"Mr. Bai, have you heard about that matter?" Bai Shihang, a shareholder of Baizong Enterprise, asked as they chatted at the dinner table.

Bai Shihang's cheeks were pressed together. He held a small wine glass and looked at the shareholder surnamed Qi with a puzzled expression.

"What's wrong? Has something big happened in the industry lately?"

"Old Qi, you're not talking about what happened to the Gu family, are you?"

Bai Shihang looked over with a smile. The one who spoke at this moment was the shareholder surnamed Qiao.

Old Qi replied with a broad smile, "Hey! It's about the Gu family. No one understands me better than Old Qiao."

Bai Shihang was instantly displeased when he heard what Old Qi said.

What are they pretending to be best friends for?

This isn't the case when it comes to competing for company bonuses.

And they just left him hanging and ignored him?

This is outrageous!

"So, is there something wrong with that kid from the Gu family?" Bai Shihang asked with a smirk and a hint of arrogance.

Old Qiao and Old Qi exchanged a glance, then recounted everything they had heard.

"It can be said that Gu Shaojin has run into trouble. Doesn't he have a real estate project called Yuntang Heshe? A few years ago, when he first took over Gu's Group, he transferred a large sum of money to invest in this project."

I heard that he was very optimistic about this project, and not only did he lose money, but he also put in a lot of effort.

"Didn't they have a pre-sale a while ago? I heard that because the prices were too high, sales weren't particularly good, and now all the money is tied up there. Gu's Group is also experiencing cash flow difficulties because of this."

Bai Shihang downed the liquor in his hand in one gulp, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Is this true?

Old Qi downed his drink in one gulp and answered earnestly.

"It's true. It's been all over the industry these past few days. You're not in the capital these days, so you might not know, but the news has been making headlines."

Bai Shihang chuckled lewdly, staring at the dishes on the table as if the Gu family were just like those dishes, about to become his prey.

Old Joe shook his head, then touched his smooth scalp.

"If you ask me, the younger generation is just unreliable. Look at what Ming Yiran has done since handing the company over to his son. I heard they're about to file for bankruptcy."

We originally thought Gu Shaojin would be incredibly capable. He graduated with his bachelor's and master's degrees at the age of 20 and took over the Gu Group. These past few years have kept us on edge. Now, he's finally reached his breaking point.

“Hey, you’re wrong. I think my son is managing my company quite well,” Old Qi replied.

"Your son is doing a really good job as a CEO," Old Joe said. "Old Bai, aren't you going to call your son back? He's almost thirty and still working in the entertainment industry."

Bai Shihang's face darkened. He was somewhat angry, but stubbornly maintained his composure as he replied.

“My son can make a name for himself no matter what he does, so I’m not worried about him at all.”

If he wants it, he can come back and inherit my fortune; if not, I'll raise his younger brother—it's all the same. As long as he's comfortable, that's all that matters.

"That's true, but he can't spend all his time in the entertainment industry, can he? Now every time I open my phone, all I see are his news stories. Won't that affect his future inheritance of Baizong?"

Old Qi winked at Old Qiao, frantically trying to signal him to stop talking, but Old Qiao acted as if he didn't see it at all and continued to spout off.

"If he takes control of Baizong in the future, and someone deliberately brings up his past actions in the entertainment industry, causing Baizong's stock price to drop and creating various kinds of negative impacts, then it won't just be your Bai family that will be harmed."

Bai Shihang's face fell, and he angrily threw his chopsticks on the table.

He then calmly lit a cigar, crossed his legs, and continued to listen quietly to what Old Joe had to say.

"If you ask me, Lao Bai, you should focus on raising your second son, Bai Li. Even if he comes back to take charge of Bai Zong, I reckon I wouldn't be too happy about it."

Bai Shihang exhaled towards the dining table, and the entire private room was instantly filled with smoke.

All that could be heard was Bai Shihang speaking in his somewhat rough voice.

"What? Do I need your permission to choose which of my sons will inherit my fortune? You only have this small share in Baizong, and you still think you can dominate the situation?"

Old Joe seemed to finally realize he had said something wrong. He quickly poured himself a glass of wine, picked it up, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Look at me, that's not what I meant. I just hope Xiao Li can come back to work at the company as soon as possible. The entertainment industry is a mess, and he could easily get himself into trouble."

Bai Shihang looked at Old Joe with disdain, then changed the subject on his own.

When is Gu's Yuntang Heshe project scheduled to open for sale? Has any information been leaked?

Old Qi quickly chimed in, replying earnestly, "No, I don't know if it's because the Gu family is good at keeping things secret, or if it's simply not decided yet; there's not a single word."

"Then I guess that cunning Gu Shaojin wants to see the results of the pre-sales," Bai Shihang replied perfunctorily.

Seeing Bai Shihang's appearance, Old Qiao quickly added,

"I heard that the Su family and the Gu family have fallen out. Apparently, the Su family owns some land near Yuntang Heshe and was planning to build houses there as an investment, but Gu Shaojin won't allow it and is constantly suppressing it."

Bai Shihang perked up upon hearing this. He dropped his airs and asked with obvious interest,

Is this really true?

"It's just a rumor, I don't know if it's true or not," Old Qiao said. "But when the Yuntang project first started, I did hear that Gu Shaojin had a few plots of land nearby that hadn't been negotiated."

Old Qi nodded in sudden realization.

"Yes, yes, I heard that a shopping mall was originally planned to be built there, and I also heard that the authorities intended to turn that area into a commercial district, but nothing came of it later."

Bai Shihang put down his cigar and asked with a look of surprise,

"Aren't the Su family and the Gu family old friends? Why won't the Su family give the land to Gu Shaojin?"

"How could we just give it up for nothing? If that area really becomes a commercial district, the value of those plots of land would increase many times over. Only a fool would give them up," Old Joe said.

"Yes, if it works out, my God, the profits will be immeasurable," Old Qi exclaimed. "No matter how good the relationship is, they wouldn't give up something like this that involves such interests."

Bai Shihang couldn't help but feel puzzled, "Bai Rang? Gu Shaojin isn't giving money to the Su family?"

"Sure, but didn't he invest all his funds in the early stages of Yuntang? The terms offered to the Su family might be a little less favorable, which is probably why the Su family is so unwilling."

Bai Shihang smiled slyly.

The terms he can offer are definitely much better than those Gu Shaojin can offer.

He might as well go and talk to the Su family.

If the land purchase goes through.

He's confident he'll win if he builds real estate there and competes with Gu's Yuntang.