor, he saw that the ground, the surrounding walls, and even the ceiling overhead were all covered in spiderweb-like cracks.
"Rumble..."
The office itself was trembling violently, as if a localized earthquake had struck.
It wasn't just his office—the entire Shengtian Pharmaceuticals building was shaking, making everyone inside think an earthquake had hit.
The might of a single palm was terrifying to this degree.
"Snap! Crack!"
Even more horrifyingly, the wine glass in Wang Sheng's hand developed fine fractures before finally exploding into pieces.
This frightened Wang Sheng so badly that he leaped straight out of his chair!
This, this, this...
He couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of consequences he would face if that palm were to land on his own body...
A Grand Master!
No!
This had to be a Great Grandmaster!