"What nonsense are you two spouting?" Manager Hu said sternly, pointing at the two security guards. "Do you know that I am the reception supervisor at the Hong Kong headquarters of the Yang Group? My administrative rank is one level higher than your supervisor Zhang. If you don't want to work here anymore, you can just say so, and I will call the human resources department right away and have you fired immediately!"
The two security guards shrugged, looking completely indifferent. The taller guard glanced at his partner and said with a sneer, "It seems Manager Hu doesn't accept this surprising result and wants to cause trouble in public. As internal security guards, we have to fulfill our duties."
The short security guard nodded. "That's right. As security guards for the Yang Group, this is our job and our duty. I'm sorry, Manager Hu, but if you don't get out of here, we'll have to forcibly drag you out."
Manager Hu's face turned deathly pale. Looking at the two menacing security guards, he couldn't help but take two steps back in fear, pointing his finger and saying, "Who gave you the right to treat me like this? You're just two lowly security guards! I think you've gone mad! I'm going to call your supervisor right now and have him fire you! Get the hell out of here... Oh, what are you trying to do? Let go of me! Are you all crazy?! Good heavens!"
Several receptionists at the service counters came out in a panic. They watched as two tall security guards grabbed Manager Hu's arms and dragged her out like a dead dog. They kept trying to comfort her but dared not stop them. They could only watch helplessly as Manager Hu struggled and shouted.
The lobby fell silent. Business tycoons and reporters alike noticed the unusual activity at the service desk and exchanged bewildered glances, wondering what had happened.
"What happened?" a foreign reporter asked.
“I do not know!” a pretty female reporter replied with a shrug.
Two security guards escorted Manager Hu to the revolving door of the Yang Group building, and then, together, tossed him up the marble steps below the awning, saying, "Go on your way."
Manager Hu screamed in surprise. Wearing a uniform miniskirt and high heels, she lost her balance and fell awkwardly down the steps, rolling for more than ten meters before stopping. She groaned in pain and couldn't get up for a long time. In her heart, she cursed the two security guards a thousand times over.
The two security guards then walked towards the gate. The taller guard suddenly blinked, turned around and looked at Manager Hu strangely: "Strange, why did Manager Hu fall down the steps by herself? Doesn't she watch where she's going?"
"Perhaps Manager Hu has epilepsy and will have seizures from time to time," the short security guard said hesitantly.
…
"How did you do that, Yun? Don't tell me you used your magical powers again." Inside the elevator, Yuqi looked at Ling Yun excitedly, her beautiful eyes filled with curiosity and excitement.
Ling Yun smiled mysteriously: "Of course it didn't work. I won their hearts with my personal charm."
Yuqi spat out, "Get lost, you're never serious."
With a ding, the elevator arrived at the sixth floor. The two people stepped out of the elevator lobby and turned right. After passing through a long red carpet, they came to a beautifully decorated pale yellow peach wood door.
Chapter 229 Is it still necessary?
Two tall, beautiful waitresses in Yang's Group uniforms were standing at the door of the conference room. When they saw the two men approaching, they were both stunned. Just as they were about to reach out to stop them, Yuqi pushed their arms aside and pushed the door open, barging in.
In the spacious and bright conference room, there was an oval, pale yellow lacquered conference table. Two abundant flower baskets were placed in the hollow in the center. All the windows were drawn tightly to prevent any form of peeping. The conference table was surrounded by a dense crowd of people, and even in the chairs against the wall, there were more than a dozen young people. Judging from their age, they should be members of the younger generation of the Yang family, but their names were unknown.
Yang Ling sat upright in the center of the conference table, a symbol of his status and a sign of his determination to win the leadership transition today. Beside him were Yang Wei, Yang Jun, several other members of the Yang Group, and the CEOs or presidents of the listed companies within the Yang Group. The others were shareholders and directors of the Yang Group. This was a major event concerning the leadership transition of the Yang Group, so almost all of the Group's top executives had come to Hong Kong.
Ling Yun didn't see the third grandfather Yuqi had mentioned; he was probably too old to attend such a leadership election meeting. However, his gaze was immediately drawn to a stern-faced middle-aged man sitting behind Yang Ling against the wall. Although the man was casually dressed and of ordinary appearance, and Ling Yun couldn't identify him, the subtle glint in the man's eyes during a casual glance gave Ling Yun an inexplicable intuition: this middle-aged man was Matsumoto Tomoki. It seemed that with such a superhuman in charge, Yang Ling had no choice but to become the chairman.
Although the Gu poison was placed in Yang Cheng's body by a sorcerer, Matsumoto Tomoki should have known about it. The super Gu and Matsumoto Taro, who had sensed the abnormality and chased after him to the ward, were sent back after Ling Yun had mentally controlled them. Then, Ling Yun and Yuqi arrived at the Yang Group almost without stopping. In such a short time, it was unlikely that Matsumoto Tomoki and Yang Ling would know all of his secrets.
The only flaw was that Ling Yun had broken through Yuqi's mind control, which is why Matsumoto Tomoki, who cast the spell, realized something, leading to the scene where the security guard and Manager Hu stopped Yuqi downstairs. Thinking of this, Ling Yun had already made his plan. He could also sense that although Matsumoto Tomoki only casually glanced at him and Yuqi, seemingly unconcerned, his mental field probes were reaching out like ant antennae, constantly scanning them. Ling Yun sneered inwardly. He had already used his Eye of Illusion; unless it was a powerful individual of general rank or higher, or he used a special ability, Matsumoto Tomoki wouldn't be able to detect anything amiss.
Sure enough, after scanning for a while and finding nothing unusual, Matsumoto Tomoki quietly withdrew his senses.
When everyone saw Yuqi and Lingyun burst in, they were all quite surprised, and dozens of eyes turned to the two of them. Yang Ling couldn't help but show a hint of surprise when he saw Yuqi and Lingyun, but he quickly regained his composure. He couldn't help but glance back at Matsumoto Tomoki, but unfortunately, Matsumoto Tomoki kept his head down, seemingly lost in thought, so it was impossible to tell from his expression what he would do next!
“Yuqi, weren’t you taking care of our third brother at Baiyun Hospital? Why are you back so suddenly? Could it be that our third brother…” An elderly man in his fifties, whose face bore a slight resemblance to Yang Cheng, said with a worried expression. He was Yang Wei, the eldest of the four Yang brothers. He had been overseas, but this time, due to the handover of the Yang family headship, he had rushed back from Europe, thousands of miles away. He had visited Yang Cheng before and knew that Yang Cheng was suffering from a serious illness, incurable, and would probably pass away within a few days. Although Yang Wei rarely returned to the mainland, the brothers still shared a deep bond, and seeing his younger brother about to leave this world in the blink of an eye, he was naturally overwhelmed with grief.
He didn't know that this was all Yang Ling's doing. Since Yang Cheng was beyond cure, then they had to consider who would take over the Yang family's position. From the current perspective, Yang Ling was young and strong, and had great ability and a broad vision, making him the best candidate to take over the Yang family.
Originally, Yuqi wasn't supposed to be at this meeting. Firstly, according to the Yang family's old traditions, female relatives were not allowed to be involved in the family's business. According to traditional views, once a woman reached adulthood, she would marry out of the family and naturally cease to be a member of the Yang family. Although we live in modern society now, and there's no longer any distinction between the Yang family's internal and external affairs, and countless unrelated professional managers have been hired, this unwritten rule has persisted.
Secondly, Yuqi is far from qualified in terms of age and experience. Rules are rules, but if someone has the ability, the power of rules is very weak. However, if someone lacks the ability, the binding force of rules is very strong. Even if she is the only biological daughter of the chairman of the Yang Group's board of directors, without ability, no one will truly value her.
Before Yuqi could answer, another middle-aged man in a suit and tie, with an elegant demeanor, spoke up, his voice sarcastic: "Hey Yuqi, you know the rules of our Yang family. Even if your third brother is sick in the ward, you should be taking care of him without leaving his side. Even if he's perfectly healthy and sitting here, what right do you, a student and a junior member of the Yang family with no position, have to barge into the Yang Group's leadership reshuffle meeting? Hurry up and go back and watch over your father!"
This middle-aged man had an arrogant and unruly air about him, but his complexion was somewhat bluish, and his eyes were puffy, clearly caused by excessive drinking and womanizing. This was Yuqi's good-for-nothing second uncle, Yang Jun. Although Yang Jun himself was quite incompetent, his ambition was no less than Yang Ling's. However, he was really dim-witted. Seeing that Yang Cheng was seriously ill, he didn't care about the hidden background behind it and started to plot against the head of the Yang family. How could a brainless fool like him be a match for the cunning and skillful Yang Ling? So he was humiliated and not only gained nothing, but also suffered a lot of anger and was threatened by Yang Ling. He took this opportunity to vent his anger on the younger generation.
Yang Ling had regained his composure. Regardless, the most important thing was for the meeting to proceed smoothly; securing the chairmanship of the Yang Group's board of directors was the priority. He didn't know that Yuqi's mind control had been lifted, but as long as the terrifying Japanese man behind him was there, he was safe. So he smiled gently: "Yuqi, what's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry? Is my third brother alright? And this gentleman looks unfamiliar, may I ask who he is…?"
All eyes turned to Yuqi and Lingyun. The young couple seemed very close; could he be Yuqi's boyfriend? But this guy seemed quite ordinary, unworthy of Yuqi in any way. However, those present, besides the Yang family, were all shareholders and directors, each a seasoned veteran. Since this was an internal matter for the Yang family, they naturally wouldn't offer their opinions casually, but secretly pondered Yuqi's intentions. Of course, it was a well-known fact that Yang Cheng was terminally ill, so everyone naturally assumed that Yuqi's frantic entry into the meeting room meant that something major had happened to Yang Cheng.
Yuqi felt a little flustered when everyone, especially Yang Ling, looked at her. However, Ling Yun silently took her small hand, and a warm and steady force was transmitted to her. Yuqi immediately felt calm and no longer felt intimidated by the intense gazes of everyone. She cleared her throat and said loudly, "Uncle, Second Uncle, Fourth Uncle, and all the directors and shareholders of Yang's Group, I am here to announce some good news: my father's condition has been brought under control, and he is currently recuperating in the hospital. It is estimated that he will be able to return to the Yang family and resume his work in a few days."
"What?!"
Yuqi's words caused a huge stir, and everyone was immediately filled with astonishment. Most of the people present had visited Yang Cheng in the hospital, and such a critical condition, where he was on the verge of death, could not be faked. Moreover, Yang Cheng had no reason to pretend to be sick, so what was his purpose? Furthermore, the attending physician at Baiyun Hospital had almost openly revealed Yang Cheng's condition: it was incurable, and the only option was to prolong his life and wait for him to die naturally before making any funeral arrangements.
Without a diagnosis from an authoritative hospital, why would everyone be sitting together for a leadership transition meeting? Yang Cheng's death was inevitable; it was only a matter of time. The purpose of the leadership transition meeting was simply to expedite the transition of power to a new leader and prevent stock market and sales disruptions caused by a poor handover. This was crucial to the shareholders' interests, which is why this emergency meeting was convened under Yang Ling's planning.
But now, according to what this young girl said, if Yang Cheng is not dead and is still alive and well, then what is this re-election? It's simply a joke. What a joke! The current chairman of the board is still here, and the lower-level shareholders and directors dare to hold a re-election? Are they trying to raise a flag of rebellion? Immediately, the conference room was filled with a cacophony of voices.
Yang Wei's face lit up with joy. He and his third brother had always been the closest of confidants. One lived on the mainland, the other overseas, and they had no conflicts of interest, so their relationship was naturally the best. Yang Jun, on the other hand, had a gloomy expression, his eyes darting around, lost in thought. Whether Yang Cheng or Yang Jun was in power, it didn't really concern him, so Yang Jun naturally had nothing to be happy about. However, the good thing was that Yang Cheng wouldn't threaten him like Yang Ling had; at most, he would just revert to his old ways, which seemed alright.
Yang Ling was initially shocked, but quickly recovered. A deep question arose in his mind: Yang Cheng was indeed on his last breath, something he had witnessed with his own eyes. Moreover, he had just left Baiyun Hospital that morning, and Yang Cheng's condition had already improved? Only a deity could possibly bring someone back from the dead.
He narrowed his eyes and looked at Ling Yun again. He had already made a rough judgment in his mind. He guessed that this little girl had somehow broken free from Matsumoto Tomoki's mental control. She was unwilling to accept that her father's position as head of the family had been replaced normally, so she deliberately spread rumors that Yang Cheng's condition had recovered. Her purpose was to cause panic among the other leaders of the Yang family and many shareholders and directors, and to disrupt the normal progress of the reshuffle meeting. However, Yuqi, being a naive child, probably couldn't have come up with such a plan. It was probably related to this seemingly pretentious boy.
Yang Ling was calculating in his heart, but on the surface he remained calm and deliberately pretended to be excited: "It's true! That's wonderful! I'll call the director of Baiyun Hospital right away and ask him to send a special car to bring Third Brother back. That way we won't have to worry about him here. With Third Brother here, we brothers will be of one mind and we'll surely be able to overcome anything."
Yuqi watched him coldly as he spoke hypocritically and passionately. After experiencing the coldness of the world and the fickleness of human relationships these past few days, the girl seemed to have grown up and matured a lot all at once. She no longer showed her emotions on her face, but looked at Yang Ling calmly and said, "Fourth Uncle, if you want to confirm that what I said is true, then you can call the attending physician. My father is still sleeping peacefully. Although his condition is under control, he still needs to rest for a while due to his weakness."
Yang Ling looked at Yuqi and suddenly felt a little uneasy. This girl, whom he had watched grow up since childhood, seemed very unfamiliar to him. All along, he had only regarded Yuqi as a child, in the past, now, and probably in the future. He never imagined that now, that child had not only grown into a graceful young woman, but also possessed the ability to rival him. Yuqi just stood there calmly, yet she naturally exuded an aura of dignity and elegance, making people feel her unparalleled beauty and amazing temperament.
He hesitated for a moment before taking out his phone. After thinking for a while, he dialed the number of the director of Baiyun Hospital in front of everyone. To make sure everyone could hear clearly, he put the phone on speakerphone.
The phone was answered after only one ring, and a loud, aged voice came from the other end: "President Yang, I was just about to call you. I have some good news to share. This afternoon, your brother, Mr. Yang Cheng, has improved. Our doctors gave him a full physical examination and can confirm that he is perfectly healthy. Recovery is only a matter of time. Hehehe, President Yang, this is all thanks to your brother, Mr. Yang, who is blessed with good fortune. Our hospital only did a very small amount of treatment..."
Just as the dean was about to continue his long-winded speech, trying to extract some benefits from the wealthy and powerful head of the Yang Group, the dial tone came through. Yang Ling had already hung up the phone. He lowered his head, seemingly excited, but in reality, only in this way could he conceal the face that was distorted by extreme surprise and anger, and the burning look in his eyes.
Matsumoto Tomoki's eyes twitched slightly. He gently propped his head up, looked out the window, and squinted, seemingly lost in thought. But in the instant he turned his head, Ling Yun clearly noticed the shock in his eyes.
The conference room fell silent. The people, still reeling from the shock, exchanged bewildered glances. Not everyone believed Yang Yuqi's words; after all, it was just a young girl's side of the story. Those who had seen Yang Cheng for themselves were more inclined to believe their own eyes. However, the words of the director of Baiyun Hospital immediately overturned the evidence that everyone had believed to be true.