He Lingchuan did not deny it. He sat opposite Shen Yanxi, frowning as he scrutinized her.

"You've worked with him for so many years, you must know what shady things he's done."

He Lingchuan had considered that Shen Yanxi might betray him for personal gain, but he never expected her to be so ruthless as to watch Zhang Ying drive him to the brink of despair.

He Lingchuan rested his chin on his hands, leaned forward, and looked at Shen Yanxi with a cold expression: "Shen Yanxi, you are more ruthless than I imagined."

He sneered, his attitude resolute: "Shen Yanxi, let me tell you the truth, I not only do not intend to cooperate with Chengfeng Group, but I also plan to start my own company. As long as I have a breath left, I will never compromise. I came here today to ask you what you really think. If you decide to help Chengfeng Group, then we will draw a line from today."

Shen Yanxi stared wide-eyed at He Lingchuan with some anxiety: "Don't force me. You know perfectly well that I have no way to leave Chengfeng Group right now."

Shen Yanxi grabbed He Lingchuan's wrist and explained to him urgently, "You are the father of my child, and I will definitely stand on your side, but it is unrealistic for me to break the contract now."

"What's unrealistic about it? Can't you afford the penalty for breach of contract?"

He Lingchuan asked this question on purpose, wanting to see just how much Shen Yanxi wanted to stand on his side.

Hearing his words, Shen Yanxi looked up in surprise, her face flushed with anger, her cheeks trembling with each expression: "Do you know how much the penalty for breach of contract is? Did you think I could just say I'd pay it?"

Shen Yanxi looked He Lingchuan up and down, then looked at him with some dissatisfaction: "He Lingchuan, I am not Cao Xue. I need to support many people. I can't just take out a hundred million to squander anytime, anywhere."

Shen Yanxi was resolute and determined.

He Lingchuan chuckled self-deprecatingly: "If Zhou Mingyan were standing here today, you would have taken out money to help him without hesitation, wouldn't you?"

He Lingchuan had long anticipated Shen Yanxi's reaction. He would never offend Chengfeng Group for his own sake; he was not worthy of Shen Yanxi doing so.

Hearing He Lingchuan's words, Shen Yanxi sighed helplessly: "Think what you want, but I will never go against Chengfeng Group just to help you get revenge."

Shen Yanxi looked up and stared directly into He Lingchuan's eyes: "But you, do you really have to link our relationship with interests? If I continue to cooperate with Chengfeng Group, will you really never see me again? Fine, even if you don't see me, what about the child? Will you not see the child either?"

Shen Yanxi couldn't believe he would be so heartless, and she kept staring into He Lingchuan's eyes as she spoke.

He knew He Lingchuan's temperament better than anyone else; he couldn't possibly abandon the children.

Hearing Shen Yanxi's words, He Lingchuan gave a self-deprecating smile: "Of course I won't give up on the children, but that doesn't mean I'll continue to have contact with you."

He had known all along that Shen Yanxi would do this, so he wasn't surprised at all. He was only here to confirm Shen Yanxi's feelings. It was best that she wasn't on his side, so that he would have a reason to explain to the children why he wasn't with Shen Yanxi.

Shen Yanxi stared at him blankly, looking at He Lingchuan in disbelief: "You're testing me?"

How can I know how ruthless you really are if I don't test you?

He Lingchuan stared wide-eyed at Shen Yanxi's face and began by questioning, "Zhang Ying attempted to seize my project and take away my intellectual property rights. Isn't that your doing too?"

Shen Yanxi was completely bewildered. She raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled: "What nonsense are you talking about? How could I possibly do such a thing?"

"Whether it is or not is no longer important."

He Lingchuan stared into Shen Yanxi's eyes and warned her in a low voice, "Zhang Ying will definitely not let me go, and I have no intention of compromising. As for you and me, we will have no further contact. Besides this, I have another purpose for coming here this time, which is to ask you how many people he has harmed through this method?"

He Lingchuan asked Shen Yanxi directly, leaving her no room for maneuver.

Shen Yanxi looked at the person in front of her with some surprise and confusion: "I don't know."

She pursed her lips, raised her hand, and swore: "Zhang Ying and I are just business partners. I have no right to interfere with what he does, and he won't tell me. As for what you just said, I know nothing about it either."

Are you sure?

He Lingchuan didn't believe Shen Yanxi's words. He stared at Shen Yanxi with suspicion, his eyes full of doubt: "Haven't you been cooperating with Zhang Ying all along? You were the one who told him how to solve this problem. How could you not know what he has done?"

He Lingchuan had been with her for seven years, and he knew Shen Yanxi better than anyone else; she was lying.

She knew perfectly well how many people Zhang Ying had harmed.

He Lingchuan looked at him with a serious expression, his eyes full of impatience: "Shen Yanxi, I don't want to break ties with you. From the moment I decided to start my own company, we were on different paths. I don't want to lay a hand on you."

Out of consideration for their past relationship, He Lingchuan decided to let Shen Yanxi go.

He would let Shen Yanxi go as long as she told him the truth.

He Lingchuan looked at Shen Yanxi with a serious expression, his tone carrying a hint of threat: "Shen Yanxi, is it so hard to tell the truth? Do you really intend to stand with Zhang Ying through thick and thin?"

Faced with He Lingchuan's advice, Shen Yanxi chuckled. She looked up at the person standing in front of her, very confident: "You can't possibly bring down Chengfeng Group."

Shen Yanxi smiled gently and advised him, "He Lingchuan, don't be so presumptuous. You are no match for Chengfeng Group. If you don't want to implicate the people around you, you should admit defeat as soon as possible. Take this opportunity to talk to Zhang Ying and ask him to buy out this project. Maybe you can still make some money."

Shen Yanxi looked at He Lingchuan with earnest words, placing a hand on his shoulder: "Lingchuan, listen to me, don't go against Chengfeng Group, you won't get any benefits. Besides, Xu Fei's mother is still relentless. How can you handle so many things by yourself?"

Shen Yanxi looked at him with concern and said softly, "Ling Chuan, listen to me, don't be so stubborn. I can help you persuade Zhang Ying to raise the buyout price a little."

He Lingchuan stared intently at Shen Yanxi. The two stared at each other, and He Lingchuan maintained this posture until Shen Yanxi felt uncomfortable under his gaze. Only then did he look away, his eyes full of mockery: "You must have used this method to buy out quite a few projects, right?"

He Lingchuan looked down into Shen Yanxi's eyes, his tone icy: "This method is much more profitable than diligently negotiating collaborations, and it can also directly buy out the creator's copyright. It's truly the best of both worlds."