"Don't think I don't know you were behind this," Jiang Dong warned. "Even if Master Zhan isn't here, the Imperial View Group can still destroy you!"

Zhan Xiuwen sneered, "Young man, don't speak too slowly, or you'll feel a lot of pain if you're slapped in the face."

Qiao Wanwan instructed her secretary, "You can go out now."

"Yes." The secretary quickly nodded and left.

Qiao Wanwan looked at Zhan Xiuwen calmly, "As the old saying goes, even a centipede with a hundred legs doesn't fall down when it's dead. It turns out it's true. You can still come here and jump around."

Zhan Xiuwen wasn't annoyed. He pushed Jiang Dong's hand away and walked straight to sit down opposite Qiao Wanwan. "What you said is not wrong, but I prefer another saying: 'A scholar should be looked at with new eyes after three days of separation.'"

"You dare to trespass on the Emperor's View Group, which is indeed beyond my expectations. Tell me, what do you want with me?"

Zhan Xiuwen smiled, "I've come today because I have a gift for you..."

"Oh?" Qiao Wanwan looked at him indifferently. "I've never liked accepting gifts from others indiscriminately."

"Don't rush to refuse. You have to accept this gift whether you like it or not." Zhan Xiuwen threw the file bag he brought in front of Qiao Wanwan. "Take a look."

Qiao Wanwan didn't move. Jiang Dong stepped forward, opened the file bag, took out the documents inside, and placed them in front of Qiao Wanwan.

Qiao Wanwan then opened the document, and after several seconds, she smiled faintly and said, "Jing Ting would never sign such a contract."

Zhan Xiuwen raised her hand and clapped her hands. "As expected of Zhan Jingting's woman, you can remain so calm even when faced with documents like this. But do you really think I would bring a fake contract here only to be exposed and suffer the consequences?"

Qiao Wanwan frowned and continued flipping through the pages. When she saw the date, her pupils suddenly contracted. "This contract was signed yesterday?"

“Exactly, so you should thank me. At least I confirmed for you that Jing Ting is not dead.” Zhan Xiuwen smiled smugly. “The Emperor Group has no shortage of money. A mere 500 billion is nothing to you, isn’t it? If you really don’t believe me, you can have someone authenticate the handwriting.”

“I can recognize my husband’s handwriting, not to mention his fingerprints on it.” Qiao Wanwan closed the file. “But I will not give you the money until I see Jingting and verify it in person.”

"I knew you wouldn't give me the money easily." Zhan Xiuwen smiled. "But Qiao Wanwan, don't blame me for not reminding you. You know Jing Ting. He really won't sign such a contract easily. If he does, there must be a reason. So I advise you to hurry up and fulfill your obligations. Otherwise, it will delay his important business, which would be bad."

"Here's a copy of the contract. Take it and study its authenticity carefully. Don't keep me waiting too long."

After Zhan Xiuwen left, Jiang Dong asked, "Madam, what contract did Master Zhan sign?"

Qiao Wanwan rubbed her temples wearily. "See for yourself."

Jiang Dong immediately picked up the copy of the contract on the table, opened it, and was immediately stunned. "Master Zhan spent 500 billion to buy a small company under Zhan Xiuwen's name? How is that possible!"

Qiao Wanwan said, "Buying the company is just a pretext. Zhan Xiuwen must be blackmailing Jing Ting with something. But if he gives money directly, it's a gift. I am Jing Ting's wife, and all the money is our joint property. He can't dispose of it alone; he has to go through me. That's why we have this sales contract."

"This Zhan Xiuwen, he's really got a clever plan! He must be using Young Master Jiu to threaten Master Zhan, right?"

"The only ones who can threaten Jingting are me and the children. I'm perfectly fine at home, and I returned safely on the 11th. The third child is at home. If nothing unexpected happens, Zhan Xiuwen will use Xiao Jiu to threaten Jingting."

"Five hundred billion? He really dares to ask for that!" Jiang Dong was furious. "Why doesn't he just ask for another five hundred billion or the entire Dijin Group!"

"Of course he wants the Imperial View Group, but it's the joint property of me and Jingting, and it's very complicated to manage. As for needing more money, the Imperial View Group can certainly provide it, but we don't have that much liquid capital, and it will take time to raise it. Five hundred billion is something we can come up with at any time, so we can complete the transaction as soon as possible to avoid any unforeseen complications."

"What a shrewd Zhan Xiuwen is, he's got a sharp mind."

Qiao Wanwan shook her head thoughtfully, "Just half a month ago, Zhan Xiuwen was penniless and couldn't possibly have the money to plan Jing Ting and the child's disappearance. So I'm worried that Zhan Xiuwen is just a decoy, or a puppet, to deal with us."

"Yes, Zhan Xiuwen is no longer a threat. Who would take him seriously?" Jiang Dong suddenly realized. "Madam, do you think there's someone else behind Zhan Xiuwen? Someone who orchestrated the disappearances of Master Zhan and the young master?"

"Judging from the current situation, that should be the case," Qiao Wanwan pondered. "The person behind Zhan Xiuwen should be the one who gave him the money."

“Madam, since Master Zhan has signed this contract, it at least proves that we have news of Young Master Jiu, and he's in the hands of Zhan Xiuwen and his men. If you don't honor the contract, what if they harm the young master…”

“You’re right,” Qiao Wanwan said, growing increasingly worried. “Although Shiyi returned safely and Jingting is still alive, I dare not gamble. If they harm Xiao Jiu, the consequences would be unimaginable.”

"But I'm worried that if we just give them the money, what if they go back on their word and refuse to release Young Master Jiu? Wouldn't we be being extorted for nothing?"

“I thought of that too, so I didn’t rush to give you the money. I delayed for a while and thought about what the best course of action would be.”

“Madam, now that things have come to this, we must contact Master Zhan and find out what happened before we can give him the money.”

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!