Yang Wei snorted: "What kind of bullshit conglomerate president is he? I think he's just a charlatan pretending to be crazy. All the books you've read over the years have gone to waste. How could you believe in such a person? You almost made our Yang family fall for a big scam."
Seeing Yang Ling lose power, Yang Jun perked up immediately. When Yang Ling was in power, he often belittled him and even threatened him, not taking his second brother seriously at all. Now was the perfect opportunity to get revenge. He said sarcastically, "Fourth brother is our Yang family's financial officer. If he says our Yang family owes money, then our Yang family has to owe money. Maybe tomorrow he'll release some messy financial statement, and our Yang Group will be fine."
His words were clearly pointed, and everyone was taken aback. They couldn't help but turn their attention back to Yang Jun. They all wondered if Yang Jun had deliberately manipulated the financial statements, falsely claiming that the Yang Group's cash flow was in trouble, and then using this as an opportunity to bring in the Matsumoto Group to force his way out and become the chairman of the Yang Group?
It was truly a wake-up call. After hearing Yang Jun's words, many people's minds immediately started to stir. Because the financial statements that Yang Ling presented were too professional, almost all the shareholders and directors did not understand them. In fact, even for those who are not professional financial personnel, it is difficult to understand what these numbers actually mean. Yang Jun had merely uttered a few words and thrown a problem of the capital chain to everyone. But whether there was a problem with the capital chain, judging from Yang Ling's coercive attitude just now, it seemed that there was a possibility.
Yang Ling's face had turned from ashen to a deep purplish-black. For a moment, he wanted nothing more than to lunge forward, grab Yang Jun by the neck, and yell, "Who the hell falsified the financial statements?" But then a faint gaze immediately fell upon him, and Yang Ling shivered. That boy, whom he had initially dismissed as a simple, unassuming student, now seemed incredibly profound, as if Ling Yun could see right through him.
At this moment, he absolutely cannot admit that the financial statements are fake. Otherwise, it won't just be a matter of not being able to become the acting chairman; he might even lose his place in the Yang family. That would be betraying his own family and harming their interests. Even if he is the eldest son of the Yang family, the Yang Group would not tolerate such behavior.
He suppressed his anger and said, feigning both guilt and rage, "Second brother, I respect you as my second brother, but don't make baseless accusations and think of me as the kind of person who betrays his own side. If you have any evidence, then present it; otherwise, stop your babbling."
Yang Jun scoffed dismissively: "I have evidence? If I had evidence, you wouldn't be standing here anymore. You're the CFO of the Yang Group; you can manipulate those ridiculous figures whenever you want. Who can compare to an expert like you!"
Yang Ling trembled with rage, thinking to himself, "So, when I was in power, you all fawned over me, flattering and trying to please me. Now that I'm not in the position of family head, you dare to mock me to my face. What a bunch of opportunistic scoundrels."
He shouted, "The innocent will remain innocent, and the guilty will remain guilty! Chairman Yuqi, you heard it all. Yang Jun has slandered my innocence like this. What status do I have left in the Yang family? Please approve my resignation, Chairman Yuqi. I quit."
Everyone was stunned. What a dramatic turn of events! This trip to Hong Kong was definitely worthwhile; otherwise, how could they have witnessed such an exciting and lively scene? Just an hour ago, Yang Ling was supposed to be nominated as the chairman of the Yang Group's board of directors, but the situation had taken a sharp turn for the worse, to the point where he was considering resigning.
Yang Jun sneered dismissively, muttering: "Who are you trying to scare with your resignation? Are you even willing to resign?"
Yang Wei hesitated. No matter how disappointing the fourth brother was, he was still a brother of the Yang family. Besides, why should family conflicts be made to lose face in front of outsiders? He was about to stand up and say a few words of advice.
Yuqi said calmly, "Fourth Uncle, you have put in a lot of effort in managing the Yang Group during this time. I am very grateful to you for your hard work and dedication. Now that everything is back on track, you can rest assured and take a break. I will take care of the work for you. Fourth Uncle, thank you for your contributions to the Yang Group. On behalf of all the shareholders and directors, I approve your resignation. You can go on vacation now. Have a good time!"
Yang Ling was stunned. He had intended to use his resignation to threaten Yu Qi one last time. With Yu Qi's abilities, she would definitely not be able to handle the job of chairman without his help. In the end, wouldn't it still be up to Yang Ling to decide? But to his utter surprise, Yu Qi did not even try to persuade him to stay. She directly approved his resignation without even the slightest chance to back down!
Chapter 238 Thunder Berserker
Before anyone outside even entered, a powerful aura had already flooded into the underground bar. It was an even more violent and intense aura, far surpassing the combined ferocity of the dozen or so surviving berserkers.
Xiao Rou frowned slightly. She sensed an extreme bloodlust in the other person's aura. This meant that the owner of this aura was not only powerful but also cruel and bloodthirsty. This cruelty and bloodthirstiness was not the kind that came from killing for a certain purpose or being forced to kill, but rather killing at will and disregarding life, even regarding killing as a way of life.
Suddenly, an invisible barrier opened a gap several meters wide. This gap could not be seen with the naked eye; it could only be detected by the perception of a mental energy field. The structural points of the barrier were slowly changing, opening and closing in an unknown way, just like entering a room where you have to use a key to open the door. Only by mastering the frequency of the structural point changes could you freely enter and exit the room.
Clearly, the berserkers all entered the bar through the gaps in the barrier. Only Xiaorou didn't know the frequency of the barrier's structural points, so she couldn't enter or leave unless she used force to break through the entire barrier.
However, this isolation barrier seems to be somewhat special. Unlike ordinary isolation barriers that simply set up parallel spaces to block vision and sound, it incorporates certain special functional characteristics. The inner interface of the entire barrier is filled with elasticity like a balloon. Moreover, what appears to be a straight parallel space actually manifests as countless wrinkled curves within the barrier. This is equivalent to squeezing an extremely large sheet of paper into a small ball. Each wrinkled area still appears as a parallel and unobstructed straight space to the senses, but in reality, it has taken a very large detour.
In such a space, power cannot exert its full force. After several spatial folds, the power will be greatly reduced. Even if it can touch the boundary of the barrier, it will be like a spent arrow.
If Ling Yun were here, he would be greatly astonished, and then use his copying ability to scan the entire structure of the barrier and store it in his mind. Thanks to this cheat-like ability, he can study various barriers without hindrance. While he can't be called a master yet, he has reached an extremely high level. Clearly, this isolation barrier possesses such characteristics due to its entirely new structural features. And from this structural feature alone, it far exceeds the inherent meaning of an isolation barrier.
Xiao Rou didn't use powerful magic to forcibly break the barrier for two reasons. First, she wasn't confident she could distribute her power evenly across every fold of the surface. Second, she sensed that the barrier had more than one exit. The entrance to the underground bar was definitely one exit, but the source of that violent aura was clearly not in the same place as her. She even had a feeling that part of the barrier had fallen into the void, while another part connected to the icy, snowy lands of Northern Europe. Only this could explain why a group of berserkers who only knew how to kill and destroy would appear in a bustling city.
More than half of the berserkers had already died. Of the thirty-odd men, only a dozen or so remained. The rest lay dead on the ground, their bodies scattered and incomplete. This was due to the berserkers' instinct to tear and charge even when they were barely alive or had their limbs severed. Only by completely cutting them into pieces or destroying their central nervous system and internal organs could they be brought to a complete end. Otherwise, berserkers who felt no pain and only knew how to kill were no different from mechanical soldiers.
These are a group of humanoid creatures that are a real headache for their opponents, but at times, this can turn into a series of foolish acts of suicide.
Although Xiao Rou had an overwhelming advantage over the berserkers after they went berserk, killing more than twenty berserkers in one go still consumed a lot of her supernatural power. A few places on her battle suit formed from her mental field flickered slightly, which were the places where she was accidentally hit by the berserkers' heavy punches during the battle. Even though her body was as hard as steel and she had the protection of her mental field as a backup, Xiao Rou still felt a little numb. Each heavy punch should have weighed more than three tons. With such power, it would only take five or six punches to cut a state-of-the-art steel tank in half.
She remained suspended in the air, her mental energy field maintaining a delicate balance with the gravity of the ground. After the fourth simulation, Xiaorou's telekinetic control had improved significantly, and the isolation barrier had also offset some of the effects of gravity. This was determined by the structural characteristics of the barrier itself, which also weakened the power of the berserkers who charged recklessly with their strong bodies to the greatest extent.
The confined space offered no room for maneuver, and the reduced gravity, coupled with the strength of their opponents, were the main reasons for the berserkers' massacre. But even when slaughtered, the berserkers, in their frenzy, felt no fear. In other words, they were simply a group of bloodthirsty creatures who became even more excited by the sight of blood; the battle would never cease until one side was utterly annihilated.
But now, the berserkers, after going berserk, suddenly stopped all movement, standing motionless like clay statues. The majesty from their superiors had deeply permeated their simple souls, like transaction instructions on a computer, which they could only execute without having any thought of resistance.
These are two distinct worlds, not a superior-subordinate relationship, nor an emperor-minister relationship, but a complete life-or-death struggle. Those in power have all the power over those in power without any obligation, while those in power have only obligations and no rights, not even their own lives. However, this absolute oppression did not bring about any significant resistance. Like an ant colony, those in power have their own awareness, or rather, their own limited thinking. Any reactionary clamor or propaganda is met with a collective attack from the lower classes.
This is a strange world, the world of berserkers. Lower-level berserkers, facing higher-level berserkers, can only cower and tremble, awaiting their fate. Driven by an instinctive fear ingrained in their very blood, they don't even think of resisting, nor does the very thought of it arise.
A tall, imposing figure walked in through a gap in the barrier. The barrier slowly closed, and a ray of the setting sun from somewhere transformed into a golden beam that shone on him, clearly revealing his strong and muscular physique.
This was a berserker of average height, with a face that, while not ugly, possessed a rather imposing air. He had long, flowing blond hair and had entered a berserk state. However, unlike ordinary berserkers, his upper body was brimming with streamlined masculine beauty. His high, bulging muscles were well-developed and glossy black, but unlike the grotesque swelling of lower-level berserkers, they were pleasing to the eye, like those of a bodybuilder.
Furthermore, his body was remarkably clean, unlike the filthy and unkempt low-level berserkers. His dark, glossy skin appeared to be coated with a fine layer of oil, making it not only smooth but also giving it a golden sheen. Although he had entered berserk mode, his eyes remained clear and bright, filled with rationality and ruthlessness as he stared intently at Gu Xiaorou. He seemed to possess a mind and intelligence far superior to his barbarian subordinates.
This is the most basic difference between high-level and low-level berserkers. After entering a berserk state, high-level berserkers can still maintain a clear consciousness. Moreover, it is said that high-level berserkers have intelligence and emotions equivalent to humans, unlike low-level berserkers who almost only have a human form, with less than a quarter of their actual brain tissue in their huge heads.
In a sense, low-level berserkers are just a group of savages who have not fully evolved and do not have the ability to evolve further. They can only live in the icy and snowy Arctic regions of Northern Europe, leading a primitive life of eating raw meat and drinking blood, and are always out of step with modern society.
The berserk state of the lower-ranking berserkers gradually subsided. They obediently lowered their heads, then suddenly knelt on the ground in unison, uttering incoherent words of praise and reverence that only berserkers could understand, as they offered these words to the great one who had suddenly appeared before them. Some berserkers even lacked the courage to offer praise, trembling involuntarily, as if they had encountered their mortal enemy and could only close their eyes and await death.
The sudden transformation from a brave and fearless warrior into a cowardly man who dares not fight back is a stark contrast that would astound anyone. Even Xiao Rou's icy expression revealed a hint of surprise, prompting her to marvel at the wonder of creation and the vastness of the world, where such an incomprehensible yet undeniably real race as the berserker exists.
But immediately, Xiao Rou's attention was completely drawn to the advanced berserker who was walking slowly towards her. What attracted her was not the advanced berserker's cold and ruthless gaze, but the pattern that was slowly appearing on his chest!
The advanced berserker was not only exceptionally clean, but his muscular chest was also completely hairless. Golden patterns were slowly appearing on his broad chest, like an invisible paintbrush drawing a world-famous abstract painting on it. The golden patterns spread like snakes, and in a short while, they formed a golden lightning pattern on the advanced berserker's chest.
Xiao Rou's pupils suddenly contracted. This was... a Thunder Berserker! A high-level berserker she had only ever heard of in legends! Born with the power to wield lightning and thunder, she was completely incomparable to the low-level berserker who had just been filthy and had low intelligence.
She had never seen a high-level berserker before, nor did she know what kind of power a high-level berserker possessed, but it was clear from the imposing aura emanating from him that his power was definitely no less than hers.
A gleaming golden axe, seemingly crafted from pure gold, was slowly lifted from behind the high-level berserker by a large, broad hand. With just a slight shake, it emitted a whooshing sound as it cut through the air.
"Gu Xiaorou?! In my eyes, you're just an ordinary human woman." A cruel smile appeared on the high-level berserker's face. "You can call me Maxima, the great Thunder Berserker Maxima!"
He suddenly roared, and with a whoosh, the golden axe severed the head of a lowly berserker kneeling at his feet: "You bunch of trash, trash! You can't even beat a lowly human woman! What face do you have to call yourselves the strongest and noblest berserkers in the world? You have utterly disgraced Maxima! Die, all of you!"
The golden axe transformed into a bright, sharp golden light, leaving a dazzling golden afterimage around him. Moments later, the low-level berserkers who had been crawling at his feet in a circle all stopped trembling with fear.
Thump, thump, thump... A dozen ugly heads, nearly the size of washbasins, fell from the necks of the remaining berserkers. The headless corpses remained motionless in their stiff kneeling positions. Some of them could avoid the chopping of the golden axe, but their innate subservience to their superiors forced them to accept their destined fate.
Maxima raised his golden axe, slowly bringing the half-meter-long sharp blade to his lips. He stuck out his long, bright red tongue and licked away the bloodstains remaining on the axe. His face became ferocious: "Woman, you see, all of us great berserkers died because of you. You will pay the price. I'm going to rape you first and then tear you to pieces. Of course, before that, you have to hand over your Heavenly Eye to me, and I can give you a quick death. Otherwise, I will make you regret being born a woman."
The Heavenly Eye!