(575)

Perhaps it's fate. After all, no one can succeed every time in their life; there will always be times of failure.

Lin Tingfeng sighed and walked into the shareholders' meeting room. His stomach started to feel uncomfortable again. He had been too busy to go to the hospital, and now his body would protest against his neglect of his health with pain every few hours.

The meeting room was as quiet as a morgue; the air seemed to have frozen.

The other shareholders had arrived earlier and were sitting there waiting for Lin Tingfeng, each with a question mark on their face. However, no one dared to ask any questions, knowing that something bad was about to happen, so everyone held their breath. Lin Tingfeng looked around and found that only two seats were empty, which were reserved for two shareholders, namely Madam Zi and Cai Wenchuan. Neither of them had come.

The room felt like it could catch fire at any moment. Lin Tingfeng felt a little suffocated. In the past, when he walked into the conference room, he was the center of attention, and everyone looked up to him. He felt right at home inside. But today, sitting in his chair, he felt like a fish living in the desert, about to suffocate.

After more than twenty years of smooth sailing in life, I'm about to encounter a major setback when I reach my forties.

Lin Tingfeng didn't personally convene the shareholders' meeting. He had initially assumed it was Madam Zi who would, but since Madam Zi herself hadn't shown up, Lin Tingfeng was somewhat puzzled. His original plan was to acquire the shares from Cai Wenchuan, giving him two-thirds of his father's stake. He then planned to win over several other shareholders, making him the next director. At that point, he would be both chairman and general manager of the Lin Group, ensuring his safety.

You can hold the world you've worked so hard to build firmly in your own hands.

But now, the plan is completely ruined, and he has failed.

The reason he is now passive and unsuccessful, if there is any reason for his defeat, is that he lost in matters of the heart. Over the years, he has been strategizing and working diligently, and under his management, the Lin Group has grown steadily like sesame seeds blooming. Logically speaking, his father should have left all the shares to him.

He was the eldest son, and his blood was thicker than water with his father. But no matter how much he planned, who could have imagined that the old man would divide the shares into three parts before he died, giving one part to his concubine and one part to the steward's son? This was something he never expected.

No matter how much you calculate, you can't outsmart the ever-changing human heart!

Who convened the shareholders' meeting?

Lin Tingfeng settled into his seat, his heart sinking like a stone into the abyss of despair. A bold shareholder, seeing that no one had come in for a long time, assumed he had miscalculated and mustered his courage to lean towards Lin Tingfeng, asking in a low voice with curiosity, "Mr. Lin, is there something wrong with suddenly calling a shareholders' meeting?" He assumed that Lin Tingfeng was the one who had convened the meeting.

Lin Tingfeng shook his head. He was embarrassed to tell the shareholder that he was also unaware of the situation. At that moment, Madam Zi's loud laughter rang out, echoing through the sky. Her laughter was somewhat neurotic, like that of a mad cat. Before she even entered the conference room, the entire room was filled with her laughter—victorious, smug, and arrogant.

Everyone's expression changed, and then they looked up to see Zhang Yingzi, dressed in purple, walking in laughing, followed by Cai Wenchuan in a formal suit.

Zhang Yingzi was beaming with pride, her eyes sparkling with joy.

Cai Wenchuan followed Zhang Yingzi like a loyal follower.

The air seemed to freeze, and Lin Tingfeng felt as if a heavy lead plate was pressing on his chest, and his hands and feet gradually grew cold.

When he saw the two of them, he knew that things had turned out as badly as he had initially predicted, and that a storm was brewing.

The meeting room was quiet; you could hear the shareholders breathing amongst themselves. But this was the calm before the storm.

After Zhang Yingzi finished laughing, she glanced around the conference room. All the shareholders, except for Lin Tingfeng, had their heads down and were completely silent.

Zhang Yingzi cleared her throat, sat down in her seat, and said to everyone, "I convened this shareholders' meeting, and the first purpose of this meeting is to elect a new chairman. Now, I recommend myself, Zhang Yingzi, as the new chairman of the Lin Group. Everyone, please raise your hands to vote—" After saying this, she raised her hand, then looked at Cai Wenchuan, who, as if seeing a conductor's baton, also raised his hand. She then looked at the other shareholders, several of whom she had previously bribed exchanged glances and also raised their hands. The remaining shareholders, knowing that discretion is the better part of valor, and intending to flatter their new leader, also raised their hands.

Zhang Yingzi was elected as the chairperson of the Lin Group with a majority of votes.

Seeing this outcome, Lin Tingfeng felt a deep sorrow. He silently thought to himself, "Father, is this the result you wanted? Does your concubine know how to manage a relationship? Without my protection, all your hard work will be ruined by this woman."

Zhang Yingzi said triumphantly, "Good! Passed! Now, I am the chairman of the Lin Group. Listen carefully, everyone. The second purpose of this meeting is that I am dissatisfied with Lin Tingfeng as general manager and intend to remove him from his post. Do you have any objections? If not, please raise your hands."

Like a stone thrown into still water, a buzzing sound filled the shareholders' meeting as everyone whispered and discussed among themselves.

Lin Tingfeng remained unmoved, knowing that Zhang Yingzi was there to deal with him. Therefore, removing him from his post was entirely within his calculations.

Cai Wenchuan, sitting next to Zhang Yingzi, looked uneasy and ashamed.

Zhang Yingzi glanced at Lin Tingfeng, her big eyes gleaming with smugness. She said to everyone, "Those who agree to remove Lin Tingfeng from his position as general manager, please raise your hands." After saying that, she raised her hand.

Then she glanced at Cai Wenchuan, and Cai Wenchuan, as if seeing a conductor's baton, raised his hand as well.

During the meeting, several shareholders who had already been bribed by Zhang Yingzi also raised their hands.

Zhang Yingzi laughed heartily. After laughing, she said triumphantly, "I own one-third of the shares in the Lin Group, Mr. Cai Wenchuan also owns one-third of the shares, and with the shares of other shareholders, the proposal is approved. Therefore, Mr. Lin Tingfeng is relieved of his post as general manager. From today onwards, Mr. Lin Tingfeng will no longer serve as the general manager of the Lin Group. I will find a better candidate. Meeting adjourned."

Zhang Yingzi stood up and gave Lin Tingfeng a smug look, while Lin Tingfeng kept his head down.

Zhang Yingzi walked up to him and stood there triumphantly.

The other shareholders had not expected such a drastic change in the Lin family. They looked at Lin Tingfeng with sympathy, then whispered among themselves and quickly left.

They feared that a fight between the two bigwigs would harm them, the smaller shareholders. Some savvy shareholders knew that without Lin Tingfeng, the Lin Group would likely have no future and had already begun planning to sell their shares.