Because Duanmu Cidel's words were really "unethical".

The saying goes, "Don't expose someone's shortcomings, don't hit someone in the face," but Duanmu Ci's words were almost both an exposure of shortcomings and a slap in the face. Ivan's family wielded immense power in Russia, and at its peak during Yeltsin's era, they could even join forces with other oligarchs to arbitrarily change prime ministers. However, even such a illustrious family had an inescapable family history of shame, a stain that could never be washed away.

His family made their fortune by selling counterfeit alcohol...

Duanmu Ci's short, misleading remark instantly shattered Ivan's pride and made him lose face.

Ivan's anger was about to explode! Although his family's history of wealth was an open secret in the circle, everyone pretended not to know and no one pointed it out. Over time, even Ivan ignored the problem and pretended not to see it, as if everyone was a hereditary nobleman from the Tsarist era, rather than a despicable merchant who sold counterfeit wine.

But now, suddenly, someone appeared who didn't care about his family's status and wealth, tearing that fig leaf to shreds. Ivan felt as if he had been stripped naked in public, his ugliness exposed. He gripped his wine glass tightly, as if he wanted to crush it.

Duanmu Ci watched with concern. He wasn't worried that Ivan would cut his finger after breaking the glass; he was worried that Ivan might lose control and throw the wine glass at him recklessly. Although he was skilled enough not to be hit, it would still be bad to have some wine on his clothes. Duanmu Ci, who valued his appearance, was very worried about this happening.

However, Ivan managed to control himself, his palms relaxed, and a smile returned to his lips. "The former polar bear empire collapsed, and a new ruler took over, changing the country's name to Russia. Do you know how dark those days were? Resources were extremely scarce. Men were even willing to let their wives sleep with liquor merchants just to have a sip of vodka in the winter."

“My father took pity on them and knew they couldn’t afford good wine, so he mixed some cheap wine for them to sell so they could get through the cold winter in the Northern Hemisphere. This was a noble business practice and a noble act of compassion, not something despicable!”

If the timing and context weren't so inappropriate, Duanmu Ci would have applauded and cheered for this statement. He'd seen people try to whitewash things before, but never one this eloquent. With Ivan's eloquence and ability, he could probably turn a lump of coal white without any problem, right?

Ivan smiled and said, “Although the snow in Siberia never melts, the snow of the previous year is always covered by the snow of the new year. This is a natural law and cannot be avoided. I once heard a professor at the university talk about your Chinese philosophy of ‘harmony between man and nature,’ and I think it makes a lot of sense. The laws of nature can also be applied to people.”

Duanmu Ci raised an eyebrow; this sentence was interesting.

What does it mean for "the new year's snow to cover the old year's snow"? And what on earth is the philosophy of "harmony between man and nature"?

Ivan's meaning was clear: the Duanmu family was the "snow of the old year," while his Mikhail family was the "snow of the new year," destined to cover the Duanmu family and replace their current position.

In other words, even though Duanmu Ci's position in the management committee hasn't changed, some people are already considering finding a new owner for that chair.

It was obvious that Ivan really wanted to sit, or rather, his father really wanted to.

Duanmu Ci suddenly laughed. This was the deeper reason why the Duanmu family was being besieged. The position on the management board was too dazzling; everyone wanted to sit there. The Baker family was initially just an Italian brand name, but after sitting on the management board for only a few decades, their tailors were able to wear clothes that were worn by the Pope, allowing him to wear them in St. Peter's Basilica to celebrate grand masses for the believers.

With such a prime location, who wouldn't want to sit there? In the past, there was no opportunity or chance to shake the existing rules, so they all lay low and endured. However, now that the Morgan family has "thoughtfully" taken the initiative to signal the reorganization of the management committee, how could they not be eager to make a big splash?

Anyway, the Morgan family is big enough to handle anything. I can just follow behind Morgan and pick up the bargains. If I can find the biggest piece of "gold", that would be even better.

Duanmu Ci's smile was somewhat cold. So what if he has a big head? A big head means a big target, making him easier to chop down. My Duanmu family isn't some "snow of the past year," we are fire! These "snows of the new year" you're trying to suppress will probably just melt into a puddle of water. (To be continued, please search for the novel for better and faster updates!)