City of Light

"You dare to mess with me?" A suppressed roar of extreme fury exploded like thunder in the silent conference room. Lin Yucheng abruptly stood up, lunged toward Lin Yuchuan in one swift step, and grabbed his expensive custom-made tie, nearly lifting the normally pampered Vice Chairman out of his luxurious leather chair. The coffee cup fell to the floor with a loud "clang," brown liquid splashing everywhere, ceramic shards scattering. The dozen or so executives in the conference room instantly turned pale, their breathing stopped, hearts in their throats. Some even instinctively shrank their necks, fearing they might be caught in the crossfire. The power struggle within the Lin Group was no secret, but such a confrontational, nearly face-tearing scene was something they had never witnessed before. The smile on Lin Yuchuan's face remained unchanged, even carrying a hint of mockery: "Brother, what are you doing? As a CEO, don't you even have basic decorum?" "Decorum? You want to talk to me about decorum? Are you worthy?" Lin Yucheng sneered, releasing his grip, turning to grab a document from his seat, and slamming it heavily onto the table in front of Lin Yuchuan. The loud "bang" made even the water glasses on the table jump. "Explain this tampered financial report." Lin Yuchuan finally caught his breath. He methodically straightened his crooked tie and somewhat disheveled collar, attempting to restore his usual facade of refined elegance. He picked up the document, feigning surprise as he flipped through it, his brows slightly furrowed, as if truly unaware of its contents: "Oh? Tampered? Brother, what are you talking about? I've reviewed this report and found no issues. Perhaps the finance department made some minor errors in compiling the data? I'll have them verify it carefully." "Stop playing dumb," Lin Yucheng picked up his tablet, swiped a few times, and turned the screen toward everyone. "A 30% return rate? Do you take me for an i***t?" The screen clearly displayed a set of obviously falsified financial data. The conference room instantly fell silent. "I've already had the finance department recalculate. The actual return rate is less than 5%, with risk factors off the charts." Lin Yucheng's gaze swept across everyone present like a knife, finally pinning on Lin Yuchuan. "The company behind this project is suspected of money laundering. Are you trying to drag the Lin Group down with it?" Lin Yuchuan's expression froze for a moment before returning to that infuriating smile: "It seems I was careless. But brother, you're being too sensitive. This is just ordinary business cooperation." "Ordinary business cooperation?" Lin Yucheng slammed his fist on the table, making the conference table shake so hard that documents jumped. "Then why were the data in this report manually altered? Who has access to these core data?" The air in the conference room seemed to solidify. The smile on Lin Yuchuan's face finally disappeared, replaced by a barely perceptible coldness. "Everyone, meeting adjourned. This project is temporarily shelved," Lin Yucheng announced. "Director Li, please stay." The executives felt as if granted amnesty, hurriedly standing to leave. Only Lin Yuchuan remained seated, his gaze darkly fixed on Lin Yucheng. "You can get out too," Lin Yucheng said coldly. Lin Yuchuan stood up, methodically straightening his suit, his tone carrying obvious threat: "Brother, you're too arrogant. Some things aren't for you alone to decide." "At Lin Group, I have the final say," Lin Yucheng refused to back down. "If you disagree, you can go to the Chairman and see whether he trusts you or me." Lin Yuchuan let out a cold laugh: "Heh, you think Dad will always protect you? We'll see about that!" "Get out!" Lin Yuchuan turned and left the conference room, his footsteps full of resentment and anger. After everyone had left, Lin Yucheng said to Director Li who remained: "Check who handled this report. I want to see the communication records of all personnel involved." "Yes, President Lin." Director Li hesitated for a moment. "However... Lin Yuchuan is the Vice Chairman of the board, and behind him..." "I know who's behind him," Lin Yucheng interrupted, his gaze sharp as a knife. "But that doesn't mean he can do whatever he wants on my turf." Inwardly, he thought: This bastard child really thinks he can turn the tables? Director Li nodded and was about to leave when Lin Yucheng's phone suddenly rang. Looking at the screen, it was the old butler calling. "President Lin, something terrible has happened!" The old butler's voice was unusually urgent. "The Chairman has suddenly called an emergency board meeting to discuss your position!" Lin Yucheng's pupils contracted sharply: "When?" "Right now, they've already started! Lin Yuchuan brought 'evidence of your violations'..." "Damn it!" Lin Yucheng hung up, his face as dark as iron. "Director Li, prepare the car immediately. We're going to the board meeting." "Be careful, President Lin!" Director Li suddenly lowered his voice. "I just received news that there are reporters waiting at the company's main entrance. Someone seems to have leaked information about your alleged commercial fraud." A cold light flashed in Lin Yucheng's eyes: "They seem well-prepared." "Should we go through the underground parking garage?" "No need." Lin Yucheng straightened his tie. "Since they want to put on a show, I'll play along to the end." As he walked out of the elevator, Lin Yucheng's phone rang again. It was an unfamiliar number. After a moment's hesitation, he answered. "President Lin, this is Xiao Wang from the finance department." The voice on the other end was extremely tense. "I've discovered some unusual transfer records from your personal account—large amounts transferred to the shell company behind that acquisition project!" Lin Yucheng's face instantly turned pale: "When was this transfer made?" "Just half an hour ago! The system shows you personally operated it!" "Bullshit!" Lin Yucheng clenched his fist. He finally understood Lin Yuchuan's plan—first forge evidence of his embezzlement, then use the board to force him out of the company. "Xiao Wang, freeze that transfer immediately and preserve all evidence!" "I've already tried, but the system is locked. My clearance isn't high enough..." A loud crash interrupted the call. Lin Yucheng turned to see two security guards lying on the floor, while Director Li was clutching his bleeding head. In the darkness, three masked men quickly approached him. "President Lin, watch out!" Director Li, lying on the ground, used his last bit of strength to issue a weak warning. However, it was all too late. Lin Yucheng felt an unbearable pain in the back of his neck, as if hit head-on by a speeding train. His vision instantly went black, his body staggered forward uncontrollably, and the phone slipped from his hand, crashing onto the cold marble floor, its screen shattering. His consciousness rapidly blurred, the strength in his body ebbing like the tide. In the final moment before completely losing consciousness, he vaguely heard a familiar voice, one he hated to the bone, speaking in his ear with a hint of smugness and cruelty: "Brother, I told you, you're too naive. The Lin Group was never yours alone. From today on, it will belong completely to me—Lin Yuchuan!" "Enjoy this gift I've prepared for you. Soon, the entire city will know that you, Lin Yucheng, are a business fraudster who embezzled funds and betrayed trust! You will have nothing, your reputation in tatters!" Lin Yucheng wanted to curse loudly, to fight back, to tear that hypocritical face to pieces, but he couldn't even move a finger. Finally, in endless darkness, he completely lost consciousness. His last thought was: Lin Yuchuan... if I don't die, I will... make you pay blood for blood!